Indy 500 runner-up Ericsson, teammate Kirkwood penalized to rear for unapproved car modifications
Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, waits for the start of qualification for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
auto racing
By DAVE SKRETTA
Indianapolis 500 runner-up Marcus Ericsson was penalized to the rear of the 33-car field along with Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood on Monday after their cars were found to have unapproved modifications in the post-race inspection that could have helped their aerodynamic efficiency.
Ericsson finished second to Alex Palou on Sunday when he was unable to make a winning pass in the closing laps. He now will be credited with a 31st-place finish while Kirkwood, who had finished sixth, has been relegated to 32nd.
IndyCar said the modifications made by Andretti Global were to the Energy Management System covers provided by Dallara, the company that provides the chassis for the series. The rulebook states that those parts must be used as supplied.
Ericsson and Kirkwood had to forfeit their prize money and championship points from their original finish, and instead will receive the money and points for their penalized finish. Each of the cars also was fined $100,000 and the competition managers for the teams have been suspended for the upcoming race on the streets of Detroit.
The No. 90 car of Callum Ilott also failed post-race technical inspection after it failed to meet the minimum endplate height and location specification. Prema Racing was handed the same penalties as Andretti Global, which means rather than 12th, Ilott will be credited with finishing last in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'
IndyCar's inspection process came under scrutiny a week before the race, when the Team Penske cars of two-time winner Josef Newgarden and Will Power were found to have had unapproved modifications to the rear shock-absorbing attenuator.
Newgarden and Power were unable to compete in the second round of qualifying, and instead had to start in the final row of the 11-row grid. Newgarden ended up having a fuel pump issue and finished 25th and Power finished 19th, though both of them will move up three spots following the penalties to Andretti Global and Prema Racing.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
26-05-2025
- Japan Today
Indy 500 runner-up Ericsson, teammate Kirkwood penalized to rear for unapproved car modifications
Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, waits for the start of qualification for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) auto racing By DAVE SKRETTA Indianapolis 500 runner-up Marcus Ericsson was penalized to the rear of the 33-car field along with Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood on Monday after their cars were found to have unapproved modifications in the post-race inspection that could have helped their aerodynamic efficiency. Ericsson finished second to Alex Palou on Sunday when he was unable to make a winning pass in the closing laps. He now will be credited with a 31st-place finish while Kirkwood, who had finished sixth, has been relegated to 32nd. IndyCar said the modifications made by Andretti Global were to the Energy Management System covers provided by Dallara, the company that provides the chassis for the series. The rulebook states that those parts must be used as supplied. Ericsson and Kirkwood had to forfeit their prize money and championship points from their original finish, and instead will receive the money and points for their penalized finish. Each of the cars also was fined $100,000 and the competition managers for the teams have been suspended for the upcoming race on the streets of Detroit. The No. 90 car of Callum Ilott also failed post-race technical inspection after it failed to meet the minimum endplate height and location specification. Prema Racing was handed the same penalties as Andretti Global, which means rather than 12th, Ilott will be credited with finishing last in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' IndyCar's inspection process came under scrutiny a week before the race, when the Team Penske cars of two-time winner Josef Newgarden and Will Power were found to have had unapproved modifications to the rear shock-absorbing attenuator. Newgarden and Power were unable to compete in the second round of qualifying, and instead had to start in the final row of the 11-row grid. Newgarden ended up having a fuel pump issue and finished 25th and Power finished 19th, though both of them will move up three spots following the penalties to Andretti Global and Prema Racing. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Times
26-05-2025
- Japan Times
Alex Palou holds off Marcus Ericsson to take checkered flag at Indy 500
Spain's Alex Palou held off Sweden's Marcus Ericsson over the final laps to win the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday and capture his first oval triumph. Palou became the first Spaniard to reach Victory Lane after 200 laps over the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and made his breakthrough in his 29th oval start. "I cannot believe it," Palou said. "What an amazing day. What an amazing race. It's amazing to win." Palou, who has won five of this year's first six IndyCar races, took the checkered flag under caution after American Nolan Siegel crashed near the back of the field. "It has been amazing," Palou said of his superb start. "The team I have around me, they make me look good on (the) track." Ericsson, the 2022 winner, refueled with 24 laps remaining and returned to the track still in front, just ahead of Palou with American David Malukas in third. Palou, who started on the outside of the second row, passed Ericsson on the inside at Turn 1 with 14 laps remaining and was drafting off slower cars to save fuel over the final laps. "Tough conditions out there, especially when you were third or fourth in the pack," Palou said. "Even leading, the fuel consumption was super high." Palou was well ahead coming out of the last turn on the final lap when the caution flag came