94.5K YouTube subscribed IndyCar influencer shares his hot pick to win the second race at Thermal Club

IndyCar influencer David Land recently shared his pick for the likely winner of the Thermal Club Grand Prix race. The California race is the second stop on the 2025 Series calendar of the American open-wheel racing series.

The social media influencer, who boasts over 94,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, shared his response to the likely winner of the Palm Springs race put out by Tony Donohue, who hosts the Tony D. Podcast.

Responding to the query on X (formerly Twitter), David Land replied with a GIF of Spanish driver Alex Palou.

The Chip Ganassi racer has largely been the bookmakers' favorite to secure victory at the Thermal Club race. Palou, who set the fastest lap during the first practice session of the race weekend, qualified in third place during the Fast Six for the main race.

However, the three-time champion of the American open-wheel racing series ended the 2024 edition of the race—which served as a non-championship, point-scoring race—as the winner, leading all 20 laps of that edition of the California race.

The former McLaren F1 test driver will again fancy his chances of clinching victory at the Thermal Club race as he continues his chase for his third consecutive IndyCar Series title.

Alex Palou reveals his biggest IndyCar rival

Alex Palou has recently named his biggest rival on the IndyCar track. The former Dale Coyne driver, in a recent interview, opted for a rather surprising pick as to whom he considers his direct rival on the grid.

The Barcelona-born racer stressed that he considers his Chip Ganassi teammate, Scott Dixon, as his biggest rival.

Speaking on First Things First on FOX Sports, Palou stated (1:52 onward):

“Honestly, I have to say it’s Scott Dixon, my teammate. He’s a six-time champion, and it’s a little bit of both. On one hand, you always want him to be up front. But at the same time, he’s your biggest rival.”

“Honestly, I’m happy when he wins because I can feel the energy of my team rise, but he’s my biggest rival on track. He will always be my biggest rival.”

Alex Palou and the veteran Dixon are one of the most successful teammate duos on the IndyCar grid. The pair boast an impressive nine series titles between them. Both Chip Ganassi drivers ended the season-opening St. Petersburg Grand Prix with podium finishes and are among the favorites to clinch the 2025 drivers' title. The pair also finished first and sixth respectively on the 2024 drivers series title standings.

In the meantime, both drivers will once again look to outdo each other at the next race on the calendar—the Thermal Club Grand Prix.