SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

(Photo of Chip Ganassi and Alex Palou after the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland by Chris Owens)

Alex Palou put a decisive stamp of authority on a dream season, winning the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday at Portland International Raceway to clinch the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. Palou, from Barcelona, Spain, earned his second series title in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing after claiming his first championship in 2021 with the team. He became the first driver to seal the INDYCAR SERIES title with one race to spare since Sebastien Bourdais claimed Champ Car honors in 2007 in the penultimate race. “That’s what we wanted,” Palou said. “It was an amazing weekend overall. We had really fast cars. We knew we had to go for it, and we just raced how we’ve been doing all season. Super proud to be here in victory lane and super proud of the second championship. I never thought that I would be an INDYCAR champion, and to be a two-time INDYCAR champion feels amazing, like a dream.” Palou won the race by 5.4353 seconds over runner-up Felix Rosenqvist in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Dixon was 8.0669 seconds behind the winner. Chip Ganassi Racing won its 15th INDYCAR SERIES championship, second only to Team Penske’s 17 titles in the history of the sport. Ganassi also clinched its first 1-2 finish in the driver point standings since 2009, as six-time series champion Scott Dixon secured second with his third-place finish in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda. This was Palou’s series-leading fifth victory of the season, and he has finished eighth or better in all 16 races this season. Palou, 26, leads Dixon in the standings, 618-527, with one race remaining, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, Sept. 10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Watch the Race Highlights from Motorsports on NBC here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)

(Formula1.com)

Max Verstappen (No. 1 Oracle Red Bull Racing) came out on top in a battle against Scuderia Ferrari to win Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. In the process he made more F1 history – the Dutchman moving ahead of Sebastian Vettel with ten consecutive wins and the team stretching its winning run to 15 races. Verstappen slotted behind the pole-sitting Carlos Sainz (No. 55 Scuderia Ferrari) at the start but hounded his rival as the opening stint wore on, eventually forcing the Ferrari driver into a mistake at the first chicane on Lap 15 and then sweeping past around the outside of the Curva Grande. From there, the reigning double world champion never looked back, pulling out a comfortable advantage up front for his latest F1 record as Sainz, team mate Sergio Perez (No. 11 Oracle Red Bull Racing) and the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) fought over the remaining podium positions. After an action-packed finale and some fierce defending from Sainz, it was Perez who emerged with the runner-up spot behind Verstappen, giving Red Bull their sixth one-two finish of the season as they turned the tables on Ferrari at the famous marque’s home track. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)

(Motorsport.com)

Aleix Espargaro (No. 41 Aprilia Racing) grew up a mere five-minute drive from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and today made history at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya as he took victory in front of his home fans. The crowd were up on their feet as a Catalan one-two saw Maverick Viñales (No. 12 Aprilia Racing) join his fellow Aprilia man on the Catalan Grand Prix podium. Jorge Martin (No. 89 Prima Pramac Racing) took full advantage of an absent Francesco Bagania (No. 1 Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian watched on from the medical center. The Spaniard took 3rd place to close in on the Pecco's Championship lead by 16 points. Watch the Race Highlights from Motorsports on NBC here. (Thank you to MotoGP)

Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG