Indy 500

From the starting lineup to the winner's circle, follow live updates from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on what's happening at the 2022 Indy 500.

"And to be here involved in it as a driver is really cool.” His race win came from the pole, but Emma Davies Dixon knows starting first guarantees nothing. Starting grid: Indy 500 starting lineup Printable guide to the Indy 500 His five pole starts are one behind the record established by Rick Mears. He tied A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears by winning for the fourth time in 2021.

You can bet on more than just the winner of the 106th running of the Indy 500 on WynnBET, with several different prop bet markets available.

- USA: - No: - Yes: - Even: - Odd: WynnBET has quite a few betting markets open for the biggest race of the year.

Helio Castroneves defends his Indianapolis 500 victory on Sunday, May 29. The race will be aired on a variety of platforms, including Peacock.

You can get a seven-day free trial, followed by a $5 or $10 monthly charge. The Indy 500 will be broadcast by NBC—meaning you've got a good chance of capturing the game over the air, which costs nothing beyond the equipment prices. NBC’s streaming service will have the most comprehensive coverage. We’ve got all the details you need here. It’s been a long time since the Indy 500 has sold out, but this year’s running of the greatest spectacle in racing isn’t expected to have an empty seat. This weekend, though, the grandstands will be full.

It's been a grueling two -week stretch of practice, qualifying and race prep for the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as they all look to etch their names in ...

No. 2 is the third-best starting position in history with 11 drivers using the middle of the front row to catapult into the racing history books. Two drivers have risen from that far in the field – Ray Harroun in 1911 and Louis Meyer in 1936. The lowest starting position to produce a winner is 28th. He’s had fast cars in each of the last two “500’s.” The last to do so was Simon Pagenaud in 2019. Herta wiggled in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda and made right rear contact with the SAFER Barrier at the exit of the turn. The car overturned and slid through the short chute between Turns 1 and 2, making secondary contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 with the nose of the car. But often, the race winner is starting up front. This year’s allocation are the exact same tires used in last year’s race. Conditions are expected to be near perfect in Speedway, Indiana, for today’s racing on the historic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. These race tires are specially designed and are used nowhere else in the world. His Andretti Autosport Honda, on the other hand, was not good to go.

200 laps at the racing capital of the world will determine the newest Indy 500 champion.

James Garner was a wonderfully natural actor to whom we could all relate, and also very much a car guy, to which surely all Motorsport.com readers can ...

And even when he was away – and he was away on shoots quite a bit – he would make sure we got time to spend together. Whether it’s Maverick or Rockford or one of his movies, whenever I want to I can just settle down, pull out the remote and just watch Dad.” I was so little at the time, I really thought he was drowning and I started screaming in the theater and had to be removed. “He treated people very well and always stuck up for the underdog,” confirms Gigi. “He was just a good person. Many advise to not meet your heroes, but I’m quite discerning and 80 percent of those I’ve met have lived up to my expectations, and I’m quite sure James Garner would have been in that category. As Corbett suggested, Garner approached his job without artifice – beyond the fact that he was acting – and we loved and still love him for it. “I was there for quite a bit of the filming of Grand Prix, but to your point, no, I don’t think I quite realized how much risk Dad was taking to make that movie. Even later, I used to hear about him going to work and just think, ‘That’s dad, he does things that are make believe,’ and it wouldn’t occur to me that he might be going off to do things that are super-dangerous.” They just put a thin strip of leather in to look like a Formula 1 seat of the time, but there was no padding. While a character such as James Bond was smooth, slick, cocksure of himself and always had a gadget or five to pull him out of trouble, Aron was a suave, heroic yet very human figure, fighting the same earthly bonds of emotion and judgment as the rest of us, but doing it better. The late three-time Indy 500 winner and two-time Indy car champion Bobby Unser, one of Garner’s unofficial driving coaches, once told me: “James was a very good student of racing. Garner’s easy-going manner and man-of-the-people attitude probably removed his mystique for many, and therefore robbed him of some of the adulation he deserved.

The Sporting News is tracking live race updates and lap-by-lap highlights for the Indy 500 on Sunday. Follow for complete results from the 2022 race at ...

27 27 27 After a few tests for Mercedes, Grosjean made the jump to Andretti Autosport this year.

