Wow! If you’re looking for action, drama, excitement and the sheer thrill of cars with drivers exceeding 230 mph while keeping their foot planted on the accelerator pedal as they make four 90-degree, left hand corners, per lap, for 500 miles – then this is the race for you. My jaw dropped when rookie, Robert Shwartzman, earned the pole position for “the greatest spectacle in racing” at an average speed of 232.790 mph. This he did having never raced on an oval before while his team was brand new to IndyCar from the lower formula series of Europe! Almost equally impressive was two-time “500” winner, Takuma Sato, driving a back up car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (after he crashed his primary car in practice) to qualify second. Rounding out the front row for the race will be the guy who’s finished second in the race for the last two years, Pato O’Ward, who literally wept in pit lane last year after leading the race with one lap to go but couldn’t close the deal.

In other shocking news, the winningest team (and owner) of the Brickyard, Penske, lost a primary car to last year’s pole winner, Scott McLaughlin, in a practice crash and the other two cars of teammates Will Power and Josef Newgarden (who won the last two Indy 500s) were found out of compliance in the qualifying tech line and have been relegated to last and next to last to start the race. The news got worse for team president, Tim Cindric, who along with managing director, Ron Ruzewski and general manager, Kyle Moyer were all released from the team. Josef Newgarden responded today (Carb Day) with setting the fastest time during practice as well as winning the pit stop competition.

Of course, Indy has its ups and downs and one of the biggest downs was seeing rookie Jacob Abel in a Miller High Life Danny Sullivan 1985 tribute color scheme fail to qualify for the race after his teammate Rinus VeeKay bumped him out. 

With eight former winners in the field and plenty of strong teams and drivers, it’s a real toss-up on who will win this year’s event. Will it be Helio Castroneves becoming the first to win five? How about Alex Palou to win for the first time on an oval to add to his four race wins already this year?

With the new hybrid system in place for the first time at this track, the 100 pounds of extra weight have caught a lot of drivers out with crashes leading up to the race. How will that play into the last gasp run to the checkered flag? Will it make the difference to get that last bit of momentum to win the race? Stay tuned. The action starts at 12:30pm EDT. Don’t miss it!

By Larry Mason

Copyright © 2025 Larry Mason

Pato O’Ward, Takuma Sato, Robert Shwartzman – Indianapolis 500 Front Row Photo Shoot – By: Joe Skibinski (Please use this for the headline photo)

From left to right: 2025 Indy 500 Front Row – two-time runner-up Pato O’Ward, two-time winner Takuma Sato, and rookie Robert Shwartzman along with their crews.

Robert Shwartzman – Indianapolis 500 Pole Day and Last Chance Qualifying – By: Chris Owens

The biggest and most rewarding pole position of any driver’s career, rookie Robert Shwartzman stunned the competition (along with himself and his crew) to win the pole for this year’s Indianapolis 500!

Miller Lite Carb Day – Friday, May 23, 2025 Photo credit: Penske Entertainment: James Black

After being relegated to 33^rd and last place on the grid to start Sunday’s “500” (due to a pre-qualifying technical infraction) Josef Newgarden was quickest during Carb Day practice and also won the pit stop competition which enriched his crew with $50,000! Can he come from last to finish first and become the first driver to win three in a row? Don’t count him out!

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