WATCH: Alex Palou and other CGR drivers' priceless reactions to spider-in-the-box prank 

Chip Ganassi Racing found an innovative way to prank drivers, including their star and championship leader, Alex Palou. The team posted a compilation of the drivers' reactions to the spider-in-the-box prank on Instagram.

The CGR team came up with an innovative idea to give the drivers a jump scare. The admin went around the facility with a harmless-looking box asking them to open it, and as soon as the drivers opened it, a fake tarantula popped out.

The first on the prank list was Kyffin Simpson, who remained nonchalant through it all, pushing the admin to insert a video caption that read:

"There's two different type of people..."

The second kind of people were Alex Palou and "borrowed" driver, Meyer Shank Racing's Marcus Armstrong, who were baited into opening the box and had reactions as they jumped and ran away from the spider replica.

The admin even joked in the comments section, stating that since they couldn't find Scott Dixon so they brought in his compatriot, Armstrong.

Image via Instagram (@chipganassiracing)

IndyCar expert breaks down how Alex Palou can benefit from the hybrid addition

INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Day 2 - Source: Getty

IndyCar analyst Nathan Brown has outlined how Alex Palou, a former Indy 500 runner-up, stands to gain from the series' shift to hybrid technology. The new hybrid system made its debut during the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in July 2024. Palou, a three-time IndyCar champion driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, currently leads the 2025 standings after winning two of the season’s first three races. His smooth adaptation to the hybrid setup has positioned him as a top contender for next month’s Indy 500.

In addressing his question about who might emerge victorious at the Indy 500, Nathan Brown leaned toward past runners-up Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward. According to Brown, their experience navigating heavy traffic and identifying prime overtaking opportunities, paired with the added boost from the new hybrid system, could be key factors in determining who stands atop the podium.

"Because as Palou learned in 2021 and O’Ward the next couple of years, picking your spots, reading the traffic, and a perfect balance of patience and aggression are never more important than in those final 10 laps of the Indianapolis 500. Add in what almost amounts to a video game element into that calculus, and knowing precisely what the limit of the car is and what passes can stick can no longer dominate one’s brainwaves. They need to be second nature," he wrote via Archive.

Brown was quick to clarify that his assessment didn’t rule out former IndyCar race winners, such as Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Scott McLaughlin, Christian Lundgaard, or Felix Rosenqvist. He emphasized that the Indy 500, widely known as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is still anyone’s race. The iconic event is set to take place on the fourth Sunday of May (25).