100 Days to Indy (2023) s01e06 Episode Script
The Big Dance
- Jump start.
- [Whistles]
Alex Palou. What a way
to start the month of May!
Palou has now led 50 laps
of this GMR Grand Prix.
And the ebb and flow
of this race is incredible!
Up front with Palou,
the gap just continues to grow
between Palou and O'Ward.
Alex Palou,
he got the lead early.
When you win by 16 seconds,
that's a beatdown.
Alex Palou wins
the GMR Grand Prix at Indy!
So this was
as dominant a performance
as we've seen in a while.
We've had five races
and five different winners.
Name me a high-level motorsport
where you see that.
But now it's all eyes
on the Indy 500.
♪♪
All the right ingredients
are in the mix.
It's almost time
for the Indy 500!
The 500 is the reason
IndyCar exists.
At the end of the day, man,
the Indy 500, it's immortality.
Always pictured myself
winning the Indy 500.
And you have to believe it
before you do it.
Whoo!
You do everything you can
to be able
to kiss those bricks one day.
Hopefully this year that's me.
- That's the epitome.
- That's the top of the top.
Marcus Ericsson wins
the Indianapolis 500!
It's the biggest race
in the world.
There's nothing like it.
Win a second Indy 500, that
would be the cherry on top, man.
It's the biggest race
of the year.
It's the most historic.
We all know it,
and we all want it.
- You've got to perform.
- You've got to push to the limit.
[Fingers snap]
That's it. We're in business.
It's showtime.
It's timeaction
at the Indianapolis 500!
For every single driver,
something significant
is at stake.
The crowd is absolutely
deafening here!
This is it.
This is the biggest
sporting event in the world.
This is and always will be
the "Greatest Spectacle
in Racing"!
♪♪
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Thanks, Steve.
- Yeah.
- Cool, man.
That's hot. Whew!
[Indistinct conversations]
I hope you like steak, fellas.
See, everybody's jealous
'cause no other owner
in this paddock
cooks for their team.
Nobody.
You're very full of yourself
tonight.
[Laughs]
- I'm more of a diverse.
- Yeah.
- This is him.
- I'm steak, chicken.
- You used to do salmon.
- Salmon's good for you.
And I'm not kind of into things
that are good for you.
Guy just had his heart
worked on last year.
- Yeah, yeah, well
- Anyway.
- Yeah. That didn't go over well.
- [Laughs]
It's a full family event.
Stay in the bus. Grill out.
My dad, normally,
he's right near us,
and so it's a lot of fun.
This is Graham and I.
I think we're probably
at the Michigan 500.
This is a sponsor dinner.
He rented a coat and tie.
- Oh, yeah.
- He was very sharp.
Yeah.
The expectations by everybody
within the sport
are much higher
than they were in those days.
And it's so much fun because
it was just a different world.
If I look back
at my career now,
there was a lot of opportunities
that I didn't maximize.
You know,
I've got six wins in IndyCar.
It's not like that's nothing.
There's a lot of people
who never win.
But people don't pay attention
to those sort of things.
I mean, it's really, have you won a
championship, have you won a 500?
And, for me,
I haven't done either.
No matter where we go
or what we do,
he's known
as the '86 Indy 500 champion.
Changed his name for sure,
forever.
People recognize the name,
and they recognize the name
because of that day,
and it changed our whole world.
So, for me, I don't know.
Particularly being a Rahal,
there's only been
one father/son combination
to ever do it,
which is the Unsers.
So, for me,
that is what drives me.
We need to win this thing
together.
My quiet hope for the team
year after year after year
is I want Graham to win
the Indianapolis 500
so we can all relax
because I think
the pressure of this
must be heavy and dark at times.
I mean, we're not here
to finish second.
That's all I can tell you.
You know?
- Nobody cares about that.
- We've been close before.
♪♪
- Early draw. Cool weather.
- So we'll see.
Go get 'em. Alright?
- Good luck.
- Thanks, brother.
Qualifying at the Indy 500
takes place over two days,
and it's one of
the most stressful weekends
of the entire year for
every team and driver out here.
This feeling right here
is the worst but the best.
And I'm glad that I get to feel
one more time.
♪♪
The first day of qualifying,
you go out one car at a time,
and it's your average speed
over four laps.
If you are not in that top 30
after Saturday's running,
Saturday night
is a sleepless night
and Sunday is a terrible day.
You don't want to be 31st
because if you're 31st
or further back,
you have to qualify again
tomorrow for last chance.
You got to be in it to win it.
So we've just got to get --
get in there. Commit.
[Man on P.A.
speaking indistinctly]
Here is a legend of the sport.
Tony Kanaan in his final
Indianapolis campaign.
TK is flying!
Holding it together
for 10 miles is the task.
As fast, as smooth
as you can be.
And so far, so good
for Pato O'Ward.
- Check this out. Whoa!
- Rosenqvist!
Just shy of 234 miles an hour!
[Bleep] yeah. Whoo!
Yeah, baby.
- Dang.
- Everybody else, take note.
The McLarens are here to play
in qualifying.
Damn!
[Laughter]
Stefan Wilson.
This is the most settled,
the most confident
- that I've seen him.
- He's in!
He's safe
with starting position.
It's a form of torture,
I think. I'm pretty sure.
Josef Newgarden
bringing it home. He's in!
Which is going to be 17th place.
- It was a good run.
- We were flat-out the whole way.
You know, it's gonna
be hard to find more,
but if we need to,
we'll be out there trying.
Yeah.
It's tracking beautifully
for Ferrucci.
Good to see Santino Ferrucci
and AJ Foyt Racing fast.
That's what
you're supposed to do.
- Oh, boy! Graham Rahal!
- Graham's really struggling here.
He needs to be
in the 231-mile-an-hour range.
- He's outside the top 30.
- I don't know, man.
Uh
You know, we don't
have the speed, period.
She just doesn't have the speed.
Katherine Legge
begins her qualifying run.
You compare this
to the run Graham Rahal had,
this looks totally composed
and under control.
All they need to do
is not be in the bottom four.
They just need to be
in the top 30.
There should be satisfaction
with this.
Hey. We're in.
That wasn't stressful at all,
was it?
So now we'll work on the racecar
and show them what we got
on the weekend.
Tomorrow's gonna be a big one.
Just look at how tight
that field is.
And everybody is gonna pull out
more tricks tomorrow.
So that's the fast 12.
These are the four drivers
who are gonna fight
for three spots.
No one deserves to miss out,
but that's the nature
of the Indianapolis 500.
- [Laughs] Too late.
- What's happening?
- Come here. Hey. Let them in.
- Come on.
House. Good girl. Sit.
Saturday is always stressful.
So, you're sitting there
competing with teams that --
They are spending not twice,
probably closer
to triple or quadruple
the amount of money
we're spending.
These are what I'm walking out
in on raceday and Carb Day.
So, they have our names,
numbers.
They match the livery
of the car.
Qualifying, honestly,
it's a lot.
It's a lot of fun,
and it's super-satisfying.
Most stressful day
in motorsport.
- Ugh!