out, and he continued over the finish line to complete his historic triumph. "There were some moments that I felt really good in the race," Palou said. "But at the end I didn't know if I was going to be able to pass Marcus or not, but yeah, made it happen." Ericsson had to settle for second. "That was painful to miss out so close again, second time second," Ericsson said. "This is a winner-takes-all kind of place, so yeah, it's really painful." Malukas finished third. "I'm not going to lie, I was crying coming into the pits," Malukas said. "We were just so close to getting it." After the victory, Palou stopped the car and ran down pit row to celebrate with his crew and team owner Chip Ganassi. "Amazing," he said. "Best celebration ever." Ganassi sang the praises of Palou, who is seeking his fourth IndyCar title in five years. "The guy is just unbelievable," Ganassi said. "It's going to make Alex Palou's career, it's going to make his life, and it certainly has made mine." Two-time defending champion Josef Newgarden's bid for an unprecedented Indy 500 threepeat ended with a fuel pressure issue on Lap 135. "It's tough not to have a shot at the end," he said. "We didn't get to see what we had." The race began in cool and overcast conditions after a brief rain delay, and several incidents quickly followed. Marco Andretti, grandson of racing legend Mario, crashed out on the first lap, hitting the outer wall in the first turn. Takuma Sato, a two-time Indy 500 winner, led but skidded 182 centimeters past his pit stop point and fell back. Israeli rookie Robert Shwartzman, who won the pole, struck four members of his pit crew as he lost control entering his pit box, ending his day. "I locked both front tires," he said. "Luckily nobody got really injured. It was really scary. When I braked I was just a passenger." American Kyle Larson's bid to run every lap at Indy and a 966-kilometer (600-mile) NASCAR race on Sunday night in Charlotte was foiled after a restart crash into the outer wall of Turn 2 on Lap 92. Dutchman Rinus Veekay struck the pit lane entry area inner wall. "Just really had no bite on the brakes," Veekay said. American Alexander Rossi's car caught fire while being refueled but there were no injuries. "It's so disappointing," he said. "All I know is the gearbox was starting to go." New Zealand's Scott McLaughlin crashed into the inner wall of the front straightaway on a warm-up lap, ending his race before it began. "Worst moment of my life," McLaughlin said. New Zealand's Scott Dixon made his 408th career IndyCar start to break Mario Andretti's all-time record.
Japan Today
25-05-2025
- Japan Today
Alex Palou makes history as 1st Spanish driver to win Indianapolis 500
Alex Palou, of Spain, makes a pit stop during of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) auto racing By JENNA FRYER Alex Palou has become the first driver from Spain to win the Indianapolis 500 by holding off former Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson over the closing laps Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Palou, who has won three IndyCar titles in four years — including the last two, came to the speedway with four wins through the first five races this season. But it was No. 6, 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,' that he had circled on his calendar. Without an Indy 500 win, Palou said his career resume would never be complete. Palou stopped the car just beyond the Yard of Bricks, climbing out of it and nearly losing his balance as he raised his arms in triumph. He jumped down and took off in a run down the front stretch, pulling off his gloves and tossing them behind him, and ultimately was engulfed by his father, Ramon, and his Chip Ganassi Racing team in a jubilant celebration. Scott Dixon gave him a big hug, so did Dario Franchitti, with both Ganassi Indy 500 winners welcoming Palou into the exclusive club. 'I cannot believe it. What an amazing day. What an amazing race,' Palou said. 'I cannot believe it. It was tough. Tough conditions out there, especially if you were like, third or fourth in the pack. Even leading, the fuel consumption was super high, so they didn't want me to lead. I wanted to lead, honestly, so yeah, made it happen.' Meanwhile, Ericsson climbed from his car and pressed his hands to his face at the disappointment of coming oh-so close to a second Indianapolis 500 victory. Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner, finished second for Andretti Global in a 1-2 finish for Honda. David Malukas was third for A.J. Foyt Racing and the highest-finishing Chevrolet. Josef Newgarden's bid to win three consecutive Indy 500s ended with a fuel pump issue. He was trying to become the first driver to come from the back row to win because he and Team Penske teammate Will Power were dropped to the back of the field for failing inspection before qualifying. Power wound up 19th, the highest-finishing Penske driver on a miserable day for the organization owned by Roger Penske. He earlier this week fired his top three IndyCar executives for a second technical infraction in just over a year, and has had to defend the optics of his teams failing inspections when he also owns IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy500. Penske has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times. It was Indy 500 win number six for Ganassi, who has been on a dominating wave since hiring Palou ahead of the 2021 season. Palou then won the championship that year, has added two more titles and now seems on pace for a fourth one. 'The guy is just unbelievable — I don't know what else to say,' Ganassi said. 'It is an incredible thing — it's going to make Alex Palou's career, it is going to make his life, and it has certainly made mine.' Palou started the race tied with Pato O'Ward as the co-favorites, listed at +500 by BetMGM. O'Ward finished fourth — the fifth time in six career starts the Mexican has finished sixth or higher. Kyle Larson won't complete 'the double' after crashing out of the Indianapolis 500 before he headed to North Carolina to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
