IndyCar Champ Alex Palou: 'Feels Insane' to Be Among All-Time Greats

As Alex Palou basked in the bright lights of his third IndyCar Series championship in four years Sunday, he heard his name mentioned in the same sentences as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears and Scott Dixon.

A day later, reviewing the Nashville Superspeedway Sunday that kept his name atop the IndyCar Series for another year, Palou was still shaking his head at such talk.

“It feels insane,” the 27-year-old Palou said. “It feels like it’s not real. Those names are not only references for me as a driver but for motorsports in general. Anybody that likes motorsports knows who they are and what they’ve done. To get my head around those names means the world to me.”

Palou’s modesty aside, he now is driving in fast lanes visited by very few in the century-plus history of North American open-wheel racing. By winning his third IndyCar title, Palou adds his name to a list that totals only 13. Among other drivers who have won at least three championships are Sam Hornish Jr., Foyt, Andretti, Dixon and Mears—all considered among the very best to turn an open-wheel racer.

Additionally, Palou became the first driver to win back-to-back IndyCar championships since Dario Franchitti won three in a row from 2009-11.

Chip Ganassi, Palou’s team owner and a man who has been around top-level IndyCar racing for decades, saluted his driver’s arrival in what he called “rarefied air.”

“His name has to be among and certainly in the conversation of the great drivers,” Ganassi said. “He's certainly in the conversation of the greatest.”

Palou planned to return to his home in Indianapolis Tuesday and said he probably will travel to his hometown in Spain in October to celebrate with family and friends. He said interest in IndyCar racing is increasing in Spain. His winning ways can’t hurt that dynamic.

“It’s not small, but I wouldn’t say it is a big deal there,” he said. “The IndyCar following in Spain is growing, but I wouldn’t call it big yet. Hopefully, we can make it very big in the near future.”

That near future will include Palou’s pursuit of a fourth title in five seasons, and there is no reason to believe he won’t be a factor again at the top when IndyCar opens a 17-race schedule March 2, 2025 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Teams owned by Roger Penske and Ganassi have won the IndyCar title the past 12 seasons. Others could mount a challenge to that strength next season, but, until they’re proven vulnerable, Ganassi and Penske shine as favorites.

There were few black marks on Palou’s 2024 season. He finished outside the top five only four times and won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and at Laguna Seca. When challenger Will Power experienced issues early in Sunday’s race at Nashville, Palou coasted to the title with an 11th-place run.

“It was a mixed season with a lot of ups and a lot of downs, particularly at the end of the season,” Palou said. “Me crashing at Iowa (a 23rd-place finish) was a big down for us. And we had the problem in Milwaukee (19th place). Then having to start 24th yesterday wasn’t looking amazing for us. There were some moments when we had more issues than we deserved, but we were able to overcome those and come out on top.”

And on top is where he stays for another season.

3 Times a Charm

Most Indy car season championships:

A. J. Foyt 7 (USAC: 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1975, 1979)

Scott Dixon 6 (IRL: 2003; IndyCar: 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020)

Mario Andretti 4 (USAC: 1965, 1966, 1969; CART: 1984)

Sébastien Bourdais 4 (Champ Car: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)

Dario Franchitti 4 (IndyCar: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Louis Meyer 3 (AAA: 1928, 1929, 1933)

Ted Horn 3 (USAC: 1946, 1947, 1948)

Jimmy Bryan 3 (USAC: 1954, 1956, 1957)

Rick Mears 3 (CART: 1979, 1981, 1982)

Al Unser 3 (USAC: 1970; CART: 1983, 1985)

Bobby Rahal 3 (CART: 1986, 1987, 1992)

Sam Hornish Jr. 3 (IRL: 2001, 2002, 2006)

Álex Palou 3 (IndyCar: 2021, 2023, 2024)