Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Katherine Legge Completes 33-Car Indy 500 Field with AJ Foyt Racing and HMD Partnership
Veteran driver Katherine Legge will return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2026 Indianapolis 500 after AJ Foyt Racing and HMD Motorsports confirmed a partnership entry on Monday. Legge, 45, will pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet with primary backing from e.l.f. Cosmetics and expanded support from General Motors. Her confirmation completes the 33-car entry list for the 110th running of the race, scheduled for May 24. Andy O’Gara will serve as race strategist. Legge made history in 2023 as the fastest woman ever to qualify at IMS, clocking 231.07 mph. This will be her fifth Indy 500 start, her first since 2024.
Sources: Frontstretch
All 33 Indy 500 Entries Hit IMS Oval as Two-Day Open Test Gets Under Way
The 110th Indianapolis 500 enters its on-track preparation phase on Tuesday as all 33 entries arrive at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the annual two-day Indy 500 Open Test. Veteran drivers have the oval to themselves from 10 a.m. to noon before Rookie Orientation and refresher tests run from noon to 2 p.m., with the full field joining from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday runs all day. Nine former Indianapolis 500 winners are among those in attendance as teams begin searching for the oval setup that could put them on the Borg-Warner Trophy at the end of May. All sessions stream live on the IndyCar YouTube channel.
Sources: IndyCar
Schumacher, Hauger, Collet and Abel Face IMS Oval for First Time at Open Test Rookie Orientation
Four drivers will make their first laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on an oval during Tuesday’s Open Test Rookie Orientation Program. Mick Schumacher of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Dale Coyne Racing’s Dennis Hauger, AJ Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet, and Jacob Abel from Abel Motorsports are each cleared to begin the required orientation program. All four completed prerequisite high-speed oval evaluations at approved tracks during the winter and spring. Schumacher, who raced Formula 1 for three seasons with Haas, has the most prominent background of the group. Abel attempted to qualify at IMS last year but failed to make the 33-car starting grid.
Sources: IndyCar
Arrow McLaren to Run All Four Indy 500 Entries During IMS Open Test
Arrow McLaren will field all four of its Indy 500 entries during the IMS Open Test this week, the team confirmed ahead of Tuesday’s session. The outfit runs full-time drivers Pato O’Ward (No. 5), Nolan Siegel (No. 6), and Christian Lundgaard (No. 7) alongside returnee Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No. 31 Chevrolet. Running four cars simultaneously at the Open Test gives the team maximum data and correlation before May qualifying. Arrow McLaren’s engineers can compare aerodynamic packages and setup philosophies across four distinct driver feedback profiles, potentially providing an advantage as the team pursues a first Indianapolis 500 victory.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Hunter-Reay Indy 500 Entry Gains GXO Logistics and Armed Services YMCA Support
Arrow McLaren confirmed GXO Logistics and the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) as official partners for Ryan Hunter-Reay’s No. 31 Chevrolet entry in the 110th Indianapolis 500. GXO, a global contract logistics company, makes its first entry into American open-wheel racing through the deal. The Armed Services YMCA connection continues the team’s commitment to supporting military families and personnel. Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2012 IndyCar Series champion, will attempt to add a second Borg-Warner Trophy likeness. He joins a four-car Arrow McLaren lineup alongside O’Ward, Lundgaard, and Siegel for the May 24 race.
Sources: Trackside Online
Sam’s Club and Andretti Global Launch Expanded Program for Kirkwood at Indianapolis 500
Andretti Global and Sam’s Club announced an expanded INDYCAR partnership on Monday, with the retail membership warehouse brand becoming a primary sponsor on Kyle Kirkwood’s No. 27 Honda for the 110th Indianapolis 500. Sam’s Club will debut the expanded livery at the IMS Open Test on Tuesday and Wednesday before the car runs at the race on May 24. Kirkwood, currently second in the NTT IndyCar Series standings with 188 points, arrives at IMS as one of the title favorites. The Andretti Global driver claimed a podium finish in three of the opening five rounds and is positioned 17 points behind championship leader Alex Palou.
Sources: Andretti Global
Will Power Says Andretti Global Has “Everything to Win” at Indianapolis 500
Will Power has expressed full confidence that Andretti Global possesses the equipment and organisational depth to win the Indianapolis 500 in his first season with the team. The Australian, a two-time IndyCar champion and 2018 Indy 500 winner, left Team Penske after the 2025 season to join Andretti Global in the No. 26 Honda. Power told IndyCar media that Andretti brings together everything needed to challenge for victory at the event he has long coveted with a new team. Andretti Global has won the Indy 500 six times, most recently when Takuma Sato triumphed in 2017. Power lines up this year alongside teammates Kirkwood, Ericsson, and Rossi.
Sources: IndyCar
IndyCar to Restrict All Non-Indy 500 Races to Charter-Holding Teams from 2027
IndyCar confirmed that beginning in the 2027 season, all non-Indianapolis 500 race entries will be restricted to teams holding a charter. The decision eliminates the open-entry pathway that previously allowed non-chartered teams to compete at select events. In 2025, Prema Racing was the only non-chartered team in the series, attempting a number of rounds without success. The Indianapolis 500 retains its traditional open entry format, preserving the 33-car grid. Starting in 2028, two additional charter slots will be created for Honda and Chevrolet as part of their engine supplier agreements. The 2027 field will consist of 25 chartered entries.
Sources: Motorsport Week
Drivers’ Championship
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 — 70 pts
20. Nolan Siegel — 65 pts
21. Caio Collet — 62 pts
22. Ed Carpenter — 57 pts
23. Takuma Sato — 50 pts
24. Mick Schumacher — 45 pts
25. Sting Ray Robb — 42 pts
Teams’ Championship
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 400 pts
2. Team Penske — 399 pts
3. Andretti Global — 381 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 334 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 213 pts
6. Ed Carpenter Racing — 162 pts
7. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 156 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 79 pts
9. AJ Foyt Enterprises — 74 pts
10. Dale Coyne Racing — 71 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency