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Indianapolis 500 Purse Soars to New Heights

By
Official Release
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Indianapolis, IN - during the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)

Back-to-Back Winner Newgarden Receives Largest Payout in ‘500’ History

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 27, 2024) – The Indianapolis 500 purse record was shattered for the third year in a row after a weather-delayed 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, with two-time race winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske earning $4.288 million from a total purse of $18,456,000.

After record-breaking payouts in 2022 and 2023, this is the largest purse and largest winner’s payout in the century-plus history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The year’s average payout for NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers was $543,000, which also exceeds last year’s average of $500,600.

In 2023, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $17,021,500, and the year’s winner payout was $3.666 million. In 2022, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $16,000,200, and the winner earned $3.1 million. Prior to 2022, the largest Indianapolis 500 purse was $14.4 million for the 2008 Indianapolis 500.

Second-place finisher Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren took home $1,050,500, exceeding the take-home prize for last year’s second-place finisher.

“The Indianapolis 500 is the greatest race in the world, and this record-breaking purse is reflective of just how monumental competing in and winning at Indy is for these drivers,” Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Despite weather challenges, the Month of May featured packed grandstands and intense on-track action. Presenting this purse is the ideal end cap to an epic month.”

NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors for his performance during the Month of May. Larson, driving for Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick, made his first attempt to complete “The Double,” by racing both the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600. Larson earned a $50,000 bonus for being named Rookie of the Year, adding to a total take-home prize of $178,000.

The Indianapolis 500 purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NTT INDYCAR SERIES awards, plus other designated and special awards. Purse awards are presented annually at the Victory Celebration, held this year at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis Monday night.

Newgarden’s purse included a $440,000 rollover bonus from BorgWarner for earning back-to-back wins in the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The jackpot increases by $20,000 each year but has only been awarded one other time since its inception when Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500 in both 2001 and 2002.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday, June 2 on the streets of Downtown Detroit. The race will be broadcast live on USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network starting at noon (ET).

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by John Knittel for Speedwaymedia.com

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished fifth in the Coca-Cola 600.

“The weather really prevented what was sure to be an exciting finish in the 600,” Hamlin said. “It was the very definition of anticlimactic. Anticlimactic could also be used to describe a fight that starts with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. punching Kyle Busch in the face and ends with Busch punching Stenhouse’s father in the face.”

2. Christopher Bell: Bell won Stage 2 at Charlotte and outgunned Brad Keselowski on the final restart before the race was stopped and eventually called official due to weather.

“I was fortunate enough to be in the lead when the race was stopped for weather,” Bell said. “Some may call it luck; I call it ‘storming’ to the front at just the right time.”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished second at Charlotte, his third runner-up finish of the year.

“I can certainly relate to both Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch,” Keselowski said. “Like Stenhouse, I’ve always wanted to punch Kyle, and like Kyle, I’ve been cursed with an extremely punchable face.”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished seventh at Charlotte.

“My No. 9 Chevrolet featured the blacked-out NAPA paint scheme,” Elliott said. “Given the amount of alcohol my fans consume during a race, there’s a good chance they won’t even remember that paint scheme because they themselves have blacked out.”

5. Ty Gibbs: Gibbs started on the pole and finished seventh in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600.

“NASCAR’s $75,000 fine of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. indicates that they don’t condone fighting,” Gibbs said. “Their social media promotion of it says otherwise. I think I speak for all drivers when I say that I don’t mind having a black eye on the sport, but only if you define ‘sport’ as ‘Kyle Busch’s face.'”

6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex struggled with handling issues at Charlotte and finished 12th.

“Congratulations to my Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell,” Truex said. “He was in the right place at the right time. Similarly, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s right fist was in the right place at the left place, Kyle Busch’s cheek.”

7. William Byron: Byron won Stage 1 at Charlotte on his way to a third-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.

“If not for a drive-through penalty at Indianapolis,” Byron said, “my HMS teammate Kyle Larson would have likely scored a top-10 finish in the 500. As it was though, he was a lot like Jerry Falwell watching his wife and the pool boy, because he ‘held his own.'”

8. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished ninth at Charlotte, posting his ninth top-10 of the season.

“Jimmie Johnson was at the Indianapolis 500 earlier on Sunday doing some commentating for NBC,” Bowman said, “and still made it to Charlotte to race in the 600. Jimmie’s still fast at getting from one point to another; now…just not getting from the starting line to the finish line.”

9. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished eight in the Coca-Cola 600.

“The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest single-day race in motor racing,” Chastain said. “It doesn’t quite last forever, although it may feel that way if you’re watching it.”

10. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 18th in the Indianapolis 500 earlier on Sunday then made his way to Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he arrived just as weather stopped the race and eventually ended it.

