INDYCAR Power Rankings: Pato O’Ward Dethrones Alex Palou, Moves To No. 1
Updated Jul. 21, 2025, 2:59 p.m. ET
By Bob Pockrass, FOX Motorsports Insider
Indeed, Alex Palou is still widely expected to clinch the championship. A couple of victories from Pato O’Ward won’t likely alter this prediction. However, O’Ward has won two out of the last three races. While Palou did win in between, O’Ward’s performance has been enough to push him to the top of this week’s rankings. This is particularly noteworthy considering O’Ward’s other finish was fifth, while Palou has recorded a fifth and a twelfth in the two races he didn’t win.
Pato O’Ward steps onto the center podium after his victory in Toronto. The question now is, how long will he stay at the top? yg777 com Both drivers are expected to perform strongly at Laguna Seca Raceway, the venue for this weekend’s race.
This Week’s Power Rankings After Toronto
Dropped out: Josef Newgarden (Last Week: 8), Santino Ferrucci (Last Week: 10)
On the verge: Conor Daly, Josef Newgarden, Will Power
- 10. Rinus VeeKay (Last Week: Not Ranked)
- 9. Colton Herta (Last Week: Not Ranked)
- 8. David Malukas (Last Week: 9)
- 7. Christian Lundgaard (Last Week: 7)
- 6. Felix Rosenqvist (Last Week: 5)
- 5. Marcus Armstrong (Last Week: 4)
- 4. okbet casino online login Kyle Kirkwood (Last Week: 6)
- 3. Scott Dixon (Last Week: 3)
- 2. Alex Palou (Last Week: 1)
- 1. Pato O’Ward (Last Week: 2)
VeeKay celebrated his first podium finish in three years with a second place at Toronto how to track lbc parcel. This also marks his seventh top 10 finish of the season, which is an impressive feat for a Dale Coyne driver.
Herta’s fourth-place finish might feel somewhat lackluster since he won from pole last year, but it’s still a commendable result and adds to his tally of four top-five finishes this season. bl777 best game
Malukas took ninth place in Toronto, achieving his fourth top 10 finish in his last eight races. Notably, he started the race in 15th position, making his result quite impressive.
Lundgaard’s performance was not quite up to par as he finished 13th in a race where an Arrow McLaren teammate won. Nevertheless, he remains fifth in the season point standings.
Rosenqvist struggled with a poorly handling car after sustaining damage early in the race and eventually crashed into the wall with just a few laps to go 777 ph bet. He currently sits sixth in the season standings.
Armstrong was penalized early in the race for avoidable contact, and he couldn’t recover from that setback, finishing in 14th. It was a disappointing outcome for the Meyer Shank driver, who started in third position. He currently ranks seventh in the standings.
Kirkwood started in sixth place and finished there as well in Toronto, moving up a spot to third in the overall standings. Though it wasn’t his best street-course performance this year, he needed a solid outing after his struggles in Iowa.
Dixon finished 10th, but Ganassi drivers faced difficulties with strategy during the race. He now sits ninth in the overall standings.
No one is feeling sorry for Palou. His decision to start on primary tires didn’t play out, leading to a 12th place finish. However, he still maintains a comfortable points lead of 99 over O’Ward with four races left this season, leaving him with little to worry about.
O’Ward can relish his victories in two of the last three races, especially since they came on different types of tracks—one being a short oval (Iowa) and the other a street course (Toronto). His win on Sunday is significant and could have important implications for his future.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has dedicated decades to motorsports journalism and has participated in over 30 Daytona 500 events, with experience at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine, and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
What do you think about Pato O’Ward’s rise to the top of the rankings?