Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...
The United States won the IIHF World Championship for the first time in 92 years, and nothing else greater happened this weekend. There were a few races though. Formula One had a two-stop minimum for the Monaco Grand Prix, and it did not fix all the problems the Monaco Grand Prix has. It didn't hurt. It didn't change much, but I think it will require more than a minimum number of pit stops to make Monaco lively on track. There was an American winner this weekend in Monaco, and I am not talking about Zak Brown, know the first names rhyme. The Márquez brothers caught a break at Silverstone. Apparently, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. works at IHOP, which seems like a step backward. What is really on my mind, and all of our minds, is the Indianapolis 500, which ended in a historic accomplishment.
Where Does Álex Palou rank Among IndyCar Greats?
Prior to this weekend, Álex Palou said if he never won the Indianapolis 500 his career would be a failure. Well, he took care of that concern and won the 109th Indianapolis 500. Failure is off the table.
Even if Palou had never won the Indianapolis 500, in his first five seasons in IndyCar, he has been rather exceptional. He has won three championships, including two consecutive entering this year. He won a championship with a race to spare in 2023, the first driver to clinch a title early since 2007 and the first time in the series dating back to the Indy Racing League since 2005. He has already won 15 races, more than a great number of drivers in IndyCar history. It isn't just the number of wins but how he wins. Palou has put together some rather remarkable beatdowns. When he is the man to beat, no one comes close to him.
Add to it, Palou has accomplished all this in his first five seasons. He has done more in a half-decade than some drivers have done in two full decades. And this was BEFORE Palou won the Indianapolis 500.
Now he has an Indianapolis 500 victory. If there were any doubts about his place in history, Palou washed those away with a swig of milk.
IndyCar doesn't really celebrate IndyCar that well.
For all these years and all these drivers that competed, IndyCar doesn't rank IndyCar drivers based on what they do in IndyCar. NASCAR celebrated its 75th anniversary and there were lists of the greatest 75 drivers in NASCAR history. The debate over who is NASCAR's best goes in many different directions, but it is about the greatest in the series history, not the Daytona 500 or Southern 500. IndyCar doesn't really promote that when it comes to the series or at least the history of a discipline that a variety of entities have organized over the year.
People are also lazy. They just say A.J. Foyt or Mario Andretti are IndyCar’s best and call it day. It was easy for the longest time because Foyt and Andretti were ranked first and second all-time in victories for over 30 years. Whoever came after those two was seen as irrelevant. Who cares about third when first and second are so universally held to be true?
But it isn't that straight forward, especially as Scott Dixon continued winning races.
There have been a number of great drivers to race in IndyCar and be successful. It should go beyond first and second. Thousands of drivers have competed in IndyCar, 299 have been recognized as IndyCar race winners. There are plenty of options to list the top 100 over the century-plus history of American open-wheel racing's highest level.
This is not a place where we rank IndyCar's greatest 10, 20, 50 or 100 drivers. If, or perhaps when, we do that, it will be done after plenty of pondering. We are in the middle of a knee-jerk reaction. Let's give it a moment before we proclaim anything.
But where does Palou sit based off what he has accomplished so far, especially after yesterday?
Entering this year's Indianapolis 500, only six other drivers had at least 15 career victories and never won the "500." Palou was one of seven drivers with multiple IndyCar championships without a "500" victory. You can remove Palou from both of those lists.
What does he join?
Palou became the 22nd driver with multiple championships and at least one Indianapolis 500 victory. He is now one of 11 drivers with at least three championships and at least one Indianapolis 500 victory.
This was Palou's 16th victory, tying him with Dan Wheldon for 29th all-time. Wheldon had one championship but two Indianapolis 500 victories. Of the 29 drivers with at least 16 career victories, 25 won the Indianapolis 500 at least once. It is easier to list those who didn't win it (Michael Andretti, Sébastien Bourdais, Paul Tracy, Tony Bettenhausen).
It is more than just what have you won and how you won it. It also matters when you have won it.
Palou has three championships, 16 victories, one of which is an Indianapolis 500 victory, within the first 87 starts of his career. He has done it before he has completed six full seasons. Where did everyone else stand at 87 career starts?
A.J. Foyt: Four Championships / 26 victories / Two Indianapolis 500s
Scott Dixon: One Championship / Five Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s
Mario Andretti: Two Championships / 21 Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s
Sébastien Bourdais: Four Championships / 31 Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s
Dario Franchitti: Zero Championship / Seven Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s
Rick Mears: Three Championships / 19 Victories / Two Indianapolis 500s
Al Unser: Zero Championships / Eight Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s
Bobby Rahal: Two Championships / 17 Victories / One Indianapolis 500
Sam Hornish, Jr.: Two Championships / 14 Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s
Of course, all these drivers came from different eras. Louis Meyer, Ted Horn and Jimmy Bryan each won three championship, but none are not listed because none of the three made 87 career starts. Neither Meyer nor Horn made it halfway there. Byran started 62 races, close but still far away. Meyers most starts in a season was six. Foyt was in his eighth season when he reached his 87th career start. Franchitti had never started the Indianapolis 500 at the time of his 87th career start. Dixon had only ran at Indianapolis twice. Bourdais ran entirely in Champ Car, though he had already started one "500" in his first 87 starts.
It is not easy to compare across the eras. Palou is nearly identical to Rahal. He is a little behind Mears and clearly ahead of Unser on all fronts. Palou has more titles and Indianapolis 500s than Mario Andretti at 87 starts, but trails on victories. Andretti also raced at a time when most races on a schedule were 100 miles in length, as did Foyt.
The messy nature of IndyCar history allows for some names to be forgotten. Alex Zanardi won two championship and 15 races and he only made 66 starts. None of those were the Indianapolis 500 as Zanardi only ran in CART. All of those victories and both of those championships came in Zanardi's first 51 starts.
It is crazy to believe someone who has been around for less than six seasons is already in the conversation with people who were around for three decades, but how can you say otherwise when it comes to Palou? Greatness is not how long you were around but what you achieved in the time you had. Palou has paid his dues and then some. A fourth championship is almost a guarantee at this point and it will come before Palou has made 100 starts. He would only be the sixth driver to reach four titles.
What are we supposed to do at that point? Ignore the accomplishments until Palou turns 40 years old or until he makes another 100 starts? This has happened. Time will give us greater context. It could also give us more success for Palou and only make his achievements harder to ignore. We must acknowledge he is already at the table even if he spent the least time waiting in line.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about the the United States and Álex Palou, but did you know...
Lando Norris won the Monaco Grand Prix, his second victory of the season.
Marco Bezzecchi won MotoGP's British Grand Prix. Álex Márquez won the sprint race. Senna Agius won the Moto2 race, his first career victory. José Antonio Rueda won the Moto3 race, his third consecutive victory and fifth of the season.
Kush Maini (sprint) and Jak Crawford (feature) split the Formula Two races from Monaco. Martinius Stenshorne (sprint) and Nikola Tsolov (feature) split the Formula Three races.
Ariel Elkin won USF Pro 2000’s Freedom 90 from Indianapolis Raceway Park, his third victory of the season. Anthony Martella won U.S. F2000’s Freedom 75.
Ross Chastain won the Coca-Cola 600. William Byron won the NASCAR Grand National Series race. Corey Heim won the Truck race, his fourth victory of the season.
Lucas Auer and Jack Aitken split the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races from Lausitzring.
Coming Up This Weekend
IndyCar drifts into Detroit.
IMSA will also be in Detroit.
NASCAR swings into Nashville.
Formula One ventures west to Barcelona.
Formula E heads to Shanghai.
