PORTLAND, Ore. (WISH) — Alex Palou did not need to win the NTT IndyCar Series race on Sunday to clinch the series championship this weekend.

But that’s exactly what he did.

Palou finished first in the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland to lock up his second career NTT IndyCar Series championship.

“It was a dream for me just driving IndyCars,” Palou said. “But then when we won our first championship in 2021, (it) was just insane. And now we won it again. So, (I) couldn’t be happier at this moment. It’s better than any dreams I had. And that just pushes me to try and get some more.”

Palou spoke with News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff after he clinched the title.

Palou won Sunday’s race by 5.4353 seconds over second-place finisher Felix Rosenqvist. Scott Dixon finished in third place.

“We had a pretty good run and then we kind of got caught up in traffic,” Dixon said in a Chip Ganassi Racing news release. “First of all, huge congrats to the No. 10 team on winning the championship. We tried the red ones there but then they left the car there, waited for the leaders to pit and it cycled out. It is what it is. I think we had a good second place car and perhaps the pace of Alex, but congratulations to them.”

All Palou needed to do on Sunday to clinch the title was to lead by 54 points heading into next weekend’s race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. With the victory though, he will enter the final race of the year with an insurmountable 91-point advantage over Dixon.

“It’s been an amazing year,” Palou said.

Next Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will begin at 2:30 p.m. EDT.