Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Friday, May 15, 2026
O’Ward Tops Day 3 Indy 500 Practice at 227.308 mph
Pato O’Ward led the third day of Indianapolis 500 practice Thursday, posting 227.308 mph in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. O’Ward completed his lap in traffic during the opening 35 minutes of the six-hour session on the 2.5-mile oval. Four-time winner Helio Castroneves was second at 226.977 mph for Meyer Shank Racing, which placed all three of its cars in the top four — Marcus Armstrong third at 226.841 and Felix Rosenqvist fourth at 226.626. No-tow honors went to Takuma Sato at 223.828 mph. Friday’s “Fast Friday” session will feature increased turbocharger boost for the first time this month, previewing qualifying pace ahead of Time Trials beginning Saturday.
Sources: Motorsport.com, RACER
Conor Daly Eyes Historic Victory as Indiana Native at Indy
Indiana native Conor Daly is building momentum at Indianapolis ahead of the 110th Indianapolis 500, aiming to become the first Hoosier to win the race since Wilbur Shaw in 1940. Daly, driving the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet, has been among the quickest cars in practice this week and reported positive feedback from his engineers about car balance heading into qualifying. Growing up in Noblesville, Indiana, Daly has started the Indy 500 five times without a victory. With Time Trials set to begin Saturday, the speed and feel of his machine has him optimistic about making Hoosier history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Sonsio Grand Prix Draws Season-Low 656,000 Viewers on FOX
The Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course drew an average of 656,000 viewers on FOX on May 9 — the season’s smallest national television audience, according to figures published Thursday. The race, won by Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren, aired against NBA and NHL playoff coverage, which weighed on viewership. The figure was down from 710,000 for the same race in 2025. Despite the one-race dip, the 2026 season is averaging 1,239,000 viewers per race on FOX — a 44 percent increase over 2025 — reflecting broader gains under the series’ new broadcast partnership that moved most events to the flagship network.
Sources: RACER
Championship Contenders Strategize Draft Partners for Indy Qualifying
Championship contenders at Indianapolis spent Thursday’s practice strategizing their aerodynamic drafting partnerships ahead of Saturday’s qualifying time trials. Running in a slipstream on the 2.5-mile oval adds meaningful speed in practice, but qualifying runs are completed solo — making draft sessions a balancing act of gathering data while potentially revealing car speed to rivals. Veterans rarely ran with rookies, preferring proven competition to benchmark pace. Top drivers including Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Scott Dixon, and Helio Castroneves circulated in shifting groupings throughout the day, with engineers watching closely to assess standings relative to the field heading into the grid-setting weekend.
Sources: IndyCar.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. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 160 pts
10. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 149 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency