IndyCar
109th Indianapolis 500 Preview
SPEEDWAY, IN (May 25, 2025) – There are always storylines heading into the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and this year is no exception along with a little added intrigue. Here’s what I think are the storylines to keep an eye on in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’:
Alex Palou show in 2025: Chip Ganassi Racing’s Palou is off to the best start in INDYCAR in 60-years, winning four of the first five races and finishing second in the other. A.J. Foyt won the first five races in 1964. Palou and the No. 10 DHL Honda team hold a 97-point lead in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship standings. Palou however has never won on an oval. His best finish at Indianapolis is 2nd in 2021, when he followed Helio Castroneves across the yard of bricks.
Helio Castroneves chasing history: Castroneves won his fourth Indy 500 in 2021 with Meyer Shank Racing. Castroneves’ other wins, 2001, 2002 and 2009 were with Team Penske. Castroneves was 7th quickest in Carb Day on Friday posting a fast lap of 224.235, which was right behind teammate Felix Rosenqvist’s 224.416. Castroneves starts 22nd and if he can pull off the victory, he would be the oldest Indy 500 winner in history at 50-years-old. Al Unser Sr. became the oldest winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1987 at age 47 years, 360 days old.
Josef Newgarden going for 3-in-a-row: Newgarden could make history today if he were able to pull off his third victory in-a-row. Newgarden beat Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward last year in an epic battle over the final few laps. Newgarden won his first Baby Borg in 2023, a controversial win because it was the first time the series had a 2-lap shootout for the win. Newgarden will have his work cutout for him starting from the 32nd position after Team Penske was penalized after failing technical inspection prior to pole qualifying. O’Ward told me on Friday that Newgarden’s car is ‘a missile’.
Pato O’Ward seeking first 500 win: O’Ward, the series most popular driver, is looking for his first 500 victory after finishing 2nd in 2024, 2nd in 2022, 4th in 2021 and 6th in 2020. O’Ward has finished second twice this season (Thermal Club & Sonsio Grand Prix) and will roll off from the outside of the front run after qualifying third. O’Ward sits fourth in the Championship standings, 100-points behind Palou.
Takuma Sato looking for 3rd 500 win: Sato is starting from the 2nd position in the middle of the front row, with O’Ward on the outside and rookie Robert Shwartzman on the inside. Sato started in the Top 4 for his previous two wins, 2017 & 2020. This will be the only start of the season for Sato, who is not running for the Championship. Sato was 2nd in the final practice on Friday at 225.415, but suffered a mechanical failure late in the session.
Scott Dixon vying for 2nd 500 win: Dixon is this generations most successful driver winning six Championships and amassing 58-wins, both of which are second all-time to A.J. Foyt. Dixon won the 500 in 2008 but a second victory has been elusive considering he’s led 677 career laps, the all-time event record. Dixon is also second to Rick Mears in ‘500’ pole wins (6-to-5). Dixon and the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda finished third in Carb Day’s final practice, posting a fast lap of 225.200 mph.
Kyle Larson’s 2nd attempt at ‘The Double’: Larson, for the second straight year, is attempting to become the fifth driver to complete the Memorial Day “double” of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch. The last driver to complete the feat was Busch in 2014. Larson earned “500” Rookie of the Year honors last year after qualifying fifth and finishing 18th.
Rookie Robert Shwartzman on pole: Shartzman of PREMA Racing shocked the racing world by winning the pole last weekend. He is the is the first rookie to win the pole since Teo Fabi in 1983. Shwartzman, born in Tel-Aviv Israel is also the first Israel native to compete in the race. Just 10-rookie drivers have won in over a century with Alexander Rossi being the last in 2016.
NOTES & TIDBITS
- There are eight former Indianapolis 500 winners in the starting field: Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021), Scott Dixon (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), Will Power (2018), Marcus Ericsson (2022), Josef Newgarden (2023, 2024). Between them, they have 13 victories. The record for most former winners in the field is 10, in 1992. The fewest, other than the inaugural race in 1911, is zero in 1912, 1913, 1915 and 1916.
- The field average speed of 231.207 mph is the third fastest in history. The fastest is 232.184 in 2023, followed by 231.943 in 2024.
- The deepest starting position for a race winner is 28th, by Ray Harroun in 1911 and Louis Meyer in 1936.
- Casey Irsay Foyt, who represents the next generation of Indianapolis Colts’ ownership along with her sisters Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Kalen Jackson, will serve as honorary starter. Irsay’s father Jim passed away Wednesday May 21 at the age of 65.
- The field includes five past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, two-time reigning champion Palou and Will Power.
Live Race Day coverage begins on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 10 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.
MONTEREY, CA (September 6, 2026) – Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing are celebrating their 2026 NTT IndyCar Series Championship following the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Palou started eighth and finished second in Sunday’s race after clinching the title following last week’s 10th place finish in the second race at The Milwaukee Mile.
“One for the thumb,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi, referring to Palou’s fifth championship ring in an obvious homage to a familiar football refrain around Pittsburgh.
“Incredible,” Palou said. “I owe everything to this team. So proud of this team. It is great to have another championship and ready for the next one.”
Palou’s title is his fourth straight, matching a feat for the team from 1996-1999.
“I’ve been saying it for years now, I cannot still believe the position I am,” said Palou. “The opportunity to start every single year with the chances and the best team around me and best partners to fight for wins and championships.”
Palou finished the season with 6-wins, 8-poles, 7-podiums, 12-Top 5’s, 15-Top 10’s and 631 laps led.
“Last year was magical,” reflected Palou. “I thought it could not be repeated. We did not repeat it, unfortunately, but we were close. We were like really, really close. Obviously last year we were able to win the 500 and the championship. If I didn’t compare it to last year, this year was just insane. Was so fun.”
