Alex Palou wins 3rd IndyCar race of 2025 at Barber Motorsports Park

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alex Palou’s dominant start to the 2025 IndyCar season continued Sunday when the three-time series champion led 81 out of 90 laps at Barber Motorsports Park to score his third victory in just the fourth race of the season. 

Palou started from the pole and looked essentially untouchable during the entire race, beating second-place finisher Christian Lundgaard by over 16 seconds. 

“Amazing weekend,” Palou said after the race. “It was a perfect day today for me, for the 10 car, and for the Honda Honda 10 car.”

Additionally, Palou eclipsed 1,000 career laps led and extended his lead in the championship standings to 60 points over Lundgaard heading into Indianapolis for the Grand Prix. 

“Best start of my career, like not in IndyCar, I would say everything I’ve done in my life, never been as good as here. Not even go-karts,” Palou said. 

While Palou’s dominance was the main theme of the afternoon, Dale Coyne Racing’s Rinus VeeKay finished fourth after starting from the fifth position. 

That performance was VeeKay’s first top-five finish since the first race of the Iowa doubleheader last year, as well as Dale Coyne Racing’s first top-five since David Malukas’ third place finish at Gateway in 2023.

“It was definitely my second best (of my career), at least,” VeeKay said of his performance on Sunday. “I had a win so I like to count my win as my best so far, but it was a great race. I had a lot of fun out there and showed a lot of strength in a car that was really allowing me to be strong.”

VeeKay held off Team Penske’s Will Power and nearly caught Power’s teammate Scott McLaughlin in the final laps. 

McLaughlin told reporters after the race he was disappointed not to be able to catch Palou, but was otherwise pleased with his performance. 

“At the end of the day you can only do as much as you can,” McLaughlin said, “I mean, I’m driving the thing as fast as I can. Christian (Lundgaard) is doing the same thing. Alex (Palou) is doing the best job he can. That turns out to be a really good job and solid. We all know it was going to be that way.”

The series now turns its attention to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 10. That will serve as the official “kickoff” to the Month of May before practice for the 109th Indianapolis 500 begins Tuesday, May 13.