The Pacific Northwest was Alex Palou’s personal playground once again, with the Spaniard coasting to victory in the Grand Prix of Portland.
Despite falling to third during the opening stint of the 110-lap race, Palou utilized his classic overcut and stayed out a lap longer than pole-sitter Felix Rosenqvist to vault to the top spot after the first green flag pit cycle. From there, Palou maintained control of the race and kept his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda out front for 60 laps en route to a 4.1167s victory of the Swede.
There were 119 total passes, with 94 of those for position around Portland International Speedway’s 12-turn, 1.964-mile natural terrain road course. Additionally, there were nine lead changes among four drivers.
Here are the winners and losers from the 13th round of the season.
Winner: Alex Palou
The reigning and four-time IndyCar Series champion, Palou’s clinical drive delivered his sixth victory of the season and extended his stranglehold in the title race to a 110-point advantage with five races remaining. The result also marked his third victory - and fifth podium - in six starts at Portland.
Loser: Graham Rahal
IN THE TIRE BARRIER 😬
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 9, 2026
Full course yellow on Lap 7 for Graham Rahal. pic.twitter.com/wyZGIeTyp8
There was optimism coming into the weekend for Graham Rahal, with Portland being a track he’s enjoyed two top fives and four top 10s since 2021. And while that was furthered after qualifying eighth, it quickly unraveled as the Ohio native dropped wheels in Turn 11 and drifted off course and into the Turn 12 tire barrier on Lap 6. Although he was able to continue on, his #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda was unable to make up any ground and settled for 23rd; making it the fifth consecutive race Rahal has finished outside the top 10 since finishing third on the streets of Detroit in late May.
Winner: Rinus VeeKay
Rinus VeeKay continued to push Juncos Hollinger Racing to the front of the grid, qualifying a season-best fifth and capturing a fourth-place finish. The outing came with a late strategic play to vault ahead of Andretti Global’s duo of Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson, and placed behind their other teammate, Will Power. The Dutchman has now scored four top four finishes over the last five races, with two additional top 10s on the year that has him firmly sitting 10th in the championship standings. The three top fives also ties a career-best mark in a season, having previously accomplished that feat in 2020 (his rookie season) and 2022, respectively, when he drove for Ed Carpenter Racing.
With his name circling the rumor mill, along with Christian Lundgaard, as it relates the the soon-to-be-vacated #9 Chip Ganass Racing Honda, VeeKay’s latest effort certainly didn’t hurt his chances.
Loser: Marcus Armstrong
While his teammate Rosenqvist stood on the podium, Marcus Armstrong suffered the dark side of the results table. Plagued by poor balance in qualifying that left him 20th on the grid, his race lasted just 33 laps before an engine problem on his #66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda forced him into an early retirement. Recording the afternoon's sole retirement, Armstrong’s streak of technical setbacks continued to undermine what had been a promising summer campaign.
Winner: Felix Rosenqvist
Felix Rosenqvist laid down a statement early by snatching pole position and leading the opening 31 laps with raw, unbothered pace. While Palou’s pit timing eventually jumped him, Rosenqvist never wavered, keeping his #60 Meyer Shank Honda within striking distance and gained noticeable ground on Palou while on the softer alternate tire compound.
Despite being bound for Arrow McLaren next year, the Swede continues to push for the maximum this season, with the runner-up result his best since winning the Indianapolis 500. He now has three podiums on the season, with one additional top five and six top 10s to hold sixth in the championship standings.
Loser: Scott Dixon
While Palou celebrated in victory lane, his legendary Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon endured an uncharacteristically invisible afternoon. Dixon started 11th and never found the pace or fuel-saving rhythm to make forward progress. Stuck in traffic trains and lacking top-end pace on the front stretch, the six-time champion slowly drifted backward, crossing the line a quiet 14th on a track where he usually excels.
To make matters worse, Dixon has now finished outside the top 10 in seven consecutive races and sits 12th in the championship standings. And while the New Zealander edges teammate Kyffin Simpson with a third-place finish (Long Beach) compared to fourth (Road America), he actually trails the Caymanian in terms of top 10 results: Dixon has five to Simpson’s six.
Winner: Christian Lundgaard
Electrical issues, along with hybrid problems, plagued Lundgaard’s qualifying effort and left him starting last (25th) at a track notoriously challenging to pass on. However, the Dane carved forward with relentless overtaking maneuvers and exceptional stint length on the primary tire compound. Gaining 16 positions – more than any other driver in the field – he salvaged a top-10 finish from a race that easily could have been a total loss, and was the bright spot for what was a rough weekend collectively for Arrow McLaren. He continues to sit fourth in the title race and now holds a 20-point advantage over teammate Pato O’Ward.
Loser: David Malukas
Malukas’ race was effectively compromised before the green flag dropped. Forced into an unapproved engine change following his heavy crash in opening practice from the previous round in Nashville, Malukas had to swallow a mandatory six-place grid penalty. Left starting 15th in the #12 Team Penske Chevrolet, he spent his stints battling dirty air and fuel targets, unable to break higher than 12th when the checkered flag fell. The result dealt a massive blow to his position in the championship standings, dropping him down one spot to third, but even more bothersome losing significant ground - 83 points to 118 - behind Palou.
