For more than half of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season, Alex Palou has been first in the NBC Sports power rankings.
So it only seems fitting the Chip Ganassi Racing superstar is back on top after clinching his second championship with a Grand Prix of Portland victory.
With his return at Ganassi next season assured, the question becomes how long Palou, 26, will reign over the circuit.
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Just like his seven-time champion teammate Scott Dixon, Palou is beginning a run that could last a couple of decades.
“I’m happy, honestly,” Palou said after his series-leading fifth victory this season when asked about his IndyCar future. “As long as I keep on winning championships and races or battling for championships I think I’ll have a great career.”
Heading into WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through 16 of 17 races this year (with previous ranking in parenthesis):
1. Alex Palou (3): After one of the greatest IndyCar seasons in recent memory, the newly crowned IndyCar champion had to spend at least one more week at No. 1. And after his overwhelming victory in last year’s finale, it’s a good bet he’ll end the season here.
2. Scott Dixon (1): A third at Portland ensured a second-place finish in the championship standings — the six-time champion’s best points ranking since his 2020 title. At 43, Dixon answered any question this year of if age had dulled his competitiveness.
3. Pato O’Ward (2): No one was more frustrated after Portland than O’Ward, whose rant about lapped traffic was even more justified in light of how close he’s been to a victory this season. With a career-best seven podiums, he deserves to end 2023 with a win.
4. Josef Newgarden (9): After his oval winning streak ended with a disappointing thud at Gateway, Newgadren proved at Portland that he hadn’t checked out on the last two races. He battled to fifth after a mistake had left him 12th in qualifying.
5. Scott McLaughlin (4): Unable to complete a full rebound from starting second the alternate tire, Portland was a disappointment for the Team Penske star but still another top 10 that continued a streak dating to the Indy 500.
6. Marcus Ericsson (6): Celebrated a 33rd birthday with his sixth consecutive top 10, but the real gift will be whether Ericssson can close his last season at Ganassiw his first top five points finish (he’s 25 points behind McLaughlin).
7. Felix Rosenqvist (NR): He picked a good time for his second podium this year and his best finish since a 2020 win at Road America: Two days later, Rosenqvist was introduced in a 2024 ride for Meyer Shank Racing (which hired him for speed).
8. David Malukas (10): He could be the last major domino to fall for 2024 rides, and the second-year driver is proving why he’s been courted by some contenders. In his closing stretch at Dale Coyne Racing, Malukas has three top 10s in five starts.
9. Kyle Kirkwood (NR): A 10th at Portland was the sixth consecutive race he finished better than he started (including five times he failed to reach the second round in qualifying). if Kirkwood can improve the Saturdays, he’ll be a beast on Sundays.
10. Colton Herta (8): Only 13th at Portland after starting third, but this ranking is as much as what lies ahead. Herta has a ton of motivation at Laguna Seca: a livery inspired by his father’s last win, a track he has owned and a stubborn winless streak.
Falling out: Will Power (5), Alexander Rossi (7)
PAST NBC SPORTS INDYCAR POWER RANKINGS
PRESEASON: Josef Newgarden is a favorite to win third championship
RACE 1: Pato O’Ward to first; Newgarden drops out after St. Pete
RACE 2: O’Ward stays firmly on top of standings after Texas
RACE 3: Marcus Ericsson leads powerhouses at the top
RACE 4: Grosjean, Palou flex in bids for first victory
RACE 5: Alex Palou carrying all the momentum into Indy 500
RACE 6: Alex Palou stays on top amid Indy 500 surges
RACE 7: Alex Palou continues roll out of Detroit
RACE 8: Alex Palou maximizing his No. 1 ranking
RACE 9: Who’s behind Alex Palou this week?
RACE 10: Alex Palou holds firm, Christian Lundgaard makes jump
RACES 11-12: Josef Newgarden takes top spot on Iowa dominance
RACE 13: Alex Palou reclaims No. 1; Kirkwood moves up
RACE 14: Scott Dixon moves into No. 1 by continuing win streak
RACE 15: Scott Dixon stays on top with second consecutive victory
