80 Years Ago- Robson Wins as Modern Era Begins

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Fourth of a series.

No one knew what to expect on the first race day after the end of Worl War II. That there was in fact a 1946 race was a miracle. In late 1945 Wilbur Shaw pe4rwsuaded Tre Haute businessman Tony Hulman to buy IMS from Eddie Rickenbacker.

The track sat through the war years unused, neglected, and deteriorating. Trees grew on the front stretch. The garages were in bad shape. With six months to get the facility ready to run the 500 mile race took a Herculean effort. It wasn’t perfect on May 30, but a war weary crowd came out to enjoy a day at the track.

According to reports in the Indianapolis Star the traffic back up was the worst the police had ever seen on Race Day. Some drivers reported that it took three hours to drive to IMS from downtown.

The cars, many of which ran in 1941, the last race before the war, showed their age and the effects of idleness. Only nine cars were running at the finish. The 10th place car of Billy DeVore went out after 167 laps with a throttle issue.

George Robson

George Robson, starting his third 500 in 15th place, led 138 to win. He had not finished higher than 23rd in his first two starts. Robson described his victory in a column he wrote in the Indianapolis Star on May 31:

Pole winner Cliff Bergere never led as Mauri Rose led the first lap from ninth. Rose, the defending 500 winner, had a short day. He crashed on lap 40. Rose was the only former winner in the field.

Robson’s brother Hal also competed. He started 23rd and finished 25th after losing a connecting rod.

The Indianapolis 500 had made a triumphant return, under the vision of Tony Hulman, transformed into the racing grounds we have today. Hulman and his family would own the track 74 years, selling it to Roger Penske in 2019, ironically on almost the same date Hulman purchased it.

Notes

Robson enjoyed his win for just a short time. he was killed in a racing accident in Atlanta in September of 1946.

Driver Duke Nalon described the track in early May as “rougher than hell.” The remedy was to pour used motor oil on the track, then coat it truckloads of rubber dust from Firestone and knead it into the oiled surface. High line practice was still several years away.

Ted Horn drove the Boyle Maserati, the car Wilbur Shaw took to Victory Lane in 1939 and 1940, to third place. The car would be in the race through the end of the decade, finishing in the top five twice more. The Maserati also had a part in the changing of the guard, as Bill Vukovich took his rookie test in it in 1950. By then its technology had been outpaced, and Vukovich didn’t try to qualify it.

50 year old Ralph Hepburn set the fastest qualifying time in the Novi, but started 19th as he didn’t qualify on Day One. Hepburn led 44 laps before retiring on lap 121, finishing 14th.

Elkins Joins INDYCAR Officiating as Managing Director of Officiating 

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From IndyCar Officiating:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) – Veteran motorsports officiating and competition executive Scot Elkins has been named managing director of officiating (MDO) by the Independent Officiating Board (IOB) of INDYCAR Officiating.
In December 2025, INDYCAR Officiating – a new independent and not-for-profit organization – was established and governed by the three-person board of Raj Nair, Ray Evernham and Ronan Morgan. Working with the established team in race control and technical inspection, Elkins will oversee those areas and report directly to the IOB – with no oversight from INDYCAR or Penske Entertainment officials – and provide officiating governance and management.

Indiana native Elkins, 56, assumes his new role in a return to INDYCAR SERIES racing after having served as the technical director, operations for the Champ Car World Series from 2005-08. During that time, he led the technical operations and competition management as he created and enforced competition rules and developed safety protocols before coordinating the INDYCAR merger and transition period in 2008.
In addition to his INDYCAR experience, Elkins provides over 25 years in race officiating, competition management and technical regulations across FIA Formula E, FIA Formula One, NASCAR and IMSA. Since 2014, he has served as the president of The Elkins Group, a leading consulting firm in race officiating, competition management and technical regulations, and safety leadership, working with Extreme E, DTM, Formula E, Formula One, NASCAR, FIA Rally Cross, FIA World Endurance Championship and X Games
.Previously, Elkins was the vice president, competition and technical regulations (2013-14) and chief operating officer (2008-13) for IMSA, and prior to his INDYCAR experience he served as an adjunct professor of motorsports management at Indiana State University (2006-08), manufacturing engineer at Toyota (2004-05) and an engineering team manager at Robert Yates Racing in NASCAR (2000-04)

.“INDYCAR Officiating already has something truly special, teams in race control and technical inspection who are exceptional at what they do and have earned the deep respect of this paddock,” Elkins said. “Together with the Independent Officiating Board, our mission is to build on that foundation, bringing greater transparency and consistency to an operation that this sport and its competitors depend on.“

]Having worked across some of the most respected motorsport series internationally and here in North America, I have seen first-hand what world-class officiating looks like, and it looks like INDYCAR. Growing up in Indiana with the Indianapolis 500 as part of my life for as long as I can remember, I could not be more proud or more motivated to serve this sport.