- Whew.
I, like, need to really
just chill out and relax.
Like, I really am, like,
anxious as all get out.
Like, intense.
IndyCar is insanely competitive.
Tomorrow you have to
put it all on the line.
A week from today
is the 107th running
of the Indianapolis 500.
Today we set the field.
- Ready to go fast.
- Whoo-hoo-hoo!
- This is intense.
- Last chance qualifying.
Four drivers trying to make
the last three positions
on the grid.
Doesn't get any tougher
than that.
I've been part of days
like this before at the track,
and there is no worse feeling
than having to bump your way in
on one run.
If you don't make the show,
it's just devastating.
This is about a mile-an-hour
slower average
than what Lundgaard had before.
229.649.
Sting Ray crosses the line.
And that is slower
than Christian Lundgaard.
All these cars potentially
re-run at least once.
It's green flag
for the 30-year-old
British driver Jack Harvey.
Here we go.
- 229.0.
- [Groans]
And that is nowhere near the
first two cars that have run.
It just does not have the pace,
and I don't know where
you can find speed
before this session is over.
This is gonna put him third
of the three cars that have run.
- And here's the big one.
- Graham Rahal.
Nobody thought Graham
would be in this position,
just trying to make the field
for the Indy 500.
This is a guy, Marty,
who has almost won
the Indy 500
on multiple occasions.
Graham Rahal to the line.
Leapfrogs his teammate
Jack Harvey
and has that all-important
33rd spot right now.
There's a pretty good chance
now, Graham Rahal,
you're gonna be in the Indy 500.
- I feel for those guys.
- That's [bleep] painful.
- That's tough.
- Like, for all of them.
- Yeah.
- That sucks.
It's a [bleep] situation.
It's a really
[bleep] situation.
- No matter any way you slice it.
- Oh, God.
Can you imagine what
Jack's thinking right now?
You wouldn't wish it
on your worst enemy.
- Oh, I would.
- You would?
[Laughter]
Time is officially up,
but this run counts
for Jack Harvey.
Rahal does not have a chance
to respond.
229.4.
It's not as fast as what
Graham Rahal's first lap was,
but it doesn't mean
that he's out of it.
Lap two. 229 even.
They have not given in.
They are fighting to the end.
And the end is now.
One more lap for Jack Harvey.
♪♪
Graham Rahal's heart is in his
throat, sitting in his racecar.
He is two corners away
from knowing whether or not
he will be in the
Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
Don't ever question
the character
of Britain's Jack Harvey!
He's not giving up!
Is he in the 500 or is he out?!
Jack Harvey's in!
Jack Harvey is in the Indy 500!
Graham Rahal is out!
♪♪
This place, it doesn't --
it doesn't come easy.
It doesn't just happen.
And we weren't good enough.
But, you know,
you've got to be positive.
You've got to be humble and
gracious in victory and defeat.
Um
There's next year.
♪♪
It's like the whole world
just caves in on you.
You put so much more time
and effort and energy
and passion into this one race,
and then all of a sudden
you just get slapped
with the reality that,
oh, yeah, you're not
gonna be part of it.
It's just the worst.
- Get ready to see speed.
- Crazy speed.
This is the Firestone Fast Six.
- Beautiful day.
- Beautiful day to go fast.
It is a six-driver showdown
to decide who starts
on the pole position
for the 107th Indianapolis 500.
This is Arrow McLaren's
Pato O'Ward.
This guy
is aggressive and hungry.
So hungry to be the best.
233.1 miles an hour --
the four-lap average.
So the mark is set.
Let's see the other five
do the chasing.
♪♪
Qualifying starts now
for Alex Palou.
♪♪
We've seen it all week.
The number 10
has consistently been
one of the fastest cars here.
This is tracking to be a monster
four-lap average
for Alex Palou.
Alex Palou jumps to the top
with a 234.2!
[Chuckles]
Hey. Awesome, man. Awesome.
This is Santino Ferrucci.
Ferrucci, the young American
out of Connecticut.
And Santino Ferrucci slots
into position number three.
This is Felix Rosenqvist.
He has been on fire
this month of May,
and he is the favorite for pole.
Look how nervous Alex Palou is.
Alex Palou bites his
lower lip and holds his breath.
He knows that Rosenqvist
has a rocket.
♪♪
Here comes Felix.
Who gets the pole
for the Indianapolis 500?!
It's Alex Palou!
Yeah! [Laughs]
- Yeah!
- Yeah! Whoo!
You want to know
what the Indy 500 means?
- It means that.
- Just look at that.
They haven't even
started the race yet,
and look at how
this team celebrates pole.
[Cheers and applause]
Now it's all building
towards the race next Sunday.
[Indistinct shouting]
[Cheers]
It's the best qualifying
that I've ever had at the 500.
I think we're going into
race day with something
that we know what we got.
I believe that
it's strong enough.
And we just got to
hit our marks.
It's just such a long race.
200 laps, 500 miles.
You got to keep your cool.
I want to win this race.
Yeah, I've had a sixth,
I've had a fourth,
and I've had a second.
I want to [bleep] win this race.
♪♪
I'm next to my two favorites.
My two favorites.
My lap three and four was not
pretty. I was like, "Uhh"
We had the pace
to [bleep] pole it.
Why didn't you?
[Bleep] up the mapping.
Really? Come on, bro.
I know.
- How about those 235 laps, huh?
- My God.
- I can have that.
- That's insane, man.
I couldn't believe my eyes
when I saw that.
I was like, "Whew!"
Yeah, but it just --
it sucks, you know?
Because, like,
you're so happy to make it,
but then, you know,
Graham's -- he's a teammate.
He's like a good mate of mine.
Like, it's not a fun feeling.
- [Bleep] that.
- You're in the cash. You're good.
- [Chuckles]
- You're in the cash.
Come on! Let's go!
[Cheers and applause]
Right here, buddy.
- Ohh!
- Ohh!
[Laughter]
♪♪
Alright. Rolling.
This race is just --
It's such an emotional
roller coaster
from start to finish.
- Konnichi wa.
- Konnichi wa.
We're Japanese national TV.
What does Indy 500 mean to you?
I think it's the only trophy
in the world
where you have your face on
forever.
Honestly, I'm more comfortable
than I would be
if I was starting second.
I do believe you have to
be perfect on the day.
That's what makes it so tough.
There are a ton
of obligations
before the green flag waves,
when the drivers just wish
they had more time in the car.
What actor would you want
to play you in a movie?
Robert Downey Jr.
Words that come to mind
for the Indy 500?
Before the race? Nerves.
After the race,
if you've won it,
extreme relief and excitement.
Are you a Swiftie?
Absolutely!
Do you like my pom-poms?
Damn, Pato! Nice pom-poms!
[Laughs]
So many things to do and
so little time left to practice.
There's only two more sessions
on track before the race,
which means they are
extra-important to make sure
that you are dialed in
for Sunday.
♪♪
- Oh, boy.
- Somebody's running --
Our first crash! Who is that?!
It's Katherine Legge in
the wall. And Stefan Wilson.
