Alex Palou’s bid for a victory in the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway came to a halt after a crash that occurred early in the race. Palou, the reigning and four-time IndyCar Series champion, had his 100th career start marred by a collision with Rinus VeeKay’s #76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, leading to his car wrecking after just 22 laps on the 1-mile tri-oval track.
Starting in 10th position, Palou swiftly moved up into the top three right after the race began. He settled behind the Team Penske pair of pole-sitter David Malukas and Josef Newgarden. However, on Lap 19, during a restart following a brief caution period, Palou was overtaken by Graham Rahal’s #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. The incident that ended Palou’s race happened when VeeKay tried to pass him on the high line, causing contact between the two cars and sending Palou’s right-front into the wall, causing significant damage to his car.
Palou expressed his uncertainty about the incident, mentioning that he was not sure whether he squeezed someone or if someone was trying to make a move. Meanwhile, VeeKay continued racing, but he complained about feeling squeezed by Palou and suspected his car had suspension issues.
VeeKay reported issues with the steering of his car, and he was running five laps behind in 23rd position at that time. The aftermath of the contact left both drivers disappointed with how the race unfolded.
