I work as a tv producer at a news station in Indianapolis. This was my first year covering the 500. It was an unbelievable experience. There was an audible cheer from the media room when we got to halfway so we all knew it was an official race. Long 12 hour day at the track.
I attended the Indy 500 this year, and stood under the grandstands when we were all told to seek shelter. Water soaked through my jacket, so I wore wet clothes for a great part of the event - until the sun came out and things dried up considerably. Indiana weather, go figure. It was well worth the delay, though. The crowd was electric during that last lap.
Thats weather everywhere im so over hearing this dogshit" of if you dont like the weather in ________ just wait 15 minutes" ive lived in 6 states and heard that in every single one.
Shoutout to Sky for announcing to stream the race on yt for free until the race was delayed and then just not doing it anymore. Would have loved to watch, ahh how much I love sky
@@AidanMillward Here in Indianapolis, I was planning on Streaming it on Peacock (NBC's streaming site) but on my VPN pointed to Ohio, since it was blacked out in Indy. Then they lifted the blackout after the delay, so I turned off my VPN. It's the first time I watched it legal outside of Covid for quite a while.
As a Pato fan at the speedway yesterday. I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in the span of half a lap. Congrats to Newgarden, atleast he won this race straight up, not a cheesy 1 lap restart. Not too many guys can make that move
Ericsson fan here, so I know the pain all too well from last year lol. Pato will surely win the Indy 500 some day. It took Newgarden many years to get his first, but he still got it.
As a McLaren fan, yesterday was a mix of emotions thanks to those three second places. So close yet so far! Da Costa controlled things in Shanghai, Leclerc controlled Monaco and Newgarden outsmarted O'Ward on the last lap at Indy. Happy that Hughes finally got his first podium in FE though.
And with the Penske/Foyt technical partnership, Penske got access to a 2 year old copy of the Ganassi Indy 500 Playbook from engineer Michael Cannon. That and the upgraded Chevy motor really helped out Team Penske this year.
I live about 30 minutes from IMS. On a normal 500 race day I leave my house at 7:30AM so I can get to the track by 10:00AM because traffic is insane, there’s 300-400K people. Because I saw the forecast and radar I decided to stay home and watch Monaco, no sense in going if the 500 would be delayed a few hours. I left at 2:00PM and was at IMS by 3:00PM. I sat in Turn 3 and thought it was worth the wait.
Juan Pablo held off Will Power for 2 laps in 2015 after passing Dixon on the outside in turn 3. What helped Newgarden was experience to not chase Pato below the white line gave him enough tow to pull that off. Also like Josef said Pato is clean racer all though I doubt he'll ever be that gracious again in that situation.
My first 500 was 2017 when Alonso made his debut. Since then I've always kept my eye on it, to the point where now I'm more excited for it than Monaco 😂
Kyle Larson did a respectable job, and his 18th place was not indicative of the effort. Coming back from a muffed restart into the top five was impressive. And even the most experienced drivers (see Scott Dixon a couple of years ago) have come afoul of the speed limit in the pits. And, he will be back next year. Pato O'Ward deserves the nickname Ninja; his saves in that car yesterday took ninja-like reflexes. Coming so close, he could have driven so dirty at the end but he didn't, a mark of a great driver. He will win, someday. But yesterday, watching him sitting in the car, head hanging down, I felt so bad for him
I think part of why things went the way they did at the end was the time of day was later than IndyCar has ever been on track there, for the race or practice. the cooler air and cooler track made it easier to follow and get runs down the straights.
For those of you who think oval tracks don't require something special since you "just turn left" I've two words for you....Josef Newgarden. Besides the one for the win, just how many passes on outside the did he make?.....and he was going 235mph when he made them. Watching a late brake dive into a corner is exciting, but nothing approaching a 235mph pass on the OUTSIDE of a turn.
There was an SRO race in Donington Park yesterday too. 9 Hondas DNF's to 2 Chevys. And, one Chevy DNF's, because Honda pushed the Chevy on to the grass.
I do hope you can make it over here Aidan. It’s a wonderful event! I was a vendor this month on Main Street, just down from the track by a few blocks. I was listening with some other fans on their IndyCar audio feed to the radio broadcast of those last 10 laps. I’m surprised I didn’t break my hand on the street bench. I was banging on it so hard, hoping that Pato would pull out the victory! Like he said, he will get his bottle of milk! 🥛 ❤🙌🏁🎩
I was at the 500 for the 27th time with my son for his 12th. It was a really long day but worth it, especially since no entertainment red flags were thrown at the end.
Walked like 1.5 miles from my truck to the track and back twice, when the storm showed up it was intense. The noise was so loud on the last lap you could not hear the cars just us cheering the whole time. I didn’t have a voice the Monday 1000/10 would recommend to everyone
I abandoned the moment I learned of how long the delay would be, knowing I had to work the next day Used TV replay system to watch it the next day without having heard anything from social media or radio. I was really thankful for that
3:20, 7:10 - I always think back to the 1999 Milwaukee Mile, comparable to the immediate effect of the halo and Indy wind screens. Michael Andretti entered the pits and after the tires were changed, the car was dropped off the jacks while fuel was still being put in. The clutch started burning and the car started rolling, Andretti unable to stop it. The left rear tire and the full weight of the car ran over the fuel man's head. ONE WEEK BEFORE the race, Bell had given out free helmets to all the teams as part of helmets becoming mandatory for pit crews. The fuel man suffered only a compressed neck, not unalived by the tire or weight.
The last 40 laps were edge of your seat thrilling. I was pulling for Rossi but would've been happy had O'Ward won. Didn't want Penske to win as I'm mad at Roger for not letting the Porsche Club host a DE at Indy anymore.
It was a great race right to the end. While it was great for Newgarden, it was shell shock for O’Ward. So close once again. And Larson didn’t get to drive 1100 miles yesterday.
At first I thought I was going to regret driving down from Toronto for the race, and then the last 50 laps happened. My lord that was a REAL good race. Best of the 3 I have attended now.
I just wish they had as many cameras back then as they do now, because the only video of him hitting the jet dryer doesn't really show much. Just looks like his suspension had an issue and off he went.
A huge contrast between two of the Triple Crown events as a spectacle. One was its usual traditional borefest, the other wasn't and went down to the wire after 200 laps. Sure, I like F1 and I love the concept of the Monaco GP and its glamour, but jeez!
Easily one of the best 500s I've been to over 18 500s. Indycar absolutely nailed the aero regulations this year, so the cars could easily pass. 596 passes for position this year!! The last 5 laps were definitely insane. I was hoping Pato would be more patient, but the pass on Newgarden into 1 on the last lap was definitely too early. For the past several years, you definitely need to be in 2nd on the last lap in order to win. Whether you pass into 1 or 3 on the last lap definitely depends on how well you can defend, but passing into 3 was definitely the way to go.
This Aussie had to work that night, so I was sure I was going to miss the race... then I get home at 7:30am, find the race on lap 138 and settle in for the ride. Bless the racing gods for giving us delays, even if it was painful to watch Will Power hit the wall.
Newgarden had the better car, that’s why he beat O’Ward. Pato had been fighting the car all race, it was on the razor’s edge of the limits with how the team set it up and it showed. Josef for the most part, had a much smoother and comfortable set up and could afford to take a more aggressive approach than what Pato was capable of doing. If Pato had made the move in Turn 3 he would have put it into the wall. He made the smart move in waiting for Turn 1. Josef was just the better driver in the better car. That’s Indy.
I was rooting for pato, and as he went by in turn one (where I was sitting) I audibly told my dad "oh.. he shouldn't have done that" - because I've been watching in person for over a decade, including last year, and I saw the exact same thing happen with Newgarden twice, and others before that.
This was my 38th in a row (I do not count covid year). Our family has had the same seats (Turn 3, section 11, row JJ, seats 15, 16, 17, 18). Had my dad in the stands along with 2 of my kids for their first 500, so 3 generations in the stands for the 108th. I've seen a lot of great races. 1989 with Emo and Little Al, 2014 was fantastic, 2006 with Marco and Hornish, 1992 with Little Al and Goodyear. Long day but this year's 500 had to be one of the best I have ever seen. Indy is just magical.
It was my 1st indy i enjoyed despite the delay and only having 4-5 hours sleep also appreciate Aiden and David Land for learning before the race started
What a race, it really had it all, I still haven't come down completely and I am so excited for how this championship is going to play out, especially with the hybrid starting at mid ohio
As an american, I can absolutely vouch that thunderstorms can be INSANE. And so can indy fans. They had to yell at people for AGES to get out of the stands and stay out. Because, well... Track was the tallest thing in the area, and the entirety of the stands are metal benches on metal platforms suspended by metal support beams. Thousands of spectators lined up shoulder to shoulder with umbrellas on the metal stands in a thunderstorm? You do the math, lol. Luckily, the race was awesome, and the mood was NEVER dour. Even huddled under the stands, standing, shoulder to shoulder, the fans were singing, laughing, doing group bs, getting drunk, and generally in surprisingly good spirits through the entire delay. Honestly surprised me. Worth the wait though!
I watched the Monaco Grand Prix, the Coca Cola 600, and the Indy 500. The 500 was, by far, the best race I’ve seen all year! I’d also like to offer my gratitude to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the United States of America, as we in the U.S. observe Memorial Day.
Kyle Larson frankly should have finished in the top ten, it was his own inexperience running the Indy 500 that done him in, especially that speeding penalty in the pit lane. That kid is freaking special.
The pits at Indy can be made significantly safer. They just have to have the cars come in via the warm up lane at turn three. That also stops the wild weaving coming off turn four during restarts and at the end of the race. Indycar already did this at Texas even though there's no wall blocking the pit entry off turn four, and the cars had to maintain a speed limit on the apron until turn two and starting at turn three. So it can easily be done, and it needs to be.
1. It's frankly a mad coincidence that a last-lap pass for the win has happened two years running, let alone by the same driver. '23 was created by the crazy, NASCAR-esque decision to red flag it on lap 199 and run a white/green flag, one lap finish. As for this year, it can't be overstated how incredible and unlikely that pass by Newgarden was: easily 49 out of 50 times, on dead end-of-stint tires and two drivers desperate for the win, that ends with one or both cars in the wall. There's a reason NBC's Leigh Diffey went bananas, even by his standards, and called the pass and entire scenario 'mind-blowing'. Something like that--or last year--will NEVER become remotely common enough to become predictable. That's one thing this race never is. 2). See 1 3. See 1 It's cool to see more and more worldwide aficionados of motorsport, especially those who create excellent highly viewed racing content--i.e. like you--becoming real fans of this series and this race and rejecting the stale 'F1 is the only open wheel series on earth worth paying attention to' attitude. The 'just turning left' crowd remind of people who look at a Monet or Jackson Pollack and say 'it's not realistic....it's just splattered paint...my kid could it.' Yeah...but they didn't. Despite itself (known as it is for its continually abysmal marketing/branding and PR blunders dating back to 'the split') IndyCar may actually get the global interest and following it had in peak Golden Era. And again deserves. Yesterday's race and the emergence of a driver of genuine superstar level talent and personality like O'Ward and a back-to-back winner of passion, intensity, raw pace and balls of solid brass like Newgarden (despite the projecting scapegoating mobs online, reality is reality) when there seem to be more and more sampling the product and after some nasty press was ideal timing. Lastly, Arrow McLaren is now easily the most supported team in the series, with by far its most beloved driver who seems destined for future 500 wins and series titles, the best design/merch/overall branding etc. With the F1 team finally rounding back into top form, one has to tip the cap the Zak Brown. The guy was being grilled by sponsors and his boss about the lack of results and was probably a bad race at Silverstone last year away from the boot, and now it looks clear that's he's been building something very special.
On electrical storms in America, more then 40 people are killed annually (on average) just from the lightning. Additional, standing in an open field or sitting on metal standards are quite dangerous.
Crew have been hurt. The real safety issue is the space on the crew side of the wall, where it's 1) horribly cramped and 2) the walkway is totally crowded and barely is wide enough for a golf cart.
Yesterday I was up from 3am to midnight on 6hrs of sleep. I did a six hour round trip on race day to get to the Indy 500. And all the wrecks happened were I was sitting in turn 1. I knew while waiting for the rain it was going to become a sprint race. The only downside for me was that when I got back home. I was completely mentally drained.
The thing with Herta is if he'd stayed in his car, got a restart and drove back to the pits, which he could've done, he'd have been at worst a lap down. As it is because he assumed his car was more damaged than it was he ended up a bunch of laps down. Also had Larson not gotten that penalty, there's no reason to think he couldn't have had a chance at winning. And I know he's said he didn't like the day, but christ I want him to try again. Because if he can qualify in 5th for the Indy 500 and 10th for the Coca Cola 600, he absolutely can pull off winning both the same day. As for the last lap pass issue, that's been a thing for ages. It was a thing when I was watching as a kid when the year started with 198. It's just a matter of do you get two cars close together at the end or not.
One thing that is lost in all the race and stuff, Penske teamed with Foyt racing this year, and the Penskes looked very comfortable because of it. With Sting Ray Robb 6th in lap speed, and leading laps, and Ferrucci staying near the front all day just to have the pit crew screw him at the end, it looks like both benefited.
Andretti should: Buy Hass, and bang he's in F!, then get that Ford non-contract into an Indy car, and let Honda (my favoutite, by the way) go away, and finally get a Nascar team going. If Penske can do it, Andretti ought to be able to too. Er, yeah. Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
The Indy 500 was the best part of the greatest day in racing. F1 was dull (although I happy for the results, just not impressed not one pass was made for 50 laps) . The NASCAR 600 was meh and rain shortened (although William Byron made an amazing pass in the grass). No, the Indy 500 is the greatest race for its drama and the length of it just being just right. Outside passes, furious cutting in and out, amazing pit stops and a roaring crowd
A couple of bits and bobs: 1) Will Power was also a victim of the plennum fire during Saturday Practice before qualifying. For Sunday morning, the Chevy/Illmor folks told them not to shift down to stop that which is why Hunter-Reay put up an embarrassing 230 mph lap average because his team didn't have enough time to redo his gear ratios. Add another strike to the "Cheater Penske" crowd. 2) Widening the pitlane is almost the same issue at lining the entire place in SAFER barrier. No matter what, you're going to crush the frontstretch and narrow it even further, and it's not that wide to begin with. 3) There is going to be a superspeedway aero refresh next year. The full time teams also got their hybrid "ultracapacitors" this week. There's a test at the Milwaukee Mile before they start using them at Mid-Ohio on July 7. 4) The comments on the official IndyCar highlights seem to be about 35/35 for the trash screaming "F1 is better!!" and "Indy > F1" with the rest talking about the race and/or the Pato O'Ward "Self-Delete" Watch to be TH-cam friendly. As usual, the children won't let the rest of use have fun.
Overtaking into 3 is never guaranteed. You have to set it up right before 1, and the slightest wiggle through 1 and 2 can blow the run. Then you have to get it to stick, either low or high, into 3 without scrubbing too much speed (or wiggling through 4), which leaves you vulnerable down the front stretch. Newgarden was one of only a few cars who could go around the outside all day. If it were Pato trying to pass Newgarden into 3, I don’t think it would have stuck.
The delays are just part of Indianapolis. It doesn’t happen every year but it happens enough you have to expect it. The race also has always been a Memorial Day special, right from the very first race. Memorial Day is a holiday which means absolutely nothing in any other country besides the US, so it’s funny that, because of the desire to counter-program against the 500, particularly on the part of F1 to keep their drivers from participating at Indy, this purely American holiday has become a big racing day all over the world.
IMP, "Let's end the race so nobody get's home in the dark!" Me who lives two hours away still got home in the pitch black because most intersections had no officers doing traffic?
Fantastic race, a classic! More drama and excitement in one lap than the whole race at Monaco. What a finish. The last quarter of the race was just amazing, and the whole thing was great. So many crazy moves, & just incredible that Pato hung onto his car till the end as it was so sketchy. The Indy 500 proves once again it's the best race in the world, and Newgarden wins over $4M for it. It's a must see in person for any true racing fans bucket list.