It has been clear practice,
clear qualifying until now.
For Stefan Wilson,
it sure appeared like
that would have come
out of nowhere.
Their Indy 500 campaign
has just taken
a turn for the worse.
Stefan Wilson.
And there is the thumbs-up
from Stef.
What is the physical situation
of Stef Wilson,
and will he be fit enough
to participate in Sunday's race?
IndyCar driver Stefan Wilson
will not compete
in the 500 on Sunday
after Wilson suffered
an injury to his vertebrae
during a crash in practice.
So now for
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing,
the question is,
who will replace Wilson
in that number-24 machine?
Alright. We'll go ahead and
get started here this morning.
Okay. I guess this is not
a shocker right here,
but Graham is going to
replace Stefan in the car for us
the rest of the week
and coming Sunday.
So, uh,
that is our announcement.
I don't feel good about
filling in for, you know --
for an injured driver.
I feel for Stefan.
I feel for him tremendously
because I do know
how much this means to him
and how much work
he puts in year in and year out
to be here.
Unfortunately, in racing,
things happen.
I'm very excited
at the opportunity,
but I feel terribly
for Stef, too.
We know how much
you love balloons.
- Oh. Thanks, man.
- Love the balloons, man.
That makes me
feel better already.
- Hey, man.
- Stef, buddy.
- Yeah.
- Eh.
There's not much --
not much I can say. I know.
Sucks, buddy. I'm so sorry.
What's the plan as of now?
I have to have back surgery
in the morning.
Oh, geez. Really?
Yeah, the fracture
is too, hm, unstable.
So I've got to have
some pins and rods put in there.
Then it's a three-month
recovery. So, yeah.
The good news is, I'll be 6'3"
instead of 6'3" and 1/2.
What do they do? They just
basically eliminate a --
Just like
squishes it down.
- Yeah. They have to fuse it.
- Yeah.
So next year
I'm gonna be even faster.
I hope I'm out on race day
'cause I'd like to come out
to the track.
- That'd be awesome.
- But I don't know.
- If they'll let you?
- If they'll let me.
I don't know.
It'd be nice if I could do that.
That'd be great, man.
[Cheers and applause]
♪♪
The last week has felt like
it's gone super-fast.
I'm so excited that
we're here today on the eve
of the Greatest Spectacle
in Racing.
- How's your kid?
- He's good. He's so good.
He's growing.
He's getting more fun.
- He's got --
- He's got your build.
Dude, he's gonna --
You buy him muscle milk?
No. I'm just telling you,
he's gonna be an athlete.
These drivers do a great job
and the racing
is really special,
but when 325,000 people
are here tomorrow,
that is what makes
the Indianapolis 500 special.
[Cheers and applause]
Drivers, race hard,
race how you want to be raced,
and take a moment
to look around you.
You're surrounded by
the best drivers on the planet.
[Cheers and applause]
♪♪
- [Chanting]
- Thirty-three! Thirty-three!
Drive, drive,
get in the car ♪
Search all night
to find who you are ♪
When you ride, ride,
ride through the stars ♪
If your light don't shine,
you won't get far ♪
When you drive, drive,
get in the car ♪
Search all night
to find who you are ♪
When you ride, ride,
ride through the stars ♪
If your light don't shine,
you won't get far ♪
- Daddy!
- [Speaking indistinctly]
That's a dragon!
♪♪
- He's a mustache?
- Yeah.
Oh, okay.
A lot of people here today.
[Crowd singing indistinctly]
This is the national anthem
of Sweden.
♪♪
♪♪
A lot of people ask
why the Indy 500 is so special.
There's no short answer
to that question.
There are so many reasons.
♪♪
It's the history.
Traditions like nowhere else.
All the pomp and circumstance
around this event.
Ultimately,
it all builds to race day,
which is the largest single-day
sporting event on Earth.
Over 350,000 people
come to Speedway, Indiana,
to watch 33 drivers lay it all
on the line for glory.
♪♪
When you wake up on race day
for the 500,
you're just expecting to have
the best day of your life.
To me, seeing the fans
is what makes the difference
because we do
16 other races a year,
and you never see
this many people.
- I'm happy this day is here.
- It's exciting.
Greatest day of the year.
I feel like we're just
gonna have a solid race.
Being an Indy 500 champion
would mean the world to me.
Right now it's the only thing
that I want so much,
and I'll do everything I can
today to make it happen.
- Good morning, everyone.
- I am pumped.
This team is awesome.
We have four awesome drivers.
All four cars can win this race.
TK, it's a pleasure
and an honor
to do what might be
your last Indy 500.
Seems that no one believes you.
I believe you.
Let's go racing!
[Cheers and applause]
It is time for the Indy 500.
And there's one word
that comes to mind.
Colossal.
The magnitude has to be seen
to be believed.
Do you want to
ask us something?
[Laughter]
Colton's winning.
I think today might be
a little different up front.
♪♪
You're about to witness
33 drivers
that are gonna sprint
into the eye of a tornado,
each one of them convinced
they will be the first one
to the other side.
It brings a lot of emotion
[Speaking indistinctly]
There's something about
the place that you notice
when you're on
the starting grid.
You look down to the first turn.
All you can see -- humanity.
You look back down
to the fourth turn,
all you see is humanity.
Rarely are you in the center
of 300,000 people.
That creates an immeasurable
sense of energy.
And that energy
is hard to imagine,
hard to fathom,
unless you've been
in the middle of it.
I mean, oh, my God.
This is sacred.
Drivers! Start your engines!
And the green flag waves!
The 107th running
of the Indianapolis 500 is on!
[Engines roaring]
We have a retirement
in the field.
It is Katherine Legge of
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
This is her exiting
her pit box.
Unfortunate end to her return
to the Indianapolis 500.
We are fast approaching
the halfway mark.
Drivers want to lead.
Engineers don't want
their drivers to lead.
If you're following,
you are saving fuel.
This is the gamesmanship.
Pato O'Ward is up front.
His teammate Felix Rosenqvist
right behind,
along with Santino Ferrucci
in the mix.
Rinus VeeKay, Alex Palou
runs top five.
Another team that
is super-impressive so far
is Team Penske.
Will power up in seventh.
Josef Newgarden up nine spots
from where he started.
They might not have had the pace
in qualifying,
but this team
shows up in a big way.
Scott McLaughlin, Takuma Sato
high off of 2. That was tight.
And now Tony Kanaan
trying to come on the inside!
Tony Kanaan
making a pass in the grass
on the back straightaway.
There are cars
going everywhere.
- Oh! That's Sting Ray Robb!
- Sting Ray Robb!
First yellow of the race.
And one of the rookies
in the field.
And the day is done.
Over 90 laps
of green-flag action.
And here comes everybody
headed for the pits.
[Bleep]
Palou just got hit
by Rinus VeeKay.
Are you kidding me?
What the [bleep] did he do?
So similar to what happened
to Katherine Legge.
He may have gotten away
without any damage,
but I promise you a penalty's
coming for the 21.
And before the caution
came out,
Callum Ilott found himself
on pit road
and has cycled
all the way to the front.
Callum Ilott leads,
and the reigning champion
goes right around the outside!
That's Marcus Ericsson!
He got three positions
in the one turn!
All kinds of action mid-pack.
- Conor Daly. Scott Dixon.
- Four wide!
It was hairy
at the back of the field.
Alex Palou already up to 19th.
He is charging back.
VeeKay's currently
running in seventh.
He's gonna be out of that
and out of the running.
Look how long
this train is growing.
The speeds have dropped.
O'Ward's down
to 207 miles an hour.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Everybody is tiptoeing.
Josef Newgarden is all the way
up to fourth place.
13 spots up from his start.
With 68 to go,
pit road getting very busy.
Ohh! Contact. They sent him
right into his teammate.
Marcus Ericsson
is out in front.
And I really like
where Josef Newgarden
is sitting -- in the top five.
They're exactly
where they want to be.
Caution is out!
And that's for Romain Grosjean.
I [bleep] don't get it.
The green flies
here at the Brickyard.
Ericsson will see that first
and take off.
Remember that last restart
went crazy.
Now we're just 44 laps
from an Indy 500 win.
What's gonna happen now?
Josef Newgarden
to the high side of Ericsson
going into 1.
And Ferrucci on the outside!
From fifth to third
in the one move!
Marcus Ericsson back
to the lead over Newgarden.
Ferrucci, Rossi, Rosenqvist.
The top five.
Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing,
is now second in the Indy 500.
40 laps to go.
With the way that yellow
fell, it is now flat-out.
It's not about saving fuel.
It's about who's got the pace.
And right now AJ Foyt Racing
has the pace.
He's going for the lead!
Santino Ferrucci
leads the Indianapolis 500!
- Will Power slow.
- Moving slowly.
- Really?
- That steering wheel
doesn't look very straight.
It's a small mistake,
but a costly one
with only 32 laps to go
in this race.
Game on now for Pato O'Ward.
Here come the pack.
Pato O'Ward
should slot into third
and be able to defend
on Newgarden.
Start rubbing your hands
together. It is on.
Look at O'Ward!
- Inside!
- Almost a pass on the grass!
- Gets second!
- Massive run. Pato O'Ward.
Low and to the front.
There's still a lot of work
to be done.
16 laps left here at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Josef Newgarden on
the outside of Felix Rosenqvist,
moves that Shell car -- Ohh!
Felix in the wall big-time!
- Oh, no!
- Kirkwood upside down!
Huge impact.
- Just get me the [bleep]
- out of here.
Felix Rosenqvist
crashed and spun.
And Kyle Kirkwood
had nowhere to go.
It's just my knee
is [bleep] up.
Felix Rosenqvist
out of his car, as well.
Two guys who were up front
with a legitimate shot.
I don't know
what's gonna happen.
It's the last 10 laps,
and everything goes crazy,
but usually at the front
is a good thing.
Can Marcus Ericsson defend
his victory of a year ago?
Will it be a first
for Newgarden or O'Ward?
Here we go at the Speedway!
The restart of the Indy 500!
Marcus Ericsson and Pato O'Ward!
And here comes Josef Newgarden
taking the lead for Team Penske!
Josef Newgarden. Third to first!
O'Ward on the inside
of Marcus Ericsson and spins!
Pato O'Ward has crashed out
of the Indianapolis 500!
That was a wild ride
for Pato O'Ward.
You feel like you maybe
got squeezed a little bit.
- Is that accurate?
- Very accurate.
I was a little too nice there.
There were seven laps to go.
I got onto the apron
to give him room.
I got squeezed. And, uh
Yeah, I won't forget that one.
- Newgarden at the front.
- Never won an Indy 500.
He's ahead of
the defending winner.
Who's gonna be able to perform
under the most intense pressure?
Green, green is the call
here at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
Let's go!
And watch Alexander Rossi --
- Oh, they're wrecking!
- Big crash!
Pedersen. Graham Rahal.
Ed Carpenter in the wall
before start/finish.
Marcus Ericsson is the leader.
Think about this. Four to go.
You have at least one more lap
to come around
before they throw the red.
Then you'd need two laps
to get going.
I don't know if there's
enough time for a red flag.
I think we have a back-to-back
Indy 500 winner.
- You're kidding me! Come on!
- Red flag.
Three red flags
in this Indy 500.
They have to reset again.
- I'm not sure how the [bleep]
- I'm going to be able to do this.
Are we seeing a special piece
of history unfold here
for Marcus Ericsson to defend?
Or will it be Team Penske's
19th win?
They are coming to the green,
and it's going to be
a 2.5-mile sprint.
Who has got the magic
here at the Brickyard?
Green flag flies
at the Speedway!
Newgarden with a monster run
off turn 2!
Josef Newgarden has never won
the Indianapolis 500,
and he's ahead on this last lap!
Josef Newgarden!
Is this the moment
when the pain ends?
Or does Marcus Ericsson
have something?
Team Penske at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
And Josef Newgarden
finally wins
the Indianapolis 500!
[Cheers and applause]
[Engines roaring]
- Methodical.
- Stepping stones to the front.
And when it finally
really, really mattered,
this guy right here
grabbed the brass ring
and took it home.
Oh, not going up the fence.
He's going through the fence.
Josef Newgarden into the crowd!
Look at this!
[Shouts] Yeah!
[Cheers and applause]
♪♪
Oh, finally!
I'm so tired. Oh.
- You did it.
- My God. You did it.
Everybody knows
how much Josef Newgarden
wanted to win this race.
Like, it's not a secret.
This is his lifelong dream.
Finally, he is complete.
Josef Newgarden climbs out
an Indy 500 winner, everyone!
[Cheers and applause]
It's just the one thing
you have to do
or you feel like you haven't
made it in history.
Just the fact that he's done it.
Just over the moon.
Penske's had
a very strong season.
Two of their three drivers
have already won races.
Josef's now won twice.
Obviously, one of them
is the Indy 500.
You can't be mad at that.
- Oh, it was just bedlam.
- I really don't know.
The thing is full of stories,
good and bad.
The thrill of victory.
The agony of defeat. Everything.
Oh, my God.
This place,
the winner takes it all,
and we didn't get it done today,
even though we were
So it's just tough to swallow
when it ends like that.
♪♪
As in for my race,
I gave him the room
that I was expecting him
to give me.
I didn't want to blatantly just
not move and take his ass out.
So I'll be sure to do that
next time.
I think he's upset
because he knows how close
he's been two years in a row.
The next big goal
is get some fricking wins
because I'm tired
of being second.
I think Andretti's season
has been
a little bit feast-or-famine.
It just seems to go
one way or the other.
The pace is there,
but the completion isn't.
The fact that AJ Foyt
almost had another victory,
that was a perfect subplot.
- This place, man.
- This place hits. It always hits.
I'll win this race eventually.
There are two main goals
to every IndyCar season --
win the Indy 500
and win the championship.
We're done with the 500,
but we're only 6 races
into a 17-race schedule.
I have no idea
what we've got in store for us
for the rest of the season.
This is IndyCar, man.
