IndyCar’s Alex Palou takes over Monterey with Eighth Win. Also, drivers Pato O’Ward, Santino Ferrucci and Rinus VeeKay

Roger Penske:
This is Roger Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek, and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental as we continue our fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. And a big thanks to Penske Truck Rental for helping bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock to the racetrack to the highways and streets of America. IndyCar finally gets a break this weekend after a stretch of five races and four weekends that included the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 6th. the Su-Kup IndyCar race weekend at Iowa with races on July 12th and July 13th, then across the border to Canada for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on July 20th, then all the way to California's Monterey Peninsula for the Java House Grand Prix at Monterey on July 27th. that was a lot of laps by the drivers and a lot of miles for the crew members and truck drivers that transport the cars and drivers to each race this week IndyCar finally gets a weekend off but next week it's off to Portland Oregon for the bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland This episode of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental wraps up the big weekend at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca, one of the most picturesque road courses in the world. It's a perfect backdrop for IndyCar and it proved to be a perfect venue for Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing as he closes in on a third straight NTT IndyCar Series Championship. Palou won the poll, then dominated the race as he was never passed on the track. He led all but 11 laps in the 95-lap contest, yielding the lead after making pit stops, putting drivers on a different pit strategy in the lead. By the time it was over, Polo had won his 8th race of the season. The all-time IndyCar record for wins in a season was 10 by A.J. Foyt in 1964 and L. Unser in 1970. Mario Andretti won 9 times in 1969. Drivers with eight wins in a season include Tony Bettenhausen in 1951, Mario Andretti in 1966 and 1967, Michael Andretti in 1991, Al Unser in 1994, Sebastian Bourdais in 2007, and now Palau. He stretched his lead in the NTT IndyCar Series Championship to 120 points over 4th place finisher Paddle O'Ward of Errol McLaren, giving him a 2.5 race lead in the championship with just 3 races remaining. Chip Ganassi Racing can order the champagne and reserve a private room at a fine restaurant for a championship celebration conceivably as soon as the next race. If Palou finishes the August 13th BitMile.com Grand Prix of Portland with a 108-point lead over O'Ward in the championship, he will clinch his third straight IndyCar Series championship, his fourth overall. Palou and O'Ward are the only two drivers left in mathematic contention for the championship, as third-place Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing was eliminated after finishing fifth. Although there remains a mathematical chance, the odds are astronomically in Palou's favor. Palou defeated second place finisher Christian Lungard of Arrow McLaren by 3.7965 seconds. We have two exclusive interviews with Palou on this edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Here's the first as Palou entered the race weekend with a 99 point lead over Pato Award.

Alex Palou: Bruce.

Bruce Martin: Hello, Alex.

Alex Palou: Hello, Bruce.

Alex Palou: It's a lot of points to lose 30 points in one race. I think it's tough, man. The wins here in IndyCar, they count a lot. And whenever you have a bad result, like we had at Toronto, and your closest competitor gets a win, you get this huge point swing. And although 99 is good, I would say that we need to pay attention and we need to be scoring big points to try and get this championship.

Bruce Martin: Well, with 54 max points available in each IndyCar race, you're still essentially two races ahead of your nearest competitor.

Alex Palou: That is true, but you don't want to lose that. You don't want to lose that, Bruce. So yeah, I mean, we need to try and keep on pushing, try and extend that gap a little bit more. And although we're in the best case scenario, like we've never had this amount of points, we don't want to lose them.

Bruce Martin: Now your quest for 10, for the number 10, you got to get three wins in four races. I've asked you three wins in five races. You thought it was doable. How doable is three wins in four?

Alex Palou: I mean, it's still doable. It's very tough. But we have enough races to do it. So we're going to try it, starting with Laguna. But obviously, Yeah, I told you it was it was doable, but very tough. I think obviously it's just getting tougher and tougher. But yeah, we have a great opportunity this weekend to try and make it happen.

Bruce Martin: And is it possible for another driver to psychologically get inside of your head?

Alex Palou: No.

Bruce Martin: Well, I think that's definitely, I will definitely agree with that. Finally, heading to Portland. Good track for you. How do you like that track? And how's your confidence level heading to Portland?

Alex Palou: I love it there as well. Like we had amazing results there in the past. I think two wins. And we clinched the championship there in 2023, which felt amazing. So my memories there are amazing. Last year, we fighted hard with power. They had a ton of space, but I thought we had a chance to win as well. So I cannot wait to be there as well.

Bruce Martin: Well, Alex Palou, you keep clicking them off. Good luck in your quest for a fourth IndyCar Series championship. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Alex Palou: Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: By winning Sunday's race, Palou is just two races from the all-time record for wins in a season at 10, with three races remaining. Here are Palou's thoughts after his big win on Sunday in this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy. Hello, Alex. Hello, Bruce. On the latest edition of Hello Alex, which has become a regular part of Pit Pass Indy because he wins every race. We're joined by Alex Plow, the winner of the Java House, Grand Prix of Monterey, started on the pole, led all but 11 laps of the 95 lap race. Eighth victory of the year. You're now firmly in control of the championship. You have a two and a half race lead in terms of points, with only three races to go. How do you sum up a day like this?

Alex Palou: Amazing. It was 10 out of 10, honestly, for us. The car was amazing. We started on pole. We were able to manage our first stint and manage our tires. The pace that we had in that 10 car was amazing, was unbelievable. It's something that this year, it's the first time that we had it. Normally we're like fighting a lot, we're like trying to go one lap longer to try and overcut the other people or like we cannot really open big gaps, but today was one of those days where we're able to open the gap that we needed. We had to suffer a little bit on those last cautions on the restarts. I was not super happy with the tires.

Bruce Martin: With a tire deck, but honestly, it was a 10 out of 10 day Everybody seemed to think that it was gonna be a fierce battle between you and paddle award for the start of the race Who was gonna get the lead going into turn one? It was no battle at all You had a great start and it seemed like on every restart you had great restarts What was it about the 10 car that was superior to anybody else? I?

Alex Palou: Traction, my traction was unbelievable today. Like, yeah, as you said, even on the first start, I was able to have such a good jump at the beginning and kind of allowed me to manage a little bit turn two and be a little bit safer than normal without having to fight. So it felt that we always had that grip that we needed to do whatever we wanted.

Bruce Martin: Second win in a row here at Monterey and I believe it's your third win at Monterey. What is it about this track that suits you so well?

Alex Palou: I love it. I love it so much. I have a lot of fun. We have a great car here. But I don't know. It's just something about this track, being able to use all the curbs on entries, apex, and exits, having to be so close to the limit, but without obviously being able to go over the limit. Because this track bites you. It's been very good for me. Yeah, I don't have a great answer for you, but I just have a lot of fun every time I'm around here.

Bruce Martin: I believe it was 2022 when you won here. The margin of victory was the distance from Monterey to Salinas. So how would you say the margin of victory was today? Because it was a little bit tighter, but there were times you had a really wide margin.

Alex Palou: Yeah, especially the first ten. I think that first ten helped us, like helped looking that we had a bigger margin because of the tyre choice that we had. We had the best tyre at the beginning. Colton was in second on the primary tyre that was a lot slower. I would say we didn't have as much space as we did in 2022. I think that day was just one of those crazy days. But today was good. I was able to manage the gaps. I was able to be comfortable. Obviously, we were under the threat of the restarts with Lungard, especially at the end, that late in the race. But anyway, ultimately, we were able to have the win.

Bruce Martin: So you came to IndyCar in 2020. You got your first victory in the first race of the 2021 season. And since then, I think IndyCar has been living in the era of Alex. When you think that you can have your own era in IndyCar, how satisfying is that for a driver to know that you've left this great of a mark? You haven't even started your 100th race yet.

Alex Palou: Yeah, it's crazy. Honestly, it's been amazing. It's been magical. It's been better than all the dreams that I could have had when I was a kid or even like four years ago or even two years ago. I didn't even know that we were going to be able to win more than one championship or these many races. So, yeah, I cannot sum it up better than just magical and better than all the dreams that I could have ever had.

Bruce Martin: You're closing in on your fourth NTT IndyCar Series championship. Those are historic numbers, especially when you see that Scott Dixon has the second most championships with six, AJ Foyt has the most with seven. But when you think you can achieve four championships before your 100th IndyCar start, How do you put all that into perspective?

Alex Palou: Honestly, yeah. I mean, looking at those numbers, I think we need to get this fourth one first. But it's not easy. It's not easy. I think I've been lucky to be in this era and to be this comfortable with the car, with the tires, with the hybrid, having the speed from the car that I needed every single year and every single race. So I think Yeah, I mean those numbers are amazing. So I'll do my best to try and improve them and to continue winning in the future.