Scott Dixon leads the field off for 200 laps at the 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS)— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) #ThisIsMay pic.twitter.com/NJQpJyTqKx May 29, 2022 And in what was likely a strategic move, Dixon passes Palou between the short chute of Turns 3 and 4. If his teammate, Carpenter, can find a way past Ericsson, then they would be able to execute the same teamwork DIxon and Palou are. Back Home Again.— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) #INDYCAR// #Indy500// @IMS pic.twitter.com/nIXBBKUX4K May 29, 2022 He asks for a slight adjustment at the front. VeeKay has made his pit stop, so his fuel strategy worked even without the help of a teammate. 🦚: @peacockTV #Indy500// #INDYCAR// @IMS pic.twitter.com/XRCeeV3RZO May 29, 2022 Wind gusts up to 17 mph could be an issue at the short chutes between Turns 1-2 and 3-4. Conor Daly is in, and Scott Dixon, our race leader, is now in. The Indy 500 is not just about pure speed but also about teamwork in the pits, where more than a few races have been won and lost. Ericsson and Dixon were second and fourth quick with the Dale Coyne Racing car of two-time winner Takuma Sato splitting them. The last driver to do it was Simon Pagenaud in 2019.

The 106th Indianapolis 500 begins when the green flag drops at 12:45 p.m. ET, but The Athletic has you covered before, during and after the race here with ...

When Grosjean finally has a moment, it’s nearly 7 p.m. at the end of a nonstop day. The pole position has produced more winners than any other grid spot in the race's 105 previous runnings, with 21 total winners. And what's interesting is those people who have done that, their confidence is only going up. “And at one point, they're going to hit their limit. Crew members and personnel from assorted teams stop him for a chat. Fans flock to him.

In one of the grandest races in all of motorsports, some of the best drivers in the world head to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, hoping to get a ...

Current IndyCar Series points leader Will Power is looking to win the big race for the second time in his career, as he took home the checkered flag in 2018. The Aussie won the race back in 2008, the same year he won the series championship. That tied him with the legends A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser. Castroneves will look to become the first driver to win the race five times, 21 years after his first victory.

The 2022 Indianapolis 500 Indy Car race is one of the sport's biggest events and takes place annually during Memorial Day weekend.

How To Watch, Stream, Listen To Indianapolis 500 How To Watch, Stream, Listen To 2022 Indy 500 Race SALT LAKE CITY – The 2022 Indianapolis 500 Indy Car race is one of the sport’s biggest events and takes place annually during Memorial Day weekend.

Marcus Ericsson won the Indy 500 in a two-lap shootout over Pato O'Ward, ending a 10-year winless drought at the track for Chip Ganassi Racing.

It was actually pretty good in 1 and 2, 3 and 4 was a bit more tricky, but 1 and 2, I was pretty good. But big thanks to the safety team, the safety barrier as well, but sorry for the team as well. Turn 2 was a major trouble spot as the site of crashes by Johnson, VeeKay, Ilott and Romain Grosjean, who found the wall while exiting the corner on Lap 106. “First of all, I have to say sorry to all the fans and the team and everyone who has worked hard,” VeeKay, 21, told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider. “We put the car on the front row. After skidding through the grass, McLaughlin had a head-on hit in the next corner but was able to walk from the car. The No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet snapped loose on the exit of Turn 3 and made contact with the right front. The caution flew for the first time on Lap 39 for Rinus VeeKay, who lost control of his No. 21 Dallara-Chevrolet exiting Turn 2 while running second. The six-time IndyCar Series champion was eliminated from contention after serving a drive-through penalty for going too fast in the pit lane on entry. “Yeah, I just turned into Turn 2, the car gets loose. But I knew the car was amazing. So I knew the car was fast enough. But I knew it was probably going to be one.

It came down to two laps, and Marcus Ericsson remained on top to win "the Greatest Spectacle in Racing," Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Spaniard was forced to continue down pit road without stopping and return to the track, but with his fuel running out, Palou had to make an emergency stop with pit road still closed. VeeKay, who started on the front row next to the Ganassi pair, brought out the first caution on lap 39. Dixon, the six-time IndyCar Series champion started on the pole for the second consecutive 500 and the fifth time in his career. "It was hard to remain focused," Ericsson said after the race. The 31-year-old technically won under caution when Sage Karam crashed on the backstretch and brought out the yellow flag as the leaders entered turn 3. He and Kenny Bräck are the only drivers from Sweden to win the race.

