Newgarden wins Indy 500 with final-lap pass

The Team Penske driver was passed by McLaren’s Pato O’Ward as they took the white flag but got a huge run down the back straight and made the pass around the outside at Turn 4.

The official margin of victory was 0.3417s, with Scott Dixon a few tenths further back in third, from Alexander Rossi, Alex Palou, and Scott McLaughlin.

The race ran green for the final 45 laps after a chaotic day, which included a four-hour rain delay and then eight Caution periods.

Back on Lap 112, the field was under Caution for a sixth time, with Newgarden (#2 Chevrolet) leading, from team-mate McLaughlin (#3 Penske Chevrolet), Santino Ferrucci (#14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet), Palou (#10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), Rossi (#7 McLaren Chevrolet), Kyle Larson (#17 McLaren Chevrolet), Helio Castroneves (#06 MSR Honda), Agustin Canapino (#78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet), Christian Rasmussen (#33 Ed Carpenter Racing Honda), Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda), and a struggling Will Power (#12 Penske Chevrolet) in 11th, with Dixon (#9 CGR Honda) 18th.

The race went green again on Lap 113, but just for a moment given Marco Andretti (#98 Andretti Herta w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda) spun into the wall at Turn 1.

It was time enough, though, for McLaughlin to pass Newgarden for the lead upon that sixth restart.

When the seventh came on Lap 119, Rossi used Newgarden as a pick to round up Ferrucci, then passed Newgarden himself a lap later.

Newgarden would reclaim the spot from Rossi a few laps later, then went by McLaughlin and into first place in the run to Turn 1 on Lap 127.

The 2023 Indy 500 winner kicked off a green flag pit stop cycle on Lap 130 and 2024 pole-sitter McLaughlin was in a lap later.

Rossi, Palou, and others pitted on Lap 133, and Ferrucci on Lap 134, but they were all looking to save fuel in order to get home on just one more stop.

Dixon was able to hang on until Lap 140 and hence had more fuel to burn when he popped back out, as he joined a battle with Rossi, O’Ward, and more for the effective lead of the race.

They chopped and changed position until an eighth Caution of the day on Lap 147 for a crash for Power, who spun at Turn 1 while trying to go around Rasmussen.

Leaders Sting Ray Robb (#41 AJ Foyt Chevrolet) and Christian Lundgaard (#45 RLL Honda), who had been off-sequence since virtually the beginning of the race, used the yellow flag period to take their next pit stops.

The upshot was that everyone needed one more pit stop to make the chequered flag at the end of Lap 200.

Dixon led from O’Ward, Rossi, Conor Daly (#24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet), Rinus VeeKay (#21 ECR Chevrolet), Palou, McLaughlin, and Newgarden in eighth, with Ferrucci back in 11th, and Larson 17th after serving a penalty for pit lane speeding.

At the Lap 156 restarted, the McLaren entries in behind Dixon darted either side of the #9 Honda and O’Ward took the lead, with Rossi into second, then Dixon, Newgarden with a very bold launch, Palou, VeeKay, and McLaughlin.

The McLaren team-mates swapped the lead most times they arrived at Turn 1 for the next 13 laps before Rossi pitted from second place on Lap 169.

A lap later, Dixon was into the lead again when he went under O’Ward, before Newgarden, McLaughlin, and Daly pitted.

Dixon and O’Ward stopped on Lap 172, the former locking up on entry but this time not pinged for speeding.

Meanwhile, Newgarden had exited the pits ahead of Rossi, only to be passed by the 2016 Indy 500 winner into Turn 1 on Lap 174.

Newgarden sped back past as they ran up the back straight as both chased Dixon, who was still coming up to speed, in the battle for the effective lead.

The Penske driver passed Dixon into Turn 1, but then they became embroiled in battle for several laps.

Canapino, who was by then off the lead lap, made the difference when he split Newgarden and Dixon on the road with just under 20 laps to go.

It allowed Rossi to pass Dixon for an effective second place, but Newgarden had his own problems given he was reporting a vibration in the #2 Chevrolet.

Rossi passed him into Turn 1 on Lap 186 but Newgarden got him back next time around.

When Kyffin Simpson (#4 CGR Honda) pitted with 14 laps to go, the order was cleansed and Newgarden led from Rossi, Dixon, O’Ward, Kyle Kirkwood (#27 Andretti Global Honda), Palou, and McLaughlin in seventh.

Rossi passed Newgarden for first and O’Ward passed Dixon for third into Turn 1 on Lap 188, but Newgarden returned the favour to Rossi on Lap 189.

Rossi looked to get him back two laps later but then pulled out of the move given he was still slightly fuel-shy with 10 laps to go.

He did make the pass at Turn 1 on Lap 192 but then Newgarden got him back on Lap 194 and O’Ward followed as they sped into Turn 1.

O’Ward was all the way into the lead when he overtook Newgarden two laps later, before the Penske driver re-passed him at Turn 1 on Lap 197.

O’Ward got a run on Car #2 into Turn 3 on Lap 199 but bailed out and instead made the move just as they crossed the control line to start the final lap.

However, Newgarden then got the tow down the back stretch and rounded up Car #5 at Turn 3.

It meant a second Indy 500 win in a row for the Tennessean.

Behind O’Ward in second at the chequered flag was Dixon in third, from Rossi, Palou, McLaughlin, Kirkwood, Ferrucci, VeeKay, and Daly rounding out the top 10, while Larson ended up 18th.

The Detroit Grand Prix takes place next weekend (May 31-June 2, local time).

Results: Race, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Race winner: 200 laps

Series points