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Indianapolis Star
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
‘We're not here to watch them.' Was Indy 500 lessened by hybrid, rules? Drivers weigh in
DETROIT — In the wake of two consecutive years featuring last-lap passes for the win in the Indianapolis 500 – a race that has only had four such finishes in its century-plus history — Pato O'Ward, twice a runner-up, called this year's edition a 'boring, pretty crap race' from his position finishing fourth at the checkered flag. Or was it sixth? The Arrow McLaren driver remained worried post-race that the two nearly (but not completely) lapped cars of Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster might've confused casual fans while their presence largely prevented any high-action battles for the lead in the final 10 laps of Alex Palou's first Indy 500 win on Sunday. Though opinions weren't uniform across the paddock, O'Ward was not alone in his frustration. 'That's just not a finish an Indy 500 race deserves. People want to be excited and see an exhilarating finish,' O'Ward said Monday evening ahead of the Indy 500 victory celebration. 'Last year, that was a race. That was a friggin' race. I know I didn't end up winning, but I think it's safe to say that was a race. '2023? That was a race. 2022? Those are the fights I believe everyone really looks forward to having, and that last bit was ruined by that.' The culprits that have drawn the ire of O'Ward, his Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard, Team Penske's Will Power and others? The presence of two cars at the back of the lead lap down the closing stretch that effectively made Palou, on-track runner-up Marcus Ericsson and Co. feel as if they were battling in a pack — something that's near impossible to do at the moment with the additional 100-plus pounds of IndyCar's hybrid system that debuted in the 500 this month. The way the 500 ended has been a sticking point for Power for years, because, unlike in Formula 1 — where a car that is about to be overtaken by the race leader, putting them one lap down — IndyCar rules do not require slower cars to move over until they're about to go two laps down. In layman's terms, Foster and DeFrancesco had no obligation to swerve aside once Palou or Ericsson reached their rear wings in the closing laps because, according to IndyCar's rule book, cars on the lead lap are allowed to fight to stay there, and not until a car has been lapped by all the lead-lap cars it need to cede track. The idea behind IndyCar's long-held rules is that a car that hasn't yet been lapped stands to be put right back into a prime position to pick up spots, should a caution come out and require a restart with the field bunched back up. To Power, that's not enough of an excuse over the final 10 laps or so to ruin what could have been an edge-of-your-seat finish between Palou, the most dominant driver of the last couple years, Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner and 2023 500 runner-up. 'Fans want to see first- and second-place doing what the last cars on the lead lap were doing, going back and forth, and that's what you would've gotten with (more than) 8 million people watching at the end (on Fox). It's a pity, it's a pity,' Power said. 'We're not here to watch (DeFrancesco and Foster). 'Can you imagine? (Palou and Ericsson) would've been going back and forth, but it was smart for (Alex) to just sit there and stay in the draft, and to be honest, you could pay someone to do that for you. At the end of the race, you could just have one of your team cars who's out of it back up and go back and forth, and there's nothing in the rules that says you can't do that. You absolutely can do that and win that way.' DeFrancesco, who finished 14th on track before advancing up to 11th due to post-race tech inspection penalties, acknowledged that those hopes for a late-race caution were precisely why he and his Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammate traded spots back and forth during Sunday's closing laps, while staying just far enough out of reach of Palou to maintain their lead-lap position. 'I get (other drivers' frustration), but at the time, I was doing as instructed, and that's the way it works out sometimes,' DeFrancesco said. 'It's a tough one. I understand from their point of view, but it's not my place to comment or decide. We have the IndyCar stewards in place to make that decision, and we followed the rules.' Insider: Fox's Indy 500 broadcast hit 17-year high. What happens next is important for IndyCar's growth Scott Dixon, Palou's Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, backed DeFrancesco's sentiments. 'They're on their own race, too,' he said. 'I think people who are going to complain are the people that lost. It's just how the cycle of the race worked out, and good for Alex.' Added Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin: 'It's the luck of the draw in IndyCar racing. At the end of the day, that's just how it works. There were no yellows, and those guys were trying to stay in the game on the lead lap, and if there's a yellow, those guys are back in the race.' Somewhat surprisingly, Sunday's first-time 500 winner has mixed feelings about the topic. 