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Palou Wins Detroit From Pole to Stretch IndyCar Lead

A late pit call and tire swap let him hold off Kyle Kirkwood and widen his championship advantage.

Overview

  • Alex Palou won the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday after starting from pole, claiming his fourth victory of 2026 and the 23rd of his career.
  • Palou extended a three-race pole streak by converting pole into a race win, leading 71 of the 100 laps on the nine-turn street circuit.
  • The race featured six full-course cautions, repeated restarts and several penalties that reshaped track position and disrupted charge attempts.
  • A decisive late stop by Palou’s team to switch from the softer alternate tires to harder primary tires gave him the edge to fend off Kyle Kirkwood’s late push.
  • Palou’s win expanded his championship lead to 62 points over Kirkwood and strengthens his bid for a fourth straight title as the series moves next to Gateway.