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 times 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.

Track Walk: 109th Indianapolis 500

The sixth round of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season is the 109th Indianapolis 500. It has already been a hectic month of May. Two other races have been held. A full qualifying weekend took place that ended with a rookie on pole position for the first time since 1983. There has been also been controversy and two favorites have been booted to the back of the grid while a number of successful crew members have been fired prior to the biggest race of the season. Eight past winners are entered. Two have a chance to make history of their own. The other six looks to add to their legacies while 25 other drivers look to take the 76th spot in an exclusive club. 

Coverage

Time: Fox's pre-race coverage begins at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday May 25.
TV Channel: Fox

Announcers: Will Buxton, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe will be in the booth. Kevin Lee, Georgia Henneberry and Jamie Little will work pit lane. Chris Myers, Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick will participate in pre-race and post-race coverage.

Indianapolis 500 Weekend Schedule
Carb Day:
Practice - 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET (2 hours). 

Pit Stop Competition - 2:30 p.m. ET
Sunday:
Race - 12:45 p.m. ET (200 laps).

* - FS1 will have coverage of all Carb Day festivities

Shwartzman's Sensational Speedway Start

Qualifying weekend could not have begun with a bigger shocker than rookie Robert Shwartzman and Prema winning pole position for the 109th Indianapolis 500. Shwartzman ran a four-lap average of 232.790 mph in the Fast Six session on Sunday evening, the fastest run of the session, and it claimed the first Indianapolis 500 pole position for a rookie since 1983. Prema became the first team to win the pole position on debut since 1984 when Mayer Motor Racing won it with Tom Sneva.

It was a stunner considering for Prema's first Indianapolis 500 attempt, it was late to the opening practice day last Tuesday. Shwartzman only completed six laps on the first practice day. He wasn't the slowest, but he was 33rd out of 34 cars, only ahead of his teammate Callum Ilott. With plenty of concerns over Prema's competitiveness entering this month, practice was not off the best start, but each day got a little better.

On Wednesday, Shwartzman was 28th fastest. On Thursday, he was 32nd overall, but on the no-tow report he was 14th, and he was sixth on the no-tow report on Wednesday. For Fast Friday, Shwartzman ran 13th on both charts, and seemed to squelch any worries over whether he and Prema could qualify for the race. Few could have seen what came next. 

Boosted with a fabulous qualifying draw of fourth on track, Shwartzman's first run put him comfortably into the Fast 12 session for Sunday, and his car never returned to the track after that first run. He ended third-fastest in the Fast 12 session to secure his spot in the run for pole on Sunday. The rest is history. 

Prior to this weekend, Shwartzman had not started better than 18th in a race. Prema had never started better than 16th. The team has yet to have a finish better than 18th in its first five races. Shwartzman entered this weekend ranked 24th in the championship out of 27 cars. His teammate Ilott was ranked 26th. 

A team that has been at the back of the grid is now going to be leading the field to the green flag for the Indianapolis 500, and with a driver who has never run an oval race before. 

When it comes to the previous four rookie pole-sitters in Indianapolis 500 history, two never made a qualifying run. Lewis Strang was pole-sitter for the inaugural race in 1911. The grid was set via the order the entires were received in the mail. In 1914, the grid was set via a draw. Frenchman Jean Chassagne drew the first spot for his first Indianapolis start. Neither led a lap. Strang completed only 109 laps and was classified in 29th out of 40 starters. Chassagne suffered a tire failure 21 laps into the 1914 race and ended up 29th as well out of 30 cars. 

The first rookie to win pole position via a qualifying run was Walt Faulkner driving for J.C. Agajanian in 1950. Faulkner ran a four-lap average at 134.343 mph. Like Strang and Chassagne, Faulkner never led a lap, but he continued and was still running when the race was called for rain. He was seventh, but three laps off the winner Johnnie Parsons. 

Prior to Shwartzman, the most recent rookie to start on pole position was Teo Fabi in 1983. Driving for Forsythe Racing, Fabi won pole position with a qualifying run of 207.395 mph. Not only did Fabi lead the first lap, he led the first 23 laps, but a bad pit stop and a fuel gasket issue took him out of the running after only 47 laps, and Fabi was placed in 26th. Despite not even completing a quarter of the race, Fabi was awarded Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. 

There have been ten rookie winners of the Indianapolis 500, but six of those came in the first 16 years of the race. There have only been three rookie winners in the last 58 years. Juan Pablo Montoya won it in 2000, but Montoya was the 1999 CART champion, and he had already raced on the two-mile ovals of Michigan International Speedway and California Speedway. He was more than prepared for his first Indianapolis 500 start in 2000. The Colombian started on second, but led 167 of 200 laps. He lapped up to seventh-place and won by over seven seconds to Buddy Lazier. 

Another rookie winner came the following year, but Hélio Castroneves had already competed in three CART seasons. He had made six starts in 500-mile races. Castroneves may have started 11th in that Indianapolis 500, but he worked his way forward and benefitted through some pit cycles to take the lead. Castroneves ended up leading a Team Penske 1-2 finish. 

