Latest News

View Image Gallery

Here's a quick visual reference guide to the pre-Carb Day paint schemes for the cars qualified for the 2018 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.

102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil fast facts

An appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," meetings with Congressional and Japanese officials and a journey to the newest city on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule are among the many activities that the 33 drivers competing in this year's Indianapolis 500 will encounter on the annual North American media tour for the race.

In what has become a popular Indy 500 tradition, the 33 qualified drivers and one special guest driver are fanning out to 21 cities 24 hours, spreading the word about the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil that takes place on Memorial Day weekend.

SiriusXM, the Official Satellite Radio Partner of INDYCAR, the sanctioning body for the Verizon IndyCar® Series, announced today that it will offer live coverage of the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500.

SiriusXM listeners will have access to the live call of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 27, on Sirius channel 219, XM channel 209 and on the SiriusXM app.

Matheus Leist - the field's fastest rookie (Photo: IndyCar)

View Image Gallery

The 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is the traditional mix of former winners, veterans, sophomore rising stars, and new guys.

Here is some background on the four rookies in this year’s starting field.

Robert Wickens Whacked Wagon (Image: IMS)

View Image Gallery

Busy afternoon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the final full practice for next Sunday's 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race took place.

With qualifying complete, the 33 cars and drivers qualified for the event had three hours to shake their cars down with normal engine boost and race day trim.

The day's sole incident came early in the practice session as rookie Robert Wickens in the #6 Schmidt-Peterson Lucas Oil Honda brushed the outside wall exiting Turn 2. As Wickens attempted to collect the car, it smacked again into the outside wall, resulting in some significant damage to the right side of the car.

Indy 500 pole winner and team sponsor, former PGA star, Fuzzy Zoeller (Photo: Don Andersen/RIS)

View Image Gallery

The entire weekend, weather threatened to influence the story. But the atmospheric thunderstorms never materialized.

The thunderstorm that did materialize came from the tailpipes of Ed Carpenter’s #20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet. The popular local driver earned his third career Indianapolis 500 pole position today (previously 2013 and 2014) with a blistering four lap average of 229.618 mph - almost a full mile per hour faster than second-position winner (or as he dubbed himself, “first loser”), Simon Pagenaud.

The 37-year old Butler University grad clearly has special relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While his finishing record here has been disappointing, his best finish being fifth ten years ago, his starting record since 2010 has included five top ten starts.

“I heard the roar from inside the car,” Carpenter said of the cheer that went up after his 230+ mph first qualifying lap.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is like a second home to Ed Carpenter. The Verizon IndyCar Series team owner/driver, who grew up and still lives in Indianapolis, showed his lasting affinity for the cathedral of motorsports by winning the Verizon P1 Award in pole day qualifying for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.

Driving the No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka Chevrolet for his namesake team, Carpenter thrilled the hometown crowd by putting together a sensational four-lap, 10-mile run at 229.618 mph in the Fast Nine Shootout featuring the fastest drivers from first-day qualifications on Saturday. He got the better of four Team Penske drivers in a thrilling conclusion to qualifying and collected his third Indy 500 pole position, becoming the 10th driver in race history with three or more.

Ed Carpenter (Photo: Larry Clarino/RIS)

View Image Gallery

'What They're Saying' from Indianapolis 500 pole day qualifying

The first day of qualifying for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil was its typical emotional roller coaster. It was filled with nail-biting four-lap attempts, rain delays that ruined strategies, last-minute bids to bump into the field of 33 and ultimate heartbreak for those left on the outside looking in.

Results of first-day qualifying Saturday for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race presented by PennGrade Motor Oil Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with rank, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, time and speed in parentheses.

Kevin Harvick celebrates his second All-Star win

View Image Gallery

Kevin Harvick Wins All-Star
(CONCORD, NC – May 19, 2018 – RIS) Kevin Harvick avoided crashes, used the one-off rules package to his advantage and added a sixth race win to his total for 2018 and his second All-Star win. Harvick led fairly easily in the first stage of the race before dropping back to mid-pack, then again moved into the lead in the third stage and avoided the crash that took out Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski and both Busch brothers when Martin Truex spun in the middle of the pack.

AJ Allmendinger won the final stage to move to the All-Star

View Image Gallery

Bowman, Suarez Advance, Allmendinger Wins Open
(CONCORD, NC – MAY 19, 2018 – RIS) Alex Bowman won the first stage of this afternoon’s Monster Energy Open to advance to the Monster Energy All-Star race. Daniel Suarez won the second stage and AJ Allmendinger, in the No. 47 Kroger ClickList Chevy, won the final stage and the Open by just under a third of a second ahead of Erik Jones. In fan voting, Chase Elliott earned the most votes to advance to the All-Star, joining the field of previous winners in the race for a million dollars to the winner.

