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3 days ago
- Automotive
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Another Indy 500 race not likely until Kyle Larson's NASCAR career ends
Kyle Larson waves as he's introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Kyle Larson, second from left, is checked after he hit the wall in the second turn during Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jamie Gallagher) Kyle Larson is introduced to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley) Kyle Larson is introduced to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley) Kyle Larson waves as he's introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Kyle Larson, second from left, is checked after he hit the wall in the second turn during Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jamie Gallagher) Kyle Larson is introduced to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley) LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle Larson hasn't spent much time thinking about his latest failed attempt at becoming only the second driver to run all 1,100 miles of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway again may just have to wait until Larson's NASCAR career ends. Advertisement 'That's not me shutting down the 500 again,' Larson said. "Someday, maybe when I'm done with Cup racing, I would definitely love to do the 500 again, and devote all of my time to it. It's such an awesome event, like it is the greatest event in the world. So I don't want to miss out on that too much.' Larson said Saturday the attempt just doesn't make sense logistically with any small delay, weather or crash throwing off the entire schedule. He's been dealing with a bit of a 'Double' hangover since last weekend's attempt. He also made a quick trip to Mexico to check out the altitude and area for NASCAR's race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 15. He slept much of Friday after getting sick. Larson made his first try at one of the toughest challenges in motorsports in 2024 when four hours of rain delays at the Indianapolis 500 wrecked his plans at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, then made him late to Charlotte with the NASCAR race called before he ever took a lap. Advertisement Last week, Larson crashed on Lap 91 of the Indianapolis 500, flew to Charlotte and then had his NASCAR race end on Lap 246 when caught up in a wreck ending his bid to join Tony Stewart who finished sixth in the 2001 Indy 500 before flying to Charlotte where he finished third in the Cup Series race. John Andretti was the first driver to try the double in 1994, and Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch also have given it a shot. Asked what changes could help make competing in both races and finishing the Double possible, Larson said moving the start time up for the Indy 500 wouldn't work. That race already starts at 9:45 a.m. on the West Coast with people there unlikely to wake up earlier. Larson said the Coca-Cola 600 can't start much later. Even with not many cautions, that race still ends after 11 p.m. Eastern. 'I don't know how those guys did in the past, like that must have been perfect, weather and cautions and all that,' Larson said. ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indy 500 rookie Robert Shwartzman crashes into crew members on pit road, ending his improbable run
Robert Shwartzman, of Israel, is introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Robert Shwartzman, of Israel, (83) leads the field on the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Robert Shwartzman, of Israel, (83) leads the field on the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Robert Shwartzman, of Israel, is introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Robert Shwartzman, of Israel, (83) leads the field on the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis 500 rookie Robert Shwartzman's memorable month of May ended with a terrifying crash on pit road. Shwartzman, who bested some of the best drivers in the world to win the pole a week earlier, was coming into his stall after 87 laps when he locked up his brakes. That sent his red, green and white car — the colors of the flag of Italy, where Prema Racing is based — sliding into four of his crew members, one of whom had to be taken away on a stretcher. Advertisement The damage caused by the wreck was enough to end their hopes of finishing 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' 'I honestly felt really strange brakes when I was coming slow in pit lane. I locked up both front tires, which usually isn't the case,' Shwartzman said. "I wasn't sure if it was the brakes or because the tires were cold. I tried to be very slow. But as soon as I touched my brakes, my whole front was lost and I went right into the guys. 'It was really scary,' Shwartzman said, 'because at the moment I braked I was just a passenger.' Shwartzman was among many drivers — rookies and veterans alike — who had massive problems on pit lane during the race, which was won by Alex Palou following a late-race pass of Marcus Ericsson for the lead. Advertisement Alexander Rossi's day ended when a fire broke out under his car. Rinus Veekay lost his brakes as he entered pit road, sending him in a spin down the narrow lane. Colton Herta was caught speeding and had to absorb a drive-through penalty. But none of the problems was quite as dramatic as the rookie with dual Israeli and Russian nationality. Shwartzman had captured the public's imagination with his stunning pole-winning ride for Prema Racing, a powerful European team but an Indy 500 newcomer. He was the first rookie to win the pole since 1983, then used the platform that it afforded him to make a passionate plea for peace in both the Middle East and Ukraine. 