Bruce Martin: There was a time when it looked like you might leave Chip Ganassi Racing. How glad are you that Chip talked you into staying?

Alex Palou: You have no idea about that. Like, you have no idea about how happy I am about that. So yeah, I mean, it made us stronger. It made me personally a lot stronger. Obviously, if I could go back, I would change how things went. But I think that made my relationship with Chip itself and the team as strong as it could be.

Bruce Martin: Of course, IndyCar doesn't crown the champion until after the Nashville race, but should you wrap it up sooner, do you know a place where you might want to have a nice celebration dinner?

Alex Palou: Not yet, not yet. I never allow myself to think about those things until they happen. I think it's not good because this championship is not ours yet. We're in the best position we could be, but it's not ours. There's still one car that has chances to win it. So, yeah, honestly, we're going to wait, and once we win, we'll figure it out.

Bruce Martin: Weekend off, then the series resumes in Portland. So how do you feel about Portland?

Alex Palou: I feel good about the weekend off, and I also feel good about Portland. It's a great place for us. Last year, we had a great pace battle with Power. He was really strong there. I remember that he was able to gap us quite a lot, and I didn't really have much more speed for him. But I know we have great cars there, and I cannot wait to try and fight for the win.

Bruce Martin: And in our final question with Alex below of Chip Ganassi Racing, the winner of the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, you won the big race of the year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 109th Indianapolis 500. So your banner is going to be hung outside the track all month of May. And for most of the year, you're going to be on the ticket today. The NASCAR winner of the brickyard 400 won the race and it's Bubba Wallace of 2311 racing. How do you feel about him winning that race and now him being featured at the Indianapolis motor speedway and also his team is owned by Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest athlete of the 20th century and NASCAR cup series driver Denny Hamlin.

Alex Palou: Oh, it's amazing. I think obviously I didn't know because we were racing and we were focused before the race happened. But yeah, it's amazing. I think he's they've been pushing for a long time. I think it's their first win there at the Brickyard. So it's amazing to see that. Hopefully that allows me to meet or to have one picture with his team boss, Michael Jordan. So it would be amazing. I think it's great for the sport. It's great for NASCAR, but it's also great for us.

Bruce Martin: That's a special project. We're going to have the good folks at IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway put together. Yeah, that's a great idea. Do you remember the dream team at Barcelona in the 92 Olympics? You were quite young. You probably weren't even born yet, were you? I do not.

Alex Palou: No, I was not born.

Bruce Martin: All right. Well, that was a big deal back then when Michael Jordan showed up in Barcelona for the Olympics. I'm not very good with math, so I can't figure out ages. You're not even 30 yet, so of course you don't remember the dream team. But anyway, speaking of dream teams, you have your own dream team here at Chip Ganassi Racing. Keep up the good dreams. Dreams are coming true here this year. They've been coming true for you every season. But good luck the rest of the way. We'll save the official congratulations when you officially clinch. But thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Alex Palou: Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Scott McLaughlin: Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy.

Bruce Martin: Pato O'Ward entered the race weekend confident that he could continue his charge on Polo after the driver from Monterey, Mexico won the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto one week earlier. He had cut 30 points off Polo's lead and arrived at Monterey, California 99 points behind. That was still quite a hill to climb, but Award was confident he could close the gap. Here is an exclusive interview of Pillow before he finished fourth at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca. Pettoe Ward, you're charging up the championship like a bull. Here we are in Monterey. How did you celebrate the Toronto win? You were going back to Texas to celebrate and see your family. How much did that really take a lot of the pressure of this stretch of the season off to be able to at least relax and celebrate for one day? Yeah, I went home.

Pato O’Ward: saw the dogs, saw my mom. And on Monday, we had, like, my favorite meal, or one of my favorite meals cooked in home. What is one of your favorite meals? It's actually kind of weird, but it's very thin chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and, like, homemade macaroni from my grandmother. Grandmother's recipe. That actually sounds pretty good. It is really good.

Bruce Martin: Anyway, a couple tracks coming up here that you're very good at. We talked in Toronto about these tracks coming up. How do you feel now to have an extra boost of momentum heading to Monterey, heading to Portland, heading to Milwaukee, and concluding with Nashville?