A dejected James Hinchcliffe misses the 2018 Indy 500. RIS/Larry CLarino

View Image Gallery

In a day with more starts and stops than rush hour traffic on the Dan Ryan in Chicago, Bump Day qualifications are complete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 102nd running of the Indy 500.

The day started with threats of rain, and delivered on those threats. Two rain delays broke up the full 35-car qualifying order - the first following #22 Simon Pagenaud’s qualifying run, the second as #6 rookie Robert Wickens was starting his run.

When the rain ended and the track was dry, the overcast and dry air was gone, and full-sun and humid conditions were the result.

When the checkered flag fell at day’s end, the Fast Nine was set for tomorrow afternoon’s pole position shootout.

Meanwhile, in the first bumping to take place for the 500 in seven years, the losers were #63 Pippa Mann  and #5 James Hinchcliffe.

Kyle Larson

View Image Gallery

Larson, Almirola Head Final Practice
(CONCORD, NC – MAY 19, 2018 – RIS) Kyle Larson was uickest in the final practice session before this evening’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star race, joined by Aric Almirola atop the charts for the Monster Energy Open group. The final hour of practice saw both groups on the track together, providing two and three-wide formations as the teams finally got a chance to practice with the new rules package for the weekend. The rules package includes bigger spoilers, a different front end aero configuration and restrictor plates for the first time on a mile and a half track.

Thirty-five qualifiers for thirty-three positions in the Indianapolis 500 field. Tradition.

That tradition has varied over time to suit policy and changing fortunes, but tradition, it remains.

A young journalist for USA Today and the Indianapolis Star wrote today that limiting the 2018 Indy 500 field to 33 cars is “tradition is standing in the way of logic”.

His argument is that the financial stake necessary to run Indianapolis - approximately $1 million per car, according to team owner Chip Ganassi - is a huge financial stake that a team bumped from the field would have a hard time recovering from.

What stands in the way? Tradition.

View Image Gallery

Bucking the automobile industry's trend toward more fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative technologies, IndyCar announced today that they've reached an agreement with current engine suppliers Chevrolet and Honda to introduce a 2.4L twin-turbo V6 engine formula in 2021, to be run through the 2026 IndyCar season.

View Image Gallery

Bucking the automobile industry's trend toward more fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative technologies, IndyCar announced today that they've reached an agreement with current engine suppliers Chevrolet and Honda to introduce a 2.4L twin-turbo V6 engine formula in 2021, to be run through the 2026 IndyCar season.

Opting for "fast and loud" over fan and market relevance, IndyCar is responding to drivers' requests for more horsepower (the new formula should yield "900+ horsepower", says INDYCAR VP of Competition and Operations, Jay Frye).

It's a weekend in May in Indianapolis, so that always means something is going on at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Today, that means the first day of qualifying for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.

Nowadays, it's referred to as Bump Day, though in year's past the first day of qualifying used to be Pole day, as the polesitter for the Indy 500 had to qualify as fastest on the first day of qualifying to attain pole position for the race.

Sam Bass, William Byron and Jeff Gordon unveil the throwback paint scheme

View Image Gallery

CMS Pit Note: Byron Carries on Gordon's Legacy in Sam Bass-designed Axalta No. 24 Car
(CONCORD, NC - Friday, May 18, 2018)
Jeff Gordon claimed his first NASCAR premier series victory in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway aboard a rainbow-colored No. 24 car designed by Sam Bass - NASCAR's first officially licensed artist. The iconic paint scheme returns to action in September with Cup Series rookie William Byron behind the wheel.

Johnny Sauter celebrates in Victory Circle at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sauter Scores No. 20 in No. 21
(CONCORD, NC – MAY 18, 2018 – RIS) Johnny Sauter scored his twentieth career victory in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series with a dominating drive in the No. 21 ISM Connect Chevy, beating out Kyle Busch with a margin of victory of 1.340 seconds. 

Sarah Crabill - Getty Images

CONCORD, NC - RIS - Matt kenseth was the surprise winner of the pole for Saturday night's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup All-Star race.  Kenseth piloted the No.6 Ford to the top spot. Kenseth, in his second race as a replacement driver for Roush Fenway Racing’s Trevor Bayne, won the pole with an average speed of 126.915 miles per hour. Friday’s three-lap qualifying runs included a four-tire pit stop and a no-speed-limit dash down pit road by the 17 participating drivers, a dramatic difference from typical point-race time trials.