Chip Ganassi Racing's Marcus Ericsson won the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 after a red flag for Jimmie Johnson's late crash.

Dixon pitted for the final time on Lap 175, almost losing it under brakes at pit-in – and he pinged for speeding as a result. O’Ward pitted later than all of them and cycled his way to the front, while Kanaan suffered a slow stop and lost ground to the leaders, losing a spot to Ericsson also. Ericsson jumped clear with aggressive weaving, O’Ward attacked around the outside of Turn 1 but Ericsson held him off. Ericsson then battled past O’Ward, who had to back out of the gas, for third. Dixon and Conor Daly (ECR) had just made their stops but Palou was caught out by a closed pitlane and he had to drive straight through. The second round of pitstops had just begun when Callum Ilott crashed his Juncos Hollinger car at Turn 2.

He was dominant for much of the race, but instead, he'll depart Indianapolis without a trophy.

This decision ended the 2020 Indy 500 in the hands of Sato and handed Dixon his third runner-up finish. Through his 20 Indianapolis 500 attempts, Dixon boasts an average starting position of seventh and an average finish of 11th. In 2012 Dixon was running in third as Takuma Sato attacked Franchitti into turn one on the final lap. The resulting contact launched Dixon over Howard and into the air at over 210 mph. Dixon put together a massive run in qualifying on May 22, the fastest pole run in Indy 500 history with a four-lap average speed of 234.06 mpg. This effectively ended Dixon’s race less than 40 laps after he surpassed Al Unser for the record of most laps led in Indy 500 history.

Marcus Ericsson had to leave Formula One to become a global superstar and achieved the goal Sunday when the Swedish driver won the Indianapolis 500.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Scott Dixon answered a few questions and started to trudge down pit road when he realized he forgot something: His wife.

Marcus Ericsson of Honda survived a late challenge to win the Indy 500 on Sunday and earned the rights to the coveted Borg-Warner Trophy and to celebrate on ...

" is the flagship event of the IndyCar Series and was first raced in 1911. After leading 95 of the 200 laps on Sunday, Dixon takes solace in becoming the all-time lap leader in Indy 500 history, surpassing Al Unser. "I can't believe it, I'm so happy."

After a crash back in traffic brought out the caution flag, Sweden's Marcus Ericsson, representing Chip Ganassi Racing, coasted to the victory podium under ...

But he finished second, falling just short as he tried to give his country a banner celebration on the biggest day in motorsports; Mexico's Sergio Perez opened Sunday with a win in the Monaco Grand Prix. Ganassi had not won the 500 in 10 years and sent five legitimate contenders to Indy to end the drought. Ericsson was winless in five seasons in F1 before he packed up for the United States and a move to North American open-wheel racing. The penalty took him out of contention for the win. Ericsson is the second Swede to win the Indy 500 in 106 runnings, joining 1999 winner Kenny Brack. "You can never take anything for granted, and there were laps to go," Ericsson said.

Scott Dixon has shouldered the blame for the pit speeding incident that cost him a shot at a second Indy 500 win.

“I had to work a lot today, it was super-hard to come back from there. “I had lots of fun in this race, there was just one point where my heart broke in pieces,” said Palou, who led 47 laps. The reigning IndyCar champion was just about to enter the pits when the red light came on for Callum Ilott’s crash at Turn 2, and Palou missed the pit commit line by one second.

With a few laps to go, Marcus Ericsson seemed to have the race well in hand. But a crash and a restart made him work a little harder for the victory.

Formula 1 held its storied Monaco Grand Prix earlier in the day. The crowd, which IndyCar officials said approached 325,000 people, marked a return to normalcy after two years of Covid disruptions. With a few laps to go, Marcus Ericsson seemed to have the race well in hand. His win was the first Indianapolis 500 victory for the Chip Ganassi Racing team in 10 years. Two of Ericsson’s Ganassi teammates dominated for much of the race. A poorly timed pit stop by Palou — moments after a caution flag closed pit road — sent him to the back of the field and essentially ended his chance at victory.

May 29, 2022 at 5:33 p.m.. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Marcus Ericsson had to leave Formula One to become a global superstar, a goal achieved Sunday when the ...

He joined the Ganassi organization in his second IndyCar season and has been steadily adapting to the formula and understanding ovals; Ericsson finished a career-best third on the Texas Motor Speedway oval that was the warmup for the Indy 500. Palou was an early contender until a caution closed the pits when he needed to stop for fuel. Ganassi had not won the 500 in 10 years and sent five legitimate contenders to Indy to end the drought. The New Zealander led 95 of the 200 laps on Sunday and his Honda was easily the fastest in the field — so fast that Dixon didn’t slow down enough on his final pit stop. He signed a contract extension with Arrow McLaren SP on Friday and desperately wanted the win to celebrate his status as McLaren’s star. “You’re going to have things happen in these 500-mile races and they’re not always going to fall your way. It is the fifth Indy 500 win for team owner Chip Ganassi, who caught a ride to the victory podium on the side of Ericsson’s car. But O’Ward finished second, falling just short as he tried to give Mexico a banner celebration on the biggest day in motorsports; Sergio Perez opened Sunday with a win in the Monaco Grand Prix. Ericsson was winless in five seasons in F1 before he packed up for the United States and a move to North American open-wheel racing. “It was hard to re-focus but I knew the car was amazing. Karam was transported to a hospital for evaluation of muscular soreness. For Ericsson, it was his third career IndyCar victory in 52 career starts.

Pato O'Ward put together a thrilling late challenge in a two-lap shootout at the end of the race.

I'm so happy." "I can't believe it. "He [Ericsson] was going to put me in the wall if I would have gone for it," O'Ward said. 🧱— #Indy500 on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) @Ericsson_Marcus// #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/OF7wsxxWii May 29, 2022 O'Ward tried the outside line but he just didn't quite have enough to get past. The laps clicked off one by one, and it looked like Ericsson was going to easily drive away from O'Ward when yet another caution came out just inside of 10 laps to go when Jimmie Johnson, in the fifth CGR car, struck the wall hard. At 24 laps remaining, Dixon pulled in for his final pit stop and made his only mistake on the day: He was going too fast. Not only was the Spaniard stuck out on the track, he was so down on fuel that he had to make a stop just to take a splash while the pits were still closed, which brought on a penalty. "I think it was a mile-an-hour over or something. He didn't come out of nowhere at Indy, having started fifth. I'm so happy." "I can't believe it.

Ericsson, from Kumla, Sweden, won under caution in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda after Sage Karam crashed in Turn 2 on the final lap.

“I came into the pit and had to lock the rears and kind of locked all four. I knew it was going to be close; I think it was a mile an hour over or something. He pulled slightly ahead of Ericsson entering the corner, but Ericsson held the low line and forced O’Ward to lift the throttle. “You can never take anything for granted, and obviously there were still laps to go, and I was praying so hard it was not going to be another yellow, but I knew there was probably going to be one. Green-flag racing resumed on Lap 199, with Ericsson snaking left and right on the front and back straightaway to try and break O’Ward’s aerodynamic tow. “I couldn’t believe it,” Ericsson said of the red flag. I knew if I went on the inside into 1, I could keep my foot down. “I had to do everything there at the end to keep him behind. INDYCAR officials decided to red-flag the race in an attempt to finish under green, so all cars pulled into the pits for nearly eight minutes while the debris from Johnson’s crash was cleared. Ericsson, who started fifth, took the lead for good on Lap 190 when “500” rookie Jimmie Johnson made his final pit stop out of sequence with the leaders. Felix Rosenqvist placed fourth in the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP, as Arrow McLaren SP placed two cars in the top four. Ericsson, from Kumla, Sweden, won under caution in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda after Sage Karam crashed in Turn 2 on the final lap.

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon (9) leaves his pit box, and is. "It's just heartbreaking, to be honest," he said afterward. "I must have been very ...

"You have to be realistic when you have multiple cars," Ganassi added. The two were photographed smiling together after the race, and Dixon said he was "super happy" for Ericsson, whose finish was his best at the Indy 500. "The car was definitely super fast. I just messed up." "It's just heartbreaking, to be honest," Dixon said afterward. What the (expletive)?"

Instead, the wreck only spoiled Johnson's race — Ericsson held on after the delay and pulled away for the Indy 500 win for Chip Ganassi Racing. “I'm glad Marcus ...

