INDYCAR 2023 Review: Palou Wins Five Rounds for Second Indy Crown

Ericsson Wins Season-opener, Two Honda Drivers on the Podium

The 2023 season kicked off in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the eastern United States, under clear skies from practice to the race. The opening round of the season was much anticipated, but it turned out to be turbulent as a multiple accident occurred just after the start of the race, and two cars competing for the lead crashed in the final laps. Carving through the chaos Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing), who had qualified fourth, took the lead with four laps to go. Ericsson outpaced the rest of the field to take the win, a good start to the season.

Honda Drivers Dominate Top Five Places

In Round 3, Long Beach, Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Autosport) dominated, both qualifying on pole and winning the race for the first time in his career. Teammate Romain Grosjean was second and Ericsson third. Honda dominated the top five spots.

Round 5, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was won by Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing). He took the championship lead heading into the Indianapolis 500-mile race.

Chip Ganassi Racing Shines at Indy 500

In the Indianapolis 500 which takes place over a two-week period from practice to race, Chip Ganassi Racing cars performed well from practice, with Sato setting the fastest lap times on the second and fourth days. In qualifying, four Chip Ganassi Racing cars qualified in the top 12, with Palou taking his first and Honda's fourth pole position in a row. Sato started the race from eighth on the grid.

In the race, Ericsson, who started tenth, gradually moved up the order and took the lead after his fourth pit stop, and was defending his lead for his second consecutive win, but due to three red-flag interruptions, he was forced to make a comeback on the final lap to finish second.

Sato continued to perform well, setting the fastest time in the final practice (Carb Day) before the race, but in the race he struggled with pace in the pack and fell back. Nevertheless, he was able to improve his position at the restart after the red-flag stoppage, and finished the race in seventh place. Palou dropped to 28th due to a collision, but he fought back to finish fourth, and Scott Dixon finished sixth, giving Chip Ganassi Racing a solid result from all four of its cars.

Palou Wins Three in a Row to Increase Lead

Finishing fourth in the Indy 500, Palou rose to the mid-season points leader, and from there he made great strides. The week after Indianapolis, Palou scored his second win in the seventh round in Detroit, followed by wins in Round 8, Road America and Round 9, Mid-Ohio, making it three wins in a row. Going into the bottom half of the season, he led by a huge 110 points to Dixon in second place.

In Round 10, Toronto, 21-year-old Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), in his second full season of competition, took his first career win. Palou was runner-up with an amazing drive to maintain a high pace despite breaking his front wing. Palou continued to solidify his points lead with consecutive third place finishes in rounds 12 (Iowa 2) and 13 (Nashville).

Dixon in Title Contention with Consecutive Wins

Round 14 was held, for the second time this season, at the Indianapolis track. Dixon, whose car was damaged just after the start, succeeded in a two-stop strategy and took his first win of the season. Dixon now has 54 career wins, extending his record of victories within a season to 19 years straight.

Round 15 in St. Louis was the last oval race of the season. Dixon started 16th in the standings, but his driving, which combined high speed with low fuel consumption, kept his rivals at bay and he won the race by over 20 seconds. With Josef Newgarden (Chevrolet), third in the overall ranking, retiring at the closing stages, the championship contenders were reduced to two drivers, Palou and Dixon. With 108 points remaining to be won, and 74 points separating the two, Dixon still has a slight chance for an upset victory.

Palou’s Fifth Win of the Season Secures Title, Dixon Second Overall

Round 16 was held in Portland. Palou, championship contender, started from fifth place and took the lead after his first pit stop. Dixon was second and tried to catch up using a different tire strategy, but Palou maintained a high pace and gradually increased his lead. Flawless driving let Palou hold onto the lead to take his fifth win and his second title, the first in two years, with the final round remaining.

Dixon, who finished third in Round 16, was confirmed second overall for the season, won the final round at Laguna Seca. He had won three of the last four rounds of the season.

Dixon's victory in the final round brought Honda's tally to 12 wins in the 2023 season, with wins on all track types (street, road, and oval), marking the eighth time that Honda has recorded 10 or more wins in a season. The 2.2-liter V6 turbo Honda engine, now in its 12th year, set a new record for most wins, surpassing its previous record of 11 wins set in 2006. Honda had won over 70 percent of races in the 2023 season.

Race Report

Rd.01 St. Petersburg：Ericsson Takes Honda To Victory Lane in St. Petersburg

Rd.02 Texas：Palou, Malukas Shine for Honda at Texas Motor Speedway

Rd.03 Long Beach：Kirkwood, Honda Conquer the Streets of Long Beach

Rd.04 Barber：Runner-up Romain: Grosjean Runs Second for Honda in Alabama

Rd.05 Indianapolis：Palou, Honda Start “The Month of May” With Victory at Indianapolis

Rd.06 Indianapolis 500：Late-Race Charge from Ericsson Comes Up Just Short at the Indianapolis 500

Rd.07 Detroit：Honda Rules in the Motor City – Palou Wins Detroit Grand Prix

Rd.08 Road America：Honda, Palou Score Again at Road America

Rd.09 Mid-Ohio：Three-in-a-Row Palou Takes Honda to Victory at Mid-Ohio

Rd.10 Toronto：Lundgaard Scores First INDYCAR Victory in Toronto; Continues Honda’s 2023 Win Streak

Rd.11 Iowa1：Ericsson Leads Honda Effort at Iowa Speedway

Rd.12 Iowa2：Palou Scores Podium Result for Honda at Iowa Speedway

Rd.13 Nashville：Kirkwood Continues Honda’s Street Circuit Win Streak in Nashville

Rd.14 Indianapolis：Dixon Continues Win Streak as Honda Runs 1-2 at Indianapolis

Rd.15 St. Louis：Dixon Does It Again for Honda in St. Louis

Rd.16 Portland：Palou Prevails in Penultimate Round at Portland Clinches 2023 INDYCAR Drivers’ Championship for Honda

Rd.17 Laguna Seca：Scott Dixon Closes Out NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season With 12th Honda Victory of 2023

Standings