“We did not expect to be here”: Alex Palou surprised after winning the pole position for the Farm to Finish 275

Alex Palou appeared to have surprised even himself as he delivered a stunning lap to claim pole position for the second IndyCar race at the Iowa Speedway. The 28-year-old admitted he had not expected to top qualifying for the second race of the Newton doubleheader.

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver, who has largely been sensational throughout the 2025 season so far, appears to have carried his strong form onto oval courses as well, storming to pole position for the second race of the Iowa doubleheader. Sharing his thoughts on his pole position via the CGR team on X, he stated:

“Well, we did not expect to be here, but we just got pole for race two in Iowa. We knew we had a fast car, but honestly, I did not expect to be on pole today. It feels amazing—my first ever short oval pole. That #10 DHL car was on fire. I think we are starting P4 for today’s race and P1 for tomorrow. Couldn’t be happier, I’m excited to fight for my first short oval win.”

The pole position for Alex Palou marked his maiden front-row start at a short oval. It also represented his first pole at any oval course since the 2023 Indy 500. Palou, who boasts just a single oval race win—the 2025 Indy 500—will now aim to convert his front-row start into a possible race victory when the flag drops for the second race of the Iowa doubleheader.

What Alex Palou said ahead of the IOWA Race One

Alex Palou also reacted ahead of the first race at the Iowa Speedway. The Barcelona native took to social media to air his thoughts prior to the commencement of the event.

The former Dale Coyne Racing rookie, who qualified in fourth place for the race, was brimming with optimism ahead of the event. Sharing his thoughts on his X account, Palou posted a series of photos accompanied by a short caption.

“RACE DAY! 🦍 Starting P4 today in Race 1 with a really fast car and 275 laps to make it happen. LET’S GO!”

Alex Palou is yet to claim victory around the Iowa Speedway and will be aiming to put an end to this hoodoo during the event. The three-time IndyCar Series champion, however, boasts podium finishes at the circuit, with his most recent coming in the 2024 edition of the event, where he finished second behind eventual winner Will Power.

While Palou failed to claim pole position for the first race of the double-header, Team Penske star Josef Newgarden claimed pole position at the event, bringing an end to his underwhelming run of form through the 2025 season so far. The Nashville native, who boasts six race victories at the oval circuit, will now aim to clinch what would be his maiden race victory since the 2024 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 event.