AVONDALE, AZ – Alex Palou’s hold on the IndyCar Series points lead will evaporate in the wake of an early crash at Phoenix Raceway.
Palou, who has won the past three IndyCar titles and four of the past five, got together with Rinus Veekay shortly after a restart on the 1-lap oval. Graham Rahal had just passed Palou and he drifted outside, where Veekay ran into him.
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Palou, making his 100th IndyCar start, didn’t have any injuries.
“I didn’t think there was anybody there,” he told Fox outside the medical center.
The 28-year-old Spaniard won 8 of 17 races last season, including the Indianapolis 500, on the way to his fourth title. He has 20 career race wins. He will likely fall out of first place of the IndyCar points standings for the first time since June 9, 2024.
“Don’t feel like there was much space there on the outside,” Palou went on to say. “But I don’t know, maybe it was my fault.”
“He drove up on me, man,” VeeKay said on his radio after the crash.
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Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to theYouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Alex Palou crash: IndyCar champ knocked out of Phoenix race by Rinus VeeKay