Category: NTT Indy

NTT IndyCar news and information

  • 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by GainbridgePost-Race Notes

    108th Indianapolis 500 presented by GainbridgePost-Race Notes

    INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 26, 2024) – Historical and event notes from the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

    • This was the second career Indianapolis 500 victory for Josef Newgarden in his 13th career “500” start.
    • Josef Newgarden became the sixth driver to earn back-to-back victories in the Indianapolis 500 and the first since Helio Castroneves achieved the feat for Team Penske in 2001-02. The others: Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54) and Al Unser (1970-71).
    • Josef Newgarden became the 11th two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He is the first driver to join the two-time winner’s club since Takuma Sato in 2020. Sato also won in 2017.
    • Team Penske earned its 20th Indianapolis 500 victory, extending its event record. Chip Ganassi is second with six wins, five with Chip Ganassi Racing and one as a co-owner with Pat Patrick.
    • Team Penske repeated its feat of sweeping the front row in qualifying and winning the race. Rick Mears won from the pole in 1988 after his teammates Danny Sullivan and Al Unser started second and third, respectively. Team Penske drivers Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden started 1-2-3, respectively, in this race in only the second front-row sweep in “500” history.
    • This is the 14th time the car that started third won the Indianapolis 500. The last winner from the No. 3 starting spot was Takuma Sato in 2020. The event record is 21 winners from the pole.
    • This is the 13th Indianapolis 500 victory for a Chevrolet engine, elevating it to third in event history. Offenhauser is first with 27 wins, followed by Honda with 15.
    • This is the 11th time car No. 2 has won the Indianapolis 500, tying that number with No. 3 for the most wins in “500” history. Newgarden also won last year in No. 2.
    • The last time an American driver or drivers have won two consecutive Indianapolis 500s came in 1991 and 1992. Rick Mears won in 1991, Al Unser Jr. in 1992.
    • Josef Newgarden is the fourth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 at age 33. The last was Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014.
    • This is only the fourth time the Indianapolis 500 has been decided by a last-lap pass. The other two times: 2006: Sam Hornish (Team Penske) passed Marco Andretti on the front straightaway; 2011: Dan Wheldon passed JR Hildebrand on the front straightaway; 2023: Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) passed Marcus Ericsson on the back straightaway.
    • Eighteen different drivers led at least one lap today, an event record. The previous record was 15 drivers in 2017 and 2018.
    • Helio Castroneves completed the full 500-mile distance for the 18th time in his Indianapolis 500 race career, extending his race record. He has been running at the end of the race in 22 of 24 career starts, also a race record.
    • There were 21 cars on the lead lap at the finish, just shy of the event record of 22 set in 2021 and 2022.
    • Scott Dixon led 12 laps today to extend his event record to 677 career laps led.
    • Scott Dixon has led at least one lap in 16th Indianapolis 500s, breaking the event record of 15 races led he shared with Tony Kanaan.
    • Christian Rasmussen was the top-finishing rookie today, in 12th place.
    • There were 49 lead changes, the fourth-highest total in “500” history. The record is 68 in 2013, followed by 54 in 2016 and 52 in 2023.
    • Helio Castroneves made his 24th Indy 500 start, moving into a three-way tie with Gordon Johncock and Johnny Rutherford for fourth place for career Indianapolis 500 starts. The record is 35 by A.J. Foyt, followed by Mario Andretti with 29 and Al Unser with 27.
    • The last time there was a yellow caution flag on the opening lap was 2015 when there was contact between several cars in Turn 1, eliminating Sage Karam from the race.
    • Marcus Ericsson became the first former winner to finish last since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2016.
    • Roger Penske is the first team owner to have two drivers win back-to-back Indianapolis 500s, with Helio Castroneves in 2001-02 and Josef Newgarden in 2023-24.
    • Scott Dixon finished third, giving him nine top-five finishes in 22 career starts.
    • Conor Daly advanced more positions than any other driver, finishing 10th after starting 29th.
    • Fourth-place finisher Alexander Rossi finished in the top five for the sixth time in nine Indy 500 career starts.
    • Christian Lundgaard recorded the fastest lap (226.373 mph) of the race on Lap 175.
    • NTT P1 Award winner Scott McLaughlin led a race-high 64 laps today, the first “500” laps he has led in his career.
    • There were seven drivers who led the Indianapolis 500 for the first time: Scott McLaughlin, Sting Ray Robb, Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood, and rookie drivers Kyffin Simpson, Kyle Larson and Christian Rasmussen.
    • All 18 lap leaders finished on the lead lap, beating the event record of 11, set in 2023.
  • Helio Castroneves Leads Meyer Shank Racing With 20th Place Finish in Indianapolis 500

    Helio Castroneves Leads Meyer Shank Racing With 20th Place Finish in Indianapolis 500

    Indianapolis, Ind. (26 May 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) came into Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 with a high degree of optimism after putting all three of its cars in the top eight in Friday’s final practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    But a lot of things can happen to derail a team over 200 laps, and MSR experienced a fistful of them as a long day, caused by a four-hour weather delay, turned longer as all three of its cars met with issues that blunted their attempt to win the Memorial Day classic.

    Drivers Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda), Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Cleveland-Cliffs Honda) and Tom Blomqvist (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) started ninth, 20th and 25th respectively but saw things unravel as two cars failed to finish while four-time Indy winner Castroneves led the team by finishing on the lead lap and in 20th place.

    The oldest and most-seasoned driver on the squad showed the way today as Castroneves made his 24th Indy 500 start in fine fashion. The Brazilian made quick work of thing early, gaining seven spots in the first 23 laps prior to the first round of pit stops. He continued climbing through the first quarter of the race, carving his way up the scoring pylon to reach ninth by Lap 82.

    The veteran held close to the top 10 for the next 50 laps, running seventh through Lap 120 with the tea confident in Castroneves’ abilities to take the No. 06 car to the front. Unfortunately, his chance at becoming the only five-time Indy 500 champ ended on his final pit stop when he locked up his rear brakes going into the pit stall and lost crucial time in pit lane. He fought back once back out on track and ended his day in 20th place.

    Rosenqvist saw a promising run literally go up in smoke on Lap 56. The Swedish star, who had started ninth, had run in the top 10 for the first quarter of the race but saw his day end coasting down the backstretch of the 2.5-mile oval when his engine failed.

    Blomqvist’s first Indianapolis 500 ended in the first turn as the hard-charging Brit hooked a wheel on the inside curb and spun up the track and into the wall. The rookie was uninjured but was unable to rejoin the race due to the crash damage.

    MSR will have a chance to get back on the beam next weekend as the team journeys to Detroit for the Detroit Grand Prix. Qualifying takes place Saturday with coverage on Peacock beginning at 12:15 p.m. Sunday’s race will be broadcast live starting at Noon E.T. on USA Network and Peacock. SiriusXM will also host live INDYCAR Radio coverage on XM Ch. 218.

    Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

    Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Cleveland-Cliffs Honda) Finished 20th – “Well first of all great job for the entire Cliffs and SiriusXM team. What a great job everyone did. We were a little on and off today. But unfortunately the gears we had on the car really ended up hurting us on the restarts. It was not a very typical race with how the clouds and shadows came in. And I had a mistake on the last pit stop, we just locked up the rear and went a little long unfortunately. I don’t think we had a car to win for to be honest, but we had a shot to be to be in the top 10, for sure. But great job this month for the whole MSR team, I’m focused on next year and being back here again!”

    Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) Finished 27th, retired on Lap 56 – “It’s a shame, the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM car was probably one of the best cars that I’ve had here [IMS]. Big thanks to everyone on the team for their efforts, we got better and better every session. I think we had the best car all month during the race. Unfortunately these kinds of things happen, but we’ll press on to Detroit and forget this quickly.”

    Tom Blomqvist (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) Finished 31st after Lap 1 crash– “I’m so disappointed for the guys. We didn’t make an error all month long and then I clipped the curb and got spun around. I’m gutted for the guys who got involved in that mess, most importantly everyone is fine, but I’m really disappointed for the team. Our cars were really really good in these race conditions. I’m sad for them [the team] more than anything.”

  • Newgarden executes final lap pass on O’Ward for second consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory

    Newgarden executes final lap pass on O’Ward for second consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory

    A year after becoming the 75th competitor overall to win the Indianapolis 500, Josef Newgarden doubled down as a two-time champion of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing after winning the rain-delayed 108th running of the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, following a final lap overtake on Pato O’Ward.

    The two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion from Hendersonville, Tennessee, led six times for 26 of 200-scheduled laps in an event where he started alongside his two Team Penske teammates, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power, on the front row. Leading for the first time at the halfway mark on Lap 100, Newgarden withstood a series of pit strategies amongst his rivaled competitors and on-track chaos to remain in race-winning contention in the closing stages.

    Then after swapping track positions with Scott Dixon and Arrow McLaren’s duo of Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi in the closing laps, Newgarden, who reassumed the lead from Rossi with seven laps remaining, was left to duel against a hard-charging O’Ward for the victory. Despite regaining the lead from O’Ward with five laps remaining, Newgarden then lost the lead to O’Ward at the start of the final lap, but managed to gain a draft to overtake him and reclaim the lead exiting the backstretch. The pass was enough for Newgarden to muscle away and claim the checkered flag to become the first competitor in 22 years to repeat as an Indianapolis 500 champion.

