PORTLAND — Four-time NTT IndyCar champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing emerged as the frontrunner on Friday afternoon to win the 2026 Grand Prix of Portland, finishing with the fastest lap time in Practice 1 at 58.57 seconds. Palou finished third in the Grand Prix of Portland last year, and looked eager to improve on that result. He currently sits at the top of the championship standings, and holding steady in that spot would mean he’d hold sole possession of third all-time in IndyCar championships.
The Spaniard finished with a lap time just 0.09 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global. The Florida native finished with a time of 58.66 seconds. Kirkwood is looking for a second win on the year and currently sits in third in the championship standings. Last year, he finished 20th at the Grand Prix of Portland, so a marked improvement from him looks more likely than ever.
Rounding out the top three was Rinus VeeKay of Juncos Hollinger Racing, who ended Practice 1 with a time of 58.8 seconds. VeeKay finished 17th in the Grand Prix of Portland last year, so he figures to be another major riser this weekend. The Dutchman currently sits in tenth overall, so a top finish would mean a major boost in the championship standings.
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