Palou Tops Detroit Practice 1

Alex Palou was fastest in Friday practice for the Detroit Grand Prix, just edging defending race winner Kyle Kirkwood by 19 hundredths of a second. Will Power was third quickest, 22 hundredths of a second behind Palou.

Palou is seeking his third pole in the month of May. He won the pole at the Sonsio Grand Prix, where he finished fifth, then took the coveted Indianapolis 500 pole position for the 110th running. Palou finished seventh last Sunday.

“Good start,” Palou said. “It’s just super tough to get a lap here when everything feels good. Although we looked very good, I think we need to work on the car and try to make it a little bit better because I think there was a ton of people that couldn’t really get a good lap.”

Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist was 11th fastest in today’s practice.

Tomorrow is a short, ,packed day with practice at 9 am Eastern and qualifying at 1 pm. IMSA then has the track for the rest of the day.

Results

Detroit Has a Tough Act to Follow-

Against the tide of a lingering Indianapolis 500 hangover, the Detroit Grand Prix begins today with a practice at 3 pm for the IndyCar series. The Detroit race on the downtown streets usually presents a less than scintillating show, and its place on the schedule does the event no favors. IndyCar goes from a 220 mph drag race for the Borg-Warner trophy to a sub 100 mph tour in the Motor City.

This weekend is the fourth edition of the Detroit race since its move from Belle Isle, a track where the racing became decent in the late 20 teens. I used to wish the series would not race there because the contests were dull processions. Be careful what you wish for, I guess.

Detroit is the eighth race on the 18 race calendar for 2026, and unlike the last two years, the potential for a title fight remains. David Malukas has moved into second place, trailing Alex Palou by 37 points. Kyle Kirkwood has dropped to third, 49 points behind. Kirkwood lost 32 points to Palou in May.

Here are some things to watch for:

Andretti Rebound

Andretti Global had a difficult May at IMS, but the team returns to the discipline which is their strength. Kirkwood has won three street course races since 2025, and he is the defending winner at Detroit.

Will Power has been a winner on several street courses, and Marcus Ericsson also has a street victory to his name.

Look for this trio, especially Kirkwood, to be at or near the front the entire weekend.

Rosenqvist 500 Hangover

Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist might have the ultimate post=race hangover following a week of activities honoring the new Indianapolis champion. The race might be his most relaxing time of the past eight days.

Winners of the 500 don’t traditionally fare well in the race following the 500. It was true in Milwaukee, and it remained true in Texas and continued to Detroit.

Malukas Momentum?

David Malukas remains agonizingly on the cusp of his first series win. He has an average finish of 7.3 this season in the three previous street races. AS result in that range will keep him in the title hunt. I think he gets his first win at Gateway next weekend.

A solid result on a course that is not Malukas’s strength will go a long way toward erasing the pain he felt at the end of the race five days ago.

The Indianapolis 500 is a tough act to follow no matter which race is next. There have been rumblings this week about giving everyone in the series a break after the 500. The schedule is hard on the crews and staff, and this year there are consecutive weekends following the 500. IndyCar is afraid of losing momentum by taking a week off, but a break would allow about 12 days to celebrate the winner of the biggest race in the world and promote the rest of the season.

If the series wants to build on the momentum of the 500, an oval race should be the next contest. Gateway and Detroit should swap dates on the calendar.

I see Kyle Kirkwood reestablishing his street course dominance with a victory on Sunday, inching closer to second place and gaining on Palou.

I will be covering the race from home with results of all sessions and reports on anything else I hear.

