Track Walk: Detroit 2026

The eighth round of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season officially closes the month of May, but it is not in Speedway, Indiana, rather it is on the streets of Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The midway point of the season is approaching quickly and we have had five winners already this season. Ten drivers have stood on the podium and 13 drivers have finished in the top five. Twenty-two drivers have scored a top ten finish already. This will be the fourth year back on the downtown Detroit course. There has yet to be a repeat winner. Dating back to the final races on Belle Isle, there have been six different winners in the last six Detroit races.

Coverage

Time: Coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday May 31 with green flag scheduled for 12:52 p.m. ET.
Channel: Fox
Announcers: Will Buxton, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe will be in the booth. Kevin Lee, Georgia Henneberry and Jack Harvey will work pit lane.

IndyCar Weekend Schedule

Friday:

First Practice: 3:00 p.m. ET (75 minutes)

Saturday:

Second Practice: 9:00 a.m. ET (60 minutes)
Qualifying: 1:00 p.m. ET 
Sunday:
Warm-up: 9:35 a.m. ET (30 minutes)
Race: 12:52 p.m. ET (100 laps)

Where Do We Stand?

Through seven rounds, Álex Palou continues to lead the championship but with fewer points than expected after the Indianapolis 500. In post-race inspection, it was found Palou's front wing height was not within regulation in terms of minimum and maximum heights. IndyCar officials determined the result of this violation was due to assembly errors and not an intentional modification. Instead of disqualification, Palou and the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing team each lost five points in the drivers' and entrants' championships, and the team was fine $10,000. 

The points penalty does not hurt Palou that much as he was seventh in the race with 12 points for pole position plus an additional three points for leading the most laps in the Indianapolis 500. Instead of leaving with 41 points, Palou scored 36 points in the "500," the fifth-most points scored in the race. Without the penalty, Palou would have scored the third-most points in the race, behind only Felix Rosenqvist and David Malukas, the top two finishers in the race.

Palou sits on 273 points, and he has a 37-point lead over Malukas. With his worst two finishes in the last two races, Kyle Kirkwood has dropped to third in the championship. Kirkwood's top ten finish streak ended at seven consecutive races, dating back to last season's Nashville finale, as he was 16th in the Indianapolis 500. He trails Palou by 49 points. 

Arrow McLaren rounds out the top five in the championship. Despite an anonymous Indianapolis 500, Christian Lundgaard is fourth in the championship 78 points back. Patricio O'Ward is fifth in the championship, 85 points behind Palou. Scott McLaughlin's surge to third in the Indianapolis 500 has him 92 points off the championship lead in sixth.

An Indianapolis 500 victory lifts Felix Rosenqvist from 11th to seventh in the championship and he is 97 points behind Palou. There is a tie for eighth between Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon, two drivers who likely know they could have finished better at Indianapolis than where they wound up in the final result. Newgarden owns the tiebreaker thanks to his Phoenix victory, but both drivers are 106 points for the top of the championship. Marcus Armstrong remained tenth in the championship after his fifth-place finish. Armstrong is 119 points from the top spot. 

Graham Rahal dropped to 11th in the championship on 151 points, but there is some breathing room to Marcus Ericsson in 12th, who has 129 points. Seven points cover Ericsson in 12th to 15th and 18 points covers 12th to 18th. 

Alexander Rossi is on 127 points, two more than Rinus VeeKay while Santino Ferrucci is 15th on 122 points. Kyffin Simpson sits on 116 points, four more than Will Power. Dennis Hauger is the top rookie in 18th on 111 points.

From Hauger, there is another 16 points back to Louis Foster and Nolan Siegel, who are tied for 19th. Foster owns the tiebreaker as his best finish is seventh to Siegel's tenth. Despite finishing ninth at Indianapolis, Romain Grosjean is still 21st in the championship on 92 points. 

Another 16-point gulf opens to the bottom four drivers in the championship. Caio Collet has 76 points while Christian Rasmussen is on 71 points. Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Mick Schumacher is off the very bottom of the championship, but he is still only on 66 points. Sting Ray Robb rounds out the top 25 on 62 points.

Turning a New Leaf

Felix Rosenqvist heads to Detroit with the wind beneath his wings. Rosenqvist's 98-race winless streak is over. It is the second-most starts between victories in IndyCar history. At five years, ten months and 13 days between victories, it is the 17th-longest stretch between victories in IndyCar history. With 120 starts under his belt and coming off the greatest triumph of his career, Rosenqvist can look forward to rising to another level. 

Prior to Indianapolis, this had not been the greatest start to the season. Rosenqvist had not finished in the top ten in the first four races. He lost a potential top ten at Arlington for passing early on the final restart and was relegated to 19th. He did win pole position in Long Beach and led the most laps before finishing second to Álex Palou. However, in next race at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Rosenqvist's day was derailed from the opening corner when he earned an avoidable contact penalty for contact in turn one with Patricio O'Ward. Contact in the penultimate corner later in the race with Kyffin Simpson ended Rosenqvist's day and placed him 23rd. 

This was the third time in his eight IndyCar seasons Rosenqvist failed to score a top ten finish in the first four races of the season. However, things have been turning around. The Swede has started in the top five in four of the last five races. At Long Beach, he and Meyer Shank Racing were plain beat but made no mistakes. Palou was just better.

At Meyer Shank Racing, Rosenqvist has found good form. While in his first season he was 12th in the championship, level to where he was in his final season with Arrow McLaren, Rosenqvist improved to sixth in the championship last year. His four top five finishes were his most since he had six in his rookie season in 2019. His ten top ten finishes in 2025 matched his best in a single season. 

This Detroit circuit has been a reasonably good place for Rosenqvist, but it has provided some difficult moments. While he started ninth and finished third in 2023, he had to start 22nd in 2024 and he suffered a tire puncture on the opening lap. However, the cautions kept him in the fight and he was able to secure an eighth-place finish. Last year, he had an early spin but had no damage. He climbed his way back into position for a top ten finish until Louis Foster had a suspension failure directly behind Rosenqvist entering the hairpin and collided with the back of the Swede. This left Rosenqvist 21st in the final results.

Rosenqvist has scored at least one podium finish in seven of his eight IndyCar seasons. The 2021 season is the one outlier. However, Rosenqvist has never had consecutive podium finishes in his career. This is only the third season in which he has had multiple podium results. He had two in his rookie season in 2019 and he had two in 2023, his final year with McLaren. 

The last driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and the following race was Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000. Since 2001, only four times has the Indianapolis 500 winner finished on the podium in the next race, and all four of those drivers finished second. Dario Franchitti was second to Tony Kanaan at Milwaukee in 2007. Scott Dixon was second to Ryan Briscoe at Milwaukee in 2008. In 2012, Franchitti was second at Belle Isle to Dixon. Takuma Sato was runner-up to Dixon at Gateway in 2020. 

Only twice in Rosenqvist's career has he had consecutive top five finishes. He ended his rookie season in 2019 with finishes of second and fifth at Portland and Laguna Seca respectively. Last season, he was fifth at Thermal Club and then fourth at Long Beach.

Malukas' Close Calls

As much as we basked in Felix Rosenqvist's celebration, the anguish in David Malukas' face when he finally stepped out of his car after the Indianapolis 500 left an indelible mark on how we will remember the 110th Indianapolis 500. 

Malukas was second after starting second. He led 30 laps, the third-most in the race behind only Álex Palou's 59 and Scott Dixon's 32. Malukas had made a pass for the lead at the start of the final lap on Marcus Armstrong, only to be 0.0233 seconds short of victory when it came time to take the checkered flag, the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history. It was the 17th-closest finish in IndyCar history. This was the second consecutive year Malukas finished second in the Indianapolis 500. He became the seventh driver to have consecutive runner-up finishes in the famed race.

For all the pain Malukas expressed, it should not cloud out what has been an excellent start to the 2026 season. In his first year with Team Penske, Malukas has been the best Team Penske finisher in four of seven races, and he has been the best Penske starter in six consecutive races. 

Entering this season, Malukas has three career podium finishes. He has had three podium finishes in the last six races. Malukas has six consecutive top ten finishes. His most top ten finishes in a single season was six in 2023. He has led 130 laps through the first seven races this season. He had led 128 laps in his first four seasons in IndyCar. 

Is victory coming for Malukas? 

The Indianapolis 500 runner-up has respectable results in the subsequent race in recent years. Over the previous five years, the runner-up has finished in the top ten three times and has finished no worse than 15th. However, the only top five finisher was Patricio O'Ward, who was fifth at Belle Isle after being second at Indianapolis in 2022. 

The most recent Indianapolis 500 runner-up to respond with a victory in the next race was Scott Dixon in 2020. He was second at Indianapolis and then he won at Gateway. Prior to that, the next most recent runner-up to win the next race was... Scott Dixon in 2012, who won at Belle Isle after finishing second to Dario Franchitti at Indianapolis. 

Since 1996, there have been two other occasions where the "500" runner-up responded with a victory. Paul Tracy did it in 2002, but his victory came in CART at Milwaukee. Tony Kanaan was second to Buddy Rice in the 2004 Indianapolis 500 and Kanaan followed it with a victory at Texas.

Generally, the Indianapolis 500 runner-up has done well in the next race. Since 1996, that driver has an average finish of 8.333 in the following race, and only twice has the Indianapolis 500 runner-up finished outside the top twenty in the following race during that span. Those drivers were Vitor Meira in 2008, who was 22nd at Milwaukee, and J.R. Hildebrand in 2011, who was 23rd in the first Texas race of a doubleheader weekend. 

This will be Malukas' 69th career start. The most recent driver to have a first career victory come after a second place finish was Robert Doornbos in 2007. Doornbos was second at Cleveland and then won at Mont-Tremblant the following weekend.

Starting Over

It is not quite the halfway point, but seven races is a healthy chunk of the season and results have become trends. The best teams are the best teams and the ones finishing at the back are no longer just having poor days. A few teams will be looking for a reset after Indianapolis, even the teams that have been doing somewhat adequate. 

Andretti Global is not entirely in the gutter, but it is hoping to turn things around after the two race weekend in Indianapolis, specifically Will Power.

Power has finished outside the top ten in six of seven races. A third in Arlington is his only saving grace this season. His race results are not being helped by his qualifying results either. Four times he has started 19th or worse this season. In those four races, his average finish is 17.5. This includes his 29th-place result in the Indianapolis 500 after suffering a gearbox failure. 

In the one race Power has started in the top five, he was on the podium. He has not started on the front row since he was on pole position for Gateway last June, a 16-race streak. 

Marcus Ericsson has been better than Power, but the last three races have been rather rough on the Swede. After opening the season with three top ten finishes in the first four races, including a fourth from his first career pole position in Arlington, he has finished outside the top ten in three consecutive races. Mechanical issues took him out at Long Beach and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Ericsson had a good drive in the Indianapolis 500, and could have finished in the top ten, but the pit strategy shuffled him back to 13th. 

Kyle Kirkwood is looking to stop the bleeding. A 16th in the "500" isn't the end of the world, but it stings when his two main championship rivals have both finished ahead of him in the last two races. Like Ericsson, Kirkwood had a good drive into the top ten during the "500" but the way pit strategy shook out, it left Kirkwood mired back in 16th when a top ten was achievable. 

The good news for Kirkwood is he has finished in the top five of all three street races this season, and he has 12 consecutive top ten finishes in street races dating back to his victory in Nashville in 2023.

Though he has a victory this season, Josef Newgarden is likely smarting after his accident while running in the top five of the Indianapolis 500. Newgarden's Team Penske teammates finishing second and third are not helping him either. It was the second consecutive year Newgarden has retired from the "500." While he is eighth in the championship, results have not exceptional. 

Newgarden won at Phoenix, but he has been the worst Penske finisher in three races. Phoenix is the only time he has been the top Penske driver. He has not had a top five finish on a street course since he was third at St. Petersburg in 2025. His most recent street course victory was over four years ago at Long Beach in 2022. He has not had consecutive top five finishes since he was third in the 2024 Nashville finale and then third in the 2025 St. Petersburg season opener. The last time Newgarden had consecutive top five results within the same season was first at Gateway and third at Portland in 2024. 

The Andretti drivers and Newgarden are four drivers who want to be better but haven't been bad, except for Power. A few teams really could use a great result. 

Christian Rasmussen is outside the Leader Circle spots through seven races. Though few drivers have been closer to victory this season than Rasmussen was at Phoenix, his multiple glances with the wall dropped him to 14th in the final result. It remains his best finish of the season. Mechanical issues took him out of both races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Mick Schumacher has still not finished better than 17th this season. While he ran ever lap at the Indianapolis 500, he is the worst rookie in the championship, and he is ten points outside a Leader Circle spot. Sting Ray Robb is the only one spot beneath Schumacher, and Robb has finished outside the top twenty in six of seven races. Schumacher's entry and Robb's entry are two of the three charter entries that finished outside the Leader Circle money in 2025, making it imperative they get back in the money this season. 

The Leader Circle scrap is quickly becoming a four-driver fight for those final three spots. For all the praise Caio Collet received for his Indianapolis performance prior to his accident, Collet has still finished outside the top fifteen in four consecutive races and in six of seven races this season. Three of his last four results have been finishes outside the top twenty. 

Collet is on the Leader Circle bubble, but he is 16 points from breathing room in 21st and only five points out of the cellar. 

Indy Lights

After two weeks off, Indy Lights is back in action for its seventh round of the season from the streets of Detroit. 

Finishes of third and sixth on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course was enough for Nikita Johnson to retain the championship lead. Johnson will have a busy weekend on his hands as he is also competing in the IMSA race driving the #59 McLaren for RLL Team McLaren. 

Johnson has 231 points and he is 11 points ahead of Tymek Kucharczyk, who has yet to finish worse than fifth this season and who scored his first victory in the second IMS road course race. Kucharczyk spent last weekend competing in the USF Pro 2000 race from Indianapolis Raceway Park to gain oval experience. He was third in that race.

Max Taylor dropped to third in the championship, but Taylor is only 14 points off the championship lead. He was fifth and second on the IMS road course. Enzo Fittipaldi won the first race of the IMS road course doubleheader, and he was third in the second race. Fittipaldi is 16 points behind Johnson. 

A gulf is opening between the top four in the championship and the rest of the field. Lochie Hughes is fifth  on 167 points. Hughes was second and fourth at IM. Alessandro de Tullio started on pole position for the fourth time this season in the first IMS race, but he was ninth in that race and fifth in the second. De Tullio is on 162 points. 

Neither Juan Manuel Correa nor Jordan Missig had a top ten finish at IMS, but they are still seventh and eighth in the championship. Correa has 134 points and Missig has 125 points. Myles Rowe was seventh in the first race, but brake issues ended his second IMS road course race and placed him last. Rowe is ninth in the championship on 119 points, one ahead of Sebastian Murray.

Indy Lights will race at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday May 31. The race is scheduled for 45 las or 55 minutes.

IMSA

As is tradition in Detroit, IMSA joins IndyCar in the Motor City and headlines the Saturday action with a 100-minute sprint race. The GTP and GTD Pro classes will be on track and feature 21 cars.

With three victories from the first four races, Laurin Heinrich leads the GTP championship on his own. After winning the first two races with Porsche Penske Motorsport, Heinrich and Tijmen van der Helm won at Laguna Seca with the #5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche. Heinrich has 1,396 points while van der Helm is sixth on 1,159 points. 

In second is Jack Aitken, who has four podium finishes from the first four races, including three runner-up results. Aitken is 21 points behind Heinrich in the #31 Whelen Racing Cadillac. Earl Bamber missed the Long Beach round due to FIA World Endurance Championship responsibilities, and he is 11th in the championship. 

After winning the first two races, the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche of Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer is 73 points behind their third driver. Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor are fourth on 1,250 points in the #6 Porsche. 

Meyer Shank Racing won in Detroit last year with the #93 Acura of Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly, and the #93 Acura is on 1,242 points in fifth thanks to victory in Long Beach. The #60 MSR Acura of Tom Blomqvist and Colin Bruan are on 1,126 points and has finished fourth in two races this season.

Each BMW has a third-place finish this season. The #24 BMW of Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor is on 1,139 points while the #25 BMW of Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann has 1,035 points.

It has been a rough season for Wayne Taylor Racing. Its best finish this season was sixth with the #40 Cadillac of Louis Delétraz and Jordan Taylor. The #10 Cadillac of Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor has finished 11th in three of four races with its best result being tenth. 

The #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie of Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn is coming off its best finish of the season, eighth in Laguna Seca. 

Corvette enters as the GTD Pro championship leaders with Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner on 971 points. The #4 Corvette has not won yet this season, but it has finished fourth, third and second in the first three races. Daytona winners Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen are 51 points behind the Dutch-American duo in the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW. AO Racing has the #77 Porsche in third with Harry King and Nick Tandy on 908 points after a pair of podium finishes in the last two races. 

Ford Racing is coming off a victory in Laguna Seca with the #65 Mustang of Christopher Mies and Frédéric Vervisch. Mies and Vervisch sit on 897 points, 70 points ahead of the #3 Corvette of Antonio García and Alexander Sims. Pfaff Motorsport is sixth on 785 points with Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell in the #9 Lamborghini. Max Esterson and Nikita Johnson have scored 734 points in the #59 RLL Team McLaren. Ben Barker and Dennis Olsen have scored 731 points in the #64 Ford. The #64 Ford won this race last year with Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx.

VasserSullivan Lexus is last in the championship with the #14 Lexus on 720 points, but Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth have starting on pole position in the last two races. VasserSullivan is entering an extra car for this round. Aaron Telitz and Chaz Mostert will share the #15 Lexus.

The 100-minute IMSA race will take place at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday May 30. 

Fast Facts

This will be the 14th IndyCar race to take place on May 31, and the first since Sébastien Bourdais won the second Belle Isle race in 2015.

The first seven races to take place on May 31 were Indianapolis 500s. 

This race falls on the 40th anniversary of Bobby Rahal's only Indianapolis 500 victory. 

This race alls on the 23rd anniversary of Michel Jourdain, Jr.'s first career victory at Milwaukee, setting the record for most starts before a first career victory in IndyCar history at 129 starts.

Santino Ferrucci will turn 28 years old on race day. 

There have been nine birthday winners in IndyCar history, most recently Dan Wheldon won on his 30th birthday at Iowa on June 22, 2008. 

In three races on this Detroit street course configuration, the average starting position for a winner is third. Álex Palou won from pole position in 2023, Scott Dixon won from fifth in 2024, and Kyle Kirkwood won from third last year.

Seventeen consecutive street races have been won from a top ten starting position. The most recent street course race won from outside the top ten was Nashville in 2022. Scott Dixon won from 14th.

Thirty consecutive IndyCar races have been won from a top ten starting position. The most recent race won from outside the top ten was the second Iowa race in 2024. Will Power won from 22nd.

In the last two Detroit races, at least one podium finisher started outside the top fifteen. Marcus Armstrong went from 19th to third in 2024. Santino Ferrucci went from 21st to second in 2025.

Last year, Kyle Kirkwood won after making three pit stops. The first two Detroit races were won with two-stop strategies. Last year, no driver made fewer than three pit stops. 

In 2023, the top five finishers and eight of the top ten finishers made it on two stops. 

In 2024, three of the top four finishers made it on two stops, but the rest of the top 13 finishers made at least four pit stops, and the only other of the 17 lead lap finisher to make only three pit stops was Rinus VeeKay in 14th.

In each race on this Detroit configuration has the winner led the most laps. 

Honda has won all three races on this Detroit configuration, and Honda has won all three street course races this season.

The average number of lead changes at Detroit is 8.667. There were ten lead changes in 2023, five lead changes in 2024 and 11 lead changes in 2025. 

The latest lead change that has occurred in the last three Detroit races was last year on lap 79 when Kyle Kirkwood took the lead from Santino Ferrucci

The average number of cautions at Detroit is 6.667. There were seven cautions in 2023, eight cautions in 2024 and five cautions in 2025. The average number of caution laps is 29.333. There were 32 caution laps in 2023, 47 caution laps in 2024 and 19 caution laps in 2025.