(CONCORD, NC - MAY 18, 2018 - RIS) Thanks to continued rain, qualifying for the Monster Energy Open has been cancelled and the lineup for tonight’s race was determined by owner points. 

Marco Andretti was the fast guy today. RIS/Larry Clarino

View Image Gallery

Indianapolis - RIS - May 18, 2018 - Light rain moved over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a little after 4:00pm.  Even though the track went back green after about ten minutes, most teams packed it up for the day.
 
All 35 entries were on the track today testing for the first time with the added horse power for qualifications.

Marco Andretti had fast time for the day at 231.802, worth a cool $10K to the third generation driver, but that speed was with a big tow. He was followed by Robert Wickens, and Ed Carpenter.

View Image Gallery

Indianapolis - RIS - May 18, 2018 - After James Davidson made contact with the Turn two wall, the question, naturally, came up about qualifications starting tomorrow.

We will attempt to make this convoluted and frankly contrived, rule clear.

If the AJ Foyt/Hollinger/Belardi Team can not repair the number 33 in time to make a qualification attempt on “Bump Day” tomorrow, “At Race Control’s Option” they may be allowed to make one attempt on Sunday.

James Davidson hits Indy turn two wall. IMS Productions

View Image Gallery

Indianapolis - RIS - May 18, 2018 - Driver James Davidson, driving the number 33, AJ Foyt/Hollinger/Belardi, brought out the first significant yellow flag for the 102nd running of the Indy 500.



At 2:46 pm while going through turn two, the rear of the car stepped out just as the car went passed the mid-point of the turn. The car rotated to the left doing 180 degrees, hitting hard on its left side against the SAFER barrier.



Davidson got out of the car with assistance from the AMR Safety Team. He has been transported to the in-field car center.

Oriol Servia, driving for Scuderia Corsa/RLL, fast early on Fast Friday. RIS/Larry CLarino

View Image Gallery

Indianapolis - RIS - May 18, 2018 - It’s Fast Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the 102nd running of the 500 Mile Race. Honda and Chevy get to turn up the boost of their engines today in preparation for two days of qualifications this weekend. Somewhere between 50 and 75 horse power will be added for the “Go Fast” days.

The field of 35 entries is tight, really tight. There is only an unbelievable 0.8 seconds in lap times, separating all 35 cars. That translates into about 240 feet on the track. The slightest mistake on track during qualifications can quite literally, be the difference the pole and not making the show as only the 33 fastest cars on Saturday get to attempted a run Sunday for their grid spot.

Marco Andretti’s speed of 227.053 set on Wednesday set the standard for the week, Conor Daly and Stefan Wilson are the 34th and 35th just 0.35 seconds back.

Rahal, Kanaan, Andretti lead third day of Indianapolis 500 practice

Famous names set the pace in the third day of practice for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, with the likes of Rahal, Kanaan and Andretti atop the speed chart.

Graham Rahal, the son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, was fastest of the 35 Verizon IndyCar Series drivers on track Thursday, putting down an early lap at 226.047 mph in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda that held up throughout the seven-hour session.

Graham Rahal (Photo: Kathy Seymour/RIS)

View Image Gallery

At the end of the day’s practice session, it was a classic Honda/Chevrolet battle. Graham Rahal versus Tony Kanaan. Marco Andretti versus Ed Carpenter.

The breakdown of the fastest four was Honda-Chevy-Honda-Chevy.

Most engine-savvy insiders believe Chevy has closed the performance gap here at Indianapolis, where Honda had held the trump cards in year’s past. It’s believe to be a level field this year in terms of horsepower and fuel efficiency.

As we wind up what is very likely the last fine-weather practice day here a the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, let's take a look at the breakdown of 35 drivers, and their teams and engines competing for the 33 coveted positions in the 2018 Indianapolis 500 field.

Graham Rahal leads Thursday practice at midday. RIS/Larry Clarino

View Image Gallery

Indianapolis - RIS - May 17, 2018 - It is a lovely day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sunny, about eighty degrees and practically no wind. In the first couple of hours we have seen all 35 entered cars on track. All the teams are working very hard today, due to a less than optimistic weather forecast for the upcoming days. Fast Friday has a 60% chance of rain, with 80% both Saturday and Sunday.

Graham Rahal leads the speed chart for today at 226.047, followed by Tony Kanaan at 225.896 and Marco Andretti at 225.584. Most crews were working on simulated qualification runs in the first two hours, with race setup work going on now. We would expect a lot of traffic later in the afternoon.

INDYCAR drivers are now required to undergo a clinical eye-tracking computer test recently cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. It has been implemented as part of the sanctioning body's concussion evaluation protocol, it was announced today.

