Don't Put Alex Palou On INDYCAR's Mount Rushmore Just Yet

Alex Palou continues his epic run, rattling off championship after championship after championship after championship. Four in a row. Five in the last six years. So does that put him on the Mount Rushmore of INDYCAR drivers? Well ... He sits third in all-time championships, his five only behind A.J. Foyt (seven) and Scott Dixon (six). Some would say that puts him on there. But his all-time win total of 25? That ties him for 17th. He needs 17 more to reach the top five. And then there's Indianapolis 500 victories. Palou has one. Four drivers have won it four times. So my Mount Rushmore doesn't include Palou - not just yet. I am thinking it will eventually. Maybe in 2028 or 2029 when he shows he can adapt and win in the new INDYCAR. If he accomplishes that, he will just further amaze everyone with his versatility. My Mount Rushmore? It begins with Andretti and Foyt. Andretti, also a Formula 1 champion, has 52 victories and four titles and Foyt owns 67 victories and seven titles. Both also won a Daytona 500. Dixon is on there, too, having won races throughout his 25-year career (this year could end a streak of 21 years with at least one win).Dixon's 59 victories are second only to Foyt. And then I have Al Unser with his combination of 39 victories (sixth all-time), which include four in the Indianapolis 500 and three titles. Palou will probably rattle off dozens of more victories. But at the moment, and only because he hasn't raced as long, he currently has fewer wins than active drivers Dixon, Will Power (45) and Josef Newgarden (32). Dixon has 23 seasons with at least one win. Foyt earned his wins in 18 separate seasons (Power has, too). Andretti won at least once over 16 seasons. And Unser in 14 (nine drivers have won in at least 14 different seasons). Palou? He's won in six separate seasons. Of course, he has only raced in INDYCAR over the last seven years. Has he been dominant the last four years? For sure and especially the last two with 14 victories. A Mount Rushmore, to me, signifies consistent success over decades. So I totally think Palou will be on my Mount Rushmore after he continues to climb up the win charts (and probably adding more championships as well as more Indianapolis 500 wins). I'll even start doing the designs. But I'm not ready to sculpt just yet.