'In my opinion, (showing them a blue flag) is what I would've liked, yes. You always want no traffic cars when you're going for the end of the race, but they've always left those cars there because they're on the lead lap,' Palou told IndyStar on Monday afternoon. 'But then at every track when there's 30% of the race to go, that's it, they shouldn't be up there, but the rules are like that, and Helio (Castroneves) used them the same way I did.' As Palou made a point to note Sunday evening, the three-time IndyCar champ was forced to settle for runner-up in his first Indy 500 with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021 because Castroneves, who was running second behind Palou with just under two laps to go, looked up the track and noticed the pair was quickly approaching (nearly) lapped traffic. So in a race where in clean air the car second in line could pass at ease, Castroneves took what to Palou seemed as if it was a bit premature pass back for the lead. But soon after, the pair essentially joined the train of cars ahead, and in the turbulent air, Palou no longer had an easy pass to make on Castroneves, and he'd remain a few too many car lengths back for the final five miles of the race headed toward the checkered flag. '(Sunday) wasn't boring for me. I was very tense,' said Palou in reference to O'Ward's 'boring' comment about the race that was from his view. 'I mean, would it be better without traffic? Maybe, maybe not. 'It was the situation we were in, and I think he'd probably change his words if he was the guy winning.' The idea that the third or fourth car in line would have difficulty passing a car directly ahead, even if the one trailing was the eventual Indy 500 winner, and the one ahead was a mid-pack car at best, has been a feature of the 500 and IndyCar for a couple years now, as a car that debuted in 2012 has continued to take on more and more weight than it was ever intended to run with. But the addition of the 100-plus pounds related to IndyCar's move to hybrid technology has only exacerbated the issue over the last 11 months, leading to several races with abnormally low numbers of on-track passes, historically long caution-free droughts and passes for the lead on road and street courses that are few and far between. Technology that IndyCar and manufacturer leaders pledged would improve the racing product has, at least in reference to the competitive side of the sport, hampered what cars can do. Though we still saw several passes for the lead throughout Sunday's race from cars jumping one spot up from second-place — as well as a notable highlight-reel move from Conor Daly that saw the Juncos Hollinger Racing driver leap to the lead from third — the Indy car's lack of nimbleness has only further hampered what was already a car, many drivers believe, past the point of no return. 'I think you'd head the same from everybody: (the hybrid) is kinda useless,' Lundgaard said. 'I don't think any one of us really enjoy it. It doesn't give us any benefit, and I think it's just made the racing worse. 'It just causes more problems than it does good.' IndyCar's "car problem," Lundgaard said, has only been worsened by promises of a new car that have been kicked down the road for more than half a decade, now with promises of a new one either in 2027 or 2028. And so the fact a new one wasn't yet ready when IndyCar reached do-or-die mode with its need to shift to hybrid technology to appease its manufacturers, the change only made worse the Frankenstein monster of a car. 'I think the Blackhawk helicopters flying over us (on the pace laps) was the highlight of the day,' Lundgaard said of his 500 that ended with a ninth-place finish on-track and a seventh-place finish in the final results. 'Get (the hybrid) out of the car and give us a new car as quick as possible. We've known for a long time that a new car was coming, but it keeps getting moved, and that's a problem.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Detroit Grand Prix: Narrow course causing trouble during practice laps
If you've ever gotten stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic downtown, the drivers in the Detroit Grand Prix are feeling your pain. During the first practice session for the IndyCar Series' Detroit Grand Prix on Friday, May 30 — the first time these racers drove on the 2025 course before Sunday's big race — IndyCar veteran Will Power latched onto the back of Kyle Kirkwood's car and pushed him through turns 5 and 6 in front of the Renaissance Center. It was an unconventional move, especially during a practice session, but Kirkwood had a quick explanation for Power's behavior: Advertisement "The track's not big enough to fit all the cars, and he got frustrated." Whether Power agrees with that is debatable — Power said he was just trying to "find a gap" — but it does mirror what many drivers are saying about the Detroit course: There's very little space to maneuver. At just under 1.7 miles in length, the course at the Detroit Grand Prix is the shortest street course on the IndyCar circuit. It's also narrower than many street courses, especially at the turns, giving these drivers very little space and room for error. "What makes it difficult here is it's such a short track. We have 27 cars going on a 1.6-mile track. It doesn't really add up," said Christian Lundgaard, who drives for Arrow McLaren. "It's frustrating, but at the end of the day, it's the same for everyone." Advertisement A.J. Foyt Racing's David Malukas was driving in front of the latch-on moment between Power and Kirkwood (though he initially thought it was Marcus Ericsson that Power had latched onto instead of Kirkwood) and said it was like something out of a film: Team Penske's Will Power enters Turn 2 as NTT IndyCar Series drivers compete during Detroit Grand Prix in downtown Detroit on Sunday, June 2, 2024. THE NEXT GENERATION: Grosse Pointe Indy NXT driver Nolan Allaer coming home for the Detroit Grand Prix "I couldn't believe it. I was very confused at the start. I thought, like, something was wrong with Ericsson, and Power was towing him across, like the 'Cars' movie." Malukas also spoke about how quickly the track can turn from wide to narrow: "I'll be surprised if there's not going to be a yellow (flag) for this race," he said. "Turn 1, it's very wide on entry and it looks inviting. And then all of a sudden it gets very, very tight on exit. And it happens a lot around this track." Advertisement In addition to the encounter between Power and Kirkwood, the practice session saw a collision from Juncos Hollinger racer Sting Ray Robb, whose front tires locked up as he glided softly into the tire barrier at Turn 1. Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Álex Palou also turned out into a safe area when experiencing difficulties on the track, choosing to preserve his car instead of risking a wreck later on. It's not just the narrowness of the course that these drivers have to navigate. During a luncheon on Thursday, May 29, Detroit Grand Prix chair Bud Denker compared the difficulties of Detroit's track to a similar street course on the IndyCar circuit: "The Long Beach Grand Prix is almost the same distance as our race here. There are seven manhole covers on the Long Beach Grand Prix race track. We have 215." Though Denker says the Grand Prix has worked to try to smooth out the course's roughest edges, including those 215 manhole covers, the track has already played a big part in a dust-up two days before the big race starts. Advertisement Power appeared to smile when he reviewed the footage of his car pushing Kirkwood's during the practice lap. But Kirkwood, who finished with the fastest time among all drivers during the practice session, had the last laugh: "I'm not upset. I don't care," he said. "We had damage from that, too, so maybe we (could have been) a little bit faster." You can reach Christian at cromo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Narrow course causes issue during practice laps at Detroit Grand Prix
Fox News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
IndyCar star Pato O'Ward sounds off on Indy 500 after 4th-place finish
IndyCar star Pato O'Ward sounded off about the Indianapolis 500 after Alex Palou passed Marcus Ericsson with 14 laps to go to win the race for the first time in his career. The Arrow McLaren driver took issue with the lack of fight from Ericsson when Palou passed him for the lead late in the race, as well as how some of the restarts took place. "Pretty crap race I would say. Just kinda sucks that it went down to -- the switcheroo was for the last position of the race and Ericsson actually kinda choked there and let Palou by and just kind of … he just had to pedal it there," he told FOX Sports. "I don't think it's a finish anybody here woulda wanted to see. "I just feel like there was a bunch of non-experience in the front of the restarts and some of those restarts were pathetic. Those were not of the level that we should be seeing at the Indy 500. It just felt like we were playing roulette in a casino and picking outside or inside and just depending on what everyone else was choosing you either got screwed or you made like 10 positions." O'Ward finished in fourth place after starting the race in third. "We got hosed there a couple times but we made it back up a little bit after being a bit more in the middle," he said. "I fought my way as hard as I could." There were 44 laps run under caution, starting from the very beginning as rain plagued part of the race and then started with a Scott McLaughlin crash before the green flag waves. On the first green-flag lap, Marco Andretti crashed into the wall. However, the race featured 22 lead changes among 14 drivers. It was Palou who ended up in the winner's circle by the time the race was over. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
