Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage:
- Pole-sitter Palou looks ahead to Indy 500
- INDYCAR’s policy change prioritizes safety
- A fiery incident in NASCAR
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Alex Palou doesn’t have any images in his motorhome right here on the speedway grounds that will remind him that he received the 2025 Indianapolis 500.
No massive footage of him lifting the Borg-Warner Trophy.
He does not want the reminders or the motivation. His picture is throughout this place because the defending winner. And as a four-time INDYCAR Series champion.
Alex Palou received the Indy 500 for the primary time in his profession in 2025.
He’s anticipated to vie for the win subsequent Sunday, and he did nothing to suppress these expectations as he won the pole in dramatic fashion, saving his finest laps for his closing run.
Palou stated the pole means one thing however not all the pieces.
“It is not as vital because it appears,” he informed me about an hour after profitable the pole on Sunday evening. “It is large that we obtained the pole, and it appears like a race win.
“However I believe even with out the pole there’s as excessive of probabilities. … Having a terrific view heading into Flip 1 on Sunday does not assure us something.”
Profitable the five hundred final yr was the final massive INDYCAR trophy he had not earned, as he already had three INDYCAR titles. He added a fourth by the tip of final season.
Now that he is obtained an Indy 500 trophy beneath his belt, does the Chip Ganassi Racing driver really feel much less stress?
Effectively, that is difficult.
“It is robust to explain,” Palou stated. “I do not really feel extra stress, however I do not really feel much less stress than I’ve ever felt earlier than. I really feel like I am simply happier than earlier than. I believe possibly I’ve a bit extra expertise, which does not actually imply a lot.
“However on the finish of the day, Chip pays us to win — and to win at present, not final yr. We have to do it yet again.”
He additionally believes profitable in 2026 could possibly be more durable than 2025.
Palou understands the significance of profitable now.
“The sphere may be very, very tight,” Palou stated. “We have seen 10-15 automobiles which are able to operating in site visitors, relying on the session and having the ability to overtake. There’s very, very quick automobiles.
“I do not suppose we’ve got the perfect. I do not suppose we’ve got the unhealthy one. We’ve got a extremely good race automobile.”
Palou’s life definitely has modified since his win a yr in the past. He stated he obtained acknowledged in an airport in Houston, an space the place INDYCAR doesn’t race.
He took the Borg-Warner Trophy to his dwelling nation of Spain.
“It is so many [appearances] that it is solely in regards to the 500, which is tremendous cool,” he informed me and different reporters final month. “I noticed after I received, it is not like [others] … It retains on rising. It is prefer it by no means stops.”
Palou hopes to get to do extra this yr.
However he does get one perk from profitable the pole. The nice view going into Flip 1.
Palou (L) notes that touring with the Borg-Warner Trophy has been “cool.”
“As a driver, you like that view. Not solely Flip 1, however beginning the race right here with all of the followers, you possibly can really feel the vitality going. However on prime of that, in case you are main, the sensation is the perfect ever,” Palou stated.
“I can not await Sunday to go on throttle to see if we will sustain with everyone, if we will keep up entrance all day and battle for the race on the finish.”
Most individuals don’t consider it’s an “if.” It’s a “when.”
And if Palou can win once more, he’ll cherish the win and sit up for images along with his 29-month-old daughter, Lucia. Final yr, a number of the most heartwarming images have been of his daughter showing to refuse to kiss the bricks.
These are the images Palou needs that possibly might make his manner into his motorhome sooner or later.
May Palou’s daughter get one other probability to kiss the bricks in 2026?
“These footage are the perfect factor that we’ve got. We’ve got it everywhere in the home together with her kissing the bricks, or attempting to kiss the bricks.” Palou stated. “If we will ever get to try this once more to see the evolution of her but in addition to see our smiles and the way comfortable we’re, that will be unimaginable.”
To The Rear: Tech Failures Upend 500 Lineup
Caio Collet (pictured) and Jack Harvey will begin on the rear within the Indy 500.
A.J. Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet (tenth) and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Jack Harvey (twenty fourth) had their qualifying occasions disallowed and can begin the Indianapolis 500 within the thirty second (Collet) and thirty third (Harvey) spots. They each had unapproved {hardware} that mounted the Dallara-provided vitality administration system unit. Additionally they will lose their spot in line for pit choice for the five hundred.
INDYCAR Modifications Coverage
INDYCAR has modified its coverage for throwing warning flags on highway programs the place it has tried to chorus from throwing full-course cautions in the course of a pit cycle.
After they adopted that coverage on the Indianapolis Grand Prix earlier this month, it led to a harmful state of affairs with a stalled Alexander Rossi on the observe. He finally obtained out of his automobile, necessitating the full-course warning.
INDYCAR President Doug Boles met with the Impartial Officiating Board and so they introduced a change in coverage a pair days later.
“Security must be a very powerful factor we do,” Boles informed me final week. “I struggled with the size of time there for that [full-course] yellow.”
In The Information
— The Indianapolis 500 is offered out of outdated grandstand seats and infield tickets.
— The NASCAR Corridor of Fame vote is Tuesday, the place a panel will choose the three members of the 2027 class. There will probably be two inductees chosen from the ten candidates on the fashionable period poll and one from the 5 candidates on the pioneer poll.
— Hyak Motorsports introduced that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had signed a multiyear contract extension to stay with the workforce.
— INDYCAR has set the date for the Arlington Grand Prix subsequent yr — March 19-21.
Social Highlight
They Stated It
“There is not any different observe like this on our schedule.” — Denny Hamlin on Dover after profitable All-Star Race
