Latest news with #Indianapolis500OpenTest
Fox Sports
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Paddock Buzz: Crash Cuts Short Kyle Larson's Preparation
INDYCAR Perhaps no NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver appreciated this week's Indianapolis 500 Open Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway more than the driver who has started only one such race. Unfortunately, Kyle Larson didn't get to enjoy the second day of it. In a Thursday morning session designed to simulate qualifying sessions for next month's Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Larson's No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet drifted wide in Turn 1 and smacked the SAFER Barrier. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion prepping for his second Indy start slammed on the brakes in the short chute but couldn't keep the car from hitting the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier. Larson's day was over literally one corner in. 'I was starting my qualifying laps there and just got really tight,' Larson said. 'Just a bunch of understeer through (Turn) 1 and ran out of space off of Turn 1. I kind of fought the understeer feeling yesterday, and it carried over to today.' Before the incident, Larson listed an assortment of benefits he received in preparation for next month's race. Because he hasn't done computer simulations as others have – it's not his norm even in NASCAR – and he hoped to get as much track time as possible. Crash aside, he came away better for the experience. 'It was good, good to get back behind the wheel,' he said. 'It doesn't seem like that long ago (since last year's race), and I figured it would feel normal when I got back in (the car), but it definitely took some getting accustomed to.' Larson admitted to needing a few laps Wednesday to feel confident hold the gas pedal wide open, but he got there well enough to post the day's second-fastest lap among Chevrolet drivers – 11th overall – at 223.430 mph. Larson said the biggest year-over-year adjustment was managing the additional weight of INDYCAR's hybrid technology, used for the first time in the series last summer after the '500.' He said having more weight in the car's rear made the balance feel 'a little different.' Larson said he was rusty with many of the small details of driving these cars, including the steering wheel that is configured differently than it was last year. But he got into a rhythm, which helped him be ready for the first day of official practice Tuesday, May 13. The '500' is Sunday, May 25. Daly's Experience Helpful for Team Conor Daly is one of the most experienced drivers in this 34-car field, having raced in 11 '500s' plus NASCAR races at IMS such as last year's Pennzoil 250 for the Xfinity Series. He started 16th and finished 14th in that race after being collected in an opening-lap incident. 'I just had a great time doing that,' Daly said. 'I was running in the top five – one of the most fun races in my life. I had a great time.' Daly has led 69 laps in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,' the same number as two-time defending champion Josef Newgarden. Daly's best '500' finish is sixth for Ed Carpenter Racing in 2022. This year, Daly is driving the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, and it's the seventh NTT INDYCAR SERIES team he has driven for in the '500.' Because of that, Daly feels he has been tasked with a leadership and development role for a team that's still carving out its place in the series. Having a veteran like Daly who can fine-tune an oval-specific car should be beneficial for JHR. 'They've had really good drivers behind the wheel here, but those drivers have not had (as much) oval experience,' Daly said. 'There's a feel for a car here that I think you have to have.' JHR's list of Indy drivers includes Spencer Pigot, Sebastian Saavedra, Kyle Kaiser, Callum Ilott, Agustin Canapino and Romain Grosjean since its debut in 2017. Kaiser, Ilott and Canapino were '500' rookies that year. Pigot had one previous start, a 25th-place finish for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2016. Grosjean had two previous '500' starts, neither of which he finished. Ericsson Humbled by Last Year's Race Marcus Ericsson has experienced the highs and lows at IMS, winning the race in 2022 and nearly going back-to-back in 2023. On the low end, he crashed in practice last year, nearly failed to earn a starting position and then, as a last-row starter, was collected in Tom Blomqvist's accident in the first turn. That's the kind of heartbreak Indy sometimes throws at competitors. Ericsson's move to Andretti Global last season after four wins in three years with Chip Ganassi Racing has added pressure of a different kind. Andretti is a top-tier team with huge expectations, but it takes time for a driver to settle into a new environment, especially at a place as demanding and unpredictable as IMS. 'Last year was a big disappointment – obviously that's been my drive all winter,' Ericsson said. 