12:13 I take it as given at this point that the leader on the last lap either has to be a god, insanely lucky, or the master of "questionable" maneuvering in order to win the race. Making sure that you're the guy making the last lap pass rather than the guy who will inevitably get passed is just part of 500 strategy now.
I had the finish down as just good racecraft. Pato probably saw Newgarden at T3 and didn't fancy leaving it that late on the last lap. I really enjoyed the race once it calmed down. That early eagerness was like they were expecting another rain shower. Anyway, onward to TT fortnight.
For sure too pack happy, the fuel saving bits were starting to feel like monaco, but they had 6 lanes to go around, its not as bad as the DW12 days with the full body kits, but sure does seem a bit more like plate racing, but it gets the finishes that gets them headlines.
Mentioning Hybrid motors. I really hope Indy create some parity with F1 engines. Like make the regulation the exact same so we can get some new manufactures
The current setup is what they call the "ultracapacitor" that will sit on top of the engine and give a 60-100 hp boost. There is finally some official talk on either a full upgrade or a new car and engine from senior IndyCar officials. I thank Penske for keeping the series afloat during COVID, but now is the time for some meaningful changes.
You are right, there was a LOT on this weekend, you missed Formula E from Shanghai and how can you forget the British Hillclimb Championship double header at Gurston Down in Wiltshire?!
Your opinion on the last two years have won the same way. For me doesn’t matter how many times it’s come down to the last lap, it really is win it or bin it + it’s the luck of the cautions if that happens, 2016 is the best example of winning on fine margins with the fuel, Rossi cruised to the line while others pitted. Having said that it was one hell of a race
It does seem that the second position is ideal for the last lap overtake. There’s just one issue with that, and it’s the reason drivers won’t sit back and wait until the last lap… If there’s a caution (which is fairly likely) on the last lap the driver in second might never get a chance at the winning overtake. He just looses. Just ask Paul Tracy.
It took me too long to realise that Pato was Patricio, not Patrick, and that he was Mexican and not Irish. But, impatience has no nationality - he made his run 2 corners early. I'll be cheering for him next year though. And yeah, life imitates art... spookily similar to your race Aidan.
Tough break for Pato. He deserved to win and is one of the more likable drivers in the paddock. Newgarden though deserves the credit for making the move on the outside on the last lap
One thing I was quite confused as to why Pato didn't wait until the final lap at turn 3, he had so much overspeed on the lap previous. As you said Aiden the turn 3 / back straight overtake seems very predictable
You don't have to win to find a place in Indy fans' hearts, and Pato's post-race interview went a long way toward establishing himself as a track favorite.
It was the first Indycar race I've watched, and I thought it was fantastic. If 'just turning left" is wrong, I don't want to be right!
I work as a tv producer at a news station in Indianapolis. This was my first year covering the 500. It was an unbelievable experience. There was an audible cheer from the media room when we got to halfway so we all knew it was an official race. Long 12 hour day at the track.
A long day but probably worth it. What time did you get back home again in Indiana?
Sorry. I couldn't resist.
This was my first indy 500 I've been to, nothing went how I expected lol but it was fun
@@barnigranero5882 me about two hours north that is still in Indiana
I attended the Indy 500 this year, and stood under the grandstands when we were all told to seek shelter. Water soaked through my jacket, so I wore wet clothes for a great part of the event - until the sun came out and things dried up considerably. Indiana weather, go figure.
It was well worth the delay, though. The crowd was electric during that last lap.
A) you poor thing!
B) you went!? I'm jealous!
(Hope you had an awesome day despite the weather!)
Thats weather everywhere im so over hearing this dogshit" of if you dont like the weather in ________ just wait 15 minutes" ive lived in 6 states and heard that in every single one.
@@davidcagle920 My man, this is really not something worth getting this angry over. Get over yourself.
@@y_fam_goeglyd Oh, it was amazing, I’m so glad my family and I stayed until the end!
@@xenohtype you love control
I was crew member doing pit stops back in 1989 when there was no speed limit in pit lane. Talk about dangerous.
Shoutout to Sky for announcing to stream the race on yt for free until the race was delayed and then just not doing it anymore. Would have loved to watch, ahh how much I love sky
They showed the race on sky mix, its how i watched as my original plan was TH-cam
15 quid for the day pass was well spent though.
@@AidanMillward Here in Indianapolis, I was planning on Streaming it on Peacock (NBC's streaming site) but on my VPN pointed to Ohio, since it was blacked out in Indy. Then they lifted the blackout after the delay, so I turned off my VPN. It's the first time I watched it legal outside of Covid for quite a while.
As a Pato fan at the speedway yesterday. I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in the span of half a lap. Congrats to Newgarden, atleast he won this race straight up, not a cheesy 1 lap restart. Not too many guys can make that move
Ericsson fan here, so I know the pain all too well from last year lol. Pato will surely win the Indy 500 some day. It took Newgarden many years to get his first, but he still got it.
Pato also wasn’t going to do JoNew dirty either. Firm but fair. I was still gutted Pato didn’t pull it off!
Note on Indy 500 pit stops: there was no pitlane speed limit until 1992.
I try to explain to my non-Motorsports how the last Sunday in May is a high holy holiday for us race fans.
Attending the race year was absolutely incredible. I was sleep deprived and exhausted from travel and that was all worth it.
You went too? Wow, some lucky sods here lol. Hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourself :)
I was there too. Absolutely worth the wait
@@ericheick7044 it was my first ever Indy 500 as well and getting to an instant classic is something I’ll never forget.
@@Bad_Chemicals702 very cool! The crowd was great. People were super friendly, and the food/drink prices weren't too crazy.
Can definitely relate on the travel part, but I’d do it all again without a second thought. It was so much fun!
As a McLaren fan, yesterday was a mix of emotions thanks to those three second places. So close yet so far! Da Costa controlled things in Shanghai, Leclerc controlled Monaco and Newgarden outsmarted O'Ward on the last lap at Indy. Happy that Hughes finally got his first podium in FE though.
Penske has 20 won of these for a reason. The team knows how to set-up a car and 'manage' the race.
And with the Penske/Foyt technical partnership, Penske got access to a 2 year old copy of the Ganassi Indy 500 Playbook from engineer Michael Cannon. That and the upgraded Chevy motor really helped out Team Penske this year.
I live about 30 minutes from IMS. On a normal 500 race day I leave my house at 7:30AM so I can get to the track by 10:00AM because traffic is insane, there’s 300-400K people. Because I saw the forecast and radar I decided to stay home and watch Monaco, no sense in going if the 500 would be delayed a few hours. I left at 2:00PM and was at IMS by 3:00PM. I sat in Turn 3 and thought it was worth the wait.
Juan Pablo held off Will Power for 2 laps in 2015 after passing Dixon on the outside in turn 3. What helped Newgarden was experience to not chase Pato below the white line gave him enough tow to pull that off. Also like Josef said Pato is clean racer all though I doubt he'll ever be that gracious again in that situation.
My first 500 was 2017 when Alonso made his debut. Since then I've always kept my eye on it, to the point where now I'm more excited for it than Monaco 😂
Kyle Larson did a respectable job, and his 18th place was not indicative of the effort. Coming back from a muffed restart into the top five was impressive. And even the most experienced drivers (see Scott Dixon a couple of years ago) have come afoul of the speed limit in the pits. And, he will be back next year. Pato O'Ward deserves the nickname Ninja; his saves in that car yesterday took ninja-like reflexes. Coming so close, he could have driven so dirty at the end but he didn't, a mark of a great driver. He will win, someday. But yesterday, watching him sitting in the car, head hanging down, I felt so bad for him
He just had a moment with the flappy paddles in think. Then he got nailed for speeding which is to be expected if you’re used to not having a limiter.
@@AidanMillwardyeah he got nailed on his first green flag stop
I think part of why things went the way they did at the end was the time of day was later than IndyCar has ever been on track there, for the race or practice. the cooler air and cooler track made it easier to follow and get runs down the straights.
A great review of the race completed with a glass of milk. Cheers from across the pond
For those of you who think oval tracks don't require something special since you "just turn left" I've two words for you....Josef Newgarden.
Besides the one for the win, just how many passes on outside the did he make?.....and he was going 235mph when he made them. Watching a late brake dive into a corner is exciting, but nothing approaching a 235mph pass on the OUTSIDE of a turn.
This, right here!
Yeh i love motor racing F1 moto gp but them speeds at 235 mph is outrages😮
Just hit push to pass. It's easy
There was an SRO race in Donington Park yesterday too.
9 Hondas DNF's to 2 Chevys. And, one Chevy DNF's, because Honda pushed the Chevy on to the grass.
Agreed on Kath Legge!💪💪💪
Shouldn’t that be 🦵 🦵 🦵
@@mrterp04 LOL!
I do hope you can make it over here Aidan. It’s a wonderful event! I was a vendor this month on Main Street, just down from the track by a few blocks. I was listening with some other fans on their IndyCar audio feed to the radio broadcast of those last 10 laps. I’m surprised I didn’t break my hand on the street bench. I was banging on it so hard, hoping that Pato would pull out the victory! Like he said, he will get his bottle of milk! 🥛 ❤🙌🏁🎩
I was at the 500 for the 27th time with my son for his 12th. It was a really long day but worth it, especially since no entertainment red flags were thrown at the end.
Walked like 1.5 miles from my truck to the track and back twice, when the storm showed up it was intense. The noise was so loud on the last lap you could not hear the cars just us cheering the whole time. I didn’t have a voice the Monday 1000/10 would recommend to everyone
I abandoned the moment I learned of how long the delay would be, knowing I had to work the next day
Used TV replay system to watch it the next day without having heard anything from social media or radio. I was really thankful for that
As a Ferrari/Leclerc fan and a Newgarden fan, Sunday was a rare great day. Rare mostly cause of the Ferrari part.
I was in the infield on the back straight. If you get the chance PLEASE go to Indy. It’s more than worth it
3:20, 7:10 - I always think back to the 1999 Milwaukee Mile, comparable to the immediate effect of the halo and Indy wind screens. Michael Andretti entered the pits and after the tires were changed, the car was dropped off the jacks while fuel was still being put in. The clutch started burning and the car started rolling, Andretti unable to stop it. The left rear tire and the full weight of the car ran over the fuel man's head.
ONE WEEK BEFORE the race, Bell had given out free helmets to all the teams as part of helmets becoming mandatory for pit crews. The fuel man suffered only a compressed neck, not unalived by the tire or weight.
The last 40 laps were edge of your seat thrilling. I was pulling for Rossi but would've been happy had O'Ward won. Didn't want Penske to win as I'm mad at Roger for not letting the Porsche Club host a DE at Indy anymore.
It was a great race right to the end. While it was great for Newgarden, it was shell shock for O’Ward. So close once again. And Larson didn’t get to drive 1100 miles yesterday.
At first I thought I was going to regret driving down from Toronto for the race, and then the last 50 laps happened. My lord that was a REAL good race. Best of the 3 I have attended now.
Appreciate your videos
Aloha from Honolulu
Don't forget the GB4 Championship, on TH-cam. Those races always deliver great shows!
Love the Juan Pablo / jet dryer reference. Watched that live and I still don’t get how that happened.
I just wish they had as many cameras back then as they do now, because the only video of him hitting the jet dryer doesn't really show much. Just looks like his suspension had an issue and off he went.
For the Colten one, on the NBC broaddcast IIRC they were saying something in the steering may have gone though and that caused the snap
I saw the replay and it went as soon as he dumped it back into fifth so unless he had something happen like the Chevy guys were having
I adored the race yesterday it had everything! I was wondering what you were thinking of it oddly enough, thanks for the video.
A huge contrast between two of the Triple Crown events as a spectacle. One was its usual traditional borefest, the other wasn't and went down to the wire after 200 laps. Sure, I like F1 and I love the concept of the Monaco GP and its glamour, but jeez!
Easily one of the best 500s I've been to over 18 500s. Indycar absolutely nailed the aero regulations this year, so the cars could easily pass. 596 passes for position this year!! The last 5 laps were definitely insane. I was hoping Pato would be more patient, but the pass on Newgarden into 1 on the last lap was definitely too early. For the past several years, you definitely need to be in 2nd on the last lap in order to win. Whether you pass into 1 or 3 on the last lap definitely depends on how well you can defend, but passing into 3 was definitely the way to go.
This Aussie had to work that night, so I was sure I was going to miss the race... then I get home at 7:30am, find the race on lap 138 and settle in for the ride. Bless the racing gods for giving us delays, even if it was painful to watch Will Power hit the wall.
My first Indy 500 in person! In the stands outside of turn 4. Helluva first time!
Newgarden had the better car, that’s why he beat O’Ward. Pato had been fighting the car all race, it was on the razor’s edge of the limits with how the team set it up and it showed. Josef for the most part, had a much smoother and comfortable set up and could afford to take a more aggressive approach than what Pato was capable of doing. If Pato had made the move in Turn 3 he would have put it into the wall. He made the smart move in waiting for Turn 1. Josef was just the better driver in the better car.
That’s Indy.
Factoid: In qualifying Indycars ,at Indy, average speed is faster (by 10 to 15 mph) than a F1 car has ever gone. Which was probably for a second.
I was rooting for pato, and as he went by in turn one (where I was sitting) I audibly told my dad "oh.. he shouldn't have done that" - because I've been watching in person for over a decade, including last year, and I saw the exact same thing happen with Newgarden twice, and others before that.
This was my 38th in a row (I do not count covid year). Our family has had the same seats (Turn 3, section 11, row JJ, seats 15, 16, 17, 18). Had my dad in the stands along with 2 of my kids for their first 500, so 3 generations in the stands for the 108th. I've seen a lot of great races. 1989 with Emo and Little Al, 2014 was fantastic, 2006 with Marco and Hornish, 1992 with Little Al and Goodyear. Long day but this year's 500 had to be one of the best I have ever seen. Indy is just magical.
It was my 1st indy i enjoyed despite the delay and only having 4-5 hours sleep also appreciate Aiden and David Land for learning before the race started
Sat right in front of the last lap pass in T3, what an ending to a crazy day!
Blomqvist hit the apron/curb.
What a race, it really had it all, I still haven't come down completely and I am so excited for how this championship is going to play out, especially with the hybrid starting at mid ohio
Hope you do a video about that joke of Monaco GP
As an american, I can absolutely vouch that thunderstorms can be INSANE. And so can indy fans.
They had to yell at people for AGES to get out of the stands and stay out. Because, well... Track was the tallest thing in the area, and the entirety of the stands are metal benches on metal platforms suspended by metal support beams.
Thousands of spectators lined up shoulder to shoulder with umbrellas on the metal stands in a thunderstorm? You do the math, lol.
Luckily, the race was awesome, and the mood was NEVER dour.
Even huddled under the stands, standing, shoulder to shoulder, the fans were singing, laughing, doing group bs, getting drunk, and generally in surprisingly good spirits through the entire delay.
Honestly surprised me. Worth the wait though!
I watched the Monaco Grand Prix, the Coca Cola 600, and the Indy 500. The 500 was, by far, the best race I’ve seen all year!
I’d also like to offer my gratitude to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the United States of America, as we in the U.S. observe Memorial Day.
My local track, Snetterton, generating great racing!
Truck Racing there last year was great fun.
Kyle Larson frankly should have finished in the top ten, it was his own inexperience running the Indy 500 that done him in, especially that speeding penalty in the pit lane. That kid is freaking special.
At 8:20, I wish you would've ended that quote with Scotty Mac's infamous "F--- Yeah". lol
Yes, same here, was wide awake after the race!
The pits at Indy can be made significantly safer. They just have to have the cars come in via the warm up lane at turn three. That also stops the wild weaving coming off turn four during restarts and at the end of the race. Indycar already did this at Texas even though there's no wall blocking the pit entry off turn four, and the cars had to maintain a speed limit on the apron until turn two and starting at turn three. So it can easily be done, and it needs to be.
1. It's frankly a mad coincidence that a last-lap pass for the win has happened two years running, let alone by the same driver. '23 was created by the crazy, NASCAR-esque decision to red flag it on lap 199 and run a white/green flag, one lap finish. As for this year, it can't be overstated how incredible and unlikely that pass by Newgarden was: easily 49 out of 50 times, on dead end-of-stint tires and two drivers desperate for the win, that ends with one or both cars in the wall. There's a reason NBC's Leigh Diffey went bananas, even by his standards, and called the pass and entire scenario 'mind-blowing'. Something like that--or last year--will NEVER become remotely common enough to become predictable. That's one thing this race never is. 2). See 1 3. See 1
It's cool to see more and more worldwide aficionados of motorsport, especially those who create excellent highly viewed racing content--i.e. like you--becoming real fans of this series and this race and rejecting the stale 'F1 is the only open wheel series on earth worth paying attention to' attitude. The 'just turning left' crowd remind of people who look at a Monet or Jackson Pollack and say 'it's not realistic....it's just splattered paint...my kid could it.' Yeah...but they didn't. Despite itself (known as it is for its continually abysmal marketing/branding and PR blunders dating back to 'the split') IndyCar may actually get the global interest and following it had in peak Golden Era. And again deserves. Yesterday's race and the emergence of a driver of genuine superstar level talent and personality like O'Ward and a back-to-back winner of passion, intensity, raw pace and balls of solid brass like Newgarden (despite the projecting scapegoating mobs online, reality is reality) when there seem to be more and more sampling the product and after some nasty press was ideal timing.
Lastly, Arrow McLaren is now easily the most supported team in the series, with by far its most beloved driver who seems destined for future 500 wins and series titles, the best design/merch/overall branding etc. With the F1 team finally rounding back into top form, one has to tip the cap the Zak Brown. The guy was being grilled by sponsors and his boss about the lack of results and was probably a bad race at Silverstone last year away from the boot, and now it looks clear that's he's been building something very special.
Couldn't watch it live unfortunately... but it was so worth to watch the replay!
On electrical storms in America, more then 40 people are killed annually (on average) just from the lightning. Additional, standing in an open field or sitting on metal standards are quite dangerous.
Crew have been hurt. The real safety issue is the space on the crew side of the wall, where it's 1) horribly cramped and 2) the walkway is totally crowded and barely is wide enough for a golf cart.
A pit stop in an auto race isn’t supposed to look like an operating room. There’s supposed to be some chaos.
Yesterday I was up from 3am to midnight on 6hrs of sleep. I did a six hour round trip on race day to get to the Indy 500. And all the wrecks happened were I was sitting in turn 1. I knew while waiting for the rain it was going to become a sprint race. The only downside for me was that when I got back home. I was completely mentally drained.
The thing with Herta is if he'd stayed in his car, got a restart and drove back to the pits, which he could've done, he'd have been at worst a lap down. As it is because he assumed his car was more damaged than it was he ended up a bunch of laps down. Also had Larson not gotten that penalty, there's no reason to think he couldn't have had a chance at winning. And I know he's said he didn't like the day, but christ I want him to try again. Because if he can qualify in 5th for the Indy 500 and 10th for the Coca Cola 600, he absolutely can pull off winning both the same day. As for the last lap pass issue, that's been a thing for ages. It was a thing when I was watching as a kid when the year started with 198. It's just a matter of do you get two cars close together at the end or not.
One thing that is lost in all the race and stuff, Penske teamed with Foyt racing this year, and the Penskes looked very comfortable because of it. With Sting Ray Robb 6th in lap speed, and leading laps, and Ferrucci staying near the front all day just to have the pit crew screw him at the end, it looks like both benefited.
Fantastic race, for a good 150 laps I was convinced Hélio was going to achieve his drive for 5 somehow 😂
The glass of milk was a nice touch
Andretti should: Buy Hass, and bang he's in F!, then get that Ford non-contract into an Indy car, and let Honda (my favoutite, by the way) go away, and finally get a Nascar team going. If Penske can do it, Andretti ought to be able to too. Er, yeah.
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
The Indy 500 was the best part of the greatest day in racing. F1 was dull (although I happy for the results, just not impressed not one pass was made for 50 laps) . The NASCAR 600 was meh and rain shortened (although William Byron made an amazing pass in the grass).
No, the Indy 500 is the greatest race for its drama and the length of it just being just right.
Outside passes, furious cutting in and out, amazing pit stops and a roaring crowd
A couple of bits and bobs:
1) Will Power was also a victim of the plennum fire during Saturday Practice before qualifying. For Sunday morning, the Chevy/Illmor folks told them not to shift down to stop that which is why Hunter-Reay put up an embarrassing 230 mph lap average because his team didn't have enough time to redo his gear ratios. Add another strike to the "Cheater Penske" crowd.
2) Widening the pitlane is almost the same issue at lining the entire place in SAFER barrier. No matter what, you're going to crush the frontstretch and narrow it even further, and it's not that wide to begin with.
3) There is going to be a superspeedway aero refresh next year. The full time teams also got their hybrid "ultracapacitors" this week. There's a test at the Milwaukee Mile before they start using them at Mid-Ohio on July 7.
4) The comments on the official IndyCar highlights seem to be about 35/35 for the trash screaming "F1 is better!!" and "Indy > F1" with the rest talking about the race and/or the Pato O'Ward "Self-Delete" Watch to be TH-cam friendly. As usual, the children won't let the rest of use have fun.
