As the 2025 IndyCar Series draws to a dramatic conclusion, all eyes are on Alex Palou and Will Power as they head into the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway. With 206 laps separating the drivers from championship glory, the title is likely to go to one of these two racing heavyweights. Palou, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, leads the standings with 525 points, holding a 33-point cushion over Team Penske’s Power, who sits at 492 points.
While mathematically still in contention, Power’s teammate Scott McLaughlin trails by 50 points, and his championship hopes will be officially extinguished the moment Palou takes the green flag on Sunday. With a maximum of 54 points up for grabs—including bonuses for pole position, leading a lap, and leading the most laps—the battle is intense but clearly leaning in Palou’s favor.
Historically, it’s rare for a driver leading the championship going into the final race to lose the title. In fact, it’s only happened once in the last 11 years—when Scott Dixon pulled off a remarkable comeback in 2015 under double points rules to edge out Juan Pablo Montoya. No such double points are in play this time, making the margin even tougher to overcome.
Palou has a clear path to secure his third series title. A ninth-place finish or better would be enough to clinch the Astor Cup, regardless of Power’s result. Even finishing 12th could be sufficient, as long as Power doesn’t secure maximum bonus points. In the event of a points tie, Power would take the crown based on more race wins this season—three to Palou’s two. It’s worth noting, though, that Palou’s win at The Thermal Club doesn’t count in the official standings, as it was an exhibition race.
Palou, only 27 years old, is on the brink of achieving a rare feat—three championships in just five years competing in IndyCar. If successful, he would become the first back-to-back champion since Dario Franchitti claimed three consecutive titles from 2009 to 2011.
For Power, the task is straightforward but challenging. He must finish on the podium in Nashville and hope for a misstep from Palou. Despite the odds, there is room for hope. Team Penske has dominated oval races this season, winning five of the six contested so far. Power took victory in the second race at Iowa, while McLaughlin won two others and Josef Newgarden claimed wins at the prestigious Indianapolis 500 and Gateway.
Power’s resurgence is even more impressive considering he began the season at a disadvantage. He was penalized 10 points as a result of Team Penske’s controversial push-to-pass violation, a scandal that also led to the disqualification of both Newgarden and McLaughlin from podium finishes in the season opener.
While Palou has yet to win on an oval, he has proven consistent on the discipline with nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes over his last 20 oval starts since joining Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. That level of consistency may be exactly what he needs to bring home the championship once again.
This year’s finale carries added unpredictability, as it marks the first time since 2014 that IndyCar concludes its season on an oval track. The series has moved the finale from the streets of downtown Nashville to the high-speed concrete oval of Nashville Superspeedway in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee. The venue hasn’t featured on the IndyCar calendar since 2008, adding a layer of uncertainty for teams and drivers alike.
Further complicating matters, no full-field test session was conducted ahead of the finale—only a few selected cars took part in aerodynamic and tire configuration trials. To increase the challenge, Firestone is introducing softer alternate tires alongside the standard compounds. This tire strategy, commonly seen on road and street courses, has only been used once before on an oval—during last year’s race at Gateway, which was won by Scott Dixon.
As the tension builds, the final race promises high drama, strategic gambles, and a potential changing of the guard—or a solidification of Palou’s dominance. Whether it ends in celebration for Ganassi or a comeback story for Penske, the 2024 season will be remembered for its fierce competition and thrilling finish.
