Dakar News: Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou Secures Victory at Iconic Laguna Seca

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou emerged victorious at the recent Grand Prix of Monterey at the legendary Laguna Seca circuit, securing his second win of the 2023 IndyCar season. The 27-year-old Spaniard admitted to initially questioning the strategy call from his strategist Barry Wanser, but ultimately trusted the process and delivered a dominant performance.

Palou started the race from pole position but lost the lead to Kyle Kirkwood’s impressive outside pass on the opening lap. After falling to fourth following the first round of pit stops, Palou’s fortunes turned when he was left out on track during the race’s first full-course caution. As his rivals opted to pit again, Palou was able to seize the lead and push the pace, leveraging a favorable tire strategy to his advantage.

“It was risky,” Palou acknowledged, “but we knew we had the car for P1. I doubted a little bit at the beginning, but I have a lot of faith in my team, and they knew what they were doing.”

Despite three late-race restarts, Palou successfully defended his position to claim the victory, which also propelled him to the top of the IndyCar standings. Palou’s love for the Laguna Seca circuit was evident, as he has now led 166 of the 380 laps completed at the iconic venue over the past four starts, with four podium finishes to his name.

“I love this track,” Palou said. “When you love a track so much, I think you get an extra that helps everything.”

The victory marks Palou’s second triumph at Laguna Seca, cementing his status as a dominant force in IndyCar racing. As the season progresses, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver will look to build on this momentum and solidify his position at the top of the IndyCar standings.

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