Josef Newgarden triumphs at the 108th Indianapolis 500 for Team Penske for second consecutive year

Josef Newgarden wins second straight Indy 500, Kyle Larson hustles to finish 1100 miles in NASCAR and IndyCar. Drama-filled race.

Josef Newgarden secured his second consecutive victory at the prestigious Indy 500, showcasing his exceptional racing skills by outdueling Pato O'Ward with a thrilling last-lap pass at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This remarkable achievement made Newgarden the first driver in 22 years to achieve back-to-back wins at the Indy 500, following in the footsteps of Helio Castroneves, who accomplished the feat for Team Penske in 2001-02.

The podium was completed by Scott Dixon in third place, with Alexander Rossi and Alex Palou finishing in fourth and fifth place respectively. The pole-sitter, Scott McLaughlin, crossed the finish line in sixth place, followed by Kyle Kirkwood, Santino Ferrucci, Rinus VeeKay, and Conor Daly rounding out the top 10 positions.

As a reward for his repeat victory at the Indy 500, Newgarden received a substantial $440,000 bonus from BorgWarner. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, had an eventful day finishing 18th in his Indy 500 debut before rushing to Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 as a relief driver. Unfortunately, Larson's chances of completing 1,100 miles of racing in both NASCAR and IndyCar were dashed by a four-hour rain delay, resulting in a penalty for speeding on pit entry.

The start of the race was delayed from 12:45 to 4:45 p.m. ET, adding to the anticipation and nerves of the drivers. The first half of the race saw some unexpected twists and turns, with Marcus Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner, being caught in a crash on Lap 1 caused by Tom Blomqvist. Ericsson, who recently switched teams from Chip Ganassi Racing to Andretti Global, had a challenging start to the season with finishes outside the top 15 in three of the first four races. His determination to make the Indy 500 field paid off despite crashing his primary car during practice.

Other IndyCar winners faced early eliminations, including Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist, whose race ended prematurely due to incidents on the track. The high-stakes and unpredictable nature of the Indy 500 once again proved to be a thrilling spectacle for both drivers and fans alike.

Share With Others