Tag: Indianapolis 500

Turtle Wax Named IMS Partner, Official Sponsor of Fast Friday

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From IMS:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 15, 2025) – Turtle Wax, a world-renowned brand in car care, announced a multiyear collaboration with Indianapolis Motor Speedway that includes a presenting sponsorship of Fast Friday at the Racing Capital of the World.Fast Friday presented by Turtle Wax will take place Friday, May 16. It is the final practice and the last opportunity for teams to test and refine their setups before PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18.
“The increased boost levels available on Fast Friday make it one of the most exciting practice days in the lead-up the Indianapolis 500,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.
“The partnership with Turtle Wax provides a boost to the day for fans and teams alike.”
The Turtle Wax story started with the launch of the first-ever bottled car wax in 1944. More than 75 years later, Turtle Wax still captures the attention of the car care industry with a wide range of products for cleaning, shining and protecting vehicles inside and out, including washes, waxes, interior cleaners and other detailing products.
As part of the relationship, Turtle Wax will provide products for the entire fleet of IMS event vehicles.
“We’re thrilled about this alliance between two iconic Midwest-based brands – Turtle Wax and Indianapolis Motor Speedway – each with a rich history in the automotive world,” Turtle Wax Chief Marketing Officer Daren Herbert said.
“As part of this collaboration, Turtle Wax products will help maintain the IMS fleet, continuing our legacy of trusted performance related to any vehicle’s appearance, so IMS can stay focused on what it does best. Simply put: It’s a match made in speed and shine, and we’re ready to go.”
Visit ims.com to purchase tickets for Fast Friday presented by Turtle Wax on May 16 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.
For additional information about Turtle Wax products, visit www.TurtleWax.com. 

Thursday at IMS- Practice Day 3

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Is today when Tony Kanaan finally gets to take his refresher test?

It will be very hot this afternoon. remember to hydrate.

 From IMS:
INDIANAPOLIS – Information about 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice track activity Thursday, May 15 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
SCHEDULE (All times local):
10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open
10 a.m.-noon: Refresher test for Tony Kanaan
Noon-6 p.m.: Practice (all cars)
TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $25. 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 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, Gate 10A
PARKING: Free public parking is available in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40). Free motorcycle parking in South Carousel Lot. ADA accessible parking is available in the following lots: West Museum Lot, Flag Lot, Tower Lot, Northwest Gravel Lot and Lot 7 (North 40).
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 10 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.

Indianapolis 500 Day 2

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Wednesday practice started late and had two rain interruptions. Cars got on track an hour later than scheduled. Rain halted action 3 pm, and lightning in the area kept things from resuming until 3:45. Sprinkles stopped action after 30 minutes, but it was a brief stop.

Will Power led most of the afternoon with teammate Josef Newgarden second. Alex Palou jumped to the top of the pylon with the fastest lap of the two days, 227.546 mph, just after practice resumed.

Ferrucci Concern?

Santino Ferrucci turned just six laps yesterday and has run only 26 laps today. He lost an engine last weekend during the Grand Prix.

His teammate David Malukas is sixth. I wonder what is going on with the 14.

Bubble Watch

One of the two PREMA cars is likely to miss the race, but I am adding Ferrucci and Jacob Abel for now. I will update this list tomorrow and Friday.

Results

The 2025 Indianapolis Program: Bland Cover, Exciting Content

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Don’t be fooled by the cover. The program for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 has one of the more nondescript covers in history, but inside are some very good stories and artwork.

The content begins with a nice tribute to the late Parnelli Jones by Steve Shunck. It has always been a 500 program tradition to memorialize those that died since the previous May. Thanks to the sfaety of the modern IndyCar, we don’t have a full page of faces anymore.

The 2025 edition is mostly a tribute issue. There are features on three anniversary races- 1925, 1985, and 1995. The 1925 race saw Pete DePaolo average more than 100 mile per hour for the first time, a feat thatbstood unchallenged for seven years. 1985 is noted for Danny Sullivan’s spin and win. 1995 is a race I always regarded as the strangest 500 I have ever seen, but it is known more for the driver who lost, Scott Goodyear, than for the winner. Goodyear passed the pace car with 10 laps to go, and officials stopped counting his laps. 1995 was the last race before the split, and the Penske cars did not make the race,

Other features include a story on the renovated museum, a recap of the 2024 race, and stories on Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, and Kyle Larson.

A featue on Marco Andretti carries the sad title “The Last Andretti.” It hit me hard to see that in print.

My favorite piece is one celebrating Miller Lite’s 50 year anniversary. Four fans share their Indianapolis 500 experiences. The 500 brings together people from different backgrounds who, for one day, share a common bond.

In recognition of Josef Newgarden becoming the sixth back to back winner of the 500, there is a special insert of trading cards of all the back to back winners,

Tilting the sheet presents a second photo and the caption changes. I learned something from the information on the back of the cards- only Vukovich and Newgarden carried the same number in the twin victories.

I wish the programs would return to containing more photos of the previous year’s event and a more detailed race recap. The modern era programs are more like a magazine than an event overview.

While the cover is not the most inviting, the contents make the program worth the $20.

Day 2 at IMS

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From IMS


INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 13, 2025) – Information about 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice track activity Wednesday, May 14 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
SCHEDULE (All times local):
10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open10 a.m.-noon: Indianapolis 500 Refresher Tests
Noon-6 p.m.: Practice (all cars)
TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $25. 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 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, Gate 10A
PARKING: Free public parking is available in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40). Free motorcycle parking in South Carousel Lot. ADA accessible parking is available in the following lots: West Museum Lot, Flag Lot, Tower Lot, Northwest Gravel Lot and Lot 7 (North 40).
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 10 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.

