Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Rossi, O’Ward and Grosjean Involved in Huge Three-Car Practice Crash
Alexander Rossi triggered a three-car wreck Monday during Indy 500 practice when his #20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet snapped loose exiting Turn 2, slamming hard into the SAFER barrier and briefly going airborne. Pato O’Ward spun trying to avoid the stricken car and struck Rossi’s machine; Romain Grosjean also crashed on the backstretch. O’Ward and Grosjean were cleared at the infield medical centre, but Rossi was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Ed Carpenter Racing immediately deployed a backup chassis. All three cars were destroyed in the incident, which struck just 65 minutes into the storm-shortened session.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Rossi Undergoes Surgery, Targets Carb Day Return After Practice Crash
Alexander Rossi underwent successful outpatient procedures on his left-hand finger and right ankle following Monday’s violent practice crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ed Carpenter Racing confirmed the injuries were minor, and Rossi intends to participate in Friday’s Carb Day practice before starting Sunday’s 110th Indianapolis 500 from second on the grid. Under IndyCar regulations, a driver involved in an incident retains their qualifying grid position in a backup car. Rossi, who qualified second at 231.990 mph on Sunday, will share the front row with polesitter Alex Palou and Team Penske’s David Malukas.
Sources: Motorsport.com
How Palou Turned a Qualifying Scare Into His Second Indy 500 Pole
Alex Palou barely made the Fast 12 at the 110th Indianapolis 500 — qualifying 11th in the opening round — before orchestrating one of the season’s most dramatic qualifying runs. The defending race winner and four-time IndyCar champion steadily improved through each session, ultimately recording a 232.248 mph four-lap average in his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to claim pole. Drawing a late position in the qualifying order allowed his team to tune for peak afternoon heat, with track temperatures reaching 111°F. “This feels so much better,” Palou told Motorsport.com, rating Sunday’s effort above his 2023 pole.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Collet and Harvey Disqualified from Indy 500 Qualifying Over EMS Hardware Failures
IndyCar disqualified rookie Caio Collet and Jack Harvey from their qualifying results for the 110th Indianapolis 500 after post-qualifying inspections found both cars had run non-compliant Energy Management System hardware. Collet, who had qualified tenth and advanced into the Fast 12, drops to 32nd on the grid and forfeits three bonus championship points. Harvey, originally 29th, falls to 33rd. Both drivers also lose their allocated pit-lane boxes. Scott Dixon benefits from Collet’s exclusion, moving into the top ten. The penalties represent a significant compliance failure during one of IndyCar’s most closely monitored qualifying events.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Rosenqvist Calls Indy 500 Pole Loss a ‘Déjà Vu’ After Dominant Early Pace
Felix Rosenqvist was the fastest driver through both the All Cars and Fast 12 qualifying rounds Sunday, recording a 232.599 mph four-lap average in the opening session before inexplicably slowing to 231.375 mph in the Firestone Fast Six to settle fourth. The Meyer Shank Racing Honda driver noted slight tyre blistering but could not identify the root cause of the speed drop. “It’s a little bit of déjà vu,” said the 34-year-old Swede, who has now transferred to the Fast Six in three of the past four seasons without converting pole position. He starts fourth on Sunday.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Rossi Says He’s ‘Happy With Second’ After Career-Best Indy 500 Qualifying
Alexander Rossi qualified on the front row for the 110th Indianapolis 500, recording 231.990 mph to start second alongside polesitter Alex Palou. The 2016 race winner described the result as a career best across 11 Indy 500 appearances — his previous best front-row start was third in 2017. Challenging conditions included 111°F track temperatures and gusts nearing 20 mph. “It’s not often that you are happy with second place,” Rossi said, crediting his ECR crew for adapting through the day. The front-row result proved doubly significant given Rossi’s crash the following morning in Monday’s practice session.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Newgarden Tops Storm-Shortened Indy 500 Practice Session
Josef Newgarden led a dramatically abbreviated Indy 500 practice Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, topping the timesheets at 226.198 mph before lightning forced all cars to pit after just 65 of the scheduled 120 minutes. Takuma Sato ran second at 225.723 mph; rookie Dennis Hauger was third at 224.554 mph. The session was further interrupted by the three-car crash involving Rossi, O’Ward and Grosjean. Newgarden, who qualified 24th Sunday in a surprising slump for the two-time 500 winner, used the session to gather race-setup data. Thursday’s Carb Day practice will be the field’s last on-track opportunity before Sunday’s race.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Kirkwood Sets Sights on Winning the 500, Not Protecting Championship Lead
Kyle Kirkwood is not thinking about championship points heading into Sunday’s 110th Indianapolis 500. The Andretti Global driver sits second in the standings, 27 points behind leader Alex Palou, but says his only goal at Indianapolis is victory. “We’re here to win,” said Kirkwood, 27, who qualified 25th after missing the Fast 12. He acknowledged the lost qualifying points hurt but backed his Sam’s Club Honda to challenge at the front. Kirkwood drew confidence from teammates Will Power and Marcus Ericsson — both former 500 winners — and his own track record of charging through the field in previous Indy starts.
Sources: Motorsport.com
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
19. Louis Foster — 86 pts
20. Nolan Siegel — 76 pts
21. Caio Collet — 70 pts
22. Romain Grosjean — 69 pts
23. Christian Rasmussen — 65 pts
24. Sting Ray Robb — 55 pts
25. Mick Schumacher — 54 pts
Teams’ Championship
1. Team Penske — 488 pts
2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 478 pts
3. Andretti Global — 429 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 406 pts
5. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 281 pts
6. Meyer Shank Racing — 239 pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 175 pts
8. Dale Coyne Racing — 169 pts
9. AJ Foyt Enterprises — 160 pts
10. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 149 pts
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.