Last year was the first time IndyCar avoided an opening lap caution in three runs on this Detroit course. Last year, the first caution did not come out until lap 14.

The longest green flag run to complete a race was 27 laps in 2024.

Predictions

Álex Palou, but if it isn't Álex Palou, though it might really be Palou, Kyle Kirkwood will be tough to beat for his second consecutive Detroit race, and if it isn't Kirkwood, the only other driver to finish in the top five of all three street course races this season is Patricio O'Ward. Felix Rosenqvist will make the Fast Six, but he will only finish in the top ten. We will see the fewest caution laps on this Detroit course configuration for the second consecutive year. There will not be any pit lane shenanigans where someone makes up ten spots and suddenly is running much better when previously being unrecognized. Sleeper: Marcus Armstrong.

Musings From the Weekend: All Racing is Fuel Mileage Racing

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

It has been hard to put to words the passing of Kyle Busch. The motorsports side of this loss feels entirely irrelevant to a family who lost a father, son and brother. Everything else this weekend is meaningless. Who cares about the weather and the shortened NASCAR races? Who cares about the World Drivers' Championship? Who cares about the closest Indianapolis 500 and Felix Rosenqvist's victory? There is no point in being smart and clever with these words. It is hard to feel any joy even if we allowed to continue and that is what the Busch family would like us to do. We move forward with heavy hearts.

All Racing is Fuel Mileage Racing

As lead changes continued to rack up during the Indianapolis 500, I was enthralled with what I was watching and I knew exactly what was happening. 

Whether it was Álex Palou and Alexander Rossi trading the lead as soon as the race began or when Palou and Scott Dixon worked in tandem as Chip Ganassi Racing teammates hoping to control the race and set each other up for the most success, it was incredible to watch, and I knew it was all down to fuel mileage. 

With the drag the leader faces running as the head of a line it is a disadvantage to be first at Indianapolis. It is better to be second for a good portion of a stint. After all, the name of the game is being first at the end of the final lap. If you can run second for 199 laps, so be it if you can be first at the end of lap 200. It has been this way essentially since the DW12 chassis was introduced, a car that also made it rather easy to race close and make big runs for passes. 

I knew the number of lead changes was inflated. I know the record we saw yesterday, 70 total, is a little inauthentic. It was not because drivers were constantly fighting to be first and there was some great power that came from leading. The lead changed because nobody wanted to lead. If the drivers could trade it every other lap they would. 

And it doesn't bother me. I don't think it is great, but I don't know how you fix it especially if you want it to be organic. All everyone complains about are gimmicks but isn't anything that is done to enact change a gimmick in and of itself? 

All racing is fuel mileage racing. Unless a race does not require a pit stop, fuel is going to play a role. It is the nature of motorsports in the 2020s, and it has been this way for over a decade. As long as you have cars running on fuel and needing to stop to re-fill tanks, fuel mileage is going to exist, and the goal will be to lose as little time as possible because of re-fueling. 

And people get angry about fuel mileage racing. There is always a push to avoid it or eliminate it, but that is never going to be 100% possible. Even with NASCAR adding planned cautions for stages, it still exists. If a fuel window is 40 laps, there is going to be a team stopping with 42 laps to go or 41 laps to go to try and stretch it and possibly win a race.

A past you are longing for is no longer obtainable, and you might not even want it. If you want to go back to 1975 or 1982 or 1994 and have races where you never heard about saving fuel and cars running all-out, we are not in a place in 2026 to have that. The field is incredibly close, almost unavoidably close because they are all using the same chassis and there is nothing between the engines that Honda and Chevrolet produce. You cannot run away and win a race. The leader isn't just going to run a second faster than everybody on every lap. Even if the leader did, it would mean stopping much earlier and we have seen the power of the pit cycle and wanting to stop as late as possible to not be trapped at the back or trapped a lap down. 

It used to be the case the fastest car was head and shoulders better than most of the field. Let's go back 40 years. Rick Mears had set the Indianapolis track record at 216.828 mph. That is four laps in two minutes and 46.030 seconds. Dick Simon was elevated into the field from the first alternate position after Dennis Firestone had to withdraw due to an accident in Carb Day practice. Simon's four-lap average was 204.978 mph, nearly ten seconds slower than Mears' four-lap run. For comparison, Palou's official pole-winning time this year was 3.8835 seconds faster than the slowest qualifying run from Sting Ray Robb.

Also, nothing fails now. Forty years ago, half the field knew it wasn't going to make 500 miles. There is a good chance all 33 cars will make it 500 miles in 2026. Eighteen cars ran all 500 miles this year and 24 cars took the checkered flag. Only four cars went the distance in 1986, and only 15 cars took the checkered flag. 

All we have is fuel mileage, whether we like it or not, but it has always been there. 

Jerry Grant lost the 1972 Indianapolis 500 because of fuel mileage. Roberto Guerrero lost the 1987 Indianapolis 500 because of needing one more pit stop and it was not handled cleanly. It is now the norm and what dictates the race from the start. 

I don't know how you make it better. Formula One has no fuel stops and even then people are upset with the racing. There could be bigger fuel cells and make it so fuel stops are less important, but unless you had it so a car could go 300 miles on fuel and everyone just has to make one stop over a rather large fuel window, fuel mileage is going to be a factor. 

Minimum speed could change. For most of this race, it felt like the leaders were running laps around 216 mph. Patricio O'Ward was dropping down to 207 mph averages as he was hoping to save fuel to make it to the finish. IndyCar could set a minimum lap time for the leaders that is much higher than we are seeing. It could be set at 220 mph or 40.909 seconds. It wouldn't entirely eliminate fuel saving but it would make everyone run quicker. If everyone is running quicker, they are all saving less fuel.

It is also difficult to enforce. How are you going to force everyone to run at least 40.909 seconds each lap? The leader is one thing but the car in 22nd? If 22nd second is running 40.909 seconds, the leaders will need to be running 40.6 seconds or faster. What happens if a driver has to back out because of traffic ahead or need to lift to keep the car out of the wall? One slow lap shouldn't be a penalty. Maybe it is limiting how many laps can be below that mark. Only three out of ten laps can be run slower than the 220 mph average. What is the penalty if you go above that mark? A mandatory pit stop? A drive through penalty? Do we want more rules to enforce on the drivers? How upset are you about fuel mileage racing? 

If you don't want teams worried about spending less time on pit lane, you could always slow the pit stops and enforce minimum pit stop times. If everyone in theory had to be on pit lane for a minimum of 60 seconds then saving fuel is not pertinent. Run as hard as you would like. You are still going to be sitting still for the same amount of time.

You may say those are gimmicks but gimmicks are the only way you are going to eliminate fuel mileage or at least eliminate it from being the strategy of choice from the very start of the race. 

Fuel mileage is going to be there, and it is going to play a role in a race. Anger is not going to change it. The 1980s are not walking through that door, and you probably don't even want them to return. It is healthy to watch a race and understand why the number of lead changes are what they are but embrace how the race is going to unfold. The Indianapolis 500 will have a slow burn feel to it. That was the Indianapolis 500's rhythm for a number of years. It wasn't about what happened in the first ten or 15 laps of a stint. It was about the final five laps of a stint as a pit cycle opened, and then how it played out over each stint. A race built up to the final stint and then it was flat-out to the finish. 

Even with all we saw at the start of this year's race and drivers constantly trading the lead, it became a fuel mileage race because there was a caution with 70 laps to go and a bunch of teams decided it was worth the risk to stop and try to make it on two more stops instead of staying out and running another ten laps and still having to make one more pit stop. And guess what? It was still enthralling to watch. We knew some drivers were going to be close on fuel, and we knew a few drivers were going to be set and trying to climb from behind. 

Some try and make it black-and-white and all fuel mileage racing is bad. That is incredibly false. It is never that cut-and-dry. This year's Indianapolis 500 was on edge because Felix Rosenqvist was pretty sure he could make it on fuel, Patricio O'Ward thought he couldn't but was going to try and make it work, and then you had David Malukas and Álex Palou who ended up on the less desirable strategy, but were trying to salvage something and chase down the leaders or at least force them into making an extra stop. 

It wasn't boring that is for sure. Isn't that all we can hope for whether it involves fuel mileage or not?

Winners From the Weekend

You know about Felix Rosenqvist, but did you know...

Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the Canadian Grand Prix, his fourth victory of the season. George Russell won the sprint race.

Noel León (sprint) and Martinius Stenshorne (feature) split the Formula Two races from Montreal.

Michael Costello won the Freedom 90 from Indianapolis Raceway Park. Evan Cooley won the Freedom 75.

Daniel Suárez won the Coca-Cola 600. Ross Chastain won the Grand National Series race. Layne Riggs won the Truck race, his second victory of the season.

Sacha Fenestraz and Nirei Fukuzumi split the Super Formula races from Suzuka.

Chaz Mostert, Andre Heimgartner and Broc Feeney split the Supercars races from Symmons Plains.

Matteo Cairoli and Kelvin van der Zande split the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races from Zandvoort.

Coming Up This Weekend

IndyCar continues racing into Detroit, and IMSA will join them with GTP and GTD Pro.

MotoGP's battered lineup makes it way to Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix.

NASCAR closes out May in Nashville.

GT World Challenge Europe has an endurance round at Monza.

World Superbike will be in Aragón.

The World Rally Championship makes an earlier trip to Japan.

First Impressions: 110th Indianapolis 500

1. When this week started, I pondered who was an apt comparison to Felix Rosenqvist's career. 

Highly successful in junior series, winner in essentially everything he jumped in, immense potential when he arrived in IndyCar, and yet eight years into his career, Rosenqvist did not have a lot to show for it. He had plenty of close calls. He had a rookie season of promise. There have been near turning points that did not lead to more. It has not been the worst career, but considering what we thought we were going to see when he entered in 2019, it had fallen short. 

Until today. 

Rosenqvist has had a good record at Indianapolis. It has been bouncing between fourth and 27th over the last half-a-decade, but he has shown comfort at the famed 2.5-mile speedway. This was lining up for Rosenqvist, but it felt like another turning point that would be a 360º turn to right back to where he started. After falling short of pole position and starting fourth, it felt like another case of Rosenqvist leaving speed on the table. 

