Spain’s Alex Palou wins third successive IndyCar season title

Spain’s Alex Palou captured his 3rd successive IndyCar season title and fourth in 5 projects by ending up 3rd in Sunday’s Portland Grand Prix, which was won by Australian Will Power.Palou became

just the 4th chauffeur in IndyCar history to win three consecutive season crowns after American Ted Horn, France’s Sebastien Bourdais and Scotland’s Dario Franchitti.Advertisement “It’s unbelievable. It’s insane. I couldn’t be better today,”Palou said.”This has actually been an amazing season, an incredible five years with CGR (Chip Ganassi Racing ).”I have no words to describe how grateful I am to everyone at CGR. This has been a fantastic year and I can not wait for more. “With four career season titles, Palou ranks 3rd on the all-time IndyCar list behind the record 10 won by A.J. Foyt and the six taken by New Zealand’s Scott Dixon.Power collected his second success in a row after 110 laps over the 12-turn, 1.964-mile(3.16 km)

Portland International Raceway roadway course with Dane Christian Lundgaard 2nd and Palou third.Advertisement”It was a pity we could not end it with another win however we combated, “Palou stated of the race.”I offered whatever that I had.

I attempted whatever to overtake Lundgaard but I could not make it today.”With 626 points, Palou stands 151 ahead of Mexico’s second-place Pato O’Ward in the season ladder, an insurmountable gap with two races remaining.Palou’s eight

victories this season include the Indianapolis 500, St. Petersburg, Thermal, Alabama, Indianapolis Grand Prix, Road America, Iowa and Laguna Seca.Palou, 28, can still match the one-season IndyCar win record of 10 with triumphes later on this month at Milwaukee and Nashville.Advertisement A.J. Foyt won 10 races in 1964 and Al Unser Sr. won 10 in 1970 while Mario Andretti captured nine in the 1969 campaign.Power caught his 45th career IndyCar win and initially of a challenging season.”It’s a big win for all of the group,”Power stated.”We have actually had a rough year.

It’s not really

due to the fact that we have actually been off the speed. It has simply been regrettable situations. It was a good hard-fought win.

“Pole-sitter O’Ward was the only racer who might have denied Palou the crown, however his vehicle suffered an electrical failure on lap 21 and he went 8 laps down, all-but making sure Palou the crown because O’Ward required to get 14 points on Palou in the race to remain in the title chase.Advertisement O’Ward’s 25th-place surface was his worst result of the

season.-O’Ward was powerless -O’Ward pitted for fuel after an early crash while Power and Palou avoided to take very first and second.But O’Ward’s car lost power and rolled to a stop on the pit lane, crew members running out and pressing him into the service location where they might work on the electrical problem.O’Ward returned to the track 8 laps down with Palou

2nd total, stealing any drama from the title fight.Former Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan, group principal for Arrow McLaren

, said defective electrical circuitry foiled O’Ward’s bid.Advertisement”The DI box, which is among the electronic boxes that goes through to make everything work, had a port with a little bit more of a vibration and, we do not understand why, vibrated a little too difficult and actually short-fused the whole box– it was burning when we disconnected it,”the Brazilian said.” It’s one of those things. I don’t have a description for it. It’s really no one’s fault.

Often you need a bit of luck to survive those scenarios … We could not really put up a fight today.”js/bb