“There was also a weather delay at Indy,” Larson said, “so I really had to leave there in a hurry to even have a chance of driving in the Coco-Cola 600. So, while I didn’t get to ‘kiss the bricks,’ I did have to ‘hit the bricks.'”

Keselowski Finishes P2 to Lead RFK in Rain-Shortened Coca-Cola 600

By
Official Release
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Buescher P23 After 249 Laps Completed in Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (May 26, 2024) – The 2024 running of the Coca-Cola 600 was shortened Sunday night to just shy of 250 laps after inclement weather moved into the Concord area. After a lengthy delay, the race was deemed official due to ‘inclement weather, high humidity and the likelihood of resuming action after 1 a.m. with the track-drying process.’

Despite the controversy and what appeared to be a dry race track soon after, Brad Keselowski was credited with a second-place finish, his third of the season, while Chris Buescher was on the flip side of the call with a 23rd-place official result.

The finish for Buescher and the No. 17 Fastenal team capped off a grueling weekend, going to a backup car after Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions, prompting a start at the tail end of the field.

For Keselowski and the No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com team, it’s the third-runner up result of the season, and fourth of second or better in the last six races.

“Yeah, it was pretty disappointing,” Keselowski said after the race. “I felt like we had a car to win the race. We kind of ran down the 20 car twice and just didn’t get to see it play out. Kind of slipped through our fingers there. Would have liked to have just had more laps and ran the Coke 600. I think we ran the Coke 350 today.

“All in all, really happy with our performance. Car was really fast, pit stops were phenomenal. Just didn’t get to see it through. Bummed for our team, bummed for everybody. But the weather is what the weather is.”

6 Recap
Keselowski’s qualifying effort was not indicative of the speed shown on Sunday, as he qualified 30th in Saturday’s single-car session.

He wasted no time improving upon that, though, advancing into the top-20 just 40 laps into Sunday’s action. He was scored 14th at the first yellow flag of the day at lap 86, restarted ninth and went on to finish eighth in the opening stage of 100 laps, a 22-spot improvement from the drop of the green flag.

The BuildSubmarines.com Ford fired off ninth to begin the second stage as Keselowski went on to long pit, ultimately inheriting second place before pitting again under green-flag conditions at lap 145. Three cautions then flew in the final 40 laps of the stage as Keselowski drove to fifth by lap 196, earning more stage points.

He rolled sixth for the third stage as inclement weather approached the area. Another caution flew at lap 228 with Keselowski back in the runner-up position, and after another solid stop, he fired off second for the race’s final restart at lap 234.

Then, at lap 246, NASCAR threw the caution for the final time – this time due to precipitation – in what ultimately led to red-flag conditions, and the decision to declare the race official.

17 Recap
Buescher had an eventful 250-lap race after starting the race with effectively a brand new car, after he lost a left-rear tire in practice on Saturday, resulting in a backup car for Sunday.

Despite starting at the rear, Buescher found himself near the front early and often, advancing all the way to second in the first pit cycle of the day at lap 50. He finished the opening stage in 15th, and worked his way back into the top-10 midway through stage two.

Pit road positioning issues throughout the night caused headache for Buescher and neighboring cars, which ultimately led to the No. 17 losing multiple positions in the opening set of stops. He finished the second stage in 11th, and was forced to restart 27th for the third stage.

He was scored 21st at lap 228 – the final yellow before weather – and restarted 26th at lap 234. But, due to the limited laps that ensued under green, Buescher was unable to regain any additional track position, finishing 23rd.

Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series turns its attention to World Wide Technology Raceway next weekend with race coverage on Sunday set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

Newgarden Goes Back-to-Back at Indy in Thriller

By
Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 26, 2024) – It was worth the wait, and then some.

Josef Newgarden joined the immortals Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by becoming just the sixth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in two consecutive years, edging Pato O’Ward in a scintillating race that included the start delayed four hours by a midday rainstorm.

Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Newgarden drove his No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet to the victory by .3417 of a second over the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of O’Ward, as they swapped the lead four times over the last eight laps.

“I knew we could win this race again,” Newgarden said. “There’s just no better way to win this race than that. I’ve got to give it up to Pato, as well. He’s an incredibly clean driver. It takes two people to make that work.”

Newgarden, who started third, became the first repeat winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” since Helio Castroneves won in 2001 and 2002 for Team Penske. Newgarden also earned the record-extending 20th victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for Team Penske.

The repeat victory delivered a $440,000 bonus to Newgarden from BorgWarner, the sponsor of the winner’s Borg-Warner Trophy.

Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon finished third in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, followed by Alexander Rossi in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Reigning series champion Alex Palou rounded out the top five in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Just 1.5079 seconds separated the top five cars despite the last 46 laps running caution-free in a frantic finish.

