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It was Josef Newgarden’s 12th attempt for the 500 win and he finally got it.
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In a one-lap shootout preceded by three red flags and several crashes, the Henderson, Tennessee native sped past defending winner Marcus Ericsson to capture the greatest spectacle in racing.
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Ericsson attempted to become the first driver to win the 500 in consecutive years since Helio Castroneves took his first two Indy 500 wins in 2001 and 2002.
Josef Newgarden gave Roger Penske his first-ever win in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, that is, as the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
But to be more precise, it was also Penske’s 19th win as a team owner at the Brickyard, extending one of the most outstanding records in motorsport worldwide.
It was Newgarden’s 12th attempt for the 500 win and he finally got it, drenching himself with a bottle of whole milk, for what it’s worth. His previous best finish was third in 2016 with Ed Carpenter Racing, a season before joining Team Penske.
“Everyone kept asking why I can’t win it,” said Newgarden. “You feel like you are a failure. It was pure emotion. I was emotional the last 10 laps because I knew we were in a position to win.”
But the boss, the man known as ‘The Captain’, was ecstatic about what his young driver said.
“It was a great effort from Josef,” said Penske. “(Team Strategist and President of Penske Racing) Tim Cindric called a perfect race. It was a great race, a safe race, I’ll never forget it. I know Josef wanted it so bad, and at the end, when it was time to go, I bet on him. We will definitely come back next year.”
In a one-lap shootout preceded by three red flags and several crashes, the Henderson, Tennessee native stalked at the front of the pack for most of the race, and as the final green flag fell, blasted past defending winner Marcus Ericsson to capture the greatest spectacle in racing.
Stepping out of his car, Newgarden’s celebration rivaled – if not surpassed – the electric show his former teammate, Helio Castroneves, put on as he climbed the catch gate at the finish after winning the 500 for the fourth time in 2021.
After crossing the finish line on Sunday, Newgarden climbed through a small hole under the flagman’s grandstand and ran into the crowd, celebrating with Indy’s common man.
“I’ve always wanted to get into the crowd here in Indianapolis,” said Newgarden. “I’ve seen people go up the gate; I wanted through the gate. This was a dream I wanted to make come true.
But Newgarden’s dream was Ericsson’s nightmare. The Swedish driver hoped to become the first driver to win the 500 in consecutive years since Helio Castroneves took his first two Indy 500 wins in 2001 and 2002.
Ericsson berated IndyCar officials for violating the standard protocol of the past to finish a race with caution. Instead, a record third red flag of the race was thrown with two laps to go to allow enough time to clear the final wreck of the day between Ed Carpenter and rookie Benjamin Pedersen, setting up a two-lap shootout .
“It was a dangerous race,” said Ericsson. “I’m just really disappointed how it ended. I don’t think it was fair. I feel like we did everything right, we won the race and it’s taken from us. … It sure is hard to swallow.”
Tony Kanaan, who made his last start in both the 500 and IndyCar, finished 16th, but said IndyCar made the right decision.
“Look at all those people out there,” Kanaan said of the more than 300,000 fans in attendance. “They didn’t want it to end up under yellow. It was the right decision for me.”
Arguably the biggest surprise of the race was third place Santino Ferrucci, giving iconic team owner and four-time Indy 500 winner AJ Foyt his best finish since Kenny Brack won in 1999.
“This one stings, it’s bittersweet,” Ferrucci said. “I’m happy with third place, I’m happy Josef and Team Penske holding off Marcus. That’s not easy.”
It was Ferrucci’s best result of his career as an IndyCar driver and also the fifth time he had finished 10th or better – in as many starts at Indianapolis.
Ferrucci disagreed with Ericsson that the shootout was unfair. “I think IndyCar made the right decision,” he said. “I wish I had a few more laps to finish it off.”
Pole sitter Alex Palou led much of the first half of the race alongside Rinus VeeKay, but the pair wrecked on pit road on lap 94, sending Palou down from fourth to 30th. It took him 100 laps to bounce back for a fourth-place finish in a race that many believed would be the eventual winner.
“It was a tough day for myself and the team,” said Palou. “There is nothing we could have done differently. … We tried to make the best of it. We came back in 100 laps, from 30th to 4th. This place is tough. There were certainly some very strong cars. But we also had one of the best cars, I wouldn’t have made P4.”
Rounding out the top five was 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi, who was somewhat miffed about the end of the race.
“When you have three cars to beat, it really sucks to get away with a fifth,” said Rossi. “It’s disappointing. We were so good, but still so annoyed and disappointed that we finished fifth. It certainly feels l
ike a missed opportunity. We will try to learn from it and move on.”
Newgarden will have little time to enjoy the biggest win of his career as the IndyCar Series races again next Sunday in a brand new street course race in Detroit. That event replaces the old race at Detroit’s Belle Isle park.
