The Indianapolis 500’s 106th run has all the drama, excitement, and heartbreak for which this iconic event is known. The track conditions were a bit warmer and windier than ideal, but it still provided a very memorable day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The race started off fairly orderly for cars averaging over 215 mph around the 2.5-mile oval. Keeper Scott Dixon led the pitch safely past the first corner with his two Ganassi teammates, Álex Palou and Marcus Ericsson, in second and fourth. Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay came in third. Dixon let Palou take the lead in the first lap to improve his fuel mileage.
Dixon entered the pit for the first stop on lap 30. Palou will do the same on the next lap. VeeKay trailed the lead pair as he rejoined the track. The Dutchman looked very competitive as he overtook Dixon for second place. Even so, his day will quickly come to an end. VeeKay came loose when turning into Turn 2, lost control, and crashed back and forth into the outer wall. While Ganassi holds the first three places in the re-start, the ensuing caution will derail the team’s strategy.
In Round 70, Juncos’ Callum Illot also crashed in Turn 2. Palou was a few feet away from the pit entrance when the kidney was thrown, and there was no way back. He entered a closed pit, meaning he could not receive service. Palou stopped emergency services during the time of caution because he almost ran out. The penalty for Palou sent him back to the end of the field, leaving him out of contention. Dixon was almost out of fuel when the warning popped up again in lap 106 after Roman Grosjean dashed out.
As the race progressed, Conor Daly sorted and led a few laps, taking on the same role as his teammate Carpenter before him. Scott Dixon’s toughest competition in the final quarter of the race will come from the McLarens of Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. However, Dixon defeated himself. On the final pit stop, he sped up the game and received a driving penalty. Dixon is out of controversy after breaking his career lap record at the Indianapolis 500.
Ganassi’s Marcus Ericsson bid farewell to a potential McLaren 1-2 by taking the lead. McLarens couldn’t keep up the pace at the end of the day as the track got hotter. Ericsson was about to go through the Brick Yard, but his teammate Jimmie Johnson hit his car against the wall in Turn 2. Race control flagged the race to make sure it finished under the green.
The race starts again when there are only two laps left. Ericsson aggressively interweaves to keep O’Ward at bay. On the run to Turn 1 on the final lap, O’Ward attempted a final pass outside but backed his McLaren out. McLaren was too far behind to attempt another turn in Round 3. However, caution was thrown off after Sage Karam became the last driver to hit the wall in Turn 2. Marcus Ericsson plowed the car. crossed the line to win the 106th Indianapolis 500.
Race results – Top 10
- Marcus Ericsson
- Pato O’Ward
- Tony Kanaan
- Felix Rosenqvist
- Alexander Rossi
- Conor Daly
- Helio Castroneves
- Simon Pagenaud
- Alex Palou
- Santino Ferrucci
IndyCar will return next week for the Detroit Grand Prix.
