The Palou Show continues! Three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion, Alex Palou, delivered another impressive race performance this year to win the 109^th Running of the Indianapolis 500. That makes five out of six races that he’s won this year! The only race he didn’t win (the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach), he finished second! Of course, 500 miles is a long distance and it wasn’t a certainty that Palou would continue his dominance. Last year’s pole-sitter, Scott McLaughlin, crashed himself out of the race on the pace lap warming up his tires. In the meantime, 2008 winner and six-time champ Scott Dixon had a left-rear brake fire but he decided to stay off the brakes and let the breeze extinguish the fire. When the green flag did finally drop (after about a half hour delay due to rain sprinkles) Marco Andretti was pushed wide into the gray area of the track and he smacked the wall ending his day. This was the coldest day in Indy for a long time and the slick track and tail-heavy hybrid cars made for a long and difficult day of driving. 

Pole-sitter and rookie Robert Shwartzman led early before Pato O’Ward and then Takuma Sato took turns in the lead. Multiple pit strategies saw the Ed Carpenter Racing trio up front for a while, as well as Ryan Hunter-Reay from Dreyer Reinbold Cusick. On lap 74, Rossi (ECR) came into the pits where a huge fire erupted on the left side of his car. Fortunately, every crew member was essentially okay, with the fueler sustaining minor burns on his hands. Seven laps later, Rinus VeeKay lost his brakes as he entered pit lane, spun, hit the wall and his day ended. On lap 88 more chaos ensued as Takuma Sato pitted from the lead, but slid about six feet too long in his pit box. He later calculated that he applied the brakes 0.07 seconds too late to stop in his box! On the same lap, Shwartzman pitted but locked up the front brakes and without steering control, hit four of his crew members. Only one of them sustained some broken bones in his foot, but the others were seen limping and in pain. Four laps later, Kyle Larson spun and that caused Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb into the barriers ending all of their days. From starting on the last row, Josef Newgarden had steadily worked his way towards the front until with 61 laps to go, he retired from the race with a fuel issue. With 37 laps to go, Conor Daly (who had led multiple laps), had his right rear tire losing grip which cost him the lead with an early pit stop. With 25 laps left, 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson had made his way into the lead and was looking strong. However, Palou, who had pitted earlier and had to save fuel got the call on the radio that he had saved enough and that he could go full gas until the end. With 14 laps remaining, and with Ericsson caught behind a Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammate battle of rookie Louis Foster and Devlin DeFrancesco swapping positions just in front of him, Palou pounced and grabbed the lead and held it to the end. On the last lap, Nolan Siegel hit the wall and that brought out the yellow flag which barred Ericsson from any last lap heroics coming to the line. In the end, it’s probably a good thing as Ericsson’s car failed post-race tech and he was relegated to the rear, along with teammate Kyle Kirkwood and Prema Racing’s Callum Illot. A great finish for AJ Foyt’s David Malukas, who was elevated to second place, and O’Ward in third.

It was a great race but left a little bit of wonder about why Ericsson or Palou were not able to (or chose not to) pass the two RLL teammates at the end to open up a shootout for the win. With less than a week to celebrate or commiserate, the series moves to Detroit this weekend.

By Larry Mason

Copyright © 2025 Larry Mason

Alex Palou – 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 – By: Chris Owens

Alex Palou celebrates with the best-tasting milk he’s ever had in his life after winning the Indy 500. Team owner Chip Ganassi and team manager/race strategist Barry Wanser are on his left in the black jackets.

109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 – Sunday, May 25, 2025 – Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment: Jeff Hilliker

Perhaps the most spectacular pace laps ever led by military helicopters, ignited the sold-out crowd into a frenzy. Even the drivers said that they were trying to get a good look at them!

Interview and photos Copyright © by Larry Mason (unless otherwise noted)