The IndyCar Championship will be decided at the Music City Grand Prix this weekend, and there are many unknowns heading into the event.
In the final round of the season, Firestone’s red sidewall alternate tyre compound will be available which is more grippy than the primary tyre, a rarity on an oval.
This will add a sizeable variable into the equation as Alex Palou and Will Power contest the Astor Cup and the IndyCar title.
For many drivers on the grid, the Nashville Superspeedway is a new track, having not been on the calendar since 2008, although Scott Dixon won in 2008.
Championship leader Palou is 33 points in front of his nearest rival, Power. Despite the advantage, the Spaniard believes there is not a level playing field as some drivers tested at the track this year, when speaking to David Land.
Alex Palou believes the final round being at Nashville Superspeedway is ‘not ideal’ in IndyCar
Ovals have been a slight weakness throughout Palou’s IndyCar career, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver has not yet won on that type of circuit.
Despite not taking victory on an oval, his teammate Dixon believes Palou is in control of winning the IndyCar championship.
The championship leader has been quick on ovals, taking pole position for the Indy 500 in 2023 and finishing second at Iowa this year.
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Palou admitted he would prefer to end the campaign on a road course, such as Laguna Seca rather than on an oval.
He said: “It’s not ideal. I would much prefer to go to Laguna or to Indy road course, Mid-Ohio, I don’t know, somewhere like that, or not to have rules that are different, schedules that are different, like we’re not on track on Friday, having to run two sets of alternates.
“I’ve never been here. Power has been here. Also, two months ago testing. There’s some cars and drivers that run here before, which makes it a bit unfair, in my opinion, but it is what it is.”
Alex Palou is on the verge of his third IndyCar title in just five years
Palou has been incredibly impressive since making his IndyCar debut in 2020, taking his first championship a year later, seeing off Pato O’Ward at Long Beach.
After a slight dip in 2022, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver returned to form in 2023, taking five wins on the road to his second championship.
He won the title before the final round of the year; such was his dominance, taking the championship at Portland International Raceway.
If he were to take his third title, the driver of the No. 10 car would join a very exclusive club of just 13 drivers to have won three or more titles.