Alex Palou has officially secured the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, locking up the Astor Challenge Cup in the final leg of a Sunday doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile.
Palou entered the day with an opportunity to seal the title before the season finale at Laguna Seca, but rain on Saturday forced INDYCAR to run both weekend races on Sunday.
In the afternoon’s opening race, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward took the victory while Palou finished fifth in the opener after starting from the pole, staving off his bid to wrap up the title early and pushing the championship battle into the second race of the evening.
Àlex Palou poses beside his car at the Milwaukee Mile ahead of the race that delivered his fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES title. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)
The title adds another milestone to Palou’s prolific career and his fifth INDYCAR SERIES championship (2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025).
Palou’s championship campaign was anchored by six victories across road, street, and oval venues. He kicked off the year by converting pole position into a season-opening win at St. Petersburg, followed by a sweep from pole position at Barber Motorsports Park.
His strong form continued on street circuits, charging to victory from second on the grid at Long Beach and fighting through traffic from third starting position in Detroit. On the ovals, Palou started fourth and led 95 laps to claim victory at Nashville Superspeedway, before capturing his sixth victory of the season at Portland International Raceway after starting second.
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