Our most recent rookie winner was in 2016 with Alexander Rossi. Rossi was new to oval racing as it was his first year in IndyCar. His only oval start prior to Indianapolis was at Phoenix that April. Rossi had one top ten finish in his first five starts leading into his first "500" start. Andretti Autosport had five strong cars that year. Three made the top nine grid spots. The other two started 11th and 14th. Rossi had been running well until pit issues forced him back in the order. It left the team with no other choice but to gamble on fuel, and using the lapped teammates of Ryan Hunter-Reay and Townsend Bell to tow Rossi around, he ended up stretching his fuel enough to where he could coast to the checkered flag. 

The odds are stacked against Shwartzman entering this race. He is facing the unknown as is his team, but together they have already made one bit of history. Together, they have a chance to complete an improbable debut.

Team Penske's New Controversy

While there was much joy for the very front of the grid, IndyCar enters another Indianapolis 500 embroiled with controversy stemming from the series' most successful team. 

Team Penske was found to have had made illegal modifications to the attenuator at the back of the cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power ahead of the Fast 12 session last Sunday. When the alteration was found on the cars, Newgarden and Power were pulled from the qualifying line and disallowed from making a run for pole position. Newgarden and Power were placed 11th and 12th on the grid. 

After a night of deliberation, it was determined that Newgarden and Power would be moved to the back of the grid for the race. In addition to the lost grid spots, Newgarden and Power lost the points earned for making the Fast 12 session. Strategists Tim Cindric and Ron Ruzewski were suspended for the Indianapolis 500 and each entry was fined $100,000. Cindric and Ruzewski were both suspended from last year's Indianapolis 500 as well after it was found Team Penske had violated push-to-pass regulations at the opening round at St. Petersburg. 

On Wednesday, Team Penske fired Cindric, Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer. Moyer also served as race strategist for Scott McLaughlin.

Scott McLaughlin's car was also checked after his practice accident on Sunday, and his attenautor was not modified in any capacity. Since McLaughlin's car was within the regulations, he will retain his tenth-place starting spot.

Instead of starting 11th and 12th, Newgarden and Power will start 32nd and 33rd respectively. For each driver, it is their worst starting positions in the Indianapolis 500. It is also uncharted territory when it comes for Indianapolis 500 winners. No winner has ever started worse than 28th. No winner in the history of IndyCar has ever started worse than 28th and won a race. 

This has not been the worst season for Team Penske, but it hasn't been the best either. Entering the Indianapolis 500, Team Penske has gone winless through the first five races of 2025. Each of the team's three drivers has a podium finish, but none of the drivers have finished better than third this season. Newgarden has finished tenth or worse in the last four races, and he enters Indianapolis ranked 11th in the championship, behind Dale Coyne Racing's Rinus VeeKay in tenth.

Newgarden already has history against him as he is attempting to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s. He is the sixth driver with a shot at three consecutive "500" victories. The first three drivers to go for it did not finish the race. Wilbur Shaw had an accident in 1941. Mauri Rose had a mechanical failure in 1949. Bill Vukovich lost his life in a fatal accident while leading in 1955. The last two drivers to have a shot at three straight finished second in that third race. Al Unser was second to Mark Donohue in 1972. Hélio Castroneves was second to Gil de Ferran in 2003.

McLaughlin has rounded into form after a last-place finish at Thermal Club with three consecutive top ten results. Power has finished sixth or better in the last four races after failing to complete a lap at the St. Petersburg season opener. In last year's "500," McLaughlin led 66 laps from pole position before dropping to sixth. Last season, McLaughlin picked up his first two oval victories, winning at Iowa and Milwaukee. The New Zealander has ten consecutive top ten finishes in IndyCar oval races dating back to the 2023 season.

Team Penske has its sights set on a 21st Indianapolis 500 victory. It would be the team's third consecutive as well. Six of Penske's Indianapolis 500 victories have been from outside the top ten on the grid. The worst starting position for a Penske winner was 20th with Al Unser in 1987. 

Palou's Run at History

Álex Palou has dominated the 2025 season. Four victories in five races and his worst finish is second. That gives Palou an average finish of 1.2, the best for a driver through five races since A.J. Foyt opened the 1964 season with seven consecutive victories. One of those victories for Foyt was the Indianapolis 500. 

A third consecutive championship and fourth in five seasons appears inevitable for Palou at this point. After Indianapolis 500 qualifying, where each of the Fast 12 participants received points based on their qualifying position, Palou maintained his 97-point lead over second. The Catalan earned seven points while his nearest championship rival Patricio O'Ward picked up ten points for qualifying third and he jumped up to second in the championship. 

Palou has 255 points with O'Ward on 158 points. Christian Lundgaard remains third in the championship on 155 points while Kyle Kirkwood dropped to fourth after he was unable to make the Fast 12. Kirkwood sits on 151 points. Scott Dixon rounds out the top five on 143 points. Palou is guaranteed to leave Indianapolis, and he will be guaranteed to be the points leader through Detroit if he finishes 20th or better on Sunday. 

