100th Indianapolis 500 Tag

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer INDIANAPOLIS — Alexander Rossi was trying to secure a drive in Formula One when Michael Andretti reached out in February 2016 with a possibility of a ride in the Verizon IndyCar Series. To that point, what might have been his crowning achievement was winning the 2008 Formula BMW World Final over future Formula One driver Esteban Gutierrez, Macau Grand Prix and European F3 champion and Masters of Formula 3 winner Daniel Juncadella, as well as fellow Indianapolis 500 competitor Gabby Chaves. ThreeRead More

By Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter NAPA Auto Parts will return as the primary sponsor of Alexander Rossi for seven Verizon IndyCar Series races this season. Rossi carried NAPA to a successful first outing with a win in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 after the auto parts giant signed on just days before qualifying. The win brought them back to sponsor the No. 98 Andretti Herta Autosport Honda at the following round at Detroit. This year, they will return again for seven races in the upcoming season – St.Read More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Now that we are now one week removed from racing’s biggest weekend of the year, I’d like to take a look back to just how historical, significant and amazing the trio of the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and Coca Cola 600 were this year by looking at some of the incredible facts and statistics of the day. The Monaco Grand Prix had never before started under the safety car, until this year when rain caused the field to take the first 10 laps behind BerndRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer I have now had a day to process the events leading up to and including the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, as well as an opportunity to digest the opinions expressed by the drivers and teams, various sources in the media, and fan reactions. I could easily write 20 or 25 takeaways, but here are five. 1 ) Was the finish a letdown? There are some out there that were left feeling a bit empty with the way theRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief INDIANAPOLIS – Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Alexander Rossi gambled and saved just enough fuel to capture one of the most improbable victories in Indianapolis 500 history. The 24-year-old started 11th and showed flashes of pace while fluctuating in and around the top 10 for most of the afternoon. Josef Newgarden, Tony Kanaan and Carlos Munoz were all players late in the running, but with a green flag run that extended just beyond their reach, it brought different players to the game. Rossi restarted ninth on lapRead More

By Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter It is safe to say that Gabby Chaves’ first outing with Dale Coyne Racing racing can be labeled solid. Chaves signed a deal at the last minute to race for Dale Coyne to replace Luca Filippi for the two rounds at Indianapolis. Despite not being in an IndyCar since the series’ test at Phoenix International Raceway in February, Chaves did not feel intimidated. He showed pace immediately during practice for the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, as he nearly matched teammate Conor Daly. “TheRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief INDIANAPOLIS – Spencer Pigot is preparing for his third career Verizon IndyCar Series start and first in the Indianapolis 500, but the focus for racing’s top prize remains the same. The reigning Indy Lights champion is taking everything in for his first Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finally realizing the dream of a lifelong goal. “Yeah, the Indy 500 is the one race I’ve always wanted to be a part of,” Pigot told Motorsports Tribune.“I know I share that with pretty much everyRead More

By Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter INDIANAPOLIS – Josef Newgarden led all drivers during Monday’s final practice before Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The second place qualifier clicked off a lap averaged at 227.414 mph and led a Chevrolet sweep of the top four spots. 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan was second quickest and was followed by Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon in third. Sage Karam was fourth quickest while Pippa Mann recovered from crashing during qualifying on Saturday to log the fifth quickest time for Dale CoyneRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer Armed Forces Pole Day is behind us, and the grid is set for the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. While many of the old-timers, like myself, miss the days of packed grandstands and true bump-day drama, the events of this past weekend produced a number of compelling stories. Let’s take a look at five takeaways from the on-track action. 1 ) Who’s sand-bagging now? Get your tin-foil hat ready, here’s a conspiracy theory for you. Amidst all ofRead More

By Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter Nearly a year after his near fatal crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, James Hinchcliffe claimed the pole position during qualifying for the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. The Canadian was the final car to qualify in the Fast Nine Shootout to determine the pole. He had to beat a seemingly perfect qualifying run set by Ed Carpenter Racing’s Josef Newgarden. Newgarden set the fastest lap of the day with a 231.551 mph flyer and ended up with a four lap average ofRead More