Thank you for the video. That was a special race. Let's hope IndyCar and build on that.
Overtaking into 3 is never guaranteed. You have to set it up right before 1, and the slightest wiggle through 1 and 2 can blow the run. Then you have to get it to stick, either low or high, into 3 without scrubbing too much speed (or wiggling through 4), which leaves you vulnerable down the front stretch. Newgarden was one of only a few cars who could go around the outside all day. If it were Pato trying to pass Newgarden into 3, I don’t think it would have stuck.
Not the best 500 I've watched, but it was a good race, felt sorry for Katherine after all her hard work, hopefully she'll be back next year 🇬🇧
The delays are just part of Indianapolis. It doesn’t happen every year but it happens enough you have to expect it. The race also has always been a Memorial Day special, right from the very first race. Memorial Day is a holiday which means absolutely nothing in any other country besides the US, so it’s funny that, because of the desire to counter-program against the 500, particularly on the part of F1 to keep their drivers from participating at Indy, this purely American holiday has become a big racing day all over the world.
IMP, "Let's end the race so nobody get's home in the dark!" Me who lives two hours away still got home in the pitch black because most intersections had no officers doing traffic?
Fantastic race, a classic! More drama and excitement in one lap than the whole race at Monaco. What a finish. The last quarter of the race was just amazing, and the whole thing was great. So many crazy moves, & just incredible that Pato hung onto his car till the end as it was so sketchy. The Indy 500 proves once again it's the best race in the world, and Newgarden wins over $4M for it. It's a must see in person for any true racing fans bucket list.
I use that same glass to make my Latte in.
There was even a GT race at Spa on TH-cam yesterday
12:13 I take it as given at this point that the leader on the last lap either has to be a god, insanely lucky, or the master of "questionable" maneuvering in order to win the race. Making sure that you're the guy making the last lap pass rather than the guy who will inevitably get passed is just part of 500 strategy now.
DTM and Formula E were this weekend as well
The weather was garbage here in east central Indiana on race day. Lost power in the afternoon but at least I got to see Monoco in the A.M.!
Winner of Indy 500 and Monaco referenced for a jet dryer mishap. Nice 😂
I had the finish down as just good racecraft. Pato probably saw Newgarden at T3 and didn't fancy leaving it that late on the last lap. I really enjoyed the race once it calmed down. That early eagerness was like they were expecting another rain shower. Anyway, onward to TT fortnight.
For sure too pack happy, the fuel saving bits were starting to feel like monaco, but they had 6 lanes to go around, its not as bad as the DW12 days with the full body kits, but sure does seem a bit more like plate racing, but it gets the finishes that gets them headlines.
Yeah, this is why I worry that after a while people will figure out the patterns. Guy in second start of final lap is basically guaranteed the win.
@@AidanMillwardThere's an aero package upgrade coming next year for the superspeedways.
Mentioning Hybrid motors. I really hope Indy create some parity with F1 engines. Like make the regulation the exact same so we can get some new manufactures
The current setup is what they call the "ultracapacitor" that will sit on top of the engine and give a 60-100 hp boost. There is finally some official talk on either a full upgrade or a new car and engine from senior IndyCar officials. I thank Penske for keeping the series afloat during COVID, but now is the time for some meaningful changes.
I watched the start of the race after enjoying (?) the buildup and I really enjoyed it. But I couldn't manage 1am. In a way I wish I had.
You are right, there was a LOT on this weekend, you missed Formula E from Shanghai and how can you forget the British Hillclimb Championship double header at Gurston Down in Wiltshire?!
I mean, I did say there was other stuff on and just because I hadn't mentioned it doesn't mean it was forgotten...
I was at the masters historic F1 race on the same day also 😂
Years ago. Nascar had 43 pit stalls. Indy starts 33. They probably could adjust the pitlane.
Your opinion on the last two years have won the same way. For me doesn’t matter how many times it’s come down to the last lap, it really is win it or bin it + it’s the luck of the cautions if that happens, 2016 is the best example of winning on fine margins with the fuel, Rossi cruised to the line while others pitted. Having said that it was one hell of a race
It does seem that the second position is ideal for the last lap overtake. There’s just one issue with that, and it’s the reason drivers won’t sit back and wait until the last lap…
If there’s a caution (which is fairly likely) on the last lap the driver in second might never get a chance at the winning overtake. He just looses.
Just ask Paul Tracy.
awesome video
Man if ford and dodge just jumped into Indy car I think I’d coom
It took me too long to realise that Pato was Patricio, not Patrick, and that he was Mexican and not Irish. But, impatience has no nationality - he made his run 2 corners early. I'll be cheering for him next year though. And yeah, life imitates art... spookily similar to your race Aidan.
2:10 LOOL
Tough break for Pato. He deserved to win and is one of the more likable drivers in the paddock. Newgarden though deserves the credit for making the move on the outside on the last lap
Same aiden so nakered after it for it but had the entertainment of leclerc
Yeah I wish it turned out a bit different. I feel better about it after listening to Aidan's take on it though
One thing I was quite confused as to why Pato didn't wait until the final lap at turn 3, he had so much overspeed on the lap previous. As you said Aiden the turn 3 / back straight overtake seems very predictable
Great stuff thank you!
why pato why!? damn I wanted you to win so bad.
lets go! its time for Le Mans!
You don't have to win to find a place in Indy fans' hearts, and Pato's post-race interview went a long way toward establishing himself as a track favorite.
I nodded my head and went "mhmmm"