Christian Rasmussen was the top-finishing rookie, 12th in the No. 33 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet. 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson finished 18th in the No. 17 Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in his first “500” start, hampered by a pit road speeding penalty.

Newgarden celebrated in familiar style for the second straight year, climbing into the crowd in the grandstands adjacent to the Yard of Bricks start-finish line, where he was mobbed by fans.

It was hard to blame his exuberance, as the victory capped a Month of May in which he was without Team Penske President and strategist Tim Cindric and engineer Luke Mason. They were suspended by Team Penske for the two races this month at IMS after the team’s cars were found to have violated INDYCAR Push-to-Pass rules in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Jonathan Diuguid and Raul Prados substituted for Cindric and Mason, respectively, this month.

“They can say whatever they want after this point; I don’t care anymore,” Newgarden said of critics after the violations were discovered. “I’m just so proud of this team. They crushed it. Crushed it. Luke, Tim – they’re not here today, but they’re a huge part of this. I’m just so proud for everybody at Team Penske. That’s the way I wanted to win the thing, right there.”

There were seven caution periods in the first 117 laps, as the race struggled to find a rhythm. But as the intensity ratcheted in the second half of the 200-lap race, the racing was breathtaking – and clean. There were 32 lead changes alone in the last 70 laps.

Rookie Kyffin Simpson was the last of the drivers on a different pit sequence to surrender the lead with their final stop, on Lap 184. That set the stage for a phenomenal four-driver scramble for the win between Newgarden, O’Ward, Rossi and Dixon over the closing 15 laps.

Newgarden took the lead on Lap 193, with O’Ward climbing to second. That set the stage for a series of slingshot passes between the two drivers over the last seven laps.

O’Ward passed Newgarden on the outside just before the start-finish line as the white flag flew in the air for the final lap. O’Ward stayed out front in Turns 1 and 2 ahead and down the back straightaway, but Newgarden tucked in behind O’Ward’s car and made a daring pass outside of O’Ward in Turn 3 to take the lead for good with the crowd of 330,000 on their feet in rapture.

“It’s hard to put it into words,” said O’Ward, who also finished second in 2022. “So close again. I put that car through things I never thought it was going to be able to do. Sometimes I said, ‘Aw, that’s it,’ and somehow I came out of the other side of the corner.

“Oh, man: It’s just so painful when you put so much into it, and then two corners short.”

It was only the fourth time in Indianapolis 500 history that the race was decided by a last-lap pass. Newgarden also achieved that feat last year by passing Marcus Ericsson on Lap 200.

This year’s race was a classic, with an event-record 18 of the 33 starters leading at least one lap. NTT P1 Award winner Scott McLaughlin led the most laps, 64, before finishing sixth in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet.

There also were 649 on-track passes today, the most in the “500” since 2017.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday, June 2 on the streets of Detroit.

108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Results

INDIANAPOLIS – Results Sunday of the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (3) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  2. (8) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  3. (21) Scott Dixon, Honda, 200, Running
  4. (4) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  5. (14) Alex Palou, Honda, 200, Running
  6. (1) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  7. (11) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 200, Running
  8. (6) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  9. (7) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  10. (29) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  11. (15) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  12. (24) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  13. (28) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 200, Running
  14. (10) Takuma Sato, Honda, 200, Running
  15. (33) Graham Rahal, Honda, 200, Running
  16. (23) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  17. (17) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  18. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  19. (26) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 200, Running
  20. (20) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 200, Running
  21. (18) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 200, Running
  22. (22) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 199, Running
  23. (13) Colton Herta, Honda, 170, Contact
  24. (2) Will Power, Chevrolet, 145, Contact
  25. (19) Marco Andretti, Honda, 113, Contact
  26. (12) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 106, Contact
  27. (9) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 55, Mechanical
  28. (27) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 27, Contact
  29. (31) Katherine Legge, Honda, 22, Mechanical
  30. (16) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 6, Mechanical
  31. (25) Tom Blomqvist, Honda, 0, Contact
  32. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 0, Contact
  33. (32) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 0, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 167.763 mph
Time of Race: 2:58:49.4079
Margin of victory: 0.3417 of a second
Cautions: 8 for 46 laps
Lead changes: 49 among 18 drivers

Lap Leaders:
McLaughlin, Scott 1 – 23
Robb, Sting Ray 24 – 26
Daly, Conor 27 – 31
Robb, Sting Ray 32
McLaughlin, Scott 33 – 34
O’Ward, Pato 35
Daly, Conor 36 – 42
McLaughlin, Scott 43 – 48
Rasmussen, Christian 49
McLaughlin, Scott 50 – 57
Daly, Conor 58 – 64
Robb, Sting Ray 65 – 76
McLaughlin, Scott 77 – 87
VeeKay, Rinus 88 – 91
Rahal, Graham 92
Lundgaard, Christian 93
VeeKay, Rinus 94 – 96
Lundgaard, Christian 97 – 99
Newgarden, Josef 100 – 112
McLaughlin, Scott 113 – 125
Newgarden, Josef 126 – 129
McLaughlin, Scott 130
Rossi, Alexander 131
Ferrucci, Santino 132
Dixon, Scott 133 – 134
O’Ward, Pato 135 – 136
Dixon, Scott 137 – 140
Daly, Conor 141 – 143
Robb, Sting Ray 144 – 150
Dixon, Scott 151 – 154
O’Ward, Pato 155
Rossi, Alexander 156 – 159
O’Ward, Pato 160
Rossi, Alexander 161 – 163
O’Ward, Pato 164
Rossi, Alexander 165
O’Ward, Pato 166 – 169
Dixon, Scott 170 – 171
Palou, Alex 172
VeeKay, Rinus 173
Kirkwood, Kyle 174 – 175
Ilott, Callum 176
Carpenter, Ed 177 – 179
Larson, Kyle 180 – 183
Simpson, Kyffin 184 – 186
Rossi, Alexander 187
Newgarden, Josef 188 – 190
Rossi, Alexander 191 – 192
Newgarden, Josef 193 – 194
O’Ward, Pato 195
Newgarden, Josef 196 – 198
O’Ward, Pato 199
Newgarden, Josef 200

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings:
Palou 183, Dixon 163, Power 157, O’Ward 134, Herta 134, McLaughlin 131, Newgarden 122, Rossi 120, Rosenqvist 116, Kirkwood 115, Lundgaard 102, Ferrucci 95, Rahal 87, VeeKay 87, Armstrong 81, Grosjean 79, Lundqvist 73, Simpson 70, Ericsson 68, Canapino 56, Rasmussen 51, Fittipaldi 50, Harvey 47, Blomqvist 46, Robb 46, Ilott 39, Theo Pourchaire 38, Daly 21, Larson 21, Sato 19, Carpenter 14, Luca Ghiotto 14, Castroneves 10, Colin Braun 10, Nolan Siegel 10, Hunter-Reay 6, Andretti 5, Legge 5

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: Team Chevy Indianapolis 500 Win Notes

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
THE 108TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RACE WIN NOTES
MAY 26, 2024

CHEVROLET CAPTURES A HISTORIC 13TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 VICTORY WITH JOSEF NEWGARDEN AND TEAM PENSKE

  • Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet, raced to victory in the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 to capture Chevrolet’s 13th in history and sixth in the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012.
  • Today’s victory at Indianapolis is Newgarden’s second in a row, winning from starting third.
  • With Newgarden’s first-place finish as well as Pato O’Ward in second, Chevrolet now has 19 podiums at Indianapolis in the V6 era since 2012.
  • Racing to the prestigious winner’s circle, Chevrolet led 177 of 200 laps in today’s Indianapolis 500. Newgarden led 26 laps of Team Chevy’s 177 laps.
  • With today’s Indianapolis 500 win, the Bowtie brand now holds 114 victories in the V6 era since 2012, in addition to 314 podium finishes.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 RACE RESULT:
Pos. Driver
1st Josef Newgarden
2nd Pato O’Ward
4th Alexander Rossi
6th Scott McLaughlin
8th Santino Ferrucci
9th Rinus VeeKay
10th Conor Daly

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES)

Mark Reuss, President of General Motors:

“Congratulations to Josef and the No. 2 Penske team on winning back-to-back at the Indianapolis 500. What an incredible accomplishment. I’m so happy to see Roger get his 20th win here. Chevrolet engineering, our partners at Ilmor and race teams worked hard in the off-season to prepare for the 2024 Indy 500. They delivered power, speed and performance all month long.”

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet:

“I knew we could win this race again; it was just a matter of getting it right. There’s no better way to win a race than that. I got to give it up to Pato (O’Ward) as well. He’s an incredibly clean driver. It takes two people to make that work. It’s not just a good pass, it’s also someone that you’re working with that’s incredibly clean. I have to give hat’s off to Pato (O’Ward). He could have easily won this race, too, but it just fell our way. I’m just so proud of everybody. I’m proud of this whole team. Everyone that partners with us, Team Chevy. Just a great day.”

“We just had an incredible car. I got just a little out of position at Lap 150; we were restarting eighth. I don’t think I got that sequencing correct. I really thought I went too soon, and then tried to back up and then put us in a hole. JD came over the radio and said you’re going to have to win this the old fashion way, I can’t help you. There’s not going to be stops, not going to fuel. So, I just went for it. I said alright, the car was good enough. You guys have done your job, let me drive to the front. They backed me the entire way. You can’t win this race without a great car. This is the best car in the field, I think, today. Hat’s off to the team.”

CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS:

Wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 12

1988: Rick Mears

1989 Emerson Fittipaldi

1990 Arie Luyendyk

1991: Rick Mears

1992: Al Unser, Jr.

1993: Emerson Fittipaldi

2002: Helio Castroneves

2013: Tony Kanaan

2015: Juan Pablo Montoya

2018: Will Power

2019: Simon Pagenaud

2023: Josef Newgarden

2024: Josef Newgarden

Earned Pole Awards at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 13

1987: Mario Andretti

1988: Rick Mears

1989: Rick Mears

1990: Emerson Fittipaldi

1991: Rick Mears

2002: Bruno Junqueria

2012: Ryan Briscoe

2013: Ed Carpenter

2014: Ed Carpenter

2015: Will Power

2018: Ed Carpenter

2019: Simon Pagenaud

2024: Scott McLaughlin

Number of Team Chevy Podiums at Indianapolis (V6 era since 2012): 19

Number of laps led by Team Chevy at Indianapolis (V6 era since 2012): 1,602

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Christopher Bell Clinches Victory in Rain-Shortened Coca-Cola 600

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by John Knittel for Speedwaymedia.com

CONCORD, N.C. – A lightning delay that turned into a heavy rainstorm made a winner of Christopher Bell in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Not that Bell didn’t deserve the victory in the rain-shortened race, which NASCAR was forced to call after 249 of 400 laps were complete. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota started third, led a race-high 90 laps and won the second stage of the 14th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season.

NASCAR attempted to dry the track when the rain subsided but heavy humidity derailed their efforts. The victory signaled a shift in momentum for Bell, who has finished outside the top 10 in five of his previous six races.

“It feels so good,” Bell said. “And, really, the last two Coca-Cola 600s I felt like we had the potential to go to Victory Lane and both times we haven’t been able to do it. We’ve really been in a slump the last couple weeks so to come out here and have a banner day at such a high-profile, prestigious event is really big for us. Obviously, it’s a great thing to get stage points and the Playoff points that come with that. It’s a good day, for sure.

“You could feel the intensity of the race pick up (as Stage 3 began) and people were very aggressive for how early we were in a 600-mile event. I think it’s because everyone knew we were racing to the rain. I’m just very, very proud of this No. 20 group. I’ve been working really hard to get us back to where we need to be and today was a great step in the right direction.

“Man, it feels so good – to win or lose – just to have a great race to go off of,” Bell said. “A race where we led laps. We were able to pass cars. We lost the lead at times and were able to drive back to the lead.

“We had great pit stops. It was a team effort, and it was amazing to have a good race. Hopefully, this is something we can build on and get back to being more consistent.”

The turning point of the Coca-Cola 600 came when Bell held off Darlington winner Brad Keselowski during a 10-lap run after a caution for Corey LaJoie’s spin in Turn 2 on Lap 229.

Keselowski scored his third runner-up finish of the season in the No. 6 RFK Ford and was left wondering if he could have overtaken Bell if the race had not been shortened.

“We had a car that could win the race,” he said. We ran down (Bell) twice, but we didn’t get to see it play out. It slipped through our fingers there. All in all, I’m really happy with our performance.”

Stage 1 winner William Byron finished third behind Bell and Keselowski as  Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five. Pole winner Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry completed the top 10.

Kyle Larson, who finished 18th in his Indy 500 debut, arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway to take over driving duties in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. But, because of the weather delay and resultant race stoppage, he was denied the opportunity. Justin Allgaier, who was subbing for Larson in his absence, finished 13th.

Next Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to World Wide Technology Raceway for the Enjoy Illinois 300 race at 3:30 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on FS1 with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.  

NOTES: NASCAR officials completed post-race inspection in the Cup Series garage with no issues and confirmed Bell’s victory.

Coca-Cola-600-Results12414_UNOFFRES

Ring It Up: Christopher Bell Captures His First Coca-Cola 600 Victory

By
Official Release
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Christopher Bell celebrates after winning Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)

CONCORD, NC (May 26, 2024) – Christopher Bell dominated much of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and was rewarded with the winner’s trophy when the race was declared official after 249 of 400 laps due to inclement weather. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led a race-high 90 laps in capturing his second win of the season and eighth of his NASCAR Cup Series career.

Bell was in front of Brad Keselowski when a lightning delay halted the action and forced cars to pit road near the midway point of Stage 3. Rain fell for more than an hour, and high humidity prevented track-drying efforts from resuming the race — which left an appreciative Bell with a career-defining victory in one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel events.

Keselowski was second when the checkered flag flew with William Byron third, Tyler Reddick fourth and Denny Hamlin fifth. Pole winner Ty Gibbs finished sixth. Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry completed the top 10.

Kyle Larson’s attempt at competing in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day fell by the wayside after a lengthy rain delay at Indianapolis led to Justin Allgaier serving as Larson’s stand-in at Charlotte.

Larson completed all 500 miles at Indianapolis on his way to an 18th-place finish and the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 winner arrived at Charlotte ready to take over for Allgaier — but weather delays put a halt to the action soon after Larson landed at the speedway. Allgaier took the green flag in Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, completed all 249 laps of Sunday’s race and was credited with 13th at the finish.

Byron passed Bell late in Stage 1 to claim the Playoff point for winning the stage. Bell won Stage 2.

Defending Coca-Cola 600 winner Ryan Blaney crashed out early in Stage 2 and finished 39th.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, NO. 20 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA (RACE WINNER): “It feels so good. And, really, the last two Coca-Cola 600s I felt like we had the potential to go to Victory Lane and both times we haven’t been able to do it. We’ve really been in a slump the last couple weeks so to come out here and have a banner day at such a high-profile, prestigious event is really big for us. Obviously, it’s a great thing to get stage points and the Playoff points that come with that. It’s a good day, for sure. You could feel the intensity of the race pick up (as Stage 3 began) and people were very aggressive for how early we were in a 600-mile event. I think it’s because everyone knew we were racing to the rain. I’m just very, very proud of this No. 20 group. I’ve been working really hard to get us back to where we need to be and today was a great step in the right direction.”

JOE GIBBS, NO. 20 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA (WINNING CAR OWNER): “I think all of us, the fans, when you get a packed house like that, you’d like to see it go the whole way, but Mother Nature had other plans. I just appreciate Adam (Stevens), Christopher and the whole team. In pro sports, it’s hard. The hardest thing is staying up there (at the top). We’ve had a hard few weeks. To see the whole team bounce back like this, it’s just a huge deal for us.”

ADAM STEVENS, NO. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing TOYOTA (WINNING CREW CHIEF): “The size of that storm was big enough that it wasn’t confusing the radar. I think everybody had a pretty good handle on when it was going to get here. But it does change the dynamic of the race. You can’t afford to make a long pit stop if you need to make an adjustment and you can’t afford to put a second can (of fuel) in if you need a second can. You just couldn’t lose track position. It was different, had a different feel to it, a lot more intensity in the front of the pack. I think you saw that on the restarts and (it put) a lot more pressure on the guys on pit road, for sure.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, NO. 6 RFK RACING FORD (RUNNER-UP): “We had a car that could win the race. We ran down (Bell) twice, but we didn’t get to see it play out. It slipped through our fingers there. All in all, I’m really happy with our performance. The car was really fast, pit stops were phenomenal, but the weather is what the weather is. We scored good points today. I think we moved up to 10th (in the points standings), which was nice. We were the top Ford but I feel like we had a lot more if we were able to get going again. It was good to be that fast. You want it to count for wins and you don’t want to be a sore loser with second, but we had a car that could win today. We were going as hard as we could.”

TICKETS:

Fans can purchase tickets and camping packages to upcoming speedway events by visiting online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Fans can also go to their online account to renew their tickets for the 2025 Coca-Cola 600.

KEEP TRACK:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Charlotte

By
Official Release
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Coca-Cola 600 – Charlotte Motor Speedway
Concord, NC – May 26, 2024

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS/DURACELL FORD MUSTANG

START: 17TH STAGE ONE: 16TH STAGE TWO: 27TH FINISH: 20TH POINTS: 20TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang, finished 20th in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday evening. Cindric fired off from the 17th position and battled a tight condition throughout the start of the event, making his first trip to pit road on Lap 41 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. When Stage 1 ended, the Team Penske driver was scored in the 16th spot. Still fighting a tight-handling Menards/Duracell Mustang, Cindric returned to the attention of his crew on pit road under the Stage break for service to help correct the unfavorable handling condition of the car. The No. 2 lined up 18th for the restart on Lap 111 and steadily gained position on the leaderboard as varying pit strategies played out in the second segment, but older tires ultimately led the No. 2 to lose track position late in the Stage as Cindric finished Stage 2 in the 27th position. With a four-tire service stop on deck, the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion ventured to pit road ahead of the restart, but it was ultimately inclement weather that forced an early-end to the Coca-Cola 600 with 151 laps remaining in the race.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “I definitely wish we would have been able to pick the race back up. We had a really well-executed day going up until we had to stay out on some older tires and that kind of put us behind. We were kind of in the middle of recovering from that, but past that, I’m happy with our improvement all weekend, we just didn’t have enough speed to run up front. We had a really tight car all race, we just needed more laps to work on it.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 BODYARMOR FLASH I.V. FORD MUSTANG

