Alex Palou will lead the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field to green Sunday after capturing the pole position for the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
Palou delivered when it mattered most in qualifying, putting down a 56.899-second lap around the new 1.7-mile, seven-turn street circuit. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver beat Kyle Kirkwood by more than half a second in the final round to secure his seventh pole position of the 2026 season.
It continues another dominant season for Palou, who entered the weekend with a 133-point championship lead over Kirkwood. Now, the two championship leaders will share the front row for one of the most anticipated races on the 2026 INDYCAR schedule.
Palou Sets the Pace All Afternoon
The pole didn’t come out of nowhere.
Palou led Saturday’s second practice with a 56.614-second lap after finishing second in the opening session. Kirkwood was right behind him in final practice at 56.691, setting up a battle between the championship’s top two drivers once qualifying arrived.
When it came time to decide the pole, however, Palou separated himself.
Kirkwood qualified second with a 57.466, while Scott McLaughlin secured third at 57.620. Christian Rasmussen delivered a career-best qualifying effort to take fourth, with Marcus Armstrong and David Malukas completing the Fast Six.
The next group includes several drivers who could quickly become factors Sunday. Pato O’Ward starts seventh, followed by Dennis Hauger, Christian Lundgaard, Felix Rosenqvist, Caio Collet and Nolan Siegel.
History on the Streets of Washington
Sunday’s race will be unlike anything INDYCAR has done before.
The Freedom 250 marks the first INDYCAR race on the streets of Washington, D.C., with the event being held as part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The circuit runs through the heart of the nation’s capital with landmarks including the Washington Monument, National Archives and Smithsonian museums surrounding the course.
The race is scheduled for 147 laps and 250 miles, adding another challenge to a circuit that drivers have already described as extremely bumpy.
And when the field rolls to the green flag, the best driver in INDYCAR over the past several seasons will have everyone chasing him.
Palou has already put himself in position to make history in Washington. After leading practice and dominating the final round of qualifying, the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda enters Sunday’s Freedom 250 as the car everyone will have to beat.