Drivers competing in this month's Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil - plus drivers in the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder program - have been tested by the innovative system known as I-PAS and created by Pittsburgh-based Neuro Kinetics, Inc. The I-Portal Portable Assessment System, commonly referred to as the "goggles test," runs high-quality diagnostic tests to evaluate patients with symptoms of dizziness and/or balance disorders, especially those associated with medical conditions such as concussions, migraines or BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).

Marco Andretti (Photo: Larry Clarino/RIS)

View Image Gallery

With near-ideal weather conditions all day, a blistering total of 5257 laps of practice were turned by all 35 entrants for this year’s qualifications for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.

It was all-Honda at the top of the speed chart, with four different teams being represented.

Marco Andretti, driving the #98 Andretti/Herta/Curb/Agajanian entry, delivered the day’s best speed of 227.053 mph. Behind the third generation Andretti were Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon (226.329), Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Takuma Sato (226.108), and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie Robert Wickens (226.329).

Simon Pagenaud's 2017 and Helio Castroneves' 2018 Dallaras compared. (Photo: IMS)

View Image Gallery

Long-time IndyCar Series followers know that, to control costs and manage parity between the two series engine suppliers, the IndyCar chassis provider, Dallara Automobili, LLC, has to juggle aerodynamic concerns for the 230 miler per hour Indy cars.

Dallara provides the tub and basic components for the Indy Car - the IR12, also known as the DW12, named in honor of the late Dan Wheldon - two-time Indy 500 champion, and test driver of this chassis.

The threat of rain has been reduced to a suggestion, and the entrants for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 here at the Indianapoplis Motor Speedway have taken advantage of the partly cloudy, 78-degree weather to work on settling the new IndyCar aero package. All 35 entrants have appeared on-track, thus far turning over 1300 practice laps.

View Image Gallery

The day's threat of thunderstorms never materialized, and the annual thunder from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval proceeded pretty much as planned.

The day's best team was no surprise to anyone familiar with Indianapolis. Team Penske put 2016 IndyCar Series champion Simon Pagenaud in the fastest car of the day. The #22 Menards Team Penske Chevy pinged the chart at 225.787 mph during the morning open session.

Teammate Helio Castroneves, running only two IndyCar events thus far this season - both the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis 500, was the morning's second-quick at 223.445.

Indianapolis - RIS - May 15, 2018 - The first day of practice for the 102nd running of the 500 Mile Race got underway at 11:00 am with a two hour session for veteran drivers. That is to be followed by a two hour period for rookies and refresher laps for drivers that have not been in an Indy car foe awhile.

The first group saw Team Penske make a statement with the 22 car of Simon Pagenaud, 225.787 MPH,  the 3 of Helio Castroneves, 223.445, and the 1 of Josef Newgarden, 223.229, in the top three spots. Marco Andretti, rounded out the top four with a top speed of 223.214.

Getty Images

View Image Gallery

KANSAS CITY. KS – RIS – Kevin Harvick lived up to his nickname, “The Closer,” by doing just that. After a horrible crash involving several drivers while he was leading, Harvick pitted for new tires and started sixth with nine laps to go.  He took the outside lane and passed then-leader Martin Truex, Jr. with one lap to go.

Turn One (Photo: Larry Clarino/RIS)

View Image Gallery

Fuel mileage. On America's highways. And Speedways.Those who excelled in today’s running of the INDYCAR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway juggled the new IndyCar chassis’s aero grip and two significantly different tire compound options to take the checkered flag up front today.

Taking the top step on the podium at the race’s end was Will Power, earning his first win of the season, and his third Grand Prix of Indianapolis victory in the last four years.

A late-race full course caution allowed the field to pit on Lap 59, but forced fuel mileage performance to stretch to 24 laps from the usual 20. Power was given the fuel number he had to hit in the #12 Verizon Team Penske Chevy, and he successfully held off a hard-charging Scott Dixon.

The entire Indy Lights starting field, all seven of them, taking the green flag at IMS. A sad state for Lighs and maybe IndyCars. RIS/Larry Clarino

View Image Gallery

Indianapolis - RIS - May 12, 2012 - Editorial - The Indy Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a big deal no matter what you think? The entire Road to Indy Ladder Series is here, as are of course the Indy Car Series, the BIG cars.

This is the kick-off event of the most important month of the year for open wheel racing. The top of the ladder of the Road is Indy Lights, billed as the last step climbing to the Indy Car Series.

Just as IndyCar management has boosted about more interest and growth, a justifiable claim, there are signs all may not be peaches and cream. TV ratings remain flat, attendance remains flat. That said, there are more sponsors in the series. Are they bring more money to the sport? That’s hard to tell but there are fewer empty side pods at least in the premier level.