IndyCar
Colton Herta dominates the INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta beat Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden by 2.4933-seconds to win Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Herta started on the pole position and dominated the race leading all but three laps to claim his 4th career victory, first win of 2021 and first win on a street course.
“What a great job by everybody,” said Herta, who finished 22nd in the season opening race last week at Barber Motorsports Park. “Coming into this weekend, we knew we needed to win. I’m so happy that we did this, so happy to rebound from Barber and get the momentum going for the season that we need.”
The victory was the first for Herta with his father Bryan as his race strategist. Bryan Herta spent the last few years as Marco Andretti’s race strategist.
“Super proud of him,” said Bryan Herta. “He did such a great job. We had a game plan, we executed really well. Colton didn’t put a foot wrong and we brought the Gainbridge car home in first place. I couldn’t be happier.”
Colton Herta’s victory ties him with Bryan for career INDYCAR victories in the family.
“When we first moved to INDYCAR people used to ask me if I thought he was better than I was,” said Bryan Herta. “Nobody asks me that anymore.”
Herta and Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey led the field into turn one with Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud in tow followed by AJ Foyt Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais.
The first caution flag of the race came out on lap 18 when Jimmie Johnson went off track with the No. 48 Carvana Honda in turn 13. The AMR Safety Crew came to Johnson’s aid and he returned to the race, three laps down. Prior to the spin, Johnson had picked up two spots from where he started.
The race restarted on lap 21 with no changes in the top 5. Graham Rahal was up to sixth followed by Rinus Veekay, Alexander Rossi, Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward.
Just after the first round of pit stops for the leaders wheel-to-wheel contact between Rahal and Rossi cut off Rossi’s valve stem sending him to pit road for a new Firestone and a front wing change. Rossi returned to action 2-laps down in 22nd place.
Herta remained out front building a lead of over 8-seconds by lap 60 of the 100-lap event as teams started pitting for the second and final time of the afternoon.
Just as teams finished pitting a full-course yellow came out on lap 74 for Johnson, who spun on Lap 74 in turn 3 and Dalton Kellett who was stopped on the track, bunching up the field and erasing Herta’s 11-second lead.
The green flag waved on lap 77 but it was short lived as Ed Jones made contact with James Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe was able to continue but Jones was sideways blocking the track to bring out a full course yellow on lap 80.
Newgarden was right on Herta’s gearbox following the last restart on lap 83 with Simon Pagenaud in third, Jack Harvey in fourth and Scott Dixon in fifth.
Herta and Newgarden started pulling away from third place with 10-laps to go, building a lead of 4-seconds over Pagenaud and extending it to over 5-seconds with 5-laps to go.
“Colton was really good,” said Newgarden. “I pushed really hard on those last two restarts but I really didn’t really have the run that I needed and I didn’t want to risk anything. I wish we could have fought a little bit more but were just lacking a bit.”
“The series is just at its highest level right now,” said Pagenaud. “The talent in the series is just incredible.”
Next up for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is a doubleheader at Texas Motor Speedway next weekend.
MADISON, IL (June 6, 2026) – Alex Palou and the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing team are continuing to lay down fast laps when it counts with Palou earning the pole position for Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The pole position is Palou’s fourth straight NTT P1 Pole award.
“It was incredible and so much fun, especially that first lap,” said Palou, who turned a two-lap average speed of 174.353 mph in the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. “The #10 Honda Honda had so much speed. The team I have around me is incredible. My car was on rails today; it was incredible.”
David Malukas starts second in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet after a two-lap average of 173.244 mph. Malukas could only look on in disbelief as Palou knocked him off the pole.
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood starts third in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda following a two-lap average of 173.206 mph.
“ It was a good run for us,” said Kirkwood, the 2025 WWWT Raceway winner. “P3 is a really good starting spot and we can definitely do some great things from there. Last year we won from 10th, so it’s nice to be able to be at the front.”
2026 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Felix Rosenqvist starts fourth in the No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin will start 5th in the No. 3 Dex Imaging Chevrolet.
Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon starts 7th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda and CGR’s Kyffin Simpson will start 14th in the No. 8 Sunoco Honda.
Television coverage of Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 begins at 8 PM CT / 9 PM ET on Fox. Complete, flag-to-flag race coverage also will be available on the INDYCAR Radio Network, and SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (Channel 160).
DETROIT, MI (May 31, 2026) – Alex Palou is back in victory lane after winning Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, his fourth win of 2026 and 12th win in his past 25-races.
“It was a tough one,” said Palou. “The team did an incredible job one again with the strategy. Pit stops were incredible. The number 10 Honda Honda looked really good and I think every time it has been on track it’s had a win.”
Palou and the No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda fought off Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood on two late-race restarts as Palou was on the harder Firestone Primary tire and Kirkwood was on the softer Firestone alternate tire.
“It was very tough with the temperature on the tires,” explained Palou. “On the restarts I couldn’t really be at the level of Kirkwood, Power and some of the guys who were able to get a little more tire temp than I Wass able to.”
“The Sam’s Club Honda was really fast,” said Kirkwood, who is second to Palou in the Championship. “We took a little bit of a gamble on tires there being the only guy on reds (alternate) at the end. It nearly paid off. It was so, so, close. They’re a great team and he’s a great driver.”
Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Graham Rahal finished third in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda, tying Rahal’s best finish of the year.
“We had a lot of pace when we needed it,” explained Rahal. “We go lucky a little bit with the yellow.”
IndyCar
Alex Palou wins Detroit IndyCar Pole; Scott Dixon earns 4th starting spot; Honda sweeps front row
DETROIT, MI (May 30, 2026) – Alex Palou is starting on the pole position for the third consecutive NTT IndyCar Series Race, winning the number 1 starting spot for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.
Palou’s fast lap of 1-minute, 1.9017-seconds (95.668 mph) in the No. 10 Honda Racing Corporation Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was 0.005542-seconds ahead Will Power, who will start second in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda of Andretti Global. This is Power’s best starting position since switching to Andretti in the offseason.
“I’m super happy that we got the pole position,” said Palou. “The Fast Six was very exciting, especially with only getting one lap. The tires were not up to temperature, but this #10 Honda Honda car was on rails.”
“It was really nice to get into the Fast Six,” said Power, IndyCar’s all-time pole winner. “It’s my second time in the one lap shootout this year. It’s very difficult to beat Alex, so heading into the race I think we just have to put our heads down and see what we can do. The Honda is very good and I’ve been really enjoying running with Honda power all year.”
The front row Honda sweep on Chevrolet’s doorstep may bode well for the manufacturer as Honda has won every race at Detroit since the series switched to the downtown street circuit beginning in 2023.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin spoiled the Honda party, locking down the third starting spot with a lap of 1:02.4559 in the No. 3 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet.
Six-time series Champion Scott Dixon qualified a season-best fourth at 1:02.6085 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda to give Chip Ganassi Racing two of the top 4 starting spots.
“I was just a little too aggressive going for it,” said Dixon. “The No. 9 PNC Bank Honda has speed and it’s good to be starting up front.”
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard will line up fifth after a fast lap of 1:02.7870 in the No. 7 Chevrolet, despite losing an engine in the morning practice.
Kyle Kirkwood continued the Firestone Fast Six Honda party qualifying sixth in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda despite locking his tires up at one point and two power slides during his quick lap.
David Malukas will start last in the field after bringing out a red flag during his qualifying run. Malukas smacked the wall in turn 7 causing heavy damage to the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet.
Sunday starts with a 30-minute morning warmup at 9:30 a.m. followed by the 100-lap race at 12:30 p.m. on Fox and the IndyCar Radio Network.
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