The two digits being discussed the most after Alex Palou’s victory June 18 in the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR were three and 74.
Three, because Palou earned his third victory of the season – all coming in the last four races – in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda. Seventy-four, because that’s Palou’s points lead over Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings after the victory.
A look inside other numbers:
1.75: Palou’s average finish during the last four NTT INDYCAR SERIES races. He has three victories (GMR Grand Prix, Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR) and a fourth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
2: Palou’s average starting position during the last four NTT INDYCAR SERIES races. He won the NTT P1 Award for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear and started third at the GMR Grand Prix and the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR.
3.5: Palou’s average finish in the eight races this season.
4.6711: The time gap between Colton Herta’s NTT P1 Award-winning lap of 1 minute, 40.1945 seconds and the 2022 pole-winning lap of 1:44.8656 set by Alexander Rossi. The entire 14-turn, 4.014-mile Road America circuit was repaved last fall, leading to quicker times and higher speeds this year.
6: Herta became the sixth different driver in eight races this season to win an NTT P1 Award. The others: Palou (twice), Romain Grosjean (twice), Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, Felix Rosenqvist.
8: Palou’s worst finish so far this season, eighth at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. He has finished in the top five at each of the other seven races this season.
10: Herta earned his 10th career pole, the same number as his father, Bryan Herta, achieved during his INDYCAR SERIES career.
19: Spots gained by Scott Dixon, who started 23rd and finished fourth. That was the biggest gain of any driver in the race, earning Dixon the Jostens Biggest Mover Award.
21: Will Power extended his series-leading streak of consecutive races running at the finish to 21, dating back to last season. Palou and Scott McLaughlin are tied for second with 17 straight. Lundgaard (13), Josef Newgarden (13) and Ericsson (11) are the only other drivers with active double-digit streaks.
23: The number of cars on the lead lap at the finish, tying the event record set last year. Only four of the 27 starters weren’t on the lead lap at the checkered flag.
26: The number of cars running at the finish, breaking the event record set last year, as all but one of the 27 starters saw the checkered flag.
32: On-track passes for position within the top five in the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR, an event record since INDYCAR started tracking passing stats at this track in 2016.
50: Newgarden finished second for his 50th career INDYCAR SERIES podium finish. Newgarden pulled into a tie with fellow series champions Tom Sneva and Gil de Ferran for 19th all time on the podiums list.
74: Palou’s 74-point lead over Ericsson is the biggest for a series leader since Dixon led Newgarden by 76 points after the 10th race of the 2020 season. Dixon won his sixth series championship that season.
110: On-track passes for position within the top 10, an event record since INDYCAR started tracking passing stats at this track in 2016.
250: Palou’s victory was the 250th by Chip Ganassi Racing in all racing disciplines in which it has competed.
386: On-track passes for position, an event record since INDYCAR started tracking passing stats at this track in 2016.
444: On-track passes, an event record since INDYCAR started tracking passing stats at this track in 2016.
965: Palou has completed 965 laps, the only driver to finish every lap of competition so far this season.
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the 2023 Accord Hybrid on Sunday, July 2 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Columbus, Ohio (1:30 p.m. ET USA Network, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network).