Pato O’Ward: Yeah, the momentum is with us, and we're rolling with it. We're just trying to keep it going. We'd love to go three for three, but we know how hard it is to win an IndyCar, so we just have to keep doing what we've been doing and put ourselves into that position to be able to have that opportunity.

Bruce Martin: I would ask you what you guys are doing differently at Arrow McLaren, or is it just more of a matter of you guys are now finally hitting on all cylinders?

Pato O’Ward: I don't think it's something, you know, just completely different. We're just, we're trying to get better and better, and we're trying to evolve. The car has gotten better, and I feel like You know, our Sundays have definitely gotten better in how we race.

Bruce Martin: And finally, is it possible to get inside Alex Bellows' head in a championship fight? You took 30 points off his lead. Do you think that you may have succeeded in maybe getting a little bit into his head?

Pato O’Ward: I mean, he's been in this position pretty much the last three years. So if someone's got experience of how to deal with it, it's him. But you know, for us, the goal is to keep getting closer. Yeah, like, it's still 99 points. That's a big buffer. I know it seems smaller after being 130 points, but a 99-point lead is still pretty big.

Bruce Martin: And finally, if you succeeded in making up a 129-point lead and winning a championship, would that be, in your mind, the greatest comeback in IndyCar history?

Pato O’Ward: I mean, yeah, I think it'd be talked about for a very long time, and it'd go down in the history books as one of the craziest finishes to a season.

Bruce Martin: Well, Pato, you'll certainly be talked about for a very long time. Good luck in your quest for the championship. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Pato O’Ward: Thank you very much.

Bruce Martin: Santino Ferrucci returned to the track after missing the race at Toronto when he crashed in the warm-up session before that contest. Ferrucci's car was too badly damaged to be repaired and the driver had an injured right hand. He was back in action at Monterey and joined me for this exclusive PitPass Indy interview. Santino Ferrucci is joining us. First off, Santino, how's the injured wrist?

Santino Ferrucci: Yeah, hands OK. I've got some protection for it for this weekend, but I should be good to go.

Bruce Martin: We didn't get a chance to talk to you very much after you had your crash at the end of Sunday warm-up in Toronto. You didn't get to run in the race. Do you believe that if they had gotten a car together for you, with the pain in your hand, you would have still been able to run?

Santino Ferrucci: Yeah, I think adrenaline is a pretty powerful tool. I would have definitely tried to. Obviously, if we're building a car, we're going to go out there and run. I'm not going to sit there and not do it. So yeah, I would have definitely tried to.

Bruce Martin: And also, how tough was it to watch that race without you being in it?

Santino Ferrucci: Yeah, obviously, it's not what I want to be doing. I haven't watched a race in quite a few years now. So yeah, went out there, showed support to teammates. Happy to be back in the race car, though, this weekend. When it comes to wax, how would you rank that in terms of crashes you've had? It's definitely among the top three ones I've had. So I had two big ones in 2021 with Ray Hall. And I haven't had one since on my own. So it's been a long time. And yeah, that one definitely hurt. Did you determine what happened that caused the crash? To be honest with you, I didn't change anything. Just unlucky with a little bit of wheel spin and a quick snap. Just honestly, just more unlucky than anything else.

Bruce Martin: So finally, you were on a really good streak. Without that, you've been one of the better points producers during the summer stretch of the season.

Santino Ferrucci: Yeah.

Bruce Martin: How big a setback do you think that puts, and how do you regain that momentum?

Santino Ferrucci: Yeah, I don't think it's a setback. Building back the momentum, I think, just coming here. A couple of tracks that we like, we know. Just getting back into the rhythm, getting back into it. You know, I like that there was no break, no time to dwell on it. Did a, you know, 1,700-mile road trip and kind of reset my brain. I'm ready to roll. Well, Santino Ferrucci, good to see you back.

Bruce Martin: I know that right hand's still hurt a little bit. A little bit. But good luck in Monterey, good luck in Portland, good luck in Milwaukee, and good luck in the final race of the season in Nashville. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks, Chris. Rhenus VeeKay was still riding high after his second place finish at Toronto when he arrived in Monterey. I caught up with the popular driver entering the race weekend for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. The last time I saw my next guest, he was carrying a very expensive piece of crystal, Waterford crystal, and he was going to give the second place trophy to Toronto, a tour of Toronto.

Rinus VeeKay: Where did you take the trophy? I couldn't get it in my carry-on luggage, so it was put in the truck. I have it home now, though.

Bruce Martin: I was going to say, they're not going to let you hold that in your lap.

Rinus VeeKay: No.

Bruce Martin: And also, I'm not so sure seeing the way other passengers cram stuff into the overhead, you'd want it in carry-on.

Rinus VeeKay: No, it's a special bit of luggage, yes. So I tried to take care of it really well. They even took it away when we sprayed champagne. So that was a good thought from the people in Toronto.

Bruce Martin: So where did Rhenus VeeKay take a tour of Toronto after a second place finish at Toronto?

Rinus VeeKay: So apparently, King Street is the spot. We went somewhere. It was fun. I saw some of the Honda guys, too. I took Matthew Nelson, who is my assistant engineer and has a big, big saying strategy. So it was fun. It was a good time. Didn't make it too crazy, because we've got to be here sharp, ready to go.

Bruce Martin: And to be able to give Dale Coyne Racing a second place finish behind Pat O'Ward, obviously it's the highlight of the season, but in many ways, does it really validate your decision on why you and Dale Coyne got together in the first place?

Rinus VeeKay: Oh, definitely. That's what we were trying to show. you know, our quality as, you know, a team and a driver coming together and making stuff happen. You know, we're both upping our stock for, you know, for next year through everything we've done. You know, the team needed this, especially after last season. This is just, you know, I saw a glimpse of that talent, you know, and speed when I did the test in Indianapolis in October. And in the end, that was my, there was no motivation to sign for them and really build on that. How much did Rinus VeeKay need it? Oh, I needed a lot. Yes, it's, uh, I'm probably, you know, as, uh, as hyped right now as I was in 2021 before I fell off a bicycle. So, um, not just for the hype, but also just for myself. It just, it just feels good to be back on a podium and things are working out. It's, it's, it's a lot of work as a team. We, you know, we, We do a lot of stuff, you know, outside the racetrack that counts, and it shows. So it just, you know, it's nice when hard work pays off.

Bruce Martin: Is that a team you would like to stay with, or are you starting to get more texts, more calls from other teams?

Rinus VeeKay: It's definitely a team I'd like to stay with. With the opportunity they gave me, with the success we've had this year, it's definitely a good option to stay where I am. It takes a while before things are moving this season, this silly season. So, you know, I'm weighing my options, seeing what's out there and in the end making a decision that's good for my career.

Bruce Martin: And what would be a decision that would be good for your career?

Rinus VeeKay: That's what we need to find out.

Bruce Martin: Definitely. And I believe you told me a couple of weeks ago, it's all going to depend on what willpower does. If willpower leaves, then there's going to be a lot of movement. If willpower stays, then there's probably not going to be much movement.

Rinus VeeKay: For the silly season, yes. I think that's the cannonball that everybody's waiting for.

Bruce Martin: And is that the most difficult part of being an IndyCar Series driver, is the constant, where am I going to be next year? Unless you're locked into a really big long-term contract, it's something that you have to deal with on a fairly regular basis.

Rinus VeeKay: It is, and it's hard to get a mortgage that way too, because it's a sketchy contract, man.

Bruce Martin: Yeah, definitely. Mortgage companies want to know where you're going to be working 30 years from now.

Rinus VeeKay: Yes, exactly.

Bruce Martin: But how about ending the season on a flourish? You've got Portland, you've got Milwaukee, you got Nashville. How do those three tracks line up for Renas VeeKay?

Rinus VeeKay: I think we're going to line up great. We know what we're doing at this point of the season, so going to Portland, I think we're going to be quick. I think we can challenge for another top ten, maybe top five podium again. So are we this weekend. And we tested as one of the only teams in Milwaukee. We were fastest there, so that was good. Really excited for that. And I think Nashville at that point, you know, the coin team was quicker last year. I had a good race there last year, so I think we can finish it off with a really good overall result there.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Will Power: This is Will Power of Team Penske. And you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guest, Alex Velo of Chip Ganassi Racing. Pat O'Ward of Errol McLaren, Santino Ferrucci of AJ Foyt Racing, and Renas VeeKay of Dale Coyne Racing for joining us on today's show. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests helped make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team. Executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Sean Rule Hoffman and Nathan Corson. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.