The family that Johnson passionately persuaded to let him chase his boyhood dream and race the Indy 500 couldn’t let him go. Johnson won 83 times in NASCAR, claimed a record-tying seven NASCAR championships and could have walked away from racing after 2020 with his legacy secure. Johnson partnered with close friend and country music star Blake Shelton to honor family members who served in the military. Franchitti, the three-time Indy 500 champion, served as Johnson’s driving coach at Chip Ganassi Racing and appeared emotional as he hugged Johnson. Andretti and Tony Stewart, members of Johnson’s former NASCAR team and even his dad, who worked the race as Johnson’s spotter, all sent video messages of support. Ericsson held on to give Ganassi his fifth Indy 500 win.

Results and points standings for the NTT IndyCar Series after the 106th Indy 500, which Marcus Ericsson won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

21. (1) Scott Dixon, Honda, 200, Running 20. (24) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 200, Running 18. (31) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 200, Running 16. (13) David Malukas, Honda, 200, Running 14. (21) Graham Rahal, Honda, 200, Running 9. (2) Alex Palou, Honda, 200, Running 8. (16) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 200, Running 7. (27) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 200, Running 5. (20) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 200, Running 3. (6) Tony Kanaan, Honda, 200, Running 1. (5) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 200, Running Ericsson notched the first Indy 500 victory for Chip Ganassi since Dario Franchitti in 2012.

Scott Dixon led a race-high 95 laps, but he made a critical mistake by speeding in the pits during another disappointing finish in the Indy 500.

(And also no surprise that it comes in a convo with the always upbeat @ConorDaly22, who might be inviting Dixon to his late-night EDM rave in downtown Indy later.) https://t.co/bGaE7kterK He also had tears in his eyes when he hugged the driver after the race. We called a great race today and he drove a great race today and that is what we are going to look at going forward.” I came into the pits and had to lock the rears. The Indianapolis 500 is like the girlfriend in a toxic relationship a man can’t get out of his mind, no matter how badly she treats him. “As for Scott, we called a great race, he drove a great race and we do things together as a team,” Hull said. At the end of the day, we try again next year. When Spencer Pigot pounded the end of the pit road attenuator with five laps to go, IndyCar Race Control decided to let the race finish under yellow. After starting on the pole and leading 95 of 200 laps, Dixon came onto pit lane as the leader, to make his final pit stop that would take him to an apparent second Indy 500 victory. Once Johnson’s damaged car had been removed from the track, that set up essentially a “green-white-checkered” flag finish. He was stopped on the end of pit road directly ahead of Pato O’Ward’s Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. His wife, Emma, was distraught, telling NBC Sports that she was “gutted” by the call.

Johnson finishes a IndyCar career-worst 28th, his lowest finish in 18 IndyCar races to date.

“A tough day at the office today,” Johnson said. The crash caused a red flag which would ultimately see a two-lap sprint to the finish and Johnson’s teammate Marcus Ericsson in victory lane. The seven-time NASCAR champion still needed to pit one more time when he inherited the race lead with 12 laps to go.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Marcus Ericsson, once a Formula One backmarker, is now an IndyCar frontrunner. And an Indianapolis 500 champion.

The New Zealander led 95 of the 200 laps, and his Honda was easily the fastest in the field — so fast that Dixon didn’t slow down enough on his final pit stop. “You’re going to have things happen in these 500-mile races and they’re not always going to fall your way. Johnson finished 28th in his Indy 500 debut. Ganassi had not won the 500 in 10 years and sent five legitimate contenders to Indy to end the drought. It is the fifth Indy 500 win for team owner Chip Ganassi, who caught a ride to the podium on the side of Ericsson’s car. It was Ericsson’s third IndyCar victory in 52 starts. Karam was transported to a hospital for evaluation of muscular soreness. IndyCar is among the purest forms of motorsports and rarely throws artificial cautions or issues stoppages that might change the outcome. It feels good to show that hard works pay off.” “Moved here, put my whole life into trying to become an IndyCar and mainly Indianapolis 500 champion. You don’t get a lot of credit running in the back. He didn’t exactly dazzle in his first season in North America, either.

The Swedish driver emerged victorious to claim the first Indianapolis 500 win of his career. It didn't come without some drama for the Chip Ganassi Racing ...

They were all sorry Dixon didn't earn his second Indianapolis 500 victory, because his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was the class of the field on ...

