Best of the Month: May 2025

Some would save the best month is behind us. May is celebrated for a number of reasons. The chill is gone, but it isn't a scorcher yet. Every day is more likely to be nice than not. We are still gaining daylight with each day. It is kind of a distraction from all the days we are losing. This year is approaching halfway whether we notice it or not. But let's not allow that to bring us down.

The Bow on Indianapolis

IndyCar has already moved onto Detroit, but before practice begins from the streets of the Motor City, let's put a bow on the 109th Indianapolis 500. 

It will be an event remember for the baggage that came with it. The Team Penske penalties and subsequent dismissals of three key crew members. Turmoil over Roger Penske's ownership in the series whilst running a team. Officiating oversights. The rain delay that was unexpected and put Kyle Larson in a perilous position in his attempt for The Double. The sloppy start that saw a car out of the race before we even got to the green flag. Three cars being disqualified once the race was over.

There is a lot of difficult things we must take away from this year's Indianapolis 500 and some of which we will continue to manage throughout the near-future. 

However, there are good things that happened this month, and before we move into June and leave May 2025 behind, we should properly acknowledge the positive things from this month. 

The Sellout

For the second time in reported history of the Indianapolis 500, the race sold all its grandstand seating and, in turn, the local television blackout was lifted due to the sell out. The first time it occurred was for the 100th running in 2016. 

I don't think that is getting enough attention. For the 100th running, everyone was hyped for the historic nature of that race. It was a must-attend event. For the 109th running to sellout with nothing all that special going on, the folks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway under the leadership of Doug Boles deserves some high praise. 

In the interim, it wasn’t like the Indianapolis 500 was struggling to sell tickets. For the last few years it has been teased how close the track was to selling all the grandstand tickets. This year, it achieved that mark. 

I don't know what it takes to sell those final thousand seats or so. What made 2025 different than 2024 or 2023? There isn't a clear answer. We had a Double attempt last year. We have had a chance at a five-time winner for the previous three years. Was it the chance of a three-consecutive winner? Is it Josef Newgarden's fault? Maybe that's it! It is all Josef Newgarden's fault!

It will remain a mystery, but regardless of the reason, IMS sold out its facility with a little under a week to spare to race day. That is phenomenal. Doug Boles has done tremendous work leading the Speedway. He deserves all the plaudits for this one. 

The Hybrid was Good

Take your medicine. The hybrid added something to qualifying. 

It was thrilling to see how hybrid usage would change the outcome of a run. 

Would a driver use a burst on the final lap? Was it programmed to slowly deploy from the exit of turn two through the line? It kept you on the edge of your seat, and it is fun to see the third lap or the fourth lap be faster and a driver claw back some time. 

For the better part of the last 25, 30, 35, 40 years or so, a qualifying run is just about how much a driver is going to lose from the start of the run to the finish. We know the first lap will be the biggest and then the final three laps are about controlling the bleeding. If there are big drop offs from each lap, the qualifying run will tumble down the order. If it is modest, it will be a good run. The hybrid added the element of a driver getting a little back. 

Drivers have complained about the weight at the back of the car and the greater instability they face on each run, but that meant we had to see the drivers drive the car this year. It wasn't holding the foot down for four laps. A lot of this year's qualifying came down to who could feather the throttle the least. A great number of drivers did it, but the most successful only had to do it for a moment. 

That isn't a bad thing, and this was still the third-fastest field on average speed behind only 2023 and 2024. For all the concerns about the hybrid and its weight slowing the cars down, it didn't take them that far from where the cars have been the previous two years. 

We Didn't Have to Explain Qualifying

Do you recall any long disclaimer about how qualifying works being said this year? I didn't hear any. 

At no point did we have go over the qualifying lines and how Saturday worked with the top 30 and what happens to those outside the top 30. We just qualified. 

For the last 25 years, it felt like every year we had to go over qualifying. Is it the top 11 are locked in over the first three days and then bump day? Is it two days with the top 24 locked in on day one and the rest set on day two? Is there a Fast Nine session? Is Saturday to set the Fast Nine with everyone re-qualify to set their grid positions on Sunday? What is the express lane? Do times have to be withdrawn? Are drivers getting points for this?

We didn't get bogged down with any of that. The qualifying format has been practically unchanged since 2018. We get it. To be fair, I cannot remember the last time Indianapolis 500 qualifying wasn't tweaked once in an eight-year period. If you stop screwing with something, it is almost like people get a chance to get used to it. 

With that said, I think we could still limited the number of runs on Saturday and maybe each team only gets one run where it can go without withdrawing a qualifying time. And there is an issue with the last chance qualifying session when there are only four cars, and one of those cars isn't close to the competition. 

A few things could be adjusted without people losing an understanding of how things worked. 

June Preview

The event I am most excited for in June is NASCAR's trip to Mexico City. I was young when the NASCAR Busch Series went to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 2005. The anticipation for that race was incredible. That felt like the biggest race in the world. NASCAR was at its height and it was expanding beyond the United States. 

That inaugural race was an incredible gathering of NASCAR talent as well as international talent, predominantly from the host country. Adrián Fernández was driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Rusty Wallace entered. Ron Fellows was there because of course he was. The stunner was Jorge Goeters winning pole position. A past Mexican Formula Three champion who was running stock cars in Mexico City, Goeters started the fairy tale weekend and sparked great exuberance. 

There was hype for a potential Cup race in 2006 after how 2005 played out. That didn't happen. It should have. The Mexico City races only got stronger over the following years. More Cup drivers showed up for 2006. Boris Said, Marc Goossens and Paul Tracy entered as well. By 2007, Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose were series regulars, and Scott Pruett was a one-off.

It felt like the Busch Series biggest race of the year because it was on a Cup Series off-weekend and it was run on Sunday afternoon. Fox even showed it. 

The Cup Series should have gone in 2006. It was at its height, and it would have been a stark change for a series that had been domestic-based for the entirety of the modern era, but everyone was ready for it even if the Cup folks felt otherwise. This race would have been a much bigger deal if it had been done in 2006. NASCAR was at its highest and it would have been a clear indication that the Cup Series had an international reach. 

It is still a big deal in 2025, but so much has changed from then to now. It will be a wonderful weekend, and I cannot wait to see what variety we will get. The Cup Series will look like the Cup Series. We aren't going to see a swarm of road course ringers, nor are we likely going to see 40-plus entries. For the second division, we could see some sports car guys compete. It will not be easy as it is Le Mans weekend and some drivers will be busy. 

I acknowledge that this will feel different than 2005. I get goosebumps thinking about 2005. This will not match that level, but it will still be chilling to watch.

Other Events of Note in June:

There is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

IndyCar doesn't have an international race but it will have a night race at Gateway.

Formula One goes from Spain to Canada to Austria.

MotoGP goes from Aragón to Mugello to Assen.

IMSA returns from Le Mans with an endurance race of its own from Watkins Glen.

Second Impressions: 109th Indianapolis 500

1. I had already planned on doing a second impressions and go over some of the historical nuggets from the 109th Indianapolis 500 while considering Álex Palou's ability, the future of The Double and a few other things lingering in my mind post-race, but instead we get actual news as three cars have been disqualified from the race after post-race inspection.

Marcus Ericsson, Kyle Kirkwood and Callum Ilott were all moved to the end of the results after technical violations were found on all three cars. The drivers have been moved to 31st, 32nd and 33rd respectively in the results. Ericsson had finished second, Kirkwood was sixth and Ilott was 12th. In addition to the prize money lost from their original finishing positions, all three entries have been fined $100,000 and the team manager for all three cars will be suspended for Detroit.

Ericsson and Kirkwood each had modifications to the Energy Management Systems covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts. Ilott's car failed due to front wing endplates not meeting minimum heights. 

2. Even if IndyCar is doing the right thing, the events of the previous weekend color the infractions post-race. It looks like IndyCar is going to pick apart every car at every race and will throw the book at every infraction it finds. 

James Hinchcliffe said on the Off-Track with Hinch and Rossi episode ahead of the Indianapolis 500 while speaking about the Team Penske penalties that if you rip every car apart and checked every bit, you would find something wrong with all of them. That doesn't mean if everyone is breaking the rules no one is breaking the rules, but it does look like IndyCar is looking for its examples to set at every race. 

If Team Penske is caught red-handed, everyone else is on notice and their day is coming. 

But what else can officiating do? 

It must do its job, and if teams are pushing it too far, they should be found and called out in inspection. The series cannot ignore infractions because Team Penske got caught and it cannot look like vengeance against all the other teams, but this isn't an independent officiating body, and it does look like the series is making sure the only guilty team isn't the team owned by Roger Penske. He needs some sinners to surround himself and look better.

Even if officiating are catching violations, this again looks bad on the officials as these all seem to be violations that should have been caught sooner. If there was a modified Engery Management Systems cover on the two Andretti Global cars, that was probably on the cars prior to Sunday's race. That was probably something that should have been seen pre-race during inspection. The team didn't put on an illegal cover somewhere between the checkered flag and when the cars went through inspection. 

Prema came out with a statement that the front wing assembly had been used throughout the entire month and had passed inspection every time prior to post-race. Things happen during a race and hitting a little debris hitting the endplate could shave off a millimeter and lead to it failing. That isn't crazy to believe, but it is hard to believe this front wing passed on multiple practice days, qualifying day and pre-race and somehow skirt through each time only to be finally caught post-race, the last chance where a violation could be caught. 

This hasn't been a good month for IndyCar officiating just on visuals alone. 

3. It also doesn't look good that for years we rarely had serious violations and in a little over 13 months there have been two cases where Team Penske violated technical rules, one of which led to two cars being completely disqualified from a race, and now we have three cars from two organizations disqualified for infractions, and it ust happened to come in the Indianapolis 500. 

Everyone didn't just decide to start cheating overnight. I hate to call it cheating because that makes it all sound intentional. A team could honestly present a car to inspection and be an 1/8th of a inch too low in one area and that came down to something wearing during a race. Things happen on the racetrack, but it looks weird for IndyCar to go from no one is ever disqualified to two major incidents of multiple cars being thrown out in a little over a year. 

We know cars have failed inspection in past. We know race-winning cars have failed inspections. Justin Wilson's winner from Texas in 2012 had unapproved pieces of bodywork on its sidepod. Carlos Huertas won the first Houston race in 2014 with an illegally large fuel cell and a rear wing infringement. Sébastien Bourdais' car was underweight after it won at Milwaukee in 2015. Three years ago, Alexander Rossi won the summer race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course only to be found post-race that the team used the water bottle to ensure the car met the minimum weight and not ballast. 

In the first case, Wilson and Dale Coyne Racing was fined $7,500 and docked five points. The Huertas' infractions only earned DCR a $5,000 fine, despite the race Huertas won being a fuel-mileage race where he stretched what he had in the tank. Bourdais and KV Racing was fined $5,000. Rossi's team was fined $25,000 and docked 20 points. In none of the four cases were cars disqualified. 

There has been a change in American motorsports recently as a few season ago NASCAR adopted disqualifying cars from races and not letting wins stand even if a car failed inspection. The belief the fans at the track should go home knowing who won the race has been dismissed for the sake of competitive fairness. It might not be ideal that someone leaves seeing one driver win only for the result to be changed hours afterward, but it also doesn't look right that a winner can remain even when an infraction has been clearly found. 

