After a livid summer season stretch, the NTT IndyCar Collection subject rolled into Portland Worldwide Raceway contemporary from an off-week and with simply three races remaining within the 2025 season.
That meant all eyes have been on the championship battle and foolish season storylines. Alex Palou was inside attain of one other title, Pato O’Ward was determined to maintain him from clinching it early and several other drivers have been combating to show their value within the remaining highway course race of the 12 months.
In the long run, some obtained their want, whereas others have been left rueing a misplaced alternative out west. Listed here are the winners and losers from the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland.
Winner: Alex Palou does it once more
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen through Getty Pictures
This time, for the Astor Cup. Palou didn’t win Sunday’s race, however he claimed one other podium end in third to formally safe the IndyCar title. The Chip Ganassi Racing star is now a four-time champion at simply 28 years previous. Not too shabby.
Loser: Pato O’Ward’s valiant effort comes up empty
Patricio O’ward, Arrow McLaren, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing
Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Lumen through Getty Pictures
Effectively, he tried.
In have to a herculean effort to even prolong the IndyCar championship battle to Milwaukee, O’Ward was second in qualifying and inherited the pole when teammate Christian Lundgaard took a six-place grid penalty for an engine change.
The Mexican led early and tried to maintain the stress on Palou, however a mechanical subject ended any hope late within the race’s opening quarter. From there he misplaced 10 laps and ended up twenty fifth whereas Palou secured one other collection championship. Higher luck subsequent 12 months.
Winner: Lastly, day for the Captain
Will Energy, Staff Penske
Photograph by: Penske Leisure
It’s been a no good, very dangerous 12 months to be a Staff Penske driver. However in what may be his remaining highway course race for the workforce, Will Energy lastly handed the group a win within the 2025 IndyCar season.
Regardless of being on the recent seat, Energy’s been essentially the most constant of Penske’s star trio this 12 months, giving the group a lone top-10 driver amid its worst marketing campaign in years. Now he’s introduced the corporate its lone win of 2025 and supplied a shiny level to a darkish 12 months – and a tough PR week.
Loser: Penske will get dragged into the ICE
Days earlier than IndyCar ventured to a scorching Oregon to wrap up its highway course slate, the collection discovered itself coping with ICE.
The U.S. Division of Homeland Safety posted and later deleted an X publish depicting an AI-generated Indy automotive with the No. 5 to advertise a brand new immigrant detention facility in north-central Indiana, known as the “Speedway Slammer.”
Whether or not purposeful or not, the quantity tied the publish to IndyCar’s lone Mexican driver, O’Ward. After calls from Penske Leisure, the picture of the No. 5 was eliminated when the publish was deleted. However the DHS later posted one other picture of a number of Indy vehicles in entrance of a jail (proven above).
That wasn’t the one piece of difficult PR for Penske and the DHS, both. A separate video confirmed ICE brokers rising from a Penske field truck whereas raiding a car parking zone at a Los Angeles-area Residence Depot, yielding an announcement from Penske Truck Rental vowing to “reinforce its coverage to keep away from improper use of its automobiles sooner or later.”
It was a tricky week for the Captain. No less than it ended on a excessive observe.
Winners: A grand restoration for Rahal, Ilott
Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Photograph by: Penske Leisure
As many famous all through the race, passing at Portland is a problem. There’s a motive almost each winner in IndyCar’s fashionable period has come from the entrance row. So for Graham Rahal and Callum Ilott to keep away from incidents and rise from twenty second and twenty fourth, respectively, to prime six runs was spectacular.
The 2 used similarity methods, pitting after the opening warning to get off the first tire and utilizing reds for tempo from there to the end. Rahal managed to cycle by means of to fourth utilizing the technique, with Ilott simply 10 seconds again in sixth. That’s the way you salvage a weekend when qualifying goes awry.
It had a level of inevitability to it. Daly was battling with Rasmussen on an early restart when Rasmussen went extensive and despatched the Hoosier off-course.
From there, it appears each drivers noticed pink. Daly tried a lunge in flip 2 on the following lap, lastly obtained to Rasmussen’s outdoors a pair laps later and was poised to take the spot. Then, contact.
Daly was out of the race from there in twenty sixth – and he wasn’t glad about it.
Rasmussen averted a penalty and went on to complete twelfth.
Winner: Christian Lundgaard’s constant weekend
Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti World, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Photograph by: Penske Leisure
Below totally different circumstances, this weekend may have been all about Arrow McLaren. Lundgaard entered with a six-place grid penalty after his No. 7 workforce took its fifth engine of the 12 months, however he certified it first earlier than the drop with O’Ward inheriting the pole.
Issues went south from there for O’Ward, however Lundgaard saved pushing ahead on Sunday. The 24-year-old was among the many race’s most spectacular drivers, snatched two early spots on restarts and used technique to rise to second within the closing laps.
He couldn’t cross Energy, however Lundgaard saved Palou at bay within the closing stretch to cap off one other spectacular run in second. Arrow McLaren may have two title contenders in 2026.
Loser: Whoever designed this “The Ultimate Stretch” graphic
This crack-up occurred in the course of the off week, however don’t assume we weren’t paying consideration. What was meant to be a easy graphic highlighting the ultimate races become a working joke when the phrase “Ultimate” appeared to spell one thing totally different completely.
IndyCar’s social workforce shortly deleted the publish and altered the graphic earlier than reposting, however issues on the web are inclined to dwell without end. Font alternative issues, y’all.
Winner: A difficulty-free weekend for Alexander Rossi
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing
Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Lumen through Getty Pictures
There’s not a lot to say about this outcome – and that’s factor. It’s been an up-and-down 12 months for Rossi and Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 workforce. Moments of tempo have been undone by crashes, pit highway points and some cases of dangerous luck.
None of that occurred this weekend. Rossi certified seventh, inherited sixth with Lundgaard’s grid penalty and put collectively a quiet, constant race to attain a season-best end in fifth. Generally, uneventful days are one of the best days.
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