Defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Alex Palou, in the No.10 Ridgeline Lubricants DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, took a dominant victory in the $1 million Challenge at the Thermal Club in California on Sunday. The Spaniard took pole position for the race and won by just under six seconds.
Palou said after the race that the team did a great job and that he is super proud of them. Palou goes home with a check for $500,000. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was second, just ahead of Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist and Colton Herta, who came from the back to finish the race in fourth place, having saved fuel.
Marcus Armstrong came home in fifth place, while Linus Lindqvist ended the race in sixth place, just ahead of Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi and Josef Newgarden. Christian Lundgaard was ninth, and Agustin Canapino rounded out the top ten.
Speaking following the action, Chip Ganassi said that it was a Sunday drive for Alex Palou and he thanked the team and the Thermal Club and says that it was great to be at Palm Springs.
Graham Rahal was forced to retire from race due to stuck throttle while Pietro Fittipaldi was disqualified for failing to fill his car full of fuel. Barry Wanser, Alex Palou’s race engineer says that today’s result was a bounce back from the first event at the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding last time out.
Next up for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 21.