The problem is IndyCar has never officially adopted the disqualification policy, and it might say it was alwaysin the rulebook, but we have plenty of examples where such infractions have been lighter than slaps on the wrist. They have been whispered messages of "Hey, can you please not do that next time?"

From a humble outsider, it seems to me a car being underweight or having a larger fuel cell than the rest of the competition is a greater violation than a modified Energy Management Systems cover or slightly smaller front wing endplate, and neither of those infractions in the past lead to victories being taken away. 

If there was a change, let us know there was a change. Make it clear for everyone. Draw the line in the sand. 

4. The penalties do shake up the results a little bit. 

David Malukas is now runner-up. Patricio O'Ward moves up to third and Felix Rosenqvist to fourth. Santino Ferrucci becomes a top five finisher. This was A.J. Foyt Racing's first double top five finish in any IndyCar race since the 2000 Indianapolis 500! 

Christian Rasmussen is sixth with Christian Lundgaard is seventh. Conor Daly moves up to eighth. Takuma Sato and Hélio Castroneves get top ten finishes out of this race. Castroneves ties A.J. Foyt for most top ten finishes in the history of the Indianapolis 500 on 17. 

Devlin DeFrancesco falls a spot shy of his first top ten finish in his career in 11th with Louis Foster in 12th. Everyone else gains three spots from here. 

Everyone's day looks a little bit better with an extra position or three. 

5. I think lost in Álex Palou's success is he is really good in the Indianapolis 500. It hasn't been the case of he has had some average days at Indianapolis where he finishes 15th and hasn't been in the mix. He has been there pretty much every year. 

His rookie year in 2020 is the one blemish. He had an accident and finished 28th, but Palou did make it into the Fast Nine as a rookie driving for Dale Coyne Racing. 

Since then, second, ninth, fourth, fifth and first. In six starts, his average finish in the Indianapolis 500 is 8.1667. Among drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts, Palou is ranked eighth in average finish. That is out of 266 drivers! 

Palou isn't even the top active driver. Santino Ferrucci is fourth at 6.1428, and Palou isn't even second among active drivers. Patricio O'Ward is sixth at 6.8333. 

6. This was Chip Ganassi Racing's sixth Indianapolis 500 victory, which moved it into second all-time among team owners, breaking a tie with Lou Moore and the Andretti Global organization. All six of Ganassi's victories have come over the space of 26 races and the only driver to win multiple times is Dario Franchitti, who won it twice. Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson and now Palou have all won it once. 

It is kind of staggering that Franchitti is the only multi-time winner for Ganassi. Dixon has had plenty of close calls, and in another world he likely has two or three Indianapolis 500 victories to his name. You would think Palou is likely to add a second for Ganassi down the line, but here we are 17 years since Dixon's only victory, and we likely expected Dixon having a second by now. 

7. Prior to Ericsson's penalty, IndyCar was looking pretty good if you are Scandinavian. You had a Swede in second, another Swede in fifth and then two Danes in eighth and ninth. It still looks pretty good with a Swede in fourth and two Danes in sixth and seventh. 

I don't know how strong the international reach of IndyCar is. It seems like it has done well in Sweden relatively speaking. Kenny Bräck had a good following. There was a lot of noise when Ericsson and Rosenqvist joined the series. I don't think the Indianapolis 500 is on the biggest channel in Sweden and it is their main primetime viewing option on a Sunday night, the same goes for Denmark, but a few years ago it sounded like the coverage in Sweden was rather good. It would be neat if IndyCar had a healthy, cult following in that part of the world. 

It wouldn't hurt if IndyCar became some niche tourism attraction for people from Sweden and Denmark, and each summer we see throngs of yellow and red at Gateway and Toronto and Laguna Seca. The opportunity is there.

If only we could get some Finns into IndyCar. Then we might be really be cooking. 

8. Let's talk about The Double, because after exiting the Coca-Cola 600 last night, Kyle Larson made it sound like he has run his course attempting to complete 1,100 miles in one day. Sunday could not have gone worse for Larson, and he missed the Coca-Cola 600 entirely last year. 

He stalled on his first pit stop from Indianapolis, spun on his own before getting to halfway, and then in Charlotte, brushed the wall while leading, spun while leading and was caught in an accident before he could complete 600 combined miles across the two races. Battered from multiple incidents, Larson must have realized how difficult it is to complete The Double. And that is without mentioning that light rainfall erased any wiggleroom he had in Indianapolis to make the Coca-Cola 600 on time. Even without his accident, he was going to have to exit the car in Indianapolis with about 30 laps to go. That is what he had to do to preserve his championship position in the NASCAR Cup Series. 

As Larson mentioned in the aftermath, there is no incentive to do The Double. It is all pride. Pride doesn't pay the bills. He got to experience Indianapolis, and he left with a greater appreciation for the event. But he had everything he wanted to make this attempt. Larson was with a top team and had the best minds working with him. He took advantage of every test and tested elsewhere to get ready. This was not a slapdash operation, and he still had a long way to go to run this at the level he wishes. 

There is the driving side where Larson needs more time to get familiar with an IndyCar, and running one event a year, even if all his laps are at the facility he will be racing isn't enough. Then there is the logistics side, which has always been brutal for any Double attempt. 

Larson has a little less time than the likes of John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart. Those Indianapolis 500s were starting closer to noon Eastern Daylight Time. This race was scheduled to fire the engines at 12:44 p.m., which meant a green flag time around 12:52 p.m. 

NASCAR is going to do him no favors. We know that when it comes to the ramifications of needing a playoff waiver. The Coca-Cola 600 is not moving from a 6:00 p.m. start time. Indianapolis could slide forward. Even if the race started a half-hour earlier, it at least gives him around 75 total minutes to play with in terms of delays and stoppages. It helps, but it still isn't even. Even with the earlier start, Tony Stewart still had a close call making it to Charlotte on time over 20 years ago. 

The help is only going to come from one direction and the question is how much does IndyCar want this? The green flag waved at 12:21 p.m. as recently as 2018. There is a half-hour right there. All the pre-race festivities could start a little earlier and no one would notice. It could be a moot point next year, and for many years after that. There is a reason prior to Larson the previous two Double attempts were in 2004 and 2014. It is not easy and it takes a special individual to attempt it. 

9. This was a weird race. It was a weird two weeks for the entire proceedings. 

It started with a delayed opening practice due to rain, which meant Tony Kanaan's refresher was delayed. Once we got going, everyone was learning the hybrid system and trying to get the balance of the race cars right, which proved to be more difficult than anticipating.

In qualifying, we had a few accidents on Saturday shake up the last chance qualifying session. On Sunday, Team Penske was booted from qualifying after everyone looked at the attenuator, Prema won pole position, and then Team Penske had Josef Newgarden and Will Power moved to the rear of the grid, which soon led to the dismissal of Tim Cindric, Ron Ruzewski and Kyle Moyer from the Team Penske organization. 

We still have not properly processed that organizational change at Team Penske. That is much bigger than the attention we have given it. 

Then came race day and the light rain that would not go away. It didn't ruin the day, but it held things up and was more of a factor than anyone thought it would be. During the race, it never felt like it was the Indianapolis 500. Teams went off strategy early and it cycled a bunch of different faces to the front, none of which were the usual suspects. 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing led a combined 68 laps, the most of any team. The next most laps led was Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with 48. Third-most was Ed Carpenter Racing with 22. Two drivers who are not going to race again this season led a combined 99 of 200 laps. Throw in Ed Carpenter and Jack Harvey for jiggles and more than half the race was led by one-off drivers who will not see compete again in IndyCar this season.

Team Penske led zero laps. McLaren led two laps. Ganassi led 14 laps, which turned out to be the final 14 laps.

If that doesn't speak to what the 109th Indianapolis 500 was, I don't know what else can. It was a race where you never felt like you saw the actual battle for the victory until the final stint, which turned out to be an illusion because Marcus Ericsson was always on the verge of being disqualified. 

It is its own Indianapolis 500. It isn't 1991 with Rick Mears vs. Michael Andretti. It isn't 2014 with Ryan Hunter-Reay vs. Hélio Castroneves. It isn't 2016 with a fuel mileage race that Alexander Rossi pulled out. It isn't 2019 where it was Rossi vs. Simon Pagenaud. It isn't last year when you had all of IndyCar's biggest players at the front. This race is its own race. No great battle between two drivers. Not really a fuel mileage race but fuel mileage certainly decided the main players in the final act. 

In a way, this year's race will be remembered as the last act for a few notable names. Will Takuma Sato ever lead 51 laps again in an Indianapolis 500 or will Ryan Hunter-Reay ever lead 48 laps and be the legitimate man to beat in the closing stages? It was one final run at the front for those two, a last act that plenty will remember for coming out of nowhere and not quite the dream ending you would expect. 

An odd year led to an odd "500." With everyone down, it made it easier for the very best to come out on top. 

10. 362 days until the 110th Indianapolis 500. But who the hell is counting?

Musings From the Weekend: Where Does Álex Palou Rank Among IndyCar Greats?

Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...

The United States won the IIHF World Championship for the first time in 92 years, and nothing else greater happened this weekend. There were a few races though. Formula One had a two-stop minimum for the Monaco Grand Prix, and it did not fix all the problems the Monaco Grand Prix has. It didn't hurt. It didn't change much, but I think it will require more than a minimum number of pit stops to make Monaco lively on track. There was an American winner this weekend in Monaco, and I am not talking about Zak Brown, know the first names rhyme. The Márquez brothers caught a break at Silverstone. Apparently, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. works at IHOP, which seems like a step backward. What is really on my mind, and all of our minds, is the Indianapolis 500, which ended in a historic accomplishment.

Where Does Álex Palou rank Among IndyCar Greats?

Prior to this weekend, Álex Palou said if he never won the Indianapolis 500 his career would be a failure. Well, he took care of that concern and won the 109th Indianapolis 500. Failure is off the table. 

Even if Palou had never won the Indianapolis 500, in his first five seasons in IndyCar, he has been rather exceptional. He has won three championships, including two consecutive entering this year. He won a championship with a race to spare in 2023, the first driver to clinch a title early since 2007 and the first time in the series dating back to the Indy Racing League since 2005. He has already won 15 races, more than a great number of drivers in IndyCar history. It isn't just the number of wins but how he wins. Palou has put together some rather remarkable beatdowns. When he is the man to beat, no one comes close to him. 

Add to it, Palou has accomplished all this in his first five seasons. He has done more in a half-decade than some drivers have done in two full decades. And this was BEFORE Palou won the Indianapolis 500. 

Now he has an Indianapolis 500 victory. If there were any doubts about his place in history, Palou washed those away with a swig of milk. 

IndyCar doesn't really celebrate IndyCar that well. 

For all these years and all these drivers that competed, IndyCar doesn't rank IndyCar drivers based on what they do in IndyCar. NASCAR celebrated its 75th anniversary and there were lists of the greatest 75 drivers in NASCAR history. The debate over who is NASCAR's best goes in many different directions, but it is about the greatest in the series history, not the Daytona 500 or Southern 500. IndyCar doesn't really promote that when it comes to the series or at least the history of a discipline that a variety of entities have organized over the year. 