    Following a two-day qualifying session that occurred between May 18-19 and that determined the starting lineup for the main event, Scott McLaughlin achieved his first Indianapolis 500 pole position after posting the fastest four-lap average-qualifying speed at 234.220 mph in two minutes, 33.7017 seconds. McLaughlin shared the front row with his two Team Penske teammates and former Indy 500 champions Will Power (233.917 mph in two minutes, 33.9007 seconds) and Josef Newgarden (233.808 mph in two minutes, 33.9726 seconds), which marked the first time three Team Penske entries swept the front row for the 500 since 1988.

    The only competitor who did not qualify for the event was rookie Nolan Siegel, who wrecked his No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Dallara-Honda entry while attempting to race his way into the field during last Sunday’s qualifying session.

    During the pace laps and warmup session, early trouble struck for Callum Ilott, who pitted due to a mechanical issue to his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Dallara-Chevrolet, though he was able to return to the track and remain on the lead lap for the event’s start.

    When the green flag waved and the event commenced amid a four-hour delay due to heavy precipitation, pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin launched ahead from teammates Will Power and Josef Newgarden along with the rest of the field to lead through the first two turns.

    Shortly after, however, the event’s first caution period flew after Tom Blomqvist hit the rumble strips in Turn 1, spun and came across the path of Marcus Ericsson as Ericsson, who started on the final row in this year’s Indy 500, nearly got airborne as he wrecked his No. 28 Delaware Life/Andretti Global Dallara-Honda both into Blomqvist’s No. 66 Arctic Wolf/Meyer Shank Racing Dallara-Honda and across the outside wall. Amid the wreckage, Pietro Fittipaldi, who was trying to avoid the wreckage involving Ericsson and Blomqvist, made contact with Ilott as he spun his No. 30 5-Hour Energy/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara-Honda in between the first two turns before he backed his car against the outside wall. The carnage was enough to take Ericsson, Fittipaldi and Blomqvist out of contention while Ilott continued.

    During the caution period, Marcus Armstrong’s second career start in the Indianapolis 500 came to an early end due to the New Zealander losing power and having smoke spewing out of his No. 11 Ridgeline Performance Lubricants/Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda during the caution laps, which forced him to pit and retire.

    As the event restarted under green on the ninth lap, McLaughin fended off teammates Power and Newgarden for a second time through the frontstretch to retain the lead as the field behind fanned out to multiple lanes. In the midst of the field fanning out, Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion who was piloting the No. 17 HendrickCars.com/Arrow McLaren Dallara-Chevrolet as part of his ‘Double Duty’ effort that included competing in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway later in the day, lost a bevy of spots while running in the top 10 and was getting overtaken by oncoming competitors after missing a gear to launch at the start as he also made slight contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay. The field continued to scatter, fan out and jostle for early spots through the backstretch while McLaughlin retained the lead ahead of his two Team Penske teammates at the Lap 10 mark.

    Through the first 15 scheduled laps, McLaughlin was leading by less than a tenth of a second over teammate Power and nearly half a second over teammate Newgarden while Santino Ferrucci and Alexander Rossi were in the top five. Behind, Rinus VeeKay occupied sixth place ahead of Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood while Alex Palou, Takuma Sato, Helio Castroneves, Kyle Larson and Ryan Hunter-Reay were in the top 15. Behind, Scott Dixon, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter, Sting Ray Robb and rookie Kyffin Simpson trailed in the top 20.

    Six laps later, the caution returned after Katherine Legge, who started on the final row, had smoke billowing out of her No. 51 e.l.f/Dale Coyne Racing Dallara-Honda as her fourth bid to win the Indy 500 came to an end. During the caution period, nearly the entire field led by McLaughin pitted for service while the following names that included Sting Ray Robb, Conor Daly, Christian Lundgaard and Graham Rahal remained on the track as part of an early strategic plan. Following the pit stops, McLaughlin retained the lead after exiting pit road first ahead of teammates Power and Newgarden while Ferrucci, Rossi, Rosenqvist, O’Ward, Herta, Palou and Sato followed suit in the top 10.

    During the next restart period on Lap 26, Daly overtook Robb from the outside lane through the frontstretch to assume the lead. Robb would retain second through the first two turns and through the backstretch while McLaughlin settled in fourth place as he was running in between Lundgaard and Rahal while Ferrucci was trying to crack the top five amid more jostling of spots within the field. The event’s third caution flew a lap later after Linus Lundqvist, who was running in the middle of the field, got loose and hit the outside wall in Turn 1, which knocked him and his No. 8 American Legion/Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda team out of contention.

    With the event restarting under green on Lap 32, McLaughlin muscled his No. 3 Pennzoil/Team Penske Dallara-Chevrolet past Daly’s No. 24 Polkadot/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports Dallara-Chevrolet through the frontstretch to reassume the lead. Behind, Ferrucci made his way into the runner-up spot followed by Daly, Robb and Lundgaard as the field fanned out to multiple lanes just past the backstretch before navigating through Turns 3 and 4 to complete the following lap. Daly would then overtake Ferrucci to claim the runner-up spot by Lap 34 before overtaking McLaughlin through the frontstretch to reassume the lead two laps later.

    Just past the Lap 40 mark, Daly was leading by two-tenths of a second over McLaughlin while third-place Ferrucci trailed by seven-tenths of a second. Robb and Rossi trailed in the top five within a second as Newgarden, Herta, Lundgaard, Palou and O’Ward were scored in the top 10 ahead of Rosenqvist, Larson, Dixon and Rahal while Power dropped to 15th.

    Towards Lap 38, Robb, who was running in the top five, pitted his No. 41 Goodheart/A.J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara-Honda under green. Daly would surrender the lead to pit under green during the following lap as McLaughlin cycled back into the lead as he was being pursued by Ferrucci, Ross, Herta and Newgarden.

    At the one-quarter mark on Lap 50, McLaughlin continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Ferrucci while Rossi, Herta and Newgarden continued to trail in the top five. Behind, Palou occupied sixth place ahead of Rosenqvist, O’Ward, Larson and Rasmussen while Dixon, VeeKay, Power, Sato and Augustin Canapino were in the top 15. Meanwhile, teammates Lundgaard and Rahal were mired back in 25th and 26th, respectively, after both pitted a few laps earlier.

    Five laps later, the event’s fourth caution flew after Felix Rosenqvist, who was running in the top 10, pulled his No. 60 SiriusXM/Meyer Shank Racing Dallara-Honda off the track in the backstretch and retired due to an engine failure, which marks the third Honda engine failure in the event. During the caution period, nearly the entire field led by McLaughlin returned to pit road for service while Daly and Robb remained on the track. Following the pit stops amid a tight squeeze amongst the leaders, Rossi exited in first place by a hair over McLaughlin as Herta, Newgarden, Palou, Ferrucci, Rasmussen, Larson, VeeKay and Power followed suit in the top 10.

    The start of the next restart period on Lap 64 featured the field fanning out through the frontstretch and prior to reaching the start/finish line as McLaughlin made a bold three-wide move beneath Daly and Robb to move into the lead entering the first turn. Robb would then return to the top of the leaderboard two laps later after he overtook McLaughlin through the frontstretch. Robb would retain the lead by the Lap 70 mark and by four-tenths of a second over McLaughlin while Daly, Herta and Newgarden trailed in the top five.

    Then on Lap 85, the caution flew after Herta, who was running second and was deemed a potential favorite of the event, got loose and spun backwards into the outside wall in Turn 1, where he damaged the front wing of his No. 26 Gainbridge/Andretti Global Dallara-Honda. Despite sustaining minimal damage to his entry, Herta would have his car towed to the garage, where he would return to the track following extensive repairs and being multiple laps down.

    During the exchange of pit stops as nearly the entire field led by McLaughlin pitted during the caution period, Kyle Kirkwood ran into the rear of Ilott, which cause Ilott to overshoot his pit stall and into Ed Carpenter’s pit stall, which caused Carpenter to jam on the brakes and stall his car while waiting for Ilott to be pushed back into his respective stall.

    With the race restarting under green on Lap 91, Rinus VeeKay, who was among a handful of competitors who did not pit and inherited the lead, was quickly overtaken by Lundgaard for the lead entering the first turn. Behind, Newgarden muscled his way up to fourth place as he settled behind Robb while Ferrucci and Daly battled for fifth place in front of McLaughlin, Palou, Rossi and Larson.

    Seven laps later, VeeKay pitted his No. 21 askROI/Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara-Chevrolet under green. Lundgaard would also pit his No. 45 Hyvee/Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara-Honda another three laps later as Newgarden proceeded to lead the halfway mark on Lap 100. By then, Ferrucci moved up to second as McLaughlin, Robb and Daly cycled up into the top five ahead of Palou, Larson, Rossi, Castroneves and Rasmussen.

    Six laps later, the event’s sixth caution flew after Ryan Hunter-Reay, who gained a draft to overtake Scott Dixon through the backstretch for 17th place, got blocked and forced into the backstretch’s grass amid contact with Dixon, which resulted with Hunter-Reay doing a full 360 spin through the grass and the racing surface, but managing to straighten his car through the grass without coming back across oncoming traffic as Hunter-Reay limped his damaged No. 23 VensureHR/Four Sixes Racing Beef/101 Studios/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara-Chevrolet back to his pit stall, where he would retire.

