Alex Palou Secures Third IndyCar Pole at Mid-Ohio, Extends Championship Lead

Alex Palou demonstrated his dominance in the 2025 IndyCar season by securing his third pole position at the Honda Indy 200 in Mid-Ohio, further extending his championship lead to 93 points over Kyle Kirkwood. Palou's lap time of 1 minute, 5.0215 seconds underscored his speed and consistency, as he has won six of the nine races this season and is targeting a third consecutive championship title. His Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyffin Simpson achieved his best career starting position in third, highlighting his rapid development, particularly on road courses. Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren qualified second, while Kyle Kirkwood, the only other race winner this season besides Palou, will start seventh. Team Penske continued to struggle, with all three of their drivers failing to advance past the first qualifying round, positioning their highest starter, Josef Newgarden, in 18th place. The race at Mid-Ohio sets the stage for a critical battle as Palou aims to maintain his commanding lead against challengers starting mostly behind less experienced drivers on this challenging track.