Alex Palou takes fifth consecutive pole of 2026 at Road America

By: Spencer Neff

June 20, 2026

NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader Alex Palou once again rewrote the record book after earning his fifth consecutive pole on Saturday. In starting at the front of the 25-car field in tomorrow’s 55-lap XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, Palou earns his first pole at the 4.014-mile, 14-turn permanent road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

The four-time series champion also takes his fifth consecutive pole of 2026 and sixth in the first ten races. Palou is the first driver to win five consecutive poles in one season since Danny Sullivan in 1988. Alex Zanardi (1997-1998) was the last driver to accomplish the feat in any five-race stretch.

He also ties Rex Mays and Bobby Rahal for 19th all-time with his 18th career pole. A year ago, Palou started on the outside of the front row and went on to win for a third time in five seasons at Road America.

Round 3-Fast Six

After leading the field in each of his first two rounds on track, Team Penske’s David Malukas lines up outside Palou for the second consecutive race. It will be his fifth start on the front row of 2026, three in the last four events. Palou’s Honda and Malukas’ Chevrolet were separated by .2926 of a second.

Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong and Felix Rosenqvist line up on Row 2, with Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin start on row 3.

Round 2-Fast 12

Malukas (1m43.652-139.413 mph) would be fastest during the second of three rounds. Joining him in the run for the pole were Rosenqvist, Armstrong, Palou, Ericsson and McLaughlin.

Finishing seventh through 12th were Santino Ferrucci, Nolan Siegel, fastest rookie Caio Collet, Saturday morning practice leader Pato O’Ward, Will Power and Scott Dixon.

Malukas finished runner-up in the series’ last appearance on a permanent road course-last month’s race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Image By Paul Hurley/INDYCAR)

Round 1

Group 1: Malukas (1m43.6382-139.431 mph) blistered the other 11 cars during the opening group, clearing the field by .2524 of a second. Advancing with him to the Fast 12 were Collet, Armstrong, Siegel, Ericsson and Rosenqvist.

Missing the cut would be Christian Lundgaard, Josef Newgarden, Dennis Hauger, Kyffin Simpson, Alexander Rossi and Mick Schumacher. They start on the inside of rows 7-12.

Group 2: Palou (1m43.4984-139.620 mph) would have an even greater margin between fastest lap and the rest of the field, .2912 of a second better than Power. They moved on to the Fast 12 along with McLaughlin, O’Ward, Ferrucci and Dixon.

Outside that half-dozen was Romain Grosjean, Christian Rasmussen, Kyle Kirkwood, Graham Rahal, Rinus VeeKay, Louis Foster and Sting Ray Robb. Robb starts 25th, while the remaining six line up outside rows 7-12.

16 of Palou’s 23 victories and 11 of his 18 poles during his INDYCAR career have been on permanent road courses (Image By Chris Jones/INDYCAR)

Up Next

Here is the on-track schedule for tomorrow at Road America. Stay with IndyCar1909.com and our social media platforms with the latest on the XPEL Grand Prix of Road America and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Spotter Guide Pit Assignments

At-track schedule (all times Central Time):

Sunday, June 21

10:05-10:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup, FS1 (live)

12:30 p.m. — Driver introductions

1 p.m. – FOX on air

1:20 p.m.–XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Command to Start Engines

1:27 p.m. -XPEL Grand Prix at Road America (55 laps/220.77 miles), FOX (live)

Header Image By Travis HinkleINDYCAR