Kyle Larson crashes out of Indy, Charlotte races in going for 'Double'
May 26 - Kyle Larson's dream of completing auto racing's classic double on Sunday ended early after he crashed on lap 91 of the Indianapolis 500. His long day got worse when he also crashed out of NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night. In his second attempt at "The Double" for a combined 1,100 possible miles of racing, Larson finished in 27th place at the IndyCar race and 37th after completing 245 of 400 laps at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. After the NASCAR race, he told NBC Sports that he didn't know if he would make a third try at the marathon day of racing. In 2024, he didn't get the chance as rain brought the Coca-Cola 600 to an early end, before Larson was able to turn a lap there. "It's so fresh right now I don't really have a good answer for you," Larson said Sunday night. "The Double is just a tough undertaking. The window of time is too tight. Even if I didn't wreck (at Indy), I don't think I would have made It here on time and probably would have had to end that race short anyways. So I don't really think it's worth it. "But I would love to run the Indy 500 again," continued Larson, who drove for Arrow McLaren's IndyCar team. "Just doing the double I think is just logistically too tough." Larson was heading into Turn 2 after the IndyCar race had just returned to green. He lost control as he went low into the turn and downshifted. That led to a spin out and crash into Sting Ray Robb's car. Larson got out of the car on his own. Earlier in the race, which had a rain-delayed start, Larson's car stalled during a pit stop, costing him time and positions. "I got loose and just kind of got all over the place," Larson said of his crash on the Fox broadcast from Indianapolis. .".. I got a little too eager there on the restart and caused that crash. I hate it for everybody that got caught up in it. "Bummed out. (Will) try to get over this quickly and get on with Charlotte. Try to forget about it and win the next one." Larson left the Indy 500 grounds a short time later via helicopter to start the journey to Charlotte. The Hendrick Motorsports driver began on the front row, in the second starting position. He passed pole-sitter Chase Briscoe on Lap 9 and would lead for 34 laps. However, Larson fought with his car and tagged the wall hard, spun by himself off Turn 4 on lap 42 and was forced to pit road for a long stop. After making repairs, Larson tried to work his way back among the contenders. Then he would be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Briscoe and Ryan Blaney made contact in Turn 4, with Briscoe then hitting the back of Daniel Suarez's car, which spun into Blaney and into the way. Suarez's car slid down the track and caught Larson's car in the right rear. Larson's car was too damaged to continue, and his bid for completing the Charlotte race was over. He is one of five drivers ever to race in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. The others are John Andretti (1994), Tony Stewart (1999, 2001), Robby Gordon (2002-04) and Kurt Busch (2014). Only Stewart completed both races, placing sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte in 2001. --Field Level Media
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Double trouble: Larson crashes out of Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600
Kyle Larson's dream of completing motor racing's classic double on Sunday ended early after he crashed on lap 91 of the Indianapolis 500. His long day grew worse when he also crashed out of NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night. In his second attempt at "The Double" for a combined 1,770 possible kilometres of racing, Larson finished in 27th place at the IndyCar race and 37th after completing 245 of 400 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After the NASCAR race, he told NBC Sports he didn't know if he would make a third try at the marathon day of racing. In 2024, he didn't get the chance after rain brought the Coca-Cola 600 to an early end before Larson was able to turn a lap there. "It's so fresh that I don't have a good answer for you," Larson said on Sunday night. "The Double is a tough undertaking. The window of time is too tight. Even if I didn't wreck (at Indy), I don't think I would have made it here on time and probably would have had to end that race short anyway. So I don't think it's worth it. "But I would love to run the Indy 500 again," said Larson, who drove for Arrow McLaren's IndyCar team. "Doing the double I think is logistically too tough." Larson was heading into Turn 2 after the IndyCar race had returned to green. He lost control as he went low into the turn and downshifted. That led to a spin out and crash into Sting Ray Robb's car. Larson got out of the car on his own. Earlier in the race, which had a rain-delayed start, Larson's car stalled during a pit stop, costing him time and positions.
