A Strange Race; Another Palou Win

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I saw two races today. The 110 lap race was caution filled and filled with chaos in the pits. The second one was an intriguing chess game in which several drivershad a chance to win.

Alex Palou won the 109th Indianapolis 500, taking the lead from Marcus Ericsson with 14 laps to go.

“Pretty painful,” Ericsson said.

It is Palou’s first win on an oval, and Palou’s fifth win six IndyCar series races in 2025. He now leads Pato O’Ward by 118 points, more than two races of maximum points.

Pit Chaos

Pit Lane played a role in the outcome as several contenders had incidents which ended either their day or their chances to win. Rinus VeeKay slid into the pit wall after entering the pits. the contact knocked him out of the race.

Takuma Sato, who looked to be in control of the race, overshot his marks, and the crew had and the time lost took him out of the running.He finished 11th.

Robert Shwartzman made contact with his pit crew as stopped too close to the wall. One crew member was taken by ambulance to the infield care center with severe foot pain.

Ryan Hunter-Reay was leading the race and appeared to be in position to battle for the win.. His car stalled on his final stop and the team couldn’t restart it. Hunter-Reay placed 24th.

Tough Day for Former Winners

Other than Marcus Ericsson’s second place finish, former 500 winners had a difficult time. Helio Castroneves finished 13th and was the only other past winner on the lead lap at the end.

Two time defending champion Josef Newgarden had climbed as high as fifth from his 32nd starting spot only to have the fuel pump fail. he finished 25th.

Will Power started 33rd and quietly rose to 19th at the end.

Alexander Rossi led 14 laps but retired after a brake fire.

Scott Dixon suffered a brake fire on the parade lap and spent the entire day three laps down.

What Might Have Been

Conor Daly looked like he would become the first Indiana born winner of the 500 since Wilbur Shaw in 1940. A worn tire caused him to pit early and he finished 10th. Still. it was one of Daly’s best 500 drives

David Malukas was in the fight but settled for third place. It was his first podium since a second place at Gateway in 2022.

In Summary

The race got off to a disjointed start with Scott McLaughlin hitting the outside pit wall on the parade lap, and Marco Andretti’s crash in turn 1 just after the green flag. 18 laps of caution in the first 29 laps was not a great start. A back to back set of yellows on laps 82 and 92 kept the first half of the race crawling. After the caution which ended on lap 108, the race was green until Nolan Siegel’s crash on lap 200.

The second half of the race was fascinating, and the winner was in doubt until inside the last 20 laps.

I will post my thoughts on the race tomorrow. I have a few, not just on the race, but on the ceremonies as well. Thanks for following along this weekend and all through May.

Race Day 109

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Good morning from IMS. I love the 5 am hour inside the Speedway- the stillness, the pent up energy waiting to burst forth at 6 am when the gates open, the silent front stretch where things will be very hectic in the next couple of hours, and most of all the ghosts of drivers past.

The latest from @Indycar_Wxman:

My weather app calls for the best chance of rain between 9 and 10 am. The rest of the day should be fine.

The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 has many compelling storylines. How will Robert Shwartzman, the rookie polesitter, handle the start? Will we see a repeat winner? A fifth win for Helio Castroneves or three in a row for Josef Newgarden? I think the best chances for a repeat winner lie with either Takuma Sato or Scott Dixon.

Can Alex Palou continue his IndyCar victory juggernaut? Palou is still seeking his first win on oval, but I don’t think today is the day he gets it.

Will the hybrid be a factor? Will it be the difference in a last lap duel?

Five drivers-Scott McLaughlin, Colton Herta, Takuma Sato, Marcus Armstrong, and Ryan Hunter-Reay- are driving either rebuilt or back up cars. Hunter-Reay changed chassis after Friday’s fire during Carb Day.

Today’s race will come down to pit strategy and being in position to win on the final stint.

In the end, I’m sticking with my pick of Pato O’Ward. Let’s have a good, clean, safe race.

Here are some pics from this morning on pit lane.

First Look- Indianapolis 500 Race Day Schedule

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Sunday, May 25

All Times Eastern.

