Alex Palou Wins His First Indy 500 With Late Pass For The Lead, Kyle Larson Crashes Out
Alex Palou is having a nearly perfect year. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver won the Indy 500 for the first time in dramatic fashion on Sunday to take his fifth win in six races this season.
It was the three-time and defending IndyCar champion’s first win in 29 oval track starts and the biggest thing missing from his racing resume.
“I can not believe it, what an amazing day, what an amazing race,” Palou said.
Palou was sitting in second behind 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson as the final round of pitstops wrapped up with 24 laps to go. Ericsson was on an alternative strategy and made his last stop later, which meant he didn’t need to worry about fuel, while Palou needed to save some to make it to the checkered flag.
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Palou sat behind Ericsson for the next ten laps, then made his move with 14 left to take the lead for the first time in the race. He tucked in behind two back marker cars ahead to continue drafting for efficiency, but with five laps left, Palou’s team told him he was good to go to the end and could open it up.
Ericsson started to attack, but couldn’t get close enough to make a move and on the final lap, his car wiggled in the chute between turns three and four, which sealed the deal for Palou, who crossed the line just as the yellow flag came out for Nolan Siegel wrecking in the back of the field.
Palou is the first Spaniard to win the Indy 500. David Malukas, Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top five in what was a very eventful race.
It started under yellow after 10th place starter Scott McLaughlin lost control of his car on the-warmup lap and hit the pit lane wall. The green flag waved for lap four, but then Jack Harvey came into contact with Marco Andretti, who spun into the wall and out of the race to bring out the yellow again.
The next restart came on lap 10 and Takuma Sato and things settled in for a bit after Takuma Sato, Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist moved ahead of pole sitter Robert Shwartzman, but rain caused another caution period on lap 19.
Alexander Rossi led to green for lap 31 after other drivers made pit stops under yellow, and traded the spot with his Ed Carpenter Racing teammate Christian Rasmussen for several laps until pitting on lap 43 to give the lead to third place Ed Carpenter for a lap before he made a stop. Rossi would go on to retire when he pulled into the pits later with a mechanical issue and his car caught fire.
Josef Newgarden, who started on the back row in 32nd due to a post-qualifying penalty, was up to 9th by lap 82, when Rinus Veekay lost his brakes on pit entry, spun into the inside wall and the yellow flag came out again.
During the caution period, Shwartzman slid into his pit stall and knocked over several crew members. None were seriously injured, but the incident damaged the car and led to the rookie’s retirement.
Racing went green again for lap 92, but Kyle Larson slowed for traffic in turn two, lost control and crashed out of the race, ending his bid to complete the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double. Sting Ray Robb and Kyffin Simpson also got collected in the incident and had their days come to an end.
Rain delayed the restart to lap 107, but it instantly went yellow when Rasmussen lost control near the back the field, but managed to save it before causing a wreck. The green flag waved again for lap 110 with Devlin DeFranceso in the lead.
Newgarden ran as high as sixth, but a fuel pressure issue issue ended his bid to become the first to win three consecutive Indy 500s on lap 135.
Ryan Hunter-Reay, who had been running an alternative pit strategy, was leading the race late and looking like a contender, but his car died during his last pit stop with 31 laps left and he was unable to rejoin the race.
Click for the full Indy 500 results