Palou Outpaces Rivals at Road America with Strategic Masterclass
Alex Palou has reaffirmed his status as one of the smartest and sharpest operators in modern IndyCar with a clinical victory at Road America, pulling off a well-executed three-stop strategy and holding his nerve through a late-race restart to grab his second win of the 2025 season.
Starting from second, Palou stayed within striking distance of polesitter Louis Foster early in the race before leapfrogging him through pit sequence and traffic management. From there, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver methodically built his advantage and led a race-high 27 laps around the 14-turn, 6.5-kilometre circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
“It was a perfect day,” Palou said. “The car was hooked up, the strategy was spot on, and we had great pace. The late caution made it tricky, but I knew if I nailed the restart, we’d be fine.”
Alex Palou won the 2025 XPEL Grand Prix at Road America. Image: Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski
Felix Rosenqvist delivered a strong drive to finish second for Meyer Shank Racing, marking one of the team’s best performances of the season with Kiwi Marcus Armstrong in fifth. The Swede ran deep into each stint and made the most of his final set of tyres to close in late, but couldn’t quite threaten Palou’s lead.
Santino Ferrucci proved again he’s more than just a showman, delivering AJ Foyt Racing their first podium since 2023 with a gritty run to third. He fended off Kyle Kirkwood, who brought his Andretti Global entry home fourth in a fast but scrappy afternoon for the squad.
Behind him, Kyffin Simpson scored sixth, delivering on the promise Ganassi saw in the teenager when they signed him to their development ladder. His measured drive and late-race composure underlined just how deep Ganassi’s talent pool runs.
David Malukas showed flashes of form to finish seventh, ahead of rising star Nolan Siegel. Scott Dixon finished ninth in a quietly effective performance, ensuring all four Ganassi cars ended up inside the top 10.
Rounding out the top 10 was Rinus VeeKay, who kept it clean and consistent to deliver a valuable result for Dale Coyne Racing after a difficult stretch of races.
Top 10 Finishers – IndyCar Road America 2025
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing (Car #10) | 55 |
| 2 | Felix Rosenqvist | Meyer Shank Racing (Car #60) | 55 |
| 3 | Santino Ferrucci | AJ Foyt Racing (Car #14) | 55 |
| 4 | Kyle Kirkwood | Andretti Global (Car #27) | 55 |
| 5 | Marcus Armstrong | Meyer Shank Racing (Car #66) | 55 |
| 6 | Kyffin Simpson | Chip Ganassi Racing (Car #8) | 55 |
| 7 | David Malukas | AJ Foyt Racing (Car #4) | 55 |
| 8 | Nolan Siegel | Arrow McLaren (Car #6) | 55 |
| 9 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing (Car #9) | 55 |
| 10 | Rinus VeeKay | Dale Coyne Racing (Car #18) | 55 |
Full Results & Timing:
IndyCar Official Race Results – Road America 2025
