Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Palou Claims Historic Indy 500 Pole as Defending Champion
Alex Palou captured the pole position for the 110th Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 232.248 mph in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou became the first defending Indy 500 winner to earn the pole since Helio Castroneves accomplished the feat in 2010. The Spaniard also claimed his 15th career NTT P1 Award. Alexander Rossi secured the front row in second with 231.990 mph in the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, while David Malukas completed the front row in third at 231.877 mph for Team Penske. Felix Rosenqvist, Santino Ferrucci, and Pato O’Ward rounded out the Firestone Fast Six.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Three-Car Crash Disrupts Indianapolis 500 Practice in Turn 2
Alexander Rossi lost control of his No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet at the exit of Turn 2 during Monday afternoon practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, slamming the SAFER Barrier at high speed. Pato O’Ward, running directly behind in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, spun while attempting to avoid Rossi and struck the stricken car with significant force. Romain Grosjean then lost control in the resulting check-up and hit the outside wall on the backstretch. The session was red-flagged immediately. All three drivers were transported to the infield medical center, where O’Ward and Grosjean were cleared. Rossi was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Sources: RACER
Rossi Undergoes Surgery, Targets Friday Return for Indy 500
Ed Carpenter Racing confirmed that Alexander Rossi underwent successful outpatient procedures Monday evening to repair minor injuries to a finger on his left hand and to his right ankle, sustained in the Turn 2 practice crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team stated Rossi intends to return to the track on Friday for Carb Day, the final practice session before the 110th Indianapolis 500. Rossi qualified second for Sunday’s race with an average speed of 231.990 mph, earning a career-best Indy 500 starting position. The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet crew began preparing a backup car immediately after the incident to ensure readiness.
Sources: Motorsport Week
Collet and Harvey Sent to Back of Grid After Technical Violations
Caio Collet and Jack Harvey were moved to the back of the Indianapolis 500 starting grid after their cars failed post-qualifying technical inspection. IndyCar officials found that modifications were made to the Dallara-supplied energy management system covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points using unapproved hardware, violating series rules that prohibit altering control components. Collet was demoted from his qualifying position to 32nd, while Harvey dropped to 33rd. Both drivers also forfeited their pit selection priority. Collet additionally had three bonus qualifying points stripped for originally finishing in the top 12. The penalties did not affect the remainder of the starting grid order.
Sources: Speedcafe
Caitlin Clark Named Grand Marshal for 110th Indianapolis 500
Indiana Fever guard and WNBA star Caitlin Clark will serve as grand marshal for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Clark, a Gainbridge brand ambassador, will deliver the traditional command for drivers to start their engines during pre-race ceremonies. The Fever’s schedule had prevented Clark from taking on the role in previous seasons despite organizers seeking her involvement since she was drafted first overall in 2024. Clark will give the command at approximately 11:38 a.m. ET, with the green flag set to wave at 11:45 a.m. The race airs on Fox at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Rain Forces Condensed Single-Day Qualifying Format for Indy 500
Persistent rain in Indianapolis forced NTT IndyCar Series officials to abandon Saturday’s scheduled qualifying session and condense the entire Indianapolis 500 qualifying procedure into a single Sunday. Under the revised format, all 33 entries made one four-lap qualifying attempt starting at noon ET, based on Friday’s draw order. The fastest 12 advanced to a knockout round at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET, with the top six then progressing to the Firestone Fast Six to determine the pole and front two rows. The expanded qualifying procedure, announced on May 11, had already added additional rounds to the traditional format before weather forced further revisions.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Newgarden Fastest in Rain-Shortened Monday Practice at Indianapolis
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden led Monday’s rain-shortened practice for the 110th running of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, posting a fastest speed of 226.198 mph in the No. 2 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet. Takuma Sato followed in second at 225.723 mph in the No. 75 Amada Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, with rookie Dennis Hauger third at 224.554 mph in the No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda. The session was cut from two hours to one hour and 18 minutes due to rain and lightning. Newgarden will start 23rd in Sunday’s race after a disappointing qualifying run.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Penske Scandal Anniversary Prompts Reflection on IndyCar Governance
The first anniversary of Team Penske’s attenuator scandal at the 2025 Indianapolis 500 has prompted reflection on sweeping changes to IndyCar governance. Last May, two Penske cars driven by Josef Newgarden and Will Power were found with illegally modified rear crash structures during qualifying, resulting in grid penalties, suspensions, and a $100,000 fine per entry. Roger Penske subsequently dismissed president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer. IndyCar responded by creating IndyCar Officiating Inc., an independent body led by Ray Evernham, Raj Nair, and Ronan Morgan, separating race control from Penske Entertainment’s management for the first time.
Sources: RACER
Legge to Attempt Historic Indianapolis/Charlotte Double on Race Day
Katherine Legge will attempt the prestigious Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double on May 24, racing in both crown jewel events in a single day. Legge will drive the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports with AJ Foyt Racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before flying to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series race in the No. 78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. She will become the first woman and the sixth driver overall to attempt the double, joining Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, John Andretti, and Robby Gordon. The combined distance exceeds 1,100 miles.
Sources: RACER
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. Graham Rahal — 141 pts
9. Scott McLaughlin — 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 (R) — 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 (R) — 70 pts
22. Romain Grosjean — 69 pts
23. Christian Rasmussen — 65 pts
24. Sting Ray Robb — 55 pts
25. Mick Schumacher (R) — 54 pts
Teams’ Championship
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 406 pts
2. Team Penske — 387 pts
3. Arrow McLaren — 346 pts
4. Andretti Global — 342 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 239 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 233 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