WEST ALLIS, Wis. – The IndyCar season championship leader, Alex Palou, suffered a power failure seconds before Sunday’s race began at the Milwaukee Mile, causing a significant blow to his title hopes.

Palou’s car had to be towed back to the garage for an evaluation of the hybrid engine, and it was revealed that the problem stemmed from a battery issue. Despite rejoining the race 29 laps later, Palou’s chances of sealing the championship were severely impacted.

Heading into Sunday’s race with a 43-point lead over Will Power, Palou had the opportunity to secure his third title in four years with a strong performance at Milwaukee. However, his car came to a halt during the warmup laps, dashing his hopes.

As the field finally went green after a delayed start, Power rapidly closed the gap in the standings, putting pressure on Palou’s championship aspirations. A chaotic green-flag start further complicated matters, with a crash involving pole sitter Josef Newgarden.

Despite the setbacks, Power seized the lead of the race with a bold pass on Scott McLaughlin, reducing the gap to Palou to just three points in the standings. The intense battle for the championship continues with two races remaining on the schedule.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates on the IndyCar season championship race as we approach the thrilling conclusion of the 2024 season!

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing