Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Conor Daly Leads Indy 500 Practice Day 2 at 228 mph as Field Picks Up Speed
Conor Daly of Dreyer and Reinbold Racing posted the fastest lap of the 2026 Indianapolis 500 practice week on Wednesday, clocking 228.080 mph during Day 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Daly and defending champion Alex Palou were the only drivers to crack 228 mph, with Palou following at 228.026. David Malukas placed third at 227.139, ahead of Graham Rahal at 226.835 and Romain Grosjean at 226.591. All 33 entries combined for 2,542 incident-free laps in cool, overcast conditions. Pato O’Ward led non-tow times at 221.409 mph. Daly noted his car was not even flat out on his quickest lap, suggesting more speed remains ahead of Saturday qualifying.
Sources: RACER
Katherine Legge to Become First Woman to Attempt Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 Double
Katherine Legge will become the first woman to attempt the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 Double on the same day, she confirmed Wednesday. Legge races the No. 11 HMD Motorsports Honda at Indianapolis on May 24, then flies to Charlotte to drive the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet in the 600-mile NASCAR Cup race that same evening. Six drivers have attempted the Double before, but none were women. Legge set the record as the fastest woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 2023. She is the only female driver in the 2026 Indy 500 field, and will attempt to complete 1,100 miles of racing in a single day.
Sources: Motorsport Week
110th Indianapolis 500 Grandstand Sells Out for Second Straight Year; Local TV Blackout Lifted
The 110th Indianapolis 500 will draw a packed house after Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Wednesday that grandstand seating has sold out for the second consecutive year, with approximately 350,000 fans expected on race day. The sellout directly lifts the local television blackout, allowing the race to air live on FOX59 in the Indianapolis market. IMS President J. Douglas Boles said anticipation is approaching an all-time high. This marks the third grandstand sellout in ten years for the event. Qualifying runs Saturday and Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the race itself on May 24 on FOX. The local TV lift is considered historically significant for the Indianapolis region.
Sources: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
VeeKay Eyes Indy 500 Rebound After Extracting Lessons from 2025 Struggles at Juncos Hollinger
Rinus VeeKay said his difficult 2025 Indianapolis 500, in which he struggled with a slow and unpredictable Juncos Hollinger car, reshaped his preparation for this year’s race. Speaking after Day 2 of practice Wednesday, VeeKay said driving a sketchy, off-pace car revealed what he needs to prioritise. He ran 15th overall at 225.091 mph but placed 10th on the non-tow sheet. VeeKay said his No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet now feels comparable to his stronger seasons at Ed Carpenter Racing. He expressed confidence his team can challenge for the Fast 12 again this weekend, citing teammate Conor Daly’s 2025 Fast 12 result as the benchmark.
Sources: IndyCar
Drivers’ Championship
1. Alex Palou — 237 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 210 pts
3. David Malukas — 185 pts
4. Christian Lundgaard — 182 pts
5. Josef Newgarden — 162 pts
6. Scott Dixon — 148 pts
7. Pato O’Ward — 148 pts
8. Scott McLaughlin — 141 pts
9. Graham Rahal — 141 pts
10. Marcus Armstrong — 123 pts
11. Felix Rosenqvist — 116 pts
12. Marcus Ericsson — 112 pts
13. Alexander Rossi — 110 pts
14. Will Power — 107 pts
15. Dennis Hauger — 100 pts
16. Rinus VeeKay — 94 pts
17. Kyffin Simpson — 93 pts
18. Santino Ferrucci — 90 pts
Teams’ Championship
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 385 pts
2. Team Penske — 347 pts
3. Andretti Global — 322 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 330 pts
5. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 141 pts
6. Meyer Shank Racing — 239 pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 110 pts
8. Dale Coyne Racing — 100 pts
9. AJ Foyt Racing — 90 pts
10. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 94 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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