No one knows
what's gonna happen.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
TTEOKBOKKIsubs
- [Whistles]
Alex Palou. What a way
to start the month of May!
Palou has now led 50 laps
of this GMR Grand Prix.
And the ebb and flow
of this race is incredible!
Up front with Palou,
the gap just continues to grow
between Palou and O'Ward.
Alex Palou,
he got the lead early.
When you win by 16 seconds,
that's a beatdown.
Alex Palou wins
the GMR Grand Prix at Indy!
So this was
as dominant a performance
as we've seen in a while.
We've had five races
and five different winners.
Name me a high-level motorsport
where you see that.
But now it's all eyes
on the Indy 500.
♪♪
All the right ingredients
are in the mix.
It's almost time
for the Indy 500!
The 500 is the reason
IndyCar exists.
At the end of the day, man,
the Indy 500, it's immortality.
Always pictured myself
winning the Indy 500.
And you have to believe it
before you do it.
Whoo!
You do everything you can
to be able
to kiss those bricks one day.
Hopefully this year that's me.
- That's the epitome.
- That's the top of the top.
Marcus Ericsson wins
the Indianapolis 500!
It's the biggest race
in the world.
There's nothing like it.
Win a second Indy 500, that
would be the cherry on top, man.
It's the biggest race
of the year.
It's the most historic.
We all know it,
and we all want it.
- You've got to perform.
- You've got to push to the limit.
[Fingers snap]
That's it. We're in business.
It's showtime.
It's timeaction
at the Indianapolis 500!
For every single driver,
something significant
is at stake.
The crowd is absolutely
deafening here!
This is it.
This is the biggest
sporting event in the world.
This is and always will be
the "Greatest Spectacle
in Racing"!
♪♪
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Thanks, Steve.
- Yeah.
- Cool, man.
That's hot. Whew!
[Indistinct conversations]
I hope you like steak, fellas.
See, everybody's jealous
'cause no other owner
in this paddock
cooks for their team.
Nobody.
You're very full of yourself
tonight.
[Laughs]
- I'm more of a diverse.
- Yeah.
- This is him.
- I'm steak, chicken.
- You used to do salmon.
- Salmon's good for you.
And I'm not kind of into things
that are good for you.
Guy just had his heart
worked on last year.
- Yeah, yeah, well
- Anyway.
- Yeah. That didn't go over well.
- [Laughs]
It's a full family event.
Stay in the bus. Grill out.
My dad, normally,
he's right near us,
and so it's a lot of fun.
This is Graham and I.
I think we're probably
at the Michigan 500.
This is a sponsor dinner.
He rented a coat and tie.
- Oh, yeah.
- He was very sharp.
Yeah.
The expectations by everybody
within the sport
are much higher
than they were in those days.
And it's so much fun because
it was just a different world.
If I look back
at my career now,
there was a lot of opportunities
that I didn't maximize.
You know,
I've got six wins in IndyCar.
It's not like that's nothing.
There's a lot of people
who never win.
But people don't pay attention
to those sort of things.
I mean, it's really, have you won a
championship, have you won a 500?
And, for me,
I haven't done either.
No matter where we go
or what we do,
he's known
as the '86 Indy 500 champion.
Changed his name for sure,
forever.
People recognize the name,
and they recognize the name
because of that day,
and it changed our whole world.
So, for me, I don't know.
Particularly being a Rahal,
there's only been
one father/son combination
to ever do it,
which is the Unsers.
So, for me,
that is what drives me.
We need to win this thing
together.
My quiet hope for the team
year after year after year
is I want Graham to win
the Indianapolis 500
so we can all relax
because I think
the pressure of this
must be heavy and dark at times.
I mean, we're not here
to finish second.
That's all I can tell you.
You know?
- Nobody cares about that.
- We've been close before.
♪♪
- Early draw. Cool weather.
- So we'll see.
Go get 'em. Alright?
- Good luck.
- Thanks, brother.
Qualifying at the Indy 500
takes place over two days,
and it's one of
the most stressful weekends
of the entire year for
every team and driver out here.
This feeling right here
is the worst but the best.
And I'm glad that I get to feel
one more time.
♪♪
The first day of qualifying,
you go out one car at a time,
and it's your average speed
over four laps.
If you are not in that top 30
after Saturday's running,
Saturday night
is a sleepless night
and Sunday is a terrible day.
You don't want to be 31st
because if you're 31st
or further back,
you have to qualify again
tomorrow for last chance.
You got to be in it to win it.
So we've just got to get --
get in there. Commit.
[Man on P.A.
speaking indistinctly]
Here is a legend of the sport.
Tony Kanaan in his final
Indianapolis campaign.
TK is flying!
Holding it together
for 10 miles is the task.
As fast, as smooth
as you can be.
And so far, so good
for Pato O'Ward.
- Check this out. Whoa!
- Rosenqvist!
Just shy of 234 miles an hour!
[Bleep] yeah. Whoo!
Yeah, baby.
- Dang.
- Everybody else, take note.
The McLarens are here to play
in qualifying.
Damn!
[Laughter]
Stefan Wilson.
This is the most settled,
the most confident
- that I've seen him.
- He's in!
He's safe
with starting position.
It's a form of torture,
I think. I'm pretty sure.
Josef Newgarden
bringing it home. He's in!
Which is going to be 17th place.
- It was a good run.
- We were flat-out the whole way.
You know, it's gonna
be hard to find more,
but if we need to,
we'll be out there trying.
Yeah.
It's tracking beautifully
for Ferrucci.
Good to see Santino Ferrucci
and AJ Foyt Racing fast.
That's what
you're supposed to do.
- Oh, boy! Graham Rahal!
- Graham's really struggling here.
He needs to be
in the 231-mile-an-hour range.
- He's outside the top 30.
- I don't know, man.
Uh
You know, we don't
have the speed, period.
She just doesn't have the speed.
Katherine Legge
begins her qualifying run.
You compare this
to the run Graham Rahal had,
this looks totally composed
and under control.
All they need to do
is not be in the bottom four.
They just need to be
in the top 30.
There should be satisfaction
with this.
Hey. We're in.
That wasn't stressful at all,
was it?
So now we'll work on the racecar
and show them what we got
on the weekend.
Tomorrow's gonna be a big one.
Just look at how tight
that field is.
And everybody is gonna pull out
more tricks tomorrow.
So that's the fast 12.
These are the four drivers
who are gonna fight
for three spots.
No one deserves to miss out,
but that's the nature
of the Indianapolis 500.
- [Laughs] Too late.
- What's happening?
- Come here. Hey. Let them in.
- Come on.
House. Good girl. Sit.
Saturday is always stressful.
So, you're sitting there
competing with teams that --
They are spending not twice,
probably closer
to triple or quadruple
the amount of money
we're spending.
These are what I'm walking out
in on raceday and Carb Day.
So, they have our names,
numbers.
They match the livery
of the car.
Qualifying, honestly,
it's a lot.
It's a lot of fun,
and it's super-satisfying.
Most stressful day
in motorsport.
- Ugh!
- Whew.
