LEBANON, Tennessee – As Alex Palou was celebrating his third NTT IndyCar Series championship on September 15 at Nashville Superspeedway, one of the first to greet him afterward was racing great Dario Franchitti.
He welcomed Palou to an exclusive club, drivers that have won back-to-back IndyCar Series championships.
Franchitti was the last to accomplish the feat when he won three-straight championships from 2009-2011.
He also reminded Palou that he remains one up on him as the last driver to win three-straight IndyCar championships.
“Yeah, he still reminded me that he did it once more, so I still have one more year to catch him,” Palou responded to a question from NBCSports.com. “Hopefully we can.”
“Dario just said that we did a really good job. I think everybody saw - at least he saw - that I was going aggressive at the start, first couple of laps. First stint at least we were going for it.”
“He was very happy. He’s a big part of it. He’s managing all the drivers at CGR. He’s helping us in different ways. He knows that everything he says and everything he can try to tell us during every single weekend, it’s huge, especially for me and the other rookies at the ovals.”
NBCSports.com had an exclusive interview with Franchitti after the September 15 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. He was with his longtime teammate, and lifelong friend, Scott Dixon at his motorhome as they were relaxing after the race before heading into the offseason.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 26: Dario Franchitti and his wife Eleanor walk down pit lane during Carb Day on May 26, 2017, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dario Franchitti (right) and his wife Eleanor Robb (left) — Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Franchitti was one of the most celebrated, accomplished and greatest drivers of his era, and probably all-time. He won three Indianapolis 500s, his last two for Chip Ganassi Racing, and four IndyCar Series championships, his last three for CGR.
After his racing career was cut short from a serious crash in the Shell Grand Prix of Houston in 2013 when he sustained a serious head injury, Franchitti remained with Chip Ganassi Racing as a mentor, driver coach and consultant.
He feels a special relationship with Palou because both drove the No. 10 car at Chip Ganassi Racing.
“I’m glad it was a Ganassi car that went back-to-back for the first time since I did,” Franchitti told NBCSports.com. “A phenomenal job from Alex from the Chip Ganassi Racing team, the 10 car group. It’s just fantastic to see that and it’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it?”
Dixon is the team leader at Chip Ganassi Racing with 58 career victories and six IndyCar Series championships. Nine more wins and Dixon will tie AJ Foyt as the winningest driver in IndyCar history.
Dixon’s six championships leave him just one behind Foyt for the all-time record for championships in IndyCar.
Palou joined IndyCar in 2020 at Dale Coyne Racing and joined Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. He won his first race for the team in 2021 at Barber Motor Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
By the end of the season, Palou won two more races and his first IndyCar Series Championship.
He won another title in 2023, clinching it in the next-to-last race of the season, the first time that happened before the final race of the season since Sebastien Bourdais won the Champ Car Series title in 2007.
This year, he went back-to-back and he’s not even 28 years old.
Palou joins an impressive list of racers with three or more IndyCar championships, including AJ Foyt with seven, Scott Dixon with six, Franchitti with four, Sebastien Bourdais with four, Louis Meyer, Ted Horn, Jimmy Bryan, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears and Sam Hornish, Jr. with three championships apiece.
He is the second youngest three-time IndyCar Series champion. Hornish remains the youngest.
There is no limit to Palou’s greatness.
“It’s been phenomenal to be a part of Scott’s championships and now Alex’s championships and then to have you know those two guys in there just fight for the championships every year,” Franchitti explained. “It’s really great for the team and Alex has, my God, I mean, he won three in four, three titles in four years.”
“Yeah. He’s pretty good, especially as young as he is, so the fire is definitely still there for him as it is for Scott.”
“Chip said it best this morning, he’s like, ‘What we’ve done this year so far has been great, but we’ve got to go out there. We’re going to take this championship.’ And that’s exactly what Alex and the 10 car team did.”
That is a position that motivates the popular driver from Spain.
It’s an opportunity to be the best by defeating the best.
“I love this sport,” Palou said. “I love to have the opportunity to be in a position to win races and championships.”
“I’m not setting a goal of trying to win four or five or anything like that. I think it’s surreal to have won three IndyCar championships. I never thought in my best dreams that I would be in this position.”
“I take one race at a time, one lap at a time. For me every lap that I’m doing is the most important of my life. I do the same for every race. Hopefully we can keep on winning races and championships.”
When Palou arrived at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021, Franchitti began to mentor the young driver and offer his advice on how to become a winner and a champion.
It’s obvious that Palou was a very quick learner as IndyCar fans are witnessing greatness.
“We had this whole long conversation when Alex arrived,” Franchitti recalled. “What to do in the race, driving for the team and everything. And he was as calm as you can be.”
“That’s one of his biggest strengths, mentally, just incredibly strong, and I say that as a guy that went up against Scott Dixon for a lot of years and they’re watching Alex at this stage. Everybody’s got a pretty similar level of talent, I would say.”
“And I feel very happy that Scott and with Alex, two of the mentally sharpest drivers in the field battled for the championship. That is one of the reasons that we can compete for championships year in, year out.”
“That is not to take away anything from the incredible work that they’ve done, the mechanics and everybody back in the shop in Indianapolis does and be able to put in my experience and share it with the drivers.”
“In any case, it’s a privilege.”
Palou is at a point in his career where he doesn’t need to take big steps but rather can work on the finer details to succeed. Franchitti continues to give him advice, but it’s more like polishing a shiny object.
“With Alex, it’s little nudges here and there, honestly, really little nudges here and there,” Franchitti explained. “And this year, I think Alex has made me say that there’s more nudges on the ovals.”
“It’s not ending because there are a lot of good races left for him to win, including some of the other ovals, I’m figuring out how to give him a bit of some experience and things I would try, things that I wouldn’t have got to do. How many years ago now, 12, 13 years ago.”
“I fought for a championship because the guy that Alex was fighting for a title on Sunday in Will Power.”
“I think that’s the evidence that we’re allowed to actually pass off the role. It’s incredible that he is still here.”
Team owner Chip Ganassi likes winners. He has to love Alex Palou, who delivered Ganassi’s 16th career IndyCar Series championship to the team.
Dixon has six, Franchitti three, Palou three, Alex Zanardi has two championships and Vasser and Juan Pablo Montoya had one championship each.
8 Sep 1996: Jimmy Vasser (left) celebrates his PPG Indycar World Series Championship with team owner Chip Ganassi following the Bank of America 300 at the Monterey Grand Prix, round sixteen of the PPG Indycar World Series at Laguna Seca Raceway, Montere
Jimmy Vasser and Chip Ganassi in 1996 — Getty Images
“That’s an incredible group of talent and it starts with Jimmy Vasser in 1996,” Franchitti said of CGR’s first champion. “This whole thing starts with Jimmy Vasser, and I had to come along and put the constant there with Scott Dixon.”
“I call the constant, but of course, there is Chip.”
“Today, before the race, Chip gave his pep talk and it was then spot on, it was absolutely spot on. I think one of the many reasons, he puts the right people on the right jobs to do the job.”
“You wouldn’t think this about Chip, but in times he’s got some really light touch. He absolutely nails it, and I think today was one of those days.”
Further away in the media center, Palou was beginning his championship media availability. He was reminded that Franchitti was the last driver to win three IndyCar Series Championships in a row.
“I’m thinking about next year now, try to tie Franchitti,” Palou said with a smile.
Franchitti knows it can happen, along with an even bigger goal for Palou.
“I don’t see any reason why he can’t do that,” Franchitti said. “That is certainly the goal good into next year for him.”
“And, you know, why not get his first Indy 500 win? That’s obviously right there in his mind too.”
