Chip Ganassi Racing’s fuel gamble Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway proved costly to NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader Alex Palou. How costly is still to be determined.

Palou still holds a sizable points lead as the season reaches its midpoint, but he was in a comfier spot until things went awry late in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline.

Chip Ganassi’s organization had Scott Dixon and Palou in the top two positions, primed to finish the 260-lap race in the best shape given that everyone needed one more pit stop. Then light rain came, creating the second red flag and heightening CGR’s optimism that its frontrunners had accurately gauged the weather.

But the weather soon improved, leaving Dixon and Palou having to restart while nearly out of fuel. Strategist Mike Hull brought Dixon to pit road for emergency service in a closed pit, a decision that gave the six-time series champion enough fuel to continue albeit with a penalty that forced him to restart at the rear of the lead lap after making a full pit stop.

Barry Wanser, who calls Palou’s races, left the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on the track, and the car had enough fuel to pit with the leaders without incurring a penalty like Dixon. But that proved to be the wrong decision as Palou’s car ran dry entering pit road, and he had to sputter and coast to his pit box. By the time Palou’s car got refired and back up to speed, he was two laps behind.

The series points leader finished 17th, losing a chunk of points to nearest championship challengers Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood (sixth) and Team Penske’s David Malukas (seventh). Palou entered the race 63 points ahead of Kirkwood, but that margin is down to 49. Palou’s advantage on Malukas is 68 points.

Dixon and his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda finished on the lead lap in 12th.

Nolan Siegel

Siegel: ‘Got To Turn in at Some Point’

The fuel decision wasn’t Palou’s only significant moment in the race. On Lap 60, he found himself on the inside of Nolan Siegel’s lapped car, and it didn’t end well for Siegel. Their tires touched, sending the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet into the outside wall (photo, above).

Siegel didn’t know what to make of the tangle with Palou, and he certainly didn’t want to get cross with the reigning series champion.

“I thought there was a lot of room down low (for Palou),” Siegel said. “I don’t know if he wanted to run high through the corner or what.

“But you’ve got to turn in at some point.”

Race Control reviewed the incident but determined no action was necessary.

During the first red flag period, Palou said he “needed to see what happened,” and noted that his car was not damaged.

Graham Rahal

Rahal Hits Turn 4 Wall

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal was running third when the No. 15 One Cure Honda got away from him in Turn 4 on older Firestone Firehawk tires (photo, above). The wall impact was nearly flush with the rear. He, like Siegel, was not injured.

Rahal said he was trying to keep former teammate Christian Lundgaard, who had fresher tires on the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, behind him until he pitted “in three or four laps.”

Said Rahal, “It must have been way more marbly on the inside than I expected, and she went straight around.”

Caio Collet

Collet’s Strong Race Ends Too Early

Rookie Caio Collet had a spectacular drive and was in second place when the first red flag came for light rain. But a mechanical failure with just 34 laps to go forced a 22nd-place finish.

“I think we did everything right today, from strategy to driving,” the driver of AJ Foyt Racing’s No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet said with tears in his eyes. “It’s racing.”

It was the second race in which the Brazilian (photo, above, front) drove with a broken right rib from his Turn 2 crash in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. He said he has been taking regular injections to manage the pain, but he still led seven laps in this race. His other nine laps led this season came in the “500.”

WWTR race start

Odds and Ends

  • Inclement weather in the area led to officials starting the race nearly 20 minutes early. The two-by-two start was clean except for Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson was issued a drive-through penalty for getting out of line coming to the green flag. Palou, the pole sitter, led the first 46 laps, all under green (photo, above).
  • Simpson’s race hit another obstacle when the car ran out of fuel while waiting for the pits to open during Rahal’s incident. He was able to return to the race but ended up 21st in the No. 8 Sunoco Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, 24 laps down.
  • Dale Coyne Racing rookie Dennis Hauger did not start the race due to a fuel leak in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda.
  • After on-track activity on 15 of the past 31 days over four events, INDYCAR SERIES teams get a breather with an off weekend ahead. The 10th race of the 18-race season is the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America on Sunday, June 21 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). Palou won last year’s race on the 14-turn, 4.014-mile permanent road course.
  • In the INDY NXT by Firestone race, Myles Rowe started 24th and still won, the longest climb to victory in the 40-year history of INDYCAR’s development series. The previous lowest starting spot for a race winner was 18th, set by Esteban Guerrieri in the 2012 Freedom 100 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.