MAY 28, 2025
Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 06:46AM 
Editor-in-Chief's Note: INDYCAR has announced post-race technical inspection penalties for the Andretti Global entries of No. 27 (Kyle Kirkwood) and 28 (Marcus Ericsson) and the No. 90 (Callum Ilott) of PREMA Racing following Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. -PMD
During post-race inspection of car Nos. 27 and 28, INDYCAR discovered modifications to the Dallara-supplied Energy Management System (EMS) covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts. According to the INDYCAR rulebook, EMS covers must be used as supplied. Additionally, these modifications provided the capability of enhanced aerodynamic efficiency to both cars. And, During INDYCAR’s routine inspection of the front wing assembly of PREMA Racing entry No. 90, the car failed to meet the minimum endplate height and location specification.
All three cars (Nos. 27, 28 and 90) have been re-ordered to the rear of the field in order of their placement in the unofficial results. Prize money and championship race points earned are commensurate to the final and official finishing positions. Additionally, each car receives a $100,000 fine and the team/competition managers for the three entries have been placed on a one-race suspension to be served at the next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at the Streets of Detroit.
Updated results of the 2025 Indianapolis 500 can be found here.
(Members may contest the imposition of the penalties detailed in the review and appeal procedures of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rulebook.)
Three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou earned the first oval victory of his career, capturing the biggest race of them all, the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Best milk I’ve ever tasted,” Palou said on the Victory Podium after a hearty swig from the traditional winner’s bottle of milk. “It tastes so good. What an amazing feeling.”
Palou won under caution when “500” rookie Nolan Siegel crashed his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in Turn 2 on the final lap of the 200-lap race, which started 43 minutes late due to passing sprinkles. Two-time defending series champion Palou passed Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Andretti Global Allegra Honda) on Lap 187 and never trailed thereafter.
“I cannot believe it,” Palou said. “It’s amazing to win. There were some moments that I felt really good in the race, but at the end I didn’t know if I was going to able to pass Marcus or not, but I made it happen. First oval win. What a better place?”
Palou earned his fifth win in six series races this season in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing DHL Honda, padding his championship lead to a substantial 115 points over Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren. But more importantly for his legacy as one of the great all-time champions of the sport, he gained a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy – the first Spaniard to earn that distinction – and immortality.
“It’s going to make Alex Palou’s career, it’s going to make his life, and it certainly has made mine,” winning team owner Chip Ganassi said.
Chip Ganassi Racing earned its sixth victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and first since Ericsson won in 2022.
Ericsson finished second for the second time in the last three years, as he also was the narrow runner-up to Josef Newgarden in 2023. Newgarden’s drive to become the first to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s ended with a mechanical problem in his No. 2 Team Penske Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Chevrolet, as he ended up 25th after completing 135 laps.
David Malukas, who missed last year’s race with injury, finished a “500” career-best third in the No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Clarience Technologies Chevrolet.
Pato O’Ward finished fourth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, his fourth top-four “500” finish in the last five years, but with none ending on Victory Podium. Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top five in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian SiriusXM Honda.
The race, which took place under cloud cover in unseasonably cool air temperatures in the low 60s, featured a chaotic first half, with six of the race’s seven caution periods in the first 108 laps. That attrition eliminated seven cars, including in separate incidents marquee drivers such as Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, Marco Andretti of Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian and NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who was attempting to complete the “500” and the Coca-Cola 600 this evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the same day.
But once the race settled into a groove, it became a furious contest of dueling pit strategies and breathtaking passes amid thick traffic.
Palou made his final pit stop on Lap 168, playing a potentially dangerous game with fuel mileage, as 32 laps was around the maximum fuel mileage on one tank.
Malukas took the lead on Lap 169 when 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay pitted in the No. 23 DRR CUSICK WEDBUSH SECURITIES Chevrolet, the last of his 48 laps led. Only two-time “500” winner Takuma Sato led more laps, with 51 out front on the 2.5-mile oval. Hunter-Reay stalled on pit exit, ending his chance to contend for a second win.
Chicago native Malukas then made his final stop on Lap 170, handing the lead to Ericsson. Malukas exited the pits ahead of Palou, giving him perhaps a chance to contend for the win once Ericsson made his final stop.
But Palou then hustled past Malukas for position, taking advantage of lapped traffic that slowed Malukas. Ericsson made his final stop on Lap 175 with slick and quick service from Andretti Global and exited the pits in front of Palou and Malukas.
“I’m not going to lie: I was crying coming into the pits (after the race),” Malukas said. “Man, we were just so close to getting it. Lappers came in, and he (Palou) was able to get a run. We were leading, so he had a good tow, and he timed that perfectly. It’s bittersweet because we didn’t get it.”
Palou sat in second while in Ericsson’s aerodynamic draft, saving fuel, stalking and presumably waiting until the last five to 10 laps to pounce. Ericsson was trying to navigate the turbulent air from the cars of Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammates Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster, who were battling for 15th place on the tail end of the lead lap ahead of Ericsson.
But Palou surprised the sellout crowd of 350,000 on Lap 187 by using the aerodynamic tow from Ericsson’s car and diving under the Swede entering Turn 1 for the last of the 22 lead changes in the race.
“We had those lappers ahead of us that were making it difficult,” Ericsson said. “He got a run on me. I didn’t know if he was going to go for it or not. That’s the thing that I’m thinking about constantly now – I should have covered that inside, of course.”
Ericsson stayed close to Palou for the next 13 laps but never got close enough to make a run for his second spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
“That was painful,” Ericsson said. “To miss out, so close again. Second time second place here, and this is a winner-takes-all kind of place. It’s really painful. We kept fighting. Congrats to Alex and Chip Ganassi Racing.”
Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday, June 1 on the streets of downtown Detroit (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
Palou surprised the sellout crowd of 350,000 on Lap 187 by using the aerodynamic tow from Marcus Ericsson’s car and diving under the Swede entering Turn 1 for the last of the 22 lead changes in the race.
“We had those lappers ahead of us that were making it difficult,” Ericsson (above) said. “He got a run on me. I didn’t know if he was going to go for it or not. That’s the thing that I’m thinking about constantly now – I should have covered that inside, of course.”
Ericsson stayed close to Palou for the next 13 laps but never got close enough to make a run for his second spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
“That was painful,” Ericsson said. “To miss out, so close again. Second time second place here, and this is a winner-takes-all kind of place. It’s really painful. We kept fighting. Congrats to Alex and Chip Ganassi Racing.”
(Photo of David Malukas by Aaron Skillman for Penske Entertainment)
(MotoGP.com)
Editor's Note: This is our dearly departed billboard, which we had at Road America for several years. Peter gifted the phrase "America's National Park of Speed" to the track, which now uses it proudly in all of its communications. -WG
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