The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” certainly lived up to its name after Álex Palou took the checkered flag to win the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

Ericsson landed a breakthrough Indy 500 victory in 2022 that allowed him to escape the ‘pay driver’ moniker he not only shouldered throughout his Formula 1 career, but several seasons into his shift to IndyCar. But Sunday’s runner-up 500 finish, his second in three years, will feel like the race the Swede gave away.

Celebrate Alex Palou's thrilling first Indianapolis 500 victory with a commemorative page print from the IndyStar.

Palou, 28, has already cemented himself as one of the greatest drivers in the century-plus history of American open-wheel racing.

Alex Palou's win of his first Indy 500 came from a lesson he learned a few years earlier about the value of lapped cars in front of the leader.

Alex Palou’s decision to show his love for the Indiana Pacers comes at a time when the Gainbridge Fieldhouse outfit is locked in an Eastern Conference Final with the New York Knicks. The series currently has the Pacers leading three games to one, with the next match slated for Madison Square Garden in New York on May 29.