    The following restart period with 87 laps remaining did not last long as Marco Andretti, who was battling for a top-20 spot, slipped sideways and backed his No. 98 Mapei/Andretti Global Dallara-Honda into the outside wall in Turn 1 as his 19th bid to win his first Indianapolis 500 came to a late end.

    The ensuing restart period with 82 laps remaining generated a different outcome as McLaughlin muscled ahead with the lead of a tight battle involving teammate Newgarden, Ferrucci, Rossi, Palou, Larson, Castroneves, Canapino and Rasmussen entering the first turn. With Newgarden retaining second, McLaughlin also retained the lead by four-tenths of a second with 80 laps remaining.

    At the three-quarters mark with 75 laps remaining, McLaughlin retained the lead by three-tenths of a second over Rossi followed by Newgarden, Ferrucci and Palou while Larson, Rasmussen, Castroneves, Canapino and Rahal were in the top 10. Behind, Dixon was in 11th ahead of Simpson, VeeKay, O’Ward and Daly while Power, Sato, Robb, Ilott and Kirkwood were mired in the top 20.

    Two laps later, Newgarden cycled his No. 2 Shell Powering Progress/Team Penske Dallara-Chevrolet past teammate McLaughlin to reassume the lead through the frontstretch. Newgarden, however, would then pit under green with 70 laps remaining before McLaughlin pitted during the following lap. During McLaughlin’s pit service, the following names that included Larson, Canapino, Simpson and Ilott also pitted. Amid the pit stops, however, Larson, who had methodically driven his way into the top five prior to pitting, was assessed a drive-through penalty for speeding while entering pit road. Larson, who smoked his front tires when he was penalized for speeding, would serve the penalty with nearly 65 laps remaining as more names pitted under green.

    Back on the track, O’Ward, who has yet to pit, was leading ahead of Dixon. O’Ward would then pit from the lead with 63 laps remaining, which moved Dixon into the lead ahead of VeeKay, Daly, Sato, Robb, Kirkwood, Lundgaard and Carpenter as McLaughlin led a large group of competitors who recently pitted, among which included Rossi, Palou, Newgarden and Ferrucci. During the next two laps, Rossi navigated past McLaughlin and Palou to move into 10th place while scored the first competitor who recently pitted.

    With less than 60 laps remaining, Dixon pitted under green as Daly cycled into the lead. Daly would then pit with nearly 55 laps remaining, which enabled Robb to assume the lead ahead of Lundgaard and O’Ward while Dixon and Daly trailed by more than 35 seconds in the top five.

    Then with 54 laps remaining, the caution flew after Power, who was racing within the top 20 and battling Rasmussen, slipped sideways and spun backwards into the outside wall in Turn 1, which he slapped and destroyed the right side of his No. 12 Verizon Dallara-Chevrolet.

    Down to the final 45 laps of the event, Dixon briefly led the field back to green flag racing conditions before he was placed in the middle of an Arrow McLaren sandwich through the frontstretch as Rossi overtook both teammate O’Ward and Dixon into the lead. Behind, Newgarden, who restarted eighth, rocketed his way up to fourth place as he was ahead of Palou, VeeKay, McLaughlin and Daly as Rossi retained the lead. During the following lap, teammate O’Ward overtook Rossi to assume the lead with Dixon retaining third. With McLaughlin mired in seventh, Rossi and O’Ward traded spots for a second time through the frontstretch as the former reassumed the lead. O’Ward and Rossi swapped positions for a third time through the frontstretch with 42 laps remaining as Rossi returned to the lead.

    With 35 laps remaining, Rossi, who kept swapping the lead with his Arrow McLaren teammate O’Ward through the frontstretch, reassumed the lead while third-place Dixon trailed by within seven-tenths of a second. Behind, Newgarden and Palou trailed in the top five ahead of McLaughlin while VeeKay, Daly, Ferrucci and Kirkwood were scored in the top 10.

    Three laps later, however, Rossi surrendered his back-and-forth trade for the lead with teammate O’Ward to pit his No. 7 Arrow McLaren Dallara-Chevrolet under green. Another two laps later, Dixon made his move beneath O’Ward to move his No. 9 PNC Bank/Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda into the lead as Sato and Robb peeled off the track to pit under green. Newgarden, McLaughlin and Daly would pit during the next lap before Dixon, Canapino, O’Ward, Castroneves and Lundgaard pitted with 38 laps remaining. Amid the pit stops, Dixon emerged ahead of Newgarden, Rossi and O’Ward while Kirkwood, who was among nine front-runners who has yet to pit, was leading.

    With 25 laps remaining, Dixon overtook Newgarden through the frontstretch to reclaim the top spot as the competitor who recently pitted despite being scored in seventh place. By then, Kirkwood was still leading ahead of Ilott, Rahal, Carpenter, Larson and Simpson, all of whom have yet to pit under green. Dixon and Newgarden would spend the next five laps gaining drafts and swapping spots over one another through the frontstretch as they moved up the leaderboard into fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, Larson, who cycled into the lead a lap earlier after Ed Carpenter pitted, was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Simpson with 20 laps remaining as Newgarden, Rossi and Dixon moved up into the top five.

    Four laps later, Larson surrendered the lead to pit under green. Once Simpson pitted during the next lap, Newgarden cycled into the lead as he held a three-tenths of a second advantage over a hard-charging Rossi, with Dixon and O’Ward also trailing by within seven-tenths of a second. Rossi would then overtake Newgarden from the outside lane through the frontstretch to lead with 13 laps remaining. Behind, O’Ward overtook Dixon for third place while Rossi was trying to muscle away with the lead.

    Down to the final 12 laps of the event, Newgarden rocketed past Rossi from the inside lane through the frontstretch to reassume the lead while O’Ward was trying to close in on teammate Rossi for the runner-up spot. With Dixon trailing in fourth place by more than a second and Rossi trying to close back towards Newgarden’s rear bumper, Newgarden continued to lead by two-tenths of a second with 10 laps remaining.

    With nine laps remaining, Rossi gained another draft on Newgarden to reassume the lead through the frontstretch. As Rossi led by three-tenths of a second during the next lap, O’Ward was trying to fend off Dixon for third place while Kirkwood, Palou and McLaughlin trailed from fifth to seventh, respectively.

    Then with seven laps remaining, Newgarden reclaimed the lead while O’Ward seized an opportunity to rocket past teammate Rossi through the frontstretch as he assumed the runner-up spot. O’Ward then made his move beneath Newgarden to assume the lead through the frontstretch with five laps remaining before Newgarden reassumed the top spot during the proceeding lap. Newgarden would proceed to retain the lead by a narrow margin over O’Ward during the next two laps.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, O’Ward made his move to the outside lane and overtook Newgarden to assume the lead, where he retained it through the first two turns. Then while trying to muscle away as he swerved his car to the left and right to not give Newgarden any drafting momentum, the latter was able to gain enough momentum to make a bold move to the outside lane entering Turn 3 and zip by O’Ward. With the lead back within his grasp and O’Ward losing ground, Newgarden was able to muscle away with the lead for two final turns and cycle back to the frontstretch to claim his second consecutive checkered flag at the Greatest Spectacle of Racing in Indianapolis, Indiana.

    With the victory, Newgarden became the 21st competitor overall to win the Indianapolis 500 multiple times and the first to win the event in back-to-back seasons since Helio Castroneves made the last accomplishment between 2001 and 2002. The 2024 Indy 500 victory marks Newgarden’s 30th of his NTT IndyCar Series career and the first of the season, which made him the fourth winner through the season’s first five events on the schedule.

    The victory served as a redemptive moment for Newgarden and his No. 2 Team Penske team as they were disqualified from winning the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg due to violating rules involving their use of the push-to-pass system. The disqualification also affected their teammate Will Power, who initially finished third in the event. Earlier this month, Team Penske suspended several key members from their organization, including managing director Ron Ruzewski and team president Tim Cindric.

    “[The critics] can say whatever they want after this point. I don’t care anymore,” Newgarden said on the frontstretch on NBC. “I’m just so proud of the team. They crushed it. They came here with the fastest cars. We worked our tails off, Team Chevy brought it. [Race engineer] Luke [Mason], Tim [Cindric], they’re not here today, but they’re a huge part of this. I’m just so proud of everybody for Team Penske. That’s the way I wanted to win the [race] right there.”

    “I knew we could win this race again and [it was] just a matter of getting it right,” Newgarden added in Victory Lane. “There’s no better way to win a race than that. I got to give it up to Pato [O’Ward] as well. He’s an incredibly clean driver. It takes two people to make that work, so it’s not just a good pass. It’s also someone that you’re working with that’s incredible clean. He could’ve easily won this race too, but it just fell our way. I just went for it. I said, ‘Alright, the car’s good enough. You guys have done your job Let me drive to the front.’ [The team] backed me the entire way. You can’t win this race without a great car. It’s the best car in the field, so hats off to the team. It’s always a team win. Today epitomizes the team victory. It’s a team win on the pole, it’s a team win today. I’m thankful for Roger Penske. He’s stood by me. He’s the man, he’s a legend. There’s no one that I’ve ever met that cares more about the fan and the experience than that man. I promise you, he cares so much about this place and I’m thankful for him.”