START: 16TH STAGE ONE: 7TH STAGE TWO: 39TH FINISH: 39TH POINTS: 12TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney’s defense of his Coca-Cola 600 victory was cut short Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway as an issue with the right front in Stage 2 ended a promising start to the 400-lap, crown jewel event. Despite a tight-handling condition during the opening green flag run of the night, Blaney drove the No. 12 BODYARMOR Flash I.V. Ford Mustang into the top-10 by the halfway point of the opening stage. A caution on lap 87 set up a seven-lap dash to the end of Stage 1 as Blaney lined up to restart from the inside of row four and came away with a seventh-place finish in the first 100-lap segment. Following another four-tire stop at the stage break, Blaney navigated his way around three-wide battles on the ensuing restart as he continued his push to the front. The No. 12 team called Blaney to pit road for a scheduled green flag stop on lap 143 and while on his out-lap getting up to speed, the right front wheel came loose and sent him into the wall in turn four. Blaney immediately brought the BODYARMOR Flash I.V. Ford to pit road, but the 12-team was unable to put on a new right front tire due to the damage sustained by the impact, signaling an abrupt end to the night at Charlotte.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I don’t know. We’ll have to look if I hit something or, I don’t know. I just went into three getting up to speed and blew a tire and hit the fence. It’s an unfortunate end to our night. We’re not even halfway and just wanting to work on your stuff all night. I thought we were getting it a little better here and there, but won’t get a shot.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 28TH STAGE ONE: 18TH STAGE TWO: 19TH FINISH: 14TH POINTS: 17TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano was credited with a 14th-place finish in a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway as the crown jewel event was declared official after 249 laps. The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was forced to start at the rear of the field after replacing the diffuser due to an issue in Saturday’s practice, but Logano charged forward to pick up 14 spots in the first 20 laps. Following a caution on lap 87 to set up restart with seven laps to go in Stage 1, Logano battled through traffic to come away with an 18th-place finish in the opening segment. The 22-team was one of two cars to take right side tires only during the stage break – vaulting Logano up to sixth in the running order for the ensuing restart – in order to flip their track position for the start of Stage 2. However, fresher tires prevailed as Logano was shuffled outside the top-20 during the green flag run as a tight-handling condition began to set in. The Shell-Pennzoil team continued to go to work on the balance throughout the 100-lap segment before the caution flew on lap 196, signaling the end of Stage 2 and a 19th-place result for Logano. As inclement weather began to make its way closer to the area, Logano’s handling started to settle in as he raced his way back into the top-15 before the yellow flag was displayed on lap 245. The red flag officially came out on lap 249 with Logano scored 14th in the running order before the race was declared official just before midnight.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Challenging race starting in the back and not knowing what we were going to have after the diffuser issues we had in practice. We were off on the balance for the first few runs but got it in a place where we were starting to get better and make our way through the field a bit. But we ran out of time with the rain – I think we could’ve bettered our position if we went back racing, just didn’t get the opportunity.”

Next up for NASCAR Cup Series teams is a trip to Word Wide Technology Raceway for the Enjoy Illinois 300. The 300-mile event is scheduled for Sunday, June 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Rick Ware Racing: Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte

By
Official Release
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RICK WARE RACING
Coca-Cola 600
Date: May 26, 2024
Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 14 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Note: Race called official due to rain after 249 laps.
Race Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner: None

RWR Race Finish:

● Justin Haley (Started 22nd, Finished 22nd/ Running, completed 249 of 249 laps)
● Kaz Grala (Started 33rd, Finished 34th/ Running, completed 249 of 249 laps)

RWR Points:

● Justin Haley (31st with 177 points)
● Kaz Grala (34th with 122 points)

RWR Notes:

● This was Haley’s fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte. His best finish remains 15th, earned in May 2023.
● This was Grala’s second NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte. His best finish remains 23rd, earned in May 2022.

Race Notes:

● Christopher Bell won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his eighth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Charlotte.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 46 laps, including the final four laps.
● All but five of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Denny Hamlin leaves Charlotte as the new championship leader with a five-point advantage over second-place Martin Truex Jr.

