IndyCar
Alex Palou wins Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 10, 2025) Alex Palou is etching his name in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES record book after winning Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The victory was Palou’s fourth in five races in 2025, coupled with a 2nd place finish at Long Beach, is the best start to a season since 1964, when AJ Foyt won 10 of 13 races.
“I cannot describe the amazing season we have had so far,” said Palou. “I owe everything to team, Chip Ganassi Racing, my teammates and everyone who is working behind the scenes to make me look so fast on track.”
Palou’s No. 10 DHL Honda beat Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward No. 5 Chevy by 5.4840-seconds.
“We’ve just got to keep working,” said O’Ward, when asked what the field needs to do to beat Palou. “We need to do something to stop this 10-car. These guys are really, really on a roll. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, especially in IndyCar.”
Team Penske’s Will Power finished third in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet with teammate Scott McLaughlin following behind in fourth.
“It was just a solid day,” explained Power, a two-time series Champion. “Didn’t pass a single car. Just spent the whole day sort of like in a good pit stop strategy and speed and sort of overcut there at the end. Got us a couple of positions.”
Palou’s teammate Scott Dixon came home fifth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda after starting 16th.
Palou started on the pole position but was passed by Graham Rahal as the pair entered Turn 1 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course.
Tire strategy played a big part in how the race played out as a new rule for this race forced teams to use two sets of the Firestone Primary black sidewall tires and two sets for the Firestone Alternate red sidewall tires. Palou started on used reds and Rahal started on new reds.
“We started on the used softer tires, the alternates,” said Barry Wanser, the team manger for the No. 10 car. “Graham started on the stickers, so he had a big advantage on us over the start, which he got us. Then we had to settle in and try to get as far as we could on the used.”
The first pit stop saw Palou switch to the Firestone Primary tires and Rahal put on a set of used reds. The softer tires allowed Rahal to keep the lead until Lap 58 when Rahal’s used reds began to wear out, allowing Palou to make the pass in Turn 7.
“We were fortunate enough to be really strong on the primary tires, get 23, 24 laps out of them,” explained Wanser. “That reduced the amount of laps we had to do on our sticker alternates for the end. That gave us a huge advantage.”
Another huge advantage is having a talent like Palou behind the wheel.
“Alex’s ability certainly to go fast, take care of the tires, and get the fuel number, you know, it’s second to none,” said Wanser.
Rahal had to close out the race on the black sidewall tire so despite leading a race-high 49-laps, the No. 15 Honda faded to sixth at the end as the front runners saved the quicker alternate tires for the last stint.
Palou and the No. 10 team lead the Championship standings by 97 points – nearly two races’ worth of points – over Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global.
Next up for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Practice opens Tuesday eat Noon and continues the rest of the week leading up to qualifying weekend Saturday May 17 with the battle for the pole position on Sunday May 18.
SPEEDWAY, IN (May 18, 2025) – Robert Shwartzman, a rookie driver, and PREMA Racing, a first-year NTT INDYCAR SERIES team are on the pole position for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
“Honestly it’s unbelievable,” said Shwartzman, from Tel Aviv, Israel. “I was just thinking in my dreams fantasizing, How will it feel to take pole position in Indy 500? How is the vibe? Then I was, like, Yeah, Robert, get back to reality. You have a new car, new team, you are a rookie. How can you expect to be in this position? It’s just in your dreams.”
The dream came true when Shwartzman ripped off a four-lap average speed of 232.790 mph in the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet during the Firestone Fast Six. PREMA, which joined the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this season after years of success in European racing, became the first team to claim the “500” pole in its first attempt since Mayer Motor Racing put Tom Sneva on the pole in 1984.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato will start second after a four-lap average of 232.478 in the No. 75 AMADA Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
“I’m very happy for the team who put my car, the 75 car, on the front row, which is amazing result because I think we were kind of a roller coaster situation,” said Sato. “Not just today, but through yesterday and probably the last two weeks. As everybody knows that the team has to build brand new car after we had a moment in open test.”
Pato O’Ward will join Shwartzman and Sato on the front row after turning a 232.098 four-lap average in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
“Super stoked to have my first front row start here at the 500,” said O’Ward. “Definitely was pushing for that pole. This is obviously the first time that I’ve had a true shot to compete for pole, but also compete to be one of the best three. We’ve got the best view going into turn one.”
Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner, will start fourth after a four lap average of 232.052 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
“Definitely a roller coaster throughout qualifying, especially on the second day,” said Dixon. “Huge thanks to everybody on the No. 9 PNC Bank team. There’s so much effort that goes into this, I can’t thank everybody enough. P4 definitely a spot we can win from an that is the goal.”
Dixon, a six-time Series Champion who has won the Indianapolis 500 pole position five times, was surprised to see who ended up on the pole.
“Rookie on the pole with Shwartzman, how wild is that,” asked Dixon. “New team, I didn’t see that coming at all.”
Felix Rosenqvist qualified fifth at 231.987 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian.