Day 1- Short but Fast

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IndyCar had just short of three hours of time on the first day of practice for the Indianapolis 500, and drivers made the most of it. Will Power turned the fastest lap at 227.026 miles per hour with teammate Josef Newgarden just behind at 226,971 mph. The third Penske car of Scott McLaughlin was fifth.

Power told me this morning that he was looking forward to getting back on an oval.

From earlier:

Pole Tales: 1955- Hoyt Takes Pole as Others Wait

Series points leader Alex Palou had the third fastest time followed by Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon.

While Marcus Ericsson and Marco Andretti were in the top 10, the Andretti cars of Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood ended the day in 16th and 19th. Kirkwood, however, had the fastest no tow speed.

The PREMA team struggled as expected. Robert Shwartzman ran just six laps and Callum Ilott turned 17 laps.

Tomorrow’s schedule has been modified a bit to accommodate the refresher program for Tony Kanaan, which was supposed to take place today. The refresher session will go from 10 am until noon tomorrow morning, and the regular practice period from noon to 6 pm will follow.

Results

Eight Former Winners, Five Series Champs Starting ‘500’ Preparation 

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From IMS:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 13, 2025) – Practice for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts May 13 with a field consisting of eight former winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and five NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions.There are 34 entries set to contest the 33 starting spots for this year’s edition of the “500.” Practice is scheduled to start today, with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 17-18. All track activity on the historic 2.5-mile oval leads into Race Day, Sunday, May 25.
SEE: Entry List
Josef Newgarden earned his second career “500” victory last May after passing Pato O’Ward on the final lap, his second straight Lap 200 pass to earn another spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy.Newgarden became just the sixth driver to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in consecutive years, joining Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71) and Helio Castroneves (2001-02). No driver ever has won three in a row, Newgarden’s target this May.Other former winners aiming for a spot in the race this year include four-time winner Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and two-time winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), plus single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power (2018) and Marcus Ericsson (2022). The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992.
Castroneves earned a spot with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports – four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 – with his emotional victory in 2021, for Meyer Shank Racing. A record-breaking fifth would put Castroneves alone at the top with most victories. Additionally, Castroneves is 50 years old, and a victory would make him the oldest winner in “500” history, a record held by Unser, who won the 1987 edition just five days shy of his 48th birthday.
The field includes five past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, two-time reigning champion Alex Palou and Power.
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will attempt for the second straight year to become the fifth driver to complete the Memorial Day “double” of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch. The last driver to complete the feat was Busch in 2014.
Larson earned “500” Rookie of the Year honors last year after qualifying fifth and finishing 18th. But he never turned a wheel in the NASCAR race at Charlotte due to rain ending the race early just as he arrived at the track.
Four drivers are competing for Rookie of the Year honors in 2025: Jacob Abel, Louis Foster, Nolan Siegel and Robert Shwartzman.
Live Race Day coverage begins on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 10 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.

2025 ENTRY BREAKDOWN:
Winners (8): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato
Rookies (4): Jacob Abel, Louis Foster, Robert Shwartzman, Nolan
U.S. drivers (15): Jacob Abel, Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, Kyle Larson, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi, Nolan Siegel
International drivers (19, from 13 countries): Marcus Armstrong, Helio Castroneves, Devlin DeFrancesco, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Louis Foster, Jack Harvey, Callum Ilott, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Robert Shwartzman, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay
Engines (34): Chevrolet 18, Honda 16 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires)

Pole Tales: 1955- Hoyt Takes Pole as Others Wait

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High winds with gusts up to 36 mph greeted the drivers on Pole Day 1955. The quickest drivers decided to wait to make their qualifying runs, and as the afternoon wore on and the winds didn’t subside, several of the pole contenders, including Jack McGrath, Walt Faulkner, and Bill Vukovich, agreed to not run until the next day.

However, not every driver knew of the deal. At 5:33 pm, just 27 minutes before the end of qualifying for the day, Jerry Hoyt pulled his car into the qualifying line. When a driver asked Hoyt if he remembered the deal, Hoyt responded, “What deal?”

“I didn’t make any agreements with anybody,” Hoyt told Jep Cadou, Jr. of the Indianapolis Star.

Seven other cars got into line behind Hoyt, but because of the late hour, only three attempts were made, two successfully. After Hoyt averaged 140 mph, Pat O’Connor took to the track. He was waved off after three laps and a 137 mph average. O’Connor would come back Sunday to qualify in eighth place.

Tony Bettenhausen qualified second at 139 mph. Sam Hanks was about to head on to the track as the gun sounded, ending Pole Day with just two qualifiers.

The next day Jack McGrath would take the final front row spot. Defending race winner Bill Vukovich qualified fifth.

Hoyt was the first Indianapolis native to win the pole since Bill Cummings in 1937. His rookie year was 1950, and Hoyt also drove in the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500s. His best starting spot was seventh in 195, but he never finished the race, with results of 21sr, 23rd, and 26th.

He fared no better in 1955, dropping out after just 40 laps with an oil leak and ending the day in 31st place. Bettenhausen would finish second, and McGrath dropped out after 54 laps with a magneto problem.

The high winds that day may have been an omen of the dark path that befell the racing world in 1955. Jerry Hoyt died in a sprint car accident in Oklahoma City on July 10, driving a car owned by 1955 500 winner Bob Sweikert, one of several drivers from the 1955 500 to lose their life behind the wheel.