Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
IndyCar Bans Competitive Factors from Full Course Yellow Decisions
INDYCAR and its Independent Officiating Board announced Tuesday that race control will no longer factor in pit windows or running order when escalating a local yellow to a full course yellow. The change followed Alexander Rossi’s car stopping on the IMS road course front straight during last Saturday’s race, with cars passing at over 170 mph for an entire lap before a full course yellow was called. Board chair Raj Nair said the new standard ensures safety is the only consideration. INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles added the series “must not waver” from driver safety. The updated procedure takes effect immediately and has been communicated to all teams.
Sources: IndyCar
Palou Quickest Among All 33 Indy 500 Entrants on Opening Practice Day
Alex Palou led all 33 Indianapolis 500 entrants on opening practice day Tuesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, setting a top lap of 225.937 mph late in the six-hour session in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou had briefly pulled into the pits with a balance concern before returning after crew adjustments. Marcus Armstrong was second at 225.895 mph, and Conor Daly of Dreyer and Reinbold Racing was third at 225.838 mph. Kyle Kirkwood set the fastest unassisted lap at 222.062 mph. All 33 entrants turned laps in sunny conditions, combining for 1,996 total circuits on the 2.5-mile oval.
Sources: IndyCar
Castroneves Eyes Historic Fifth Indy 500 Win: “I Feel Good”
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves said Tuesday he is entering this year’s race with more optimism than any previous shot at a record fifth victory, pointing to strong open test form and a largely intact crew from 2025. Castroneves, 51, placed 15th on the opening-day speed chart in the No. 06 Cleveland Cliffs Meyer Shank Racing Honda. He believes last year’s 10th-place finish masked a car capable of winning and said he was already refocused on 2026 before crossing the line. He will make his 26th Indy 500 start on May 24, having won in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021.
Sources: IndyCar
McLaughlin Targets Indy 500 Redemption After Painful 2025 Pace Lap Crash
Scott McLaughlin returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday determined to move past crashing his No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet on the 2025 Indianapolis 500 pace lap before the green flag flew. The New Zealander stayed trackside that day to study strategy and hybrid deployment rather than leave. Entering his sixth Indianapolis 500, McLaughlin ranked eighth in Tuesday’s opening practice at 224.401 mph and said his car matches last year’s pace. He earned pole and finished a career-best sixth at Indianapolis in 2024. McLaughlin said confidence within Team Penske is high and the team has “an opportunity to create a storyline” in May.
Sources: IndyCar
Arrow McLaren Launches ‘Unfinished Business’ Indy 500 Campaign with Four-Car Entry
Arrow McLaren unveiled its four Indianapolis 500 entries Tuesday under an “Unfinished Business” campaign, marking the team’s pursuit of its first Indy 500 victory since Johnny Rutherford won for McLaren in 1976. White-and-papaya liveries with sponsor-specific accents feature on the Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 31 Chevrolets of Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel, Christian Lundgaard and Ryan Hunter-Reay. The team enters May with momentum after Lundgaard won last Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix. Arrow McLaren is also pursuing the Month of May sweep, achieved by Team Penske three times and by Chip Ganassi Racing last year when Alex Palou won both the IMS road course race and the Indianapolis 500.
Sources: IndyCar
Defending Champion Palou Eligible for $40,000 BorgWarner Jackpot at Indy 500
Defending Indianapolis 500 winner and championship leader Alex Palou is eligible for BorgWarner’s $40,000 Rolling Jackpot if he wins this year’s race. The prize, created in 1995, grows by $20,000 annually when unclaimed and rewards consecutive Indy 500 victories. It has been won just twice: by Helio Castroneves in 2002 and Josef Newgarden in 2024 for $440,000. A Palou victory would also make him the seventh driver ever to win the race in back-to-back years. Palou leads the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings by 27 points over Kyle Kirkwood after six races and paced Tuesday’s opening Indy 500 practice at 225.937 mph.
Sources: IndyCar
Armstrong Enters Third Indy 500 with Renewed Confidence After Crash-Troubled Debut
Marcus Armstrong enters his third Indianapolis 500 feeling more at ease than in either previous attempt. His 2024 debut ended in a first-lap Turn 1 crash at Chip Ganassi Racing, and a 2025 qualifying morning crash limited him to four laps before starting 32nd. Now with Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian in the No. 66 Acura Honda, Armstrong was second-fastest in Tuesday’s opening practice at 225.895 mph. He sits 10th in the championship after five top-11 results through six races. Armstrong said his experience removes the anxiety of the unknown, describing the month as “two weeks of fun around a speedway.”
Sources: IndyCar
Schumacher and Ferrucci Play Golf Together at Brickyard Two Days After Race Contact
Mick Schumacher and Santino Ferrucci played 18 holes together at Brickyard Crossing on Monday, just two days after making contact during last Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix. Schumacher received a drive-through penalty after touching Ferrucci while battling for position on Lap 81 of the 85-lap IMS road course race, dropping to 20th. Ferrucci finished 14th. Both drivers said the outing was planned before the race incident. Schumacher noted it was his first full 18-hole round at Brickyard Crossing since his October 2025 IndyCar test at IMS. He reported both finished the round tied on the scorecard.
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
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. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 160 pts
10. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 149 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.