'Really need to be better. 'I've worked really hard to be better this year. I'm excited to be back and show that we can be up there and fight for the win again.' Andretti Global put an emphasis on improving its oval performance, too. The team won three of four '500's' from 2014-17, but it has been seven races without another win, with only one top-five finish and six laps led in the last three years. 'You can just feel the difference,' Ericsson said of the year-over-year outlook. 'For me to be with the same group again, coming back here, that's a huge thing. But also, I think the team has stepped it up even more. They've put a ton of effort into preparing the cars for the '500,' and that's been impressive to see all the effort has gone into it. If we can continue to improve, I think we should be in the mix.' Drivers Chasing Newgarden Newgarden conceded that no one in the paddock other than members of his crew wants to see him become the first driver to win three consecutive '500s.' The other back-to-back winners – Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71) and Helio Castroneves (2001-02) – were unsuccessful in their bids to 'three-peat.' As the last driver not named Josef Newgarden to win the '500,' Ericsson feels a sense of responsibility to knock off the Team Penske driver May 25. 'We all agree that we can't let him win three in a row,' Ericsson said. 'That's unacceptable.' Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou is chasing three consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships but is winless in five '500' starts. He is aware of the burden of being the one everyone wants to dethrone. 'I don't want anybody (else) to win,' Palou said. 'I just want myself to win. After that, obviously you want your teammates to win, because at the end of the day, it's your team, and I would much prefer for Scott (Dixon) or Kyffin (Simpson) to win than anybody else. But apart from that, I don't care. If it's not my day, I don't care.' Ferrucci Sees Indy Win Coming Santino Ferrucci had an engine problem early in Wednesday's session, putting the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet on the sidelines for most of the day. The team thrashed to change engines, getting him on track for the final minutes of the day. Ferrucci admitted the lack of track time was a blessing in disguise. His car didn't feel right before the issue, and he said the team was able to properly diagnose what happened and saved an afternoon of fighting the problem. That left Ferrucci feeling confident in his car and his chances of reaching Victory Lane in the '500.' 'I feel like I will win this race,' Ferrucci said. 'It's not an 'if' for me. It will be: 'Will it be this year? Will it be next year?' I've always been confident here.' Ferrucci is the first driver in '500' history to finish in the top 10 in his first six starts. He finished third with A.J. Foyt's team in 2023 and was eighth last year. Harvey 'Learning' New Role Jack Harvey has stepped away from his FOX broadcasting duties to compete in this '500' with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports. The veteran driver believes he has acclimated reasonably well to being an on-air rookie – 'There's no training for this – it's baptism by fire,' he said – but he admits watching replays of the telecasts is difficult. 'Awkward,' he said. 'But it's the only way to learn.' Ganassi Cars Added to Museum The newly renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum welcomed 14 cars from Chip Ganassi Racing, including five '500' winners, on Thursday. It marks the museum's largest one-batch acquisition since 2011 and the first time modern-era Indy cars have been acquired. The winning cars are Juan Pablo Montoya's from 2000, Scott Dixon's from 2008, Dario Franchitti's from 2010 and 2012, and Ericsson's from 2022. Other prominent cars acquired by the museum are Dixon's 2022 pole winner that he used to overtake Al Unser as the event's all-time lap leader; the 1994 car that Michael Andretti used to score CGR's first victory; the car Jamie McMurray used to win the 2010 NASCAR Brickyard 400; and the Delta Wing prototype, one of three chassis proposals for the 2012 INDYCAR SERIES season that was unveiled at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. Odds and Ends For the first time in five years, Team Penske's Newgarden wasn't the quickest in the spring Open Test. The two-time defending winner was ninth among the 34 drivers this week at 231.229 mph. Teammate Scott McLaughlin led the way at 232.686 mph. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Takuma Sato crashed in the morning session, but his best lap – 232.565 mph – ranked second overall and first on the non-draft chart. Team Penske's McLaughlin had the fastest trap speed into Turn 1 at 235.171 mph. Following him in that category were Sato (234.465), Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian's Colton Herta (233.692) and Ed Carpenter Racing's Christian Rasmussen (233.656).
Fox Sports
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Scott McLaughlin Gets Biggest Boost, Alex Palou Fastest in Race Trim
INDYCAR The two names atop the speed charts Thursday came as little surprise on the final day of the Indianapolis 500 Open Test, which featured two segments with distinct engine performance setups. Last year's Indy 500 pole winner Scott McLaughlin was fastest during the morning session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which featured the same elevated turbo boost levels as 'Fast Friday' practice May 16 and PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 17-18. McLaughlin's top lap was 232.686 mph in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, the fastest trip around the 2.5-mile oval in two days of testing this week. SEE: 'Boosted' Results | 'Race Trim' Results | 'Boosted' No-Tow Results | Overall Test Results 'We had a really good day, a good couple of days,' McLaughlin said. '(I) felt like we got through a lot from a hybrid perspective. 'Then I felt like the morning qualifying session – the high-boost session – was a bit of a crapshoot. (There were a) couple yellows. When the track got better, it was a bit dirty from some of the shunts, as well. Then everyone was trying to cram a lot into 40 minutes. But overall, a really solid (car) balance to kick off the Month of May.' Three-time and two-time reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou topped the speed charts during the afternoon session, which featured boost levels reduced to the same levels that will be used on Race Day for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25. Current championship leader Palou's top lap in the afternoon was 223.993 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. 'You need to keep on always chasing it and trying to make it better,' Palou said. 'Trying to make it more comfortable when running in traffic, trying to make it faster when you're alone. That's the car that gives me a chance (to win), for sure.' Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was second fastest in the 'boosted' session in the morning with his lap of 232.565 mph in the No. 75 AMADA Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato's lap also was the fastest of the test without the benefit of an aerodynamic 'tow' from the slipstream of a leading car. But Sato's glory was short-lived and showed the risks of living on the edge of a lightning bolt with cars in tricky, low-downforce, high-boost qualifying setups. Sato had completed just eight laps in the morning session, with his best lap on Lap 3, when his car made heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 and came to a stop in Turn 2 with heavy damage. 2017 and 2020 Indy winner Sato was uninjured, but the sight of his crumpled race car specifically built and massaged for the '500 was painful. 'I lost it; I simply lost it,' Sato said. 'It's hard. My body is fine. It's just the car … I lost the car. That's heartbreaking.' 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power was third in the 'boosted' session at 232.278 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, followed by Felix Rosenqvist at 232.100 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. Palou rounded out the top five at 231.843. All but two of the 34 cars on track returned to running in thickets of traffic in the afternoon session to simulate Race Day. Long Beach winner Kyle Kirkwood was third in the afternoon session at 223.362 in the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda. Conor Daly was fourth at 223.298 in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, while two-time reigning '500' winner Josef Newgarden rounded out the top five at 223.255 in the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet. Sato wasn't the only driver to contact the SAFER Barrier Thursday. 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson also crashed in the morning session, hitting the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 in the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet before secondary contact in Turn 2. 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson was unhurt, but like Sato, he didn't return to the track for the rest of the day. Larson is attempting May 25 to race the 'double' of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chevrolet enjoyed a solid rebound Thursday, as Chevy-powered drivers took two of the top five spots in each of the sessions. Honda engines powered nine of the 10 fastest drivers Wednesday. Over two days of testing, the 34 drivers combined to turn 5,804 laps, or 14,510 miles. Up next for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Month of May, highlighted by three points races. May racing starts with the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday, May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Then action shifts to the IMS road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 10 before 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' on Sunday, May 25 on the IMS oval. FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network are providing live coverage of all three races.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
