Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
IndyCar Officiating Clears Long Beach Drivers After Software Fault in Push to Pass System
IndyCar Officiating announced Tuesday its investigation into the Push to Pass software failure at the April 19 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach concluded with no changes to the official results. The inquiry found that simultaneous CAN (Controller Area Network) messages were erroneously sent from IndyCar’s software to all cars on track, disabling the shutdown signal intended to block P2P use during a Lap 61 restart. Twelve drivers pressed the button during that restart, but analysis confirmed no car gained a net position advantage. A software fix was successfully tested at the Indianapolis 500 Open Test and will be deployed at this weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix.
Sources: RACER
IndyCar Removes Push to Pass Restrictions, Expands System to Full Use on Road and Street Courses
IndyCar has expanded Push to Pass availability for all remaining road and street course events, beginning with Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Under the updated rule, drivers may deploy the system’s roughly 60 extra horsepower at any point once a car crosses the alternate start-finish line after the start or a restart. The previous restriction prevented P2P use on restarts. The change directly follows the Long Beach software malfunction, during which 12 of 25 drivers attempted to activate Push to Pass on a restart hoping to benefit from a glitch. A software fix verified at the recent Indy 500 Open Test will also be implemented this weekend.
Sources: RACER
Thousands Gather in Padua to Farewell Two-Time IndyCar Champion Alex Zanardi
Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of two-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Zanardi on Tuesday at the Basilica di Santa Giustina in Padua, Italy. Zanardi, who died May 1 at age 59, won back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998 driving for Chip Ganassi Racing and recorded 15 victories across his IndyCar career. His handbike was placed near the altar as a tribute to his Paralympic legacy, which included four gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games. Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali, Alpine skier Alberto Tomba, and Paralympic fencer Bebe Vio were among the dignitaries present. Zanardi is survived by his wife Daniela and son Niccolò.
Sources: The Game Nashville / AP
Palou and Kirkwood Talk Up IndyCar Title Rivalry as Month of May Gets Underway
Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood spoke Tuesday about their IndyCar title rivalry heading into Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Palou, who leads the standings by 17 points after winning three of the season’s first five races, said the tighter margin compared to 2025 adds motivation entering a circuit where he has won the past three consecutive editions. Kirkwood, the Andretti Global driver who has twice finished as championship runner-up, acknowledged Palou’s current form is difficult to match but said his team has the pace to challenge. Both drivers arrive in Indianapolis this week for practice starting Friday on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn IMS road course.
Sources: RACER
O’Ward Targeting Race Wins to Close Alex Palou’s 69-Point Championship Lead
Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward arrived at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week targeting race victories to close a 69-point gap to championship leader Alex Palou. O’Ward, fourth in the standings with 136 points, said IndyCar’s expanded Push to Pass rules for road and street courses offer hard-charging drivers additional tools to make overtakes. The Mexican driver has shown strong qualifying pace and race speed throughout 2026 but has yet to convert that form into a win. Teammate Christian Lundgaard sits fifth with 131 points, making Arrow McLaren the closest multi-car team to challenging Chip Ganassi Racing’s dominant performance across the opening five rounds.
Sources: INDYCAR.com
Desnuda Organic Tequila Named Official Premium Spirits Partner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway named Desnuda Organic Tequila as its official premium tequila partner on Tuesday ahead of the Month of May race events. The partnership covers both the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 9 and the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 24. Desnuda is a USDA-certified organic brand produced in Jalisco, Mexico, and will feature trackside branding, hospitality activations, and promotional integration at both weekends at IMS. The announcement adds to the speedway’s growing portfolio of corporate partners building toward the largest open-wheel motorsport event on the American calendar. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by either party.
Sources: TrackSideOnline
Drivers’ Championship
After Round 5 — Long Beach
1. Alex Palou — 205 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 188 pts
3. David Malukas — 142 pts
4. Pato O’Ward — 136 pts
5. Christian Lundgaard — 131 pts
6. Josef Newgarden — 130 pts
7. Scott McLaughlin — 127 pts
8. Scott Dixon — 120 pts
9. Felix Rosenqvist — 109 pts
10. Graham Rahal — 106 pts
11. Alexander Rossi — 105 pts
12. Marcus Armstrong — 104 pts
13. Marcus Ericsson — 104 pts
14. Will Power — 89 pts
15. Rinus VeeKay — 79 pts
16. Dennis Hauger — 76 pts
17. Kyffin Simpson — 75 pts
18. Santino Ferrucci — 74 pts
19. Louis Foster — — pts
20. Romain Grosjean — — pts
21. Caio Collet — — pts
22. Mick Schumacher — — pts
23. Sting Ray Robb — — pts
Teams’ Championship
Unofficial — top 2 drivers per team
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 325 pts
2. Andretti Global — 292 pts
3. Team Penske — 272 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 267 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 213 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 106+ pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 105+ pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 79 pts
9. Dale Coyne Racing — 76+ pts
10. AJ Foyt Racing — 74+ pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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