O’Ward says IndyCar championship is Alex Palou’s to lose

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — It’s a five race battle for the IndyCar championship but two drivers are definitively in control. Alex Palou takes a 25-point lead into Sunday’s race at Laguna Seca, the penultimate race of the season. But challenger Pato O’Ward says this championship is Palou’s to lose. The second-year IndyCar driver has never raced for a major series championship before and hasn’t won a title since his karting days. And, he’s never raced before at Laguna Seca or Long Beach, the final two circuits on the schedule.