Sound Bites:

“We had a really strong Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend in Charlotte. We’ve been aiming to qualify better and this weekend was a good step for that. The balance in the race was great, we just had some trouble on pit road that led to our finish not being quite as strong as it could’ve been. Proud of the RWR guys for bringing a competitive car again. Lots of momentum for the next one..”– Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 The Cleaning Authority Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“We really struggled with the handling right from the start of the race tonight. By the halfway point, we finally got the balance to a pretty good place, and then it got away from us just a little bit at the very end. We’re on the lead lap, and I think if the race had gone the full distance we could have rebounded to a good finish. Unfortunately, the race was called short right after our worst stint of the night, so we didn’t get the finish we could have.” – Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 15 N29 Capital Partners Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Enjoy Illinois 300 on Sunday, June 2 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

108th Indianapolis 500 presented by GainbridgePost-Race Notes

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Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 26, 2024) – Historical and event notes from the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

  • This was the second career Indianapolis 500 victory for Josef Newgarden in his 13th career “500” start.
  • Josef Newgarden became the sixth driver to earn back-to-back victories in the Indianapolis 500 and the first since Helio Castroneves achieved the feat for Team Penske in 2001-02. The others: Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54) and Al Unser (1970-71).
  • Josef Newgarden became the 11th two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He is the first driver to join the two-time winner’s club since Takuma Sato in 2020. Sato also won in 2017.
  • Team Penske earned its 20th Indianapolis 500 victory, extending its event record. Chip Ganassi is second with six wins, five with Chip Ganassi Racing and one as a co-owner with Pat Patrick.
  • Team Penske repeated its feat of sweeping the front row in qualifying and winning the race. Rick Mears won from the pole in 1988 after his teammates Danny Sullivan and Al Unser started second and third, respectively. Team Penske drivers Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden started 1-2-3, respectively, in this race in only the second front-row sweep in “500” history.
  • This is the 14th time the car that started third won the Indianapolis 500. The last winner from the No. 3 starting spot was Takuma Sato in 2020. The event record is 21 winners from the pole.
  • This is the 13th Indianapolis 500 victory for a Chevrolet engine, elevating it to third in event history. Offenhauser is first with 27 wins, followed by Honda with 15.
  • This is the 11th time car No. 2 has won the Indianapolis 500, tying that number with No. 3 for the most wins in “500” history. Newgarden also won last year in No. 2.
  • The last time an American driver or drivers have won two consecutive Indianapolis 500s came in 1991 and 1992. Rick Mears won in 1991, Al Unser Jr. in 1992.
  • Josef Newgarden is the fourth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 at age 33. The last was Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014.
  • This is only the fourth time the Indianapolis 500 has been decided by a last-lap pass. The other two times: 2006: Sam Hornish (Team Penske) passed Marco Andretti on the front straightaway; 2011: Dan Wheldon passed JR Hildebrand on the front straightaway; 2023: Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) passed Marcus Ericsson on the back straightaway.
  • Eighteen different drivers led at least one lap today, an event record. The previous record was 15 drivers in 2017 and 2018.
  • Helio Castroneves completed the full 500-mile distance for the 18th time in his Indianapolis 500 race career, extending his race record. He has been running at the end of the race in 22 of 24 career starts, also a race record.
  • There were 21 cars on the lead lap at the finish, just shy of the event record of 22 set in 2021 and 2022.
  • Scott Dixon led 12 laps today to extend his event record to 677 career laps led.
  • Scott Dixon has led at least one lap in 16th Indianapolis 500s, breaking the event record of 15 races led he shared with Tony Kanaan.
  • Christian Rasmussen was the top-finishing rookie today, in 12th place.
  • There were 49 lead changes, the fourth-highest total in “500” history. The record is 68 in 2013, followed by 54 in 2016 and 52 in 2023.
  • Helio Castroneves made his 24th Indy 500 start, moving into a three-way tie with Gordon Johncock and Johnny Rutherford for fourth place for career Indianapolis 500 starts. The record is 35 by A.J. Foyt, followed by Mario Andretti with 29 and Al Unser with 27.
  • The last time there was a yellow caution flag on the opening lap was 2015 when there was contact between several cars in Turn 1, eliminating Sage Karam from the race.
  • Marcus Ericsson became the first former winner to finish last since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2016.
  • Roger Penske is the first team owner to have two drivers win back-to-back Indianapolis 500s, with Helio Castroneves in 2001-02 and Josef Newgarden in 2023-24.
  • Scott Dixon finished third, giving him nine top-five finishes in 22 career starts.
  • Conor Daly advanced more positions than any other driver, finishing 10th after starting 29th.
  • Fourth-place finisher Alexander Rossi finished in the top five for the sixth time in nine Indy 500 career starts.
  • Christian Lundgaard recorded the fastest lap (226.373 mph) of the race on Lap 175.
  • NTT P1 Award winner Scott McLaughlin led a race-high 64 laps today, the first “500” laps he has led in his career.
  • There were seven drivers who led the Indianapolis 500 for the first time: Scott McLaughlin, Sting Ray Robb, Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood, and rookie drivers Kyffin Simpson, Kyle Larson and Christian Rasmussen.
  • All 18 lap leaders finished on the lead lap, beating the event record of 11, set in 2023.
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