It was a frustrating end to a historic month for Dixon. He earned his fifth career Indy 500 pole last weekend, putting him in sole possession of second on the all-time poles list. You only need to lead one lap here, and that’s the last one.” One day, when Dixon’s legendary career is finished, he will certainly cherish his place in Indianapolis 500 history and his name alongside those of Unser, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears and many more. In 2020, he led 111 laps but finished second as a late-race caution ended the race under yellow and crowned Takuma Sato the winner. “I mean, he came down pit lane and was speeding,” Ganassi said. Though the Kiwi didn’t lead Lap 1 – his teammate Alex Palou did – Dixon took the lead for the first time on Lap 8. Dixon controlled the next 100 laps and led 95 of the 200 total laps, a race-high mark. “I feel extremely bad for him,” said Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kanaan. “He's a dear friend of mine. Upon entering pit lane, he locked the rear brakes, and then the front brakes. From there, the race was Dixon’s to lose. The long walk down pit lane with his wife, Emma, included many hugs and apologies from the drivers he was trying to beat just minutes earlier. His only other “500” win came in 2008.

By Lewis Franck INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Coming into the Indianapolis 500, Marcus Ericsson was the fifth wheel on a powerhouse Chip Ganassi Racing all...

So I came here. “They say it is life changing winning this race,” smiled Ericsson. “Coming to IndyCar one of my goals was to show what I could do, show my skills because I felt in F1 I didn’t get a chance to do that. “When you have Dixie (Scott Dixon) and TK (Tony Kanaan) and JJ (Jimmie Johnson) and Palou, the defending champion, the focus will be on them for sure,” said Ericsson. “Maybe after today it will change a bit.”

The 2022 Indianapolis 500 start time is Sunday at 12:45 p.m. ET and legendary expert Micah Roberts has made his picks.

One driver Roberts is high on is Jimmie Johnson, who is listed at 16-1 in the latest Indy 500 odds. Now, Roberts has studied the 2022 Indianapolis 500 ( see tickets at StubHub) starting grid and locked in his IndyCar picks. Roberts also had 2018 winner Will Power, who was listed at 10-1, in his top 10 and correctly predicted Simon Pagenaud to win the Indianapolis 500 a year later. The following year, sportsbooks listed Takuma Sato as a 25-1 long shot, but Roberts liked his speed during practice runs and listed him in the top 10 of his projected leaderboard. Montoya hopes to join 10 other drivers with at least three victories when he participates in the 2022 Indianapolis 500 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Before making any 2022 Indy 500 picks, you need to see what SportsLine's Micah Roberts has to say.

From Janet Guthrie to Pippa Mann, these are the women of the Indianapolis 500.

INDIANAPOLIS – Marcus Ericsson and Dario Franchitti sat inside a nearly barren Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday night and plotted how the Swedish ...

“If we’re going to the production of red-flagging it and having a green-white-checkered, which I think was the right thing to do, I think we need to look at what we’re okay with in terms of the leader defending,” he said. Once the cars got rolling, and the leaders sucked up to Ericsson in a conga line, O’Ward had one chance to give Ericsson a run. Facing the risk of all the points he’d accumulated over 199 laps and a championship run to come, O’Ward lifted just a hair, and that was that. “Our win in Nashville (where the nose of Ericsson’s car flew several feet up in the air in an accident, yet allowed him to win the race) was a challenge. “You go flat and hope to God the car doesn’t snap.” Said O’Ward: “He was a lot more – the weaving was a lot more aggressive than what it usually is. Power was left to sit in pitlane while his team scrambled to restart the programming. He’s trying to do everything he can to stay in front, and we’re trying to do everything we can to get around him. “The way he did it, Pato’s got nothing to say,” Pagenaud said. You’ve got to walk the line.” The evasive, offensive maneuver that some in the paddock call ‘The Dragon,’ sees the leader dip down at – and sometimes below – the pitlane commitment line on the front-straight, then make a beeline for the outside lane, before zagging back down to the inside around the Yard of Bricks in preparation to hug the white line entering Turn 1. Hugging up to the back of the leader does nothing – eventually you’ve got to get around them.

Marcus Ericsson emerged victorious to claim the first Indianapolis 500 win of his career. It didn't come without some drama for the Chip Ganassi Racing ...

Marcus Ericsson overcame a fear or racing on ovals, winning the Greatest Spectacle of Racing and leaving the likes of Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves ...

