By: Spencer Neff
June 23, 2024

2024 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Results

After winning the pole on Saturday, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou would use pit strategy to find his way back to the lead. In a dominating performance, the two-time and defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion earned victory in Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He led 48 of 95 laps, including the final 21.

Palou held off Andretti Global’s Colton Herta by 1.978 seconds to win for the second time in 2024. It is the 11th victory of Palou’s career and the second at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course in Salinas, California. 10 of his victories have been on permanent road courses.

The 2022 Laguna Seca race winner is now tied with Eddie Hearne, Adrian Fernandez and Johnnie Parsons for 38th all-time.

Following the Hondas of Palou and Herta was the Chevrolet of Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi in his best finish of the year.

Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Romain Grosjean and Herta’s teammate Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the Top Five. Grosjean earned the best finish in team history for JHR, while Kirkwood extended his streak of Top Five finishes to three.

Race Recap

Kirkwood held the outside line at the start and made his way around Palou for the lead in Turn 2 on the opening lap.

He would lead until Lap 26 when he made his first pit stop. After making his first stop on Lap 23, Rossi was able to use the “undercut” and get the lead ahead of Kirkwood, Palou and the field to lead on Lap 30.

On Lap 36, Luca Ghiotto crashed into the Turn 4 tire barrier, prompting the first caution of the afternoon. The Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing rookie would climb from the No. 51 unharmed.

During the caution, Herta was able to leapfrog Rossi and Krikwood, while Palou stayed out to inherit the race lead.

Grosjean would make his way around O’Ward for second before Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel spun between Turns 2 and 3. Siegel would continue and finish 12th in his first race for his new team, the best among the rookies in the field.

From the Lap 43 restart, Palou would build up his lead over Grosjean as he worked the alternate strategy.

On Lap 55, Palou would pit for his first set of alternate Firestone tires, handing the lead over to Herta. Palou would get the lead back at the entrance to the Corkscrew nine laps later. He would make his last pit stop of the afternoon on Lap 71.

With 20 to go, Marcus Armstrong and Christian Lundgaard made contact in Turn 4, forcing the latter off course and spinning across the course.

Armstrong’s stalled Chip Ganassi Racing entry would prompt a caution.

On Lap 83, Dale Coyne Racing’s Jack Harvey stalled near pit exit with a blown engine, prompting another caution. Herta would try to pass on the outside of Turn 1 but was unsuccessful. With nine laps to go, Kyffin Simpson collided with Graham Rahal in Turn 5.

It would be the fifth and final caution spanning 14 laps on the afternoon.

Palou was able to get a jump on Herta during the Lap 92 restart and held on for another victory. Further back in the field, Newgarden went off track in Turn 6 and fell back to 19th, the last driver on the lead lap in the 27-car field.

The race featured seven lead changes among five drivers and finished with an average speed of 102.740 mph.

Palou now leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points by 23 over Team Penske’s Will Power, who finished seventh in the race today.

Up Next

The hybrid era begins in two weeks at the Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The opening practice is scheduled for 3:20 PM – 4:35 PM ET on Friday, July 5. Second practice will be at 10:50 AM – 11:50 AM ET on Saturday, July 6 with qualifying at 3:00 PM ET.

Sunday will feature a 30-minute warmup at 10:25 AM ET with the broadcast of the 80-lap race beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on July 7. IndyCar1909 will have the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES until then.

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR