First Impressions: 109th Indianapolis 500 Saturday Qualifying

1. For a first qualifying day where the final spot came down to a late Graham Rahal vs. Marco Andretti battle for 30th and Conor Daly made a last ditch effort to make the Fast 12, this was a pretty calm day, especially when it came to the Fast 12.

The fastest six cars today all had their qualifying runs come on their first attempt. Four of those cars never came out after their first attempt. Even then, eight of the Fast 12 made it based on their first qualifying time, and 11 of the Fast 12 drivers were in the Fast 12 before the first second attempt of the day occurred. 

The only change from the first run through the line to the end of the session was Kyffin Simpson was bumped from 12th and Christian Lundgaard took the final spot. 

There was hardly any drama for 12th until Conor Daly took to the track for the final attempt of the day. Daly was sitting in 21st and needed to find nearly 6/10ths of a mile per hour over four laps to crack the top 12. It looked like Daly was ruining the story as his run prevented Marco Andretti from making one final attempt to make the top 30. It turned out to be worth it.

Daly ended 0.0564 seconds short of making the Fast 12. Daly will start 13th, justifying his run, but that was closest it really came to feel like the Fast 12 mattering. 

2. The battle was at the back. For most of the day it felt rather incomplete because of Marcus Armstrong's practice accident and Colton Herta's accident on his first qualifying run. Half of the drivers on the outside had yet to complete a run for the first five-and-a-half hours of qualifying. The driver in 29th really didn't feel like 29th. We were playing the waiting game until those final two drivers came out. 

Sitting in the drop zone for a third consecutive year was Graham Rahal. Despite his teammates being spread over spots in the Fast 12 and with a cushion in the low-20s, Rahal was again on the outside and struggling to keep his car flat through the corners. On Rahal's second run of the day, he got in the top 30, knocking out Rinus VeeKay and putting Andretti between Rahal and the bubble. 

Colton Herta was the first of the repaired cars to take to the track for a qualifying run. With no shakedown laps on the car, Herta took a car that was meant for short ovals and put it 29th, knocking out his teammate Andretti, and placing Rahal 30th.

For one hour, Rahal sat on the bubble. 

Armstrong made it to the circuit, but did not have the speed on either of his attempts. VeeKay made a run at it and didn't come all that close. Abel waived off his second of two attempts today, and his only attempt to re-enter the top 30. Marco Andretti made multiple runs at it.

Andretti went out two cars after Herta and fell short. The car cooled and Andretti's fourth attempt was his best of the day, but at 229.859 mph, Andretti was 0.0028 seconds shy of the top 30. Rahal makes the race and gets a much-deserved Sunday of rest. Andretti will lead the four-car fight for the final three spots.

3. No one wants to be in the last chance qualifying session, but Marco Andretti should not panic. His fastest two runs were 229.859 mph and 229.857 mph. Of the other three qualifiers, the closest was Rinus VeeKay at 229.519 mph. Marcus Armstrong never completed a four-lap run, but you can afford one car to beat you in the last chance qualifying session. You don't want two cars to beat you and live on the bubble, tempting fate. 

Andretti should feel good even if it is a challenging situation. That car has the speed to make the field. Just don't over think it.

4. This must have been a difficult day for Marcus Armstrong because at the start of the day it felt like he would be a contender for the Fast 12. One practice crash and you are floating out in space. Perhaps you will land on the moon or you could float hopelessly into infinity.

Armstrong expressed confidence after he was cleared to return to the car. There are plenty of unknowns though. He did two runs. The first was clearly a shakedown run. The second started well but tailed off quickly. There will be a practice session tomorrow afternoon to get the car sorted, but it is a limited chance to get settled before the most pivotal qualifying run of Armstrong's career.

5. It does feel like one of the Dale Coyne Racing cars will miss the race for a second consecutive year, and it does not feel great for Jacob Abel.

The only four-lap run Abel completed was at 226.859 mph. The next slowest run was Graham Rahal's first run at 228.686 mph. Every other attempt was over 229 mph. 

The speed could be there, but that is a mighty gap for Abel to overcome. It is almost identical to what Nolan Siegel experienced last year. 

I am a little surprised Rinus VeeKay is in this spot. I knew VeeKay was not making the Fast 12 and keeping up his incredible tear of starting no worse than seventh in the Indianapolis 500. I thought he could qualify in-between 18th and 27th. Not brilliant but good enough to make the race. 

It is a little sad to see Coyne in this spot for a third consecutive year. Two years ago, both cars survived. Last year, Siegel was knocked out. This year, there is a good chance one of its cars will miss the race again, and that is kind of the sign of the times with the DW12 and this engine formula. It feels like Dale Coyne Racing is being left behind, and I don't see it coming back without heavy investment. 

6. We must acknowledge the possibility that it doesn't matter which Dale Coyne Racing car is bumped, and Jacob Abel will be in the race no matter what happens tomorrow.

For everything I have said about DCR being left behind, the team did get Miller High Life to sponsor one of its cars as a one-off sponsorship. Yes, it is as a tribute to Danny Sullivan's 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner as Abel, a fellow Kentuckian, is attempting to make his first "500" 40 years after Sullivan's victory. 

I cannot imagine Miller High Life not being in the race. There is a chance the sponsorship could just move to VeeKay's car if VeeKay makes it and Abel doesn't, but we should prepare ourselves for a backroom deal deciding the final spot on the grid. 

7. Let's move to the front of the grid. Álex Palou was fastest at 233.043 mph. Scott McLaughlin was net at 233.013 mph. Josef Newgarden was the third car over 233 mph at 233.004 mph. No surprises in the top three. No surprises in the top five with Patricio O'Ward fourth at 232.820 mph and Scott Dixon fifth at 232.659 mph. 

Pretty predictable. One of those five will likely win pole position tomorrow. 

8. The highlight of the day was Robert Shwartzman. The fourth qualifier of the day, Shwartzman ran a 232.584-mph average and he was never in doubt of missing the Fast 12. Add to it that Callum Ilott qualified 23rd and wasn't really at risk of the last chance qualifying session, Prema could not have asked for a better first time qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

This winter, when Mike Cannon left the team over a week after joining the Prema operation, Prema was criticized as not respecting Cannon, and many believed the team was making an uneducated mistake. The team was labeled as stubborn due to its European roots and unwilling to work with Cannon. 

How is Prema doing now? It has been a tough year for the new team. The results in the first five races have been poor, but in its first trip to Indianapolis, it put a car in the Fast 12 and neither car was at risk of missing the race.

I hope you are all enjoying crow.

9. David Malukas, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Will Power, Marcus Ericsson and Christian Lundgaard round out the Fast 12. 

Again, there was no real drama in the Fast 12 proceedings. Lundgaard was the one guy to squeeze his way in on an additional attempt, but that move didn't really make any waves when it happened. 

Eight teams are represented in the Fast 12. All three Team Penske drivers made it. Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren each had two cars advance. Then we have Prema, A.J. Foyt Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Andretti Global. 

There is plenty of representation, and pole position will go to either Team Penske or Chip Ganassi Racing. 

10. We do live in this period of inevitability. We aren't going to see a surprise. Penske or Ganassi will end up on top. McLaren isn't really an upset if either O'Ward or Lundgaard wins please pole position. 

Felix Rosenqvist was eighth and four-tenths of a second off Palou's fastest run. He isn't overcoming that. Shwartzman's story is not going to lead in pole position as a rookie. Malukas isn't doing it. Sato isn't doing it. Ericsson is probably happy just to be there. 

Save your energy. Don't get too caught up in hope.

11. It was a good run from Daly. He has shown good speed all week. Alexander Rossi fell short of making the Fast 12, and for the first time in the team's history, Ed Carpenter Racing has failed to make the Fast Nine/Fast 12 at the Indianapolis 500. Nothing lasts forever, and Rossi will start 14th. 

Kyffin Simpson rebounded nicely from yesterday's accident in practice to qualify 15th. Simpson was never in danger of falling out of the top 30. That was a good response today. That is row five. 

12. Row six will be Ed Carpenter, Santino Ferrucci and Devlin DeFrancesco. Carpenter was fine. Ferrucci had better pace, but didn't quite get to that next level. He has moved up from starting spots in the middle of the field before. Ferrucci will be fine on race day. DeFrancesco looked comfortable for a team not known for its comfort in qualifying in recent years. 

13. Row seven features Sting Ray Robb, Christian Rasmussen and Kyle Larson. Robb had good opening laps on his qualifying runs, but the speed didn't last over ten miles. Rasmussen, the best finishing rookie from last year's race, is a spot ahead of Larson, last year's Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Oh, God works in mysterious ways!

Larson will have some work to do from 21st on the grid. It isn't fifth like last year, but I think this is a good thing. Larson will not be bouncing from Indianapolis to North Wilkesboro tomorrow. He can go to North Wilkesboro and not worry about Indianapolis. He doesn't have another qualifying run to worry about. This is a blessing in disguise. 

14. Row eight has Louis Foster, Callum Ilott and Hélio Castroneves. Foster looked good on each run. His first run had him on row seven. When he went out for a second run and got back up to eighth. Not bad for Foster. Ilott didn't have that same pace as Shwartzman, but I am not sure Shwartzman knew he had that pace. I think Prema would have been happy with Ilott in 23rd and if Shwartzman ended anywhere between 18th and 27th. This was a glorious day for the Italian team.

I am a little surprised Castroneves was not more competitive. He had to wait until the end of the first run through the qualifying line due to his car failing inspection prior to qualifying. His first run was a 229.634-mph average. That set the tone for his qualifying day. That time would not have cracked the top 30. He had to run fast enough to avoid the last chance qualifying session. It limits what risks to take. He got into the top 30 but wasn't pushing for much greater than that. 

15. This was a disappointing day for Andretti Global. Ericsson made the Fast 12, but Kyle Kirkwood was first, first, second and third on the no-tow report over the four practice days, and Kirkwood was never close to the Fast 12. He was 30th in the qualifying line. That didn't help, but the team didn't even find the speed on a later run to move him up the order. Kirkwood will have the inside of row nine in 25th. 

Nolan Siegel will be in the middle, and I am sure he is thankful to make the race after missing last year. I don't think he wanted to be the slowest Arrow McLaren car in 26th. Slowest and in 16th? Ok, not the worst spot to be in. In his almost full year since joining McLaren, Siegel is routinely way out of the picture from the other McLaren cars, more so than other drivers who have been canned for better results.

16. I am going to cover the two Dreyer & Reinbold Racing cars here, because Ryan Hunter-Reay will be on the outside of row nine and Jack Harvey will be on the inside of row ten. They went out sixth and seventh in the first pass through the line. They only had 0.0101 seconds between them after their fastest four-lap runs. At least the cars are even. I think D&R expected to be a little higher up the order. I didn't think both these cars would have been that close to the day one bubble.

17. This does feel like a missed opportunity for Colton Herta. Herta was fourth on the no-tow report yesterday. Andretti Global had high expectations to get at least two cars into the Fast 12. Instead, it has one car on row nine, one car on row ten and possibly one car on row 11 or missing the race. The team will have a lot of work to do on race day, but you are forgiven if you are already writing off Andretti Global for winning this race. 

18. Third time was the charm for Graham Rahal, as he locks himself into a top 30 spot and will avoid the last chance qualifying session. I bet Rahal wishes he was somewhere between DeFrancesco and Foster in 20th and far from this trouble spot. 

It must be frustrating to see Sato make the Fast 12 for the second consecutive year and have two teammates that are not blisteringly quick but at least fast enough that they are not in danger of having to run on Sunday. 

I don't know what Rahal needs to do. We know the team made changes ahead of last year, and last year was not much better. However, Rahal is the only RLLR driver sweating making the top 30. The team made steps this year. None of its cars missed the top 30, but Rahal still has the longest way to go. I don't know what he needs, but he must talk to somebody. 

I feel like there is mental block that is preventing Rahal from getting to a position where he can at least comfortably making the race. It feels like he knows he is so far off the top but every change he makes ends up making it more difficult for him to make the top 30. He almost gets in his way and cannot live with a 16th-place car, but the only direct he can go from is backward. He almost needs to work on just being average and accept that rather than being frustrated when things are not perfect.

Rahal needs an entirely new approach to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I almost want to suggest looking for a different team. Step away from the family team for Indianapolis only. It might be the only option at this point. 

19. I have written about this before. I think we need to limit qualifying attempt. There were 76 attempts made today. My issue is the number of attempts that were nothing. We had 12 waived attempts today. We had plenty of attempts that weren't changing much. Some of those waived attempts were Scott Dixon and Patricio O'Ward going out while in the top five and just shaking down the car for two laps. They had no reason to go out. They were not at risk of being knocked out of the top 12, and there is no incentive to be fastest on day one. 

I kind of wish a team had to withdraw its time to re-qualify. It makes these qualifying runs carry some weight to them. There is no reason for anyone to get jazzed up about Alexander Rossi making his fourth attempt of the day when he has failed to crack the top 12 on his first two additional attempts. 

There should at least be a limit so these teams aren't making minuscule changes and hoping for massive leaps in speed. There must be a risk to making another run. "If we waive this one then we only have one more shot at." If the attempts are unlimited, the teams aren't putting the best thought into their adjustments.

I think a limit will help teams. Now it feels like teams are just making minor tweaks and not getting anything out of it. If there was a limit, teams would have to really think about what they must do different to try and make the top 12 or top 30. I think we would have more educated changes to cars and we would see more movement. 

When cars are just constantly taking to the track and there aren't that high of stakes, it is pretty dull to watch over nearly seven hours. 

How about compromise? You get one attempt where you time is not withdrawn. However, you get two attempts where your time must be withdrawn. Each team gets a maximum of four attempts, and if they need to use their third, there will be some consequences. 

20. I was actually thinking about this on Daly's final attempt.

Daly took to the track and there was just under four minutes left. Daly left from the non-priority lane and kept his time as Andretti was not in the priority lane yet to block him. If Daly went out and spun on lap one, hitting the wall and ending the qualifying session with time left on the clock, Daly would have kept Andretti from a qualifying run AND Daly would have kept his spot on the grid. 

In any other qualifying session, if an accident occurs and it draws a red flag, that driver is losing out. If you bring out a red flag in qualifying on a street course or road course you lose your time. But for the Indianapolis 500, if you go out from the non-priority lane and have an accident, you are fine! Your time still stands, and you are still in the race. 

That is a little absurd because we could see an accident where a car spins, gets airborne, clips the catchfence and tear a large hole in it, the driver walks away and his fine, but the catchfence requires a lengthy repair. If such an accident happens with an hour to go, the session is over. No one else is getting back on the racetrack for the day. That one driver ended the session and ended a lot of hopes of making the top 12 or top 30.

That shouldn't be the case. It is something to think about. I don't think every qualifying attempt for the Indianapolis 500 should come with no stakes to lose, especially because every qualifying run takes over four minutes from the time the car leaves to start its out-lap to the checkered flag. It isn't a case where a qualifying run takes 40 seconds. 

Nothing will change until something happens. That is how IndyCar works, but this should be adjusted. I am not saying throw everything out. There is a lot of good with this system and I feel like this was the first time in about 25 years we didn't go into qualifying day with people asking what the format was. That is a victory in and of itself.

I am saying adjust it to make it better and clear up some of these grey areas. 

21. Onto tomorrow. The Fast 12 and the bottom four will each have their own one-hour practice session in the early afternoon. The Fast 12 session will begin at 4:05 p.m. The one-hour Last Chance Qualifying will begin at 5:15 p.m. with the Fast Six following at 6:25 p.m. 

22. For all that has happened over the last few days and for all the Indianapolis 500 qualifying sessions I have watched, I don't feel tense about tomorrow. There are not going to be any surprises. We know how tomorrow will play out. Use common sense and don't overthink it.

109th Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Preview

Nerves are a plenty ahead of qualification weekend for the 109th Indianapolis 500. This week's practice proved to be more trying than in recent years as teams worked to find the balance of the cars with the added hybrid system, as well as searching for the most efficient way to deploy the system while on a four-lap run. 

Uncertainty reigned when practice concluded yesterday evening. The security of a stable car that can complete four laps at wide-open throttle was not abundant through Gasoline Alley. A vast majority were unable to complete a mock run without feathering the throttle through a corner or two. 

Thirty-four drivers will be faced with having to complete a run even if it is not the most comfortable conditions, and the questionable conditions go beyond the race car. Mother Nature will not make it easy with winds expected to pummel every car that takes the track on the first qualifying day.

What is the Qualifying Weekend Schedule?

The track will open at 8:30 a.m. ET for a one-hour practice session on Saturday morning. It will be one final chance for teams to shakedown their cars before qualifying begins. 

Saturday's qualifying will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET and run through 5:50 p.m. ET. At the end of Saturday's session, the fastest 12 will be locked into the first four rows and will compete on Sunday over two rounds for pole position. Cars ranked 13th through 30th will be locked in their starting positions for the 109th Indianapolis 500. The slowest four qualifiers from Saturday will compete in the Last Chance Qualifying session on Sunday afternoon. 

On Sunday, the first on-track action will be a one-hour practice at 1:00 p.m. for the Fast 12 participants. The Last Chance Qualifiers will get an hour practice following at 2:00 p.m. 

The Fast 12 session will begin at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday. Each team will make one run with the top six advancing to the Fast Six round to determine pole position. 

At 5:15 p.m., the Last Chance Qualifying session will begin. Each team will get one guaranteed qualifying run, but the team's will have until 6:15 p.m. ET to run as many qualifying attempts as they can to make the race. The fastest three times will the 11th row for the Indianapolis 500. The slowest qualifier will not make the race.

The Fast Six session will be held at 6:25 p.m. with the fastest from this round winning pole position.

What is the Weather Forecast?

Overnight rain has brought cooler temperatures and faster winds to Speedway, Indiana.

Temperatures will be around 61º F for the morning practice session but winds will already be blowing at around 16 mph from the West under sunny skies. Gusts could get up to 40 mph over the course of the day. Some clouds should come over the circuit as qualifying begins with the temperatures around 63º F. It will be a slow rise in temperatures, but the high of 67° F will be hit around 3:00 p.m. Clouds should remain over the rest of the session. 

For Sunday, temperatures should increase as does the sunlight, but winds should drop. It will be around 67º F for the pre-qualifying practice session, but the winds will only be around 8 mph from the Southwest. When the Fast 12 session begins, temperatures will have increased to around 73º F but with winds remaining unchanged. The temperature should remain stable through the end of the qualifying session.

What is the Qualifying Order?

1. Marcus Ericsson

2. Patricio O'Ward

3. Kyffin Simpson

4. Robert Shwartzman

5. Alexander Rossi

6. Ryan Hunter-Reay

7. Jack Harvey

8. Christian Lundgaard

9. Marcus Armstrong

10. Graham Rahal

11. Nolan Siegel

12. Conor Daly

13. Felix Rosenqvist

14. Scott Dixon

15. Colton Herta

16. David Malukas

17. Santino Ferrucci

18. Will Power

19. Kyle Larson

20. Hélio Castroneves

21. Takuma Sato

22. Ed Carpenter

23. Marco Andretti

24. Jacob Abel

25. Álex Palou

26. Louis Foster

27. Scott McLaughlin

28. Sting Ray Robb

29. Christian Rasmussen

30. Kyle Kirkwood

31. Devlin DeFrancesco

32. Callum Ilott

33. Josef Newgarden

34. Rinus VeeKay

How different will this qualifying session be from previous years?

From what we observed in Friday practice, very. 

The extra weight from the hybrid session has made the car more difficult to handle, and a substantial number of mock qualifying runs yesterday were aborted out of precaution over handling. Teams will not have that option in qualifying. Only so many runs can be waived off before a time must be put on the board. 

It appears we will see drivers regularly pedaling the cars through the corners, especially at the end of qualifying runs as the tires wear. Times will probably be fractionally slower than what we saw last year, and it feels likely we will see a greater spread between the fastest and slowest qualifier. Last year, 2.8379 seconds covered Scott McLaughlin in first and Graham Rahal in 33rd, the fifth-closest field in the event's history. Last year's field had the second-fastest average speed at 231.943 mph, behind only 2023's average of 232.184 mph.

Last year's fastest lap in the Friday practice was Colton Herta was at 234.974 mph. McLaughlin ran the fastest lap yesterday at 233.954 mph. 

What we did see during Friday practice was drivers running faster laps on third and even the fourth lap of a mock qualifying run as the hybrid energy was deployed. Teams deployed the energy in different ways and at different times during a qualifying run. Unlike previous years when we kind of have an idea where a qualifying run will shake out at the end of the third qualifying lap, we could see a number of cars get a boast at the end of a run and be a spot or two higher than thought. 

Who is in play for the Fast 12?

It does not feel as obvious as some previous years. 

Team Penske should be fine. McLaughlin set the fastest lap in Friday practice. Josef Newgarden was second, third and first over the first three days. Will Power topped Tuesday and was second on Wednesday. 

When it comes to the no-tow report, Kyle Kirkwood was first, first, second and third over the four practice days. That is an average of 1.75. The next closet was Newgarden, who averaged a 7.25 no-tow position and who topped Thursday's no-tow report. McLaughlin was fourth-best at an average of 8.75 with Conor Daly as a surprise third on the no-tow average after running fourth, 14th, seventh and eighth over the four days. 

Though he was 27th in the no-tow report on Tuesday, Colton Herta was fourth, fifth and fourth over the final three days. Power had an average no-tow position of 13th, tied for sixth-best with Kyffin Simpson. 

Chip Ganassi Racing did not have a car ranked better than eighth in the no-tow report over the first three practice days only for Scott Dixon and Álex Palou to go 1-2 on Friday. Though they were not at the top of no-tow reports, Dixon and Palou were leading overall each day. 

Dixon had the best average overall practice result. His average was third after ranking fourth, fourth, second and second over the four practice days. Palou had the next best average at 3.25. He ranked third, first, sixth and third. 

Last year, nine of the Fast 12 participants ranked in the top 12 of average no-tow report position over the three practice days. Focusing just on Friday practice and the no-tow report, the top seven drivers in no-tow times from Friday made the Fast 12 and nine of the top 12 in the no-tow report from last year's Fast Friday practice session made the Fast 12. The other three were ranked 13th (Rinus Veekay), 15th (Kyle Larson) and 18th (Ryan Hunter-Reay).

The top 12 in the no-tow report in this year's Friday practice session were Dixon, Palou, Kirkwood, Herta, McLaughlin, Power, Christian Lundgaard, Daly, Marcus Armstrong, Sting Ray Robb, Felix Rosenqvist and Takuma Sato. 

What will it take to clinch the top 30?

It required a four-lap average at 231.100 mph to make the top 30 last year. In 2023, it required a four-lap average of 231.070 mph to make the top 30.

With how Friday practice played out, I don't know if that many drivers can put up four-lap runs over 231 mph. If anything, we will see the four-lap averages to make the top 30 drop by a good margin. Drivers were struggling to complete one lap at 230 mph, let alone complete a four-lap run at that speed. 

It is kind of an open door as to what the floor will be to avoid the Last Chance Qualifying session. If a number of drivers are struggling to hold the throttle flat over an entire run, it will be a slower speed than recent years. It could be a four-lap average in the 228-mph range if multiple drivers are struggling with handling. 

We could see a number of drivers call it a day if his first attempt is solid and he was able to at least limit the number of times he lifted over a qualifying run.

Who is in the most danger of missing the 109th Indianapolis 500?

Like the top of the list, it is not as clear as previous years. 

The two names we are most concerned about are Kyffin Simpson and Kyle Larson, the two drivers who suffered accidents in Friday practice. 

Simpson spun in turn four and smacked the outside and inside walls, writing off his car and leaving him with his backup car, which was used during the April test. Larson spun in turn three and hit the wall square with the front before hitting the wall square with the rear in the middle of turn four.

There are fewer concerns with Larson because his car was lightly damaged in comparison with Simpson's car. Larson's damage was mostly to the front and rear wings and attenuator, quick repairs as the chassis remained undamaged. All were fixed and Larson was able to return to the track with 30 minutes remaining in Friday practice for a shakedown. 

While Simpson had ranked in the top ten of the no-tow report over the first two days, he ranked 22nd, 27th and 21st overall over the first three days. We saw last year Marcus Ericsson went from a comfortable qualifier to someone who had to sweat out the last chance qualifying session after he had an accident in practice. 

Going on the speeds alone, it is not as clear, nor did anyone look all that worried throughout practice week.

Based on the average no-tow report result, the bottom six drivers were Callum Ilott (23.5), Nolan Siegel (24), Ryan Hunter-Reay (24.25), Rinus VeeKay (24.25), Santino Ferrucci (24.333) and Jack Harvey (26.26). Larson was just ahead of this group at 22.25, but his 33rd from the Friday no-tow report does knock him down. His average over the first three days was 18.667. 

When it comes the average overall results, the bottom six were Jacob Abel (25.25), Simpson (26), Graham Rahal (26.25), Robert Shwartzman (26.5), Ilott (28.5) and Ferrucci (29.5).

We entered this weekend concerned about Prema in its Indianapolis debut, and the results didn't look great at the start, nor did the lack of laps run on Tuesday, but the team has sounded quietly sure of themselves. Shwartzman's Friday boasted the team's confidence as he was 13th overall and 13th in the no-tow report. The Israeli driver ranked sixth and 14th in the no-tow report over Wednesday and Thursday. 

Despite having three years of experience at Indianapolis, Ilott is in a sketchy position. Prema has some speed, but is it enough for both cars to be securely in the race? 

Santino Ferrucci was the most vocally upset about his car this week, but the team seemed to turn a curve on Thursday, reverting back to some old setups.  

The next most upset was Graham Rahal, though he appeared to also feel more comfortable by the end of Friday.

While Dale Coyne Racing has not been bad, it also hasn't been as strong as they would appear. Rinus VeeKay was 13th overall on Thursday, but he was 24th or worse overall in the other three days. Jacob Abel was not better than 20th overall during the four practice days, and Abel was 23rd and 26th in the no-tow report the final two days.

Who got a favorable qualifying draw?

Patricio O'Ward, and McLaren as a whole, has not shown threatening speed this month, so getting second on the track might be a good pull for him. The same is true for Christian Lundgaard rolling out in eighth. 

Shwartzman is going out fourth. He could make his day with one strong run early and then he can breathe for the rest of the afternoon. 

Alexander Rossi has looked good, but not great this weekend, and the no-tow speed was not shown on Thursday or Friday. Going out fifth could lift his efforts of being a Fast 12 surprise. 

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has its two cars going out sixth and seventh with Ryan Hunter-Reay ahead of Jack Harvey. Hunter-Reay might not be able to repeat his Fast 12 performance of a year ago, but both cars are in a position to make the most of the conditions and put themselves solidly in the field.

Marcus Armstrong is a sleeper for the Fast 12, and going out ninth could put him high up the order early. Armstrong's average overall position from practice was 9.5 as he had three days ranked in the top ten. His was ninth on the no-tow report on Friday.

Graham Rahal should feel good being the tenth car out. If Rahal can put together a run that is faster than Kyffin Simpson and the two Dreyer & Reinbold cars going out before him, he should be pleased with how his qualifying effort will fall.

Who is handcuffed thanks to the qualifying draw?

Simpson drew third last year, and it helped him avoid the last row battle. This year, drawing third could be another blessing but if the team is not ready with his repaired car, it could mean Simpson will be unable to take his spot in line and he will have to wait until the other 33 cars go through the qualifying line. That is a difference of starting a qualifying run around 11:08 a.m. or around 1:15 p.m. 

A handful of quick cars are going out late. Álex Palou is going out 25th, two cars before Scott McLaughlin. Kyle Kirkwood is 30th and Josef Newgarden is 33rd. It will be early in the afternoon, but the track temperature will continue to rise as these four are due to take to the circuit. All four may forgo their spot in line and wait to make their first qualifying run until conditions improve later in the afternoon. 

When it comes to the last row battle, the draw was not kind to Louis Foster (26th), Devlin DeFrancesco (31st), Ilott (32nd) and Rinus VeeKay (34th).

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Dale Coyne Racing has had at least one participant in the Last Chance Qualifying session in each of the last two years. Each team has had a car fail to qualify in the last two years. Going out late is not what these teams would have hoped for. It doesn't help DCR that Jacob Abel is going out 24th either.  

For RLLR, there is some hope that a good run early from Rahal could guide the team as its other cars wait to qualify.

What Does the Qualifying Order Tell Us?

Last year, 20 of the top 30 at the end of Saturday qualifying made it based on their first attempt speed. Of the Fast 12, six made it based on their first qualifying run. Four of those times were among the first ten drivers in the qualifying order.

Will Power set the fastest time after being ninth in line. Scott McLaughlin was second in line and second fastest on Saturday. Josef Newgarden was tenth on track and third at the end first day Kyle Kirkwood was the first qualifier and his time stood to be fifth-quickest on the day.

The other two drivers to make the Fast 12 based on their first qualifying attempt were Felix Rosenqvist (24th in line) and Santino Ferrucci (13th). 

Alexander Rossi's first qualifying run would have been fastest to make the Fast 12, however, Rossi's first qualifying run did not come in its scheduled spot. Rossi was one of four drivers last year to pull out of line and forgo his scheduled first attempt. Coincidentally, Rossi drew 34th last year. It wasn't that significant of a delay until his actual first attempt. Rossi's first attempt put him fourth, and his second attempt remained fourth, but improved by 0.107 mph.

This was the second consecutive year that half of the Fast 12 made it based on their first qualifying run, but the big difference from 2023 to 2024 is where those drivers came in the qualifying order. 

In 2023, only one of those six drivers drew in the first ten cars. Four of those qualifiers drew 21st or later in the qualifying line. 

Four of the Fast 12 made it on their second attempt. Patricio O'Ward made it on his third, and Rinus VeeKay made it on his fourth attempt after he had an accident on his first run.

Of the ten drivers who made the top 30 last year based on an additional qualifying run, seven made it based on their second run, two made it based on their third, and VeeKay was the only one to lock up a spot based on his fourth attempt. 

Seventy-four qualifying runs were attempted last year on Saturday, 19 of which were waved off, and one of which was disallowed. Callum Ilott's first attempt, a four-lap average of 231.995 mph, was taken off the board after his car failed inspection for an illegal left-rear wheel offset. That run would have been good enough for 18th on Saturday had it been allowed to stand.

Desperate Changes are Good Changes for IndyCar Schedule

It isn't often we see scheduling news midseason for the season we are currently contesting, but yesterday came an unexpected change to a handful of upcoming events on the 2025 IndyCar calendar.

Five start times have been adjusted for the upcoming rounds at Gateway Motorsports Park, Road America, Mid-Ohio, the second Iowa race and Toronto. Gateway is the most notable one as the race has moved from a 3:00 p.m. ET start on Sunday June 15 to a 8:00 p.m. start that same night, the first Sunday primetime race shown on network television in IndyCar history. Road America has moved from 3:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Mid-Ohio and Iowa each move from 2:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., and Toronto has moved from 2:00 p.m. to noon. 

According to IndyCar's press released these changes were made to "capitalize on opportunities to further build an audience for North America's premier open-wheel series." 

Translation: These races are moving to avoid conflicts with NASCAR races among other things. 

Credit must be given to Fox for accommodating these changes. It is not easy to shift around the pieces of the television programming jigsaw puzzle. However, let's acknowledge these changes are desperate changes. No series shifts start times this significantly if things are going well. And before you say they shift start times for NFL games, there is a difference between a week 16 game moving from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. because the two teams are tied for the division lead and this game has national interest for its playoff implications and moving a race a month out when television viewership has been disappointing at best. 

These are desperate changes, but good changes nonetheless. IndyCar needed something to be done, and after its television rating struggles over the first quarter of the season, an adjustment had to be made.

 It isn't going to flip the script. Ratings are not going to shoot through the roof just on these changes. IndyCar must recognize its struggles to generate consistent viewership are on the series' inability to reach an audience of existing motorsports fans and an inability to convey an intriguing story for the causal viewer to tune in. Shifting these start times helps draw some eyes who are otherwise occupied at the previously scheduled times. It does not solve the greater issues. 

It must also be recognized that this all could have been avoided from the start. When IndyCar announced its new television deal with Fox on June 14, 2024, it released the 2025 schedule as well, and it was said the schedule was constructed with Fox to make sure all the races ended up on network television. Many of these conflicts were not surprises. The 2025 NASCAR schedule did not come out until August, but we would have known the start times for many of those races even if they were not immediately released. 

NASCAR's first race in Mexico City was going to be a mid-afternoon race. The same is true for the Chicago race and Sonoma. It might not have been written in stone, but anyone in-the-know would be aware that there would be a NASCAR race happening around 3:00 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. on those days, and it would be best to make sure your festivities are wrapped up before then. 

IndyCar's released its start times for the 2025 schedule on December 18, 2024. It was still early, but late enough to know what times to avoid.

Most of these adjustments should help the at-track experience as well as the television number. Since returning to the schedule a decade ago, Road America has been around a noon start time local. The original 2:30 p.m. start seemed like a significant jump at a track where the circuits bigwigs have said it knows an earlier start is better for those who are traveling back to the Chicago-area post-race. 

An hour adjustment is hardly a change at all. Most people attending a race are there well over an hour before the race begins. Mid-Ohio and Iowa should not see many issues with that adjustment. Toronto should also be fine at noon even if it is two hours earlier. 

The concern is Gateway. Primetime races on network have been non-existent for IndyCar, and rightful so as viewership has never warranted the real estate. Outside of the 2013 Texas race on ABC and the 2020 Texas race on NBC, I cannot recall any other primetime network races, and those were both held on Saturday nights. A Sunday night in June is one of the least desirable television time. People are home and watching television as there is work the next day, but many people aren't flocking to the television in the summer time. In some areas, Gateway will be starting well before sunset. People will still be out and about. 

It is a good window to have, and it shows Fox believes it is worth giving IndyCar such a valuable spot even though general television viewership is down that time of the year. 

Gateway's issue is the track itself. Again, it is one thing to change a football game from an afternoon to primetime start. A motorsports event is a different, and more complicated animal. For starters, most people attending an NFL game are likely from within an hour driving distance of the stadium. Even the people that travelled in for the game are likely staying Sunday night. If you flew to a city for an NFL game, even a 1:00 p.m. game, you are staying in that city on Sunday night. Very few people are going from the game straight to the airport. 

Motorsports, and IndyCar in particular, is not like that. Almost every race is a day trip. It is a fanbase that looks to minimize cost. When it comes to IndyCar, a great number of people are driving across the Midwest to attend a race. If it is a three-hour drive one-way to the circuit, they will do it. They will leave at 9:00 a.m., arrive at noon for a 2:00 p.m. race and then leave the track at 5:30 p.m. to be back by 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. It is a full day. 

We cannot immediately solve IndyCar's problems of finding a way to attract a healthy local audience in the markets for its races and not rely on the Deadhead-esque commitment from a portion of the fanbase, but at the moment that portion is too great to ignore. Shifting a race from the mid-afternoon to primetime, especially on a Sunday, is a costly move. 

If Gateway was scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Sunday from the start, people would have managed. Some would have said no because they cannot get Monday off from work. A good number would adjust and get a hotel for Sunday night. Changing that start time a month prior to the race is at a detriment to the small congregation that IndyCar can attract on a regular basis. That is a significant change to a weekend plan. 

Those who had the day trip plan now have to consider getting a hotel or taking off from work on Monday. Those who had hotels on Saturday night might have to add another night. It is not cheaper to get a hotel closer to an event. It isn't just an extra cost but an extra cost at a higher price than if the spectators had four or five months notice on this start time. 

It will help with television, but IndyCar and the racetracks that host the series are more dependent on gate revenue than NASCAR. For the optics alone, IndyCar cannot afford to race in front of empty grandstands. This late change does risk making Gateway look worse than it would have been. Hopefully, enough people can make the adjustment and still attending while also attracting a fair number who could not have made an afternoon race but can make a night race.

These adjustments should help television, and it is nice to see IndyCar and Fox could work on eliminating some of the overlap with NASCAR races. However, this cannot be a yearly thing. It is bad enough it had to be done once. There is enough wherewithal in the management offices for both the series and the broadcast partner to know what conflicts should be avoided and how that can be accommodated. Some clashes are inevitable. You cannot schedule every race according to another series, but there are a fair number of conflicts that could have been avoided from the start. 

Let's hope that is the lesson learned early for next year. 

109th Indianapolis 500 Practice Preview

The results of the first five races of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season and the following 11 rounds will be shelved for two weeks, as all attention turns to preparations for the 109th Indianapolis 500. 

Practice week is here and with 34 entries, everyone will be competing to beat one car to make the race. Some will have their eyes turned to the front of the grid and setting the tone for the rest of May leading to race day on May 25. 

It will be a key time for everyone to make sure their cars are the most suitable for the week ahead. It will also be key to get through this week without any trouble. One accident can turn a midfield team into a bubble risk. Contenders can become pretenders. 

Some teams have a clue where they stand after the two-day test at the end of April, but now is show time and the click is ticking on how the legacy will shake out.

What is the schedule?

Practice begins on Tuesday May 13 with a two-hour session for all 34 cars at noon. ET. After that session, the track will be open for Tony Kanaan to complete his refresher program from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., if needed. After the refresher program is complete, all 34 entries will be able to return to practice, which will end at 6:00 p.m.

Over the next three days, practice will run for six hours starting at noon each day. On Friday May 16, the qualification draw will take place after practice at 6:15 p.m. 

On Saturday May 17, there will be a one-hour practice beginning at 8:30 a.m. for all cars. Qualifying will begin at 11:00 a.m. and run until 5:50 p.m. 

The fastest 12 cars at the end of Saturday will advance to the Fast 12 session on Sunday. The 13th through 30th qualifiers will be locked into the race and have their starting position secured for the 109th Indianapolis 500. The slowest four qualifiers will run int he Last Chance Qualifying session.

Sunday May 19 will begin with a one-hour practice for the top 12 qualifiers starting at noon. The Last Chance Qualifiers will have a one-hour practice at 1:00 p.m. Qualifying resumes at 4:05 p.m. for the Fast 12 session. Each team will get one qualifying run. The fastest six teams will advance to the Fast Six to determine pole position and the first two rows for the Indianapolis 500.

At 5:15 p.m., the Last Chance Qualifying session will take place. The four entries will have one hour and can make as many attempts as possible. The slowest car at the end of that session will fail to qualify. 

The Fast Six session will begin at 6:25 p.m. with each entry again having one qualifying run. 

On Monday May 19, a two-hour practice session will be held at 1:00 p.m.

What is the forecast?

The week starts with a little bit of a shaky forecast. 

Tuesday begins with a chance of isolated thunderstorms and a 38% chance of precipitation. The highs will be around 75º F with a 5 mph wind from the Southeast.

Wednesday and Thursday are both looking to be partly cloudy days with the chance of precipitation dropping to 15%. While winds will remain about 7 mph from the South Southwest on Wednesday, the wind will pick up on Thursday, blowing at around 15 mph from the South Southeast. Along with the increase in winds will come an increase in temperature. Wednesday calls for a high of 79º F with Thursday jumping up to 87º F. 

Friday practice will see the temperature remain in the mid-80s, with a high of 86º F on a mostly sunny day and the chance of precipitation hangs around 23%. Winds will remain at 13 mph from the Southwest. Temperatures will drop a little on Saturday. The high will be 81º F with the winds increasing slightly to 17 mph from the West Southwest. The chance of rain drops to 15%. 

For Sunday's qualification day, partly cloudy skies should return and the temperature should drop to around 74º F. Winds will decrease to 9 mph from the West Northwest. There is a 15% chance of rain. 

The post-qualifying practice day on Monday will see another partly cloudy day and temperatures down to 72º F.

Explain the Tony Kanaan Refresher

Kanaan is the standby substitute driver in case Kyle Larson must leave Indianapolis before Larson gets a chance to start the Indianapolis 500. Kanaan must still complete a refresher program before he would be allowed to run in the race. 

Prior to last month's test, IndyCar set out a reminder out the substitute driver procedure, and it stated any replacement driver must complete the refresher on the first day of practice. The reminder also said once the refresher program was completed, the replacement driver would not be permitted to running any additional laps during the session. 

Two hours has been allotted for Kanaan's refresher, but Kanaan should not need all that time to complete the two-stage, 30-lap program.

The Rookie Class

There are four rookies entered in this year's race, one of which is back for his second attempt to make the race. 

Nolan Siegel made a qualifying attempt for last year's race. Unfortunately, a qualifying accident in the Last Chance Qualifying session sealed Siegel's fate and he was unable to make the 108th Indianapolis 500 with Dale Coyne Racing. Siegel is back for the 109th race with Arrow McLaren. 

The other three rookies are all new to the Indianapolis 500. 

The 2025 Indy Lights champion Louis Foster will be driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the #45 Honda. Jacob Abel was second to Foster in Indy Lights last year, and Abel is in the #51 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing. Robert Shwartzman comes over after a year in the FIA World Endurance Championship to drive the #83 Chevrolet for Prema, a team that is also attempting its first Indianapolis 500. 

All four drivers are full-time participants in the IndyCar Series.

Who is not there?

Six drivers from the 108th Indianapolis 500 are not in the plans for the 109th race.

The best finisher of the non-returning drivers is Romain Grosjean, who was 19th with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Grosjean will have an outside shot of competing in the race as he has been signed as a reserve driver for Prema. 

The next best finisher from last year not here this year is another Juncos Hollinger Racing driver. Agustín Canapino was 22nd in last year's race, but the Argentine is not back for his third Indianapolis 500.

The remaining four drivers all failed to finish last year's Indianapolis 500. In fact, none of those drivers completed more than 27 laps. Linus Lundqvist was out due to an accident in 28th. Katherine Legge suffered a mechanical issue after only 22 laps. Tom Blomqvist made his Indianapolis 500 debut last year, but he sadly is remembered for not completing a lap. A spin in turn one on the opening ended Blomqvist's day and it took out Pietro Fittipaldi as well, who is also not returning for 2025.

Along with the four rookies, the two returning veterans are Jack Harvey, who was sidelined for the Indianapolis 500 when Nolan Siegel was placed in the #18 Dale Coyne Racing entry, and David Malukas is back after missing last year's race due to his wrist injury.

How is Kyle Larson and Takuma Sato Speed After Testing Accidents?

The biggest stories from the two-day test at the end of April were the two accidents. On Kyle Larson's second lap of the qualifying simulation session, his first proper flying lap, held on April 24, Larson hit the wall exiting turn one and his damage chassis skidded into the barrier in turn two as well. 

Sato had completed eight laps in the qualifying simulation session, and he had run the fastest no-tow lap of the session at 232.565 mph. That lap would stand for the second-fastest of the day. On his ninth lap, Sato lost the back end of his car in the middle of turn one and he hit the barrier. 

Larson's car was salvageable but Sato's car was written off and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing had to order a new car from Dallara.

On the first day of testing, Larson had run fast enough for 11th-quickest at 223.430 mph. Sato was third-fastest on the first day of testing at 225.069 mph. He was one of three drivers to break the 225-mph barrier on the first day of testing.

Last year, accidents proved to be costly to qualifying efforts. There were three incidents of note in practice week last year. Linus Lundqvist had a spin on Thursday morning in turn two and Marcus Ericsson had a spin exiting turn four. During Friday practice, Nolan Siegel had an accident in turn two. 

Lundqvist was able to qualify 27th. Ericsson and Siegel both had to participate in the Last Chance Qualifying session on Sunday. Ericsson took 32nd on the grid. Siegel failed to make the race.

What trends should we know for the Fast 12 and the race?

If you top the no-tow report on any day, you are likely going to make the Fast 12. Since 2016, only twice has a driver topped a no tow report and not started in the top 12. Jack Harvey was the first in 2020, who topped the no tow report in Thursday practice that year. Last year, Colton Herta topped the no-tow times on Thursday, but he fell a spot shy of the Fast 12 and started 13th.

Last year, the Tuesday practice was cut short after only 23 minutes, not enough time for any no-tow laps to register. Takuma Sato and Josef Newgarden were the fastest no-tow drivers on Wednesday and Friday. They ended up starting tenth and third respectively. 

Scott McLaughlin only registered no-tow laps on Thursday and Friday, but his average over those two days was fourth on the no-tow report, and McLaughlin went on to win pole position. 

Nine of the Fast 12 participants ranked in the top 12 of average no-tow report position over the three practice days. It is difficult for drivers to register on laps leading up to Fast Friday. Friday practice is the one place where nearly every driver will get a clean run. It is also the only practice days where everyone is competing with the 150-Kilopascal (kPa) level of boost that will be used in qualifying. 

Last year, nine of the top 12 in the no-tow report from Friday practice made the Fast 12. Eleven of Fast 12 ranked in the top 15 on Friday's no-tow report. The exception, and surprise of qualifying, was Ryan Hunter-Reay, who made the Fast 12 despite not being faster than 18th on the no-tow report leading into qualifying. 

Seven of the top ten cars in average overall practice result made the Fast 12 last year while ten of the Fast 12 ranked in the top 14. Herta had the best average though and did not make it. The other two drivers ranked 18th (Kyle Larson) and 22nd (Rinus VeeKay) on average overall practice result. 

The fastest drivers overall each day were Scott Dixon (Tuesday), Scott McLaughlin (Wednesday), Patricio O'Ward (Thursday) and Colton Herta (Friday).

Only once in the last 12 years has an Indianapolis 500 winner topped a pre-qualifying practice session. That was Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014, who topped the Monday pre-qualifying practice day.

Over the four days, Josef Newgarden ranked 28th in the abbreviated Tuesday practice but then ranked fourth, fifth and third over the next three days.

Who should be nervous about bumping?

It is the usual suspects. 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has had a last row starter in the last three Indianapolis 500s. Though the team showed promising pace in testing beyond Sato, until we get through at least Friday practice with all of its cars far from the bubble, RLLR will be in the conversation. 

Prema is new and it did well in testing, but it was not blisteringly quick with either Robert Shwartzman or Callum Ilott, who is back for his fourth Indianapolis 500 start. Prema is a full-time team, but new teams to the Speedway do race a battle to make the race. Abel Motorsports did make it on first attempt in 2023 with R.C. Enerson, but he qualified 29th. In 2021, Enerson made his first "500" attempt and fell short with the new Top Gun Racing. In that same year, Simona de Silvestro made it as the 33rd-starter for Paretta Autosport. 

Dale Coyne Racing has also been a bottom feeder the last two years at the Speedway. In 2023, it had both its cars in the Last Chance Qualifying session. Both made the race. Last year, Nolan Siegel was the lone car bumped from the field. Add to the Coyne concerns Jacob Abel, who was toward the bottom on each test day last month.

What will this race mean for the championship?

With Palou up 97 points through five races, it feels like the championship is over with 12 races to run. The door is very much open for someone to beat Palou, but with an average finish of 1.2 through five races, it will be rather difficult to defeat the Catalan driver.

If Palou were to finish second in the next seven races with no bonus points, it would require second in the championship, Kyle Kirkwood, to win all seven of those races with the maximum 54 points for pole position and most laps led to take the championship lead, and even then Kirkwood would only have a one-point lead with five races remaining (529 to 528).

No driver has come close to the level necessary to dethrone Palou from his championship perch. Not only would it require Palou hitting a historic rough patch but it would also require another driver to go on a personal tear they have never achieved before for there to be a change at the top of the championship. 

If there is any hope in Indianapolis, it comes from the extra points available in qualifying. Pole position pays 12 points with each spot in the top 12 paying one fewer descending point. Combine victory with pole position and the most laps led in the Indianapolis 500 and a driver could walkaway with 65 points from this race. Theoretically, a driver could take 60 points out of Palou's lead in this one race. That would require Palou scoring the minimum five points, which would mean Palou finishing 25th or worse. 

There is also the unthinkable possibility that a driver could make up a full 65 points to Palou with a maximum points victory and Palou failing to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. A truly insane, yet possible, turn of events.

Musings From the Weekend: Third or Fifth or Does it Matter?

Here is a rundown of what got me thinking.

The pope is American. Álex Palou has won four of the first five IndyCar races. The weather produced a chaotic MotoGP round from Le Mans. Ferrari continues to have a successful run in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Alpine has cleaned house, and the new boss is same as the old boss. There might be more to that story. Liam McNeilly had his five-race winning streak snapped in U.S. F2000 as visa issues kept the Briton from re-entering the country for the Indianapolis round. We are through one busy weekend from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Two more are ahead of us, and it could be a historic year at the Speedway. 

Third or Fifth or Does it Matter?

Every year there is a chance at Indianapolis 500 history. Someone is always on the verge of doing something unprecedented at 16th & Georgetown. This year is extraordinary. 

Josef Newgarden has won the last two Indianapolis 500s. Newgarden's victory last year made him the first driver with consecutive Indianapolis 500 victories in 22 years. For the first time since 2003, and for only the sixth time in the history of the race, someone has a chance at a third consecutive victory. A three-consecutive Indianapolis 500 winner has been one of those accomplishments pondered for years. It is an unexplored frontier for such a historic race. A chance to reach it does not come around often. 

But we have been staring into the unknown for the last few years at Indianapolis, this year gives us a second possibility of greatest. 

While Newgarden looks for a third consecutive, Hélio Castroneves is making his fourth attempt at a fifth Indianapolis 500 victory, the top of the mountain. A fifth Indianapolis 500 victory is nirvana. It does not get better than that. Castroneves could separate himself for the long-establish trio of A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears, and Castroneves will set the bar at a previously unthinkable level. A fifth Indianapolis 500 almost seemed unreachable, but it is within Castroneves' grasp. 

Third consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory. Fifth overall Indianapolis 500 victory. Both are at play in the same Indianapolis 500. We have never seen both on the table simultaneously. 

A fifth Indianapolis 500 victory has only been a possibility since 1978. At that time, we were seven years removed from the most recent driver to win the race in consecutive years when Al Unser did it in 1970 and 1971. When Hélio Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 in 2001 and 2002, the only other active driver with multiple Indianapolis 500 victories was Al Unser, Jr. with two. No other driver had three let alone four looking at five. 

These two achievements are aligning in a way only the planets in the sky have previously. To possibly see one is wonderful gift. To have the chance to see either in the same race is staggering. Both have long been sought achievements, and here we are.

Do either matter though? 

In my youth, Castroneves had a realistic chance at a third consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory in 2003. He was second to Team Penske teammate Gil de Ferran. It was close. We nearly saw it. History fell a spot short. It was agonizingly close. Then Castroneves won a third in 2009. A fourth Indianapolis 500 victory was conceivable. A fourth made a fifth seem obtainable. It took longer than we thought for Castroneves to win his fourth, but the drive for five was revived three decades after its last pursuit. 

A third consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory and a fifth Indianapolis 500 victory felt like earth-shattering accomplishments, not just in motorsports but in the world of sports. It felt like those were significant achievements that would draw the awe of many. 

I have grown older. I don't think the outside world would be impressed if either occurred. 

I saw Castroneves win his fourth. It was big to us. We were floored we got to see it especially in Castroneves' first Indianapolis 500 start not with Team Penske, and for it to come with Meyer Shank Racing, a relatively small team based out of Ohio. Castroneves' fourth coming in 2021 after virtually every race in 2020 was held behind closed doors and with around 135,000 people in attendance that day was another beautiful occurrence. We had lost so much, and normal was slowly returning. It was a jubilant celebration we needed after so much time apart. 

Did it make any waves outside the bubble? 

The true reach of a sporting event is how many people who otherwise would not tune in make it an appointment to watch. We have seen it with Triple Crown races, Caitlin Clark's final games with Iowa in the NCAA tournament, over nine million people watching Canada and the United States play ice hockey in a competition that didn't exist prior to this year, and most recently in April at The Masters with Rory McIlroy completing the career grand slam in golf. People love to see greatness hit its highest level. It doesn't matter what the sport is especially when it is exhilarating. 

Castroneves' fourth didn't quite reach those levels though he hit a mark that had not been reached in 30 years. The world didn't stop to honor the man. I don't think a fifth will be any different. The same goes for Newgarden winning a third consecutive. 

For as celebrated as the Indianapolis 500 is and for the attention is still able to draw, less than two weeks from race day the rumble for either possible triumphant is unnoticeable. Of course, let's see what happens over the next week. If neither Newgarden nor Castroneves show great pace through practice and qualifying and both start on row ten, no one is going to believe either is possible and waste their energy. If both end up qualifying on the front row or within the first three rows, then they will have our attention. "OUR" being the key word. 

It isn't about us. We are already here. The Indianapolis 500 is the one IndyCar race that reaches beyond those regularly at the table, but we know it could draw more. It never hurts to have more. Are any casual viewers enchanted at the possibility of history? 

For all the great racing that the Indianapolis 500 produced over the years, the one thing the Indianapolis 500 stands on more than anything else is history. Nostalgia intoxicates the fanbase to a dangerous levels at times. The race is over a century old and many still wish it would not enter the 21st century. We know people love the chance to see history. The Belmont Stakes draws its biggest crowds when a Triple Crown is at stake. When a Triple Crown isn't on the line, a little more than half that shows up. 

The Indianapolis 500 doesn't have the temperamental attendance issue, but success comes in terms of viewership of from those at home. It comes in the storylines and the conversation of the week leading up to the race. Who is paying attention and who is speaking about the race? General buzz in the sports landscape is something the Indianapolis 500 hasn't seen since the days of Danica Patrick. It is hard to get but not impossible. 

For as much as we celebrated the Indianapolis 500 as this quintessential American sporting event, it is an event America does seem to miss most times than not. It hasn't mattered how many passes there are or how close the photo finish is or if someone has a chance to win a third consecutive year or set the sole record for most victory in the race's history. If the race captures the country that would be news to the United States.

Maybe when a bit of history happens I will be pleasantly surprised. Until then, it will matter in our circle, but let's not mistake it as something the average person recognizes has occurred. 

Champion From the Weekend

Cooper Webb clinched the Supercross championship with a fourth-place finish in Salt Lake City.

Tom Vialle clinched the 250cc East championship after finishing third in Salt Lake City.

Winners From the Weekend

You know about Álex Palou, but did you know...

Johan Zarco won MotoGP's French Grand Prix, his first victory since the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Marc Márquez won the sprint race. Manuel González won the Moto2 race, his second consecutive victory and third of the season. José Antonio Rueda won the Moto3 race, his second consecutive victory and fourth of the season. Óscar Gutiérrez and Mattia Casadei split the MotoE races.

The #51 Ferrari of James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi won the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The #21 AF Corse Ferrari of François Heriau, Simon Mann and Alesio Rovera won in LMGT3.

The #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche of Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet won the IMSA race from Laguna Seca. The #77 AO Racing Porsche of Laurin Heinrich and Klaus Bachler won in GTD Pro, its second consecutive victory. The #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG of Philip Ellis and Russell Ward won in GTD, its second victory of the season.

Kyle Larson won the NASCAR Cup race from Kansas, his third victory of the season. Carson Hocevar won the Truck race.

Lochie Hughes and Dennis Hauger split the Indy Lights races from Indianapolis. Ariel Elkin (race one and race three) and Jacob Douglas (race two) split the USF Pro 2000 races. Jack Jeffers and Thomas Schrage split the U.S. F2000 races.

Broc Feeney (race one and two) and Matthew Payne (race three) split the Supercars races from Symmons Plains. 

Chase Sexton won the Supercross race from Salt Lake City, his seventh victory of the season. Haiden Deegan won the 250cc race.

Coming Up This Weekend

Indianapolis 500 qualifying. 

Formula One has its first European round of the season from Imola.

Formula E takes a trip to Tokyo.

It is NASCAR All-Star Weekend from North Wilkesboro.

Super Formula is at Autopolis. 

World Superbike is off to Most.

GT World Challenge America makes its way to Sebring.

The World Rally Championship is in Portugal.

First Impressions: 12th Grand Prix of Indianapolis

1. Ladies and gentlemen, what else can we say about Álex Palou has not been said already? 

The man is brilliant. He is the best in the IndyCar. He has been the best driver to enter the series in quite some time. There is a chance he is already greater than his teammate Scott Dixon, a man who is second all-time in victories and second all-time in championships. Dixon never had a run like this. 

We are living in a world where Palou locked up a championship with a race to spare two years ago, something that had never happened since reunification and had not happened in the series whose roots are the Indy Racing League since 2005. Last year, Palou nearly had the title locked up a race early. Now, Palou has won four of the first five races, his championship lead is 97 points and the Catalan driver effectively has his fourth title in five years wrapped up and we haven't even made it to Memorial Day weekend. 

Palou plays with his food every race. It never looked like this race was not going to be his even as Graham Rahal led nearly the entire first half of the event. Palou was constantly in Rahal's mirrors. If Palou remained in touching distance going into the final stop, he was going to have a shot at victory until the checkered flag. 

Palou didn't need to wait until the final pit stop. Rahal's team deciding to run its final set of alternate tires on the penultimate stint instead of waiting to run them on the final stint was costly. The one thing the Rahal team likely didn't count on was Palou maintaining ground on the primary tire while Rahal was on the alternate. Palou was quicker than Rahal despite the perceived disadvantage in rubber. Rahal's alternate tires wore out beyond the wear of Palou's primary tires, and Palou flashed into the lead before they even made it to the final round of pit stops. In four laps, Palou was up to a 6.1-second lead. 

The late caution for David Malukas breaking down opened the door for an upset. Palou's lead was over ten seconds at that point over Patricio O'Ward. O'Ward never made Palou sweat on that restart. Palou just resumed his beatdown, and in the final dash to the finish, Palou said goodnight, leaving the competition with a meal of his dust, as he claimed his third consecutive Grand Prix of Indianapolis victory. 

Nothing lasts forever, but no one has been able to come close to Palou and the #10 Ganassi team in 2025. It has been a long time since we have entered an Indianapolis 500 feeling there is a clear favorite. Palou is the man. It will be his race and everyone else will be running for second.

2. Patricio O'Ward ended up second and he was probably the fourth-best driver today. O'Ward got to second with a timely final stop and he leaped ahead of Scott McLaughlin, who had spent most of the race in third. I don't think O'Ward did anything special beyond he made the final stint at the right time and he took advantage of McLaughlin coming out in traffic behind the lapped car of Colton Herta.

O'Ward did nothing special and he finished second. Good for him.

3. Will Power ended up third and he was probably the sixth-best driver today. Power did what O'Ward did. He benefitted when McLaughlin was caught in traffic and when Graham Rahal's race unravelled. After a boneheaded start to the season, Power had driven four quiet races, finishing in the top six in all of them. This was his first podium finish of the season.

Good for him.

4. It felt like Scott McLaughlin could have been set to sneak in and steal a victory at one point when Graham Rahal and Álex Palou were caught behind the back-marker of Jacob Abel. McLaughlin dove into the pit lane and sought to take advantage of the traffic. It didn't quite work out as Rahal and Palou came in the following lap. The positions remained unchanged with McLaughlin in third. 

Then McLaughlin was burned on his final stop to come out behind the lapped car of Colton Herta. What was looking to be second ended up as fourth. McLaughlin should have been on the podium today. The only bad thing to happen was catching Herta after that stop. McLaughlin made no mistakes today. He ended up finishing where he started, but he was better than that for this entire race.

5. Scott Dixon went from 16th to fifth. It started with a good opening stint on the primary tire followed by a second stint on the alternate tire where he could pick off a few more positions. Then a third stint of consistent pace on the primary tire got him more ground and he was able to end all-out on the alternate tire. 

If Dixon only could find some qualifying pace, he might be able to compete with Palou. Just when you start to worry about Dixon, he has a day like this. It makes us nervous, but then he impresses us once again. 

6. Oh Graham Rahal, how I waited to talk about your day! 

It was always going to be a task to defeat Palou, but Rahal got the jump at the start, taking the lead from the pole-sitter Palou, and Rahal was able to hold the point through the first round of pit stops. Despite being caught behind Jacob Abel, Rahal still held onto the lead. On the second round of stops, he and Palou stopped together, but Rahal held on. The critical error was the Rahal team made the choice to take the alternate tire, his second set of the race, meaning he would have to finish on the primary tire. 

The hopes of victory ended there. 

It possibly could have worked out, but Rahal needed to drive away from the competition. He was unable to do that and Palou was able to take the lead before the final round of pit stops even began. Rahal's tires were shot and he slid backward. He was over six seconds behind Palou when he made his final stop. To add insult to injury, the team had a long stop and then held him for a moment to avoid an unsafe pit release into the path of Kyle Kirkwood. 

Rahal came out in fifth but essentially a million miles from he had spent most of this race. 

Regardless of how a team broke up the race today, the only logical choice was to end on the alternate tire. It was the best tire and it would give the teams the most speed on the run to the checkered flag. The Rahal team rolled the dice but unnecessarily so. The team gave Álex Palou an empty net for him to slam home the easiest goal of his life. 

I can understand the Rahal team thinking it had to do something special to beat Palou in a one-on-one fight, but it took Rahal out of the fight before we could even get to the final round. If Rahal was on primary tires in that penultimate stint, the same as Palou, I don't think Palou passes him prior to the final stop. Rahal's tires would not have fallen off that much to where Palou could pounce. It would have come down to the final pit stop and final stint. Could Palou leapfrog Rahal or could Palou beat Rahal in a fight to the finish? Rahal made it easy by taking itself out of the battle altogether. 

Even if Palou ended up as the better of the two drivers in a battle to the finish, Rahal likely would have still finished second today. Instead, Rahal dropped back to fifth, but he was a sitting duck on that restart. Dixon took fifth immediately and Rahal salvaged sixth from a day where he could have been second.

This is all on the RLLR team. Graham Rahal did all he could and he probably should have won this race. He definitely should have been on the podium, but he wasn't even put on a strategy to give him a shot at getting the most out of this race, which sucks because we don't know if RLLR is going to come this close to a podium again. The only track this team can seem to excel at is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. It blew its one chance.

It has been a rough season for this team. Considering RLLR entered this weekend with zero top ten finishes across its three cars, it is unthinkable to believe its worst result of the season would be sixth, but with how this race played out, this is the most painful result so far.

7. Marcus Armstrong was the only driver to go primary-primary-alternate-alternate in this race and it paid off with Armstrong going from 15th to seventh. I liked the call to end on two stints with the alternate tire. 

This race was starting almost split 50/50 on the tire selection. It actually leaned 15-12 in favor of the primary tire. Armstrong was following the group. By taking the primary on the next stint, he wasn't losing that much group. When you factor in Kyffin Simpson didn't start the race, Marcus Ericsson broke down and Callum Ilott and Colton Herta each fell off the lead lap due to unscheduled pit stops early, Armstrong was not taking a gamble as 13 cars were on alternate tires and 11 cars were on the primaries. 

It allowed Armstrong to take advantage of those on the primary tire for the third stint and then he was even with the field on the final stint. Entering that final stop, Armstrong was in the top ten. If we do this again, I wonder how many more teams will employ this strategy where it gets the least desirable tire out of the way in the first two stints. It surely worked for Armstrong. Hopefully, others noticed.

8. Kyle Kirkwood started 21st and he had to do something different to get track position. Kirkwood went primary-alternate-alternate-primary. Kirkwood likely knew he had to take advantage of those who would run the middle two stints on the primary tire to get track position and then live with the hand he was dealt on the final stint. 

It worked. It got him into the top ten. He was seventh after that final stop, but that was the best his day was going to be though. There was no way he could make up ground on the primary tire when the top five were all on the alternate. He lost seventh spot to Armstrong after the restart, but Kirkwood still managed eighth. It is as good as it was going to be after starting 21st.

9. Rinus VeeKay went primary-alternate-primary-alternate, but stopping on lap 14 to get off the primary tire paid dividends. He was able to carve through the middle of the final on that second stint, and it got him into a top ten position. This is the kind of strategy Dale Coyne Racing was once exceptional at, turning a start outside the top twenty into a top ten finish. Even better is they have a driver who can execute such a strategy. It has been a good year for VeeKay and DCR.