People are also lazy. They just say A.J. Foyt or Mario Andretti are IndyCar’s best and call it day. It was easy for the longest time because Foyt and Andretti were ranked first and second all-time in victories for over 30 years. Whoever came after those two was seen as irrelevant. Who cares about third when first and second are so universally held to be true? 

But it isn't that straight forward, especially as Scott Dixon continued winning races.

There have been a number of great drivers to race in IndyCar and be successful. It should go beyond first and second. Thousands of drivers have competed in IndyCar, 299 have been recognized as IndyCar race winners. There are plenty of options to list the top 100 over the century-plus history of American open-wheel racing's highest level. 

This is not a place where we rank IndyCar's greatest 10, 20, 50 or 100 drivers. If, or perhaps when, we do that, it will be done after plenty of pondering. We are in the middle of a knee-jerk reaction. Let's give it a moment before we proclaim anything. 

But where does Palou sit based off what he has accomplished so far, especially after yesterday? 

Entering this year's Indianapolis 500, only six other drivers had at least 15 career victories and never won the "500." Palou was one of seven drivers with multiple IndyCar championships without a "500" victory. You can remove Palou from both of those lists. 

What does he join? 

Palou became the 22nd driver with multiple championships and at least one Indianapolis 500 victory. He is now one of 11 drivers with at least three championships and at least one Indianapolis 500 victory. 

This was Palou's 16th victory, tying him with Dan Wheldon for 29th all-time. Wheldon had one championship but two Indianapolis 500 victories. Of the 29 drivers with at least 16 career victories, 25 won the Indianapolis 500 at least once. It is easier to list those who didn't win it (Michael Andretti, Sébastien Bourdais, Paul Tracy, Tony Bettenhausen).

It is more than just what have you won and how you won it. It also matters when you have won it. 

Palou has three championships, 16 victories, one of which is an Indianapolis 500 victory, within the first 87 starts of his career. He has done it before he has completed six full seasons. Where did everyone else stand at 87 career starts?

A.J. Foyt: Four Championships / 26 victories / Two Indianapolis 500s

Scott Dixon: One Championship / Five Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s

Mario Andretti: Two Championships / 21 Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s

Sébastien Bourdais: Four Championships / 31 Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s

Dario Franchitti: Zero Championship / Seven Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s

Rick Mears: Three Championships / 19 Victories / Two Indianapolis 500s

Al Unser: Zero Championships / Eight Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s

Bobby Rahal: Two Championships / 17 Victories / One Indianapolis 500

Sam Hornish, Jr.: Two Championships / 14 Victories / Zero Indianapolis 500s

Of course, all these drivers came from different eras. Louis Meyer, Ted Horn and Jimmy Bryan each won three championship, but none are not listed because none of the three made 87 career starts. Neither Meyer nor Horn made it halfway there. Byran started 62 races, close but still far away. Meyers most starts in a season was six. Foyt was in his eighth season when he reached his 87th career start. Franchitti had never started the Indianapolis 500 at the time of his 87th career start. Dixon had only ran at Indianapolis twice. Bourdais ran entirely in Champ Car, though he had already started one "500" in his first 87 starts. 

It is not easy to compare across the eras. Palou is nearly identical to Rahal. He is a little behind Mears and clearly ahead of Unser on all fronts. Palou has more titles and Indianapolis 500s than Mario Andretti at 87 starts, but trails on victories. Andretti also raced at a time when most races on a schedule were 100 miles in length, as did Foyt. 

The messy nature of IndyCar history allows for some names to be forgotten. Alex Zanardi won two championship and 15 races and he only made 66 starts. None of those were the Indianapolis 500 as Zanardi only ran in CART. All of those victories and both of those championships came in Zanardi's first 51 starts. 

It is crazy to believe someone who has been around for less than six seasons is already in the conversation with people who were around for three decades, but how can you say otherwise when it comes to Palou? Greatness is not how long you were around but what you achieved in the time you had. Palou has paid his dues and then some. A fourth championship is almost a guarantee at this point and it will come before Palou has made 100 starts. He would only be the sixth driver to reach four titles. 

What are we supposed to do at that point? Ignore the accomplishments until Palou turns 40 years old or until he makes another 100 starts? This has happened. Time will give us greater context. It could also give us more success for Palou and only make his achievements harder to ignore. We must acknowledge he is already at the table even if he spent the least time waiting in line. 

Winners From the Weekend

You know about the the United States and Álex Palou, but did you know...

Lando Norris won the Monaco Grand Prix, his second victory of the season.

Marco Bezzecchi won MotoGP's British Grand Prix. Álex Márquez won the sprint race. Senna Agius won the Moto2 race, his first career victory. José Antonio Rueda won the Moto3 race, his third consecutive victory and fifth of the season. 

Kush Maini (sprint) and Jak Crawford (feature) split the Formula Two races from Monaco. Martinius Stenshorne (sprint) and Nikola Tsolov (feature) split the Formula Three races.

Ariel Elkin won USF Pro 2000’s Freedom 90 from Indianapolis Raceway Park, his third victory of the season. Anthony Martella won U.S. F2000’s Freedom 75.

Ross Chastain won the Coca-Cola 600. William Byron won the NASCAR Grand National Series race. Corey Heim won the Truck race, his fourth victory of the season.

Lucas Auer and Jack Aitken split the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races from Lausitzring.

Coming Up This Weekend

IndyCar drifts into Detroit. 

IMSA will also be in Detroit.

NASCAR swings into Nashville.

Formula One ventures west to Barcelona.

Formula E heads to Shanghai.

First Impressions: 109th Indianapolis 500

1. Some things are just meant to be. 

Álex Palou doesn't have to lead 99% of the laps to win a race. Palou understands the long game. He understands patience is a virtue and it will get him to victory lane more times than not, especially when driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Álex Palou didn't need to lead the pack for all 500 miles today. He didn't need to put his name on this race from the opening lap. As long as he was at the front late, Palou would be the man to beat. 

After the final round of pit stops, Palou was second. He had spent a good number of laps in the middle of the top ten and inside the top five, but he wasn't looking to enforce his will on the 109th Indianapolis 500. He knew he didn't have to at that point. With each stint, Palou moved up. That is common for Palou. He is bound to gain two or three spots with each in- and out-lap. He went from trailing David Malukas to ahead of David Malukas, and only behind Marcus Ericsson, who had used an alternate strategy to take the lead. 

Ericsson had the advantage. Stopping seven laps after Palou, Ericsson had the fuel to push. He could have run a pace that was greater than Palou and the field could keep up with, but Ericsson found himself stalled behind the back-markers of Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster. Ericsson couldn't push the pace and he couldn't create a buffer to Palou, something desperately needed when it comes to Palou. You cannot give Palou a chance to breathe, and Palou had all the air in his lungs to blow the house down. 

Palou went for it with 14 laps to go and Ericsson didn't have a counter. Maybe Ericsson thought he would have the time and the moment would come, but he never got close. Palou benefitted from the traffic. He could use the draft to save a little fuel, and it effectively made him level to Ericsson in the final battle. 

It felt inevitable this would be Palou's race when the final pit stop shuffled him up to second. A man who had won four of the first five races of the 2025 season with his worst finish being second wasn't going to lose. Every race he has positioned himself to be the man to beat. In the Indianapolis 500, Palou dared someone to beat him, and no one was up to the task. 

It has already been a historic season. Victory in the 109th Indianapolis 500 caps off what is already the apex of a legendary career. Palou has three championships. A fourth is coming in 2025. No one has started a season like this since A.J. Foyt in 1979. We could have been staring at a man one race away from matching the longest winning streak to open a season in IndyCar history. An average finish of 1.1667 through six events is pretty staggering in its own right. 

What is the limit? Is ten victories in play? Palou is halfway there and we aren't even halfway through the season. We are in the middle of something special. Don't look away now.

2. Two runner-up finishes in three years at Indianapolis is tough to accept for any driver, even if you already have won the "500" once. Marcus Ericsson should feel a little fortunate to be second. This wasn't his day. At one point, he was outside the top twenty while on the main strategy. The team had to come up with something different to put him in position to win this race. It worked!

Ericsson went from an afterthought to the leader of the Indianapolis 500 in the closing laps. For the first 130 laps of this race, that did not look likely. He said he should have protected the inside on the lap Palou made his move into turn one. Maybe, but there were 14 laps remaining. That move was coming at some point. It will feel like a race lost, but I don't think Ericsson was winning this race as long as Palou was second. This day was meant for Palou. Ericsson just got to be the lucky soul to say he finished second to one of the best to ever race in IndyCar.

3. What will stand out the most from the 109th Indianapolis 500 is it felt like a race nobody wanted to win, and by nobody, I mean all the pre-race favorites. For most of this race, it was unexpected names in control. For the first 75%, the unlikeliest of fairy tales were shaping up and leading to you asking yourself, "Really? This is going to happen? Really?" 

David Malukas in third is one of those examples. I don't know how good Malukas was in this race. He did a brilliant job on his penultimate stint to extent fuel while keeping up a strong pace. He positioned himself to be there at the end. In a dogfight with Álex Palou and Marcus Ericsson, Malukas wasn't winning this race. Third was as good as it was going to be, and it is the kind of outing Malukas needed. He missed last year's race with an injury. In his first "500" with A.J. Foyt Racing he started seventh and finished third. Malukas led the team the entire month. He wasn't a shrinking violet. Malukas held his ground and had the best race of his career.

4. It was a quiet day for Patricio O'Ward to finish fourth. O'Ward lost some spots early, but it felt like he could run ninth or tenth for the first half of the race and still find himself in the mix. That is what it felt like we saw last year from him. This year, O'Ward wasn't quite able to get into the conversation in the closing laps. It wasn't a poor race, but from a front row starting position this race was setup to be O'Ward's to control, and we didn't see it. 

That is fine. O'Ward's day will come. We will just have to wait until 2026.

5. If anyone has a clue what Felix Rosenqvist did to start fifth and finish fifth, congratulations! Because all I saw was a driver that just hung around. That is half the battle. Don't lose ground. Rosenqvist never did. He never moved into one of the top positions. For a driver who had finished 27th in three of the last four Indianapolis 500s, this is the kind of day Rosenqvist needed. The car was good. It could hold its ground. It felt we should have seen this race last year if the engine had not let him down. 

It is not much, but it is a small victory for Rosenqvist and Meyer Shank Racing.

6. If Kyle Kirkwood had started better than 23rd I think he would have been a factor in this race. Kirkwood had a good opening stint, but then a slow pit stop knocked him out of the top fifteen. He spent the rest of the race climbing forward, and it got him sixth at the checkered flag. If it wasn't for all that work, Kirkwood might have been the Andretti car at the front in the closing laps. 

Second and sixth is a remarkable day for Andretti Global, because at one point none of its cars were better than 16th. These were a hard-earned results, and unnecessarily so.