Indianapolis 500 Purse Payout

1. Felix Rosenqvist $4,340,500

2. David Malukas $1,682,500

3. Scott McLaughlin $1,414,500

4. Pato O’Ward $1,279,000

5. Marcus Armstrong $1,206,500

6. Rinus VeeKay $1,178,500

7. Alex Palou $1,399,000

8. Santino Ferrucci $1,164,000

9. Romain Grosjean $1,150,000

10. Takuma Sato $137,000

11. Nolan Siegel $1,132,000

12. Conor Daly $138,000

13. Marcus Ericsson $1,125,500

14. Kyffin Simpson $1,183,500

15. Scott Dixon $1,218,500

16. Kyle Kirkwood $1,102,000

17. Christian Lundgaard $1,105,500

18. Mick Schumacher $218,800

19. Dennis Hauger $159,800

20. Graham Rahal $1,105,500

21. Louis Foster $1,105,500

22. Jack Harvey $102,000

23. Sting Ray Robb $155,300

24. Jacob Abel $103,000

25. Helio Castroneves $102,000

26. Caio Collet $1,126,500

27. Christian Rasmussen $1,110,000

28. Josef Newgarden $1,105,500

29. Will Power $1,105,500

30. Alexander Rossi $1,141,000

31. Ed Carpenter $102,000

32. Ryan Hunter-Reay $105,500

33. Katherine Legge $102,000

Indianapolis 500 Purse Soars to New Increases by More than 50 Percent

 
 INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 25, 2026) – The Indianapolis 500 purse record was broken for the fifth consecutive year for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, with first-time winner Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian earning a record-high $4.34 million from a total purse of $30,906,400.This is the largest purse in the history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on the heels of four consecutive record-breaking years.
This year’s average payout for NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers was $936,500, which also exceeds last year’s average of $596,500.In 2025, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $20,283,000, and the year’s winner payout was $3.8 million.
In 2024, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $18,456,000 and the winner earned $4.3 million, which included a $440,000 roll-over bonus from BorgWarner for earning back-to-back wins.
In 2023, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $17,021,500, and the winner earned $3.7 million. In 2022, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $16,000,200, and the winner earned $3.1 million.
Prior to 2022, the largest Indianapolis 500 purse was $14.4 million for the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
“The Indianapolis 500 continues to make history, in more ways than one,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.
“The Month of May featured a back-to-back grandstand sellout crowd – our largest crowd since the 100th Running in 2016 – and intense on track action with the most lead changes ever in the Indy 500. Felix Rosenqvist added his name to the history books in stellar fashion, with the closest finish in Indy 500 history and now the largest purse. There’s no better end to a memorable month.”
Mick Schumacher of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors for his performance during the Month of May. Schumacher earned a $50,000 bonus for being named Rookie of the Year, adding to a total take-home prize of $218,800.
The Indianapolis 500 purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NTT INDYCAR SERIES awards, plus other designated and special awards.
Purse awards are presented annually at the Victory Celebration, held this year at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis Monday night.
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday, May 31 on the streets of Downtown Detroit. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Quick Thoughts- 110th Indianapolis 500

Some quick thoughts tonight and a more detailed analysis tomorrow.

Last night I created this tableau for our pre race party.

I had no idea how prophetic this turned out to be.

Let’s start at the end. Felix Rosenqvist went outside of David Malukas on the front stretch. He didn’t follow the “snake” move Malukas used, and a s a result, we have the closest finish in 500 history.

“Unreal; I still don’t believe it,” Rosenqvist said. “It kind of worked out the right way when I got back to third, and then I just had to flat-out lap on the high line, and it stuck,” Rosenqvist said. “It was just the coolest way you can finish and win an Indy 500.”

The record 70 lead changes isn’t impressive when most of them were allowed by the leader to save fuel.

I have seen heartbroken runners-up before, but FDavid Malukas’s heart rending post race interview captured the agony of coming oh so close to winning the biggest race of the all.

The race was playing out a fuel strategy affair, and the last 25 laps would have been a crazy scramble anyway.

I normally don’t care for red flags within the last 10 laps of a race, but I could see some justification for throwing one for Collet’s accident. That was one of the loudest hits I have ever heard. This race needed to finish under green, although I expected a different intriguing ending.

I wasn’t as thrilled with red flag for moisture. In turn 2 we only felt a few sprinkles which lasted just about a minute. For a while I thought IndyCar was having the cars run under yellow just to tick off laps and stay within the television window.

It’s not unusual for a washout forecast to turn out to be completely wrong. I remember several races in the 80s and 90s with a gloom and doom forecast which were run under sunny skies.

Fans cannot ask for much more from a race than we saw today. The race had multiple fuel strategies brought about by yellows outsid normal pit windows, an exciting down to the wire finish, a jubilant winner, and a distraught, heartbroken runner up.

I will have more on today’s race tomorrow afternoon. Congratulations to Felix Rosenqvist on a great race and a thrilling finish.

Race Day 2026

Good morning from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The key words this morning are weather and whether. Weather will decide whether we get the full race in. IndyCar can be quite deliberate in deciding how to proceed. In the ned, they will make the best decision for everyone involved,

I haf a bit of an emotional moment as I entered the Speedway roundabout and saw the words to “Back Home Again in Indiana” lit up. You would think after 58 previous races, thingslike that wouldn’t affect me. I’m ready to get the day going.

