As always, there are dozens of things to know in previewing an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, but one thing rises above in the case of this weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Alex Palou owns this event.

SEE: Event Details

The four-time series champion (photo, top) has won the past three May events on this 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit, and he has done so in reasonably dominant fashion.

In 2023, Palou started the race from the third position, but he had the lead by the end of the first lap. From there he led 52 of the 85 laps, winning by a commanding 16.8006 seconds.

The next year was more of the same for Palou, only in that case he took the green flag from the pole. The Spaniard led a race-high 39 laps and pulled away in the late going, winning by 6.6106 seconds.

Last year, ditto for Palou. He won the pole, led 29 laps and finished 5.4840 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor.

In all three races, Palou posted the fastest lap, In the latter two races, he turned that scorcher as he was driving off into the sunset, on Laps 72 and 74, respectively.

Of course, each year presents a different challenge, and Palou’s run might end Saturday. But some facts suggest the driver of the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda will be the heavy favorite to four-peat in the event. For one, he has won the past two series races, including the season’s only other permanent road course (March 29 at Barber Motorsports Park). He has gone to victory lane three times in five starts this season and leads every driver but Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood by more than the points available in a single race. Kirkwood trails him by 17 points.

Bottom line: Don’t be surprised if the field is chasing Palou again Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Will Power

Historically, Power Is IMS Road Course King

Before Palou became a series champion in 2021, Will Power was the driver to beat on this circuit. He won five of the first 11 races between May 2015 and August 2021.

It isn’t that Power (photo, above) has dropped off in recent years -- he finished third in last year’s race and was second in 2024. He also added his record sixth IMS road course pole in 2022.

Power’s previous experience on the IMS road course was with Team Penske, and this will be his first opportunity driving Andretti Global’s No. 26 TWG AI Honda.

Power hasn’t produced the start he wanted this season – a third-place finish in the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington street race is his only top-10 finish – but this IMS road course has been good to him. Power has led a series-high 348 laps on it. No other INDYCAR SERIES driver has led more than 135 laps.

Interestingly, the only driver close to Power in laps led on this circuit is Michael Schumacher (340 in Formula One). That makes Power always a good pick to reach victory lane here.

Graham Rahal

This Has Become Best Track of Rahal, RLL

The most recent of Graham Rahal’s series victories came in 2017 when he swept the Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader at Belle Isle Park. While none of his six career series victories have come on the IMS road course, it has become his best track, and his team’s, too.

Rahal (photo, above) is one of four drivers in this 25-driver field who competed in INDYCAR’s first IMS road race in 2014. The others are Power, Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden. While Rahal is the only one of those drivers who has not yet won here, he consistently has been close.

In 17 races, Rahal has finished second three times, most recently in 2023 when he won the pole and led 36 laps. He has finished in the top 10 on 15 occasions, including each of the past five races and 15 of the past 16.

Last year, the driver of the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda led a race-high 49 laps before settling for a sixth-place finish. He has led each of the past four races and 10 overall.

Rahal isn’t the only RLL driver to have experienced success on this circuit. Christian Lundgaard (now with Arrow McLaren) has finishes of second and third here, and he won the pole for a 2023 race.

Others With Success on IMS Road Course

There are 10 drivers in this field with top-three IMS road course finishes in their INDYCAR SERIES career.

Power leads the way with nine. Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) is second among active drivers with five (Simon Pagenaud also had five). Alexander Rossi had four prior to joining ECR in the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet.

Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) has been on the podium in three of the past four races. Rahal has had three such finishes.

Romain Grosjean (No. 18 BMax Honda of Dale Coyne Racing), Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) and 2021 winner Rinus VeeKay (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet) have stood on the podium twice each. Newgarden (No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet) has only one podium finish, but it was a race victory in October 2020.

Felix Rosenqvist

Fathers, Start Your Engines

Felix Rosenqvist became the ninth driver in this weekend’s field to become a father, joining Dixon, Grosjean, Newgarden, Palou, Rahal, Rossi, Power and Scott McLaughlin. Dixon, Grosjean and Rahal have three children each; Newgarden has two. Rossi’s wife gave birth last May.

Rosenqvist’s wife, Emille, gave birth to a girl, Stella, on May 4. That was 10 days earlier than the due date, which means the driver of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian’s No. 60 SiriusXM Honda (photo, above) could enjoy the birth without working around practice for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, which opens for practice Tuesday.

Rosenqvist is a former pole winner on the IMS road course (July 2022) and started on the front row in May 2023. He has finished 10th in each of the past two races on this road course.

The Weekend Schedule

This is a compressed two-day event for the INDYCAR SERIES.

There will be two practices Friday in advance of qualifying for the NTT P1 Award. The sessions are at 9 a.m. ET (FS2) and 1 p.m. ET (FS1), with qualifying at 5:30 p.m. ET (FS2). FOX One and the INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls will have live action, as well.

Saturday, there is a pre-race practice at 11:30 a.m. ET (FS1) with the broadcast of the 85-lap race beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).