7. Seven starts. Seven top ten finishes. Seven times completing all 500 miles. Seventh-place for Santino Ferrucci. 

I feel like Ferrucci has had five Indianapolis 500s like this. Not bad. Not impressive. Good run. Good speed. No mistakes. The car ends up in the top ten. You cannot ask for more than that. Ferrucci never factored into the top five battle. It always felt like he was behind two or three too many cars to be noticed. He lost at least a spot or two in the final pit cycle, and then Kirkwood passed him in the closing laps. 

Seven consecutive times completing all 500 miles matches the record Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon were carrying into this race. Ferrucci hasn't failed to finish off the lead lap yet. Why should the eighth time be any different in 2026? 

8. Christian Rasmussen was on the same strategy as Marcus Ericsson. For Rasmussen, the entire Ed Carpenter Racing team stayed out when the third caution of the race came out for rain about 19 laps into the race. The ECR cars went over 40 laps on that first stint and it shook out to where Rasmussen could make his final stop comfortably with 25 laps to go. It got him many positions, but he didn't quite have the track position to have his race work out like Ericsson's. 

It ends up being eighth for Rasmussen, a good day, four spots better than last year. ECR had good race pace. If it wasn't for the issues of Alexander Rossi and Ed Carpenter, this could have been a greater day for this team. At least Rasmussen could get some kind of consolation prize for this group.

9. Christian Lundgaard did not have an outstandingly good day. Lundgaard spent much of the race battling in the middle of the field, and at times it did not look like he was comfortable out there. In an odd way, a slow tire puncture set Lundgaard up to be more on the strategy of Ericsson and Rasmussen where Lundgaard could run hard and not have to conserve fuel as the final pit window approached. That help Lundgaard gain some spots in the final stint. 

At halfway, there is no way Lundgaard thought he was finishing ninth. This race was always going to be a learning experience for him after his first three years at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He should be encouraged for next year.

10. For one moment in this race, everyone thought Conor Daly would be the driver to beat. The race appeared to be in his control, but when it became clear the leaders would need to save fuel to make it into that final pit window, Daly suddenly lost rear grip and spots. He slid back at a time when he could not afford it. Daly was losing ground when he, and everyone else around him, was saving fuel.

It was strange to see because he wasn't driving harder. It makes no sense how his tires were gone and to the point where he could not drive five-miles-per-hour slower than the average race pace. Daly made his final stop with 34 laps to go, which meant he had to save fuel on the final stint, and that cost him a little more time. He still finished tenth, but it was looking to be much greater than that. This race went pear-shape quickly on Daly.

11. The box score for this race will never been able to fully articulate the story. At multiple points, an unthinkable driver was leading this race. Takuma Sato started second, so it should make sense he would lead some laps, but it didn't feel real in that opening quarter of the race that Sato was the guy to beat. 

Sure enough, Sato would slide through his pit box and lose all that ground and then some, but digesting this box score will be something. It never felt like Sato was going to be the guy today even as he led all those laps. A one-off driver for a team that was not strong on pace was not going to steal this race. In a way, the lack of race experience this season was likely a cause for that slide through the pit box. It is tough to win this race. It is even tougher to do it as a one-off. Sato got 11th though.

12. Callum Ilott had a really good race for Prema. Pit strategy got Ilott into the top ten for most of this race and he was holding his own. It was nothing special, but Ilott looked pretty good for a driver who had not drawn any attention to himself all month and was clearly the second-most talked about Prema driver entering this race. 

The key thing for this team and Ilott was it ran all 500 miles. This team needed to learn and it got a full race out of it. Not only did it learn, but the team was competitive. Some of that qualifying pace transferred over to the race. This is a good place to start for Prema's sophomore appearance in 2026. 

13. Hélio Castroneves was on the verge of a top ten finish before he had to stop with one lap to go to top off for fuel. If Castroneves had finished in the top ten, everyone would have been impressed because he did not register once in this race. I hate to think this is where Castroneves is at in his career, but he is over 50 years old. There is a reason why we went 25 years between races with drivers 50-and-up. I don't think Castroneves is going anywhere. I am penciling in a 26th attempt in 2026. I might even feel good to count on a 27th in '27, but I know there aren't that many left and they might not be the races we wish to see Castroneves end on. 

14. Devlin DeFrancesco was 14th ahead of Louis Foster in 15th. Not a bad day for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but not a great day. DeFrancesco and Foster were both off-strategy. It led to DeFrancesco leading some laps, but most alternate strategies are not going to work. A good number are not going to get you close. This got DeFrancesco 14th and Foster 15th. Maybe a little better than if they had done nothing different from the leaders. 

I will tackle Graham Rahal here, because he was 20th, and three RLLR cars in the top 20 is fine. We have seen in recent years RLLR not qualify well at Indianapolis but race well enough to get into the top-half of the field. Rahal didn't get there. He couldn't find a balance at the rear of the car, and attempting an alternate strategy was not going to change that. 

With Sato starting on the front row and pushing for a top ten result, RLLR has some speed. It must find what it can do to spread that across all of its entries while also improving their cars for race conditions. 

15. Nolan Siegel spun off of turn two and brought out a caution as Palou came off of turn four and was running to the checkered flag. I don't think we lost anything. I don't think Ericsson was going to slingshot Palou at the finish line. Palou was going to win this race even if Siegel had not spun or race control held the caution flag.

As for Siegel he was just outside the top ten when the accident happened, and I don't think he was mentioned once all race. This did cost Siegel best rookie finisher as he was running 12th when he spun, and this gave Louis Foster the top rookie finisher honors. 

Does that mean Louis Foster should be Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year? More on that in a moment. 

That is what we call a tease, people!

16. Colton Herta sped on pit lane early in the race and lost a lap. With how this race shook out with the alternate strategies and drivers staying out under caution, Herta never had the chance to wave around back onto the lead lap. He honestly spent probably the last 150 laps a lap down and couldn't get back into the fight. Herta looked competitive in that opening stanza. I think he was good enough to finish in the top ten and push for the top five like Kirkwood did. This is just another case of where this team must clean up the errors on pit lane across the board. 

17. It was never fully explained what happened to Ed Carpenter, but he made an extra pit stop with 20 laps to go. This knocked Carpenter off the lead lap and it cost him a run for a top ten result. It wasn't clear if it was a mechanical issue or the team just didn't get the car full of fuel and instead of trying to stretch it the team just took its lumps immediately. Carpenter had a good day prior to this.

That was the second biggest blow for Ed Carpenter Racing as Alexander Rossi had a gearbox issue while running in the top five, and Rossi's race was over after 73 laps, 31st in the record book.

Based on where Rasmussen finished and where Carpenter was running before that final pit stop, it looks like Rossi was going to be set for just a top ten result, but the opportunity was robbed from him. To make matters worse, there was the pit lane fire as the team checked the car. That wasn't connected to the gearbox issue. A little fuel splashed onto the car as the crew was checking it over. It was a painful finish, literally to some, to what was a promising day. 

18. Will Power had to make an additional pit stop with four laps to go. Even before then, Power was absent in this race. He might have been in the running for a top ten finish, but we didn't see it or hear from him all race. This is Power's sixth consecutive Indianapolis 500 finishing outside the top ten. He was a lap down in 19th. 

After everything that went down for Team Penske, a race where it wasn't a factor is penance in its own right. This kind of Indianapolis 500 will not be the norm for Team Penske, but this was the "500" everyone else needed to see from Team Penske this year. 

19. I don't know what Marcus Armstrong did today other than avoid Marco Andretti spinning on the first lap in anger. Armstrong ran 198 laps and finished 21st. He had a pit lane speeding penalty as well. This feels like a missed opportunity because Armstrong's original car looked poised to make the Fast 12 and be at the front of the field. This backup car never got close to that level. 

20. Let's cover both Dreyer & Reinbold Racing cars because they finished 22nd and 24th. Both went off strategy. Both spent a fair portion of the race at the front. Jack Harvey sped on pit lane for his final stop. Harvey likely was not going to finish better than 15th. It was a more notable day for Harvey than many likely expected. He ran well, and he needed a good day at Indianapolis especially since he is a one-off. He at least earned himself another year at D&R if they want him and if he wants it as well.

21. This race was Ryan Hunter-Reay's entering the final round of pit stops. Lost in the shuffle of all of these strategies was Hunter-Reay stretched his fuel, including waiting to stop until the last minute before a restart to make sure the car was full with one fewer lap to run. It hit a point where Hunter-Reay could easily make it to the final pit window without having conserve anything. Hunter-Reay made his penultimate pit stop and came out ahead of all the "leaders." Everyone thought Hunter-Reay would pit and then Daly and company would be in front, but Hunter-Reay held his ground because the field was already starting to save.

It looked promising that Hunter-Reay could get into that window and not have to worry about pedaling the car in the final laps while the cars directly behind him would have to watch their pace to make sure they could make it. In that case, Hunter-Reay could control the race and put the hammer down to make the field chase and eventually cough. 

It was Hunter-Reay race... as long as he didn't stall in the pit lane. And he stalled in the pit lane! He led 48 laps and on his final pit stop, Hunter-Reay stalled and the car never restarted. 

It was too good to be true. The one-off driver who is driving a car that was built overnight Friday into Saturday after a pit fire on Carb Day, and which only had about 20 installation laps on it was not going to win the Indianapolis 500. It looked like it, but reality kicked down the door when it became too real. 

Hunter-Reay and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing did everything right. It put the car in an unexpected position and the race was theirs until it wasn't.

22. If there is any driver who should be angry after this race it is Scott Dixon because Dixon was brought in to get his left rear brake caliber changed on lap 29 as the race was about to restart on lap 30. Worse though is we all saw the left rear brakes on fire on the pace laps. We were all concerned about this issue. When the team did this change, it was at the end of an 11-lap caution period and the team had already made a pit stop. 

I understand the team waiting to see if there was something to be concerned about and once they made that pit stop realizing it had to be fixed, but the team waited a good three laps after they changed tires to make change the brakes. It should have been done immediately. 

That caution was for weather. Anytime drops are felt, that caution is going to be at least 10-15 laps. Never has someone felt rain drops and then decided after three laps under caution, "We're good." They are going to wait and make sure everything has passed. 

Dixon's team should have bit the bullet and made the change as soon as possible under caution. Waiting until the race was about to go green was race suicide. Dixon lost three laps and never got those back. Dixon was fortunate with the amount of attrition he could rise to 23rd. But it feels like Dixon could have been in the top ten even after changing the brakes. 

One caution lap takes a lot of time at Indianapolis. If Dixon's crew could change the brakes in three green flag laps, it could be done in one caution lap and Dixon would have remained on the lead lap. He would have had work to do but if there is one driver that could move forward with over 170 laps to play with, it is Dixon. That is the most baffling thing about this race. I don't understand how the Dixon crew got it this wrong.

23. It was shaping up for Josef Newgarden to be in the mix for the victory after starting 32nd. Newgarden was in the top ten after 80 laps. He was up to seventh after 300 miles. It was lining up for Newgarden to at least be lurking in the background, but then a fuel pump failed as he made what would have been his penultimate pit stop. The streak for three was over. 

