STEAM CORNERS, Ohio — Alex Palou has earned the title “Mr. Perfect” in IndyCar Series competition this season, but it wasn’t enough to defeat “Mr. Mid-Ohio” Scott Dixon in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
When it appeared Palou was on a drive to his seventh victory of the season, an unforced error while leading the race lost him the lead to Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dixon with five laps to go.
Instead, it was Dixon who celebrated his seventh career IndyCar win at Mid-Ohio.
Palou’s Honda went wide in Turn 9 and slowed. That allowed Dixon’s No. 9 PNC Bank Honda to zoom past and take the lead in Turn 10.
With Palou in second place, it set up a battle between teammates.
With two laps to go, Palou closed to the rear of Dixon’s Honda, but Dixon drove with savvy and experience.
It was a two-car battle on the final lap and Dixon outsmarted, outdrove and outfoxed Palou and earn the 59th IndyCar Series victory of his career and maintain a streak of at least one win every season for 21 straight years.
Dixon has also won a race in 23 different seasons, the only year in IndyCar he did not score a victory was in 2004.
With 59 IndyCar wins, Dixon is eight behind A.J. Foyt’s all-time record of 67.
It was Dixon’s first win since the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on June 2, 2024.
“It was definitely a tough race,” Dixon said. “Full credit to everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing. Just so much fun to pull off what we did and to win was just fantastic.
“Awesome to have all of the family here today. I think this is Kit’s first win in person (his son). This car was such a joy to drive.
“I knew it was going to be tough once I took the lead because we still had to save fuel. Kudos to everybody on the 10 (Palou), the 9 (Dixon) and the 28 (Simpson).
Chip Ganassi Racing team manager Barry Wanser told Palou, “Keep your head up, you did good. Keep on smiling.”
Palou admitted he threw away what could have been an easy win.
“I don’t know man, just a stupid mistake on my part,” Palou said. “I just lost it a little bit on entry and then couldn’t get power going on. Nobody to blame but me.
“It sucks. It hurts a lot, and it hurts to lose it like that. At least the team won, but big, big mistake.”
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard was third in a Chevrolet behind the front two CGR Hondas. Honda has won all 10 races in 2025.
“We got back on the podium, so we’re happy,” Lundgaard said.
Colton Herta of Andretti Global was fourth in a Honda and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five in another Chevrolet.
Dixon defeated Palou by 0.4201 seconds.
Kyle Kirkwood finished eighth and Palou’s lead in the 2025 IndyCar Series standings grew from 73 points to 113 over Kirkwood with seven races remaining.
It was shocking finish to a race that began with a crash.
Josef Newgarden and Will Power both crashed out at the start in Turn 4, as well as Graham Rahal, just after the green flag waved.
“The rears just locked,” Newgarden radioed to his crew. “Very weird.”
Newgarden’s No. 2 PPG Chevrolet went through the sand and gravel before the front hit the barrier.
It was Newgarden’s fifth straight DNF. His previous five DNF’s were over a five-year period.
“I’m not sure, I either had a massive rear lockup and spun, or I got touched,” Newgarden said. “If I didn’t get touched, it’s a massive, freak, rear-wheel lockup, which is bizarre.
“I would like to get back out in this thing. If not, it’s off to the next one.”
Power’s No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet came onto pit road for emergency service.
Racing resumed on Lap 6 with Palou ahead of teammate Kyffin Simpson and Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard.
The driver from Denmark was able to pass Simpson through the esses and took over second.
That set up a great battle between Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren featuring Palou and Lundgaard.
By Lap 10, Palou led Lundgaard by 0.8609 seconds.
The Team Penske misfortunes continued as Power’s No. 12 Chevrolet came down pit lane, complaining of losing power to his engine with smoke pouring out of the left side of his car from a fire.
One lap later, David Malukas hit pit road for four tires and fuel as alternate strategies began to be implemented.
The lead grew to 2.3505 seconds by Lap 21.
Lundgaard pitted on Lap 25 for fresh Black tires and fuel. That gave Palou a 7.2509-second lead over teammate Simpson.
Two laps later, Palou made his first pit stop for scuffed Black tires. On Lap 28, Simpson was scored as the leader.
Simpson pitted on Lap 29 and that put another Ganassi driver, Scott Dixon, in the lead. On Lap 30, Dixon pitted, for four tires and fuel, putting Palou back in front.
On Lap 31, Christian Rasmussen’s Chevrolet stopped off course in Turn 8 for the second caution of the race.
The timing of the caution was advantageous for Dixon, who could not make it to the finish on one more stop for fuel.
Racing resumed on Lap 36 with Palou, Lundgaard, Simpson, Colton Herta, and Nolan Siegel the top five. The top three drivers were all on the harder Black tires with Herta the first on the softer Reds.
At the halfway point of the race, Palou led Lundgaard by 3.4497 seconds. Herta was third, 5.3602 seconds out of the lead.
Lundgaard pitted on Lap 52, moving Herta to second and Dixon moved up to third.
On Lap 53, Palou had a brief moment when his rear wheel dropped into the grass, but he regained control.
Palou and Herta both pitted on Lap 56. That moved Dixon into the lead and Simpson up to second place.
Dixon and Simpson both pitted on Lap 63. Dixon’s crew got him in and out quickly, but Simpson stalled his No. 8 Honda. He re-fired with the Hybrid Assist and grazed the foot on a crewmember for Rinus VeeKay.
Simpson was penalized by Race Control for running over a crew member. He had to serve a drive-through penalty.
Palou had a 23.5609-second lead over fourth-place Dixon, as the two different strategies played out.
Palou was able to build his lead over Dixon to over 25 seconds, which could assure him of maintaining the advantage over one more pit stop. But he lost a few seconds off that when he was behind Sting Ray Robb.
That set up an important final pit stop for Palou with 18 laps to go.
Palou’s crew changed Black to Black tires but with Dixon at full speed coming down the front straight, the question is who would be in the lead.
It as Palou, who came out ahead of Dixon, and was in great shape once his tires came up to temperature.
That was effectively the race-winning pass, although Herta was still in the lead at that point.
When Herta pitted on Lap 75, Palou was back in the lead.
With 12 laps to go, it was Palou, Dixon and Armstrong as the top three.
But the script flipped with five laps to go and put Dixon back in Mid-Ohio Victory Lane for the seventh time in his career.
