The end of May feels like the end of a year in some ways. The good part is over. It is a finish but there is still over half the year remaining. When it comes to the motorsports seasons, pretty much all of them aren't close to decided, even the ones that you think are foregone conclusions. We must continue onward, for there is still so much racing left this year, but it does feel like something is missing.
Final Indianapolis Nuggets
It is the final day of May, and it is proper that we put the Indianapolis 500 stuff aside. We have been in the thick of it since the start of May, and really even earlier than that. The IndyCar season is not even halfway over, and these upcoming races are important. A championship will be decided and there are some big names that will be in that fight.
To give the championship, the season its proper due, we must get Indianapolis out of our system, and with June on the verge of beginning, this is the point in time. We will revisit Indianapolis soon enough. The offseason is long, and there is plenty of time to pick at Indianapolis before another May arrives. Here is a last batch of notes from this year’s race before we say goodbye to May 2024.
Road to 800
This year's race saw a historic milestone reached. With six rookies in the 108th Indianapolis 500, a total of 801 drivers have started the Indianapolis 500. There have of course been a number of relief drivers who never started the race and are not fairly credited in the history books, but we can confidently say 801 drivers have started the Indianapolis 500.
Who are these milestone drivers?
We are going based on starting position in the grid. The pole-sitter of the first race is driver #1. Every rookie follows from there.
Driver #1: Lewis Strang
The inaugural Indianapolis 500 set the grid via when entries were received. Strang was the first entrant and was handed the first starting position, the first driver in Indianapolis 500 history. Though he started first, Strang did not lead a lap. This would be Strang's only Indianapolis 500 part. He lost his in a testing accident on July 20, 1911 in Wisconsin.
Driver #100: Gaston Chevrolet
Through the first seven Indianapolis 500s, 113 drivers started the race. The sixth-best starting rookie in the 1919 race would be the 100th driver in race history. That turned out to be Gaston Chevrolet. An immigrant from France, Chevrolet started sixth and finished tenth, completing all 200 laps. The following year, Chevrolet would win the Indianapolis 500 with 14 laps led. He would not defend his "500" victory. Chevrolet lost his life on November 25, 1920 at Beverly Hills Speedway.
Driver #200: Ernie Triplett
Ten years after reaching 100, the Indianapolis 500 reached 200 drivers. It would be the fourth-best rookie on the grid, and that was Ernie Triplett. Starting 20th, Triplett completed 48 laps before a mechanical failure ended his race. Triplett would got on to make five Indianapolis 500 starts. His best result was seventh in 1931. Triplett lost his life in a sprint car accident on March 5, 1934.
Driver #300: Louis Durant
World War II delayed the 300th driver. At the onset of the war, 297 drivers had started the "500." When the race returned in 1946, the 300th driver was a guarantee to occur. It ended up being Louis Durant in a 1938 Alfa Romeo 308 C Special. He started sixth and finish sixth, completing all 200 laps. It was Durant's only Indianapolis 500 start.
Driver #400: Art Bisch
There needed to be at least seven rookies in the 1958 race for the 400 milestone to be reached. Eight rookies qualified for the 1958 race. The seventh of them was Art Bisch. Bisch started 28th and was caught in the 15-car accident in turn three on the opening lap. Eight cars retired from the accident. Bisch was one of them, and was classified in 33rd. One week later, Bisch won at Milwaukee, his first career victory. A month after that, Bisch lost his life after sustaining a head injury in an accident at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta.
Driver #500: Vern Schuppan
After the 1975 race, 499 drivers had started the "500." Driver #500 would come in 1976. The top rookie starter that year was Vern Schuppan. The Australian had made a handful of Formula One starts prior to his Indianapolis debut. He qualified 17th and finished 18th as a Indianapolis rookie. Schuppan made three Indianapolis starts, but none consecutive. He was 21st in 1979 and third in 1981 behind Bobby Unser and Mario Andretti. Schuppan did properly adhere to the pit lane exit rules in that race.
Driver #600: Stéphan Grégoire
The 1993 Indianapolis 500 had one of the most eclectic rookie classes. Nigel Mansell. Nelson Piquet, Stefan Johansson. Robby Gordon. So who was the 600th driver in Indianapolis 500 history? Stéphan Grégoire. Of all the drivers, it was Grégoire, a man who ended up making seven Indianapolis 500 starts, but mostly as field-filler during the Indy Racing League days.
Driver #700: Sébastien Bourdais
At the time, Sébastien Bourdais was a Champ Car champion, who came to America by storm and with Newman-Haas Racing making another return to the Speedway in 2005, it was Bourdais' chance for his Indianapolis debut. Bourdais was the third-best rookie starter, behind Danica Patrick and Tomáš Enge, but ahead of Jeff Bucknum, Ryan Briscoe and Patrick Carpentier. Bourdais ran well as a rookie, but spun out while battling for fifth-place in the closing laps. Bourdais' caution sealed the race victory for Dan Wheldon. Bourdais would make nine Indianapolis 500 starts, his best finish was seventh in 2014.