The schedule:

5 a.m.-1 p.m.: INDYCAR Credentials Office Open

6 a.m.-4 p.m.: Public Gates Open

6 a.m.: Cannon Blast & Pyrotechnics

7 a.m.: Coors Light Snake Pit Gates Open

8:15 a.m.: Wax Motif Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

8:55 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy March to the Bricks Begins

9 a.m.: DJ Slater Hogan Begins on Pagoda 3

9:05 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy reaches Checkpoint 2 – Pagoda Plaza

9:10 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy reaches Checkpoint 3 – IMS Midway

9:15 a.m.: It’s Murph Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

9:20 a.m.: All Cars to Pit Lane, Engine Warm Up #1 Begins

9:38 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy reaches Checkpoint 4 – Band Gate

10:10 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy arrives at Yard of Bricks

10:26 a.m.: “On the Banks of the Wabash” – Purdue University Band

10:30 a.m.: Crankdat Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

10:36 a.m.: Green Flag Lap Rolls Out

10:37 a.m.: Indy 500 Winners Lap

10:43 a.m.: Honorary Starter Receives Green Flag form IU Health Patient – Trackside Stage

10:55 a.m.: All Cars on the Grid

10:59 a.m.: Historic Cars Lap

11:25 a.m.: Chevrolet Military Appreciation Lap

11:47 a.m.: Driver Introductions Begin

12:07 p.m.: U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team Begins Descent

12:07 p.m.: “God Bless America” by Indiana National Guard Quartet with Purdue Band – Victory Podium

12:08 p.m.: Military March on Pit Lane

12:13 p.m.: Military Address by Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, U.S. Army – Victory Podium

12:17 p.m.: Invocation by Indianapolis Archbishop Charles Thompson – Trackside Stage

12:18 p.m.: Rifle Volley and “Taps” – Victory Podium

12:20 p.m.: “America the Beautiful” by Ephraim Owens – Pylon Stage

12:24 p.m.: National Anthem by Jordin Sparks

12:26 p.m.: Flyover – F-16 Jets of the 175th Fighter Wing

12:33 p.m.: Drivers to Your Cars Command by Caitlin Clark

12:37 p.m.: “Back Home Again in Indiana” by Jim Cornelison

12:38 p.m.: Second Flyover – F-16 Jets of the 175th Fighter Wing

12:38 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” – Roger Penske, Victory Podium

12:39 p.m.: Flyover Lap, 38th Combat Aviation Brigade, Indiana Army National Guard

12:45 p.m.: Green Flag, 110th Indianapolis 500 by Gainbridge. Honorary Starter Brendan Fraser

12:50 p.m.: Zedd Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

2:20 p.m.: Wooli Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

A Word about The Start

Last year, the pace laps were ruined by the presence of several army helicopters which followed the field around the track, at times dipping dangerously low. With all due respect to our brave men and women in the military, I sincerely hope we don’t see this again. The parade and pace laps at the start of the Indianapolis 500 is, in my opinion, the most beautiful moment in sports. It does need any so-called enhancement. It is amazing by itself.

The helicopters added nothing except concern for safety. they were distracting. I heard of some veterans in the stands who were triggered by the sight of guns on the bottom of the copters.

My opinion may be in the minority, and I’m fine with that. The military is honored throughout the opening ceremonies in a beautiful, respectful presentation. When the drivers start their engines. it is time to focus on the race. End of rant.

I am staying with my pick of Alexander Rossi today, but I will watch out for Conor Daly, David Malukas, and Pato O’Ward.

I will post weather updates as I receive than and keep you posted on any rescheduling. Have a great race da. Stay safe and dry.

RACE DAY!

From IMS: Schedule is weather permitting.

INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 23, 2026) – Information about the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Race Day track activity Sunday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

SCHEDULE:

5 a.m.-1 p.m.: INDYCAR Credentials Office Open

6 a.m.-4 p.m.: Public Gates Open

6 a.m.: Cannon Blast & Pyrotechnics

7 a.m.: Coors Light Snake Pit Gates Open

8:15 a.m.: Wax Motif Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

8:55 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy March to the Bricks Begins

9 a.m.: DJ Slater Hogan Begins on Pagoda 3

9:05 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy reaches Checkpoint 2 – Pagoda Plaza

9:10 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy reaches Checkpoint 3 – IMS Midway

9:15 a.m.: It’s Murph Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

9:20 a.m.: All Cars to Pit Lane, Engine Warm Up #1 Begins

9:38 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy reaches Checkpoint 4 – Band Gate

10:10 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy arrives at Yard of Bricks

