Palou, Ericsson now focused on Indy 500
The month of May in Indianapolis is in full swing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), with practice this week leading up to this weekend’s qualification for the May 28 Indianapolis 500. But for The American Legion, things really were kickstarted last weekend, thanks to a dominant effort by Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) and Alex Palou.
Driving the No. 10 American Legion Honda featuring the “Be the One” initiative, Palou won the GMR Grand Prix on IMS’s road course by nearly 17 seconds, the largest margin of any INDYCAR victory this season. Palou and the rest of CGR’s drivers now are shifting their focus toward the Indy 500, won last year by Ganassi driver Marcus Ericsson. Palou will drive The American Legion livery again in the 500, while Ericsson’s No. 8 Huski Chocolate Honda also will carry American Legion branding.
Palou currently sits atop the INDYCAR SERIES, thanks to last week’s win and three previous top-five finishes, while Ericsson is in third place and won the season opener in St. Petersburg.
Palou, who finished second in the Indy 500 in 2021, led 52 of 85 laps in the GMR Grand Prix and heads into the INDYCAR SERIES’ biggest race with confidence. In his two previous Indy 500s driving for CGR, Palou has qualified in the first two rows while leading 35 laps in 2021 and 47 in 2022.
“I'm feeling pretty good for the Indianapolis 500,” Palou said via CGR media. “We've been really fast the past two years. I think we just need to try to get the strategy right, get more confident in traffic and just get a clean day. We have the championship lead, which feels amazing, and we need to keep it and go for the Indianapolis 500, as well.”
Ericsson is gunning to become the first back-to-back Indy 500 winner since 2002. If he does so, he’ll earn a bonus of $420,000 courtesy of BorgWarner, the namesake of the Indy 500 trophy.
"The Month of May is here, and I can't wait for everything, honestly,” Ericsson said. “It's going to be amazing and I'm looking forward to be here competing as the defending champion. It's an exciting month ahead. Let's do it."
This Friday, the fastest speeds of the month will be on display when each car will receive a turbocharger boost to reach the speeds they will run during Armed Forces Qualifying, which will take place Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, the 12 fastest qualifiers will compete for a spot in the Firestone Fast 6, which will determine the first two rows of the Indy 500 starting grid.
Click here for the complete schedule at IMS for the remainder of the month.