    In addition, Newgarden, who achieved his second Indy 500 victory following a last-lap pass for a second consecutive season after overtaking Marcus Ericsson for the win a year ago, had the honors of bestowing the record-setting 20th Indianapolis 500 victory to team owner Roger Penske, who is also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    “It’s a dream come true,” Penske said. “You think about all these fans that were here today. [They] Waited five hours to see that race. Unbelievable finish. I never saw one car get ahead by a couple of seconds. For me, it’s a job we love to do. We love to win. I think this puts away a lot of the things we talked about who we are and where we are. We’re winners.”

    As Newgarden fought back tears of joy and relief in Victory Lane, O’Ward, who led 12 laps and was striving to become the first Mexican competitor to win the Indy 50, fought back tears of disappointment on pit road after settling in the runner-up spot in the 500 for a second time in three seasons.

    “It’s hard to put it into words,” O’Ward said. “I’m proud of the work that we did today. We recovered. We went back, we went forward, we went back. Some people were driving like maniacs. We had so many near race-enders and [we were] just so close again. So close. I put that car through things I never thought it was going to be able to do. Somehow I came out the other side of the corner. It’s just so painful when you put so much into it and [we were] two corners short. [This track] owes me nothing. I much rather have finished the race rather than compared to last year, but it’s always a heartbreak whenever you’re just so close, especially when it’s not the first time. You just don’t know how many opportunities like that you have.”

    Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner, came home in third place followed by Alexander Rossi, both of whom led 12 laps apiece, while Alex Palou, the 2024 Sonsio Grand Prix winner and two-time series champion, finished fifth.

    “[The finish] was like a win, obviously,” Dixon said. “We had some ups and downs  through the race. We definitely just didn’t have the speed today, unfortunately. It was just one of those days where I feel like everybody gave each other pretty good room. We had some incidents here and there, but it was wild to watch. Obviously at the end there, when you’re going for third place, you see the first two mixing it up. You hope they’re going to crash into each other, unfortunately, but that’s just the way it goes.”

    “The fuel number I had to hit, I couldn’t lead.” Rossi added. “Just an amazing effort for the whole Arrow McLaren organization and Team Chevy. It was an amazing month. It’s really hard when you come away from this event not thinking you should’ve changed anything and still, the result isn’t there. I look back and there’s nothing to this month that I would’ve done any differently. The car was great. When you can’t win with that, it’s a tough pill to swallow.”

    “I didn’t have a perfect day, but almost,” Palou added. “Strategy wasn’t the best in our case, but [it] still was good. We tried. We gave everything we had. [We] Didn’t have the ultimate speed today and had fun passing some cars. Pretty happy to finish P5. Not the best result, obviously here, but it was a good race.”

    Pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin, Kyle Kirkwood, Santino Ferrucci, Rinus VeeKay and Conor Daly completed the top 10 in the final running order.

    Notably, Kyle Larson finished 18th in both his first career start in the NTT IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. In addition, Takuma Sato finished 14th ahead of Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, who led 23 laps as part of his strategic moves, finished 16th ahead of Ed Carpenter and Helio Castroneves ended up 20th,

    There were 52 lead changes for 18 different leaders. The event featured eight cautions for 47 laps. In addition, 21 of 33 starters finished on the lead lap.

    Following the fifth event of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, Alex Palou leads the championship standings by 20 points over Scott Dixon, 26 over Will Power, 49 over both Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta, 52 over Scott McLaughlin and 61 over Josef Newgarden.

    Results.

    1. Josef Newgarden, 26 laps led

    2. Pato O’Ward, 12 laps led

    3. Scott Dixon, 12 laps led

    4. Alexander Rossi, 12 laps led

    5. Alex Palou, one lap led

    6. Scott McLaughlin, 64 laps led

    7. Kyle Kirkwood, two laps led

    8. Santino Ferrucci, eight laps led

    9. Rinus VeeKay, eight laps led

    10. Conor Daly, 22 laps led

    11. Callum Ilott, one lap led

    12. Christian Rasmussen, one lap led

    13. Christian Lundgaard, four laps led

    14. Takuma Sato

    15. Graham Rahal, one lap led

    16. Sting Ray Robb, 23 laps led

    17. Ed Carpenter, three laps led

    18. Kyle Larson, four laps led

    19. Romain Grosjean

    20. Helio Castroneves

    21. Kyffin Simpson, three laps led

    22. Agustin Canapino, one lap down

    23. Colton Herta – OUT, Contact

    24. Will Power – OUT, Contact

    25. Marco Andretti – OUT, Contact

    26. Ryan Hunter-Reay – OUT, Contact

    27. Felix Rosenqvist – OUT, Mechanical

    28. Linus Lundqvist – OUT, Contact

    29. Katherine Legge – OUT, Mechanical

    30. Marcus Armstrong – OUT, Mechanical

    31. Tom Blomqvist – OUT, Contact

    32. Marcus Ericsson – OUT, Contact

    33. Pietro Fittipaldi – OUT, Contact

    Next on the 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series schedule is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Streets of Detroit, Michigan. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, June 2, and air at noon ET on USA Network.

  • Larson finishes 18th in first Indy 500 attempt; misses 2024 Coca-Cola 600

    Larson finishes 18th in first Indy 500 attempt; misses 2024 Coca-Cola 600

    Kyle Larson capped off an eventful day and month of motorsports competition leading up to Memorial Day weekend on a bittersweet note that resulted with his plans of performing ‘Double Duty’ between the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 being partially spoiled due to on-track precipitation and resulting with him campaigning in the former over the latter.

    The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, commenced his planned ‘Double Duty’ task by opting to remain at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to compete in this year’s 108th running of the Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren on Sunday, May 26, despite the event being delayed by four hours due to a heavy stream of precipitation.

    Qualifying in fifth place during last Sunday’s qualifying session with a four-lap average-qualifying speed of 232.846 mph in two mintutes, 34.6083 seconds, Larson, who started the main event on the second row, dropped one spot on the track amid a multi-car wreck on the opening lap that knocked Pietro Fittipaldi, Tom Blomqvist and the 2022 Indy 500 champion Marcus Ericsson out of contention.

    Then during the next restart period on the ninth lap, Larson endured a brief scary moment when he fell off the pace after missing a gear and getting his car to launch at the start. Larson’s gearing issues resulted with the Californian dropping to 14th place as he made wheel-to-wheel contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay through the frontstretch. Amid the contact, Larson was able to keep his No. 17 HendrickCars.com/Arrow McLaren Dallara-Chevrolet pointing straight as he remained within 14th place in the early stages.

    After gaining two spots on pit road following his first INDYCAR pit service amid another caution period for Katherine Legge having a mechanical issue, Larson would remain in the top 15, starting through the event’s next restart period on Lap 26.

    Over the course of the event, Larson, who would carve his way back into the top 10 on the track, was scored in ninth place by the Lap 50 mark before he moved up to seventh place at the halfway mark on Lap 100. Through a steady pace on the track and stellar pit stops from his team, Larson would run as high as fourth place on the track.

    Then during a late cycle of green flag pit stops with 69 laps remaining, Larson’s strong run was foiled after he smoked his front tires while trying to reduce his speed to enter pit road while running in the top five. Amid his pit service, Larson would be assessed a drive-through penalty for speeding on pit road. After serving his pass-through penalty, Larson was mired back in 22nd place on the track.

    During the final round of green flag pit stops that commenced with nearly 30 laps remaining, Larson, who was on a different pit strategy compared to the leaders, would lead his first lap in the Indy 500 with 20 laps remaining. He would lead the next four laps before he surrendered the lead to pit for the final time under green with 16 laps remaining. Returning to the track, Larson would cross the finish line in 18th place, which made him the lowest-finishing Arrow McLaren competitor of the day while his teammates Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and Callum Ilott finished second, fourth and 11th, respectively.

    “I would definitely love to be back next year,” Larson said on NBC. “I feel like I learned a lot throughout the race. [I] Felt like I did a really good job on the restarts and was able to learn a lot. Obviously, I smoked the left front [tire] or something into the green flag stop and killed our opportunity, so proud to finish, but pretty upset at myself. If I just could’ve executed a better race, you never know what could happen. Bummed at myself, but huge thank you to Arrow McLaren, Hendrick Motorsports, Hendrick Automotive Group, Rick Hendrick, Chevrolet, everybody that’s a part of this. We’ll go hop on a jet and see if I can get into the [Coca-Cola] 600 somehow.”

    By the time Larson arrived at the track from his helicopter, however, the event, which had started without Larson present, was under a caution period due to precipitation and eventually red-flagged on Lap 249 of 400. By then, Justin Allgaier, an Xfinity Series veteran for JR Motorsports who was selected to serve as Larson’s standby competitor, had piloted the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 up to 13th place after Allgaier was forced to start at the rear of the field due to a driver change.

    Eventually, the event was made official by NASCAR due to the precipitation around the Charlotte Motor Speedway circuit, with Christopher Bell claiming the rain-shortened victory and Allgaier being credited for 13th place by both starting and finishing the event while Larson, who had planned to contest in 1,100 miles between the Indy 500 and the Coke 600, was unable to pilot his No. 5 entry for a lap.

    As a result, this season marks the first time where a competitor attempting the double during Memorial Day weekend ends up competing in one event over the other since Robby Gordon ended up only competing in the Indy 500, which was delayed by three hours and caused him to miss the Coke 600.

    By missing this year’s Coca-Cola 600, Larson, who snaps a 121-race starting streak, and Hendrick Motorsports have yet to submit a waiver request to NASCAR that would keep Larson eligible to make the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs. In addition, Larson, who came into the Coke 600 with a 30-point lead in the 2024 Cup Series regular-season standings, drops to third place in the standings, but trails points leader Denny Hamlin by six points and runner-up Martin Truex Jr. by one.

