He holds a 27-point lead in the series standings.
"I know I'm hungrier than ever just because I know what comes with it (the 500 win) and what it means," said Palou.
The four-time IndyCar Series champion noted that his past victory has not diminished his competitive drive. "I don't feel more or less pressure.
It's not like because I won once, I need another one. It's more the opposite.
It's more like I want to go back-to-back," said Palou.
Injuries and Milestones
Alexander Rossi of Ed Carpenter Racing will compete with a specially designed brace and protective boot after surgery for middle finger and right ankle injuries suffered in a Monday crash.
"We're probably going to be able to keep the swelling down," said Rossi.
He qualified a career-best second on the front row next to Palou before being forced into a backup car for Friday's final practice.
"Everything is ready to go, the range of motion is staying good enough to do what we need to do," said Rossi.
Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood will start from the 25th position on the grid. He looks to close his championship points gap to Palou.
"Of course, we're not stoked where we are starting," said Kirkwood. He stated that his immediate focus remains on the race rather than the championship battle.
"That 12 points, hopefully we'll get that back in the future, but we're not letting ourselves think about it.
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