Driver #800: Tom Blomqvist
The fifth-best rookie qualifier in 2024 would be the 800th Indianapolis 500 driver. That was Tom Blomqvist, an IMSA champion and two-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner. Blomqvist started 25th, not bad for someone starting his first oval race ever. It lasted one corner. Blomqvist spun after clipping the rumble strip inside turn one, collecting Marcus Ericsson and Pietro Fittipaldi in the process.
It took seven races to reach 100, another ten races to reach 200, 13 races to reach 300, 12 races to reach 400, 18 races to reach 500, 17 races to reach 600, 12 races to reach 700 and 19 races to reach 800. The 2010s saw only 51 new drivers start the Indianapolis 500. Through five "500s" in the 2020s, only 24 new drivers have started the race. At that rate, the 2020s are on pace to have the fewest new Indianapolis 500 drivers since only 47 drivers debuted in the 1970s.
With the wait for 900 on, we are looking at about 2038 at the current paces of just over seven rookies a year. As for 1,000? You will have to wait 2051.
Speaking of Blomqvist...
Blomqvist did not complete a lap as an Indianapolis 500 rookie. Based on the recent decision to sit Blomqvist for the next two races in place of Hélio Castroneves, we don't know if we will see Blomqvist again at Indianapolis. Even if he doesn't return, he is in a club on his own, one he likely wishes he didn't belong to.
After the opening lap incident that took out Blomqvist, Ericsson and Fittipaldi, a grand total of 59 cars in Indianapolis 500 history have failed to complete a lap in the race. Of those 59 times it has happened, 20 of those drivers have been Indianapolis 500 rookies including Blomqvist.
Blomqvist failed to complete a lap on his Indianapolis 500 debut. Blomqvist also failed to complete a lap in his IndyCar debut last year at Toronto.
How many drivers have failed to complete a lap in their IndyCar debut AND their Indianapolis 500 debut?
The answer is Tom Blomqvist.
That's it. That is the list.
Now, technically, three drivers failed to complete a lap in there IndyCar debut, which was also their Indianapolis 500 debut, Paul Goldsmith in 1958, Cale Yarborough in 1966 and Dale Whittington in 1982. Goldmsith would make it back to Indianapolis the following year and complete all 200 laps and finish fifth. Yarborough completed 176 laps at Indianapolis the following year before having an accident. Whittington never made another IndyCar start in his career. At least Blomqvist isn't in that company.
But in Blomqvist's two debuts he didn't make it through turn one either time. That is a brutal footnote to have in the history book.
Rosenqvist's 27 Club
Felix Rosenqvist has finished 27th in three of the last four Indianapolis 500s.
There is no beating around that bush. In six Indianapolis 500 starts, Rosenqvist has finished 27th in half of them. Rosenqvist is tied with Lloyd Ruby and Russ Snowberger for most 27th place finishes in Indianapolis 500 history.
Snowberger was 27th in his second Indianapolis 500 start in 1929. He then finished 27th in his eighth and ninth "500" starts. Snowberger ended up making 15 starts at Indianapolis.
Ruby didn't finish 27th until his 11th start in 1970. He then finished 27th again in 1973 and his third time finishing 27th was 1977, Ruby's 18th and final Indianapolis 500 start.
It is tough to finish in any position three times in a career. Nobody has finished in the same position more than four times in an Indianapolis 500 career. Nobody has ever finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 more than twice. A dozen drivers have finished seventh twice in an Indianapolis 500 career. Eleven drivers have twice finished tenth in their Indianapolis 500 careers, but no one has finished tenth in at least three Indianapolis 500s.
How many times in Indianapolis 500 history has a driver finished in the same position at least three times in four Indianapolis 500s?
Wilbur Shaw - 1st (1937, 1939-40)
Mauri Rose - 1st (1941, 1946-47)
Bill Holland - 2nd (1947-48, 1950)
Ted Horn - 3rd (1941, 1946-47)
Ted Horn - 4th (1938-40)
Dick Simon - 14th (1970-71, 1973)
Felix Rosenqvist - 27th (2021, 2023-24)
Sarah Fisher - 31st (2000-01, 2003)
Salt Walther - 33rd (1972-73, 1975)
That's it. That's the list! It has happened nine times, and Ted Horn did it twice at two different positions. Rosenqvist joined a club on Sunday, though he likely didn’t want its membership.
Fastest Lap and Leader Fastest Lap on the Same Lap But Different Drivers
On lap 175, Kyle Kirkwood crossed the start/finish line in the lead with a lap at 39.9437 seconds, 225.317 mph. Kirkwood would enter the pit lane on the following lap, but less than 40 seconds after Kirkwood led lap 175, Christian Lundgaard crossed the start/finish line in 18th with a lap at 39.7574 seconds, 226.373 mph. It was three laps after Lundgaard made his final pit stop of the race.
Lundgaard's lap 175 would hold as the fastest lap run in the 108th Indianapolis 500. Lundgaard is the 15th different driver in the last 15 years to set fastest lap in the Indianapolis 500. Kirkwood's lap 175 would hold as the fastest leader lap run in the 108th Indianapolis 500.
Forget Indianapolis 500 history, when was the last time in IndyCar that the fastest lap and the fastest leader lap occurred on the same lap but by two different drivers?
Unfortunately, IndyCar does not have data going back decades on such a thing, and IndyCar's website only has box scores dating back to the start of the 2013 season available, but that is still a good period of time. It is over a decade and it is 189 races, including Indianapolis last Sunday.
In the previous 188 races, did the fastest lap and fastest leader lap ever occur on the same lap but with two different drivers?
It has actually happened more times than you realized, and it didn't take me long to find the first example.
Since the box scores only went back to 2013, I figured I would start in 2013 and work my way to the present. The first example was found in the second race I looked at, the 2013 Grand Prix of Alabama. It was the first of 11 occasions since the start of the 2013 season.
Barber 2013 - Lap 83 (Fastest Lap: James Jakes/Fastest Leader Lap: Ryan Hunter-Reay)
NOLA 2015 - Lap 40 (Fastest Lap: Scott Dixon/Fastest Leader Lap: James Hinchcliffe)
Belle Isle I 2015 - Lap 30 (Fastest Lap: Jack Hawksworth/Fastest Leader Lap: Marco Andretti)
Belle Isle I 2016 - Lap 30 (Fastest Lap: Scott Dixon/Fastest Leader Lap: Juan Pablo Monotya)
Road America 2017 - Lap 52 (Fastest Lap: Josef Newgaden/Fastest Leader Lap: Dixon)
Toronto 2019 - Lap 58 (Fastest Lap: Marcus Ericsson/Fastest Leader Lap: Simon Pagenaud)
Road America 2022 - Lap 13 (Fastest Lap: Newgarden/Fastest Leader Lap: Alexander Rossi)
Nashville 2022 - Lap 48 (Fastest Lap: Scott McLaughlin/Fastest Leader Lap: Álex Palou)
Iowa II 2023 - Lap 108 (Fastest Lap: Will Power/Fastest Leader Lap: Newgarden)
Portland 2023 - Lap 28 (Fastest Lap: Newgarden/Fastest Leader Lap: Palou)
Indianapolis 2024 - Lap 175 (Fastest Lap: Lundgaard/Fastest Leader Lap: Kirkwood)
My only explanation is pit cycles. All the drivers come in around the same time. They are all on fresh tires at that time. However, Kirkwood's fastest leader lap at Indianapolis was prior to a pit stop, so his fuel load was lighter than everyone else's. Since 2013, there were 12 additional occasions where the fastest lap and the fastest leader lap were set by two different drivers but within a lap of one another.
Either way, if drivers are all on fresh tires around the same point and are avoiding traffic, there is a better chance they will set fastest lap or fastest leader lap of the race.
Expanding this further, in the last 189 IndyCar races, the fastest lap and the fastest leader lap has been the same 42 times.
What Lundgaard and Kirkwood happened to do on Sunday was not all that unseen, but still somewhat rare.
Under Three Hours But...
This year's Indianapolis 500 took two hours, 58 minutes and 49.4079 seconds to complete. That is an average speed of 167.763 mph, the 11th fastest Indianapolis 500 ever and the 14th to be completed in under three hours...
But it had eight caution periods for 47 laps. The only other year that was completed in under three hours and had eight caution periods was 2012, which the 2024 race was faster than by 1.8453 seconds. However, the 2024 race had eight more caution laps than the 2012 race. This was the most caution laps run in an Indianapolis 500 that took under three hours to complete.
It puts into perspective how fast these cars were hustling around that despite almost a quarter of the race being behind the pace car. I don’t know what it means but they certainly weren’t taking their sweet time on Sunday.
June Preview
There are three notable endurance races in June.
This weekend's 24 Hours Nürburgring. The 24 Hours of Le Mans in a fortnight. The Spa 24 Hours two weeks after that.
Calendars have changed over the years. Nürburgring has moved off of Ascension Day weekend, where it would have taken place two weeks ago, this year's race is the first weekend in June and it doubles as the second round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Le Mans is Le Mans. It is when it is supposed to be and we will have our regularly scheduled preview in due time.
Spa-Francorchamps was kicked forward after the Belgian Grand Prix was unexpectedly moved to prior to Formula One's summer break rather than be one of the first races back from the pause last year.
Right or wrong, this is what we have been presented with. We will make it through, but a trio of 24-hour races in less than a month is a bit excessive.
Other events of note in June:
IndyCar has three races, one of which is Laguna Seca at the end of the month, and we will find out how that race can do when it is not the season finale.
Formula One has a race in Canada before a pair of races in Spain and Austria.
A week after Le Mans, IMSA has the 6 Hours of the Glen.
Formula E will be back in Portland.
MotoGP will be taking it slow compared to the rest of the season. After Mugello on June 2, the series does not race again until Assen on June 30.
World Superbike will have its first round in nearly two months at Misano before taking another month off.
The NASCAR Cup Series makes its first visit to Iowa Speedway on June 16.