6 am: Gates Open

9 am: Cars To Pit Lane

10:30 am: Cars To Grid

10:40 am: Past Winners Lap

11:47 am: Driver Intros

12:06 pm: Military March

12:11 pm: America the Beautiful

12:13 pm: Military Address

12:18 pm: Invocation

12:19 pm: Rifle Volley

12:20 pm: Taps

12:21 pm: God Bless America

12:24 pm: National Anthem

12:26 pm Flyover

12:29 pm: Drivers To Cars

12:36 pm: Back Home Again in Indiana

12:38 pm: Command

12:45 pm: Green Flag

Legends Day

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INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 23, 2025) – Information about 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Legends Day Presented by Firestone track activity Saturday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
SCHEDULE (All times local):
8 a.m.-3 p.m.: Public Gates Open
9-10 a.m.: 2025 Indianapolis 500 Drivers’ Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza
10:30 a.m.: Public Drivers’ Meeting, Pit Lane in front of 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 Second Session, North Chalet
TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $20. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The General Admission ticket will provide the opportunity to move between the IMS infield viewing mounds and first-come, first-served access to selected grandstands to view the Public Drivers’ Meeting.
PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-3 p.m.): Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7V, Gate 7S, Gate 10, Gate 10A
PARKING: Free parking is available at 5th & Hulman and N Lot. Paid daily parking is available in Lot 2. Pre-Paid parking is available in Lot 1B, Lot 2, Lot 3P, and Main Gate. Free ADA accessible parking is available in West Museum Lot and Tower Terrace. Paid daily ADA accessible parking is available in Lot 2. Pre-Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3P.
CASHLESS OPERATIONS: The 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. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located in the IMS Museum, Pagoda Plaza and outside Turn 1 by concessions stand 7. 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. to 5 p.m. Advance ticket purchases are sold out. Limited tickets are available for walk-in purchases at the Museum, but there may be a wait. Gate admission must be purchased as well as Museum admission

Carb Day With a Serving of Hot Dogs

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Josef Newgarden led a disjointed Carb Day practice which had three caution periods and saw eight different teams in the top 10. Newgarden’s best lap of 225.687 mph, just edging Takuma Sato by two tenths of a mile per hour. Pole sitter Robert Shwartzman was 29th and Pato O’Ward was eighth quick.

Yellow first flew when Graham Rahal suffered an oil fire. The second yellow was for Ryan Hunter-Reay when a fire occurred inside the cockpit. Satom brought out the final yellow with about 30 minutes left when he slowed on the backstretch and pulled into the grass in the north short chute.

From earlier:

109th Indianapolis 500 Preview

Watching all 33 cars on track today I got the feeling that this field is one of the best looking grids I have seen for the 500. The parade lap is going to look great.

Another large crowd descended on IMS today to watch the final practice before Sunday’s race and to take in the other activities of the day, including the just concluded Weenie 500. For thse keeping score number three passed number 1 just before the finish line for the closest win in Weenie 500 history.

Practice Results

109th Indianapolis 500 Preview

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It’s time to put the ugliness of the past week behind us and have a fun weekend of racing. We need a very good race and a popular winner. We need a race with no officiating controversies, and a few caution periods to keep things interesting.

What should have been one of the best qualifying stories ever at IMS was buried in an avalanche of controversy and scandal involving Team Penske’s rules violation and its aftermath. It’s time to give Robert Shwartzman his due,

Shwartzman had never driven on an oval before coming to the Speedway. His car had been sluggish early in the week, but it came alive on Fast Friday. He won the pole for the 500 on Sunday, and he was the center of attention that night and early the next day until the Penske story took a darker turn. I think Shwartzman will struggle in the dirty air of the race. I’m not sure he will even lead a lap. I just hope he doesn’t fade quickly at the start.

Elements are in place to make this a very good race. The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the 60s, which means there will be lots of grip. There are strong cars and drivers scattered throughout the field who will move forward, Starting with row 6, Kyle Kirkwood, Colton Herta, Marcus Armstrong, Josef Newgarden, and Will Power will charge forward.