"As I sat there under the red flag running through all of the scenarios and thinking about the guys who would be attacking on the restart, I thought about a conversation I had with [three-time Indy 500 winner and mentor] Dario Franchitti," Ericsson recalled. Ericsson, that leader whom Rossi could see but not catch, wasn't yet into the "much more desperate to win it again" stage of his new life as an Indy 500 champion after he finished his traditional victory lap ride atop a pace car adorned with a wreath and milk mustache. "Our goal as racing drivers is to win, no matter what it takes," Ericsson added before heading into the Indianapolis evening to celebrate with his family. All you can do is hope you are that close again, but now you have to wait a year to see if that happens." The 31-year-old Swedish racer, who came to IndyCar from Formula One in 2019 with an admitted fear of racing on ovals. But there is only one of the 365 days on an IndyCar racer's calendar that is a potential gateway to immortality. He looked off into the distance as he talked, replaying the final laps of the race in his mind and sounding like man in a dentist's chair with no Novocain: "When the leader is right there, where you can see him, and you know that the checkered flag is coming out soon, but you can't catch them. "This is the one place where if you win it once, it only makes you that much more desperate to win it again," explained Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 champion, who finished fifth on Sunday. In seven career starts, he has finished seventh or better five times, including a runner-up effort in 2019. They don't commission an artist to sculpt your face from silver to be placed on a 6-foot-tall art deco trophy alongside the likenesses of A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti when you win the Music City Grand Prix or the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300. "And I also wanted to take my mind off me not being able to close the deal today." "I wanted to say thank you," the 47-year-old racer explained. INDIANAPOLIS -- Richard Petty once said, "I can't recall so much about the 200 races that I won, but I can tell you every single little detail about the 1,000 races that I lost.

While seeing a second Indy 500 win escape hurts enough as it is, Scott Dixon's penalty could have massive ramifications as it pertains to the championship.

But if you assume Dixon wins in front of Ericsson in second place, O’Ward in third, and Palou in 10th, it is Dixon leading the standings with 248 points. Following the race, Ericsson finds himself leading the championship standings for the first time in his IndyCar career, jumping from eighth to first place with his victory, and O’Ward sits in second after jumping from sixth. Dixon has historically been known for coming on strong at the end of seasons as opposed to the beginning. In 2015, he dominated the race, only to be shuffled back to fourth late and unable to recover. He was issued a drive-through penalty after receiving his final service of the day, completely knocking him out of contention for the win. So he scored 33 instead of a perfect 115.

The 23-year-old Arrow McLaren SP driver pressured Ericsson while Tony Kanaan gained speed behind him. But O'Ward's No. 5 car handled traffic perfectly the whole ...

This year he had a better understanding of how the race unfolds and how much he needed to give in certain parts of the race. So it’s a race of a lot of patience, but it’s a race where you have to be really smart and you have to be thinking a lot of different things. His deal includes a pay raise, a McLaren for personal use and the potential for opportunities with McLaren’s Formula One team. And it didn’t change, even as he was getting on the elevator to leave. Because the Indy 500 is much different than any other race in the series, O’Ward said experience is the main factor in getting better. But out in front, it didn’t have the speed to hold on. We need to do a better job and come back next year and give it hell again. Again, O’Ward was up for the challenge; he had already made 23 passes on the day. O’Ward was where he needed to be before making his final push for the title. As the drivers waited at the pits for the yellow flag, chants of “Let’s go, Pato” flooded the stands to his side. Those last few laps were the first time his car felt a little unstable the whole day and he could feel his back tires starting to burn. He felt so comfortable in his trimmed-out car and knew he had a shot at beating out Ericsson.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — “Winning the Indy 500, it's not bad for a pay driver.”

“I use it as motivation, but also I understand when you have (my teammates). It's so obvious I'm not going to be the one in the spotlight,” Ericsson said. Ericsson also got paid; his Indy 500 win earned him a $3.1 million payout from the record total purse of $16 million. Finn Rausing, one of Ericsson's longtime backers, attended his first Indy 500 on Sunday and then kissed the bricks in celebration of his investment's victory. But the Ganassi organization isn't a backmarker team and Ericsson was now driving cars capable of winning races. It's not that Ericsson was some rich kid who bought his way into Formula One without the talent to warrant a seat. He partnered with Swedish company Huski Chocolate, which sponsors the No. 8 car that Ericsson drove to the win Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.