In a way, IndyCar needed this result more than a third consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory. As great as Newgarden is and for all that he has accomplished, IndyCar didn't need a shadow over this accomplishment. It was always going to be there if Newgarden had won. It would have been fair and square and it would have been astonishing to see Newgarden win from 32nd. You cannot dismiss a driver winning from 32nd, but we needed a break. I don't think anyone could stomach Team Penske immediately ending up back on top after what happened last week with the modified attenuator. We needed a break. Penske wasn't kicked out of the race, but it was far from having its greatest day. 

24. From one story of the month to the story of the last two years. Kyle Larson's second attempt at The Double faced another rain storm. This was more a spritz. It wasn't even enough to call it a shower. It still erased all the wiggle room Larson had for himself before the green flag even waved to start the race. Larson needed 500 uninterrupted miles for running 1,100 miles to be a possibility. The early cautions didn't help. He was up against his deadline of needing to leave to make it to Charlotte on time for the Coca-Cola 600. 

Larson stalled on his first pit stop and this put him to the very back. He made up some ground, but he was not rocketing through the field. As the field backed up into turn two on the lap 92 restart, Larson went low and spun the car as he downshifted. He collected Sting Ray Robb and Kyffin Simpson, and The Double attempt was over about 272.5 miles shy of what he needed from Indianapolis. 

It is hard to live up to the first time, but in two attempts, weather has been uncooperative both times. In each visit to Indianapolis, Larson made his own errors with the car. He bogged down a restart and sped on pit lane last year. This year, it was stalling in pit lane and making a mistake downshifting, which likely led to that spin.  

The Double is hard. There is a reason very few drivers have attempted it and there is a reason why the first three guys to attempt it were open-wheel drivers who were transitioning to stock car racing. 

Kurt Busch and Larson are the only drivers to go the other way. Busch only did it once. For all the great talent in NASCAR, it has not been an endless string of drivers wandering into Indianapolis each May to try and achieve grueling task. It is hard to have everything line up outside the car let alone inside two race cars to complete 1,100 miles in two different races. 

Do we see a year three? I don't know. Neither NASCAR nor IndyCar made the second attempt easier. 

NASCAR said if a driver needs a playoff waiver, he forfeits all his playoff points, which would have put Larson at a significant disadvantage entering the playoffs as he tries to win a championship. IndyCar didn't make it easy for McLaren and making sure Tony Kanaan was prepared as a relief driver. For something both series would be the first to celebrate and use for their own glory, both NASCAR and IndyCar made it more difficult for Larson and any future driver to do this. I am sure that is on his mind. 

25. Larson got 27th. Sting Ray Robb was placed in 26th and Kyffin Simpson was 28th after that accident. It isn't like either Robb or Simpson had done anything special before that point. It is a shame for both. Both were innocent bystanders. Simpson had nowhere to go as Larson spun into him. Robb got into the marbles avoiding Larson and that led to a brush with the outside wall and then a spin into the inside tire barrier.

26. Our Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter had two bad pit stops. One due to a slow right rear tire change and the other when Robert Shwartzman slid into his pit box and hit three crew members, as well as breaking his suspension while hitting the pit wall. This ended Shwartzman's debut "500" after 87 laps and placed him in 29th... and I would consider voting for Robert Shwartzman for Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. 

It isn't like Louis Foster or Nolan Siegel did anything great. Foster completed all 500 miles. Not bad. He was 15th. Not bad. Siegel was set to finish 12th and complete all 500 miles before his final trip into turn two ended in the barrier. I don't think either Foster or Siegel did anything in the race more impressive than what Shwartzman and Prema did in qualifying. 

They won pole position on debut for both team and driver! Shwartzman made a bad error in his pit box, and his race exit is all on him. When it comes to the 109th Indianapolis 500, who are we going to remember the most? It will be Shwartzman on pole position in an unthinkable achievement. That is enough for me.

27. Rinus VeeKay spun entering the pit lane after what was a promising start to his race as he was in the top ten though on an alternate strategy. VeeKay said he had no brakes when he was entering pit lane and he snapped around. I do wonder if there is something IndyCar can regulate when it comes to the brakes at Indianapolis. 

This isn't the first time we have seen a car spinning entering pit lane. We saw it on a near-yearly basis not long ago. These teams are trying to get every advantage they can get. The teams adjust the brake pads so they are set back and not causing any drag, which leads many to believe this is way we see some of these spins. The brake pad is too far back and requires extra effort on the pedal to slow the car down, which can lead to it snapping around. 

There are so many safety regulations and there must be a way IndyCar can set it so the brake pads are more effective and try to eliminate these pit lane spins. It looks bad when cautions occur because someone spins entering pit lane. It is really an unnecessary caution, and it can mess up a race when it occurs in the middle of a pit cycle. These accidents will happen, but they seem to happen with too frequently to believe that there is nothing IndyCar can do. Mandating the brake pads are set at a certain position might slow the cars down but it will slow everyone down, and it isn't going to take 20 mph out of the average speed. We are losing maybe a half-mile-per-hour. 

VeeKay spun through a few pit boxes. We are one incident away from a car spinning into pit lane while a crew in one of those first pit boxes is in the middle of a stop and it being an ugly scene. Let's prevent that now and before a handful of people are hurt or worse. 

The other solution is make all pit entries be on the access road in turn three and have a multi-speed pit limit like we saw at Texas for a number of years. It would at least protect the crew members. 

28. There is a cruelty that Marco Andretti was taken out on the first lap in anger because two cars bumped into each other and that bumped Andretti into a spin. I am tired of hearing about the "Andretti Curse." At this point most of it is Marco Andretti only running one race a year and the rest of the grid is significantly better than Andretti's current level. This accident wasn't Andretti's fault, but it is cruel that it is him and he isn't going to get into a race car again until next April in preparations for the 110th Indianapolis 500. If he gets that chance. 

This was Andretti's 20th Indianapolis 500. He has been Indianapolis-only for the last five years. Each year has gotten a little worse. He was in the last chance qualifying session this year. Michael Andretti is no longer leading Andretti Global. The Andretti name has become a brand and Dan Towriss is the man in charge. I don't believe Marco Andretti has an Indianapolis 500 ride in perpetuity like he once did.

If Dan Towriss believes there is a bigger name for that fourth car that gives the team a greater chance at winning, he isn't going to keep giving Andretti a ride from the kindness of his heart. McLaren has run Kyle Larson the last two years and apparently had Kyle Busch lined up before that. Jenson Button apparently had someone interested in getting him an entry this year. 

If Andretti Global believes it is a global name, it is going to want someone who can actually be a contender as a one-off. Marco Andretti isn't that guy. He hasn't been that guy in a decade. 

29. I don't think many wanted to see Team Penske succeed today. I don't think anyone want to see Scott McLaughlin's day end in a more crushing fashion though, spinning into the inside wall on the front straightaway on the pace laps. In an attempt to warm his tires, McLaughlin lost it and his race was over before it began. He looked broken when he was out of the car. There is not much more embarrassing for a race car driver than wrecking a race car when you are going 80 miles per hour. 

J.R. Hildebrand ran a little high exiting turn four and it cost him an Indianapolis 500 victory, but he still finished second and it would have happened to any driver put in that same position. Thirty-two other drivers were able to keep their tires warm and not spin into the wall on the pace laps. 

I think everyone wanted McLaughlin to be a non-factor and finish 13th. I don't think anyone wanted this. McLaughlin is a fantastic driver, and he just had the lowest moment any driver could imagine. 

The good news is this sets ups the redemption arc for next year when he goes from out before the race began to first to the checkered flag in 2026. Write it down now. It is bound to happen. 

30.  This is kind of an Indianapolis 500 issue where there are 26 drivers that will run the entire season and then there are seven drivers who likely will run a combined seven races the entire year. 

One of those one-off drivers is the exception in Kyle Larson, but for Ryan Hunter-Reay, this is his only race. For Takuma Sato, this is his only race. Ed Carpenter is only running Indianapolis this year. Marco Andretti isn't running another race. Jack Harvey will be a pit reporter at all the other races, but he isn't going to be driving. Hélio Castroneves actually ran a Stock Car Brasil race earlier this month and Castroneves might be running more in that series later this year, but for 2/3rds of the one-off drivers, it is literally Indianapolis and that is it. 

None of them are running sports cars part-time or even full-time! We don't get someone who is full-time elsewhere having Indianapolis fall nicely in a break in their schedules that they can run it.  

It is doubtful we are going to see any of those guys in another IndyCar race this year. At least none of them are planning on it. Carpenter isn't running a USAC Silver Crown car on pavement for fun in his spare time. This isn't entirely new, but this isn't like we are seeing a collection of the sharpest drivers arriving at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to run the Indianapolis 500. It is worse now with the hybrid system and how that changes the car. It has been pretty drastic and no one has stepped into this car since the system was introduced and been competitively quick.

I don't know how to change it though. There is no great way to simulate the hybrid and the weight it adds to the car. IndyCar could mandate every driver must run at least two races prior to the Indianapolis 500, but that would definitely kill Larson and any future NASCAR driver attempting The Double. It wouldn't be that beneficial if there are no oval races before the "500." Sure, it would be helpful to get the drivers seat time and a chance to experience it at St. Petersburg, Long Beach or Barber is better than nothing, but it then requires those drivers to fund another $500,000 or more in funding. It would drive some drivers away. Somebody would be there to fill the vacancy, but let's be careful what we wish for. 

It isn't going to be fixed anytime soon. It is just something that crossed my mind today and really over the last two weeks. 

31. Somehow, this race was completed in two hours, 57 minutes and 38 seconds despite there being 45 caution laps. The final 92 laps were essentially all green flag laps. That makes up for the six cautions in the first 106 laps. There were a few sloppy restarts and that is nothing new for IndyCar on ovals. 

There must be a better way because too often it is cars stacking up on top of one another. It was bad two years ago when that race had restart after restart and they couldn't run two consecutive green flag laps. I thought that would have been a wakeup call. It wasn't. Today wasn't a mess, but it was closer than it should have been. 

I have said it before but restarts at this present time, and many race procedures for that matter, are set for chaos. There used to be a time where you couldn't pass before the start/finish line. Every restart is a free-for-all now. Pass whenever you want. Now, it is advantageous to be ninth and you can get a run on the three cars in front of you if they stack up. You can be up three spots before you even get to the start/finish to begin the first lap back under green. 

There is a simple way to clean all this up. Just ban passing before the start/finish line on a restart. No one is allowed out of line. No one can move ahead. You must remain in line until start/finish. It would eliminate any stacking up and cars moving early. Everyone will hate it because they will see it as restrictive, but you cannot have it both ways. What do we want? It is going to remain sloppy if we do nothing. We can still have good racing and keep some order. No one ever complains a race is too well run, ut we all lose it when it looks like amateur-hour.

32. This was an odd race. Between the unexpected rain delay to the main characters of IndyCar not being a factor. If last year's race was a statement race for IndyCar, this was a pretty misleading race for the series as a whole. Takuma Sato and Ryan Hunter-Reay combined to lead 99 laps! Devlin DeFrancesco was tied for the third-most laps led. Team Penske didn't lead. Scott Dixon didn't lead a lap. McLaren led only two laps, laps nine and ten. 

But in a way, it was the perfect statement of what the 2025 season has been. No one is as consistent as Álex Palou. There has been one constant this season. Palou wins and it is always someone else behind him. It was Dixon and then it was O'Ward. Kirkwood won a race, so he got the best of Palou, but then it was Lundgaard finishing behind him. Two weeks ago, it was Graham Rahal of all people giving Palou a run. Today it was Marcus Ericsson out of nowhere. 

Absurdity has been the identity of this 2025 season, but it always ends with Álex Palou on top. Tune in next week in Detroit when Marcus Armstrong and Meyer Shank Racing will end up second to Palou and no other driver ranked in the top five of the championship finishes better than 13th. Palou might lock up the championship before we get to Bastille Day. 

33. 364 days until the 110th Indianapolis 500.

Morning Warm-Up: 109th Indianapolis 500

It has already been an eventful May in Speedway, Indiana. A rookie is on pole position. The defending winner of the last two years starts on the final row. In-between are 30 hopefuls, some looking for that first taste of glory. Others see to find if the first sip was as sweet as they remember. A few people are probably thinking they are fortunate to be there and hope just to see it through lap one. There are our favorites and the few names we anticipate wearing a wreath and kissing a trophy when the 500 miles are complete, but for the underdogs the hope remains strong that when the world expects it least, this will be their day. 

Starting Grid

Row 1:

Robert Shwartzman
This will be Shwartzman’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #83 has never won the Indianapolis 500

Twenty-one times has the pole-sitter won the race, most recently Simon Pagenaud 2019.

Shwartzman became the first rookie to win pole position for the Indianapolis 500 since Teo Fabi in 1983. Shwartzman is the first rookie on the front row since Carlos Muñoz started second in 2013.

Ten rookies have won the Indianapolis 500, most recently Alexander Rossi in 2016. Of the ten rookie winners, only two started in the top ten. Juan Pablo Montoya won from second in 2000, and Jules Goux won from seventh in 1913. 

Shwartzman could become the tenth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 25 years, eight months and nine days old. 

Shwratzman will become the first Israeli driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500.

Israel could be the 16th country to produce an Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.

Shwartzman won the 2019 FIA Formula Three championship. He could become the first driver to win the FIA Formula Three/GP3 Series championship and Indianapolis 500.

This will be Shwartzman’s first career oval start. He has finished 18th in two of the last three races this season, his career-best finish over his first five starts.

Takuma Sato
This will be Sato’s 16th Indianapolis 500 start.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2017, 2020).
Car #75 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Eleven times has the winner started second, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000.

This is Sato's best starting position in his Indianapolis 500 career. He has started inside the top five in two other Indianapolis 500s. He started fourth in 2017 and third in 2020. Sato won both those races. 

Sato had a mechanical issue during Carb Day practice on Friday, which caused him to stop on course.

Sato needs to lead 13 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sato and Josef Newgarden are the only multi-time Indianapolis 500 winners to have led fewer than 100 laps. Sixty-five drivers have led at least 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.

Sato has the 109th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 15.8667. A victory would lower Sato's average finish to 14.9375, putting him 94th all-time. The worst Sato’s average finish can be after this race is 16.9375, dropping him to 146th all-time.

Sato could become the oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 48 years, three months and 27 days old. Sato would become the first driver to win three Indianapolis 500s after turning 40 years old.

Patricio O’Ward
This will be O’Ward sixth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2022, 2024)
Car #5 has won the Indianapolis 500 six times but not since Arie Luyendyk in 1997.
Last year, Josef Newgarden's victory was the 14th time the winner has started third. 

The same starting position has not produced consecutive Indianapolis 500 winners since 2008 and 2009 when the pole-sitter won both years. The last time a position other than pole produced consecutive Indianapolis 500 winner was in 1989 and 1990 when both winners started third. 

Since 2012, the only starting position to produce multiple Indianapolis 500 winners is third (2018, 2020, 2024).

O’Ward could become the 15th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 the year after finishing second in the race. The most recent driver to do it was Dan Wheldon in 2011.

O’Ward could become the fourth past Indy Lights champion to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Josef Newgarden.

O’Ward could become the first Mexican driver to win the Indianapolis 500. Mexico would become the 13th different nation to produce an Indianapolis 500 winner.

O'Ward needs to lead seven laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sixty-five drivers have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.

O’Ward will miss out on cracking the top ten youngest Indianapolis 500 winners by two days if he wins this year’s race. He will be 26 years and 19 days old. Hélio Castroneves is currently tenth after his 2001 victory.

O’Ward has the eighth best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 7.6. A victory would lower O’Ward’s average finish to 6.5, moving him to tied for 5th all-time with Harry Hartz. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 11.8333, which would drop him to 47th all-time. 

Row 2:

Scott Dixon
This will be Dixon’s 23rd Indianapolis 500 start.
2008 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #9 has won the Indianapolis 500 four times with Dixon’s 2008 victory being the most recent.
Seven times has the winner started fourth, most recently Takuma Sato in 2017.

Dixon is the all-time leader in Indianapolis 500 laps led with 677.
Dixon is 33 laps ahead of Al Unser in second.
Dixon is 339 laps ahead of the next closest active driver (Hélio Castroneves, 326 laps led).
Dixon has led in 16 Indianapolis 500s, the most all-time.
Dixon has led the most laps in the Indianapolis 500 a record six times.

This will be Dixon’s 408th IndyCar start, breaking Mario Andretti’s record for most starts in IndyCar history.

Dixon has completed all 500 miles in seven consecutive Indianapolis 500s, tied for the longest streak in the history of the race. Last year, he surpassed 4,000 laps completed in an Indianapolis 500 career, the fourth driver to reach the milestone.

Dixon is currently in an eight-way tie for most runner-up finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Harry Hartz, Wilbur Shaw, Bill Holland, Jim Rathmann, Tom Sneva, Al Unser, Hélio Castroneves and Dixon have all finished runner-up three times in this race. 

A top five finish would be Dixon’ tenth in the Indianapolis 500 and he would join Al Unser and A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to reach that milestone. 

Dixon has the 30th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 10.5454. A victory would lower his average finish to 10.1304 and put him 24th all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 11.5217, which would drop him to 38th all-time.

Dixon could become the sixth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 44 years, ten months and three days old.

Felix Rosenqvist
This will be Rosenqvist’s seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 4th (2022)
Car #60 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Eight time has the winner started fifth, most recently Marcus Ericsson in 2022.

Rosenqvist could become the third Swedish driver to win the Indianapolis 500.

Rosenqvist could become the second driver with victories in the Macau Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 joining Takuma Sato. 

Rosenqvist won the 2015 FIA Formula Three championship driving for Prema. He could become the first driver to win the FIA Formula Three/GP3 Series championship and Indianapolis 500.

Rosenqvist needs to lead 39 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sixty-five drivers have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.

Rosenqvist has finished 27th in three of the last four Indianapolis 500s. He is tied with Wilbur Shaw and Russ Snowberger for most 27th-place finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. He has completed all 500 miles only twice in six starts.

Rosenqvist has the 223rd best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 20.8333. A victory would lower his average finish to 18.0, moving him up to tied for 170th all-time with Jerry Karl and Rex Mays. The worst Rosenqvist's average finish can be after this race is 22.5714, which would drop him to 248th all-time. 

It has been four years, ten months and 14 days since Rosenqvist’s only IndyCar victory (July 12, 2020 at Road America). It has been 80 starts since that victory.

Álex Palou
This will be Palou’s sixth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2021)
Car #10 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Dario Franchitti 2010.
Five times has the winner started sixth, most recently Dan Wheldon in 2011.

With four victories and a second-place finish in the first five races of the season, Palou’s average finish of 1.2 is the best through five races since A.J. Foyt won the first five races of the 1964 season.

Palou could become the first defending IndyCar champion to win the Indianapolis 500 since Dario Franchitti in 2012.

Palou has led 119 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career, 57th all-time. If he leads 20 laps, he will enter the top 50 in laps led in an Indianapolis 500 career. He has led a lap in four consecutive Indianapolis 500s.

Palou could become the first Spaniard to win the Indianapolis 500. Spain would become the 13th different nation to produce an Indianapolis 500 winner.

Palou is tied for the 17th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 9.6. A victory would lower Palou’s average finish to 8.1667, moving him to ninth all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 13.5, which would drop him to tied for 70th all-time.

Row 3:

David Malukas
This will be Malukas’ third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 16th (2022)
Car #4 has won the Indianapolis 500 five times, most recently with Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993.
Five times has the winner started seventh, most recently A.J. Foyt in 1961.

Malukas could become the first Indianapolis 500 veteran to win the race a year after not participating since Al Unser won in 1970.

Malukas could become the first Illinois-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Floyd Davis was a co-winner with Mauri Rose in 1941.

Malukas could become the fourth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 23 years, seven months and 28 days old. Malukas could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Malukas is still looking for his first career victory, and this will be his 50th career start. Twenty-eight drivers in IndyCar history have taken 50 starts or more for a first career victory.

Christian Lundgaard
This will be Lundgaard’s fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 13th (2024)
Car #7 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice but not since Bill Holland in 1949. 

Three times has the Indianapolis 500 winner started eighth, most recently Hélio Castroneves 2021.

This is Lundgaard's best starting position in the Indianapolis 500. His previous best was 28th last year.

Lundgaard’s finishing position has improved over each of his first three Indianapolis 500 starts.

Lundgaard has three podium finishes this season, his most in a single season. He is one top five finish away from matching his single season best of four.

Lundgaard could become the fourth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 23 years, ten months and two days old. Lundgaard could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century. 

It has been 29 starts since Lundgaard's only IndyCar victory at Toronto in 2023.

Marcus Ericsson
This will be Ericsson’s seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
2022 Indianapolis 500 winner
Car #28 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2014.
Only once has the winner started ninth and that was Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993.

Ericsson was 33rd in last year’s Indianapolis 500. The only occurrence of a driver finishing last in the Indianapolis 500 and returning to win the following year is Mario Andretti in 1969 after finishing 33rd in 1968.

Last year, Ericsson became the 14th driver to have won the Indianapolis 500 and finished last in the Indianapolis 500. The others are Howdy Wilcox, Louis Schneider, Bill Cummings, Sam Hanks, Jimmy Bryan, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Tom Sneva, Buddy Lazier, Danny Sullivan, Kenny Bräck, Takuma Sato and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Ericsson is tied for the 146th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 17.0. A victory would lower his average finish to 14.7142, moving him up to tied for 91st all-time. The worst Ericsson’s average finish can be after this race is 19.2857, which would drop him to tied for 194th all-time with Dominic Dobson.

It has been 39 starts since Ericsson's most recent victory at St. Petersburg in 2023.

Row 4:

Scott McLaughlin
This will be McLaughlin’s fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 6th (2024)
Car #3 has won the Indianapolis 500 eleven times, the most victories for a car number. The last victory was in 2009 with Hélio Castroneves.
Twice has the winner started tenth, most recently Gil de Ferran in 2003.

After an accident during practice ahead of the Fast 12 session last Sunday, McLaughlin has switched to a backup car.

McLaughlin led a race-high 66 laps in last year’s Indianapolis 500. McLaughlin needs to lead 34 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sixty-five drivers have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.

McLaughlin has completed all 500 miles in three of his four Indianapolis 500 starts.

McLaughlin could become the first driver to win the Bathurst 1000 and the Indianapolis 500.