    With his 2024 Indianapolis 500 start complete, Larson shifts his focus back to his full-time Cup Series role for the upcoming series’ event at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway for the Enjoy Illinois 300. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, June 2, and air at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Dixon, Honda Drive to Top of Miller Lite Carb Day Practice at Indy

    Dixon, Honda Drive to Top of Miller Lite Carb Day Practice at Indy

    Newgarden, Team Penske Win Pit Stop Challenge

    INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 24, 2024) – Scott Dixon led the Miller Lite Carb Day final practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Honda-powered drivers turned the qualifying form chart upside-down with two days remaining before “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

    Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Dixon, who won this race in 2008, was fastest at 227.206 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. It was the ninth time in the last 10 years Dixon ended up in the top four on the speed chart in the final practice.

    Dixon will start a career-low 21st in the race Sunday (11 a.m. ET, NBC, Universo, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network) but is confident he can climb through the field to contend for a long-awaited second “500” victory.

    “We rolled off pretty good,” Dixon said. “It was a good day. The car seems pretty fast, pulls up well, pretty consistent.

    “I think you have to take the moment as it is. You don’t want to rush it too much (with early-race passes). We’ve got some positions to make up. Hopefully move up as quick as possible. I’d like to pass all 20 cars (in front of me) on the first lap, but that’s probably not going to happen.”

    Chevrolet-powered drivers captured the top eight spots on the starting grid last Sunday during PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying, including the Team Penske trio of Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden sweeping the front row, respectively. But Honda-powered drivers rebounded during the two-hour practice Friday on the 2.5-mile oval, taking seven of the top 10 spots on the speed chart.

    Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves raised expectations for a record-breaking fifth victory Sunday after ending up second at 226.939 in the No. 06 Cliffs Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian. Castroneves, at 49 the oldest driver in the field, is starting 20th Sunday in his only race of the season.

    “These boys are doing a phenomenal job,” Castroneves said. “They don’t look a bit like one-offs (one start this season). It’s just like me: As you get older, you get better – just like fine wine. Great job.

    “We’re going to have some work to do in the race, but the whole vibe is incredible.”

    Pato O’Ward, who qualified eighth, was the top Chevy driver in final practice at 226.666 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Colton Herta continued his strong performance in traffic during practice at this event by ending up fourth at 226.220 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian.

    Rookie Tom Blomqvist, who starts 25th, rounded out the top five at 225.450 in the No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing, as the team put all three of its cars in the top eight in the session. Felix Rosenqvist, starting ninth, was eighth at 225.310 in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda.

    Pole sitter McLaughlin was 20th at 224.264 in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet. Power, starting second, was 21st at 224.253 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. Reigning race winner Newgarden, starting third, was 32nd in the 33-car field at 222.847 in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet.

    All 33 cars were on track during a practice filled with passing and thick traffic, turning a combined 2,721 laps in the busiest session of the month despite lasting only two hours.

    The session was slowed by just two cautions, one for debris and one for a tow-in for heralded rookie Kyle Larson, whose No. 17 Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet ran out of fuel. 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson, the highest-starting rookie in fifth, is attempting to complete the “double” of racing in the “500” and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.

    “My car handling was good,” Larson said. “I didn’t suck up (aerodynamic tow) as good as I thought I did on Monday. The pit stop stuff, just kind of getting familiar with that. It’s obviously a little different than a NASCAR pit stop.

    “I felt comfortable with all that. I feel like we checked off a lot of boxes before the race.”

    The Public Drivers’ Meeting, at 10:30 a.m. ET Saturday, is the only official function remaining at IMS for the field of 33 drivers before the race.

    Penske Extends Pit Stop Challenge Record

    Team Penske won its record-extending 19th One Stop to Start Pit Stop Challenge, as driver Josef Newgarden earned his second win in the prestigious annual contest between the best Indianapolis 500 pit crews. It was the first win for Team Penske and Newgarden since 2022.

    Newgarden and Team Penske earned the victory by beating Arrow McLaren and driver Pato O’Ward in the best-of-three final round, sweeping the first two rounds.

    Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Newgarden entered the pit box in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet and Team Penske’s crew changed four tires and simulated fueling in 11.333 seconds in the first round, edging O’Ward and the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew’s time of 12.121 for service.

    In the second round, Team Penske and Newgarden completed its stop in 10.792, the quickest of the entire contest. Arrow McLaren and O’Ward trailed at 12.647.

    Newgarden’s crew earned a $50,000 prize for the victory, while O’Ward’s Arrow McLaren crew earned $25,000 for its runner-up finish.

    Members of the winning team: Chad Gordon, chief mechanic/outside front tire changer; Caitlyn Brown, inside front tire changer; Kyle Lapier, inside rear tire changer; Keenan Watson, outside rear tire changer; Derrick Ruppert, fueler; Tom Jones, air jack. Brown is believed to be the first female crew member to be a part of the winning team.

    The last time a driver swept the Pit Stop Challenge and Indianapolis 500 in the same year was 2009, when Helio Castroneves of Team Penske achieved the feat.

  • CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: Team Chevy Friday/Carb Day Practice Report

    CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: Team Chevy Friday/Carb Day Practice Report

    CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
    INDIANAPOLIS 500
    INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
    TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE REPORT
    MAY 24, 2024

    PATO O’WARD LEADS TEAM CHEVY IN THE FINAL INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE ON CARB DAY AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

    • Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, led team chevy with third on the leaderboard in the final practice session before the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
    • Additionally, Chevrolet was represented by Agustín Canapino, driver of the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, and Ryan Hunter-Reay, driver of the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold with Cusick Motorsports Chevrolet, finishing seventh and 10th respectively.
    • During the two-hour window, Friday’s final practice session saw the field turn a total of 2,721 laps, with Chevrolet completing 1,294 laps.
    • In an all-Chevy final, the Carb Day Pit Stop Challenge saw Josef Newgarden’s No. 2 Shell Chevrolet crew defeat Pato O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew in the best of three pit stops.
    • Up next, the Chevrolet drivers and teams take the green flag for NTT INDYCAR SERIES crown jewel, the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC.

    TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 PRACTICE RESULT:
    Pos. Driver
    3rd Pato O’Ward (226.666 mph)
    7th Agustín Canapino (225.320 mph)
    10th Ryan Hunter-Reay (225.124 mph)

    WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

    Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

    “Very interesting Carb Day session for us. Our version of Monday’s carry over to Friday wasn’t exactly as planned but we got it sorted and we have some ideas of what we’re going to do for the race on Sunday. Now, we just hope for the weather to be nice.”

    Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

    “Had a lot of fun out there today. We spent most of the day in the pack and got some things figured out. Really excited for Sunday. I think we can go forward in the field. We’ll get the Chevy just slightly shifted over in the window a little bit, but really happy with the Goodheart Chevrolet. I think it’s feeling really racy.”

    Kyle Larson, No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

    “I thought my car handling was good. I didn’t suck up as good as I thought I did on Monday, but the pit stop stuff, getting familiar with that. It’s a little bit different, obviously, than a NASCAR pit stop, like charging pit lane. I got to leave finally hard a couple of times. I felt comfortable with all of that. I feel like we checked a lot of boxes off before the race. I thought that the car handled fine. I didn’t think I could suck up as good as I could on Monday, but I don’t know what everybody else thinks. I thought (Alex) Palou and (Scott) McLaughlin and (Josef) Newgarden looked pretty good, (Colton) Herta. I don’t know. I just felt middle of the road. I’m sure there are things I could do as far as generating runs and stuff to help things, but just got to kind of talk to my teammates and see how they felt.”

    Ed Carpenter, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

    “Getting excited for another chance to go out and win this race! It has been a bit of a different month with the way the weather and everything else has played out. All things considered, I feel really good. I have been happy and comfortable in the car. That’s the most important thing, whether you’re starting 1st or 17th – where I am starting from – is just being happy with what you’ve got and being comfortable. If I can stay comfortable all day and make steady progress, I am confident we will be a factor in the end.”

    Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

    “I am so excited for the Indy 500! I always am. After the great team effort on qualifying weekend, I’m really excited to start towards the front of the pack but also have a great racecar. I have had so many different learning experiences, I am ready to get out there and race for the win. We don’t come here for anything less. Second means nothing at this place. We are going for the win and give it all we have.”

    Christian Rasmussen, No. 33 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

    “I’m excited! It’s been a good month, I have learned a lot about driving around here and qualifying around here. That ultimately all comes down to the race, which is the last thing we have ahead of us. I’m just super excited to get it started. We have a good racecar, we weren’t able to qualify as well as we had the pace to. Hopefully, we’re a bit faster than the people around us and are able to move forward. It should be a good day!”

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – End of Day Press Conference:

    THE MODERATOR: Wrapping up Miller Lite Carb Day practice ahead of Sunday’s 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, Scott McLaughlin, 93 laps turned in that practice session, driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet. The five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner starts from pole for the seventh time in his NTT INDYCAR Series career.

    Q. Scottie Mac, race car, how would you describe it?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Very similar to what we started with this week. We haven’t really played around too much mechanically with the car. It felt good out of the box, and just sort of building my confidence with it. We tried a few different downforce levels there just to get an idea.

    Looks like cooler temps for Sunday as well as Monday if that gets pushed back. Hopefully not. But ultimately you’re just sort of going through the motions, attacking the pit speed line. I actually sped, which was a good thing to get that out of the way now. A few other things like just pit stop practice and whatnot. I was just ticking things off the list.

    Yeah, felt really good, but didn’t put a big number up, but I think we’re okay.

    Q. Scott McLaughlin, looking around you’re in the iconic suit now, sat next to a 500 winner, you’ve got the P1 position. Feels like the perfect storm for you this year. How are you feeling going into the 500?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Super excited. When this guy won in ’08, it made me love the Indy 500 a lot, as a Kiwi and a very proud one at that.

    I guess it has been a pretty whirlwind week. Being fastest here for qualifying, obviously it’s the first box you want to tick, but ultimately you want to win on Sunday, but it’s still been a really cool week, and I’ve really enjoyed. I’ve really tried to soak it in as much as I can, but at the end of the day the job is this weekend.

    But just really proud to represent Pennzoil, and obviously it’s 40 years since Rick won in this race car. It would mean a lot to the team and myself to do that, obviously. It would be a life-changing experience. But ultimately we need to go through all the process, all the execution to get to that point as 32 other amazing race car drivers out there are going to be chasing us down and working us very hard. Yeah, no doubt about that.

    Just keep my emotions in check, just enjoy the moment and see what happens.

    Q. With all that in mind, what you’re wearing, yellow submarine, P1 position, and also just the news surrounding Penske all season, is there any added pressure that you’re feeling going into this race?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Not really. I’m just very focused on the job at hand. I think we’ve proved that you can get a sore neck looking back. We’ll keep working forward. I’m really proud of the execution all month, but at the end of the day, the main time to execute is Sunday, and we’ll try and do that.

    Q. For either of you or both of you, most tracks we go to, when conditions get cooler, you just know it’s going to increase grip, but this place kind of seems especially finicky. What kind of mystery are we looking at if we get the overcast and the cooler temperatures Sunday and Monday?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Scottie has got more experience than me.

    SCOTT DIXON: I think it’s the same trend. The pack will just get tighter.

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I agree. I think it will — yeah, we’ll get more grip, but everyone will get more grip, so I think we’ll see the same gaps and stuff like that. It’s a matter of being able to follow close enough when they make mistakes and capitalize.

    Q. Scott, with you guys having three Penske cars across the front row on Sunday, how if at all can you guys work together to try and control the race? Is that something you guys have talked about yet, how you guys will approach that, or is that something you guys won’t worry too much about?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think we’ve seen over the years, I think Scottie and Alex have done this before, really controlled that first sort of 100 odd laps and whatnot, so it is able to be done. But we haven’t had an active discussion about it yet, but at the end of the day I’m sure there will be a sit-down with all three of us before the race and sort of analyze a few things.

    At the same time, I guess everyone knows that when you’re out in front, you’re chewing a lot of gas, so ultimately I think we’ll take turns maybe at doing that or making sure that we keep ourselves in good track position. Ultimately that’s what I’m thinking about.

    But yeah, certainly when you get back to sort of six, seven, eight deep it’s quite definitely, so we need to make sure we’re up in the front.

    Just let it come, let it happen. I haven’t been at the front; starting 14th is best I’ve had. I’m excited to see what it looks like.

    Q. Scottie Mac, Simon Pagenaud of course is here and we interviewed him during practice on Peacock and he confirmed to Marty that he’s your secret mentor, and he was highly complimentary of everything you’ve done and about how you came to him and have absorbed everything. Can you give us more perspective on how it came about and how much of an impact did he have on the pole? Were you using things in terms of lines and things that he was telling you?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: The line I think came a little naturally to me, but yeah, he’s a very keen observer of many things, a note taker, and we’ve been exchanging notes all week. I asked him to do this like February, January or February, and we’ve been analyzing a lot of things since.

    But at the same time, he’s always been a Team Penske member. He’s won the 500 for us, and at the end of the day, we all just want him to be okay. So this is for me an opportunity for me to work with him but also an opportunity for me to help maybe bring him back to the race and get his name back involved. Whether that’s not driving a race car, at least he’s involved, and he gets that feeling of being at the 500 again. I’m sure it’s so hard for him right now. It’s his first 500 he’s missed in a long time. He’s a 500 winner, and he’s at a point in his career where he could easily keep going for many, many years.

    He’s just a nice guy. I’ve always got along with him from Penske, and he’s been a lot of help. Yeah, there’s definitely a lot of things I’ve used this week that have helped, but at the same time, we’ve had great car speed, which has made it a lot easier. But just leaning on him has been nice.

    About Chevrolet

    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • Trio of Meyer Shank Racing Cars in Top Eight in Indy 500 Final Carb Day Practice

    Trio of Meyer Shank Racing Cars in Top Eight in Indy 500 Final Carb Day Practice

    Indianapolis, Ind. (24 May 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) has three cars in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, marking the first time MSR has ever started three cars in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race since first entering the series in 2017.

    But if today’s final Carb Day practice showed anything, it is that MSR is nowhere near content with just qualifying for the 108th running of the Memorial Day classic, it came to be a contender at the end of 200 laps.

    Drivers Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Cleveland-Cliffs Honda), Tom Blomqvist (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) and Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) showed speed and consistency in Friday’s final practice for Sunday’s 500-mile race, with all three drivers finishing in the top eight in today’s two-hour session.

    The oldest and most-seasoned driver on the squad showed the way today for MSR as Castroneves prepared for his 24th Indy 500 start by posting the second-best time of the day with a best lap at 226.939mph. Castroneves also ran just over half the race distance he will run Sunday, making 103 orbits of the 2.5-mile circuit.

    Rookie Blomqvist ended his day by taking the fifth spot on the speed sheets after 62 laps, stopping the clocks at 225.450mph as he preps for his Indianapolis 500 debut. Rosenqvist also had a solid day, logging 89 laps as his top effort of 225.310mph put him eighth on the day’s
    chart.

    Rosenqvist will start on the outside of Row 3 on Sunday while Castroneves starts 20th with Blomqvist set to take the green flag from the 25th spot.

    NBC and Peacock will air the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 live Sunday with pre-race coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET. SiriusXM will also host live INDYCAR Radio coverage on XM Ch.
    218.

    Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

    Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) – “I think we’re in the window, we ended practice pretty happy. The track went hotter and hotter every run, so it’s like every change you did it got worse. It’s tough condition to set the car up in, so I think we’ll just go back to the set up that we had – which we did in the end and we were pretty happy with it.”

    Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Cleveland-Cliffs Honda) – “Great carburetion day. The Cliffs machine and Sirius XM car looks really, really strong. The 06 boys did an amazing job putting it together and the pit stops, some of the guys flew in this morning they’re like, flawless, looking very, very strong. But at the end of the day, we just got to start it and middle and in the end, we got to make sure that we read the race and go to that number five.”

    Tom Blomqvist (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) – “This whole thing is pretty intense. Every lap I do, every session I do I feel more and more confident and understand what I need and how things change. I feel pretty good out there, we’re happy where we’re at.”

  • Dylan Sprouse Named Indy 500 Grand Marshal

    Dylan Sprouse Named Indy 500 Grand Marshal

    Countdown to Race Day Continues with Final Pre-Race Announcement

    INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 24, 2024) – Actor Dylan Sprouse will serve as grand marshal of the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    As grand marshal, Sprouse will give the traditional command for drivers to report to their cars during the official pre-race ceremonies and will walk the Indy 500 red carpet.

    Sprouse is also promoting his upcoming film “The Duel,” which was filmed at several Hoosier locations. Directed by Justin Matthews and Luke Spencer Roberts, and executive produced by Sprouse, the film centers around two modern friends who decide to settle their differences with an old-school duel, taking their friend group on an outrageous adventure to a mysterious and stunning estate.

    This dark comedy premiered at the Mammoth Film Festival where it won the Audience Award and went on to win Best Picture and Best Screenplay awards at other prestigious festivals across the country. Made in the fall of 2020 and produced by Indiana’s own Pigasus Pictures, Lionsgate and Grindstone will bring “The Duel” to theaters this summer.

    “Dylan’s film ‘The Duel’ was partially filmed in the Hoosier State, making him an ideal grand marshal for the Indy 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The energy and excitement Dylan brings to his on-screen roles will be evident to both spectators at the track and everyone watching on NBC and Peacock as he commands drivers to their cars.”

    Sprouse will be joined at the race by his wife, Victoria’s Secret supermodel Barbara Palvin Sprouse, as well as other “The Duel” cast members, including María Gabriela de Faría, one of the leads in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman Legacy film, Hart Denton (Riverdale, 13 Reasons Why), Rachel Matthews (Happy Death Day, Frozen 2), Christian McGaffney (Simón), and others.

    “The Duel” cast and crew say they cherish their relationship with Indiana and are planning to have their world premiere for the film in Indianapolis this July. The team plans to shoot more films in state and are excited to make attending the Indy 500 an ongoing tradition.

    Live coverage of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts at 11 a.m. ET on NBC, Universo and Peacock.

    Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.

  • CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: Team Chevy Indianapolis 500 Race Advance

    CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: Team Chevy Indianapolis 500 Race Advance

    CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
    THE 108TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
    INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
    INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
    TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE

    CHEVROLET SEEKS MAKING HISTORY AT THE 108TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

    DETROIT (May 24, 2024) – “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500, takes the green flag Sunday with Chevrolet showcasing performance, prowess, and prestige on motorsports’ biggest stage.

    Illustrating strength and performance all month long at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Team Chevy captured the 13th pole in history for the Bowtie brand, with Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet crew stunning while setting the fastest pole position qualifying run in track history with his four-lap average of 234.220 mph.

    Further proving prowess at the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an iconic venue where Chevrolet has a long-standing history at, drivers representing the Bowtie brand not only locked out the first two rows of the starting grid for the third time in the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 era since 2012, but also the top eight starting positions. Additionally, each car in the Firestone Fast Six was Chey-powered.

    “After two days of intense but successful qualifying with all 16 Chevy-powered cars in the Indianapolis 500 field, we are now focused on Sunday’s race,” said Mark Stielow, Director of Motorsports Competition Programs. “We have one more practice on Friday to go through all of the race engine processes to ensure optimum performance for the driver and their team on race day.

    “Every year, before the race season begins on track, our Chevrolet engineering team sets goals for the year,” Stielow added. “Winning the Indianapolis 500 is one of our primary goals. Our Chevrolet engineering group has worked tirelessly with our teams to give the Team Chevy drivers their best opportunity to win the biggest race in the world. Thank you to our partners at Ilmor for the lock-step collaboration to continue to maximize our engine performance in an effort to reach the ultimate goal. The Borg Warner Trophy is the one we want to see awarded to a Chevrolet driver, not to mention the Corvette E-Ray pace car. We are well prepared and ready for ‘Drivers Start Your Engine’ on Sunday.”

    Approaching race day, Team Chevy looks to capture its 13th prestigious Borg Warner trophy in history. The first win came from Rick Mears in 1988 with Team Penske in the Pennzoil “Yellow Submarine,” the inspiration behind Scott McLaughlin’s livery this year. That same year, Team Penske locked out the front row with Rick Mears on pole, Danny Sullivan starting second, and Al Unser, Sr. starting third. Mears was the first to break the 220 mph lap speed barrier in time trials and went on to win his third Indianapolis 500. The three Penske cars led 192 of 200 laps combined, and it was the sixth consecutive win by Chevrolet with the Indy V-8 engine constructed by Ilmor.

    For the 35th time, Chevrolet will pace the field to the green flag at Indianapolis – the 21st with a Corvette. This year’s honorary pace car driver is Ken Griffey Jr., an outfielder in Major League Baseball for 22 years and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee in 2016. He will lead the field to the green flag in the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. The first electrified and fastest production Corvette ever, the E-Ray pairs two separate propulsion systems to provide naturally aspirated V-8 power with electrified responsiveness powered by eAWD, making it one like none. A 6.2L V-8 is complemented by the electric motor that channels an additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels for 655 combined horsepower. Designed for year-round performance, the Corvette E-Ray and its electrified All-Wheel Drive (eAWD) capability is up for any challenge, and the Arctic White exterior and interior of the Corvette E-Ray will be on full display as the car fulfills responsibilities on and off the track.

    The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway live on NBC at 11 a.m. ET. Additional coverage is available through by Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.

    CHEVROLET AND “THE DOUBLE”

    The only manufacturer in motorsports currently that can help create the opportunity to achieve such a drive in each series, this is the first time in “double” history that Chevrolet has supported and powered each car on both ends of the historic motorsports day. Backing Larson, Chevrolet has had influence from start to finish, aiding in simulation, technology, and tech transfer through the General Motors Charlotte Tech Center. Additionally, Chevrolet has also been involved in planning while collaborating with Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren, including car design, livery, and engine support.

    • Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, is embarking on a history-making run in 2024 competing in “The Double.”
    • Larson is only the sixth driver in history to attempt both the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the same day.
    • Larson is supported and backed by Chevrolet in each event, a first time for the Bowtie brand and the only manufacturer in motorsports to be able to do so currently.
    • Tony Stewart, driving an Oldsmobile in the Indianapolis 500 and Pontiac in the Coca-Cola 600, is the only driver to complete the full 1,100 miles/600 laps in “the double” history. If Larson were to do so, he would be the second in history.
    • Should the Coca-Cola 600 go into overtime in Charlotte, Larson could be the first driver to exceed the 1,100 miles/600 laps in “the double” history.
    • Larson turned the fastest single qualifying lap by a rookie in Indianapolis 500 history, 233.453 mph on the first lap of his Top 12 Qualifying attempt. The previous record was 233.297 by Benjamin Pedersen. Larson then qualified fifth in the Firestone Fast Six with a four-lap average of 232.846 mph.

    CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS:

    Wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 12

    1988: Rick Mears

    1989 Emerson Fittipaldi

    1990 Arie Luyendyk

    1991: Rick Mears

    1992: Al Unser, Jr.

    1993: Emerson Fittipaldi

    2002: Helio Castroneves

    2013: Tony Kanaan

    2015: Juan Pablo Montoya

    2018: Will Power

    2019: Simon Pagenaud

    2023: Josef Newgarden

    Earned Pole Awards at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 13

    1987: Mario Andretti

    1988: Rick Mears

    1989: Rick Mears

    1990: Emerson Fittipaldi

    1991: Rick Mears

    2002: Bruno Junqueria

    2012: Ryan Briscoe

    2013: Ed Carpenter

    2014: Ed Carpenter

    2015: Will Power

    2018: Ed Carpenter

    2019: Simon Pagenaud

    2024: Scott McLaughlin

    Number of Team Chevy Podiums at Indianapolis (V6 era since 2012): 17

    Number of laps led by Team Chevy at Indianapolis (V6 era since 2012): 1,248

    2024 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:

    203: NTT INDYCAR Series races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.

    113: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012.

    129: Earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 134 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather.

    8: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.

    7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.

    12: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    5: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era.

    32: Number of times Chevrolet has swept the podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. In total, a manufacturer has swept the podium 50 times since 2012 in the V6 era.

    26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.

    9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.

    46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.

    *Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

    About Chevrolet

    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: WILL POWER, JOSEF NEWGARDEN, and SCOTT McLAUGHLIN Media Day Press Conference Transcript

    CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: WILL POWER, JOSEF NEWGARDEN, and SCOTT McLAUGHLIN Media Day Press Conference Transcript

    CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
    INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
    108TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
    MEDIA DAY TRANSCRIPT
    MAY 23, 2024

    WILL POWER, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, JOSEF NEWGARDEN, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, and SCOTT McLAUGHLIN, driver of the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet, met with the media on Indianapolis 500 Media Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

    THE MODERATOR: We’ll continue with the front row. Starting third, he is the defending champion of the 500, two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, driver of the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet, Josef Newgarden. Starting second, the 2018 winner of the Indianapolis 500, two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion driver of the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet, Will Power. To your right on pole for Sunday’s race, fastest pole speed in 500 history, driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, Scott McLaughlin.

    Josef, how is your week going?

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It’s good. It’s really good so far. We’re one day closer to the big show, so I’m doing great.

    THE MODERATOR: How is the car?

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Car is fantastic. This has been a really pleasurable month so far. I mean, for the whole team. I was just having a conversation with Hinchcliffe. You can see every individual on this team has been really proud of the effort, as they should be. What they achieved on the weekend is not easy to do, to make the cars as quick as they are. This didn’t appear overnight. Everybody that has been here the last four years knows we’ve not had speed in the cars. We’ve been chipping away. Last year was a big step. Got pretty close, but we were still off. I think this year we really turned the page.

    Proud for the team. Everybody is happy and excited. For me, it’s the opportunity to be here, to be in the race. It’s a big deal to run the Indy 500. Excited to see what we can do on Sunday.

    THE MODERATOR: Will, how crucial is tomorrow’s practice?

    WILL POWER: Oh, yeah, I mean, I think you just be doing engine checks, new engine. Not much for us. Not much. It’s a funny place. Pretty finicky. The balance could go out. You have a perfect car Monday, a little bit out of balance. I can’t see big changes.

    I’ve been here where you’re just throwing everything out it at this point. On Carb Day we’re like, Man, I don’t feel comfortable. That hasn’t been the case this month. I’m hoping for a pretty straightforward day tomorrow. Just hate waiting for the race. This is the worst time, these few days. You just want to get into it.

    THE MODERATOR: Scott, what is it like? How do you stay on top of things? You feel like you’re good to go, but you never know, right?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I mean, I think Carb Day, it’s more you’re trying to sort out your car, your engine, like Will said. I feel like we’re definitely in a spot where we feel like we really have a good, comfortable race car underneath me. Just finalizing some downforce levels and a few things.

    Overall, in and out laps are going to be pretty critical in the race. We’ll finalize some of that, braking markers, whatnot. Ultimately it’s been a really cool week. As Josef touched on, I think everyone is just really proud and excited to get ahead to the race.

    Yeah, it’s an awesome deal right now.

    THE MODERATOR: Questions for the front row for the Indy 500.

    Q. Last year, Josef, you said your car was similar to what you had at the open test. How different is your car now compared to what it was at the open test or first day of practice? How much have you changed?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: For me it’s just a little downforce change. Basically fundamentally exactly the same as how I started really.

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Same, same.

    WILL POWER: Yeah, I changed a little bit. Yeah, not much. It’s pretty similar, just little details. That’s just how this place is.

    Q. Everybody says you can win here from anywhere. When Colton was in here, he talked about how it’s more difficult if you’re farther back. Where you guys are, how much more do you feel you can control the race if things break your way knowing it is track position oriented?

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I don’t know. I’m not an expert around here, but I don’t think you can ever get ahead of yourself. Regardless of where you are… If you’re starting up front, you think you have the fastest car in the fold, you’re starting in the back row.

    I believe it’s true nowadays. If you look at the current formula, you can win from anywhere. Anything can happen in this race. Can go great for the first 150 laps, then it turns. Vice versa. You can also have a terrible day until lap 150 and all of a sudden it turns. It is true that when you start up front, I think the opportunity to control the race is a little bit better, it’s higher.

    Having said that, as well, you just don’t want to hang your hat on that. I think that’s getting ahead of yourself. I think you have to be prepared for any circumstance, any opportunity. It’s great to have fast cars, be in position, but you have to be ready for that to change at any moment.

    Q. Scott, starting first, you’re controlling the pace to some extent.

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I mean, the drafts and everything these days, it’s a whole lot different to how it used to be in some ways, from watching races back.

    I think you control what you can control. I just race my race and hopefully the cards fall my way. Pretty focused on just executing right now.

    Q. Will, you were talking about the wait to get to the race, does that get worse when you look at the forecast?

    WILL POWER: Yeah. That’s actually something I’ve never experienced in all my times here since 2008. There hasn’t been a rain delay. It’s about time we got that. I mean, on the law of averages it’s going to happen at some point. Looking like that’s going to be Sunday. I hope not. I hope we just get it in.

    Q. Josef, the move you made coming out of four and stuff last year, was that spur of the moment? What does it mean to you to have a rule named after you?

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I don’t know that it’s named after me. I know it was published as that. In reality, it’s happened quite a bit over the last couple years. I think this style of racing really crept in, if you want to date it, probably back to Montoya in 2015 is where it started creeping in.

    It is in response to the style of racing that we have. The way we compete and the way the cars draft is very, very difficult to find an advantage. You can be at points just exposed when you’re sitting in the lead and you have cars behind you.

    To answer your question, I think last year was a combination of historical approach, but also reaction. I mean, I knew immediately when I went into turn three and I saw where Marcus was positioned, he was very tightly tucked behind me, I thought, Man, the opportunity for him to get back behind me before the line was pretty high.

    I knew the rules at that point with the line. They weren’t policing it. You had to use it. The response to change that I think is unanimously liked by everybody. We’ve all wanted it to change. It’s good they’re going to be doing that now.

    I don’t know that it will change the racing style too much, but it will certainly change that little portion.

    Q. Will, you said something about the little details to get to the point with the car. Can you touch on dampers?

    WILL POWER: On what?

    Q. The dampers. Can you go a little further on that to understand what happened over there that you are not used to do.

    WILL POWER: It would have been a very small improvement there. We already had pretty good dampers. It’s just a combination of a lot of little things basically. Yeah, there’s no one magic bullet here. It’s a lot of details.

    Q. Scott, I heard you tell about the process to get into the pole position that you saw the videos of your teammates. Do you have a balance to know what is the thing that you want to accomplish with the car or is more have the confidence to know what way not to go?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Look, ultimately you got to trust yourself in some ways like what you want from the car, the feedback you’re feeling from the car.

    Majority, 95% of the time, my feeling is different to what Josef feels or Will feels, to a certain degree. A little bit there you just have to separate yourself from and figure out what works best for you. I felt like we really nailed that down here in the last month.

    Yeah, felt really comfortable. I did look at their videos, especially Will’s for the qualifying over a Saturday night. Figured there were a couple lines I was taking slightly differently. I tried them in practice. It worked. Thankfully it sort of paid off for the Fast 12 and that.

    When we’re all so very close, very good drivers, we’re all pushing each other really hard, you got to try to find that little bit. That was probably my process looking through that stuff, figuring it out, seeing what I wanted from the race car.

    Q. Josef, between the angle of entry entering turn one from the outside and also the fact that nobody runs up there, how tricky is it to be up there at the very start of the race?

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Talking on the outside of turn one?

    Q. The outside of row one.

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I mean, I don’t know. I’m not sure. I don’t think I’ve ever started third here. I’m going to find out with you if it’s tricky or not. I hope it’s not tricky.

    WILL POWER: It’s not.

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I love Will. He’s my favorite (laughter).

    We’re going to find out together, Bruce. Let’s hope we get through this start and we have a race on our hands.

    WILL POWER: It would be amazing if you can make turn one.

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I’m not worried about putting this into the atmosphere, but it would be hilarious.

    WILL POWER: Into the wall.

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Bruce is like, It was difficult to start on the high side. Well, I asked him, he said he didn’t know.

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Probably the best time to do it. Cleanest time at the start.

    WILL POWER: It is.

    Q. Scott, how much of an advantage is to start on the inside of row one?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: We’ll start out together, Bruce. I never started on the pole, mate.

    WILL POWER: The middle is good, Bruce. You get the double draft. I’ll probably be leading out of turn one. We’ll see. Rossi will be P1 by turn one (smiling).

    Q. Santino was in here before you. He talked about the things on his car that he’s using came from Team Penske. You say you’re not using any stuff that came from Foyt. Is that correct? He says it’s not correct.

    WILL POWER: We didn’t say any. We said it was a small part.

    Q. Not their setups?

    WILL POWER: I’m running my setup from last year, same dampers, same setup.

    Q. The rest of you?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, exactly like Will.

    Q. Simon is coming on Sunday. He’s going to do a tribute lap for Gil de Ferran. What do you think that will be like and what did Gil mean to Team Penske even though his time was over before you were Team Penske drivers?

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I just heard this morning that he was doing that. I think it’s really beautiful that that’s happening. Gil, people have spoke to great length about Gil. He was a tremendous ambassador for motorsports. He was just a fantastic guy. Got along with everybody. He was an easy person to talk to for anybody I think in this paddock, someone to lean on.

    For Simon, as everybody knows, they were very close. I think it’s special that he’s going to be doing a tribute in his car. I’m happy it’s happening. Really cool to hear that this morning. I’m sure everybody in the paddock is going to be loving to see that.

    WILL POWER: Yeah, I always enjoyed talking to Gil. Very technically savvy. Good guy. Very good guy. He was great to talk about the mental side of racing. Got to swap a helmet with him. He was always at the Penske dinners. You’d see him around at certain races.

    Yeah, top-level driver. Probably stopped too soon.

    Q. Scott, you’ve worked with Ben since you came onboard to the 3 car. What has he helped you possibly, helped you get ready?

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I mean, various ways. I think the way that I used to work with Jonathan when I first got here, then I got Ben in 2022. Both those guys are different characters in how they work. Ultimately it’s just the fundamentals. I think Ben allowed me to sort of, regardless of my experience on ovals and whatnot, trusting my feeling, as I said before, trusting what I say, what I give feedback to the car. There’s no sort of wrong feedback. If it’s something you can’t feel, say that. If it’s something you’re not feeling comfortable with, make sure I say it.

    It’s easy to be an open book with Ben. Very easy person to talk to. It helps we’re very close friends. I’ve enjoyed working with Benny. Absolutely, he’s got a lot of experience around this place. I think he builds a really nice oval car. For a guy, he’s been box number one before at this race in 2019 with Simon, so he’s got a lot of experience up there, too. Nice to have him in my corner.

    Q. Josef, a year ago today you were doing the same thing, media room. What has this past year been like? How have you changed since winning last year?

    JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Feels really similar to me in a lot of ways. I feel a lot of respect for this facility and this race, this track. It’s a tough day to get right. Everything has to in a lot of ways go your way. I don’t care how good you are, it’s got to be perfect.

    We were fortunate enough as a team, as a group, where it just fell into place for us. We had a great car. One of the best cars I’ve ever driven around here. Made my job pretty easy. Circumstance-wise, the way it all flowed, it was our day.

    I feel the same in that regard. I think I’ve got another great race car. Really excited to be here.

    I had sort of let go of the fact that I was ever going to win this race. It’s such a tough race to win, I think you had to be comfortable with that. I think that rings true for a second. I’m happy to be here, happy to have a shot.

    There’s nothing like the Indianapolis 500. I know that. That’s how I feel. I feel the same way. Pleased to be here.

    Q. I’m sure the boss is thrilled that you’re 1-2-3 going into this race. When do you turn off the friendship camaraderie thing? When the flag drops?

    WILL POWER: No, it’s interesting because the race starts, in a way, slowly. Not speed-wise, but as far as aggression. It really ramps up in the last 50.

    I think the further back you are, the more aggressive you have to be to put yourself in a position at the end. It’s a pretty cruise-y start in a way. Slowly work on your car, get in the first stint. Yeah, I mean, every man for themselves basically when it comes down to it. Coming down to the win, it is what it is.

    SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: As long as we don’t take each other out, the boss is happy. That’s the main thing.

    WILL POWER: It’s a bad problem — sorry, good problem to have. I know they don’t like that. It really is nerve-wracking for the higher ups like Roger and Tim to watch all three cars battle for a win. Tim has said it to me before. What can you do? You just hate to see an incident, but that he understands it’s such a big event that it really is every man for themselves.

    Q. (No microphone.)

    WILL POWER: At the end, you mean (smiling).

    THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

    About Chevrolet

    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.