By Zach Horrall | Published: Apr 22, 2021
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is right back at it this weekend with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, April 25 on the action-packed streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
The second race of the season comes on the heels of a thrilling season opener Sunday, April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park. With drivers on different fuel strategies, the race played out into a four-way duel among young stars seeking their first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins, Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward, and series veterans and champions Will Power and Scott Dixon. Palou earned that coveted first win in the No. 10 SEGI.TV Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, taking the checkered by just .4016 of a second over Power’s No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.
2021/04/19 06:10 Alex Palou, of Spain, prepares for testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Alex Palou, of Spain, prepares for testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Alex Palou celebrated his move to Chip Ganassi Racing with his first career IndyCar victory by beating a pair of series champions to win Sunday s season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park. The Spaniard used a two-stop strategy on the picturesque permanent road course to take control of the race but still had to hold off hard-charging Will Power and Scott Dixon over the closing laps. The 24-year-old beat Power by .4016 seconds to claim his first win in his first race driving for the storied Ganassi organization.
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IndyCar s 21 Rookie Class Sure Doesn t Act Like One in IndyCar Opener
Romain Grosjean steals the show, while Jimmie Johnson and Scott McLaughlin showed promise.
By Jerry Bonkowski Joe Skibinski
Romain Grosjean, Jimmie Johnson and Scott McLaughlin make up one of the most celebrated rookie classes in IndyCar history.
Grosjean, who raced the last decade in Formula 1, topped the Big 3 rookie class with a 10th-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park.
Jimmie Johnson stayed out of trouble, avoiding the big first lap wreck (although he did hit some debris that did not do any harm to his Honda).
Alex Palou is Chip Ganassi s Latest IndyCar Success Story
Chip Ganassi Racing driver found way to victory lane in 15th career start.
By Jerry Bonkowski Joe Skibinski
Alex Palou, the 24-year-old native of Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Spain, earned his first career IndyCar win in only his 15th start in the series.
Palou drives the No. 10 Honda, joining defending and six-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon as a teammate along with Marcus Ericsson and seven-time NASCAR Cup champ turned IndyCar rookie in 2021, Jimmie Johnson.
Chip Ganassi Racing has won two of the last three IndyCar championships, three of the last six, four of the last eight and eight of the last 13 season titles won by either Dixon (five of his six crowns) or Dario Franchitti (three in a row from 2009-2011).
Palou scores first career IndyCar win in Ganassi debut
Alex Palou celebrated his move to Chip Ganassi Racing with his first career IndyCar victory by beating a pair of series champions to win Sunday s season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Canadian Press Alex Palou , The Canadian Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Alex Palou celebrated his move to Chip Ganassi Racing with his first career IndyCar victory by beating a pair of series champions to win Sunday s season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Spaniard used a two-stop strategy on the picturesque permanent road course to take control of the race but still had to hold off hard-charging Will Power and Scott Dixon over the closing laps. The 24-year-old beat Power by .4016 seconds to claim his first win in his first race driving for the storied Ganassi organization.