McLaughlin could become the second New Zealander to win the Indianapolis 500, but the first New Zealand-born driver to win the race. New Zealand could become the sixth nation to produce multiple Indianapolis 500 winners.

Conor Daly 
This will be Daly’s 12th Indianapolis 500 and hopefully his 11th start.  
Best Finish: 6th (2022)  
Car #76 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Three times has the winner started 11th, most recently Alexander Rossi in 2016.

This will be the first Indianapolis 500 to feature car #76 since Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. used the number in 1993. It is only the eighth time car #76 has been used in the Indianapolis 500.

Daly could become the first Hoosier-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Wilbur Shaw in 1940. 

Daly has finished in the top ten in three consecutive Indianapolis 500s, and he has led a lap in three of the last four Indianapolis 500s.

Daly has the 192nd best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 19.1818. A victory would lower his average finish to 17.667, moving him up to 166th all-time. The worst Daly’s average finish can be after this race is 20.333, dropping him to tied for 216th all-time with Henry Banks. 

Daly is still looking for his first IndyCar victory and this will be his 120th career start. Only two drivers took more starts before their first career victory (Michel Jourdain, Jr. - 129, George Snider - 126).

Alexander Rossi 
This will be Rossi’s tenth Indianapolis 500 start. 
2016 Indianapolis 500 winner. 
Car #20 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times but not since Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989. 
Twice has the winner started 12th, most recently Tony Kanaan in 2013.

Rossi needs to lead seven laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sixty-five drivers have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500. 

Rossi could become the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 for Chevrolet and Honda in the DW12-era. He would become the 13th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 with multiple engine manufacturers. 

Rossi has six top five finishes and seven top ten finishes in nine Indianapolis 500 starts. This includes three consecutive top five finishes in the Indianapolis 500.

Rossi has the 44th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 11.7. A victory would lower his average finish to 10.7272 and put him 32nd all-time. The worst Rossi’s average finish can be after this race is 13.6363, which would drop him to 73rd all-time. 

Rossi has made 42 starts since his most recent victory, the July 2022 IMS road course race.

Row 5:

Kyffin Simpson
This will be Simpson’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 21st (2024)
Car #8 has won the Indianapolis 500, most recently with Marcus Ericsson in 2022. 

Four times has the winner started 13th, most recently Hélio Castroneves in 2002.

Simpson scored his first career top ten finish in IndyCar competition last month when he was tenth at Long Beach.

Last year, Simpson led three laps during a pit cycle before finishing 21st with all 200 laps completed.

Simpson had an accident during Friday practice prior to qualifying and switched to a backup car.

Simpson could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 20 years, seven months and 16 days old. This is the second of at least three chances Simpson will have at becoming the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner. He would be the youngest non-American winner. Simpson could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Ed Carpenter 
This will be Carpenter’s 22nd Indianapolis 500 start.  
Best Finish: 2nd (2018) 
Car #33 has never won the Indianapolis 500. 
Only once has the winner started 14th and that was Bob Sweikert in 1955.

Carpenter will tie George Snider for most Indianapolis 500 starts without a victory if Carpenter does not win this weekend.

Carpenter could become the first Illinois-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Floyd Davis was a co-winner with Mauri Rose in 1941. 

Carpenter needs to lead one lap to become the 41st driver to lead at least 150 laps in an Indianapolis 500 career. 

Carpenter has the 114th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 15.9523. A victory would lower his average finish to 15.2727, moving him up to 102nd all-time. The worst Carpenter’s average finish can be after this race is 16.7272, dropping him into a tie for 133rd all-time with Scott Goodyear. 

Carpenter could become the eighth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 44 years, two months and 23 days old. 

It has been ten years, 11 months and 19 days since Carpenter’s most recent IndyCar victory (June 6, 2014 at Texas Motor Speedway).

Santino Ferrucci 
This will be Ferrucci’s seventh Indianapolis 500 start.  
Best Finish: 3rd (2024) 
Car #14 has won the Indianapolis 500 six times, most recently with Kenny Bräck in 1999. 

Four times has the winner started 15th, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015.

Last year, Ferrucci became the first driver in Indianapolis 500 history to record six top ten finishes in his first six Indianapolis 500 starts. The previous record was five top ten finishes in the first five Indianapolis 500 starts for each Harry Hartz and Hélio Castroneves. Hartz and Castroneves each finished 25th in their sixth Indianapolis 500 starts. 

Ferrucci has led a lap in five of his six Indianapolis 500 starts, but he has led two laps or fewer in four of those races.

Ferrucci could become the first Connecticut-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and he would be just the second Nutmugger to win an IndyCar race, joining Scott Sharp. 

Ferrucci has the fourth best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 6.333. A victory would lower Ferrucci’s average finish to 5.5714. The worst Ferrucci’s average finish can be after this race is 10.1428, dropping him to tied for 24th all-time. 

Ferrucci is still looking for his first career victory, and this will be his 83rd career start. It would be the eighth-most starts before a first career victory in IndyCar history.

Row 6:

Devlin DeFrancesco
This will be DeFrancesco’s third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 13th (2023)
Car #30 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, Arie Luyendyk 1990 and Takuma Sato 2020.
Twice has the winner started 16th, most recently Dario Franchitti in 2012.

DeFrancesco could become the second Canadian to win the Indianapolis 500 after Jacques Villeneuve.

DeFrancesco has completed all 500 miles in each of his first two Indianapolis 500 starts, and he has finished better than his starting position in each of his first two starts.

DeFrancesco has made 39 starts in his IndyCar career, and he has yet to finish in the top ten of a race. He is currently ranked third all-time in starts without a top ten finish. Only one driver took more than 39 starts to get their first career top ten finish. That was Marco Greco, who scored his first top ten finish in his 42nd career start. DeFrancesco has finished outside the top fifteen in his last 13 starts.

Sting Ray Robb 
This will be Robb’s third Indianapolis 500 start. 
Best Finish: 16th (2024) 
Car #77 has never won the Indianapolis 500. 

Three times has the winner started 17th, most recently Josef Newgarden in 2023.

This matches the best starting position for Robb in his IndyCar career after he started 17th two weeks ago in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Dating back to last season, this will be in the third time in eight races Robb has started inside the top twenty. He had zero top twenty starts in his first 31 IndyCar races.
 
Robb led 23 laps in last year’s Indianapolis 500, the third-most behind Scott McLaughlin (66) and Josef Newgarden (26).

In 12 career oval starts, his only top ten finish was ninth at Gateway last year.

Robb could become the first Idahoan to win the Indianapolis 500. 

Robb could become the fourth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 23 years, eight months and 23 days old. Robb could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century. 

Christian Rasmussen 
This will be Rasmussen’s second Indianapolis 500 start. 
Best Finish: 12th (2024)
Car #21 has never won the Indianapolis 500. 
The best finish for the 18th-starter is second, which occurred in 1920 by René Thomas and in 2009 and 2010 by Dan Wheldon.

Rasmussen was the best finishing rookie in last year’s race finishing 12th. In four oval starts last year, Rasmussen finished in the top fifteen in three of them.

Rasmussen could become the fourth past Indy Lights champion to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Josef Newgarden

Rasmussen could become the ninth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years, ten months and 26 days old. Rasmussen could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Row 7:

Kyle Larson
This will be Larson’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 18th (2024)
Car #17 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, 1916 with Dario Resta.
Twice has the winner started 19th, most recently Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014.

Larson could become the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship and Indianapolis 500.
Larson could become the first driver to win the Knoxville Nationals and Indianapolis 500.
Larson won the Brickyard 400 last year, and he could become the first driver to win the Brickyard 400 and the Indianapolis 500.

Last year, Larson became the third Arrow McLaren driver to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, joining Robert Wickens, who won it in 2018 when the team was Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, and Patricio O’Ward, who won it in 2020.

The most recent driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in their sophomore year was Hélio Castroneves in 2002. The most recent driver to win the Indianapolis 500 as a sophomore after not winning as a rookie was Jacques Villeneuve in 1995.

Louis Foster
This will be Foster’s first Indianapolis 500 start.  
Car #45 has never won the Indianapolis 500. 

Three times has the winner started 20th, most recently Al Unser in 1987.

Foster could become the fourth past Indy Lights champion to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Josef Newgarden. 

Three British drivers have previously been Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year: Jim Clark in 1963, Jackie Stewart in 1966 and Nigel Mansell in 1993.

Only once has the reigning Indy Lights champion won Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year: Gabby Chaves in 2015.

Foster could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 21 years, nine months and 28 days old. This will be Foster’s only chance to become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner. He would be the youngest non-American winner. Foster could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century. 

Callum Ilott 
This will be Ilott’s fourth Indianapolis 500 start. 
Best Finish: 11th (2024) 
Car #90 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Only once has the winner started 21st and that was L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer in 1924.

Ilott has improved his finishing position in each of his first three Indianapolis 500 starts. He has also led a lap in each of the last two Indianapolis 500s.

Ilott has finished outside the top twenty in his last four starts, his longest stretch of results 20th or worse in his IndyCar career. 

In 11 career starts on ovals, his only top ten finish was ninth at Texas in 2023.

This will be the first Indianapolis 500 to feature car #90 since Townsend Bell used the number in 2006.

Row 8:

Hélio Castroneves
This will be Castroneves’ 25th Indianapolis 500 start.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021).
Castroneves’ victory in 2022 was the first Indianapolis 500 victory for car #06.
Twice has the winner started 22nd but not since Kelly Petillo in 1935.

Castroneves could become the first five-time Indianapolis 500 winner.

Castroneves will become the fourth driver with at least 25 Indianapolis 500 starts, trailing only A.J. Foyt (35), Mario Andretti (29) and Al Unser (27)

A top five finish would be Castroneves’ tenth in the Indianapolis 500 and he would join Al Unser and A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to reach that milestone.

A top ten finish would be Castroneves’ 17th in the Indianapolis 500 and he would tie A.J. Foyt for the most top ten finishes in the Indianapolis 500.

Castroneves has the 12th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 9.0833. A victory would lower his average finish to 8.76, which would move him to ninth all-time. The worst Castroneves’ average finish can be is 10.04, dropping him to 24th all-time.

Castroneves could become the oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 50 years and 15 days old. Castroneves would join Emerson Fittipaldi and Takuma Sato as the only drivers to win multiple Indianapolis 500s after turning 40 years old.

Castroneves could become the third-oldest winner in IndyCar history behind only Mario Andretti (53 years, one month and seven days old) and Louis Unser (57 years, five months and 22 days old).

This is the first Indianapolis 500 with a driver over the age of 50 since 2000, which featured Lyn St. James.

Kyle Kirkwood 
This will be Kirkwood’s fourth Indianapolis 500 start. 
Best Finish: 7th (2024) 
Car #27 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times, most recently with Dario Franchitti in 2007. 
The best finish for the 23rd-starter is second by Wilbur Shaw in 1933.

Last season, Kirkwood had four top ten finishes on ovals after having only one top ten finish on an oval over this first two seasons. 

Kirkwood could become the fourth Indy Lights championship to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Josef Newgarden. 

Kirkwood could become the first Florida-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500. He was the first Florida-born driver to win any IndyCar race when he won at Long Beach in 2023.

