IndyCar
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato Wins IndyCar Race At Gateway
MADISON, IL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato went from zero to hero in less than a week on the NTT IndyCar Series circuit.
Sato won Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, one week after fellow IndyCar drivers, fan and media blamed Sato for a multi-car crash on lap one at Pocono Raceway.
Sato started fifth on the grid and on the first lap in turn 1 had contact with another car and fell to last place but never gave up and rallied to a 0.0399-second victory over owner/driver Ed Carpenter.
“A difficult start,” said Sato. “I was sandwiched, then go backwards.”
Sato called the victory the most satisfying win of his career, next to the 2017 Indianapolis 500 win.
“This win is so special,” said Sato. “Beside Indy 500, nothing like it. Last week, it was very difficult to judge. A lot of people judged from only TV, one angle. It looked like I turned into Alex, which wasn’t true. The team got logging system, onboard footage, that shows very clear evidence I wasn’t move. I hold my line, I drove straight.”
The RLL team stood behind the veteran driver in the week between Pocono and Gateway, going as far as issuing a statement of support after all of the backlash. Sato was glad his team had his back and he paid them back with a victory.
“It is just unbelievable support from the team,” said Sato. “I’m so happy. So proud to be a part of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Some people say they never seen do that kind of statement.”
Carpenter rebounded from a less than stellar qualifying effort to needing a couple of hundred feet to win.
“Even just another straightaway, I maybe could have gotten Takuma,” said Carpenter, who started 17th. “We were really good on the long runs. We kept our heads down and never gave up.”
AJ Foyt Racing’s Tony Kanaan, who started 20th, rounded out the podium with a third-place finish.
“We knew we had a strong car,” said Kanaan. “We played the strategy right, we got a little bit of luck on our side – finally – and once we got to the front, we showed the that we belong there.”
Points-leader Josef Newgarden finished seventh but his closest pursuer, Alexander Rossi, finished 13th allowing fifth-place finisher Simon Pagenaud to leapfrog Rossi in the Championship standings. Newgarden leads Pagenaud by 38-points going into the next weekend’s Grand Prix of Portland.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 24, 2026) Felix Rosenqvist passed David Malukas on the last lap just before the yard of bricks to win the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race.
Rosenqvist was sitting in third place when the race restarted with one lap to go, two spots behind his Meyer Shank Racing teammate Marcus Armstrong and second place David Malukas and got beside Armstrong going into turn one, through the South short chute and raced side-by-side down the back stretch.
Rosenqvist was behind Malukas coming off Turn 4 and masterfully used the draft to get beside the No. 12 down the front stretch, pushing the No. 60 SiriusXM/Morgan Wallen Honda to the front by just less than half-a-car length at the yard of bricks. The margin of victory was 0.233-seconds, the closest finish in the history of the race.
“Massive thanks to the team,” said Rosenqvist. “We had two cars there in the win at the end. I think we were the best car today. I felt like in all situations we kind of had it under control. I just had a flat-out lap on the high line and it stuck. It’s just the coolest way you can finish and win an Indy 500.”
“I just don’t know what I could have done,” said Malukas. “We were the fastest car the whole race. I gave it 150-percent. We did everything we could. A big thank you to this team.”
Scott McLaughlin came home third in the No. 3 Pennzoil Chevrolet, giving Team Penske two cars in the Top 5. McLaughlin talked afterward about the agony of defeat.
“Alright, hear me out on this,” McLaughlin explained, “It’s Christmas, but not everyone gets presents. Only one guy gets to go home with one.”
Pato O’Ward finished fourth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, giving O’Ward four Top 5’s in the last four Indy 500’s.
Armstrong finished fifth in the No. 66 Acura Honda giving MSR two cars in the Top 5.
Editor’s Note: This story will be updated as post-race activities are still taking place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 22, 2026) – Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden led a quartet of Chevrolets atop the speed chart at the final ‘Carb Day’ practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Newgarden’s fast lap of 228.342 mph led four Chevys at the top of the speed chart with Ed Carpenter Racing’s second at 227.474, David Malukas in third at 226.525 and Conor Daly in fourth at 226.341.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Takuma Sato, a two-time 500 winner as well, led the Honda powered cars with the fifth fastest speed at 226.244.
Defending 500 winner and four-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou was sixth quick in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda at 225.986.
IndyCar
Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean involved in multi vehicle crash during Indy 500 practice
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 18, 2026) – Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean are losing valuable practice time after being involved in a multi-vehicle crash during Indianapolis 500 practice Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The crash was triggered when Rossi lost control of his No. 20 Java House Chevrolet in turn 2 and slammed into the outside wall.
O’Ward was two cars behind Rossi and when the No. 20 went sideways, O’Ward turned the wheel and jumped on the brakes in an attempt to avoid the crash but as Rossi came off the wall, O’Ward’s No. 5 Chevrolet crashed into Rossi.
Grosjean was an innocent victim getting collected in the meelee.
O’Ward and Grosjean were checked and released from the infield care center. Rossi exited his car under his own power, went to the infield care center where IndyCar Medical Director Dr. Julia Vaizer said in a statement that Rossi was awake, alert, and in good spirits.
Vaizer later stated that Rossi ‘is being transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Rossi will have to go to a backup car while O’Ward and Grosjean’s machines will need to make significant repairs.
Rossi will not lose his No. 2 starting spot according to the IndyCar rulebook:
- 8.1.7.1. If a Qualified Car is involved in an incident, INDYCAR allows a Backup Car to replace the Qualified Car. The Backup Car will start the Race in the same position in the Starting Lineup as the Qualified Car.
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Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing win the pole position for the 110th Indianapolis 500
Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean involved in multi vehicle crash during Indy 500 practice
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