For all the history in front of Palou, the biggest mountain to conquer remains the Indianapolis 500. He is one of seven drivers with multiple IndyCar championships that has zero Indianapolis 500 victories. He already has 15 career victories, tied for 30th all-time with Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya and Simon Pagenaud. Palou and Zanardi are tied for the sixth-most victories in IndyCar history without an Indianapolis 500 victory. 

Five drivers have won at least 15 races in their career before they won their first Indianapolis 500. Will Power had 33 victories in his career before he won his first "500" in 2018. Mario Andretti had won 22 times before his "500" victory in 1969. Jimmy Bryan was a 18-time winner in his IndyCar career before he won at Indianapolis in 1958. Al Unser, Jr. had 17 victories at the time of his 1992 victory. Tony Kanaan was also on 15 career victories when he won his Indianapolis 500 in 2013.

Palou enters Indianapolis with four consecutive top ten finishes in the event, and he has finished in the top five in three of the last four years. He already ranks tied for 56th all-time in laps led in the history of the event with 119, level with 1924 co-winner Joe Boyer. Palou has led more laps in the Indianapolis 500 than 29 past winners of the race. Only ten drivers ahead of Palou in laps led have never won the race. If he leads 31 laps on Sunday, Palou will become the 41st driver to lead at least 150 laps in an Indianapolis 500 career. 

A third consecutive championship would make Palou only the fourth driver to complete such an accomplishment. Of the three before him, only once did a driver win an Indianapolis 500 during that timeframe. That would be Dario Franchitti, who won the 2010 Indianapolis 500 in what was his second title season in a three-year run of championships with Chip Ganassi Racing from 2009 to 2011. That 2010 season is also the last time a driver has won the Indianapolis 500 and championship in the same season.

This will be Palou's sixth Indianapolis 500 start. The last driver to win at Indianapolis in his sixth start was Scott Dixon in 2008.

A Golden Opportunity

With no Team Penske car starting better than tenth, this presents a golden opportunity for a number of drivers to grab control of this race and perhaps be on for a special result. Four different teams were represented in the Fast Six and eight different teams made the Fast 12.

Arrow McLaren was one of three teams to have multiple cars make the Fast 12. Patricio O'Ward ended up making the Fast Six and took third on the grid, his best starting spot in the Indianapolis 500. Christian Lundgaard qualified eighth, 20 positions better than his previous best starting position in this race.

For O'Ward, the front row poses a key time to take control of the race, especially since he will be starting to the outside of a rookie making his first oval start and a one-off driver. He has already led 93 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career, and he has led in four consecutive "500s." The most laps he has led in this race is 39, which occurred two years ago. O'Ward was first or second in four of the seven oval races last season. 

Lundgaard not only has his best starting spot ever at the Indianapolis 500, but it is the first time he has ever started in the top fifteen for an oval race. While qualifying form was not his strongest on ovals, Lundgaard has a few top ten finishes on ovals. He was tenth in the first Iowa race in 2022 and ninth in the first Milwaukee race in 2024.

Felix Rosenqvist is starting inside the first three rows for the fourth consecutive year at Indianapolis. Fifth on the grid is the best starting position for Meyer Shank Racing at the Indianapolis 500, which aims to win its second Indianapolis 500 in five years. An engine failure took Rosenqvist out early of last year's race. A year before that, the Swede led 33 laps before brushing the wall exiting turn one and spinning into Kyle Kirkwood. In 32 oval starts, Rosenqvist has two top five finishes, fourth at Indianapolis in 2022 and fourth at Iowa in 2023.

Last year, David Malukas missed the Indianapolis 500 due to a wrist injury. This year, Malukas is starting seventh for A.J. Foyt Racing, his best qualifying effort at the Speedway. The Foyt team has had a top ten finisher in each of the last two years at Indianapolis. While Malukas was the top rookie finisher in 2022 in 16th, he retired from the 2023 race after brushing the barrier. In five races this season, Malukas' best result is 13th.

Marcus Ericsson was last-place in last year's Indianapolis 500. This year, Ericsson will roll off from the ninth position, the best Andretti Global starter. It is the fourth time in the last five years Ericsson is starting inside the top ten at Indianapolis. Ericsson has made 38 starts since his most recent victory at St. Petersburg in 2023. He has not been on the podium since he was second at Detroit nearly a year ago. This season, he opened with a sixth-place finish at St. Petersburg, but he has finished 20th or worse in three of the last four events.

Not all Indianapolis 500 winners start inside the top ten, and the driver in 11th has been a sneaky contender the last few years. Conor Daly has led laps in three of the last four Indianapolis 500s. In 2021, he led the most laps. Last year, he led 22 laps, the fourth-most in the race. Daly has finished in the top ten in his last three Indianapolis 500 starts. This 11th starting position matches his career best in this race, which came in 2019 with Andretti Autosport. Daly's best finish this season was 15th two weeks ago in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Last year, he started six oval races and he finished in the top ten of half of them, including a third at Milwaukee.

To Daly's outside on row four will be Alexander Rossi. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner has finished in the top five in the last three years of this race. He has led 93 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career, but he has never led more than 23 laps in one race. This is actually one starting spot worse than where Rossi won from in 2016. The Californian has gotten off to a good start with Ed Carpenter Racing. He has three top ten finishes from the first five events, but his best finish is eighth. Rossi has not won an oval race since Pocono 2018, 33 oval starts ago. 

Age Before Beauty

This year's Indianapolis 500 is one of the most experienced ones we have ever seen. With 31 Indianapolis 500 veterans on the grid, these drivers combine for 253 previous starts in this race. The record for most combined Indianapolis 500 starts in one race is 260 starts, which occurred in the 1987 race and the 1992 race. Six drivers are over the age of 40, and there are three drivers entered with at least 20 Indianapolis 500 starts. A fourth driver will join that 20-start club this weekend. 

There are plenty of noteworthy veterans in this race, including a pair starting on the first two rows, both past winners, and both looking for more.

This is the third consecutive season Takuma Sato is not competing in IndyCar in a full-time capacity. Despite Sato's limited schedule, he continues to show up each May and make his presence felt. This year, he qualified second despite the belief Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was languishing on pace. This is Sato's best starting position in his Indianapolis 500 career. It is also the fourth consecutive year and the fifth time in the last six Sato has qualified in the top ten. 

Sato won this race five years ago with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. In each of his first two Indianapolis 500 victories, he has started fourth and third. Now, he has a chance for a third, and it would be a historic victory. Not only would it be Sato's third time winning the Indianapolis 500 after turning the age of 40, something no driver has ever accomplished, Sato would become the oldest winner in Indianapolis 500 history, breaking Al Unser's record, which has stood since 1987. Sato will be 48 years, three months and 27 days old on race day, about four months older than Unser's record. 

Scott Dixon will start two spots behind Sato in fourth. For Dixon, this will be his 23rd Indianapolis 500 start, moving him into seventh all-time, and one away from entering into a tie for fifth all-time with Johnny Rutherford and Gordon Johncock. Dixon has already completed the fourth-most laps in Indianapolis 500 victory, and he is one of four drivers to have completed more than 4,000 laps, 10,000 miles in an Indianapolis 500 career. 

For all the records Dixon has broken and milestones reached, a second Indianapolis 500 victory is the one that has escaped him the most. He has finished in the top six in three of the last five years. He led the most laps in 2020 only to finish second. He led the most laps in 2022 only for a pit lane speeding penalty on his final stop left him relegated back in 21st. This will be his 17th start since he won this race in 2008. No driver has had more starts between Indianapolis 500 victories. 

This will be a record breaking weekend from the drop of the green flag for Dixon. He is set to make his 408th IndyCar start, which would move him ahead of Mario Andretti for the all-time lead. A victory this weekend would be the 23rd season in which Dixon has won a race, and it would be his 21st consecutive season with a victory, both record-extending.

Fighting From Behind

The Indianapolis 500 grid is deep. There are past winners and contenders spread throughout the field, and it is more than the two Penske cars on the last row. Some will have their work cut out for them for Sunday, but they will be up for the task.

Kyle Larson's sophomore Indianapolis 500 will come from 19th on the grid. It has been a more adverse attempt the second time around. Larson had an accident on the second day of the April test, and he spun and hit the barriers on Thursday practice before qualifying. Last year, Larson lost spots early after a bogged down restart, and he was shuffled back even further after a pit lane speeding penalty. In last year's race Larson spent 107 laps in the top ten, 12 of those were in the top five, Larson led laps 180 through 183 during the final pit cycle. 

Prema is getting all the attention for its car starting on the pole position, but the team has a second car in the race, and Callum Ilott starts 21st. In each of the last two Indianapolis 500s, Ilott has finished 12th and 11th. In 2023, he went from 27th to 12th. Last year, he started 15th. Ilott has been through his own struggles this season. While he was 19th at the season opener at St. Petersburg, he has finished outside the top twenty in the last four events. In 11 career oval starts, Ilott's only top ten finish was ninth at Texas in 2023.

This will be Hélio Castroneves' fourth attempt at his fifth Indianapolis 500 victory. This shot at five will be from 22nd starting position. In each of his attempts for a fifth "500" victory, Castroneves has started 20th or worse. In only one of those has he reached the top ten. He went from 27th to seventh in 2022. This will be Castroneves' 25th Indianapolis 500 start, and he has completed all 500 miles in 18 of his first 24 starts, including in the last five years.

Kyle Kirkwood entered qualifying weekend with great hope he would be one of the drivers to beat. Instead, Kirkwood ended up not making it to Sunday's qualifying Fast 12 session, and he will start to Castroneves' outside in 23rd. Kirkwood enters this Indianapolis 500 like he entered last year's Indianapolis 500. For the second consecutive year, Kirkwood enters this race having not finished worse than 11th this season. He ended up moving from 11th to seventh in the "500" itself. He led his first laps in the Indianapolis 500 last year when he led two. 

Ryan Hunter-Reay is back for his 17th Indianapolis 500 start, and he will start 25th, his worst starting spot since 2011 when he took over the #41 A.J. Foyt Racing entry from Bruno Junqueira after Hunter-Reay failed to qualify. The 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner has failed to finish in the top ten of his last three Indianapolis starts. He only has one top five finish in his nine starts since his Indianapolis 500 victory. This will be the 295th start of Hunter-Reay's IndyCar career. 

A qualifying accident on Saturday put Colton Herta in a precarious situation, as it was not clear if #26 Honda team would be able to build the back-up car in time for a qualifying run. The team was able to get the job done, but instead of shooting for the Fast 12, Herta was hoping just to make the top 30. He did, and after the pair of Penske penalties, Herta was elevated to 27th and the outside of row nine. This is Herta's worst Indianapolis start. In 2023, he was able to climb from 21st to ninth. Herta earned his first career oval victory in last year's season finale at Nashville.

The Weather Report

The forecast looks rather pleasant over the next few days in Indianapolis. 

Carb Day is looking to be a mostly sunny day, but it will be chilly early. At the time of practice, the high should just be breaking 60ºF but with winds blowing at about 10 mph from the West Northwest. Temperatures should climb to 67º F over the afternoon's festivities with the remaining consistent. Some clouds could come in later in the afternoon, but chance of precipitation on Friday stands at 13%.

Conditions should remains the same for Saturday with the high creeping up to 72º F but the chance of precipitation will drop to 4%. 

On unday, the day should be partly cloudy before becoming overcast in the afternoon. The high will remain around 69º F with winds blowing at 5-10 mph from the Northeast. The chance of precipitation does creep up to 15%.

Carb Night Classic

On Friday evening from Indianapolis Raceway Park, two of the three Road to Indy Series will be competing in their annual Memorial Day weekend event. 

In USF Pro 2000, Max Garcia enters as the championship leader after finishing fourth or better in each of the first eight races. Garcia has 202 points and he is 67 points more than Alessandro de Tullio, who had a tough weekend on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with three finishes of ninth or worse. De Tullio had won three of the first five races while Garcia won the other two.

Ariel Elkin won two of the three races on the IMS road course and he is third in the championship on 143 points, three ahead of Mac Clark, who has six top five finishes from the first eight events. Clark won at IRP in 2023 in U.S. F2000. Jacob Douglas won the other race from the IMS road course, and he is on 123 points, two ahead of Max Taylor in the championship. 

Michael Costello has 108 points and is seventh in the championship, five points ahead of Jace Denmark. 

USF Pro 2000's Freedom 90 will be run at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday May 23. Notable past winners of this race include Conor Daly (2010), Patricio O'Ward (2016), Christian Rasmussen (2021) and Louis Foster (2022).

Jack Jeffers took the U.S. F2000 championship lead with a victory and a third-place finish on the IMS road course two weeks ago, but Jeffers also benefitted from Liam McNeilly having visa issue prevent the Brit from re-entering the United States. McNeilly had won the first five races this season, visa issues will cause McNelly to miss this weekend's race from IRP as well.

Jeffers sits on 165 points with McNeilly two points back. 

Thomas Schrage won the second IMS road course race, and with five consecutive podium finishes, Schrage is up to third in the championship on 152 points. There is a 40-point gap between Schrage and Teddy Musella, who finished second to Schrage at the IMS road course. G3 Argyros rounds out the top five in the championship with 109 points. 

Evan Cooley has 97 points, ten more than Caleb Gafrarar. Sebastián Garzón has 82 points in eighth. 

U.S. F2000's Freedom 75 takes place at 8:30 p.m. on Friday night. Notable pat winners of this race include Spencer Pigot (2012), Kyle Kirkwood (2018) and Christian Rasmussen (2020).

Fast Facts

This will be the sixth IndyCar race to take place on May 25 and the first since Ryan Hunter-Reay won the 98th Indianapolis 500 in 2014.

Every IndyCar race to take place on May 25 has been an Indianapolis 500.

This year's race is on the 50th anniversary of Bobby Unser's second Indianapolis 500 victory, which was a rain-shortened race. 

This year's race is also the 45th anniversary of Johnny Rutherford's third and final Indianapolis 500 victory, the 22nd anniversary of Gil de Ferran's only Indianapolis 500 victory, and the 17th anniversary of Scott Dixon's first Indianapolis 500 victory.

The 1997 Indianapolis 500 was scheduled to begin on May 25 before being postponed to May 26 and then being further delayed to May 27. 

This will be the 178th 500-mile race in IndyCar history.

The United States has produced the most 500-mile race winners with 67. Brazil and the United Kingdom has each produced seven 500-mile race winners. Canada has had four, Italy and France have each had three winners. Sweden has two winners. The Netherlands, Mexico, Colombia, New Zealand, Australia and Japan have each produced one winner. 

Ten of the last 14 Indianapolis 500s have been completed in under three hours. Only five of the first 87 Indianapolis 500s that went the distance were completed in under three hours.

This year's grid features...

15 Americans..

Three New Zealanders...

Three Britons...

Two Swedes...

Two Danes...

An Israeli...

A Japanese...

A Mexican...

A Spaniard...

A Caymanian...

A Canadian...