'It's just really sad,' Shwartzman said, 'because we did such good work in qualifying. But it's the Indy 500. Anything can happen. A lot of strong drivers are out of the race or behind. This is the Indy 500. This happens.' Advertisement Oh-so close, again Pato O'Ward came up just short once again in the Indy 500, a race that he acknowledged keeps breaking his heart. The popular Mexican driver, who has twice finished second, wound up fourth behind Palou, Ericsson and David Malukas. He was in contention after the final round of pit stops, but he couldn't make any passes to pick up any positions. It was the fifth time in his six tries that O'Ward finished sixth or better. That includes another fourth-place finish in 2021. Up in flames Rossi led laps early and had a fast car for Ed Carpenter Racing until a pit stop 73 laps into the race, when fire erupted under the No. 20 car. It quickly engulfed the 2016 race winner and his fueler, who were quickly doused by emergency crews. Advertisement The fire briefly spread to the other side of the pit wall, where the large fuel tanks are kept, but was quickly extinguished. 'It's always a terrible situation, and it's so disappointing. It was such a phenomenal race car,' Rossi said. 'It's disappointing. All I know is the gearbox was starting to go up in temp a lot. I don't know. It was a gearbox issue.' Hopes stall out Ryan Hunter-Reay had positioned himself for an improbable run at a second Indianapolis 500 win when he pit from the lead with 31 laps remaining, only to stall the car in his box. The team was unable to quickly fire it and his chances were done. Advertisement Hunter-Reay, who won the 2014 race, was in a backup car after his primary car caught fire during the final practice of Carb Day on Friday. He made it back to pit lane but had to quickly escape the car, which sustained too much damage to repair. Hunter-Reay had a chance to do install laps early Saturday, but the race was the first time the backup had been up to speed. ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kyle Larson crashes out of Indy 500 near the midway point, ending his second bid for 'the Double'
Kyle Larson waves as he's introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Kyle Larson, second from left, is checked after he hit the wall in the second turn during Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jamie Gallagher) Kyle Larson, second from left, is checked after he hit the wall in the second turn during Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jamie Gallagher) Kyle Larson waves as he's introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Kyle Larson, second from left, is checked after he hit the wall in the second turn during Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jamie Gallagher) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Larson crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 near the midway point Sunday, ending the NASCAR superstar's second shot at finishing both 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte in the same day. Larson had been mired deep in traffic throughout the first half of the race, which was delayed about 35 minutes because of a rain shower that passed over the speedway. He was going through Turns 1 and 2 when his car wiggled on a downshift, sending him into a spin and into the outside wall, ending his race after 91 laps. Advertisement 'Just a bit crazy there on the restart,' he said. 'I got like, tight behind Takuma (Sato). I was really close in. I got loose and kind of got all over the place, and yeah, so it spun. Just hate that I got a little too eager on the restarter. Hate it for everybody else.' Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb also were caught up in the crash. 'When Kyle started losing it and checking up, I tried to go around the outside and there was just no grip out there,' Robb said. The early ouster at least gave Larson plenty of time to make the trip to North Carolina for the Cup Series race on Sunday night, where he will start on the outside of the front row. If he had made it to the finish in Indianapolis, he would have faced a tight window to make the 550-mile trip because of the rain delay, which soaked up most of the 45-minute buffer that his NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports and IndyCar team Arrow McLaren projected for him. Advertisement It was a rough day for Larson even before the crash. He also stalled the car on pit lane, costing him valuable track positions. Larson took his first shot on one of the toughest challenges in motorsports last season, when even more rain wreaked havoc with his finely laid plans. That Indy 500 was delayed by 4 hours because of heavy rains that saturated Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and that caused him to be late to Charlotte, where the Cup Series race was underway by the time he landed. Then, more rain there caused the NASCAR race to be called complete before Larson ever took a lap in his car. John Andretti was the first driver to try the Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double in 1994, and Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch also have given it a shot. Stewart is the only one to complete all 1,100 laps, finishing sixth in the 2001 Indy 500 before the helicopter-jet-helicopter jaunt to Charlotte, where he finished third in the Cup Series race. Advertisement 'Just bummed out,' Larson said. 'Try to get over this quickly and get on to Charlotte. Try to forget about it and win tonight.' ___ Reed reported from Charlotte, North Carolina. ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indianapolis 500 fans double up with split loyalties to Pacers, race day traditions
