By: Spencer Neff
June 22, 2025
For the sixth time in 2025, Alex Palou made it to victory lane, winning the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ XPEL Grand Prix at Road America. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver held off Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist by 2.1725 seconds. It is Palou’s third victory in six years at the 4.048-mile, 14-turn permanent road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
In earning his 17th victory, Palou ties Ralph Mulford, Danny Sullivan and Tony Kanaan for 28th on the all-time INDYCAR win list. He is the first driver since A.J. Foyt in 1975 to win six of the first nine races.
Palou also ties Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario and Michael Andretti for most victories at Road America with his third (2021 and 2023).
Following Palou and Rosenqvist, A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci completed the podium as the best among the Chevrolet portion of the 27-car grid.
Despite falling short of a third consecutive victory, Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood moved to second in points after a fourth-place finish. He is now 93 points back of Palou with eight races to go.
Marcus Armstrong joined his MSR teammate Rosenqvist in the Top Five, while Palou’s teammate Kyffin Simpson improved a race-high 17 spots from the start to finish sixth.
Despite leading the most laps and improving from 25th on the grid, Palou and Simpson’s teammate Scott Dixon finished eighth.
A day after earning his first career pole, Rahal Letterman Lanigan rookie Louis Foster matched his career-best finish of 11th.
(Photo by Travis Hinkle | IMS Photo)
Race Recap
Foster held off several charges to lead on the opening lap. Afttter making contact with Lundgaard, A.J. Foyt Racing’s David Malukas spun off course into the sand trap in Turn 3. A caution would be thrown before the completion of the first lap to retrieve his stalled car. Malukas was able to continue following the assistance.
At the Lap 4 restart, McLaughlin powered his way to the lead past Foster into Turn 1. On Lap 5, PREMA Racing’s Robert Shwartzman went off course in Turn 12 (Canada Corner) and made heavy contact with the inside tire barrier, prompting a second caution. Despite finishing 27th in his Road America debut, Shwartzman leads Foster by two points in Rookie of the Year standings.
Lundgaard made his way around Foster on the Lap 8 restart for second. On Lap 11, Sting Ray Robb veered off course in Turn 5, coming to a stop in the outside tire barriers and prompting a third caution.
Following the first set of pit stops for the majority of the field. Dixon led among a half-dozen who chose to pit following the opening lap yellow. On Lap 22, he would opt to pit from the lead.
In the middle of green-flag stops on Lap 30, Josef Newgarden spun on the exit of Turn 14 and heavily damaged his rear wing, prompting yet another caution.
At Lap 32, the race would go back to green with Dixon and Rossi leading. Dixon, Rossi and Palou would make their final pit stops o n Lap 39, 40 and 41. Rosenqvist would be the last among the leaders to pit on Lap 42.
After five cautions in the first 30 laps, the race would go caution-free to the checkered flag. With two lap to go, Dixon would pit and Palou would inherit the lead, not looking back en route to victory.
Slowed by five cautions over 12 laps, the 55-lap race featured 11 lead changes among nine drivers, the latter of which being a track record. The average speed of the race was 116.696 mph.
Up Next
Following a week off, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will return to action July 4-6 for the Honda Indy 200.
Opening practice is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET (FS2) on July 4. On Saturday July 5, Practice 2 is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET with qualifying at 2:30 p.m.
The morning warmup is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ETT on July 6. Those broadcasts will air on FS1. The 90-lap race is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Stay with IndyCar1909 and our social media for the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Header Image By Travis Hinkle/INDYCAR
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