I, like, need to really
just chill out and relax.
Like, I really am, like,
anxious as all get out.
Like, intense.
IndyCar is insanely competitive.
Tomorrow you have to
put it all on the line.
A week from today
is the 107th running
of the Indianapolis 500.
Today we set the field.
- Ready to go fast.
- Whoo-hoo-hoo!
- This is intense.
- Last chance qualifying.
Four drivers trying to make
the last three positions
on the grid.
Doesn't get any tougher
than that.
I've been part of days
like this before at the track,
and there is no worse feeling
than having to bump your way in
on one run.
If you don't make the show,
it's just devastating.
This is about a mile-an-hour
slower average
than what Lundgaard had before.
229.649.
Sting Ray crosses the line.
And that is slower
than Christian Lundgaard.
All these cars potentially
re-run at least once.
It's green flag
for the 30-year-old
British driver Jack Harvey.
Here we go.
- 229.0.
- [Groans]
And that is nowhere near the
first two cars that have run.
It just does not have the pace,
and I don't know where
you can find speed
before this session is over.
This is gonna put him third
of the three cars that have run.
- And here's the big one.
- Graham Rahal.
Nobody thought Graham
would be in this position,
just trying to make the field
for the Indy 500.
This is a guy, Marty,
who has almost won
the Indy 500
on multiple occasions.
Graham Rahal to the line.
Leapfrogs his teammate
Jack Harvey
and has that all-important
33rd spot right now.
There's a pretty good chance
now, Graham Rahal,
you're gonna be in the Indy 500.
- I feel for those guys.
- That's [bleep] painful.
- That's tough.
- Like, for all of them.
- Yeah.
- That sucks.
It's a [bleep] situation.
It's a really
[bleep] situation.
- No matter any way you slice it.
- Oh, God.
Can you imagine what
Jack's thinking right now?
You wouldn't wish it
on your worst enemy.
- Oh, I would.
- You would?
[Laughter]
Time is officially up,
but this run counts
for Jack Harvey.
Rahal does not have a chance
to respond.
229.4.
It's not as fast as what
Graham Rahal's first lap was,
but it doesn't mean
that he's out of it.
Lap two. 229 even.
They have not given in.
They are fighting to the end.
And the end is now.
One more lap for Jack Harvey.
♪♪
Graham Rahal's heart is in his
throat, sitting in his racecar.
He is two corners away
from knowing whether or not
he will be in the
Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
Don't ever question
the character
of Britain's Jack Harvey!
He's not giving up!
Is he in the 500 or is he out?!
Jack Harvey's in!
Jack Harvey is in the Indy 500!
Graham Rahal is out!
♪♪
This place, it doesn't --
it doesn't come easy.
It doesn't just happen.
And we weren't good enough.
But, you know,
you've got to be positive.
You've got to be humble and
gracious in victory and defeat.
Um
There's next year.
♪♪
It's like the whole world
just caves in on you.
You put so much more time
and effort and energy
and passion into this one race,
and then all of a sudden
you just get slapped
with the reality that,
oh, yeah, you're not
gonna be part of it.
It's just the worst.
- Get ready to see speed.
- Crazy speed.
This is the Firestone Fast Six.
- Beautiful day.
- Beautiful day to go fast.
It is a six-driver showdown
to decide who starts
on the pole position
for the 107th Indianapolis 500.
This is Arrow McLaren's
Pato O'Ward.
This guy
is aggressive and hungry.
So hungry to be the best.
233.1 miles an hour --
the four-lap average.
So the mark is set.
Let's see the other five
do the chasing.
♪♪
Qualifying starts now
for Alex Palou.
♪♪
We've seen it all week.
The number 10
has consistently been
one of the fastest cars here.
This is tracking to be a monster
four-lap average
for Alex Palou.
Alex Palou jumps to the top
with a 234.2!
[Chuckles]
Hey. Awesome, man. Awesome.
This is Santino Ferrucci.
Ferrucci, the young American
out of Connecticut.
And Santino Ferrucci slots
into position number three.
This is Felix Rosenqvist.
He has been on fire
this month of May,
and he is the favorite for pole.
Look how nervous Alex Palou is.
Alex Palou bites his
lower lip and holds his breath.
He knows that Rosenqvist
has a rocket.
♪♪
Here comes Felix.
Who gets the pole
for the Indianapolis 500?!
It's Alex Palou!
Yeah! [Laughs]
- Yeah!
- Yeah! Whoo!
You want to know
what the Indy 500 means?
- It means that.
- Just look at that.
They haven't even
started the race yet,
and look at how
this team celebrates pole.
[Cheers and applause]
Now it's all building
towards the race next Sunday.
[Indistinct shouting]
[Cheers]
It's the best qualifying
that I've ever had at the 500.
I think we're going into
race day with something
that we know what we got.
I believe that
it's strong enough.
And we just got to
hit our marks.
It's just such a long race.
200 laps, 500 miles.
You got to keep your cool.
I want to win this race.
Yeah, I've had a sixth,
I've had a fourth,
and I've had a second.
I want to [bleep] win this race.
♪♪
I'm next to my two favorites.
My two favorites.
My lap three and four was not
pretty. I was like, "Uhh"
We had the pace
to [bleep] pole it.
Why didn't you?
[Bleep] up the mapping.
Really? Come on, bro.
I know.
- How about those 235 laps, huh?
- My God.
- I can have that.
- That's insane, man.
I couldn't believe my eyes
when I saw that.
I was like, "Whew!"
Yeah, but it just --
it sucks, you know?
Because, like,
you're so happy to make it,
but then, you know,
Graham's -- he's a teammate.
He's like a good mate of mine.
Like, it's not a fun feeling.
- [Bleep] that.
- You're in the cash. You're good.
- [Chuckles]
- You're in the cash.
Come on! Let's go!
[Cheers and applause]
Right here, buddy.
- Ohh!
- Ohh!
[Laughter]
♪♪
Alright. Rolling.
This race is just --
It's such an emotional
roller coaster
from start to finish.
- Konnichi wa.
- Konnichi wa.
We're Japanese national TV.
What does Indy 500 mean to you?
I think it's the only trophy
in the world
where you have your face on
forever.
Honestly, I'm more comfortable
than I would be
if I was starting second.
I do believe you have to
be perfect on the day.
That's what makes it so tough.
There are a ton
of obligations
before the green flag waves,
when the drivers just wish
they had more time in the car.
What actor would you want
to play you in a movie?
Robert Downey Jr.
Words that come to mind
for the Indy 500?
Before the race? Nerves.
After the race,
if you've won it,
extreme relief and excitement.
Are you a Swiftie?
Absolutely!
Do you like my pom-poms?
Damn, Pato! Nice pom-poms!
[Laughs]
So many things to do and
so little time left to practice.
There's only two more sessions
on track before the race,
which means they are
extra-important to make sure
that you are dialed in
for Sunday.
♪♪
- Oh, boy.
- Somebody's running --
Our first crash! Who is that?!
It's Katherine Legge in
the wall. And Stefan Wilson.
It has been clear practice,
clear qualifying until now.