CGR Team Manager Barry Wanser, who has been with the team for over 25-years, talked about what makes Palou a special talent.
“I just think his ability to constantly learn and take advantage of the resources that we have at Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Wanser, who credited the men and women behind the scenes at CGR. “Alex can’t perform as well as he does without such a great team behind him. The engineering department certainly has knocked it out of the park again with some great cars. Certainly in the pits has been amazing this year. Alex is just impressive. Very awesome.”
Ganassi, whose team ran off four straight title with Jimmy Vasser (1996), the late Alex Zanardi (’97 & ’98) and Juan Montoya (’99), refuses to take credit for the team’s success, which starts with the team mantra, ‘One team, One goal’.
“When I started the team, I wanted to have a team that I would want to drive for,” explained Ganassi. “That’s kind of always the way I looked at it. It takes a lot of people to make this stuff happen. It’s one team. We all work together. We’re all trying to win. It’s open book with us all the time across the board with all the drivers, all the teams.”
Palou’s four titles in a row by a driver match the only other driver to do it, Sebastien Bourdais.
“We’re in the midst of a generational thing here, a generational driver,” said Ganassi. “Four in a row has been done before, but five out of six hasn’t been done before. That’s something that’s kind of unprecedented. We’re in the midst of that right now. It’s not over!”
MONTEREY, CA (September 6, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 DEX Imaging Chevrolet are back in Victory Lane following a dominating performance at the Mission Foods Monterey Grand Prix at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
McLaughlin, who started on the pole position, ended a 2-year win drought leading 87 of 90-laps en route to his 8th-career NTT IndyCar Series victory.
“Really proud to get our first win together on a road course where the last couple years we probably struggled at the most,” said McLaughlin of his new engineer Raul Prados. “What a great way to end the season. We have a lot of hard work to do over the off-season to come back stronger, combat against the 10 (Alex Palou).”
Palou started second in the No. 10 DHL Lightning Bolt Chip Ganassi Racing Honda that paid tribute to CGR Champion and Alum, the late Alex Zanardi, who passed away earlier this year. Palou settled in behind McLaughlin but couldn’t match the pace or tire wear of the No. 3.
“We started on used alternates and we kind of survived, but then we went on an another used alternates,” said Palou, who finished eighth. “We, like, killed ourselves there.”
Despite the eighth place finish Palou, who clinched his fifth Series Championship in six years last week at Milwaukee, says he is as lucky as they come.
“Obviously last year we were able to win the 500 and the championship,” explained Palou. “If I didn’t compare it to last year, this year was just insane.”
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood finished second in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda to clinch second place in the Series Championship.
“We played it a little bit safer than I might have hoped for the last race of the season, but we had to for the championship,” explained Kirkwood. “We made all the decisions based on that. Probably could have had a go at Scottie at the end on the first few laps on reds. The number one goal was to make the tires last. That’s what we did. Came home with a second, which is something to be proud of.”
Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi came home third in the No. 20 Java House ECR Chevrolet. The podium finish ended a drought as well for Rossi and was his first in two years at ECR.
“It’s no secret that this has been a pretty terrible year for myself and the whole ECR team with the litany of issue, some out of our control, some in our control,” said Rossi. “Really ever since the Indy GP, there’s been a huge amount of emphasis and effort behind the scenes to kind of dig out of that hole. This is a great result to kind of reward that effort, just rebuild the confidence in everyone that we’re capable of doing this.”
Despite finishing last in the 25-car field due to the incident with Robb, Hauger hung on to win series Rookie of the Year honors. He finished with 228 points, 15 ahead of Mick Schumacher of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the rookie race.
The 2027 NTT IndyCar Series season opens Sunday, March 7 with the Firestone Grand Prix on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
MONTEREY, CA (September 5, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin is on the pole position for Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey after blasting to a quick lap of 1-minute, 9.1363-seconds in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Chevy in Firestone Fast Six qualifying at the picturesque permanent road course.
“I felt like from the jump this weekend, we’ve come with a philosophy we’ve been working on the last, I don’t know, four months or something like that, basically since our Mid-Ohio test,” explained McLaughlin. “Been feeling better and better. Put it all together today.”
McLaughlin edged Alex Palou, whose lap of 1-minute, 9.1540-seconds in the No. 10 DHL Lightning Bolt Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, was a mere o.o177-seconds off the top spot.
“It’s so tough to put a lap together, especially at this place,” said Palou. “I think it’s so great to see that we’re all so close. I’m sure that Scott feels like he could have got another 10th if he puts like a perfect lap. I feel the same way.”
Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist clocked in third fastest at 1:09.1931 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Nickelback Honda.
“Good qualifying for us,” said Rosenqvist. “We’ve been in the top three in every session, so I think we would have been disappointed if we didn’t end up in the top three. Always tough to get through with all of the sand and traffic. I missed it a bit in the corkscrew, so maybe there was a pole in there. I’m not sure.”
Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi lines up fourth after a fast lap of 1:09:3247 in the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet.
“The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet has been through a lot this season so it’s nice to get a decent qualifying on the books before the year comes to a close,” said Rossi. ““Road courses have been a big struggle for us, really all season. At a test we had a couple of months ago, we really understood something we hadn’t prior to that and have just been building off of it.”
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard will start fifth and Team Penske’s David Malukas will start sixth as Chevrolet took four of the Fast Six qualifying spots en route to it’s 250-career IndyCar Series pole.
Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Kyffin Simpson will start 9th in the No. 8 Sunoco and Scott Dixon will start 17th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda. The race will be the last for Dixon at CGR after 25-years with the team.
Live coverage of the 95-lap race starts at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.
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King Jr. Wins Make-up Feature Thursday At Lernerville
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