”Elkins’ other officiating and industry leadership experience include board memberships with the International Council of Motorsport Sciences (2021-present), Motorsport Safety Foundation (2015-present) and ACCUS-FIA (2009-15).

“After a diligent and thorough search for the MDO position, it was clear that Scot’s credentials were an ideal fit,” IOB chairman Nair said. “The depth and breadth of his experience are primed to greatly contribute to INDYCAR Officiating. We know that he will successfully integrate with the current INDYCAR Officiating personnel and provide strong leadership and guidance for this crucial group as we move this mission forward.”

IOB members will work with Elkins to ensure a seamless onboarding and successful integration for a Monday, May 11 start.
The next INDYCAR race weekend is on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix, race six of the 18-race 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Race coverage Saturday, May 9 begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX One and the FOX Sports app. INDY NXT by Firestone races its second doubleheader of 2026 at 4 p.m. Friday, May 8 (available on FS2) and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 9 (FS1), with both races also available on FOX One and the FOX Sports app. Audio coverage of all on-track sessions is also provided by the INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls via SiriusXM Channel 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. 

Abel Motorsports Enters 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge with Jacob Abel

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From Abel Motorsports:

       Abel Motorsports returns to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing for the first time since 2023.-         Jacob Abel returns for his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES action of 2026, after spending time racing in IMSA and the Asian Le Mans Series. 
Speedway, Ind. (April 20, 2026) – Abel Motorsports announced today their entry into the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday May 24 with Louisville Kentucky driver Jacob Abel behind the wheel of the No 51. Abel Motorsports will again be partnered with Chevrolet, marking their second venture together at the Speedway, and Jacob Abel’s first foray with the Chevrolet family. 
“I am excited and grateful to be able to return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to have a shot at the Indianapolis 500. It’s been a lifelong dream to compete in that race and to have the opportunity to do it with Abel Motorsports and Chevrolet makes it even more special,” said Jacob Abel.2024 was both a breakout year for Abel Motorsports and Jacob Abel as the pairing scored three pole positions and three wins on their way to second in the INDY NXT drivers’ championship. That propelled Jacob Abel to the premier North American open-wheel racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2025. 
“The Indianapolis 500 is the greatest race in the world and the teams that compete reflect that. Having won races and competed for championships with Abel Motorsports over my whole career, I am very confident in the program that they put together.”
“It is going to be amazing to share this experience with not only my actual family, but the team that has become my family over the years. The preparations have been ongoing for some time, and I’m eager to finally get on track,” exclaimed the 25-year-old. 
As Bill Abel’s team continued to grow alongside his son’s career, the opportunity to have Jacob back in the mix at Abel Motorsports and on the biggest stage the Indianapolis 500, was something the elder Abel was determined to make happen.
“We’re all beyond excited to have Jacob back with us at Abel Motorsports and ecstatic to be returning to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing! It takes a lot of special people to make this happen, and I can’t thank Chevrolet and INDYCAR enough for their help and belief in bringing this to life,” stated Team Owner Bill Abel. 
“We have a tremendous group at Abel Motorsports, with a lot of NTT INDYCAR SERIES experience and we really feel like we are in a great spot to give Jacob everything he needs. To have the opportunity to compete in the Indianapolis 500 in 2023 with RC Enerson was so cool and I’ll never forget the moment immediately after we qualified and put RC in the show… it was really emotional and special to me. Now, to have the opportunity to come back here with Jacob as our driver, it doesn’t get any better than that!” 
For veteran Team Manager John Brunner, the opportunity to run Jacob Abel with the Abel Motorsports team is something that brings a smile to his face. 
“The opportunity to enter a car in the Indy 500 is always an exciting adventure but this is quite special to do it with Jacob as the driver. The Abel’s hired me in 2021 to help build on the team that they had already assembled and to help Jacob with the next levels of his open-wheel journey. The Indy 500 was our goal and we are here thanks to the support of our crew and families, INDYCAR, Firestone, and Chevrolet,” said Brunner. 
Practice for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 begins on Tuesday May 12 and leads into qualifying on May 16th and 17th. The Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge goes green on Sunday May 24th with coverage beginning live on FOX at 10:00am ET. Keep up with Abel Motorsports all month long by following the team on social media, @abelmotorsports, or by visiting www.abelmotorsports.com
About Abel Motorsports: Abel Motorsports Team Principal Bill Abel began racing motocross in 1972, earning numerous championship titles as he continued the family motorsports tradition. In 2015, Abel Motorsports was launched starting in the USF2000 series and building their way up the junior open-wheel ladder. Abel Motorsports was able to capture the inaugural Formula Regional Americas Championship with driver Kyle Kirkwood.
Today, Abel Motorsports is a leading force in the INDY NXT by Firestone Championship, the official development series of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, where the team operates as a multi-car organization focused on the future. 2024 was a breakout season for Abel Motorsports scoring three wins, three pole positions, and 12 podiums on their way to second in the entrant championship.Always looking towards the future, Abel Motorsports made their foray into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2023 as the team entered the 107th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500 with driver RC Enerson.
About Abel Construction Company: Abel Construction Company is a fourth-generation, family-owned builder headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, with offices in Simpsonville, Lexington, Nashville, Fort Myers, Naples, Indianapolis and Anderson. Specializing in automotive, industrial, and commercial construction, serving clients who require disciplined execution and long-term reliability.Our purpose is straightforward: help our clients achieve their goals. That focus carries through every phase of a project, from early planning through construction and ongoing facility support. As a family-owned business, we approach each engagement with accountability and continuity, bringing dedication, positivity, and integrity to the work. We design, build, manage, and maintain commercial and industrial facilities with a client-first mindset, emphasizing quality, consistency, and practical outcomes at every stage.

