Alex Palou set the pace when it mattered most on Saturday, winning the NTT P1 Award for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. with a lap of 56.8993 seconds. The result gives the series points leader the front-row advantage for the first motor race ever held on the streets of the District of Columbia.
Palou is chasing a record-tying fourth consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship and a fifth title overall, and his performance on the 1.7-mile temporary circuit around the National Mall underlined why he remains the man to beat. The race is scheduled to cover 250 miles over 147 laps on a seven-turn layout past some of the city's most famous landmarks.
Palou called the occasion “incredible” and said it was “such a privilege to be racing here,” adding that it was a “spectacular place” with “spectacular fans.” He also said his car “was on rails,” describing the lap as “super-fun” and the car as “super-fun” to drive. With Sunday’s race looming, he said simply: “Couldn’t be happier.”
Kirkwood keeps the pressure on
Kyle Kirkwood made sure Palou did not have everything his own way. He qualified second with a lap of 57.4661 seconds after setting the circuit qualifying record in round one at 56.7729, and later admitted Palou had made the field look ordinary on the final run. “He made us look silly out there,” Kirkwood said. “But I’m telling you what: It wasn’t that easy. I thought I put a stellar lap in, and he just went six-tenths clear.”
That was the key point in Washington: the margin may have been clear at the top, but the level underneath still suggests a serious fight once the race begins. Kirkwood made no secret of the challenge ahead, adding: “We’ll race them hard tomorrow.”
What comes next
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. is set to begin with live coverage at 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday on FOX and FOX One. For Palou, the pole is another statement in a season defined by consistency, and another reminder that even on a brand-new stage, he remains the benchmark.
He now turns from a single lap to the full 250 miles, and as he said himself, “Tomorrow is going to be a long day, man, 250 miles.”