In the front half of the field, Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward will battle for the early lead with Alex Palou waiting for his opportunity to strike. Conor Daly, Christian Lundgaard, and Alexander Rossi could be factors as well. This race is wide open.

At the end of the race, one driver has been so close to winning the last three years will finally break through. he knows how to be there at the end, and I think this year he will finally get the timing correct and take the checkered flag. Pato O’Ward will win the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Carb Day

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From IMS:

Friday, May 23 
 INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 22, 2025) – Information about 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Miller Lite Carb Day track activity Friday, May 23 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
SCHEDULE (All times local):
8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open
11 a.m.-1 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice
2 p.m.: Wienie 500 and Concert Gates Open
2:30-4 p.m.: Oscar Mayer $150,000 Pit Stop Challenge4-6 p.m.: Miller Lite Carb Day Concert (Bret Michaels and The All-American Rejects)

TICKETS:General Admission tickets are $50. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The General Admission ticket will provide the opportunity to move between the IMS infield viewing mounds and first-come, first-served access to selected grandstands to view racing action from different vantage points

.PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 6N, Gate 6B, Gate 7 Vehicle, Gate 7S, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A, Gate 11A, Gate 12.

PARKING:Free Parking
Limited free parking for Miller Lite Carb Day is located in Lot 7 (North 40) and Lot 7 (North 40) for ADA. Enter through Gate 10 from 30th Street. Free parking spaces fill quickly on Miller Lite Carb Day.

Paid Parking – First-Come, First-Served Basis
Paid parking will be available at Lot 1B, Lot 2, Lot 3P, Lot 3G and Main Gate for $30. Parking in Lot 6A is $85. Gate 1 Lot parking, located next to Gate 1 off Crawfordsville Road, is available for $100 and $125 for tailgating. Paid ADA parking is $30 in Lot 3P and Lot 2 and $100 in Gate 1 Lot. Paid motorcycle parking in the South Carousel Lot is pre-paid only, available at the IMS Ticket Office for $30.
CASHLESS OPERATIONS: The 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. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located in the IMS Museum, Pagoda Plaza and outside Turn 1 by concessions stand 7. 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. 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.

The Penske File- Some Thoughts

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For want of a nail… And to think IndyCar got into this mess because someone didn’t like the look of the attenuator.

To recap- The Team Penske cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power were excluding from qualifying Sunday because they failed technical inspection. On Monday the two cars were moved to the rear of the field, crew chiefs were suspended, and each car assessed a $100,000 fine.

Roger Penske took appropriate action yesterday in firing Tim Cindric, Rob Ruzewski, and Kyle Moyer. After two scandals in 14 months, and a growing sense of favoritism toward Team Penske cars in the paddock, there was little else he could do. The team has divested itself of nearly 50 years of experience.

Time will tell if Penske’s actions today are sufficient or too little, too late. The series needs to accelerate plans for the new car and engine formula, and an independent body to operate the races. Positive momentum needs to get reestablished, and a good race on Sunday would be a start.

For me, the optics of the situation exacerbated what I thought to be sketchy rulings at times favoring the Penske cars. At the same while I agree with the penalties assessed, I’m wondering if the series was bending too far to look as if no favoritism was shown. Again, it’s all about optics.

Doug Boles said today that inspections focus on per4formance features and not safety features. While I understand that priority, shouldn’t safety components get a look once in a while too? What if a part is mounted incorrectly? What if a part is damaged or worn? We do not want safety compromised.

Marshall Pruett of RACER is reporting tonight that an independent group to govern the race events- technical inspections and on track activities- is n the process of being formed. The target date was set for 2027, but as Pruett suggested, next year would be a much better starting point.

Why, wondered this humble blogger, was this not done the day after Penske bought the series? I actually had this thought while I attended the press conference announcing Penske’s purchase of IMS, the IndyCar series, and IMS Productions. Conflict of interest was my first thought, and how to avoid it was my second one.

The IndyCar series is entering what should be its greatest Indianapolis 500 weekend in years. The grandstands are sold out, and the momentum surrounding this year’s race is the strongest since 2016.

Sunday’s green flag cannot come soon enough.