Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Friday, May 1, 2026
Five Indy 500 Contenders Emerge from Two-Day IMS Open Test
Five Indy 500 contenders have emerged from the two-day open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, David Malukas, and Conor Daly occupied the top spots on the timing monitor with one hour remaining in the final session, according to IndyCar’s Inside Line column published Thursday. The three full-time rookies—Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger, and Mick Schumacher—added to the story, landing inside the top 14 in the closing period. Only 10 rookies have ever won the Indianapolis 500, but IndyCar noted this year’s class looks as strong as any in recent memory. Indy 500 practice opens May 12.
Sources: IndyCar
Rookie Collet Tops Indy 500 Open Test with 226.381 mph on Final Day
Rookie Caio Collet set the fastest speed of the entire Indianapolis 500 open test on April 29, clocking 226.381 mph in the No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Brazilian was one of only two drivers to break the 226 mph mark, with two-time winner Josef Newgarden posting 226.223 mph in the same morning session. The test was delayed 75 minutes by overnight rain on the second day, but the wet start did not prevent all 33 cars from completing a combined 4,697 incident-free laps across both days. Full-time Indy 500 practice begins Tuesday, May 12.
Sources: IndyCar, Motorsport Week
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Named Official Pace Car for 110th Indianapolis 500
Chevrolet has unveiled the 2026 Corvette ZR1X as the official pace car for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on May 24. The American hypercar produces 1,250 horsepower from a 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 combined with electric front motors, reaching zero to 60 mph in under 2 seconds and a top speed of 233 mph. The custom-painted machine uses a striking split colour scheme: Arctic White on one side and Admiral Blue on the other, with stars-and-stripes decals. Indiana University head football coach Curt Cignetti, celebrating IU’s undefeated national championship season, has been named honorary pace car driver for the race.
Sources: IndyCar, Motorsport Week
Schumacher Clears Rookie Orientation and Describes First IMS Oval Laps as Unique Challenge
Mick Schumacher completed his mandatory Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 28, turning his first laps on the 2.5-mile oval in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. The German-Swiss driver passed all three phases of the programme on his first attempt and described the experience as distinctly different from his Phoenix oval debut in March, where he had qualified fourth. Schumacher said the wide, sweeping Indy corners required him to trust his instincts rather than physically feel the car’s limits. The 110th Indianapolis 500, Schumacher’s first race on the IMS oval layout, is scheduled for May 24.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Ben Siegel Replaces Cannon as Hauger Race Engineer at Dale Coyne Racing
Ben Siegel has stepped in as race engineer for IndyCar rookie Dennis Hauger at Dale Coyne Racing, replacing Michael Cannon who has been absent since the Long Beach Grand Prix to attend to personal matters. Siegel, who won at Toronto in 2023 engineering Christian Lundgaard with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, joined Hauger’s crew for the first time at the Indianapolis 500 open test on April 28–29. The Norwegian posted a 223.257 mph best lap—17th fastest overall—during the test. Siegel will remain in the role for the remainder of the 2026 season.
Sources: RACER
All Indy 500 Rookies and Returning Veterans Complete Mandatory Orientation Program
All four first-time Indianapolis 500 starters—Jacob Abel, Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger, and Mick Schumacher—completed their mandatory Rookie Orientation Program at the open test on April 28, clearing the three-phase speed requirement to qualify for the May 24 race. Five veteran drivers who do not contest the full IndyCar calendar also completed an oval refresher course, including former winners Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Katherine Legge was prevented from completing her refresher on Tuesday by apparent clutch issues but cleared the requirement on Wednesday morning, with all 33 confirmed Indianapolis 500 entrants now eligible for May practice beginning May 12.
Sources: Motorsport Week
IndyCar Finalizes Rule Restricting Non-Charter Entries to Indy 500 Only from 2027
IndyCar has finalized a rule change restricting competition to charter-holding teams from the 2027 season, with non-chartered entries permitted only for the Indianapolis 500 going forward. The move, reported by RACER on April 28, effectively limits the regular-season field to 25 cars and eliminates the pathway for new teams to join the series mid-season without purchasing a charter from an existing team. PREMA, the only team running a full season without a charter in 2025, has already departed the series. Separate manufacturer charter rules are planned for 2028, which would require Honda and Chevrolet to field minimum car counts.
Sources: RACER
Will Power Notes Calmer Andretti Atmosphere Ahead of First Indy 500 with New Team
Will Power, competing in his first Indianapolis 500 with Andretti Global after 17 seasons at Team Penske, described the atmosphere at his new team as ‘more calm’ during the open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 28. Andretti fielded just three cars at IMS for the first time since its 2003 debut. Power, the all-time NTT IndyCar Series pole leader with 71 total poles, has never secured an Indianapolis 500 pole despite his exceptional qualifying record. He paced much of Day 1 at 223.151 mph before finishing 10th as a late surge of fast laps reshuffled the timing charts.
Sources: IndyCar
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 — 73 pts
20. Romain Grosjean — pts N/A
21. Caio Collet — pts N/A
22. Christian Rasmussen — pts N/A
23. Nolan Siegel — pts N/A
24. Mick Schumacher — pts N/A
25. Sting Ray Robb — pts N/A
Teams’ Championship
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 400 pts
2. Team Penske — 399 pts
3. Andretti Global — 381 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 267 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 213 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 179 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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