AVONDALE, Ariz. – Four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou remains at the top of the standings as the season enters its second race this Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, where drivers aim to challenge his persistent dominance. Palou’s ability to outpace rivals has generated a mix of frustration and determination across the field, as competitors prepare for a race on the short oval that offers few with prior experience.
Experience Gap Creates an Unusual Racing Dynamic
The IndyCar event at Phoenix is part of a doubleheader weekend alongside NASCAR, an uncommon scheduling occurrence that follows last week’s season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida. For many drivers, this weekend’s race presents a relatively unfamiliar challenge. While IndyCar has raced at Phoenix in the past, the last event on this 1-mile dogleg oval took place in 2018. Only five of the 25 drivers on the current entry list have ever competed there before, including Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon, who won the races in 2018 and 2016 respectively.
Will Power, Graham Rahal, and Alexander Rossi are the other veterans with Phoenix racing experience, leaving the rest of the field on more equal footing. To prepare, IndyCar conducted an open test at Phoenix last month to help drivers get acquainted with the unique track.
“It doesn’t hurt with a little bit of experience, but it’s been a while for the others, so we’ll see,”
Marcus Ericsson said.
“I think everyone got a lot of laps here in the test and everyone is kind of on an equal playing field because of that, so I don’t think it’s going to be a huge advantage.”
Rookies Face Steep Learning Curve on Oval Track
The three rookies in the IndyCar field could encounter the greatest challenges at Phoenix. Dennis Hauger and Caio Collet have some oval experience from IndyCar’s feeder series, though Mick Schumacher will make his oval debut. Collet’s time in Phoenix testing ended with a crash, adding to the rookie difficulties.
“It’s not new for everyone. I think Dixon was driving around here before I was born probably, or at least when I was born,”
said Hauger, highlighting the vast experience gap between himself and six-time champion Scott Dixon.
“For the majority of the grid, it’s new. I think maybe that levels it out.”
Schumacher’s circumstance is particularly tough after his IndyCar debut last week was cut short by a first-lap crash he could not avoid, leaving him as a spectator for the remainder of the race. To compensate, Schumacher has dedicated time on simulators to better grasp oval racing dynamics.
“It’s important to learn, it was my first event, so I needed to analyze everything,”
Schumacher said.
“So it was important to go back to the pit stand and see what the engineers were talking about, what we would have done differently in certain scenarios, to pretend we did the race and take away key elements of it.”
Palou’s Continued Stranglehold Challenges Rivals
Despite the challenges, one thing remains clear: Palou is the driver to beat. Since arriving in IndyCar in 2020, the Spaniard has been nearly unstoppable, winning four of the past five championships and finishing last season with eight victories, including the prestigious Indianapolis 500.
At St. Petersburg, Palou dominated by leading 59 of 100 laps and crossing the finish line with a record margin of 12.4 seconds. Phoenix will mark his 100th career IndyCar start since transitioning from Japanese racing, and he aims to secure his 21st career win this weekend.
“Every time I’m on the podium, second or third, he’s first. It’s pretty annoying,”
McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard said after finishing third in the St. Pete opener.
“It’s just how racing goes, and we have to do a better job,”
Romain Grosjean remarked.
“It’s possible we all have the same cars and he’s just using it a better way than we are. Combination of the team, the name, the driver, they’re doing amazing. I wish I was a small mouse to see what they have going on.”
Palou Prepared to Face the Challenge at Phoenix
Palou remains focused and cautious despite his track record of success. He views Phoenix as a valuable test of whether his rivals have narrowed the gap after his dominant start to the season.
“I tend not to have much expectations,”
Palou said.
“I’m pushing. I’m giving everything I have. I like to be in the car. I like to be strapped in, and I like to drive the race. We take it one step at a time. We need to focus on Phoenix.”
The upcoming race will be a critical moment for the IndyCar competitors to see if any can finally disrupt Palou’s commanding run, with the unique challenges of Phoenix Raceway offering a less predictable playing field than typical road and street circuits.