10. It was a scrap for tenth, and Felix Rosenqvist came out with the spot. Rosenqvist had a few lockups and a few bumps in this race. Qualifying did not go Meyer Shank Racing's way, but the team and both drivers did a sensational job to turn this into a double top ten day.

11. Louis Foster suffered at the end of his first stint. Foster didn't lose that much ground, but ending on used alternate tires left him with a battle to the finish, and it cost him a top ten result. This was still a good day for Foster. Should the team have set him up to end on new alternate tires? Probably. This is a rookie. In race #5 of his career, I wouldn't believe he would have the comfort to sprint to the finish on used tires. It was a good day, but it could have been better. That will be the story of Rahal Letterman Lanigan's 2025 Grand Prix of Indianapolis. 

To wrap up the RLLR day, the only team to run a dumber strategy than the #15 RLLR team is the #30 RLLR team. I cannot figure out who thought it would be smart to run alternate-alternate-primary-primary. Devlin DeFrancesco was done with the alternate tire halfway through the race, and DeFrancesco fumbled out of the gate when switching to the primary tire when he stalled on that second stop. That took him out of the top ten, but he was always likely to tumble that far. It was only made worse when he still had a second stint to go on the primary tire. DeFrancesco ended up 17th. Without that stall, DeFrancesco might finish 14th, but again RLLR took a car out of the top ten. 

I understand with three cars splitting strategies. With three cars starting in the top five, you cannot be that crazy! 

Kyle Kirkwood can finish on the primary because he started 21st. If you were starting outside the top fifteen that was the only way that gamble was acceptable. RLLR had three cars starting in the top five! Split the strategy with one car starting on the primary. Hell, run the Armstrong strategy and run the first two stints on the primary compound. 

Ending on the alternate tire is where the planning should have started. Then you build the rest of the strategy from there. I don't understand how RLLR missed that on TWO CARS STARTING IN THE TOP FIVE! 

12. Josef Newgarden is 12th but he had an impressive day because he had an MGU issue that caused him to drop from his grid position to essentially last because his car was being worked on during the parade laps. I don't understand how Newgarden and his team continue to stumble. Seatbelt issue, driver error, MGU issues. I don't know how this keeps happening to this team. 

Remember when Newgarden decided ahead of the 2024 to focus himself on his career and eliminate distractions? I have been saying this for a while, it is time to go back to the drawing board. All that work has been for nothing.

13. Nolan Siegel had a positive day driving up to 13th. Siegel wasn't in the mix that much. Christian Lundgaard had a pit lane penalty when he went over the blend line exiting after his second stop. This killed Lundgaard's race. He was looking poised to fight for a top ten result. The Dane went primary-alternate-alternate-primary. He likely would have been around Kirkwood and in a battle for those spots at the back of the top ten. Instead, Lundgaard was 16th.

14. Alexander Rossi did the primary-alternate-alternate-primary strategy. It didn't work. Rossi was 14th after starting ninth. That battle for tenth was likely tighter than expected, and Rossi lost out with the number of cars in that fight. I wonder how Rossi would have fared on the primary-primary-alternate-alternate strategy that Armstrong ran. It netted Armstrong seven spots from the start. I am not saying it would have put Rossi on the podium, but I think he could have pushed for a top five.

Christian Rasmussen started 19th and finished 19th. This seems to be the story of Rasmussen's career. He has a lot of races where he is anonymous. I know Ed Carpenter Racing hasn't been the bellwether team over Rasmussen's season-plus in IndyCar, but I also don't think Rasmussen has shown much to think he is someone who can make waves in IndyCar. With how competitive teams are for the Leaders' Circle funding, especially after last season when a number made changes with the prize money in mind, ECR might be making a change if the results don't improve. 

15. Conor Daly was 15th and Sting Ray Robb was 21st. That is Juncos Hollinger Racing for you. Daly did spin on the opening lap. Not the way you want to start the race, so I guess 15th isn't that bad in that context.

16. Robert Shwartzman ended up on the lead lap and in 18th, a nine-spot improvement. Callum Ilott was spun when the final stacked up early exiting turn 12, and Ilott battled some mechanical issues afterward to finish 22nd. Prema are going through those growing pains. 

17. Not a great day for A.J. Foyt Racing. 

Santino Ferrucci lost an engine in the warm-up, and he didn't benefit from starting in 11th on the primary tire. Ferrucci was shuffled back quickly. He actually rolled the dice when his teammate David Malukas broke down and brought out a caution. He switched to a third set of alternate tire after running nine laps on his second primary set. Ferrucci sacrificed track position in hopes to charge through the field. Ferrucci then immediately locked up his tires entering turn one, lost spots and that gamble backfired. 

Even before breaking down, David Malukas was outside the top fifteen and wasn't competitive in this race. A.J. Foyt Racing will be happy about oval activity beginning Tuesday. 

18. Jacob Abel's highlight of the race was being traffic to balk Graham Rahal and Álex Palou. Again, I don't think Abel is that bad. We can see Dale Coyne Racing has picked up form. However, in five races Abel has yet to finish better than 23rd and I don't think he has spent a lap in the top twenty that wasn't during a pit cycle. Something must give. 

19. Kyle Kirkwood salvaged Andretti Global's day because the team had numerous mechanical issues in the warm up. In the race, Colton Herta damaged his front wing on lap two and fell off the lead lap. Then seven laps into the race, Marcus Ericsson lost drive and was spun for good measure. 

This was a nightmare day for Andretti Global, but at no point this season has it felt Andretti was due for a day to go this poorly. Herta has had his pit stop mishaps, but that isn't a sign that everything would break on this team at once. The team has won and probably could have two victories this season. I guess it is better for this to happen in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis than the Indianapolis 500, but this does feel like a team that gets in its own way more often than it should.

20. Kyffin Simpson did not start this race. Simpson could not get the car in gear on the grid and he never took part. I do find it fascinating that the teams can run a morning warm-up, look over the cars in the few hours before the race and when it is time for the race to begin, there is a problem that keeps the car from running. 

I do wonder if IndyCar should be like Formula One and allow reconnaissance laps prior to the cars lining up on the pit lane. We can still have the warm-up, but like an hour before the race allow the teams to run one or two laps to check everything over and then line up on the grid. 

We don't need driver introductions. Scrap the driver introductions. Have the cars do reconnaissance laps and then when the drivers are done have all 27 of the get on a flatbed and do a fan lap. IndyCar and American motorsports must get into the 21st century with the pre-race festivities. Driver introductions are slow and out-dated. 

21. I have been a proponent of having the teams regulated to use both tire compounds multiple times in a race for a while now. I thought it played out well. There is always going to be a limit to strategy. If the alternate tire is the best tire, it is the best tire and teams (except RLLR) will work to end on that tire. But I think this opened the door today, and for the first attempt, I think we only scratched the surface of what is possible. 

The alternate tire was the one to end on. That set up two logical strategies:

Alternate-Primary-Primary-Alternate

Primary-Alternate-Primary-Alternate

However, we saw Marcus Armstrong make up big ground going primary-primary-alternate-alternate. If we do this again, maybe more teams decide to finish on the preferred tire in consecutive stints. 

You could say this does nothing and doesn't fix anything if the strategies are limited to two options, but it was already limited to two options. Under the normal rules where the teams only have to use each compound once the strategies are either....

Alternate-Primary-Alternate-Alternate

Primary-Alternate-Alternate-Alternate

Racing is pretty straight-forward. There are a few good options that are proven to work and then there are plenty of dumb options that will end in failure. 

I think running two stints on each added a little more variety to the race. I hope we try this at more races, especially street races where those are more on the fence over whether it will be two stops or three stops based on fuel. The IMS road course is always a three-stop race. It wasn't going to revolutionize today's event, but I hope we see it for the rest of the season. 

We mind as well try stuff, and this isn't a costly experiment. All the teams have the tires anyway. They aren't being charged more nor are they being told to buy or develop something new. This seems like an easy change to hope and mix things up. 

22. I do have one suggestion about how to take this a step further, and I will admit the most infamous moment in IMS road course history is what brought this to mind: IndyCar should have a race where the teams are limited to two sets of tires for the entire race. One primary set and one alternate set. That is it. 

I want to see a race where the teams have to take the tires further than they have ever gone before. The Firestone tire does seem to last forever. It feels like at the end of a stint the tire could probably go for another 20 or 30 laps before there will be failures. It will not be quick but it will still work.

I want to see one race where the teams can only change tires once. I want to see who decides to push early to get positions and who decides to save and have speed at the end. I want to see what teams change early and I want to see what teams change late and go all-out in a sprint to the finish. 

Again, let's try stuff. The one-tire change limit would actually improve the entire weekend. There would be two sets for the race and eight sets available for practice and qualifying. All we hear about is how the teams never have enough tires and that is why 40% of practice is nothing happening. They couldn't complain if 80% of their tire allotment cannot be used in the race. They would have no choice but to practice more. The fans would win on Friday that is for sure. 

If we are trying two stints for each compound in a race, IndyCar should also try limiting tire changes to once per race. It might be good and fun to watch. Again, what else does IndyCar have to lose? Not a damn thing!

23. Fun hypotheticals aside, we are through with the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and, in less than 64 hours, Indianapolis 500 practice will begin and we are practically 14 days away from Álex Palo winning the Indianapolis 500.