Palou wins again, Hedge performs, disaster for Hughes
Alex Palou resumed his IndyCar dominance with victory at Laguna Seca to extend his points lead to triple figures.
An eighth win of the 2025 IndyCar season pushed Palout 100 points clear of nearest title rival Pato O’Ward.
In the annual race around the iconic Laguna Seca, the Chip Ganassi driver was untouchable, leading 84 of the 95 laps to take a comfortable 3.7s win.
Dane Christian Lundgaard was best of the rest, while Colton Herta completed the podium.
“It’s been an awesome weekend, an awesome year (and) today was something else,” Palou said. “It’s super fun to be here – one of my favourite tracks for sure. I couldn’t be happier right now.”
This win gave Palou his eighth win in 14 races this season. Only three drivers in the sport’s history – A.J. Foyt in 1964, Al Unser in 1970 and Mario Andretti in 1969 – have won more races in a single year.
Australia’s Will Power had decent speed for Team Penske. Image: Paul Hurley Penske Entertainment
Will Power had a solid run to seventh to rise to ninth in the championship standings.
Scott McLaughlin just scraped into the top 10 by beating teammate Josef Newgarden by seven tenths.
Meanwhile, in Indy NXT it was disaster for Australia’s title hope Lochie Hughes.
Contact with Dennis Hauger at Turn 2 with just eight laps to go left Hughes a lap down in 15th, while Kiwi Callum Hedge wowed by getting his first podium.
With Brazilian Caio Collet taking back-to-back wins, Hughes has now slipped from second to third in the standings.
Collet has skipped 47 points clear of Hughes with three races left in the championship.
Callum Hedge enjoyed his time in the sun, getting a first Indy NXT podium. Image: Paul Hurley Penske Entertainment
“It’s incredible and also we had some luck today as well for the championship,” Collet said. “Hopefully I’m in the fight right now, and we’ll keep it going.”
Collet admitted gratification when he came around the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course and saw Hauger and his car stuck in the gravel.
“It’s hard not to think about the championship when you see your main rival going off (the track),” he said.
“Obviously, there was still racing left. There’s always bad luck (in racing). I had it happen at Barber (Motorsports Park on May 4); now it’s happened to him.
“It’s a championship and hopefully we can fight until the end.”
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