That is not a typo. Alex Palou is about to drive an INDY NXT car.
Fresh off securing his status as a five-time and reigning NTT IndyCar SERIES champion, the Spaniard will slide into the No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing entry on Friday, Oct. 16. The occasion is the annual Chris Griffis Memorial Test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, a dedicated day for teams to evaluate drivers and hone setups ahead of the next campaign. Palou steps into the seat because regular CGR full-time INDY NXT driver Carson Etter is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
It is a wild sight for a driver of his caliber. Palou has never driven INDY NXT machinery, having launched straight into the NTT IndyCar SERIES in 2020 with Dale Coyne Racing after cutting his teeth across European and Japanese championships. Now, a multi-time champion drops down to the sport's premier developmental category to help engineer a breakthrough.
The machinery shift is substantial. An INDY NXT car runs with roughly 200 to 300 less horsepower than an NTT IndyCar SERIES machine, alongside lower downforce levels and vastly different braking mechanics.
"It'll be tough," Palou said. "It's very tough always to go from a car that has more downforce and carbon brakes and stuff to some car that is a bit smaller, less downforce, less power, and it doesn't have as much performance. I'm excited to help the team see how that car feels."
At least the asphalt is familiar. Palou is a three-time Sonsio Grand Prix winner at the 14-turn, 2.439-mile venue, which should cushion the learning curve. He draws comparisons to machinery from his past, noting the car feels comparable to current Formula 3 machinery he handled nearly eight to 10 years ago. He is realistic about the learning curve, admitting he will not be operating at maximum capacity right away, though the lack of a competitive race removes the pressure.
Palou’s schedule has been relentless. He recently piloted an Acura prototype for Meyer Shank Racing at Petit Le Mans on Oct. 3, and followed it by practicing and qualifying the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG during the Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour on this exact circuit—though an early crash by a teammate kept him from taking a racing lap. Just days ago, he tested the upcoming IR-28 chassis slated for a 2028 debut at Sebring International Raceway.
For Chip Ganassi Racing, the stakes involve filling a glaring hole in an otherwise staggering trophy room. The organization boasts 25 championships across various disciplines—highlighted by a record 18th IndyCar SERIES title in 2026—alongside more than 275 victories featuring six Indianapolis 500 triumphs, eight Rolex 24 At Daytona wins, and six victories apiece at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite that pedigree, an INDY NXT race victory has never materialized for the team. Enlisting Palou for setup work is a calculated step to fix that.
Palou is not the only notable name under the Ganassi tent for the session. The squad will also deploy the No. 10 entry for Alessandro de Tullio, who wrapped up a rookie campaign with AJ Foyt Racing by finishing sixth in the standings with two victories and eight pole positions—falling just one shy of Pato O’Ward’s single-season record from 2018. Alexander Koreiba and Frankie Mossman round out the CGR lineup for the Friday test.
