Alex Palou Starts Winning Streak With IndyCar Thermal Club Race Victory

Alex Palou is two-for-two.

The reigning IndyCar champ has started his title defense with back-to-back wins after taking the checkered flag at The Thermal Club on Sunday to add to his season-opening victory at St. Petersburg.

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver won an exhibition race held at the private club track last year and backed it up with another impressive performance at this year’s inaugural points race.

Pato O’Ward started from pole and dominated the largely processional event, but Palou took the lead with 10 laps to go while running on the faster alternate tires as O’Ward was stuck on primaries.

Palou’s margin of victory was 10 seconds and O’Ward finished more than 10 seconds ahead of teammate Christian Lundgaard in third. Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top five.

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“I have a great team,” Palou said during his post-race interview on Fox. “They give me a great car that I can manage, that I feel comfortable with and they make it look easy, so they do all the work, I just try and make it happen.”

IndyCar takes two weekends off now before the marquee Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13.

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