It took Alex Palou several tries, but he finally conquered the Indianapolis 500 with a thrilling and emotional victory that much more established his place in the sport. The 28-year-old driver from Spain, who is a three-time NTT IndyCar Series champion, showed how to race patiently, wisely and determinedly, helping him take his first victory on an oval and in the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

Nobody would have expected Palou to win after so many close moments and tough experiences. Four years before, he was in the lead with just a few laps to go, but Castroneves passed him, aided by traffic behind him, to take home his fourth victory at Indianapolis. For the second time, Palou benefited from tow from another car, this time from Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, to save more fuel and maintain a lead late in the race.

The green flag finally flew after rain held things up, but then Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin crashed during the final warm-up lap. Marco Andretti’s 20th trip to the Indy 500 was cut short by crashing in the first turn which signaled that the race would be filled with retirements.

Even while experiencing much stress, Palou kept his cool. Starting in sixth, he put in a tactical drive, caught up with the leaders when others had trouble and made sure his tires were changed perfectly during the pit stops. Palou moved into the lead with 16 laps left by overtaking Marcus Ericsson, who had been in advance.

Not only did Palou reach his own goal, but his win also made history for Spanish motorsport. He was the first Spaniard to win the Indianapolis 500, helping complete Spain’s “Triple Crown” in racing after Fernando Alonso won the Monaco Grand Prix and Marc Gené and Miguel Molina triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A happy Palou joined in the Indy 500 custom, drinking milk in Victory Lane and enjoying the moment with his team and family. The team’s sixth win at Indy 500 gives more credibility to Chip Ganassi’s success on the racetrack.

The result allowed Palou to win the Borg-Warner Trophy and add another victory to his already outstanding start this year, making it his fifth win and sixth top-two finish in a row. As summer continues, Palou clearly leads the championship, thanks to his success on road courses and now ovals.

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