Long Beach Wrap Up

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The result was inevitable. Ale4x Palou took the lead with 32 laps to go with a lightning quick pit stop to come out ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and won his third race of 2026. After a promising start to the year, which saw three different winners in three races and Palou second in the standings, we are back to 2025. Perhaps the month of May can salvage the season for the rest of the grid.

The processional race saw pole sitter Felix Rosenqvist jump to the lead and hold it except for five laps during the first pit stop round. When he shuffled back to the top, Rosenqvist maintained a 1.5 to 2 second lead over Palou until the pit stops under the day’s only caution flag.

When Palou exited the pits in first on the primary tires, it was game over. Palou is back in the points lead by 17 points over Kyle Kirkwood.

Awful Start: Long Beach is not known for great starts as the last rows are generally just rounding the hairpin when the green flies, but yesterday saw the worst start I’ve ever seen for this race. The first three rows were in formation followed by a large gap to an unorganized row four. The rest of the field wasn’t even in view. I don’t know why the star wasn’t waved off.

Either move the start line down the front straight a bit or have a standing start. The finish line can return to its current position. Another possibility is to start the race on Pine Street.

Soft tires too hard? The alternate tires lasted a full 30 laps. While the blistering was severe, the tire did not cause a big enough drop off to allow for any real racing. If the series wants the red tire used twice in a race, it has to force different strategies. The cars who made three stops didn’t have a chance.

Another Bad Break for Power: Will Power was enjoying his cleanest weekend of 2026. He did not contact anything on Friday or Saturday. He started seventh and spent the day in the top 10, even getting into the lead during pit stop shuffles. On the final stop, however, while exiting his pit box he made contact with a crew member of Caio Collet’s car. The drive through penalty sent him to the rear of the field. he recovered to finish 19th.

Good Days: Nolan Siegel finished 12th, his best result of the year. Siegel started last and rove a steady race.

Dennis Hauger improved to 11th from his 19th starting spot.

Alexander Rossi came home 9th after starting18th.

Obsession: Why FOX became so enamored with Josef Newgarden and spent innumerable laps showing him drive alone on a clear track is beyond me. Newgarden made an early pit stop and did cycle to the lead when the rest of the field made their first stops. It was clear that Newgarden would need two more stops while the leaders had a good chance to only need one more trip to the pits. His lead and chance for victory was ephemeral, but FOX kept up the narrative.

The more compelling story was how Rosenqvist could hold off Palou.

Final Thoughts: The Fast Six shootout was the highlight of the weekend. It was dramatic thanks to the tweaks in format that IndyCar implemented.

While racing at Long Beach has never been great, yesterday’s contest was devoid of drama and action. Palou’s pass of Pato O’Ward on lap two was the only significant pass of the race.

The good news is that a week from tomorrow, the circus moves to IMS for an entire month. I can’t wait.

Long Beach Race Day

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Today’s schedule: Times Eastern

1 PM Warmup FS1

5:30 PM FOX on Air

5:57 PM Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Qualifying produced an interesting starting grid which should make for a good race today. The polesitter wins less than 20% of the time4 at Long Beach. Since Kyle Kirkwood won from pole in 2025, Felix Rosenqvist’s chances are somewhat diminished. I think the winner comes from the first two rows.

From last night:

Rosenqvist Pole Caps Big Day for MSR

Things to watch for:

Remembering Jim Michaelian

Take a moment before the race to remember Jim Michaelian, who helped found the Long Beach event and guided it to the prestigious spot it holds on the IndyCar schedule as one the series’ Crown Jewels.

Kirkwood vs. Palou

If the pair is not contending for the win, keep an eye on where they are. Kirkwood leads the points by just 2, so where this duo finishes will determine the leader heading the IMS road course race in 20 days.

Another Charge for Lundgaard?

Lundgaard has not qualified particularly well this season, but he has made his way into the top 10 by the end of the day. From 1th on the grid, a top 5 result is very likely. He is my race sleeper.

Pato Vindication Tour

Pato O’Ward used very blunt terms to describe h at Barber, and he seems to be on a mission to avenge an embarrassing showing. From his front row spot, I give him the nod to park in Victory Lane today.

Pit Strategy

The race is very likely to be a three stop event, barring a mid-first stint yellow. The requirement to use two sets of the alternate tire could dictate the amount of pit visits.

Notes

Word I’m hearing is that A. J. Foyt Racing will be home for the 33rd entry for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. Katherine Legge will drive the entry. Number and sponsor will probably be announced next week.

Rosenqvist Pole Caps Big Day for MSR

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Mike Shank would have left IndyCar qualifying happy regardless of the outcome after one of his entries won the IMSA race at: Long Beach this afternoon. It was MSR’s first win at the prestigious track. But Felix Rosenqvist wasn’t ready to end the celebration there.

“That was nerve-wracking to watch,” Rosenqvist said. “My old buddy Pato there at end, that was close. That was a good lap.”

Rosenqvist tied his career best by finishing sixth in the standings last season, his second year with MSR. But he has endured a slow start to 2026, 14th in the standings after four races, which he said gave the team extra focus this weekend.

“It’s been a tough start of the year,” Rosenqvist said. “We said we wanted to do a little bounce-back here, and we did. Phenomenal day for us.”

In a dramatic Fast Six qualifying, Rosenqvist knocked defending series champion off the pole, then he watched nervously out as Pato O’Ward just missed beating him on the final run of the day. O’Ward missed by 0.04 seconds.

The former teammates will share the front row, while the top two in the standings, Palou and leader Kyle Kirkwood, will roll off in row 2. Full results are at the end of this post.

Tweaks Worked

At Arlington the debut of the single car qualifying was a flop in my opinion. The sixth fastest in Round 2 went first, a distinct advantage as his tires were still warm from the previous run. The other five drivers had little chance of catching Marcus Ericsson.

For Long Beach, the fastest driver had first choice of when to make his run, and the other drivers chose a spot in order of their Fast 12 finish. The only driver to pick out of order was O’Ward, who chose to go last instead of fifth.

Teams had the option of changing tires, but most stuck with the Round 2 set.

The result was a dramatic round with the top spot changing hands three times.

The format worked the way it was intended to.

FOX Still Not There

FOX displayed sector times, but only occasionally and infrequently during the Fast Six. In the final round, they had a running timer which switched from red to green depending on where the car was in relation to the driver on pole at the time. That was okay, but I want to know how far off the fastest pace the driver is.

I want to see running sector times for all six drivers and each driver’s deficit or advantage as they run. The network has the capability, I don’t understand why they are shortchanging the broadcast of a sport they partly own.

A Black Day for Racing

This morning we learned of the of sports car driver Juha Miettinen as a result of injuries sustained in a crash involving seven cars during a race at the Nürburgring in Germany. Any driver sport in any racing category is a tough blow to all racing fans. I’m thankful that racing fatalities are so few and far between in this era, but somehow it makes each one hurt more.

If you are going to a race tomorrow, or just watching at home, please take a moment to honor Juha Miettinen’s memory.

Results

Saturday at Long Beach- Will Redemption Weekend Continue?

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Friday was a day of comebacks. Will Power led the one IndyCar practice. Former IndyCar driver Robert Wickens won the pole for the GTD class We’ll see if the momentum continues today.

Today’s schedule: Times are Eastern

1:35-2:55 pm: Practice (same format as PRAC 1) FS2

IUMSA race, 4 pm Peacock


6:30 pm: IndyCar qualifying FS1

Practice Groups. Qualifying groups will be announced after practice.

Stories You May Have \Missed.

From my series on the Indianapolis 500 relating to the 2026 race:

100 Years Ago: Lockhart Subs, Wins Rain Shortened Race

:

90 Years Ago: Meyer Wins Third, Records Fall, Traditions Sprout
110 Years Ago: Resta Wins Shortened Event as War Clouds Loom