NASCAR's Kyle Larson Back At Indianapolis For Possible Final Indy 500
Kyle Larson made it through Day One of a two-day Indianapolis 500 Open Test and indicated he is approaching his second attempt at the Indy 500 as his last, at least until his NASCAR Cup Series career winds down. 'I don't know, I haven't really had a sit-down discussion with anybody about that, so I don't know,' Larson said after the long day of testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 23 concluded. 'I can't really fully answer that. 'In my head, yeah, I'm going into this thinking it's at least for the time being, in the near future, the final Indy 500. But I am still young, and I mentioned on Dale (Earnhardt) Jr.'s Download thing (podcast) that maybe someday when I'm not full-time Cup and I can really devote all my mind to Indy, I'd like to do it again. 'But we'll see. If I happen to win the Indy 500, I'd probably just ride off into the sunset, too. 'I don't know, it's such a cool event. I think once you run it enough, I think, and you don't, you probably have a lot of FOMO (fear of missing out) and want to come back. It's hard to fully answer that right now.' Larson returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first day of a two-day Indy 500 Open Test, but the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion didn't breeze through his Refresher Test. In fact, he was the last of the five drivers that had to take the Refresher to pass the mandated program designed for rookies and non-regular drivers before they are allowed to compete in high-speed runs in practice. When the refresher session ended, Larson still had to complete eight more laps in Phase 3. Because he was through Phase 2, he could run in the full testing session that included 33 other cars and driver on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Larson was able to complete Phase 3 and cleared to run at speed in the full 3-hour session against the IndyCar veterans. He finished 11th out of 34 drivers on the speed chart with a fast lap of 223.430 miles per hour in the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. 'It was good to get back behind the wheel,' Larson said. 'It doesn't seem like that long ago and figured it would feel normal when I got back in, but it took some getting accustomed to. 'It was good to go through ROP because it would be hard to commit to wide-open any ways for the first couple of laps. It feels a little different handling wise because of the Hybrid and the weight of that. It feels different. Not the same balance I felt last year. 'I felt comfortable but was a little rusty on things – hitting buttons and getting the dash set up to where it processes quick on the dash and my brain. It was good to work on that today.' Larson indicated he had issues with his radio communication between himself and the pit box and had some engine issues. 'Those were all things you would expect on the first day,' Larson said. It was another element in a somewhat goofy day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as five minutes into the first session, a connectivity failure brought out the Red Flag. The session was delayed for nearly three hours because of a track-wide communication system IT failure. On an otherwise sunny and warm day in Indianapolis, the track was silent because Race Control could not communicate with race teams and the AMR Safety Crews. Because it was a safety issue, IMS and IndyCar officials kept the race course close until the issue was resolved. The session that was supposed to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time finally got underway at 12:45 p.m. The veterans ran for the next 1 hour, 15 minutes, followed by the Rookie Orientation Program and Refresher session until 4 p.m. Afterward was a three-hour session for all 34 cars. Because Larson's Arrow McLaren Chevrolet is an extra entry for the team in this year's Indianapolis 500, the team worked through some issues on the car that hampered Larson's refresher laps. But 27 minutes into the final session, Larson completed the remainder of Phase 3 and began the actual testing that he hopes will give him a competitive car when teams return for Indianapolis 500 practice in May. This is the second-straight year the NASCAR Cup Series star from Hendrick Motorsports is attempting to compete in the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race in the same day. His efforts to complete all 1,100 miles in both races in 2024 was adversely impacted by rain. The start of the 108th Indianapolis 500 was delayed by four hours, which meant he would miss the start of the 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson started fifth and finished 18th in last year's Indianapolis 500, but by the time he arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway to take over the No. 5 Chevrolet from backup driver Justin Allgaier, it began to rain. The 600 was past the halfway mark and after a lengthy rain delay, NASCAR flagged the race and ruled it complete. That put Larson's attempt at competing for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship in jeopardy because every driver competing for the title must start each race on the schedule. NASCAR eventually granted Larson a waiver for missing the 600 and was able to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Larson was allowed to make another effort in this year's Indianapolis 500, but the Coca-Cola 600 will take priority if the start of this year's race is delayed by rain. Hendrick Motorsport assured NASCAR that Larson would be at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the full 600-mile race in 2025. Larson will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the full two-day test session before returning to the NASCAR Cup Series for Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway. 'I just hope and pray you miss a wreck and can get to the front and stay up front,' Larson said of Talladega. 'Talladega is a place where I haven't had a whole bunch of luck, but out of the superspeedways we have, it's probably the one that I finish okay at the most. 'We'll see. Our car is really fast at those places, and I feel like we have a good understanding of it, we've just got to execute.' Team Penske's Josef Newgarden is a two-time and back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winner and was the fastest driver for most of the final session at 225.125 miles per hour in the No. 2 Shell Chevrolet. But 2008 Indianapolis 500 Scott Dixon knocked him off in the final hour with a lap at 225.182 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. 'Today was really solid to start out,' Newgarden said. 'The big thing for us is that you come here with what for us is a new car. Even when you're using an existing car, you're taking it apart and rebuilding it. So, for most everybody here, it's putting a new car on the track for the first time and hope it goes relatively quick. When the car is fast, basically everything else can be fixed. It's the car speed that fixes everything. I think for us; it's been a really good start. It doesn't mean it will all be smooth sailing, but I hope we can come out of this and be prepared for the 'Month of May.' 'How can you not love being here?' Newgarden said of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 'I certainly love it more after the last two years, but I've always loved being in Indiana. It's where I grew up karting and dreaming of being a race car driver. I'm excited for the 'Month of May.'' With 12 minutes left in the session, veteran driver Graham Rahal got into the dust in Turn 2 but kept it off the wall. But when he got into Turn 3, the car brushed the Turn 3 wall. Rahal was able to save it, but with contact to the wall, IndyCar Race Control issued a caution very late in the session. The green flag waved with 8 minutes; 45 seconds left in the session and ran until the checkered flag waved. The test continues on Thursday, April 24 with something new – a 2-1/2-hour qualification simulation as each car gets the additional boost they will receive during qualification weekend in May. After a two-hour break to return the cars to race trim, the test will conclude with a three-hour, full-field session from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Indianapolis Star
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
34 drivers, 12 teams: Here's who's on the 2025 Indy 500 entry list
Show Caption This year's Indy 500 entry list includes 34 drivers from 12 teams, including four rookies, eight former winners and 11 notable drivers still looking for their first 500 win. Though she's competed in each of the last two Indy 500s and will compete in more than a dozen NASCAR races in 2025, Katherine Legge has shifted her focus away from the Indy 500 this year. As 12 teams and 34 drivers put together their final preparations for this week's pivotal two-day Indianapolis 500 Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — the final on-track action on the IMS oval until Day 1 of practice for the 500 kicks off May 13 — the field for the 109th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing appears to be set. At 18 entries — 14 full-time and four one-offs — a spokesperson with Chevorlet told IndyStar earlier this year that the engine manufacturer has been set for some time with their prospective Indy 500 lineup. On Tuesday, an official with Honda Racing Corp. USA confirmed to IndyStar that the engine manufacturer has no imminent plans in the works to add to their current Indy 500 lineup of 16 entries, and that barring any unforeseen circumstances, that is where their crew would settle for next month. Is Katherine Legge running in the Indy 500? The final iron in the fire that could've led to a 35th entry for this year's fight for the 33 spots on the grid — two-time winner Takuma Sato with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was No. 34 — was Katherine Legge, the four-time 500 starter who ran in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing each of the last two years with RLL (2023) and Dale Coyne Racing (2024). Earlier this month, Legge unveiled a 12-race stock car schedule