NTT IndyCar Series Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Thus far through the Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Team Penske has elevated themselves as the favorites to take home the Borg Warner Trophy when the checkered flag falls on the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. But the 30 other drivers in the field are hoping to play spoiler on Sunday, including the four drivers from the Arrow McLaren stable – Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward, Callum Ilott, and NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson running in his first Indy 500. RossiRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Conor Daly has grown up around the Indianapolis 500 and even after all these years, isn’t taking it for granted that he has the opportunity once again to try and make his mark on the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. After unceremoniously losing his ride with Ed Carpenter Racing midway through the 2023 season, Daly is back at Indianapolis in a one-off deal with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports to try once again to win in front of his hometown crowd. Though qualifying didRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – In the past two Indianapolis 500s, “The Dragon” has been synonymous with the closing laps of the race with drivers weaving back and forth, especially off Turn 2 and Turn 4 in an effort to keep the driver in second place behind them. First with Marcus Ericsson pulling the move to keep Pato O’Ward behind him in 2022 and then last season when Josef Newgarden flipped the script and used the move against Ericsson to win the race. The rub came with theRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – “If it’s meant to be, it will be.” Helio Castroneves hung up the helmet from full-time racing in the NTT IndyCar Series at the end of last season, but in his new role as co-owner at Meyer Shank Racing retained the option to race in the Indianapolis 500 and this season, he makes another run at the Drive for Five. The 49-year-old Brazilian is one of only four drivers to have won four times in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, along with A.J.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Kyle Larson already has a daunting plan in front of him on Sunday as he plans to run both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in the latest attempt of a driver trying the INDYCAR/NASCAR doubleheader. Throw in a curveball with an iffy weather forecast for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and the Arrow McLaren/Hendrick Motorsports partnership for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will have some hard decisions to make on whether to keep Larson in IndianapolisRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor SPEEDWAY, Ind. – If Marcus Ericsson is to add a second Indianapolis 500 win to his resume, he’ll have his work cut out for him when the green flag drops on the 108th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on Sunday. After crashing his primary car in practice on May 16, Ericsson has been struggling to find speed in his backup car, culminating with a near miss in qualifying last weekend in which he fell into the Last Row Shootout to even have a chanceRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Dominant as Team Penske’s three drivers have been this month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they know it will take a perfect performance to win the Indianapolis 500.  Success in practice and qualifying doesn’t always carry into a race where anything can happen. And probably will.   They must hit the right race-day setup, their engines must run without a hiccup, and pit stops must be trouble-free just to get them into a late-race shootout for the lead, which has become common in recent years. Read More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske led practice Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Chevrolet teams dominated the speed chart.  Again.  One day after Penske drivers swept the three front-row starting spots and Chevy-powered cars claimed the first eight positions for Sunday’s race, the story was much the same Monday in race trim.  Newgarden posted the fastest lap at 226.238 mph and, after Colton Herta was second in his Andretti Global Honda, the next five were Chevy cars – Will Power,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Kyle Larson is becoming a well-traveled man as he splits his time between Indianapolis and North Carolina between his full-time duties in the NASCAR Cup Series and his first attempt at the Indianapolis 500. On Sunday, that meant starting the day rocketing around Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the second day of Indy 500 qualifying, where he had advanced into the Fast 12 after Saturday’s first day of time trials. Larson posted the fifth-fastest time in the Fast 12 at 232.788 mph to move on to theRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Scott McLaughlin led a historic performance by Team Penske on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 with an effort that hadn’t been accomplished in 36 years.  McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden swept all three front-row spots for Team Penske, repeating what had only been done once in the history of the race, in 1988 when Penske drivers Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser Sr. qualified 1-2-3.  Running last among six drivers who advancedRead More