By Hola America News
The Barcelona-born driver earned his fifth victory of 2026 and expanded his championship lead to 83 points one day after Spain won the World Cup.
Alex Palou won Monday’s Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway, strengthening his bid for a record-tying fourth consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver earned his fifth victory of the season and the 24th of his IndyCar career. With six races remaining, Palou holds an 83-point lead over David Malukas in the championship standings.
The victory completed a memorable two-day stretch for Spanish sports. Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time Sunday to win its second FIFA World Cup, and Palou followed with a commanding performance on the 1.33-mile Nashville oval.
“That’s a pretty cool weekend for Spain,” Palou said. “It’s impressive what they did yesterday in the World Cup, and I’m happy to top it off today on Monday.”
Palou controlled the final 95 laps
Palou started fourth and moved into the lead on Lap 131 after a caution period reshaped the pit sequence for several contenders. Once in front, he remained there through the end of the 225-lap race.
Palou defeated defending Nashville winner Josef Newgarden by 0.8731 seconds. Malukas advanced from 25th on the starting grid to finish third, followed by Scott McLaughlin and 2026 Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist.
The decisive sequence began shortly before the race’s second caution. Palou entered pit road moments before it closed following a collision involving Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi.
Newgarden, McLaughlin, pole winner Kyle Kirkwood and Rinus VeeKay remained on the track and had to wait for pit road to reopen. Their stops moved Palou into the lead eight laps later.
Palou and strategist Barry Wanser then chose the more durable primary Firestone tires for the final stint. Newgarden, Rosenqvist and Malukas selected the softer alternate compound, which offered more immediate grip but wore more quickly.
After the final restart on Lap 194, Newgarden stayed within a fraction of a second of Palou for several laps. Palou adjusted his racing line to protect the lead before pulling away as the alternate tires behind him began to lose performance.
“It was a close battle there with Newgarden,” Palou said. “It just seemed like he had so much speed, and I was flat-out for the last 30, 35 laps. Just awesome to win here.”
Rain moved the race from Sunday to Monday
The race had originally been scheduled for Sunday following FOX’s coverage of the World Cup final. Spain and Argentina played into extra time before Spain secured the championship with a goal in the 106th minute.
Showers and lightning delayed activity at Nashville Superspeedway later that afternoon. Crews were close to drying the track when another downpour moved through Middle Tennessee, forcing the race to be postponed until Monday.
IndyCar also reduced the race from 300 to 225 laps because of the forecast for extreme heat. Air temperatures reached the low 90s during Monday’s event, while the track surface approached 140 degrees.
Malukas produced one of the strongest drives of the afternoon despite starting last after a practice crash sent him to a hospital Saturday. He reached the lead by Lap 33 through an alternate pit strategy and later recovered from 14th place to finish third.
Palou continues building a historic IndyCar career
Palou has won four IndyCar championships, claiming the Astor Challenge Cup in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Another title this season would be his fifth overall and fourth in succession.
Only one driver has won four consecutive championships in the modern IndyCar era: Sébastien Bourdais, who captured four straight titles from 2004 through 2007.
Palou has already established several milestones for Spanish motorsports. In 2025, he became the first driver from Spain to win the Indianapolis 500. He is also the first Spaniard to win an IndyCar championship and the first to combine the series title with an Indy 500 victory.
Related: Alex Palou wins the Indianapolis 500 for his first oval victory
The Nashville result raised Palou’s 2026 total to 457 points through 12 races. He has five victories, six pole positions and nine top-five finishes this season.
The championship resumes Sunday, Aug. 9, with the Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway. The event begins a run of six races over five consecutive weekends to close the season.
Official race results and championship information are available through INDYCAR.
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