Alex Palou equals all-time record after winning fifth IndyCar title in dominant fashion

Alex Palou has become just the second driver to win the US open-wheel national racing championship four times successively after clinching his fifth IndyCar crown. 

The Chip Ganassi Racing star clinched the title with a race to spare with a fifth-place at the Milwaukee Mile's second race of a double-header, which was technically Race 1, with the first of the two races being postponed from Saturday due to rain and then completed on Sunday, following Race 2, where Palou took 10th. 

His nearest challenger, Kyle Kirkwood failed to win and score the necessary points to set up a Laguna Seca finale shootout, leaving the Spanish racer to collect a fifth IndyCar title in just six seasons.

Since joining CGR in his second season in 2021, Palou has only failed to win the title in 2022, when he finished fifth as Will Power took a second title.

Palou has now moved to third on the all-time titles list, behind A.J Foyt on seven and outgoing CGR team-mate Scott Dixon, who is bringing to an end a near quarter-century stay in the #9 car to join McLaren from next season.

Palou had been level with Mario Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais, and Dario Franchitti in the four-time climb, but now stands alone as a quintuple champion.

In winning the 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 titles successively, Palou has also equalled Bourdais' record for successive US open-wheel national racing titles.

The Frenchman claimed the 2004-2007 titles under the 'Champ Car World Series' banner, which had been born out of the old CART series.

Reunification following the split happened in 2008, with the most successive titles in the 'IndyCar' era since, being Franchitti's three in a row between 2009-2011, which Palou has now beaten.