Kirkwood is attempting to become the third driver to win the Grand Prix of Long Beach and Indianapolis 500 in the same season (Al Unser, Jr. 1994, Hélio Castroneves 2001). 

Nolan Siegel
This will be Siegel’s first Indianapolis 500 start.  
Car #6 has won the Indianapolis 500 five times, most recently with Sam Hornish, Jr. in 2006. 

The best finish for the 24th-starter is fourth on five occasions (Denny Hulme in 1967, Mel Kenyon in 1969, Sammy Sessions in 1972, Eliseo Salazar in 1995 and Townsend Bell in 2009).

This was Siegel’s second Indianapolis 500 attempt after he failed to qualify for last year’s race.

This is the third time in the last six Indianapolis 500s there is a rookie starter who previously missed the race. The other two are Patricio O’Ward, who failed to qualify in 2019 and made his debut in 2020, and R.C. Enerson, who failed to qualify in 2021 and made his debut in 2023.

Siegel won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. 

Siegel could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 20 years, six months and 17 days old. This is the first of at least two chances Siegel will have at becoming the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner. Siegel could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century. 

Row 9:

Ryan Hunter-Reay
This will be Hunter-Reay's 17th Indianapolis 500 start.
2014 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #23 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, 1931 with Louis Schneider and 1938 with Floyd Roberts. Those are the only race victories for car #23 in IndyCar history.
Only once has the winner started 25th and that was Johnny Rutherford in 1974.

Hunter-Reay suffered a fire on pit lane during Carb Day practice, and his team has changed to a backup car, which only ran installation laps on Saturday morning.

Hunter-Reay could become the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 for Chevrolet and Honda in the DW12-era. He would become the 13th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 with multiple engine manufacturers.

Hunter-Reay needs to lead 29 laps to become the 31st driver to lead at least 200 laps in an Indianapolis 500 career.

Hunter-Reay has the 120th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 16.125. A victory would lower his average finish to 15.235, moving him up to 102nd all-time. The worst Hunter-Reay's average finish can be after this race is 17.1176, which would drop him to 154th all-time.

Hunter-Reay could become the sixth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 44 years, five months and eight days old.

It has been six years, eight months and ten days since Hunter-Reay’s most recent IndyCar victory (September 16, 2018 at Sonoma Raceway).

Jack Harvey
This will be Harvey’s eighth Indianapolis 500.  
Best Finish: 9th (2020)  
Car #24 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Graham Hill 1966. 
The best finish for the 26th-starter is third by Don Freeland in 1956, Paul Goldsmith in 1960 and Simon Pagenaud in 2021.

This will be Harvey’s first IndyCar start in a Chevrolet-powered car.

Harvey has not had a top ten finish in his last 31 IndyCar starts.

Harvey has the 203rd best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 19.5714. A victory would lower his average finish to 17.25, moving him up to 157th all-time. The worst Harvey's average finish can be after this race is 21.25, which would drop him to 230th all-time. 

Harvey is still looking for his first IndyCar victory, and this will be his 94th start. Only four drivers made more starts before their first career victory.

Colton Herta 
This will be Herta’s seventh Indianapolis 500 start.  
Best Finish: 8th (2020) 
Car #26 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, Dan Wheldon in 2005 and Takuma Sato 2017. 
Only once has the winner started 27th and that was by Fred Frame in 1932.

Herta is using his backup car after he had an accident on his first qualifying run during Saturday qualifying.

Herta could be the second driver to win the Freedom 100 and Indianapolis 500. 

A top five finish for Colton would make him and Bryan Herta the tenth father/son duo to each have a top five finish in the Indianapolis 500. 

Herta has failed to finish three of his first six Indianapolis 500 starts.

Herta is tied for the 207th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 19.833 with Mel Hansen. A victory would lower his average finish to 17.1428, moving him up to 154th all-time. The worst Herta's average finish can be after this race is 21.7142, which would drop him to 239th all-time.

Herta could become the ninth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 25 years, one month and 25 days old. Herta could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Row 10:

Graham Rahal
This will be Rahal’s 18th Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2011, 2020).
Car #15 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times, most recently with Buddy Rice in 2004.
Twice has the winner started 28th, inaugural winner Ray Harroun in 1911 and Louis Meyer in 1936.

It has been 129 starts since Rahal’s most recent IndyCar victory (Belle Isle II in 2017). Rahal currently holds the record for most starts between victories. He made 124 starts between his victories at St. Petersburg in 2008 and Fontana in 2015.

Rahal suffered an engine failure during Carb Day practice on Friday.

Rahal has led 28 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career. His father Bobby led 126 laps in his 13 Indianapolis 500 starts. 

Rahal could tie Salt Walther and George Snider for most 33rd-place finishes in the Indianapolis 500 at three.

Rahal has the 169th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 17.8823. A victory would lower Rahal’s average finish to 16.944, and put him 146th all-time. The worst Rahal’s average finish can be after this race is 18.722, dropping him into 183rd all-time. 

Marco Andretti 
This will be Andretti’s 20th Indianapolis 500 start.  
Best Finish: 2nd (2006). 
Car #98 has won the Indianapolis 500 four times, most recently Alexander Rossi 2016. 
The best finish for the 29th-starter is second in 1911 by Ralph Mulford and in 2002 by Paul Tracy.

Andretti will become the 13th driver to start at least 20 Indianapolis 500s.

Andretti could become the first Pennsylvania-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Bill Holland in 1949. A victory for Andretti would make him and his grandfather Mario the first grandfather-grandson duo to win the Indianapolis 500. 

Andretti needs to lead six laps to become the 41st driver to lead at least 150 laps in an Indianapolis 500 career. He has only led in one of his last ten Indianapolis 500 starts after leading in eight of his first ten Indianapolis 500 starts. 

After leading 141 laps in his first nine Indianapolis 500 starts, Andretti has led only three laps in his last ten Indianapolis 500 starts, all coming in 2022.

Andretti has the 77th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 13.8421. A victory would lower his average finish to 13.2, which would move him into a tie for 64th all-time with Billy Arnold. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 14.8, dropping him to 91st all-time. 

It has been 13 years, 11 months and one day since Andretti’s most recent IndyCar victory (June 25, 2011 at Iowa Speedway).

Marcus Armstrong 
This will be Armstrong’s second Indianapolis 500 start. 
Best Finish: 30th (2024)
Car #66 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Mark Donohue 1972. 

The best finish for the 30th-starter was fourth in 1936 by Mauri Rose.

Armstrong had an accident in practice on the morning of the first qualifying day last Saturday. His team switched to a backup car.

 
Armstrong could become the second New Zealander to win the Indianapolis 500, but the first New Zealand-born driver to win the race. New Zealand could become the sixth nation to produce multiple Indianapolis 500 winners. 

Armstrong could become the second driver alphabetically by last name among Indianapolis 500 winners behind only Mario Andretti. 

Armstrong could become the ninth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years, nine months and 26 days old. He would become the youngest non-American winner. Armstrong could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century. 

Last year, Armstrong lost an engine after completing only six laps in the Indianapolis 500, and all six of those laps were run under caution.

Row 11:

Rinus VeeKay 
This will be VeeKay’s sixth Indianapolis 500 start.  
Best Finish: 8th (2021) 
Car #18 has never won the Indianapolis 500. 

The best finish for the 31st-starter is fourth in 1951 by Andy Linden.

VeeKay could become the second Dutchman to win the Indianapolis 500 after Arie Luyendyk. 

VeeKay has led a lap in four consecutive Indianapolis 500s.

VeeKay is tied for the 114th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 16. A victory would lower VeeKay’s average finish to 13.5, moving him to tied for 70th all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 18.8333, which would drop him to 187th all-time. 

VeeKay could become the ninth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years, eight months and 14 days old. VeeKay could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century. 

It has been four years and ten days since VeeKay’s only career IndyCar victory, the 2021 Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He has made 66 starts since his only victory.

Of the 33-grid positions, 31st has produced the fewest top five finishers. Andy Linden's fourth in 1951 is the only time the 31st-starter has finished in the top five. It has produced 14 top ten finishes, most recently in 2021 with Sage Karam finishing seventh. Karam also went from 31st to ninth as a rookie in 2014.

Josef Newgarden 
This will be Newgarden’s 14th Indianapolis 500 start.  
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2023-24). 
Newgarden’s victory last year was the 11th time car #2 has won the Indianapolis 500. 

The best finish for the 32nd-starter is second in 1957 by Jim Rathmann and 1981 by Mario Andretti.

Newgarden is attempting to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s. With 31 career victories, he is tied for tenth all-time in IndyCar history, and he is one of 13 drivers with at least 30 victories in a career. Nine drivers have won at least three Indianapolis 500s.

In 94 races with at least 32 starters, the 32nd starting position has produced five top five finishes, most recently fourth with Alexander Rossi in 2018. Seventeen times has the 32nd-starter finished in the top ten. The average finish for the 32nd-starter is 19.468.

Newgarden has completed all 500 miles in seven consecutive Indianapolis 500s, tied for the longest streak in the history of the race.

Newgarden is the only driver to win the Freedom 100 and Indianapolis 500 in a career. 

Newgarden is the third past Indy Lights champion to win the Indianapolis 500 along with Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan.  

Newgarden needs to lead 31 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Newgarden and Takuma Sato are the only multi-time Indianapolis 500 winners to have led fewer than 100 laps. Sixty-five drivers have led at least 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500. 

Newgarden has the 53rd best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 12.1538. A third consecutive victory would lower Newgarden’s average finish to 11.357, moving him to 34th all-time. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 13.6428, which would drop him to 73rd all-time.

Will Power 
This will be Power’s 17th Indianapolis 500 start.  
2018 Indianapolis 500 winner. 
Car #12 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, most recently with Power in 2019. The other was Peter DePaolo in 1925 driving the #12 Miller. 
The best finish for the 33rd-starter is second in 1980 by Tom Sneva and 1992 by Scott Goodyear.

In 94 races with at least 33 starters, the 33rd starting position has produced five top five finishes, but not since Goodyear was second in 1992, and it has produced 13 top ten finishes, most recently when Felipe Giaffone was tenth in 2001. 

The average finish for the 33rd-starter is 20.2765.

This is the second time Power has started on the last row in his Indianapolis 500 career. He started 32nd in 2021 and he finished 14th.

Power has finished outside the top ten in five consecutive Indianapolis 500s.

Power is currently tied with Johnny Rutherford for the fifth most 500-mile race victories in IndyCar history with five. 

Power needs to lead five laps to become the 41st driver to lead at least 150 laps in an Indianapolis 500 career. Since winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2018, Power has led ten laps over the last six Indianapolis 500s. He has failed to finish on the lead lap in three of the last four years.

Power has the 80th best average finish among the 262 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 14.235. A victory would lower his average finish to 13.5 and put him tied for 70th all-time with Gil Andersen. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 15.2778, which would drop him to 102th all-time. 

Power could become the sixth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 44 years, two months and 24 days old.

Fox's coverage of the 109th Indianapolis 500 begins at 10:00 a.m. ET with the green flag scheduled for 12:45 p.m. The race is scheduled for 200 laps.