Álex Palou started on pole position for the first time in his career... but he did it in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Because the oval at Texas Motor Speedway is the private garden of Scott Dixon, the Spaniard's Ganassi teammate and reigning Indycar champion...and he wasn't going to let his young apprentice get the better of him here.

Dixon, in fact, dominated the test at will, leading 206 of the 212 laps of the Genesys 300 (the rest were led by the Spaniard at the start and in the middle of the race) and scoring his fifth win (he has three in the last few four seasons) in the second most famous oval in America.

Palou defended himself well in a scenario in which he still has little experience and with that fourth place he signs his best result on an oval track, without a doubt a confident 'shot' for the increasingly close 500 Miles of Indianapolis. Of course, his leader snatches the lead in the Indycar general classification, although Ganassi now sports a brilliant double in the drivers' championship.

On pole for the first time

The Spaniard started from pole position for the first time in his Indycar career... although he didn't earn it on track as rain ruined the session qualifying. By virtue of his lead on the table, he was given the honor of topping the grid at the start of the 300-mile event.

Most of the time he was running second and even had to do team work to hold off Herta in the middle of the race, something that cost him time, and he suffered more than necessary in traffic in the second half. However, he showed that with the Ganassi he will also be able to choose to win on ovals shortly... and we will have to be attentive tonight (where he will start in the front row, after Dixon) in case he can take one more step and get on a podium.

Dixon leads the table with 118 points, with Palou second with 100, Will Power, the first Penske, third with 81 and O'Ward fourth with 80. Colton Herta, winner of the last test in St. Pete, suffered problems mechanics in his Andretti and finished far behind, in 22nd position.

Amazing McLauhglin

The Genesys 300 was a 'kiwi' festival because Dixon's victory -which surely did not pay very dearly in the bets- was added a sensational second place for Scott, also from New Zealand McLaughlin (Penske)...in his first race on an oval!! The multi-champion of the American V8 Supercars even allowed himself to squeeze Dixon in the last few laps, when the laps allowed him to get closer to the wake of the six-time champion.

Pato O'Ward (McLaren) is confirmed as one of Dixon's toughest rivals in the championship. Today the Mexican finished third, ahead of Palou. Power, third in the championship, was delayed by the misfortune of making a stop just before a yellow, hence his 14th final position.

Palou will have another opportunity tonight, in the second test at the Fort Worth oval, which will start at 11:00 p.m. A race that could be historic since, if he won, Dixon would equal no less than Mario Andretti in number of victories (the patriarch of the saga has 52). If he succeeds, the New Zealander will only have ahead of the great legend of American motorsport: A.J. Foyt (67).