IndyCar Power Rankings: Alex Palou maximizing his No. 1 spot

By
Nate Ryan,

By
Nate Ryan

Published June 28, 2023 06:00 AM

IndyCar has been all about Palou of late

June 29, 2023 12:19 PM

With three wins in the last four races, Alex Palou has built a sizeable gap in the point standings, but Mid-Ohio will test him, and Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Andretti Autosport have plenty of challengers.

With three victories in four races and one finish outside the top five, Alex Palou has built a 74-point lead that’s a massive cushion but not a crutch.

The Chip Ganassi Racing star stops well short of proclaiming that he has been crushing the competition in the NTT IndyCar Series, even if the numbers indicate otherwise.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s dominant, honestly,” Palou told reporters Tuesday about his year. “I would say that the points that we have now look better than what our races has been. We are just able to maximize everything well. (Other drivers) couldn’t really maximize everything. It still counts. We still have that gap and all those points, which it’s great. But I don’t think it’s dominating. It’s just maximizing.”

The 2021 series champion has dominated the NBC Sports Power Rankings, holding down the top spot for four consecutive races as the season reaches its midpoint at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this Sunday.

Heading into the Honda Indy 200, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through eight of 17 races this year (with previous ranking in parenthesis):

1. Alex Palou (1): With the Formula One chatter continuing to grow, it seems a fitting time to ponder whether the Spaniard should be regarded as one of the best in the world. He almost certainly won’t get the opportunity to prove that in the F1 midfield, though. Perhaps another reason (along with a seven-figure check from some team) that IndyCar might be his optimal career route for financial and reputational stability.

2. Josef Newgarden (2): He had to throw a few elbows and hip checks (including one that nearly took out the points leader) to do it, but the Indy 500 winner was back in championship form at Road America. Now the Team Penske star has just more than half a season to match Palou’s surge and make the title fight compelling.

3. Scott Dixon (5): Rebounded from one of the more high-profile mistakes in his impeccable career to deliver a typically brilliant drive from 23^rd to fourth. An impressive credit to the six-time series champion and the team that reassembled his No. 9 from the unfortunate shunt with Will Power,

4. Marcus Ericsson (3): Just keeps rattling off the consistently solid finishes while waiting to learn where he will be driving in 2023. Some lucky IndyCar team will be getting (or maybe keeping) a championship contender entering the prime of his career.

5. Pato O’Ward (10): His gritty third-place finish wasn’t flashy (he battled back from being a “ping-pong ball” in the opening laps), but no driver needed a podium more than O’Ward. Putting the disappointment of Indy and Detroit behind him, the McLaren star can focus on ending a 13-race winless streak.

6. Colton Herta (NR): His Andretti Autosport team cost him a win despite having the best car, but Herta still put together his most complete race weekend of the season. He should be a threat again at all the remaining road course, starting this weekend.

7. Scott McLaughlin (7): Improved 10 spots from where he qualified at Road America, turning in an eighth place that was “a good bounceback” from disappointments at Detroit and a mistake-plagued Indy. If he wants to make a title run, it has to start at Mid-Ohio (where he won last year).

8. Alexander Rossi (4): He was fastest in every session except those that mattered the most at Road America. Though the No. 7 team finally made the Fast Six for the first time, Rossi was left puzzled by a 10^th that was “the first Sunday we’ve really struggled.” Mid-Ohio is another good chance at a turnaround.

9. Kyle Kirkwood (9): Quietly climbed into the top 10 in points with another top 10 finish despite falling to the rear for an avoidable contact penalty in a Lap 1 spin. Thrived on strong execution on strategy and pit stops. If Kirkwood starts getting cleaner weekends, watch out.

10. Will Power (6): Just on the viral strength of the season’s most memorable interview, he deserves to stay in the power rankings. But recovering from a destroyed car in practice to finish 13^th after starting 25^th was also very notable.

Falling out: Felix Rosenqvist (8)