A Brazilian...

A Dutchman and...

An Australian.

Israel becomes the 32nd country with a representative in the Indianapolis 500. 

This will be the 17th consecutive Indianapolis 500 to feature at least ten different nationalities.

Nine drivers have won on both the oval and road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They are Alex Lloyd, Jack Harvey, Dean Stoneman, Colton Herta, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi.

The drivers who could become the tenth driver to win on both the oval and road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend are Marco Andretti, Patricio O'Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Christian Rasmussen, Kyle Kirkwood and Álex Palou.

Josef Newgarden, Rinus VeeKay, Colton Herta or Álex Palou could join Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi as the only drivers to win an IndyCar race on the IMS oval and road course. 

The last four Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year have not finished better than 18th, the longest streak where the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year has not finished in the top ten.

The average starting position for an Indianapolis 500 winner is 7.4629 with a median of 4.5.

Last year, Josef Newgarden became the first winner to start third since Will Power in 2018.

The average number of lead changes in the Indianapolis 500 is 14.0471 with a median of ten. 

In the DW12-era, the average number of lead changes in the Indianapolis 500 is 37.727 with a median of 35. 

The driver who led the most laps has won only two of the last 13 Indianapolis 500s, Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014 and Simon Pagenaud in 2019. 

The driver who led the most laps has not won the last five Indianapolis 500s. The last time there were at least six consecutive Indianapolis 500s where the driver who led the most laps did not win the race was an eight-year streak from 1990 through 1997.

The average number of cautions in the Indianapolis 500 is 7.6725 with a median of seven. The average number of caution laps is 43.6458 with a median of 42.5.

In the last 14 Indianapolis 500s, ten races have had more than five cautions.

This will be the 76th Indianapolis 500 victory for Firestone. 

This will be the 25th Indianapolis 500 victory for Dallara, extending Dallara's record for most Indianapolis 500 victories for a chassis manufacturer.

If Honda wins the race, it will be the manufacturer's 16th Indianapolis 500 victory. Honda is currently second all-time in victories for engine manufacturers, 12 victories behind Offenhauser's 27. 

Last year, Chevrolet moved into third all-time with 13 Indianapolis 500 victories. It entered last year's race tied with Miller on 12 victories.

Predictions

We will see history made, and after so many recent close calls, Scott Dixon gets his second Indianapolis 500 victory on an already historic day for him. There will be four different teams in the top five, and seven different teams in the top ten. Robert Shwartzman will not finish in the top fifteen, but still win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Will Power gets into the top ten. Josef Newgarden completes all 500 miles but does not finish in the top ten. Kyle Larson has a good day and finishes at least seven spots better than his grid position. Patricio O'Ward will lead the most laps. Álex Palou still finishes in the top five. Sleeper: Felix Rosenqvist.

The Last Straw: IndyCar Must Make Changes After Latest Team Penske Infraction

You would not expect for the second consecutive season Team Penske would find itself embroiled in another scandal with multiple cars found to have failed inspection for the same, somewhat calculated-looking, violation. Not only has it happened a second time with illegal modifications to the attenuator, but it happened in Sunday qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, intensifying the scrutiny about 100-fold from last year's push-to-pass violation. 

Josef Newgarden and Will Power's car were found with the illegal part ahead of the Fast 12 session, Initially, both cars were barred from participating in Sunday qualifying, placing the two cars 11th and 12th on the grid. After a night of deliberation, it was decided Newgarden and Power would be moved to the rear of the grid and take the 32nd and 33rd positions. Scott McLaughlin's car did not have a modified attenuator and was found to be legal. McLaughlin was able to keep his tenth-place starting spot.

Along with the lost grid spots, each entry was issued a $100,000-fine, and strategists Tim Cindric and Ron Ruzewski were suspended for the Indianapolis 500.

Though penalties have been issued, the wild fire has not stopped spreading. Questions over how long Team Penske had the illegal attenuator on the car immediately cropped up. 

Patricio O'Ward was defiant that if the cars were like that on Sunday ahead of the Fast 12 session, those cars ran with the illegal part on Saturday to make the Fast 12 session. Photos taken of Josef Newgarden's 2024 Indianapolis 500 winner, which sits in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum show the same modified attenuator on the car. Whether that car is unchanged from last year's race or it was built with other parts not used in the race is unknown. 

Whether the parts were on the car on Saturday is a moot point as IndyCar officials cleared the cars for qualifying in pre-qualifying inspection and in post-qualifying inspection after Newgarden and Power made their qualifying runs. In the eyes of rulebook, the Saturday qualifying runs were legal even if we are not sure Team Penske got away with one. 

The general belief in motorsports is everyone is pushing the limit of legality to maximize efficiency and performance. It isn't about obviously breaking a rule but getting the most of what is allowed. With all the focus that is put on a car for the Indianapolis 500 and the countless hours spent to massage these cars to eliminate as much drag as possible, stepping over the line can mean going over by a toe. It is still going beyond the limit, but it isn't leaping over with no regard for the line. 

