P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Palou takes dominant IndyCar win in Thermal Million Dollar Challenge
Reigning and two-time IndyCar Series champion Palou dominated the non-points exhibition, marking the first since 2008, and clinched victory with a lead of 5.7929s over Scott McLaughlin from Team Penske at the 3.067-mile, 17-turn road course. Palou secured the pole position in both his heat and the final, maintaining the lead throughout the entire event. Felix Rosenqvist from Meyer Shank Racing, winner of the opening heat, finished third, while Colton Herta from Andretti Global charged from ninth to fourth in the final. Marcus Armstrong from Chip Ganassi Racing grabbed the fifth spot. Alexander Rossi encountered several challenges during the race, ultimately finishing seventh after various contacts and overtaking attempts. Graham Rahal faced throttle issues, leading to his retirement with two laps to go, while Pietro Fittipaldi was disqualified for not adhering to refueling regulations before the final segment. Lundgaard started the second half of the race from the back of the field due to another emergency service stop.