to end 2025 — 14 total for the season, including ARCA at Daytona in February and Phoenix in a Cup car in March — that will see her make seven starts in the Xfinity Series, including last weekend's race at Rockingham, and five more appearances in the Cup series backed by popular cosmetics company e.l.f. Legge's major backer originally appeared as a sponsor of the 44-year-old's for the 2023 Indy 500 and returned last year as her primary sponsor with a major activation component around IMS that made it one of the most visible brands in the race, despite Legge starting 31st and finishing 29th with an engine failure after just 22 laps. For a stretch of this offseason, Legge and e.l.f. seemed primed to make a return to the 500 again in a one-off entry. Last year, Legge ran the oval-only portion of Dale Coyne Racing's No. 51 Honda, including the 500. Honda Racing Corp. USA was keen to see her find a spot and had an engine earmarked for her use, but she seemingly ran into trouble acquiring a chassis to drop that Honda engine into, with teams wanting to hold onto their spares in hopes of not having to buy many (or any) more before Penske Entertainment rolls out a new car and corresponding technical regulations in a couple years. One spare known to be on the market, previously owned by the Enerson family, was purchased by new IndyCar team Prema Racing this offseason, and Abel Motorsports (and its namesake and owner Bill Abel) have opted to hold onto theirs they purchased from Dallara in 2024 in case it's needed by Abel's son, IndyCar rookie and Dale Coyne Racing driver Jacob Abel. After running into too many dead ends in search of a 500 deal this year, Legge and e.l.f. opted to take the stock car route. As part of her announced NASCAR schedule, Legge will race at Charlotte Motor Speedway during Memorial Day weekend, a sign when the first parts of her upcoming schedule were released April 10 that this year's 500 was no longer an option for Legge. The entry list for the 109th Indy 500 Here are the 34 drivers slated to attempt to qualify for this year's race, with one driver guaranteed to be bumped and miss the race: A.J. FOYT RACING (Chevy, two cars) David Malukas, No. 4 Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 ANDRETTI GLOBAL (Honda, four cars) Colton Herta, No. 26 Kyle Kirkwood, No. 27 Marcus Ericsson, No. 28 Marco Andretti, No. 98 ARROW MCLAREN (Chevy, four cars) Pato O'Ward, No. 5 Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Kyle Larson, No. 17 CHIP GANASSI RACING (Honda, three cars) Kyffin Simpson, No. 8 Scott Dixon, No. 9 Alex Palou, No. 10 DALE COYNE RACING (Honda, two cars) Rinus VeeKay, No. 18 Jacob Abel, No. 51 DREYER & REINBOLD RACING/CUSICK MOTORSPORTS (Chevy, two cars) Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 23 Jack Harvey, No. 24 ED CARPENTER RACING (Chevy, three cars) Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter, No. 33 JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING (Chevy, two cars) Conor Daly, No. 76 Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 MEYER SHANK RACING (Honda, three cars) Helio Castroneves, No. 06 Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 Marcus Armstrong, No. 66 PREMA RACING (Chevy, two cars) Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 Callum Ilott, No. 90 RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING (Honda, four cars) Graham Rahal, No. 15 Devlin DeFrancesco, No. 30 Louis Foster, No. 45 Takuma Sato, No. 75 TEAM PENSKE (Chevy, three cars) Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Will Power, No. 12 Drivers, schedule, more: 6 things to know about Indy 500 Open Test Who's in the running for Indy 500 Rookie of the Year? Though he went through the whole Month of May process a year ago, because he was bumped during qualifying, Nolan Siegel remains a rookie for this year's Indy 500 for the second year running. Here's who's in the running to follow in Kyle Larson's footsteps for Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors: Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Jacob Abel, Dale Coyne Racing Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing How many former Indy 500 winners are in this year's field? This year's Indy 500 field includes eight former winners whose accomplishments account for 13 total 500 wins, each of the last five, eight of the last nine and 11 of the last 16. That group includes: Helio Castroneves (four wins: 2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) Josef Newgarden (two wins: 2023, 2024) Takuma Sato (two wins: 2017, 2020) Scott Dixon (one win: 2008) Ryan Hunter-Reay (one win: 2014) Alexander Rossi (one win: 2016) Will Power (one win: 2018) Marcus Ericsson (one win: 2022) Which notable drivers are looking to win their first Indy 500? Here's a list of IndyCar race-winners who've yet to win their first Indy 500: Alex Palou (13 wins, 3 IndyCar championships) Colton Herta (9 wins) Pato O'Ward (7 wins) Scott McLaughlin (7 wins) Graham Rahal (6 wins) Ed Carpenter (3 wins) Kyle Kirkwood (3 wins) Marco Andretti (2 wins) Felix Rosenqvist (1 win) Rinus VeeKay (1 win) Christian Lundgaard (1 win)