After all, Team Penske wasn't the only team to have failed inspection over the weekend. On Saturday, there were two inspection failures that were caught. Hélio Castroneves did not pass pre-qualifying inspection and lost his spot in the qualifying line for the first run. Conor Daly was found to have his front wing be too low in post-qualifying inspection after his first attempt and lost his time, forcing Daly to run again. 

Team Penske is praised for its "Penske Perfect" mindset as it tries to get everything perfect with its machinery. If it sees a potential inefficiency on the car, it will try to eliminate it. The belief is the team will try and do it within the limits of the rulebook. A rule can be violated and not done deliberately, but intention is doesn't matter, especially when Penske has lost the benefit of the doubt. It is black-and-white in this instance. Was the attenuator modified or not? Did it go over the line? It was clear it was. 

IndyCar is not in an easy position when it comes to this penalty. 

As much as people believe Team Penske ran these parts on Saturday, the cars passed inspection multiple times. They were declared good to run and were declared fit after qualifying. No penalty can be issued for Saturday. The cars could not be kicked out of the race as they made the top 30 with what the official declared legal cars. The violation was found ahead of qualifying on Sunday. IndyCar can only punish from that point forward. They lost the privilege to run on Sunday, but IndyCar has muddy the waters moving the cars to the rear of the field. 

Much of what has been done has been based on emotion. It feels like everyone believes Team Penske got away with one on Saturday, but isn't that what everyone tries in inspection? Every team is looking to get that little advantage pass the officials. Every team would take that if it worked in their favor. Once Team Penske was caught with the infraction, people wanted to see a significant penalty. Keeping 11th and 12th on the grid felt like almost no punishment at all. The team lost the chance for pole position, improving its track position and the additional points from qualifying, but that was not enough bite. To make a point, IndyCar relegated the cars to the last row. 

None of those penalties matters, and none of it is enough to the other teams. No fine nor suspension can make up for the questions in IndyCar's integrity when it comes to enforcing the rulebook, especially when it comes to Team Penske running in the Roger Penske-owned series. 

The conflict of interest is too great to ignore. It has been since day one when Roger Penske purchased the series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the Hulman-George family in November 2019. As much as they have tried to balance church and state and remain fair, all sides have been failing.

While the modified attenuator might have been something that slipped pass the officials and it could have gone in the favor of any team on the grid, it also looks like something small that the officials let Team Penske get away with. Nothing looks innocent with this current dynamic even if it is not done with maliciousness. 

There is a good chance this infraction was down to a minor adjustment to help the performance of the car by scraping out every last bit of aero efficiency. It wasn't done knowingly breaking a rule, nor breaking a rule that would lead to a massive jump in performance. The crew was likely doing it fully intending to remain within the limits of the rulebook. One of the Penske cars was legal after all. If this was a team-wide effort to break the rules, wouldn't all three have had the same part? It suggests in two instances, the team went a little too far doing what every team is doing to find that little extra speed.

It is difficult to weigh a Team Penske infraction in 2025 IndyCar versus that of another team. Everyone wants blood but I am not sure the response would be the same if the same infraction was found on a two-car team that had neither car make the Fast 12. Extra is wanted when it is Team Penske. Last year's infraction also contributes to that sentiment. 

Last year's infractions should have been an infliction point for the series. This must be the last straw.

Changes must come, especially to the officiating process for the sake of competitive fairness in the series. Even if IndyCar officiating did not turn a blind eye to Team Penske breaking the rules, a team still appears to have gotten something easily noticeable through inspection and run with an illegally modified part. This infraction was spotted on pit lane by a rival team owner. This wasn't something hidden. The naked eye noticed it on pit lane. If that is not a sign that IndyCar officiating must shape up, I don't know what is. 

But this should drive further a greater need for independence in the officials who are judging cars owned by the same man who owns the series. At this point, IndyCar cannot afford another scandal where it looks like Team Penske is getting away with breaking the rule. Even if Team Penske is being punished, and it has for both infractions, it still looks like the organization is getting away with more than most. 

It is tough to do overnight, but an independent group of officials should already be in place to watch over the cars ahead of the Indianapolis 500 and for the rest of the season. At some point, there will be an infraction that shatters the integrity of the series, and no one in IndyCar can afford that.

There is no coming back from a third Team Penske violation of this magnitude, but it really shouldn't have gotten to a second to begin with.

Musings From the Weekend: I Feel Like Charlie Brown

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

Robert Shwartzman stunned us all winning pole position for the Indianapolis 500. Team Penske is in hot water, again. Dale Coyne Racing has a car missing the race, again. People got really sentimentally over what is likely Formula One's last trip to Imola for the foreseeable future. Red Bull hit a milestone. McLaren might have gotten in its own way. Ferrari bounced back from a poor Saturday. It rained in Tokyo. NASCAR held an exhibition race. Rally Portugal was demanding. We all know what this week is, but let's not pretend it is all roses. 

I Feel Like Charlie Brown

"I won't let all this commercialism ruin my Christmas," said Charlie Brown as he carried his Christmas tree back home after the others scorn its appearance at the theatre. It might not have been the shiny, aluminum tree others had become accustomed to propping up in their homes, but with a little decorating Charlie Brown's tree had the potential to be beautiful and bring joy to the Christmas season. 