For Stefan Wilson,
it sure appeared like
that would have come
out of nowhere.
Their Indy 500 campaign
has just taken
a turn for the worse.
Stefan Wilson.
And there is the thumbs-up
from Stef.
What is the physical situation
of Stef Wilson,
and will he be fit enough
to participate in Sunday's race?
IndyCar driver Stefan Wilson
will not compete
in the 500 on Sunday
after Wilson suffered
an injury to his vertebrae
during a crash in practice.
So now for
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing,
the question is,
who will replace Wilson
in that number-24 machine?
Alright. We'll go ahead and
get started here this morning.
Okay. I guess this is not
a shocker right here,
but Graham is going to
replace Stefan in the car for us
the rest of the week
and coming Sunday.
So, uh,
that is our announcement.
I don't feel good about
filling in for, you know --
for an injured driver.
I feel for Stefan.
I feel for him tremendously
because I do know
how much this means to him
and how much work
he puts in year in and year out
to be here.
Unfortunately, in racing,
things happen.
I'm very excited
at the opportunity,
but I feel terribly
for Stef, too.
We know how much
you love balloons.
- Oh. Thanks, man.
- Love the balloons, man.
That makes me
feel better already.
- Hey, man.
- Stef, buddy.
- Yeah.
- Eh.
There's not much --
not much I can say. I know.
Sucks, buddy. I'm so sorry.
What's the plan as of now?
I have to have back surgery
in the morning.
Oh, geez. Really?
Yeah, the fracture
is too, hm, unstable.
So I've got to have
some pins and rods put in there.
Then it's a three-month
recovery. So, yeah.
The good news is, I'll be 6'3"
instead of 6'3" and 1/2.
What do they do? They just
basically eliminate a --
Just like
squishes it down.
- Yeah. They have to fuse it.
- Yeah.
So next year
I'm gonna be even faster.
I hope I'm out on race day
'cause I'd like to come out
to the track.
- That'd be awesome.
- But I don't know.
- If they'll let you?
- If they'll let me.
I don't know.
It'd be nice if I could do that.
That'd be great, man.
[Cheers and applause]
♪♪
The last week has felt like
it's gone super-fast.
I'm so excited that
we're here today on the eve
of the Greatest Spectacle
in Racing.
- How's your kid?
- He's good. He's so good.
He's growing.
He's getting more fun.
- He's got --
- He's got your build.
Dude, he's gonna --
You buy him muscle milk?
No. I'm just telling you,
he's gonna be an athlete.
These drivers do a great job
and the racing
is really special,
but when 325,000 people
are here tomorrow,
that is what makes
the Indianapolis 500 special.
[Cheers and applause]
Drivers, race hard,
race how you want to be raced,
and take a moment
to look around you.
You're surrounded by
the best drivers on the planet.
[Cheers and applause]
♪♪
- [Chanting]
- Thirty-three! Thirty-three!
Drive, drive,
get in the car ♪
Search all night
to find who you are ♪
When you ride, ride,
ride through the stars ♪
If your light don't shine,
you won't get far ♪
When you drive, drive,
get in the car ♪
Search all night
to find who you are ♪
When you ride, ride,
ride through the stars ♪
If your light don't shine,
you won't get far ♪
- Daddy!
- [Speaking indistinctly]
That's a dragon!
♪♪
- He's a mustache?
- Yeah.
Oh, okay.
A lot of people here today.
[Crowd singing indistinctly]
This is the national anthem
of Sweden.
♪♪
♪♪
A lot of people ask
why the Indy 500 is so special.
There's no short answer
to that question.
There are so many reasons.
♪♪
It's the history.
Traditions like nowhere else.
All the pomp and circumstance
around this event.
Ultimately,
it all builds to race day,
which is the largest single-day
sporting event on Earth.
Over 350,000 people
come to Speedway, Indiana,
to watch 33 drivers lay it all
on the line for glory.
♪♪
When you wake up on race day
for the 500,
you're just expecting to have
the best day of your life.
To me, seeing the fans
is what makes the difference
because we do
16 other races a year,
and you never see
this many people.
- I'm happy this day is here.
- It's exciting.
Greatest day of the year.
I feel like we're just
gonna have a solid race.
Being an Indy 500 champion
would mean the world to me.
Right now it's the only thing
that I want so much,
and I'll do everything I can
today to make it happen.
- Good morning, everyone.
- I am pumped.
This team is awesome.
We have four awesome drivers.
All four cars can win this race.
TK, it's a pleasure
and an honor
to do what might be
your last Indy 500.
Seems that no one believes you.
I believe you.
Let's go racing!
[Cheers and applause]
It is time for the Indy 500.
And there's one word
that comes to mind.
Colossal.
The magnitude has to be seen
to be believed.
Do you want to
ask us something?
[Laughter]
Colton's winning.
I think today might be
a little different up front.
♪♪
You're about to witness
33 drivers
that are gonna sprint
into the eye of a tornado,
each one of them convinced
they will be the first one
to the other side.
It brings a lot of emotion
[Speaking indistinctly]
There's something about
the place that you notice
when you're on
the starting grid.
You look down to the first turn.
All you can see -- humanity.
You look back down
to the fourth turn,
all you see is humanity.
Rarely are you in the center
of 300,000 people.
That creates an immeasurable
sense of energy.
And that energy
is hard to imagine,
hard to fathom,
unless you've been
in the middle of it.
I mean, oh, my God.
This is sacred.
Drivers! Start your engines!
And the green flag waves!
The 107th running
of the Indianapolis 500 is on!
[Engines roaring]
We have a retirement
in the field.
It is Katherine Legge of
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
This is her exiting
her pit box.
Unfortunate end to her return
to the Indianapolis 500.
We are fast approaching
the halfway mark.
Drivers want to lead.
Engineers don't want
their drivers to lead.
If you're following,
you are saving fuel.
This is the gamesmanship.
Pato O'Ward is up front.
His teammate Felix Rosenqvist
right behind,
along with Santino Ferrucci
in the mix.
Rinus VeeKay, Alex Palou
runs top five.
Another team that
is super-impressive so far
is Team Penske.
Will power up in seventh.
Josef Newgarden up nine spots
from where he started.
They might not have had the pace
in qualifying,
but this team
shows up in a big way.
Scott McLaughlin, Takuma Sato
high off of 2. That was tight.
And now Tony Kanaan
trying to come on the inside!
Tony Kanaan
making a pass in the grass
on the back straightaway.
There are cars
going everywhere.
- Oh! That's Sting Ray Robb!
- Sting Ray Robb!
First yellow of the race.
And one of the rookies
in the field.
And the day is done.
Over 90 laps
of green-flag action.
And here comes everybody
headed for the pits.
[Bleep]
Palou just got hit
by Rinus VeeKay.
Are you kidding me?
What the [bleep] did he do?
So similar to what happened
to Katherine Legge.
He may have gotten away
without any damage,
but I promise you a penalty's
coming for the 21.
And before the caution
came out,
Callum Ilott found himself
on pit road
and has cycled
all the way to the front.