Fireworks are set off behind the Pagoda as the public gates open ahead of the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Artist William Patterson paints in Gasoline Alley before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Fans congregate before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Fans make their way into the track before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Fans waive during parade laps before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Fans waive during parade laps before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Fireworks are set off behind the Pagoda as the public gates open ahead of the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Artist William Patterson paints in Gasoline Alley before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Fans congregate before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) Fans make their way into the track before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Fans waive during parade laps before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Before coming to Sunday's Indianapolis 500, Austin Pettijohn dressed appropriately — checkered flag shorts and an Indiana Pacers jersey. For the 32-year-old from nearby Franklin, Indiana, it just meshed as it did with so many others in this colorful race-day crowd. Advertisement As more than a dozen planes carrying advertising banners flew above Indianapolis Motor Speedway while the sounds and smells of the track wafted through the infield, blue-and-gold jerseys and other Pacers regalia seemed every bit as popular as the driver T-shirts that typically dot Pagoda Plaza. 'It's so ingrained in this town, this state since 1909, 1911,' Pettijohn said rattling off the dates the 2.5-mile oval Brickyard was completed and the first IndyCar race was held here. 'I was born into the month of May and racing, and it holds a very near and dear place in my heart with me and my family. Basketball, too. It's just an emotional, special time.' Sports fans in Indiana understand because race day is a kind of pilgrimage that binds the generations together. Many families spend dozens of years sitting or standing in the same spot and dress for the occasion in racing garb, a vastly scaled down version of the colorful hats and fancy dresses and suits found at the Kentucky Derby each May. Those who can't attend often listen to the radio broadcast because the network telecast usually is blacked out and re-aired in full on race night allowing fans who were part of the estimated 350,000 inside the track to go home and watch it all over again. Advertisement It's a tradition so revered that when fans weren't allowed to attend in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, speedway president Doug Boles gave viewers and listeners a special dispensation to keep their streaks of consecutive races intact. This time is different. The 109th Indianapolis 500 marked only the fourth time the Pacers and racers competed on the same day in Indy, and it was the first time both aired live in Central Indiana. Race organizers announced earlier this week they were lifting the blackout because the grandstand was sold out for the first time since 2016. The fact some viewers may be more prone to see if the Pacers could take a 3-0 lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals instead of a tape-delayed race may have played a part, too. Advertisement Regardless, the fans in this Midwestern town were thrilled with the decision since most couldn't do their version of the Memorial Day weekend double. Not only was the cost of two tickets to the race and to the Pacers game nearly $4,000 on the secondary market entering, but staying to watch the victory lane celebration combined with traffic leaving the track made it almost impossible to make downtown in time for the opening tip. 'The good news is (the Pacers game) is at 8 p.m. so the 500 will be done by then, and you don't have to worry about going home and watching the race,' said Indy resident Nick Bustamante, who was decked out in a jersey of two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton. 'I'll watch it here and then I'll watch the game at home.' Haliburton might be the best-known Pacers player after making two game-winning shots during this playoff run and a buzzer-beater to force overtime in Game 1 against the Knicks on Wednesday. The jerseys of Pacers forwards Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, who attended college at the University of Dayton, also found their way to the track as did those of Reggie Miller and Caitlin Clark — both with the WNBA's Indiana Fever and Iowa. Advertisement The Fever lost 90-88 on Saturday to defending league champ New York when Clark had the ball stripped on the game's final possession. By Sunday, that loss seemed a distant memory on one of the city's biggest weekends. After all, this is May — Indianapolis style. 'It's just a great time of year,' Pettijohn said. 'It's just great when you can kind of intermingle the two in the same month. It's such a fun team this year with the Pacers. And it's just such a fast-paced team. So it's very fitting with the theme of Pacers and racers.' ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pato O'Ward looking to change his Indianapolis 500 thirst for victory by finding a cow to milk