In this race, it was not about out-right pace, but Rosenqvist's team, like a handful of others, made a call to stop with about 70 laps remaining, on the cusp of making it on one more pit stop. It was a gamble, but caution laps appeared to make it possible. The laps ticked away and Rosenqvist remained in a good position. A few challengers stopped early, 36 laps from the finish, but Rosenqvist ran a little further, and the race was going to be in his control. 

Rosenqvist and Patricio O'Ward played cat-and-mouse as O'Ward had to save more fuel. With 15 laps to go, Rosenqvist took the lead and the victory was in his grasp. O'Ward could not counter, and the cars closest on fuel were about 18 seconds back and not quite making up enough ground to be a threat at the finish. It was in Rosenqvist's lap, and it was pulled back to be anyone's race when Caio Collet hit the turn two wall with eight laps remaining. 

A red flag bunched up the field and everyone became a factor. O'Ward and Rosenqvist's Meyer Shank Racing teammate Marcus Armstrong would both be safe on fuel. David Malukas was going to be in the picture in fourth, erasing a 15-plus second deficit. Romain Grosjean and Álex Palou would each have an outside shot. It became a true donnybrook to decide the Indianapolis 500. 

On the lap 196 restart, Rosenqvist was a sitting duck and he was dropped to third. Armstrong stormed to the lead and Malukas moved up to second. A caution came out after a corner due to Mick Schumacher brushing the barrier, but the field slowed enough to set up a one-lap shootout à la the 2023 race. 

Armstrong was now in control, and he attempted to restart as soon as he could to try and run away from Malukas. It did not work, and Malukas took the lead in turn one. Rosenqvist took to Armstrong's outside. The Meyer Shank Racing cars ran side-by-side through turn one... and into turn two... and somehow the two did not touch. The two didn't crash. And somehow, the two did not lose speed. 

Somehow, running side-by-side did not cause a disturbance and allow Malukas to fly away despite Malukas having more fuel and about ten-lap fresher tires. Somehow, they closed into turn three. Somehow they ran side-by-side through a third turn, and into a fourth, and midway through turn four, Rosenqvist cleared Armstrong for second and pulled into the draft of Malukas.

It felt like Malukas had done enough to hold on for the final quarter-mile of the race, but Rosenqvist had the run and pulled to Malukas' outside. Malukas defended as much as he could. The cars were side-by-side with the yard of bricks closing. Malukas tried one little more swing to slow Rosenqvist, but the Swede was not deterred, and at the checkered flag, Rosenqvist was ahead by 0.0233 seconds, the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history. 

The driver who had yet to have his signature IndyCar moment etched himself in its history greater than most ever have. 

Rosenqvist's legacy had been a driver who has shown speed but never enough. Good enough for a pole position or a front row start, but in the race, he fades. It isn't pole-to-victory performances or vaulting from fourth-to-first and having a little more in the race. It has been pushing upon great but sliding into good. It might still end in a sixth-place result, but it doesn't look as good when starting second. The pace was there for the day to line up for him, but it was not quite falling into place. 

All it took was an overcast day in Speedway, Indiana. 

For a driver who had not won in 98 starts, nearly six years, driving for a team that had not won in nearly five years to the day, they had nothing to lose for their legacies rolling the dice and taking a little risk on strategy. They didn't need a flat-out race to the finish. A caution would be fine, but they were willing to converse in hopes of victory. They saved enough to where the final stint was not much of a concern. When all the dice had been rolled, they were in control of the race. 

Of course, fate made it a little more of a struggle. Rosenqvist had to win this race, something he has not done regularly in his IndyCar career. It was taken from him, but he got another bite at it, and it took an improbable final lap for him to pull off one of the most improbable finishes. 

As the Meyer Shank Racing cars ran side-by-side, it felt like David Malukas won the Indianapolis 500 as he exited turn two. The MSR cars did not fall in line. They were still challenging each other, which held up everyone else behind them. How could either beat Malukas? How could anyone beat Malukas with the MSR convoy running block? 

Malukas almost stopped exiting turn three, and despite running side-by-side, both MSR cars had Malukas within their grasps. Rosenqvist got clear and carried a little more momentum from the outside of turn four. If he was going to win this race, Rosenqvist was going to need to make a move and time it before the finish line. When he swung to Malukas' outside, Rosenqvist kept it clean. He wasn't wild and scrubbed off additional speed. It was a clean move and Rosenqvist held the wheel straight. The power was there to get to the checkered flag first. 

It was a race Rosenqvist won, and one that could not be anymore special. His place in IndyCar history is much more secure than it was when the cannon opened the gates to the track around sunrise. He is no longer a one-time winner, he is a two-time winner. Both victories have been races he won. We forget how he chased down Patricio O'Ward at Road America and made the pass with two laps remaining. Add to it, he is an Indianapolis 500 winner and he won the closest race in Indianapolis 500 history. 

Move over Al Unser, Jr. and Scott Goodyear. 

For 34 years, we have been waiting for something to replace Bob Jenkins "Goodyear makes a move... Little Al wins!" As technology has advanced and the field has closed in competitiveness, the day was coming. It is now here, and at 0.0233 seconds, it is a mark that will be difficult to beat. It could stand for another 34 years. Come 2061, the image could be engrained in the minds of multiple generations causing goosebumps to rise from nowhere. 

Rosenqvist has his moment. We will see if time adds more to his career and how we will remember him, but after this afternoon, he will not be forgotten.

2. After asking how someone won a race, the next question is how was the race lost? How did David Malukas lose this race? 

Conventional wisdom said, as the MSR cars were side-by-side through turn two, Malukas had this in the bag. When have two cars running side-by-side for consecutive corners at Indianapolis ever gained speed on anyone? David Malukas' dream start to his Team Penske career was about to be complete, and it all stalled out in turn three. 

This was not a race where the leader was safe and clean air was king. It helped, but cars were able to make runs. Until the final lap, we really had not seen a leader stall out like that. And yet, it still felt good for Malukas because the MSR cars were still side-by-side turn three and into turn four. 

As much as we get on edge for the drag race to the finish line at Indianapolis, it has seldom proved to be worth the intrigue. In recent years, the race has been won elsewhere. Josef Newgarden won two Indianapolis 500s with passes into turn three. Álex Palou had the race in the bag exiting turn four last year. Even in the years with drag races, the challenger has fallen short.

Alexander Rossi didn't have it for Simon Pagenaud in 2019. Neither did Hélio Castroneves for Takuma Sato in 2017. We saw Castroneves fall short to Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014, and Will Power did not have enough to beat Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015. You must go back 20 years to Sam Hornish, Jr. defeating Marco Andretti for the last successful drag race, and arguably the only successful drag race for the Indianapolis 500 victory. After all, Scott Goodyear fell short in 1992. Even Rick Mears fell short in 1992. 

Prior to this year, there had only been one successful drag race to the line where the car in second exiting the final turn pulled off a victory. Everything was on Malukas' side. 

It was just Rosenqvist's year. Maybe Malukas' last lurch to the right as Rosenqvist was to his outside cost Malukas 0.0233 seconds. Perhaps Rosenqvist always had the steam to pull off the victory. Malukas said he was not sure what else he could have done, and he is probably right. Rosenqvist ran 0.221 seconds faster than Malukas on the final lap, and it was a one-lap sprint. We can wonder how Malukas lost it, but the truth is Rosenqvist won it. We can dissect the lap for the next 100 years and find where Malukas could have found another 0.0233 seconds, but he had already pulled off one pass to take the lead at the start of that lap. He had given it his all. 

Put as we were once all told in the Utah desert, "You lost today, kid. But that doesn't mean you have to like it."

3. Meanwhile, as we had the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history, Scott McLaughlin stole third as 0.0155 seconds covered third to fifth. 

A great pit stop early in the race put McLaughlin in the picture in the second stint of the race, and he ran well, but McLaughlin never took control of this race. For the first 75% of this race, it was Chip Ganassi Racing controlling proceedings with Álex Palou and Scott Dixon and the Team Penske drivers were waiting in their shadows. When the cautions fell in the third-quarter of the race and broke it up to allow some teams to stretch their fuel, it handcuffed the leaders.

In hindsight, it was odd Team Penske did not bring down one of its drivers to run the strategy that proved to be successful for Felix Rosenqvist. They were all stuck to the same plan, and with 20 laps to go, it appeared unlikely either Penske car was going to challenge for the victory. 

This was a good race for McLaughlin, and one fewer caution may have seen a different race and one that featured him and three Team Penske cars going against a pair of Chip Ganassi Racing cars for the victory. It was still a third-place finish and one McLaughlin pulled out of nowhere. It was a one-lap dash Armstrong backing up after finally losing momentum off turn two played into McLaughlin's late charge to third.

4. Patricio O'Ward likely knows he would have been fortunate to win this one. O'Ward was not a factor until he decided to go off-strategy, and even then it wasn't enough. O'Ward had to save an incredible amount of fuel. Not enough to hold off Rosenqvist anyway. As we entered the final 15 laps, O'Ward and the Arrow McLaren team knew this was not going to be their Indianapolis 500. It might have been enough to coast to third. It was better than if they had followed the leaders. 

It is hard to feel like this one got away from O'Ward in the same way 2022, 2023 and 2024 were within his reach. This would have been a make-up for the close calls, one that fell in his favor. You take them however you can get them. 

5. Marcus Armstrong nearly stole this one. Again, you take them however you can get them. Armstrong took the lead on the restart after Collet's accident. Once it was clear the Schumacher incident was not serious, it felt like Armstrong was always going to lose this race. He wasn't going to hold on for a one-lap dash. The leader was always a sitting duck. Credit to him for gassing it early on the final restart. Waiting would have led to the same result, but perhaps it would have kept Rosenqvist from victory as well. 

Unlike Team Penske that had none of its cars go off strategy, Meyer Shank Racing took both its cars off strategy, and it kind of work. It won the race and finished fifth. Armstrong had been running well, but he was going to be in a fight for a top ten finish, not a victory, under normal circumstances. 

6. Rinus VeeKay stole sixth and I have no idea what a jumped restart is. On the penultimate restart, the one after the Collet accident, Rosenqvist brought the field down slowly, but VeeKay was already making a run. 

The rule is you can pass as soon as the green flag is shown, but it is hard to believe all these moves are timed just right that a driver can go from tenth to sixth every time. The first five or six drivers are being watched closely. The rest of the field just doesn't have to do anything blatant. 

That is hating the game, not the player. VeeKay wasn't called for a penalty, but boy does it feel wrong that every oval race, especially if it is late, it is set up for someone to hold back and get a run and make up five spots while others do not get that luxury. 

It isn't going to change. IndyCar doesn't change anything unless someone gets hurt. We still see drivers dicking-around on the start and restarts and the accordion accidents at the back of the field. There is the mess of restarts and some drivers going whenever while others follow the rules. We had this problem three years ago when Marcus Ericsson nearly won the Indianapolis 500 on a restart when the cars didn't even get back to the start-finish line before the next caution was out. 

It is sloppy and IndyCar doesn't care. 

Again, good for VeeKay and Juncos Hollinger Racing to finish sixth.

7. It doesn't feel like Álex Palou did anything wrong in this race other than the cautions did not fall in his favor and it worked out for Rosenqvist and company. If we had one fewer caution, this might have been Palou's day to take a second consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory.

It looked like Palou had the best car. Was anyone beating Palou? He was shuffled behind Malukas in those final pit sequences. Palou was restarting sixth after the Collet accident. It felt like he could work his magic in a four-lap sprint. Drivers in third and fourth were getting great runs on restarts all race. It wasn't quite meant to be. It was still a great day. He is still the championship leader. Palou remains the man to beat for the remainder of the season.

8. Eighth Indianapolis 500 start and eighth-place finish for Santino Ferrucci. 

The late cautions and the alternate strategy worked in Ferrucci's favor because without it, he is probably 12th or 13th in this race. He didn't quite have the speed to be a challenger. He didn't spend much of the race in the top ten, and a slow pit stop early for a right front wheel nut issue set him back. 

Hey, eight top ten finishes in eight Indianapolis 500 starts extends a record. It is quite an achievement. 

9. Romain Grosjean was ninth! And he overcame a penalty for passing under caution when entering the pit lane. Grosjean was on the Rosenqvist strategy. Grosjean restarted fifth after the Collet accident. It didn't feel like Grosjean was going to steal a victory, but stealing a top ten is a great day considering where he was with about 70 laps to go. 

10. Takuma Sato worked strategy to finish tenth. Sato probably is 15th or 16th if it wasn't for this strategy. His most notable moment of this race was the contract with Ed Carpenter in turn one that ended Ed Carpenter's race after 26 laps. This was a flattering tenth for Sato. 

11. Nolan Siegel was not mentioned once all race and he was 11th. He was on the Rosenqvist strategy. Siegel probably finished ten spots better than if he had not taken this strategy. I don't know what he did all race. He gets 11th. That isn't bad, and his last three results have been pleasantly good.

12. We are entering a portion of the finishing order where these drivers did not stop on lap 130 and was not on the Rosenqvist strategy, and that is really the only thing that cost them a better finish. 

Conor Daly had a top five car. I don't think Daly could have beat Palou and Maluakas and McLaughlin in a dogfight to the finish. Daly probably should have been fourth or fifth. His car looked good. He was shuffled outside the top ten and could not get back up there after his final pit stop. 

13. Marcus Ericsson got himself into the mix and it looked like he was going to be at least in the picture until the pit strategy shook out the way it did. Ericsson kept moving forward. The pit crews were not letting Andretti Global down today. He was better than 13th today.

14. Did you know Kyffin Simpson was 14th? He was. 

15. Scott Dixon was definitely better than 15th. When Dixon took the lead for the first time on lap 62 and he and Palou kept trading the lead, those two were in unison and if there was ever time for Dixon to get his second Indianapolis 500 victory, it was a race where he and Palou were equals working together for victory. 

Dixon stalled out on the restart on lap 109 and he never really factored again. Throw in the pit strategy and he was shuffled down to 15th. He was better than that.

16. Kyle Kirkwood made the same climb forward as Ericsson. I don't think Kirkwood was a contender for victory, but he was going to be in a top ten position. Unfortunately, this was another race with points dropped. It felt like Kirkwood was always going to drop points after Palou qualified on pole position and he was struggling on speed. It could have been worse, but it is still not a great result. He will have a lot of work to do in the remaining races.

17. Christian Lundgaard was non-existent today. Lundgaard's most notable moment was Romain Grosjean passing him as Grosjean entered pit lane and then Lundgaard decided to stop as well. I get why it was a penalty for Grosjean. I do think Lundgaard was a little lazy at that moment. Either way, Lundgaard was never close in this one. 

18. Let's cover the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year because the top finishing rookie was Mick Schumacher in 18th. Schumacher nursed the car home after that brief brush with the wall with four laps remaining. Dennis Hauger was the next best rookie in 19th after he sped on pit lane for his final stop. Before that, Hauger was in the same pack with Rosenqvist, O'Ward and Armstrong on the alternate strategy. 

I don't think any rookie was great this month. Hauger was going to do well if he did not speed. It would have been a strategy finish. Nothing wrong with that but I am not going to act like he did enough prior to the speeding penalty to take it from Schumacher. Schumacher ran all 200 laps. He did nothing special. None of the rookies did anything special except Caio Collet, who tried to knock down the turn two wall and set up the finish we saw. 

I would vote for Schumacher. 

19. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing had another woeful May. Graham Rahal and Louis Foster were 20th and 21st. Neither were a factor. Neither were really mentioned. They were just taking up space on track. RLLR needs a big shakeup at Indianapolis. We have been saying this for years. Sato is the only one who can get anything out of those cars. You can say it is the drivers but Christian Lundgaard also struggled while at that team. It is a systematic problem in that group.

20. Jack Harvey was 22nd. I hate to say we know Harvey's level in IndyCar, but Dreyer & Reinbold Racing had one car that was capable of winning and another that filled the field. Harvey is a good guy, but when it comes to Indianapolis 500 one-offs, how much longer are you going to run a guy who is going to be fighting just to crack the top twenty?

21. Sting Ray Robb ended up 23rd. I don't think Robb did a thing all race. He didn't get into trouble. That is a good thing. We know his level. He has finished outside the top twenty in six of seven races this season. What else do we need to see?

22. Jacob Abel was two laps down in 24th. The important thing is Abel saw the checkered flag. He didn't cause any problems. He didn't make a mistake. I think this is a fine Indianapolis 500 debut after failing to qualify last year. 

23. It was not cover why Hélio Castroneves fell out of the race after 194 laps, but that means Castroneves fell out under the red flag. It is listed as a mechanical reason. I don't know if this was a cause of a car that did not restart when the red flag was lifted. It doesn't seem like Castroneves cared as he won as a minority owner in Meyer Shank Racing. As a driver, Castroneves was on the Palou strategy, and he was going to be shuffled to a finish somewhere outside the top fifteen. For a moment, he looked like a threat for another top ten finish. I think he is always going to be a top ten contender at this place, even if he continues into his 60s. 

Castroneves did make history. He surpassed A.J. Foyt's record for most laps completed in an Indianapolis 500 career. I don't think many ever expected that record to be broken.

24. Caio Collet almost knocked down the wall. He led a few laps after going off strategy at the start of the race and not stopping under either of the first two cautions in this race. I didn't see anything special today. Outside of a qualifying run that was disallowed, I don't think it was that great of a month for Collet. 

25. This was the Indianapolis 500 from hell for Ed Carpenter Racing. It was not covered, but Christian Rasmussen retired after 144 laps due to a mechanical issue and was classified in 27th. Alexander Rossi had another fire, and this came after a botched pit stop on the right rear tire cost him dearly on the first stop. Rossi will be record in 30th. Then Ed Carpenter had the contact with Sato and didn't make it more than 26 laps, placing him 31st. All three ECR cars lost at least ten positions on their first pit stops. If that wasn't a sign of things to come I don't know what would have been.

This will feel like a missed opportunity because Rossi started second and Rasmussen has shown great oval speed over the last two seasons. 

26. Josef Newgarden clipped the rumble strip in turn four on the lap 125 restart while running in the top five. This really set up Rosenqvist to win the race. Without this caution, it does not open the door for drivers to stretch it from there on two stops. 

This was a brief error on Newgarden's part. It was unforced. After the opening 100 miles, it felt like Newgarden was Palou's biggest threat. These lapses have been too common for Newgarden over the last three seasons now. He does not appear to be much of a threat anywhere but ovals. He cannot afford to let these chances go.

I will call out Josef Newgarden on one thing. He had his accident, goes to the medical center, and then Kevin Lee informs us he had a contusion, but was fine and staying in the medical center to watch the end of the race. Newgarden ducked another television interview. He did it a lot last year when things weren't going his way. The driver's bus lot is a two-minute golf cart ride from the medical center. He could have gone out, done his media hits in five minutes and been back in his bus in a blink. 

This has happened too often to be ignored. This is the pattern, and it is disappointing. Newgarden has been a gracious interview and he is personable. I do not understand the avoidance anytime anything goes wrong.

27. Will Power's race ended after a gearbox failure and he was placed 29th. This year has been hell for Power. I don't know if it will get better. It isn't going to be a bunch of gearbox issues, but he has been struggling to be competitive everywhere. Maybe it will improve as the season goes along, but this season with Andretti Global has gone far worse than we were expecting. 

28. Lastly, we cover the Ryan Hunter-Reay accident that collected Katherine Legge. Hunter-Reay lost the car in turn two. Legge spun in avoidance. She had nowhere to go. 

Hunter-Reay said he struggled with balance of the car and was loose constantly. This was essentially the same car Kyle Larson ran last year. Larson, and pretty much every driver who wants to do "The Double," says they will only do it with a competitive car. Even the best teams struggle to provide competitive cars. I don't think Hunter-Reay couldn't handle it. It is tough to get a car in the right zone. If Hunter-Reay returns next year with McLaren, I would expect them to be in a better spot, but it requires work to get there. 

As for Legge, her Double run ended after 17 laps. This is a deeper conversation, and it does not fit here, but it was disappointing that she was disparaged as not being good enough to attempt The Double and her effort somehow lessen the potential accomplishment. 

That is crap. For years we wondered when a driver would attempt The Double again, and we were dying for someone to make the attempt. Legge decided to do it on a whim, and that has always been the dream. We want versatile drivers who will jump in any car at any time. Legge was doing that. I applaud the effort and I applaud that she didn't back out of it because it wasn't a six-month process of planning. 

29. For all those concerns about weather, we got all 500 miles in without much delay. The race started on time. We had one caution out of precaution, but it seems like it was never but a few light spritzes of rain. I don't know if we needed a red flag. We had a 17-lap caution period as there were drops falling as Will Power's car was being attended too. Some of those laps were due to the mess on the access road leaving pit lane being cleaned up. 

We got the race in and weather did not cause too much of a hassle.

30. This is an odd place where Meyer Shank Racing has won two races and both are Indianapolis 500s. Think about everything Ed Carpenter Racing has done and it has not one this race once. Arrow McLaren has not won in its seven years since it returned to IndyCar. A.J. Foyt Racing has only won three Indianapolis 500s. MSR is one away from that group! 

A victory elsewhere must be around the corner for MSR. Rosenqvist has been close on a few road and street courses, as has been Armstrong. It could come this year. It is hard to imagine five years from now we will be returning to the Indianapolis 500 and MSR will have only ever won this race.

31. Returning to Rosenqvist, I have always been high on him, and there was a point I did not understand how he was not being considered as a Formula One prospect. I thought he was a steal for IndyCar, and I thought he had the ability to win these races. His career hasn't quite gone as I thought it would even though he is now an Indianapolis 500 winner.

The sliding door moment of his career and IndyCar history is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing after 2020 and Álex Palou taking that seat. Rosenqvist left for McLaren. Ganassi was happy with Rosenqvist and wanted him to stay. If Rosenqvist stays, what do the last six years look like? I don't know if he matches what Palou has accomplished, but I don't know if Palou would be who he is if that seat did not open. Would Palou have gotten a chance elsewhere or would he have been stuck at Dale Coyne Racing for another year? 

We will never know what IndyCar would look like if Rosenqvist had remained for Ganassi for another year. Yet, we are here in 2026 and both Palou and Rosenqvist are Indianapolis 500 winners. It may have worked out for both of them. It is a good day if you held onto that Felix Rosenqvist stock.

32. This was a fun race. It saw a record 70 lead changes. It is ok to admit it wasn't a perfect race. The closest finish combined with the most lead changes would lead you to think it was the greatest ever. I hate being reactionary. Can't we wait a few months? Can't we wait a few years? The mixed up strategy opened up this race. It did take out some fast cars. It happens. We still saw plenty of passing and action, and drivers were on edge. Drivers had to push at the end to try and force the likes of Rosenqvist and O'Ward into another stop. There was also a chance Malukas, Palou and company could have run them down.

It was a good race. There is no reason to feel bitter about what we saw today.

I really hope we do not have any post-race infractions like last year. I have already written enough and I am content with the results we have. 

33. 371 days until the 111th Indianapolis 500. We go from the earliest the Indianapolis 500 can be to the latest the Indianapolis 500 will be. It might be an extra six days, but oh how I will enjoy the extra time.

Morning Warm-Up: 110th Indianapolis 500

A year ago, a rookie driving for a new team started on pole position for the Indianapolis 500. This year, the best driver in IndyCar driver for arguably the greatest team in IndyCar history will be leading the field of 33 to the green flag. At the moment, one team and driver controls IndyCar, and the team to beat is already starting first. Behind them, 32 other teams and drivers are looking to dethrone the champions. Seven of the top nine starters have never won the Indianapolis 500. Four of those drivers have never won an IndyCar race. There is no better time than this weekend on IndyCar's grandest stage.

Starting Grid
Row 1:
Álex Palou
This will be Palou’s seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
2025 Indianapolis 500 Winner.
Palou’s victory last year was the second time car #10 has won the Indianapolis 500.
Twenty-one times has the pole-sitter won the race, most recently Simon Pagenaud 2019.

This is Palou’s second Indianapolis 500 pole-position. He is now one of 19 drivers with multiple pole positions for the event. He has started in one of the first three rows in six of his seven Indianapolis 500 appearances.

Palou could become the seventh driver to win consecutive Indianapolis 500s. This would be the first time there would be successive instances of consecutive winners as Josef Newgarden won in 2023 and 2024. Palou would become the second international driver to win consecutive Indianapolis 500s joining Hélio Castroneves.

Palou has four top five finishes in six Indianapolis 500 starts, and he has five consecutive top ten finishes in the Indianapolis 500. 

A top five finish would make Palou the ninth driver to have four consecutive top five finishes in the Indianapolis 500. He has nine top five finishes in his last ten starts and 13 top five finishes in his last 15 starts.

Palou has led 133 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career, 52nd all-time. If he leads five laps, he will enter the top 50 in laps led in an Indianapolis 500 career. He has led a lap in five consecutive Indianapolis 500s.

Spain became the 14th different nation to produce an Indianapolis 500 winner last year. 

Palou 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).

Palou has the ninth-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 8.1667. A victory would lower Palou’s average finish to 7.1428. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 11.7142.

Alexander Rossi
This will be Rossi’s 11th Indianapolis 500 start.
2016 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #20 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times but not since Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989.
Eleven times the winner started second, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000.

This is Rossi’s best starting position in the Indianapolis 500, and it is his first front row start since he started third in 2017.

Rossi suffered an accident during practice on Monday, which required surgery to a finger on his left hand and right ankle. Rossi was cleared to race, but his team switched to a back-up car. The back-up car was Rossi's race car in last year's Indianapolis 500.

Rossi has led 107 laps in the Indianapolis 500, ranking him tied for 64th with Sam Hornish, Jr.

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 ten Indianapolis 500 starts.

Rossi has the 63rd-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 13.1818. A victory would lower his average finish to 12.1667. The worst Rossi’s average finish can be after this race is 14.833.

Rossi has made 60 starts since his most recent victory, the July 2022 IMS road course race.

David Malukas
This will be Malukas’ fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2025)
Car #12 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, most recently with Will Power in 2019. The other was Peter DePaolo in 1925 driving the #12 Miller.
Fourteen times the winner started third, most recently Josef Newgarden in 2024.

This is Malukas’ best starting position in the Indianapolis 500.

Malukas 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.

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 seventh-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years, seven months and 27 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 68th career start. Fourteen drivers in IndyCar history have taken 68 starts or more for a first career victory.

Row 2:
Felix Rosenqvist
This will be Rosenqvist’s eighth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 4th (2022, 2026)
Car #60 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Seven times the winner started fourth, most recently Takuma Sato in 2017.

This is the fifth consecutive year Rosenqvist is starting on one of the first three rows.

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

In his last five Indianapolis 500 starts, Rosenqvist has finished 27th, fourth, 27th, 27th and fourth. He is tied with Wilbur Shaw and Russ Snowberger for most 27th-place finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. He has completed all 500 miles in only three of seven starts.

Rosenqvist is tied with John Paul, Jr. for the 177th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 18.4285. A victory would lower his average finish to 16.25. The worst Rosenqvist's average finish can be after this race is 20.25.

It has been five years, ten months and 13 days since Rosenqvist’s only IndyCar victory (July 12, 2020 at Road America). It has been 98 starts since that victory. It would be the second-most starts between victories in IndyCar history.

Santino Ferrucci
This will be Ferrucci’s eighth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 3rd (2024)
Car #14 has won the Indianapolis 500 six times, most recently with Kenny Bräck in 1999.
Eight times the winner started fifth, most recently Marcus Ericsson in 2022. 

This is the third time in four years Ferrucci is starting on the second row.

Last year, Ferrucci extended his Indianapolis 500 record of seven top ten finishes in his first seven 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 seven 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 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 6.1428. A victory would lower Ferrucci’s average finish to 5.5. The worst Ferrucci’s average finish can be after this race is 9.5.

Ferrucci is still looking for his first career victory, and this will be his 100th career start. It would be the fourth-most starts before a first career victory in IndyCar history.

Patricio O’Ward
This will be O’Ward seventh 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, Álex Palou became the sixth winner to win from sixth on the grid. 

This is the fifth consecutive year O’Ward is starting on one of the first three rows. However, this is the first time O’Ward has started on the second row.

O'Ward was caught in Alexander Rossi's accident during Monday practice, and O'Ward was also forced to switch to a back-up car. This was the car he used last year in his victories at Iowa and Toronto.

O’Ward has four top five finishes in six Indianapolis 500 starts.

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 15th different nation to produce an Indianapolis 500 winner.

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

O’Ward has four top five finishes from the first six races this season.

O’Ward has the sixth-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 6.8333. A victory would lower O’Ward’s average finish to 6.0. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 10.5714.

Row 3:
Kyffin Simpson
This will be Simpson’s third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 21st (2024)
Car #8 has won the Indianapolis 500, most recently with Marcus Ericsson in 2022.
Five times the winner started seventh, most recently A.J. Foyt in 1961.

This is Simpson’s best start in the Indianapolis 500, and it is his best start on an oval in his IndyCar career.

In 2024, Simpson led three laps during a pit cycle before finishing 21st with all 200 laps completed.

Last year, Simpson was caught in a lap 91 accident when Kyle Larson spun in turn two and collected Simpson and Sting Ray Robb.

Simpson has three career top five finishes, and they all came last season when he was fifth in Detroit, third in Toronto and fourth in Nashville.

Simpson could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 21 years, seven months and 15 days old. This is the third and final chance for Simpson to become 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.

Conor Daly
This will be Daly’s 13th Indianapolis 500 and hopefully his 12th start.
Best Finish: 6th (2022)
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.
Three times the winner started eighth, most recently Hélio Castroneves 2021.

This is Daly’s best starting position 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 four consecutive Indianapolis 500s, and he has led a lap in four of the last five Indianapolis 500s.

Daly is tied with Mario Andretti for the 173rd-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 18.25. A victory would lower his average finish to 16.923. The worst Daly’s average finish can be after this race is 19.384.

Daly is still looking for his first IndyCar victory and this will be his 132nd career start. No driver has taken this many starts before a first career victory.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s only victory was on the team’s debut on January 29, 2000 at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida with Robbie Buhl.

Scott McLaughlin
This will be McLaughlin’s sixth 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.
Only once has the winner started ninth and that was Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993.

Last year, McLaughlin was classified in 30th after his accident behind the pace car before the race had gone green. No driver has won the Indianapolis 500 after finishing 30th the year prior.

McLaughlin needs to lead 34 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Sixty-seven drivers have led 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.

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

McLaughlin is tied with Art Klein and Bill Whittington for 207th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 19.8. A victory would lower McLaughlin’s average finish to 16.667. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 22.

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.

Row 4:
Scott Dixon
This will be Dixon’s 24th 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.
Twice has the winner started tenth, most recently Gil de Ferran in 2003.

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.

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.

Dixon has the 32nd-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 10.9565. A victory would lower his average finish to 10.541667. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 11.875.

Dixon’s one top five finish through the first six races this season is his fewest to start a season since he had zero top five finishes in the first six races of the 2005 season.

Dixon could become the fifth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 45 years, ten months and two days old.

Rinus VeeKay
This will be VeeKay’s seventh Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 8th (2021)
Car #76 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Three times the winner started 11th, most recently Alexander Rossi in 2016.

This is the best starting position for Juncos Hollinger Racing in the Indianapolis 500. Last year, Juncos Hollinger Racing scored its first top ten finish in the Indianapolis 500 when Conor Daly finished eighth.

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

VeeKay has led a lap in four of the last five Indianapolis 500s.

VeeKay has two top ten finishes in his last 14 starts.

VeeKay is tied with Roger McCluskey and Graham Rahal for the 166th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 17.8333. A victory would lower Rahal’s average finish to 16.9473. The worst Rahal’s average finish can be after this race is 18.6315, dropping him into 183rd all-time.

VeeKay could become the tenth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 25 years, eight months and 13 days old. VeeKay could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

It has been four years and nine days since VeeKay’s only career IndyCar victory, the 2021 Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He has made 84 starts since his only victory.

Takuma Sato
This will be Sato’s 17th Indianapolis 500 start.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2017, 2020).
Car #75 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Twice has the winner started 12th, most recently Tony Kanaan in 2013.

Last year, Sato led a race-high 51 laps on his way to a ninth-place finish. Sato has led 138 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career, tied with George Robson, Pat Flaherty and Gary Bettenhausen for 48th all-time.

Sato started second in last year’s race, a career-best for him, before finishing ninth. This is his fifth consecutive year starting on one of the first five rows.

Only once has Sato finished in the top ten in consecutive Indianapolis 500s. He was third in 2019 before he won in 2020.

Sato has the 104th best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 15.4375. A victory would lower Sato's average finish to 14.5882. The worst Sato’s average finish can be after this race is 16.4705.

Sato could become the oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 49 years, three months and 26 days old. Sato would become the first driver to win three Indianapolis 500s after turning 40 years old.

Row 5:
Ed Carpenter
This will be Carpenter’s 23rd Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 2nd (2018)
Car #33 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Four times the winner started 13th, most recently Hélio Castroneves in 2002.

Carpenter is tied with George Snider for the most Indianapolis 500 starts without a victory.

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 led one lap last year, becoming the 41st driver to lead at least 150 laps in an Indianapolis 500 career.

Carpenter has finished outside the top ten in four consecutive Indianapolis 500s. He was 15th in last year’s race. No driver has won the Indianapolis 500 the year after finishing 15th in the race. It is the best finishing position to not produce an Indianapolis 500 winner in the following year.

Carpenter is tied with Danny Ongais for the 111th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 15.909. A victory would lower his average finish to 15.2608. The worst Carpenter’s average finish can be after this race is 16.6521.

Carpenter could become the sixth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 45 years, two months and 21 days old.

It has been 11 years, 11 months and 18 days since Carpenter’s most recent IndyCar victory (June 6, 2014 at Texas Motor Speedway). It would be the third-longest streak between victories in IndyCar history behind John Paul, Jr., who went 15 years, two months and three days between victories, and Juan Pablo Montoya, who went 13 years, nine months and 20 days between victories.

Hélio Castroneves
This will be Castroneves’ 26th 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.
Only once has the winner started 14th and that was Bob Sweikert in 1955.

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

Castroneves is one the four drivers with at least 25 Indianapolis 500 starts, trailing only A.J. Foyt (35), Mario Andretti (29) and Al Unser (27)

With a tenth-place finish last year, Castroneves tied A.J. Foyt for the most top ten finishes in the Indianapolis 500 with 17.

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.

If Castroneves completes 112 laps, he will surpass A.J. Foyt’s record for most laps completed in an Indianapolis 500 career. Foyt completed 4,909 laps or 12,272.5 miles in 35 starts. Castroneves has completed 4,798 laps or 11,995 miles in 25 starts. 

Castroneves has completed all 500 miles in a record 19 starts.

Castroneves has the 14th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 9.12. A victory would lower his average finish to 8.807. The worst Castroneves’ average finish can be is 10.038.

Castroneves could become the oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 51 years and 14 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).

Christian Rasmussen
This will be Rasmussen’s third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 6th (2025)
Car #21 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Four times the winner started 15th, most recently Juan Pablo Montoya in 2015.

Rasmussen led eight laps in last year’s race on his way to finishing sixth.

In each of his first two Indianapolis 500 starts, Rasmussen has made up exactly 12 spots from his starting position.

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

Rasmussen has yet to finish in the top ten this season. His best finish was 14th at Phoenix. He scored his first career victory last August in Milwaukee.

Rasmussen could become the tenth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 25 years, ten months and 25 days old. Rasmussen could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Row 6:
Marcus Armstrong
This will be Armstrong’s third Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 18th (2025)
Car #66 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Mark Donohue 1972.
Twice has the winner started 16th, most recently Dario Franchitti in 2012.

Armstrong started 16th in his Indianapolis 500 debut two years ago before an engine failure ended his race after six laps.

Armstrong’s best finish this season was fifth at Phoenix, the only other oval race held in 2026.

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 tenth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 25 years, nine months and 25 days old. He would become the youngest non-American winner. Armstrong could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Marcus Ericsson
This will be Ericsson’s eighth Indianapolis 500 start.
2022 Indianapolis 500 winner
Car #28 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Ryan Hunter-Reay 2014.
Three times the winner started 17th, most recently Josef Newgarden in 2023.

Ericsson was second on the road last year before being disqualified post-race for having a modified Energy Management System cover. He was relegated to 31st in the final result with 17 laps led.

Three times has Ericsson finished outside the top 30 in his Indianapolis 500 career, including the last two years. The only driver to have three consecutive finishes outside the top 30 in the Indianapolis 500 was Paul Bost, who finished 31st, 37th and 40th from 1931 to 1933.

Ericsson has led 60 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career, ranking him 96th all-time.

Ericsson is one of 14 drivers 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 with Andy Linden, Geoff Brabham, Paul Tracy and Colton Herta for the 189th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 19.0. A victory would lower his average finish to 16.75. The worst Ericsson’s average finish can be after this race is 20.75.

Christian Lundgaard
This will be Lundgaard’s fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 7th (2025)
Car #7 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice but not since Bill Holland in 1949.
The best finish for the 18th-starter is second, which occurred in 1920 by René Thomas and in 2009 and 2010 by Dan Wheldon.

Lundgaard enters as the most recent winner in IndyCar after he won the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. It was the second victory of Lundgaard’s career.

Three drivers have won the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. Will Power did it in 2018, Simon Pagenaud did it in 2019 and Álex Palou did it last year.

Since returning to IndyCar, McLaren has yet to have a driver win consecutive races. The last time a McLaren driver won consecutive races was when Johnny Rutherford swept the Atlanta doubleheader in 1979.

Last season, Lundgaard had consecutive podium finishes on two occasions, including a three-race streak that covered Thermal Club, Long Beach and Barber Motorsports Park.

In each of his first three Indianapolis 500 starts, Lundgaard has finished better than his starting position. In his first three starts, he finished at least 11 spots better than where he started.

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

Row 7:
Will Power
This will be Power’s 19th Indianapolis 500 start.
2018 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #26 has won the Indianapolis 500 twice, Dan Wheldon in 2005 and Takuma Sato 2017.
Twice has the winner started 19th, most recently Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014.

Power 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.

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

Power has six consecutive finishes of 14th or worse in the Indianapolis 500. While he was third at Arlington in March, that remains his only top ten finish this season. 

Power needs to lead five laps to become the 42nd 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 seven Indianapolis 500s. He has failed to finish on the lead lap in four of the last five years.

Power is tied with Gordon Johncock for the 79th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 14.333. A victory would lower his average finish to 13.631. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 15.315.

Power could become the sixth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 45 years, two months and 23 days old.

Nolan Siegel
This will be Siegel’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 13th (2025)
Car #6 has won the Indianapolis 500 five times, most recently with Sam Hornish, Jr. in 2006.
Three times the winner started 20th, most recently Al Unser in 1987.

Siegel’s best two finishes of the season have come in the last two races. He was 12th at Long Beach and tenth in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, ending a 12-race slump without a top ten finish.

Siegel had an accident in turn two on the final lap of last year’s Indianapolis 500, and he was classified in 13th.

Siegel’s only top ten finish on an oval was a seventh at Gateway in 2024, his first oval start.

Siegel could become the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 21 years, six months and 20 days old. This is the second and last chance Siegel will have at becoming the youngest Indianapolis 500 winner. Siegel could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Louis Foster
This will be Foster’s second Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 12th (2025)
Car #45 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Only once has the winner started 21st and that was L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer in 1924.

Foster was the best finishing rookie in last year’s Indianapolis 500 in 12th.

In the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Foster was seventh, his first career top ten finish in IndyCar.

At 23 starts, Foster is tied with James Jakes for the sixth-most starts before a first career top ten finish in IndyCar history.

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

In only one race this season has Foster finished better than his starting position. He was 16th at Long Beach after starting 17th. He did start and finish 13th at Arlington. Foster has finished better than his starting position in five of 23 career starts.

Foster could become the second-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 22 years, nine months and 27 days old. He would be the youngest non-American winner. Foster could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Row 8:
Ryan Hunter-Reay
This will be Hunter-Reay's 18th Indianapolis 500 start.
2014 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Car #31 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, 1994 with Al Unser, Jr.
Twice has the winner started 22nd but not since Kelly Petillo in 1935.

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 led 49 laps in last year’s race, moving him to 27th all-time on 219 laps led. He is one of 31 drivers to lead at least 200 laps in an Indianapolis 500 career.

With Hunter-Reay running out of fuel in last year’s race and failing to restart the car, he has finished outside the top ten in four consecutive Indianapolis 500 starts.

Hunter-Reay has the 125th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 16.411. A victory would lower his average finish to 15.554. The worst Hunter-Reay's average finish can be after this race is 17.333.

Hunter-Reay could become the sixth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 45 years, five months and seven days old.

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

Josef Newgarden
This will be Newgarden’s 15th Indianapolis 500 start.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2023-24).
Newgarden’s victory in 2024 was the 11th time car #2 has won the Indianapolis 500.
The best finish for the 23rd-starter is second by Wilbur Shaw in 1933.

This is the fifth time in six years Newgarden is starting outside one of the first four rows.

Newgarden could become the third driver to win three times in four Indianapolis 500 starts. Wilbur Shaw did it over 1937 to 1940. Mauri Rosi did it from 1941 to 1948 with three years where the race did not occur due to World War II.

Newgarden is one victory away from having 20 oval victories in his career. He would become the 12th driver in IndyCar history to win 20 oval races.

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

Newgarden was the third past Indy Lights champion to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan.

Newgarden needs to lead 31 laps to reach the 100 laps led milestone in the Indianapolis 500. Newgarden is the only multi-time Indianapolis 500 winner to have led fewer than 100 laps. Sixty-seven drivers have led at least 100 laps in the Indianapolis 500.

Newgarden is tied with Earl Cooper for 58th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 12.85714. A third victory would lower Newgarden’s average finish to 12.0667. The worst his average finish can be after this race is 14.2.

Romain Grosjean
This will be Grosjean’s fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 19th (2024)
Car #18 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
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).

Grosjean's car suffered damage during Monday practice after Alexander Rossi spun in turn two. Grosjean's team was able to repair the car and continue.

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

Since finishing eighth in the season opener at St. Petersburg, Grosjean has finished outside the top twenty in four of the last five races. His best finis on an oval was seventh in the first Iowa race in 2022.

Grosjean could become the fifth different Frenchman to win the Indianapolis 500. Only the United States and the United Kingdom have had at least five different drivers win the Indianapolis 500. 

Grosjean is still looking for his first career victory, and this will be his 71st career start. Thirteen drivers in IndyCar history have taken 71 starts or more for a first career victory. Bryan Herta’s first career victory came in his 71st career start at Laguna Seca in 1998

Row 9:
Kyle Kirkwood
This will be Kirkwood’s fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 7th (2024)
Car #27 has won the Indianapolis 500 three times, most recently with Dario Franchitti in 2007.
Only once has the winner started 25th and that was Johnny Rutherford in 1974.

Kirkwood was sixth on the road last year before being disqualified post-race for having a modified Energy Management System cover. He was relegated to 32nd in the final result with two laps led.

No driver has ever won the Indianapolis 500 after finishing 32nd the year prior.

This is the third time in five Indianapolis 500 starts Kirkwood is starting outside the first seven rows.

Kirkwood is the only driver this season to finish in the top ten in all six races, and he had finished in the top five in the first five races this season.

Kirkwood scored his first career victory on an oval last June at Gateway Motorsports Park.

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.

Katherine Legge
This will be Legge's fifth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 22nd (2012)
Car #11 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, 2013 with Tony Kanaan.
The best finish for the 26th-starter is third by Don Freeland in 1956, Paul Goldsmith in 1960 and Simon Pagenaud in 2021.

Legge is attempting to become the sixth driver to start the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Kyle Larson started both races last year after he was only able to start at Indianapolis in 2024 due to a lengthy rain delay, and he was unable to replace Justin Allgaier mid-race in Charlotte due to rain ending the NASCAR race early.

Only Tony Stewart completed all 1,100 miles between both races. Stewart did that in 2001.

Legge has not finished on the lead lap in her first four Indianapolis 500 starts. She has not finished on the lead lap in an IndyCar race since the 2007 Champ Car race in Assen, Netherlands, where she was 12th. In 47 starts, she has finished on the lead lap only six times.

Legge’s most recent top ten finish was at Fontana on September 15, 2012.

Legge could become the fifth-oldest Indianapolis 500 winner at 45 years, ten months and 12 days old.

Mick Schumacher
This will be Schumacher’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #47 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
Only once has the winner started 27th and that was by Fred Frame in 1932.

Through his first six IndyCar starts, Schumacher has yet to finish better than 18th.

Schumacher will join Jack Brabham, Clay Regazzoni and Romain Grosjean as Formula Two/GP2 champions to compete in the Indianapolis 500.

It has been five years, seven months and 28 days since Schumacher’s most recent victory. He won the 2020 Formula Two feature race from Sochi, Russia.

Schumacher will be the first German to start the Indianapolis 500 since Max Sailer, Christian Werner and Christian Lautenschlager all started the 1923 race in a three-car Mercedes effort. Sailer was eighth with his nephew Karl running the final 128 laps in relief. Werner was 11th with Max Sailer running two relief stints in his car and Lautenschlager also running a relief stint. Lautenschlager was 23rd out of 24 starters due to an accident after 14 laps in turn one.

Schumacher could become the third Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after Danica Patrick and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Row 10:
Graham Rahal
This will be Rahal’s 19th 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.

This is the second consecutive year Rahal is starting 28th. He started 33rd in the two years prior to that. 

It has been 146 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 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 finished outside the top ten in five consecutive Indianapolis 500s.

Rahal is tied with Roger McCluskey and Rinus VeeKay for the 166th-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 17.8333. A victory would lower Rahal’s average finish to 16.9473. The worst Rahal’s average finish can be after this race is 18.6315, dropping him into 183rd all-time.

Dennis Hauger
This will be Hauger’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #19 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
The best finish for the 29th-starter is second in 1911 by Ralph Mulford and in 2002 by Paul Tracy.

Hauger is currently the top rookie in the championship, sitting 15th on 100 points. He is coming off his best finish of the season as he was eighth in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

Hauger will become the second Norwegian-born driver to start the Indianapolis 500, joining Gil Andersen, who started the first six Indianapolis 500s. Andersen started first in 1912. His best finish was third in 1915 where he led 26 laps.

Hauger could become the second Dale Coyne Racing driver to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after Santino Ferrucci.

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

Jacob Abel
This will be Abel's first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #51 won the 1998 Indianapolis 500 with Eddie Cheever.
The best finish for the 30th-starter was fourth in 1936 by Mauri Rose.

Abel failed to qualify for last year’s race with Dale Coyne Racing. This year, Abel is running with his family’s team, Abel Motorsports, which currently fields four cars in Indy Lights.

The most recent driver to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year a year after failing to qualify for the race was Patricio O'Ward in 2020.

Abel’s best finish in his rookie season was 11th in the second Iowa race.

Abel could become the second Kentucky-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 joining Danny Sullivan, who won in 1985.

Abel could become the ninth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 25 years, two months and 15 days old. Abel could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Row 11:
Sting Ray Robb
This will be Robb’s fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
Best Finish: 16th (2024)
Car #77 has never won the Indianapolis 500.
The best finish for the 31st-starter is fourth in 1951 by Andy Linden.

Last year, Robb was caught in a lap 91 accident when Kyle Larson spun in turn two and collected Robb and Kyffin Simpson.

After finishing outside the top twenty in the first five races of this season, Robb was 17th in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

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

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

Robb led 23 laps two years ago in the Indianapolis 500, the third-most behind Scott McLaughlin (66) and Josef Newgarden (26).

Caio Collet
This will be Collet’s first Indianapolis 500 start.
Car #4 has won the Indianapolis 500 five times, most recently with Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993.
The best finish for the 32nd-starter is second in 1957 by Jim Rathmann and 1981 by Mario Andretti.

Collet originally qualified tenth, but his qualifying time was disallowed after his car was found to have unapproved hardware on his car for the Energy Management System cover.

Collet could become the fourth Brazilian to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year joining Christian Fittipaldi, Hélio Castroneves and Rubens Barrichello.

Collet could become the third A.J. Foyt Racing driver to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year joining Donnie Allison and Benjamin Pedersen.

Collet could become the sixth-youngest Indianapolis 500 winner at 24 years, one months and 21 days old. Collet could become the first Indianapolis 500 winner born in the 21st century.

Jack Harvey
This will be Harvey’s ninth Indianapolis 500.
Best Finish: 9th (2020)
Car #24 has won the Indianapolis 500 once, Graham Hill 1966.
The best finish for the 33rd-starter is second in 1980 by Tom Sneva and 1992 by Scott Goodyear.

Harvey originally qualified 29th, but his qualifying time was disallowed after his car was found to have unapproved hardware on his car for the Energy Management System cover.

This will be the fourth time Harvey has started on the last row in his career.

Last year, Harvey led three laps in the Indianapolis 500, his first time ever leading the race.

This will be Harvey’s second IndyCar start in a Chevrolet-powered car. His first was last year's Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

Harvey has not had a top ten finish in his last 32 IndyCar starts. His most recent top ten finish on an oval was seventh in the first Texas race in 2021.

Harvey is tied with Derek Daly and Louis Tomei for the 201st-best average finish among the 266 drivers with at least five Indianapolis 500 starts at 19.5. A victory would lower his average finish to 17.444. The worst Harvey's average finish can be after this race is 21.0.

Harvey is still looking for his first IndyCar victory, and this will be his 95th start. Only four drivers made more starts before their first career victory.

Fox's coverage of the 110th Indianapolis 500 will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday May 24 with green flag scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET. The race is scheduled for 200 laps.