10:26 a.m.: “On the Banks of the Wabash” – Purdue University Band

10:30 a.m.: Crankdat Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

10:36 a.m.: Green Flag Lap Rolls Out

10:37 a.m.: Indy 500 Winners Lap

10:43 a.m.: Honorary Starter Receives Green Flag form IU Health Patient – Trackside Stage

10:55 a.m.: All Cars on the Grid

10:59 a.m.: Historic Cars Lap

11:25 a.m.: Chevrolet Military Appreciation Lap

11:47 a.m.: Driver Introductions Begin

12:07 p.m.: U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team Begins Descent

12:07 p.m.: “God Bless America” by Indiana National Guard Quartet with Purdue Band – Victory Podium

12:08 p.m.: Military March on Pit Lane

12:13 p.m.: Military Address by Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, U.S. Army – Victory Podium

12:17 p.m.: Invocation by Indianapolis Archbishop Charles Thompson – Trackside Stage

12:18 p.m.: Rifle Volley and “Taps” – Victory Podium

12:20 p.m.: “America the Beautiful” by Ephraim Owens – Pylon Stage

12:24 p.m.: National Anthem by Jordin Sparks

12:26 p.m.: Flyover – F-16 Jets of the 175th Fighter Wing

12:33 p.m.: Drivers to Your Cars Command by Caitlin Clark

12:37 p.m.: “Back Home Again in Indiana” by Jim Cornelison

12:38 p.m.: Second Flyover – F-16 Jets of the 175th Fighter Wing

12:38 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” – Roger Penske, Victory Podium

12:39 p.m.: Flyover Lap, 38th Combat Aviation Brigade, Indiana Army National Guard

12:45 p.m.: Green Flag, 110th Indianapolis 500 by Gainbridge. Honorary Starter Brendan Fraser

12:50 p.m.: Zedd Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

2:20 p.m.: Wooli Begins – Coors Light Snake Pit

TICKETS: Reserved seats are SOLD OUT. $65 for General Admission only, no grandstand access and no Snake Pit entry. Children 15 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a General Admission adult ticketholder. Fans will not be admitted to the track with just a Coors Light Snake Pit wristband. All Coors Light Snake Pit attendees must be at least 18 years old. Snake Pit General Admission wristbands are SOLD OUT. Snake Pit VIP wristbands are $240, while supplies last.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: Gate 1, Gate 1B.1, Gate 1C, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 5, Gate 5B, Gate 6B, Gate 6N, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7N, Gate 7S, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A, Gate 11, Gate 11A, Gate 11B, Gate 11C, Gate 12.

PARKING/CAMPING: All Indianapolis 500 Race Day parking and camping are SOLD OUT.

CASHLESS OPERATIONS: Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.

Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. A Cash-to-Card machine, which converts paper money to a temporary debit card, will be in Pagoda Plaza. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted.

MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, seniors (55 and over) are $23, and military (former and active) are $18. Tickets can be purchased online at https://imsmuseum.org/tickets/. Gate admission must be purchased as well as Museum admission. There is no parking available at the Museum, as all pre-paid parking is sold out.

Legends Day

From IMS. One way to spend Christmas Eve.

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 22, 2026) – Information about the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Legends Day track activity Saturday, May 23 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

SCHEDULE (All times local):

8 a.m.-3 p.m.: Public gates open

9-10 a.m.: 2026 Indianapolis 500 Drivers’ Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza1

0:30-11:15 a.m.: Public Drivers’ Meeting, Tower Terrace

Noon-1 p.m.: Former Indianapolis 500 Drivers’ Autograph Session, North Chalet

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Former Indianapolis 500 Drivers’ Autograph Session, North Chalet

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $20 and provide first-come, first-served access to select grandstands to watch the annual Public Drivers’ Meeting, as well as garage access. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, Gate 10 A.

PARKING: Free parking is available at 5th & Hulman Lot and N Lot. Free ADA accessible parking is available in West Museum Lot, Flag Lot and Tower Terrace Lot. Free motorcycle parking is available in South Carousel Lot. Paid daily parking and ADA parking are available at Lot 2 for $10. Pre-Paid parking is available in Lot 1B, Lot 2, Lot 3P, and Main Gate. Pre-paid ADA accessible parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3P.

CASHLESS OPERATIONS: Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.

Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. A Cash-to-Card machine, which converts paper money to a temporary debit card, will be in Pagoda Plaza. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted.

MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. General Admission tickets are $25, seniors (55 and older) are $23 and military (former and active) are $18. Tickets can be purchased online at https://imsmuseum.org/tickets/. Gate admission must be purchased as well as Museum admission.