The former winners of the Indianapolis 500, top row, left to right, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, and Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, bottom bottom row, Will Power, of Australia, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, and Takuma Sato, of Japan, pose for a photo on the start/finish line before practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Colton Herta prepares climbs out of his car during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) The car driven by Colton Herta slides along the track after becoming airborne after hitting the wall in the first turn during a qualification attempt for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirk DeBrunner) Ryan Hunter-Reay, left, and Alexander Rossi talk as they wait for their turn during qualification for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Pato O'Ward, of Mexico, waves to fans before the start of practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Pato O'Ward, of Mexico, waves to fans before the start of practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) The former winners of the Indianapolis 500, top row, left to right, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, and Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, bottom bottom row, Will Power, of Australia, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, and Takuma Sato, of Japan, pose for a photo on the start/finish line before practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Colton Herta prepares climbs out of his car during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) The car driven by Colton Herta slides along the track after becoming airborne after hitting the wall in the first turn during a qualification attempt for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirk DeBrunner) Ryan Hunter-Reay, left, and Alexander Rossi talk as they wait for their turn during qualification for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Pato O'Ward, of Mexico, waves to fans before the start of practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward understands winners drink milk at the Indianapolis 500. He just doesn't want a small oversight to cause him any more race day consternation. So during Thursday's media day, O'Ward said he plans to participate in a superstition that he hopes will end the tough spills he's endured in his first five Indy 500 starts. Advertisement Pole winner Robert Shwartzman recounted how after last weekend's qualifying, he took part in the rookie tradition of milking a cow — and the role it's believed to play in who quenches their thirst in victory lane. 'The woman, she came to me and said, 'The people who didn't milk the cow, they never won the Indy 500,' and they were like (did not finish). It's bad luck,' Shwartzman said. 'Whoever milks the cow. Alexander Rossi did it. He won the 500. You have to milk the cow.' Shwartzman described his personal experience with a 'very calm, cute' cow named Indy. O'Ward never got his chance to squeeze an udder because his rookie start came in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the race was run in August with no fans and the milking tradition was put on hold. Advertisement Since then, he's finished sixth, fourth, second, 24th and second. Two-time race winner Takuma Sato claimed he never took part in the tradition, but that didn't seem to impress O'Ward, who eventually asked: 'Are they always ready to just...?" Finally, after Shwartzman suggested O'Ward wait until next year to make it right, O'Ward said he wasn't content to have yet another race day spoiled. He wanted to milk a cow immediately. The Indiana Dairy Association was quick to offer help. 'We know some farmers who know some cows who can make that happen,' the group posted on X. Playing hooky Advertisement Ryan Hunter-Reay brought a special guest to the dais Thursday — his oldest son, Ryden. The soon-to-be-sixth-grader wore a baseball cap, shorts and, of course, No. 23 socks to honor his dad, the 2014 Indy 500 winner. Spending race week in Indianapolis was only part of the treat for Ryden Hunter-Reay. He also got to miss his last week of school. 'I think it's better (here),' he said when asked about his absence from class. And who does he think will win Sunday's race? 'My dad,' he said. Feeling better Colton Herta canceled his local Community Day appearance Wednesday because he was under the weather. By Thursday, he was feeling well enough to show up for his media day interview. Advertisement While Herta seems to be on the mend or Sunday's race, he would feel much better with a higher starting spot. He qualified 29th Saturday, just 4 1/2 hours after crashing on his first qualifying attempt. He'll start 27th because of the penalties assessed to two Team Penske cars. At least he's comfortable in the backup car his team scrambled to set up Saturday. 'It's just like being in the other car, they patched everything pretty perfectly, which for me has never happened before, so it was a surprise,' Herta said. 'It filled me with a lot of confidence, made it easier to get back to work.' Drive for five Advertisement Helio Castroneves is the fourth and most recent member of Indy's four-time winners club. His quest to become the race's first five-time champion has been overshadowed by Kyle Larson's second attempt at running the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, and by the Team Penske scandal. The longtime Penske driver who now drives for Meyer Shank Racing will start 22nd after moving up two spots on the starting grid because of the penalties assessed to his two ex-teammates. It's the third-lowest starting position of his 25 career Indy starts after he qualified 28th in 2020 and 27th in 2022. The 50-year-old Brazilian also is completing his own double this season by competing in the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in the same year. 'This place has been good to me, this place is amazing and I'm trying to get something special, to rewrite history,' Castroneves said. 'So we're going to have hard work to do, but I feel like we're going to be up front very soon.' ___ AP auto racing:
