Indy 500: Newgarden goes back-to-back with last-lap pass on O’Ward

Despite a four-hour rain delay, the clouds diminished and an intense battle finished as the sun set on more than 300,000 fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Newgarden, who started third, was forced to pull off another stirring last-lap pass, delivering a thrilling outside pass around Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward into Turn 3 and win by 0.3417s. He becomes the first driver to go back-to-back since Helio Castroneves did so with Team Penske in 2001 and 2002.

“I knew we could win this race again; it was just a matter of getting it right," said Newgarden post-race. "There’s no better way to win a race than that. I got to give it up to Pato [O’Ward] as well. He’s an incredibly clean driver. It takes two people to make that work. It’s not just a good pass, it’s also someone that you’re working with that’s incredibly clean. I have to give hat’s off to Pato. He could have easily won this race, too, but it just fell our way. I’m just so proud of everybody. I’m proud of this whole team. Everyone that partners with us, Team Chevy. Just a great day.”

WHAT A FINISH!!

Incredible racing between Josef Newgarden and Pato O'Ward 👏 pic.twitter.com/9oRhcI5u11

— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) May 26, 2024

O’Ward, who held off multiple late runs before delivering his own heroic effort in Turn 1 on the last lap, could only be sit with helmet in hands on pit lane after finishing runner-up.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indy 500 winner, managed to climb from 20^th to finish third.

Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi was fourth, ahead of reigning and two-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou in fifth.

The 200-lap race featured an event record 18 different leaders, with pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin leading a race-high 64 laps before finishing sixth. The 49 lead changes were the fourth most in Indy 500 history.

There were eight cautions that totaled 46 laps. 

The Start

Rookie Tom Blomqvist ignited a multi-car crash on the opening lap that collected 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, along with Pietro Fittipaldi.

After starting 25^th in the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda of Blomqvist rolled into Turn 1 but drifted under the white line and touched the curbing, which sent him into a spin and collided with Ericsson’s No. 28 Andretti Global Honda, who started 32^nd in a backup car.

"I can't believe it," said Ericsson after being released from the infield care center.. "It's unbelievable. It's so frustrating. I don't know what to say. We had to work so hard. The team did such a good job rebuilding that car. We fought all last weekend. We fought all week and this happens. I can't believe it."

Fittipaldi, who was held for extensive observation but ultimately seen and released from the infield medical center, tried to avoid the incident but made wheel-to-wheel contact with Callum Ilott, who was forced to start from the rear of the field after a mechanical issue needed to be addressed to his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet during the pace laps.

Several cars in the middle and back of the pack took advantage of the caution to top off fuel on lap four, including Conor Daly (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing), Sting Ray Robb (AJ Foyt Racing), and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing duo of Christian Lundgaard and Graham Rahal.

When Katherine Legge’s No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda went up in smoke on lap 23, prematurely ending her day, it set in motion pit stops two laps later.

Once McLaughlin pitted from the lead on lap 25, with team-mates Will Power and Newgarden following, the top spot rotated to Robb, which he lost on the ensuing restart to Daly.

It took only until lap 28 before another caution flew, this time due to Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Linus Lundqivst crashing into Turn 1 following a late pass attempt to the inside of three cars, including rookie team-mate Kyffin Simpson.

The race continued at a frantic pace until No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing entry of Felix Rosenqvist, went up in smoke and brought out another caution on lap 56, joining Legge and rookie Marcus Armstrong (Chip Ganassi Racing) as the third Honda to retire early with issues.

Despite a promising charge from 13^th to second, Colton Herta’s sixth Indy 500 bid came to an abrupt end after crashing in Turn 1 on lap 88.

Although the incident was similar to Blomqvist’s, Herta, who was behind leader McLaughlin, never touched the inside curb before losing his No. 26 Andretti Global Honda. Although he was pushed back to the garage, Herta returned just past the halfway point several laps down.

Halfway

An additional two cautions on lap 107 and 114 handed early retirements to 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) and Marco Andretti (Andretti Herta), respectively.

McLaughlin and Newgarden continued to be a main factor for the lead, along with Rossi. However, a round of pit stops brought a hard lesson to Indy 500 debutant and 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. He was hit with a pit lane speed violation by Race Control on lap 131, which put his No. 17 Arrow McLaren-Rick Hendrick Chevrolet a lap down.

The battle for the lead was on as Dixon, who avoided a penalty after early contact that led to Hunter-Reay’s retirement, vaulted out front on lap 140 through a sequence of pit strategy.

Power’s day ended seven laps later with a hard crash in Turn 2. His No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet was running on the outside of Ed Carpenter Racing rookie Christian Rasmussen in Turn 1 when the back end snapped, and he collided into the wall.

With the caution, Larson was able to get back on the lead lap.

This set up a restart on lap 155, with Dixon split by O’Ward and Rossi, who took the lead from third entering Turn 1.

Rossi and O’Ward traded the lead for the next several laps, while Dixon continued to hold third ahead of Newgarden and Palou.

Despite fading down the running order after being on the wrong end of the clutch issues, McLaughlin climbed back up to sixth by lap 168.

Rossi pitted from the lead on lap 170, handing off to O’Ward momentarily before Dixon passed him for the top spot.

Dixon and O’Ward pitted on lap 173.

The Finish

Newgarden caught Dixon, who cycled to the front of the group as both were positioned ahead of Rossi and O’Ward. Palou was lurking in fifth with 24 laps to go.

Through not pitting yet with 20 laps to go, Larson cycled to the lead briefly before pitting on lap three laps later and put Simpson – who had yet to pit – into the lead. Simpson finally pit with 14 laps to go and put the battle for the win between Rossi and Newgarden front and center.

Dixon showed signs of struggle as O’Ward passed him for third with 13 laps to go entering Turn 1, trailing Newgarden and Rossi.

Newgarden held the lead with 10 laps to go, with Rossi, O’Ward, Dixon and Kirkwood in the top five.

O’Ward made a late move on Rossi entering Turn 1 for second with seven laps to go and then caught – and went by – Newgarden with five laps to go.

Newgarden fired back with four laps to go to retake the lead by O’Ward. Meanwhile, Palou moved into fifth after getting by Kirkwood, who fell to seventh after being passed by McLaughlin.

O’Ward backed off multiple times despite getting runs on Newgarden, sitting in second coming to the white flag.

O’Ward went to the outside of Newgarden coming out of Turn 4 and took the lead into Turn 1. Newgarden then made a strong run off of Turn 2 as the two went wheel-to-wheel as and completed an outside pass into Turn 3.

Newgarden raised his hand out of the top of the aeroscreeen as he charged to the checkered flag.

CLA	DRIVER	#		LAPS	TIME	INTERVAL	MPH	PITS	POINTS
1	J. NewgardenTEAM PENSKE	2		200	2:58'49.4079		219.653	5
2	P. O'WardARROW MCLAREN	5		200	+0.3417 2:58'49.7496	0.3417	217.645	6
3	S. DixonCHIP GANASSI RACING	9		200	+0.9097 2:58'50.3176	0.5680	219.384	6
4	A. RossiARROW MCLAREN	7		200	+1.1691 2:58'50.5770	0.2594	215.314	5
5	A. PalouCHIP GANASSI RACING	10		200	+1.5079 2:58'50.9158	0.3388	217.852	5
6	S. McLaughlinTEAM PENSKE	3		200	+2.0593 2:58'51.4672	0.5514	218.745	5
7	K. KirkwoodANDRETTI GLOBAL	27		200	+2.5379 2:58'51.9458	0.4786	218.540	7
8	S. FerrucciA.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES	14		200	+3.6143 2:58'53.0222	1.0764	219.165	5
9	R. van KalmthoutED CARPENTER RACING	21		200	+3.9560 2:58'53.3639	0.3417	220.004	5
10	C. DalyDREYER & REINBOLD RACING/CUSICK MOTORSPORTS	24		200	+4.6071 2:58'54.0150	0.6511	219.519	6
11	C. IlottARROW MCLAREN	6		200	+4.9652 2:58'54.3731	0.3581	221.337	7
12	C. RasmussenED CARPENTER RACING	33		200	+5.3234 2:58'54.7313	0.3582	220.537	6
13	C. LundgaardRAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING	45		200	+6.1824 2:58'55.5903	0.8590	220.885	7
14	T. SatoRAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING	75		199	+1 Lap 2:58'15.1734	1 Lap	220.020	6
15	G. RahalRAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING	15		199	+1 Lap 2:58'15.6707	0.4973	218.989	8
16	R. RobbA.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES	41		199	+1 Lap 2:58'16.5231	0.8524	217.420	5
17	E. CarpenterED CARPENTER RACING	20		199	+1 Lap 2:58'17.1512	0.6281	218.633	6
18	K. LarsonARROW MCLAREN/RICK HENDRICK	17		200	+9.4846 2:58'58.8925	41.7413	217.717	7
19	R. GrosjeanJUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING	77		200	+9.8312 2:58'59.2391	0.3466	217.677	7
20	H. CastronevesMEYER SHANK RACING WITH CURB-AGAJANIAN	06		200	+10.3602 2:58'59.7681	0.5290	216.532	5
21	K. SimpsonCHIP GANASSI RACING	4		200	+11.0931 2:59'00.5010	0.7329	215.168	8
22	A. CanapinoJUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING	78		199	+1 Lap 2:58'52.6079	1 Lap	219.132	6
23	C. HertaANDRETTI GLOBAL WITH CURB-AGAJANIAN	26		170	+30 Laps 2:50'29.6118	29 Laps	156.862	5
24	W. PowerTEAM PENSKE	12		145	+55 Laps 2:13'37.2524	25 Laps	217.285	4
25	M. AndrettiANDRETTI HERTA AUTOSPORT WITH MARCO & CURB-AGAJANI	98		113	+87 Laps 1:47'32.7638	32 Laps	128.333	5
26	R. Hunter-ReayDREYER & REINBOLD RACING/CUSICK MOTORSPORTS	23		107	+93 Laps 1:39'56.0999	6 Laps	74.605	5
27	F. RosenqvistMEYER SHANK RACING	60		55	+145 Laps 51'59.8657	52 Laps	213.777	1
28	L. LundqvistCHIP GANASSI RACING	8		27	+173 Laps 29'29.7195	28 Laps	201.200	2
29	K. LeggeDALE COYNE RACING	51		22	+178 Laps 30'52.8001	5 Laps	19.155	2
30	M. ArmstrongCHIP GANASSI RACING	11		6	+194 Laps 10'27.1741	16 Laps	87.433	1
31	T. BlomqvistMEYER SHANK RACING	66		0	+200 Laps 5.4517	6 Laps	111.075
32	P. FittipaldiRAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING	30		0	+200 Laps 5.6941	0.2424	117.457
33	M. EricssonANDRETTI GLOBAL	28		0	+200 Laps 5.9281	0.2340	119.273