Dixon’s CGR teammate three-time series Champion and current points leader Alex Palou, who has won four of the first five races this season, qualified sixth at 231.378 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Marco Andretti, Marcus Armstrong and Rinus VeeKay earned the final three spots in the field in Last Chance Qualifying. Andretti, grandson of 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti, will start 31st in the No. 98 MAPEI/Curb Honda of Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian.
Armstrong rebounded from a vicious crash Saturday to qualify 32nd at 229.091 in the No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian.
VeeKay was the last driver to earn a spot in the 33-car lineup, qualifying 33rd at 226.913 in the No. 18 askROI Honda of Dale Coyne Racing and hanging on to hope while his rookie teammate, Jacob Abel, fell short of making the field in the last run of the LCQ session. Abel’s last-ditch attempt reached 226.394 in the No. 75 Miller High Life Honda.
Noticeably absent from the run for the pole position was Team Penske. Two Penske drivers, Josef Newgarden and Will Power, didn’t make their respective one attempt after violating INDYCAR Rule 14.7.8.16, an unapproved body fit on the rear attenuator of the car. Scott McLaughlin crashed the No. 3 Pennzoil Chevrolet in the morning practice and will be forced to go to a backup car.
“The rule is pretty black and white,” said O’Ward, when asked about the Penske rule violation. “Those cars should have been in the last chance qualifier. Like, those cars should have never — obviously they didn’t do anything in the Fast 12, but they should have been brought into the LCQ because they had that yesterday, I guarantee you.”
Up next is a practice session from 1-3 p.m. ET Monday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
SPEEDWAY, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Alex Palou is continuing his incredible 2025 by posting the fastest 4-lap average on Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Day 1 of qualifying for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Palou’s 4-lap average speed of 233.043 mph on his only qualifying attempt of the day in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was good enough to stay atop the charts as positions 1-30 were ‘locked-in’ in the 33-car field.
“Super happy,” said Palou, who has four of the first five events of 2025. “I don’t know if there’s more (speed in the car), but there’s always more. The line between more and too much is very thin here at IMS. We’ll see what we have for tomorrow (Sunday).”
Palou and the 11 other fastest drivers will participate in Top 12 Qualifying at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, which will whittle the field to the Firestone Fast Six that will compete for the NTT P1 Award at 6:25 p.m.
Rinus VeeKay and Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing, Marcus Armstrong of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian and 2020 “500” pole sitter Marco Andretti of Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian will compete for the three final spots in the 33-car starting field in Last Chance Qualifying from 5:15-6:15 p.m.
Armstrong crashed in the morning practice and his MSR team thrashed to get another car prepared to get on track.
Colton Herta suffered a scary crash as his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda lost grip in Turn 1 on his first qualifying lap.
Herta’s Andretti Global team immediately went to work on a backup and Herta was able to go back out at 4:45 p.m. Herta qualified 29th at 230.192.
Graham Rahal was the final driver to earn a guaranteed spot on Saturday. Rahal qualified 30th at 229.863 mph in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Indy 500 Day 1 Qualifying 2025 Indy 500 Qualifying Procedure
SPEEDWAY, IN (May 16, 2025) – Scott Dixon is no stranger to speed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and he proved it again on Fast Friday, posting the fastest qualifying simulation during practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Dixon’s four-lap average was 232.561 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
“I think there’s still some good speed still left in the car,” said Dixon, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner. “The car is really smooth, and I’m pretty conservative, as well. So, we’ll see. Who knows what tomorrow (Saturday) is going to bring? I think conditions are going to be pretty tough.”
Two-time reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou, who has won four of the first five races this season, posted the second fastest qualifying sim of the day with a four-lap average of 232.307 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin posted the fastest lap of the day, a 233.954 mph, in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet but with the benefit of an aerodynamic tow.
It was not all roses for CGR as second-year driver Kyffin Simpson suffered a nasty crash coming out of Turn 4. Simpson’s No. 8 Journie Rewards Honda briefly got airborne, came down on its left side before landing on its wheels and sliding across the track and making contact with inside wall on pit lane. Simpson was not hurt but will go to a backup car.
Simpson wasn’t the only one who went for a wild ride. Arrow McLaren’s Kyle Larson spun in Turn 3, sending the No. 17 Hendrick Cars.com Chevrolet into the SAFER barrier.
Larson was not hurt and after repairs were made to his car, he was able to return to the track for a shakedown run in the final hour of practice.
Saturday at Indianapolis starts with a practice session from 8:30-9:30 a.m., with two 30-minute groups (FS2, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
The first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying takes place from 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m. (11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., FS1; 1:30-4 p.m., FS2; 4-6 p.m., FOX; FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network) where positions 13-30 in the starting field will be set.
Sunday will be day 2 of Qualifying with the Last Row Shootout, Top 12 and Firestone Fast Six qualifying sessions deciding the rest of the 33-car starting grid.
The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
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