Chip Ganassi driver and three-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou is one of the four racers nominated in the Best Driver category of the 2025 ESPY Awards, an event produced by ESPN. The other three drivers nominated alongside him are Joey Logano, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen.
The ESPY Awards have recognized IndyCar drivers in the Best Driver category since the awards’ inception in 1993, with fan voting introduced in 2004. Below is a list of five notable IndyCar drivers, including Alex Palou, who have been nominated for the ESPY Best Driver Award during their careers.
1. Alex Palou
Alex Palou has received two ESPY nominations so far. He was first nominated in 2024 and has made back-to-back appearances with a nomination again for the 2025 ESPY Best Driver Award. At 28 years old, Palou is a three-time IndyCar Series champion, having won titles in 2021, 2023, and 2024. He has been recognized for his dominant performances, including winning six of the first nine races in the 2025 season. Notably, he also won the Indianapolis 500, becoming the first Spaniard to win this iconic race.
2. Al Unser Jr.
Al Unser Jr. is a two-time IndyCar champion (1990, 1994) and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (1992, 1994). He was the first IndyCar driver to win the ESPY Best Driver Award, receiving it in 1995 following strong performances in the CART/Champ Car series. His ESPY win represented a significant recognition for IndyCar during the early years of the awards.
3. Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner, won the ESPY Best Driver Award consecutively in 2013 and 2014. These wins came during the peak of his career when he secured multiple race victories and consistent top finishes. Hunter-Reay remains the most recent IndyCar driver to win the ESPY Best Driver Award.
4. Sam Hornish Jr.
Sam Hornish Jr. is a three-time IndyCar Series champion (2001, 2002, 2006) and the 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner. He was a dominant force in IndyCar during the early 2000s, accumulating 18 wins by the age of 27. Hornish Jr. was nominated for the ESPY Best Driver Award twice, in 2003 and 2006. In 2003, he was nominated alongside Tony Stewart, Gil de Ferran, John Force, and Michael Schumacher. His 2006 nomination included competitors Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Melanie Troxel, and Dan Wheldon.
5. Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon is a six-time IndyCar Series champion (2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020) and winner of the 2008 Indianapolis 500. He is regarded as one of the best drivers in IndyCar history. Dixon has been nominated six times for the ESPY Best Driver Award, the highest number of nominations for any IndyCar driver, although he has never won the award.
The article was written by Anmol, a motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda with experience in Formula 1 commentary and a background in law. She brings authenticity and passion to her writing, inspired by her long-standing interest in motorsports and spirituality.
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