Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Palou Targets Rare Back-to-Back Indy 500 Win Atop Dominant Championship Lead
Alex Palou enters IndyCar's Month of May as both the championship leader and the defending Indianapolis 500 winner. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver holds a 17-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood heading into the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 9, having won three of the season's first five races. Should Palou win the 500 on May 24, he would become only the seventh driver in history to claim back-to-back Indianapolis 500 victories, the last being Josef Newgarden in 2024. Analyst Oriol Servia noted that Palou's consistency is the benchmark, his average finish of 4.2 over the past five seasons leading the entire field.
Sources: Racer
Rookie Caio Collet Sets Test-Best 226 MPH on Final Day of Indy 500 Open Test
Rookie Caio Collet posted the fastest speed of the entire Indianapolis 500 Open Test during Wednesday's final session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, clocking 226.381 mph in the AJ Foyt Racing No. 4 Chevrolet. Two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden was second at 226.223 mph for Team Penske, also leading the afternoon session at 225.617 mph. All three of the 2026 season's full-time IndyCar rookies landed inside the top 14 during the final session, validating their high-oval pace ahead of the 110th Indy 500. The two-day test concluded 4,697 incident-free laps across all 33 entries, reflecting the field's thorough preparation heading into the Month of May.
Sources: IndyCar
Conor Daly and Dreyer & Reinbold Lead Experienced Charge on Day 1 at IMS
Conor Daly set the fastest lap of the first day of the Indianapolis 500 Open Test on April 28, recording a top speed of 225.394 mph in the Dreyer and Reinbold Racing No. 23 Chevrolet. The small, Indianapolis-focused team maintains a year-round dedicated staff for Indy 500 preparation, and that investment showed clearly. Teammate Jack Harvey topped the no-tow speed charts on both test days, reaching 221.112 mph, underscoring DRR's edge in unaided oval pace. Daly's Day 1 lap held up as the third-fastest of the entire two-day test, a strong early signal from one of eight non-chartered teams contesting the 110th Indianapolis 500.
Sources: Racer
IndyCar Finalizes Charter-Only Entry Rule from 2027, Indianapolis 500 Exempted
IndyCar has finalized a rule restricting entry at all non-Indianapolis 500 races to chartered teams only, starting with the 2027 season. Announced April 28, the change means fields at standard-season races will be capped at 25 chartered cars next year, rising to 27 in 2028 when Honda and Chevrolet each receive a new charter as part of their renewed engine supply agreements. Non-chartered teams will retain the right to compete in the Indianapolis 500, preserving the traditional 33-car grid. IndyCar cited improved series health and long-term planning certainty for suppliers and teams as the primary drivers behind the structural change.
Sources: Racer
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Named Pace Car for the 110th Indianapolis 500
Chevrolet's Corvette ZR1X will serve as the official pace car for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The hypercar produces 1,250 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 paired with a 186-horsepower front electric motor, reaching 60 mph in under two seconds and a top speed of 233 mph. A one-off stars-and-stripes livery with a two-tone Arctic White and Admiral Blue finish will mark the occasion. Indiana University head football coach Curt Cignetti will serve as honorary pace car driver, recognising IU Football's undefeated national championship season. It is the 37th time Chevrolet has paced the Indianapolis 500.
Sources: IndyCar
All Four Indianapolis 500 Rookies Clear Oval Orientation at Open Test
All four Indianapolis 500 rookie drivers cleared their mandatory oval orientation at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the April 28–29 open test, making each eligible for official practice beginning May 12. Full-time rookies Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger and Louis Foster completed the progression alongside Indy-only entry Mick Schumacher, who is making his debut at the 2.5-mile oval for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Schumacher, formerly of Haas and Mercedes in Formula 1, ran alongside veteran IndyCar drivers throughout both days and finished the test with a solid performance. With all qualifications met, the 110th Indianapolis 500 field is now fully cleared for May practice.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Arrow McLaren and PrizePicks Announce Indy 500 Sponsorship on Hunter-Reay Entry
Arrow McLaren and fantasy sports platform PrizePicks have announced a partnership naming PrizePicks as the primary sponsor on Ryan Hunter-Reay's No. 31 Chevrolet for the 110th Indianapolis 500. Announced April 29 at a McLaren Racing Live fan event in Miami, the deal also extends PrizePicks branding to the tire ramps of all three full-time Arrow McLaren entries throughout the 2026 season. Hunter-Reay, the 2012 IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner, joins regulars Pato O'Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard to give Arrow McLaren a four-car lineup at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the May 24 race.
Sources: Motorsport.com
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 — — pts
20. Romain Grosjean — — pts
21-23. Siegel / Collet / Carpenter — — pts
24. Mick Schumacher — — pts
25. Sting Ray Robb — — pts
Teams' Championship
(sum of driver pts after Long Beach, Rd. 5)
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 — 106+ pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 105+ pts
8. AJ Foyt Racing — 74+ pts
9. Dale Coyne Racing — 76+ pts
10. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 79+ pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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