With just three races left in the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, the championship battle is now a two-man race between Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward. Sunday’s Java House Grand Prix of Monterey saw both Kyle Kirkwood and Scott Dixon officially eliminated from title contention.
Palou’s dominant win at Laguna Seca extended his lead to 121 points over O’Ward, the only driver still mathematically alive in the chase for the Astor Cup. To stay in the hunt, any challenger needed to be within 161 points of Palou at the chequered flag.
Kirkwood and Dixon entered the race 173 and 174 points behind, respectively, and both started from deep in the field — Kirkwood in 18th and Dixon 19th. Each made the strategic call to pit early under the second caution on Lap 12 in an effort to gain track position.
The move paid off for Dixon, who delivered another consistent drive to finish fifth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. It marked his seventh consecutive top-10 finish and the 216th top-five result of his legendary career. However, the result wasn’t enough to extend his championship bid. The six-time series champion now trails Palou by 198 points heading to Portland, a venue where he has yet to win.
Kirkwood’s day unravelled on Lap 25 when contact with Rinus VeeKay sent his No. 27 JM Bullion Honda into a spin. Race control issued a stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact, and Kirkwood finished 16th. He now sits 213 points behind Palou, ending his slim title hopes.
As the series heads to Portland on Sunday, August 10, only Palou and O’Ward remain in the title conversation. With a 121-point gap and just three races left, Palou is on the verge of clinching his third INDYCAR championship in four seasons.
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