I was not happy. It has not a happy period following IndyCar recently, but the negativity did not feel all that necessary. 

The age old problems have been there. The gaps in the schedule and lack of races early in the season. Calendar shuffles. Oval race instability. Rating woes. None of it is new. That doesn't mean they are fine, but they are not a surprise. We would love for those to be the opposite of how they are. It felt like we went through a period where everything was turned into a negative. 

Nothing was good enough. The races weren't good enough. Firestone wasn't getting the tire compounds right. The hybrid was to blame. That was the source for all the problems. Everything was going down the drain, but if you have been around long enough, it doesn't look worse. 

We have seen plenty of races where a pole-sitter gets jump on the field and leads 90% of a race before winning by over ten seconds. That is nothing new. We have seen dozens of those over the years. All the greats have won those kind of races. A.J. Foyt did it. Mario Andretti did it. We could list names all day. Why did it become unacceptable in 2025? 

Expectations are not realistic. 

We saw Álex Palou overcome a ten-second deficit in seven laps and pass Patricio O'Ward to take the lead and eventual victory at the Thermal Club. That is a kind of drive we rarely see. A race that was a near-certain result was flipped after the final round of pit stops in the closing laps, and Palou completed a magnificent drive that not many others could repeat. 

Instead of celebrating Palou, the crowd scorched earth over a race at Thermal Club. 

While the Thermal Club event has its flaws and does not match with the socioeconomics of the audience IndyCar draws, it shouldn't completely blind you of the race that took place. 

You can believe Thermal is a flawed event and its place on the IndyCar schedule should require the track opening up more to general spectators that are not members of the club for a reasonable price AND recognize that Palou completed a thrilling run while there were other good battles throughout the field.

Long Beach had one of its biggest crowds in the event's history. Kyle Kirkwood won from pole position but he had Palou keeping him honest over the entire race. Not the best race ever, but not the worst. Yet, there was more anger after that race. 

Palou stomped the field at Barber Motorsports Park. He checked out from lap one. However, there was great racing elsewhere. Christian Lundgaard drove up to second. Scott McLaughlin and the Dale Coyne Racing entry of Rinus VeeKay battled for third. Alexander Rossi and Nolan Siegel had a good battle throughout the final stint. You would like to see the battle for the victory to go until the final lap, but sometimes that isn't the case and the battles throughout the field make up for it to an extent. Barber wasn't any different from other Barber races. Watch the 2019 Barber race as an example. That was lost on a good number of people.

Introspection is not done enough. It is constant knee-jerk reactions, and it is mostly "bad, bad, bad." There is no room for the middle anymore, but the world remains rather gray even if black-and-white is easier. 

There are many things IndyCar must work on. It is frustrating that some issues have lingered longer than necessary, and confidence has been lost that series management can make a turn in an upward direction, but that shouldn't turn every race into a sulking session. 

Is it really that bad or are we looking for reasons to be angry? Therapy is not a bad thing, folks. Projection is not healthy. It also isn't fair. 

I am not going to let all this negativity ruin my Indianapolis 500. 

We do not know what the race will be like. I doubt it will be the worst I have ever seen. I don't think it will be the best I have ever seen either. It will be in the middle, and that is ok. There will be fun moments. It might be close to the finish. There might be a late pass. It could be the case where second-place just cannot make a run on the leader. We will live either way. 

Not every race can be an ultimatum on the series, life or death over how the series is trending. That is an exhausting way to live. Compartmentalize what happens on the track and what happens away from it, and remember to keep perspective. Is it really rock-bottom? 

It is ok if things are just ok. Not every race is going to be better than the one before it. That is not realistic. You must find a way to accept that and live in the gray. 

Winners From the Weekend

You know about Robert Shwartzman, but did you know...

Max Verstappen won the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, his second victory of the season.

Jak Crawford (sprint) and Alex Dunne (feature) split the Formula Two races from Imola. Tim Tramnitz (sprint) and Santiago Ramos (feature) split the Formula Three races. 

Stoffel Vandoorne and Oliver Rowland split the Tokyo ePrix.

Christopher Bell won the NASCAR All-Star Race from North Wilkesboro. Chandler Smith won the Truck Series race, his second victory of the season.

Sho Tsuboi won the Super Formula race from Autopolis.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (race one and SuperPole race) and Nicolò Bulega (race two) split the World Superbike races from Most. Jaume Masià and Can Öncü split the World Supersport races.

The #99 Random Vandals Racing BMW of Connor de Phillippi and Kenton Koch swept the GT World Challenge America races from Sebring. Memo Gidley and Kyle Washington split the GT America races. The #97 Random Vandals Racing BMW of Kenton Koch and Kevin Boehm swept the GT4 America races.

Sébastien Ogier won Rally Portugal, his second victory of the season.

Coming Up This Weekend

109th Indianapolis 500.

82nd Monaco Grand Prix

66th Coca-Cola 600

MotoGP has a holiday weekend at Silverstone.

Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters will be at the Lausitzring.