Regardless of a four-hour rain delay, clouds thinned and an intense battle for victory ended because the solar set over greater than 300,000 followers on the Indianapolis oval. Josef Newgarden, who began third, was compelled to make one other thrilling go on the ultimate lap, passing Pato O’Ward on the surface in Flip 3 to beat him by 341 thousandths.
He thus grew to become the primary driver to attain two consecutive victories since Helio Castroneves did so with Crew Penske in 2001 and 2002.
O’Ward, who withstood a number of assaults from the American earlier than passing him in flip 1 of the final lap, couldn’t resist the ultimate assault and was second. Scott Dixon, of the Chip Ganassi Racing workforce and winner of the Indy 500 in 2008, managed to return again from twentieth place to complete third, another day with an alternate technique. Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi was fourth, forward of the present IndyCar champion, the Spanish Alex Palou. The 200-lap race featured 16 completely different leaders, with Scott McLaughlin main 66 laps earlier than ending sixth.
Rookie Tom Blomqvist brought about a pile-up on the primary lap that affected 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson and Pietro Fittipaldi. After beginning twenty fifth he touched the curb in Flip 1, which brought about him to spin and collide with Ericsson’s #28 Honda, which was beginning thirty second. “I can not imagine it,” stated the Swede. “It is unbelievable. It is so irritating. I do not know what to say. We fought all final weekend. We fought all this week and this occurs. I can not imagine it.”
Keep in mind how they got here out:
Fittipaldi tried to keep away from the incident, however had wheel-to-wheel contact with Callum Ilott, who was compelled to start out from the again of the grid after a mechanical downside needed to be resolved on his #6 McLaren in the course of the laps. heating. A number of vehicles from the center and rear of the sphere took benefit of the yellow flag to refuel on lap 4, together with Conor Daly (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing), Sting Ray Robb (AJ Foyt Racing) and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing duo of Christian Lundgaard and Graham Rahal.
When Katherine Legge’s #51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda broke down on lap 23, the primary interval of pit stops received underway two laps later. As soon as McLaughlin relinquished the lead on lap 25, with teammates Energy and Newgarden following, the highest place handed to Robb, who misplaced it on the next restart to Daly.
It took till lap 28 for an additional yellow flag to return out, this time as a consequence of Linus Lundqivst crashing in Flip 1 following a late overtaking try on the within of three vehicles, together with teammate Kyffin Simpson. The race continued at a frenetic tempo till Meyer Shank Racing’s #60 Felix Rosenqvist additionally broke down and brought about one other stoppage on lap 56, becoming a member of Legge and Marcus Armstrong because the third Honda to retire with issues.
Regardless of a promising comeback from thirteenth place to second, Colton Herta’s sixth participation within the Indy 500 got here to an abrupt finish after crashing in Flip 1, on lap 88. Though the incident was just like that of Blomqvist , the Californian, who was trailing chief McLaughlin, failed to the touch the within piano earlier than shedding his Andretti #26. Though he was pushed again to the storage, Herta returned previous the midway level of the race a number of laps down.
Two extra yellow flags on laps 107 and 114 led to the untimely retirement of 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti, respectively. McLaughlin and Newgarden continued to be a significant component for the lead, together with Rossi. Nonetheless, a spherical of pit stops introduced a harsh lesson to Indy 500 debutant and 2021 NASCAR champion Kyle Larson. Race Path penalized him for rushing within the pitlane on lap 131, which brought about his #17 McLaren to lose a lap.
The battle for the lead started when Dixon, who prevented a penalty after preliminary contact that brought about Hunter-Reay to retire, took the lead on lap 140 due to a back-foot technique. Energy’s day ended seven laps later with a giant crash in Flip 2. His #12 Crew Penske Chevrolet was operating on the surface of Christian Rasmussen in Flip 1 when the rear finish broke and he hit the wall. With the yellow flag, Larson was capable of return to the lead lap.
This led to a restart on lap 155, with Dixon separated by O’Ward and Rossi, who took the lead from the third entry into Flip 1. The 2 McLaren drivers traded the lead over the following few laps, as Dixon He continued third forward of Newgarden and Palou. Regardless of shedding positions within the race order after struggling clutch issues, McLaughlin climbed again to sixth place on lap 168.
Rossi relinquished the lead on lap 170 and momentarily handed O’Ward earlier than Dixon handed him for first place. Dixon and O’Ward pitted on lap 173. Newgarden caught up with Dixon, who moved to the entrance of the sphere as they moved forward of Rossi and O’Ward. Palou was lurking in fifth place, with 24 laps to go.
Not pitting but with 20 laps to go, Larson briefly led earlier than pitting three laps later and leaving Simpson – who had not but stopped – within the lead. Simpson lastly pitted with 14 laps to go and left the battle for victory to Rossi, Newgarden and O’Ward.
Dixon overtook the Mexican for third place with 13 laps to go coming into Flip 1, behind Newgarden and Rossi. The American maintained the lead with 10 laps to go, with Rossi, O’Ward, Dixon and Kirkwood among the many prime 5, and Palou sixth, after saving gasoline within the penultimate stint.
O’Ward handed Rossi into Flip 1 and moved into second with seven laps to go, and caught Newgarden with 5 laps to go. Newgarden rallied with 4 laps remaining and handed O’Ward once more. In the meantime, Palou moved into fifth place after overtaking Kirkwood, who dropped to seventh place after being overtaken by McLaughlin.
O’Ward and Newgarden went on to combat and go one another till reaching the ultimate lap. The McLaren driver went across the outdoors of Newgarden popping out of Flip 4 and took the lead in Flip 1. The Penske driver attacked in Flip 2, the place the 2 went wheel to wheel, and accomplished an overtake alongside the surface in flip 3.
Within the IndyCar total, Palou continues to guide with 183 factors, 20 greater than Scott Dixon, with 163, 37 greater than Energy, with 146, and 49 greater than Herta, with 134.
