MAY 21, 2024
Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 06:51AM 
Robert Shwartzman and PREMA Racing stunned the INDYCAR establishment on Sunday, as the rookie driver in his first-ever oval race and the first-year NTT INDYCAR SERIES team shocked the field to win the NTT P1 Award for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Shwartzman, from Tel Aviv, Israel, became the first rookie driver to win the pole since Teo Fabi in 1983. He is just the third rookie to win the pole on track and will be the sixth first-year starter to lead the field to green in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
The impossible dream came true when Shwartzman ripped off a four-lap average speed of 232.790 mph in the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet during the Firestone Fast Six. PREMA, which joined the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this season after years of success in European racing, became the first team to claim the “500” pole in its first attempt since Mayer Motor Racing put Tom Sneva on the pole in 1984.
“I was like, ‘This is a dream; it can’t be true,” Shwartzman said. “I don’t know what even to say. The car felt amazing. I can’t thank PREMA and Chevy. Coming here for my first oval race, I would never even expect it to be in this position. It’s unbelievable.”
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward will join Shwartzman on the front row for the race Sunday, May 25 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). Sato qualified second at 232.478 in the No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing AMADA Honda. O’Ward will start third after his Firestone Fast Six run of 232.098 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
The remainder of the Firestone Fast Six participants will comprise the second row. 2008 “500” winner Scott Dixon will start fourth after his run of 232.052 in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda. Felix Rosenqvist qualified fifth at 231.987 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian SiriusXM Honda. Three-time series champion and current points leader Alex Palou, who has won four of the first five races this season, qualified sixth at 231.378 in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing DHL Honda.
This pole was as much incredible as it was improbable. The PREMA team, consisting of Shwartzman and teammate Callum Ilott, completed just 22 laps combined on the opening day of practice Tuesday, May 13, because they were behind on preparations for their first “500” and first oval race.
Shwartzman was 33rd fastest out of the 34 drivers on opening day, improving to only 28th Wednesday and falling to 32nd Thursday. But his car came alive on Fast Friday presented by Turtle Wax after engine boost levels and horsepower were increased, as he ended up 13th.
Then on the first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday, Shwartzman drove into the Top 12 Qualifying session by ending up sixth. He improved to third at 232.008 in the Top 12 Qualifying session earlier Sunday before his stunning run to the pole.
“I have to say big thanks to my engineers,” Shwartzman said. “They did an amazing job, step by step, by improving the car, trying new things. All of these steps that we did were just better, better, better. And then got to a point where the car was really good.” Watch the Highlights here. (Thank You to INDYCAR Media)
Monday Morning at The Speedway (May 19th), Robert Shwartzman poses for the traditional Front Row pictures. Photo by Joe Skibinski for Penske Entertainment.
Photo of Takuma Sato by Joe Skibinski for Penske Entertainment.
Photo of Pato O'Ward by Joe Skibinski for Penske Entertainment.
INDIANAPOLIS - Results of qualifying Sunday for the 109th Indianapolis
500 presented by Gainbridge NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.5-mile
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with rank, car number in parentheses,
driver, engine, time and speed in parentheses:
1. (83) Robert Shwartzman, Chevrolet, 2:34.6459 (232.790 mph)
2. (75) Takuma Sato, Honda, 2:34.8534 (232.478)
3. (5) Pato O'Ward, Chevrolet, 2:35.1069 (232.098)
4. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 2:35.1377 (232.052)
5. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 2:35.1809 (231.987)
6. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 2:35.5894 (231.378)
7. (4) David Malukas, Chevrolet, 2:35.4411 (231.599)
8. (7) Christian Lundgaard, Chevrolet, 2:35.6015 (231.360)
9. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 2:35.8347 (231.014)
10. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 2:34.4979 (233.013)
11. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 2:34.5036 (233.004)
12. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 2:35.0760 (232.144)
13. (76) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 2:35.3568 (231.725)
14. (20) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 2:35.3725 (231.701)
15. (8) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 2:35.4127 (231.641)
16. (20) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 2:35.4180 (231.633)
17. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 2:35.4453 (231.593)
18. (30) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 2:35.4575 (231.575)
19. (77) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 2:35.5336 (231.461)
20. (21) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 2:35.5489 (231.438)
21. (17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 2:35.6242 (231.326)
22. (45) Louis Foster, Honda, 2:35.8049 (231.058)
23. (90) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 2:35.8489 (230.993)
24. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 2:35.8592 (230.978)
25. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 2:35.8999 (230.917)
26. (6) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 2:36.1342 (230.571)
27. (23) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 2:36.2752 (230.363)
28. (24) Jack Harvey, Chevrolet, 2:36.2853 (230.348)
29. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 2:36.3910 (230.192)
30. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 2:36.6152 (229.863)
31. (98) Marco Andretti, Honda, 2:36.6979 (229.741)
32. (66) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 2:37.1426 (229.091)
33. (18) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 2:38.6514 (226.913)
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
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG