INDYCAR Star Alex Palou Joins ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ With Must-See Entrance

If there’s any place in the United States where the best in college football could perfectly cross over with the best in motorsports, it’s the state of Indiana. And Saturday, Memorial Stadium in Bloomington delivered exactly that. Ahead of No. 5 Indiana’s highly anticipated Week 7 home game against No. 4 Ohio State, INDYCAR superstar Alex Palou traded his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda for a different ride. Palou — who recently finished the 2026 INDYCAR season with his fourth straight championship and fifth in six years — jumped behind the wheel of an Indy car, dropping Mark Ingram off on the set of “Big Noon Kickoff” before Indiana-Ohio State. Ingram, who was sporting a custom Indiana racing helmet, arrived at the entrance of Memorial Stadium, threw his hands in the air and belted out a “Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!’ chant as the crowd erupted. Unsurprisingly, the 29-year-old Spanish driver also arrived in style, donning an Indiana-themed fire suit and helmet, which were custom designed by INDYCAR. The look features a nod to the Hoosiers’ 16-0 national championship run last season, a national title patch and the iconic Indiana candy stripes. Here’s a closer look at Palou’s Indiana fire suit and helmet.