Callum Ilott leads,
and the reigning champion
goes right around the outside!
That's Marcus Ericsson!
He got three positions
in the one turn!
All kinds of action mid-pack.
- Conor Daly. Scott Dixon.
- Four wide!
It was hairy
at the back of the field.
Alex Palou already up to 19th.
He is charging back.
VeeKay's currently
running in seventh.
He's gonna be out of that
and out of the running.
Look how long
this train is growing.
The speeds have dropped.
O'Ward's down
to 207 miles an hour.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Everybody is tiptoeing.
Josef Newgarden is all the way
up to fourth place.
13 spots up from his start.
With 68 to go,
pit road getting very busy.
Ohh! Contact. They sent him
right into his teammate.
Marcus Ericsson
is out in front.
And I really like
where Josef Newgarden
is sitting -- in the top five.
They're exactly
where they want to be.
Caution is out!
And that's for Romain Grosjean.
I [bleep] don't get it.
The green flies
here at the Brickyard.
Ericsson will see that first
and take off.
Remember that last restart
went crazy.
Now we're just 44 laps
from an Indy 500 win.
What's gonna happen now?
Josef Newgarden
to the high side of Ericsson
going into 1.
And Ferrucci on the outside!
From fifth to third
in the one move!
Marcus Ericsson back
to the lead over Newgarden.
Ferrucci, Rossi, Rosenqvist.
The top five.
Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing,
is now second in the Indy 500.
40 laps to go.
With the way that yellow
fell, it is now flat-out.
It's not about saving fuel.
It's about who's got the pace.
And right now AJ Foyt Racing
has the pace.
He's going for the lead!
Santino Ferrucci
leads the Indianapolis 500!
- Will Power slow.
- Moving slowly.
- Really?
- That steering wheel
doesn't look very straight.
It's a small mistake,
but a costly one
with only 32 laps to go
in this race.
Game on now for Pato O'Ward.
Here come the pack.
Pato O'Ward
should slot into third
and be able to defend
on Newgarden.
Start rubbing your hands
together. It is on.
Look at O'Ward!
- Inside!
- Almost a pass on the grass!
- Gets second!
- Massive run. Pato O'Ward.
Low and to the front.
There's still a lot of work
to be done.
16 laps left here at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Josef Newgarden on
the outside of Felix Rosenqvist,
moves that Shell car -- Ohh!
Felix in the wall big-time!
- Oh, no!
- Kirkwood upside down!
Huge impact.
- Just get me the [bleep]
- out of here.
Felix Rosenqvist
crashed and spun.
And Kyle Kirkwood
had nowhere to go.
It's just my knee
is [bleep] up.
Felix Rosenqvist
out of his car, as well.
Two guys who were up front
with a legitimate shot.
I don't know
what's gonna happen.
It's the last 10 laps,
and everything goes crazy,
but usually at the front
is a good thing.
Can Marcus Ericsson defend
his victory of a year ago?
Will it be a first
for Newgarden or O'Ward?
Here we go at the Speedway!
The restart of the Indy 500!
Marcus Ericsson and Pato O'Ward!
And here comes Josef Newgarden
taking the lead for Team Penske!
Josef Newgarden. Third to first!
O'Ward on the inside
of Marcus Ericsson and spins!
Pato O'Ward has crashed out
of the Indianapolis 500!
That was a wild ride
for Pato O'Ward.
You feel like you maybe
got squeezed a little bit.
- Is that accurate?
- Very accurate.
I was a little too nice there.
There were seven laps to go.
I got onto the apron
to give him room.
I got squeezed. And, uh
Yeah, I won't forget that one.
- Newgarden at the front.
- Never won an Indy 500.
He's ahead of
the defending winner.
Who's gonna be able to perform
under the most intense pressure?
Green, green is the call
here at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
Let's go!
And watch Alexander Rossi --
- Oh, they're wrecking!
- Big crash!
Pedersen. Graham Rahal.
Ed Carpenter in the wall
before start/finish.
Marcus Ericsson is the leader.
Think about this. Four to go.
You have at least one more lap
to come around
before they throw the red.
Then you'd need two laps
to get going.
I don't know if there's
enough time for a red flag.
I think we have a back-to-back
Indy 500 winner.
- You're kidding me! Come on!
- Red flag.
Three red flags
in this Indy 500.
They have to reset again.
- I'm not sure how the [bleep]
- I'm going to be able to do this.
Are we seeing a special piece
of history unfold here
for Marcus Ericsson to defend?
Or will it be Team Penske's
19th win?
They are coming to the green,
and it's going to be
a 2.5-mile sprint.
Who has got the magic
here at the Brickyard?
Green flag flies
at the Speedway!
Newgarden with a monster run
off turn 2!
Josef Newgarden has never won
the Indianapolis 500,
and he's ahead on this last lap!
Josef Newgarden!
Is this the moment
when the pain ends?
Or does Marcus Ericsson
have something?
Team Penske at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
And Josef Newgarden
finally wins
the Indianapolis 500!
[Cheers and applause]
[Engines roaring]
- Methodical.
- Stepping stones to the front.
And when it finally
really, really mattered,
this guy right here
grabbed the brass ring
and took it home.
Oh, not going up the fence.
He's going through the fence.
Josef Newgarden into the crowd!
Look at this!
[Shouts] Yeah!
[Cheers and applause]
♪♪
Oh, finally!
I'm so tired. Oh.
- You did it.
- My God. You did it.
Everybody knows
how much Josef Newgarden
wanted to win this race.
Like, it's not a secret.
This is his lifelong dream.
Finally, he is complete.
Josef Newgarden climbs out
an Indy 500 winner, everyone!
[Cheers and applause]
It's just the one thing
you have to do
or you feel like you haven't
made it in history.
Just the fact that he's done it.
Just over the moon.
Penske's had
a very strong season.
Two of their three drivers
have already won races.
Josef's now won twice.
Obviously, one of them
is the Indy 500.
You can't be mad at that.
- Oh, it was just bedlam.
- I really don't know.
The thing is full of stories,
good and bad.
The thrill of victory.
The agony of defeat. Everything.
Oh, my God.
This place,
the winner takes it all,
and we didn't get it done today,
even though we were
So it's just tough to swallow
when it ends like that.
♪♪
As in for my race,
I gave him the room
that I was expecting him
to give me.
I didn't want to blatantly just
not move and take his ass out.
So I'll be sure to do that
next time.
I think he's upset
because he knows how close
he's been two years in a row.
The next big goal
is get some fricking wins
because I'm tired
of being second.
I think Andretti's season
has been
a little bit feast-or-famine.
It just seems to go
one way or the other.
The pace is there,
but the completion isn't.
The fact that AJ Foyt
almost had another victory,
that was a perfect subplot.
- This place, man.
- This place hits. It always hits.
I'll win this race eventually.
There are two main goals
to every IndyCar season --
win the Indy 500
and win the championship.
We're done with the 500,
but we're only 6 races
into a 17-race schedule.
I have no idea
what we've got in store for us
for the rest of the season.
This is IndyCar, man.
No one knows
what's gonna happen.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
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