Alex Palou took the lead on 26 laps at the IndyCar Season Opening Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, leading Josef Newgarden for five seconds with 100 laps 83 laps.
But slowly Newgarden slowly involved Paloo as the race leader handled the slower car before him. Palou's lead went under half a second only seven laps, with Newgarden's Scott Dixon joining the fight and running to the leader for less than two seconds.
This led all three drivers to compete for victory in the season open race, setting a desperate dash to finish.
With six laps remaining, Parow finally raced his Chip Ganasi Race Honda around the Stingray Rob and gave him a breathing chamber. However, as James Hinchcliffe wondered at the Fox Sports booth, some “maker politics” took effect as Rob moved the Chevrolet and gave him the opportunity to slide past him and run the Pallow again.
However, New Garden was unable to pull away from the comeback and eventually settled in the third place.
Palou crossed the line first, followed by teammate Dixon. Dixon shaped the perfect overtaking around New Garden on the final lap, taking P2. New Gardens met third place to secure the final spot on the podium.
“What do I say to you, it was a crazy race,” team owner Chip Ganasi told Fox Sports following the checkered flag. “Incredible.”
The top 10 in St. Petersburg are:
For Palou, it was his first victory in the season opener since 2021, and for Ganassi it was his first finish since 2023 Mid-Ohio.
“What a great job everyone at Chip Ganasi Racing,” Paloo Rackside said. “It's huge. I'm so happy. Honestly, we've worked really hard. It's a place we've struggled in the past. Especially personally, it's amazing to start with a victory in the 2025 season.”
Indycar will return to action later this month with Thermal Club Indycar Grand Prix.
