Palou Races to Podium in Nashville, Builds Championship Lead to 84 Points

It was another podium finish for Alex Palou and the No. 10 American Legion Honda team, as they strengthened their championship lead to a margin of 84 points at the Music City GP today.

Palou tactfully navigated the streets of Nashville to a P3 finish, clinching his eighth podium in the 13th race of the season. The 2021 INDYCAR champion earned his 22nd podium with Chip Ganassi Racing in his 46th race with the team (48% of races).

The No. 10 American Legion Honda raced among the front of the field for a majority of the race, even leading for 12 of the 80 total laps.

Scott Dixon advanced seven positions over the course of the race and crossed the finish line in P5. Dixon, who remains third in the points standings (387), has now finished in the top-5 in seven races this season.

Thanks to a strong day in the pits, the No. 9 PNC Bank crew is now atop the Firestone Pit Stop Performance Award standings with 381 points.

Marcus Ericsson picked up valuable points, finishing P7 to remain fifth in the standings with 357 points. Ericsson and the No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Honda team were the "Biggest Mover" on the day after advancing 13 positions from a P20 starting position.

Marcus Armstrong produced a P13 result in the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda. He remains the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award with 173 points (31-point advantage).

All four Chip Ganassi Racing Hondas improved upon their original starting position throughout the course of the Music City Grand Prix.

Up Next: The INDYCAR championship chase continues with a second race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday, August 12.

Alex Palou - No. 10 American Legion Honda

"We had the speed today. We expected more yellows, but we survived and made it work. We were saving a ton of fuel throughout the whole race and it was a tough race. We're on the podium and I couldn't be happier for the American Legion team." 

Scott Dixon - No. 9 PNC Bank Honda

"Good job for Alex and the No. 10. It's just one of those years that they are having. We needed it to go green the whole way. Tough weekend for the PNC Bank team. Had we started a bit further up, I think we would have had a much better day."

Marcus Ericsson - No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Honda

"After a tough weekend and qualifying in the back of the field, we had a lot of opportunities in the race. We wanted to have a solid race because we knew we had a good race car. I think the whole No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Ganassi Honda crew did a really good job with strategy and pit stops. It was a good race and we were the biggest mover in the field. Solid day at the track and something to build on for next week." 

Marcus Armstrong - No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda

"It was a tough race really. I thought it was going well in the first stint. We picked up a few places and we kept going forward. We had a lot of pace but started losing track position and overall just struggled on the soft tires. We'll look into things and move forward from here."