NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race Report - Indianapolis 500

May 26, 2025

109th Indianapolis 500
Speedway, IN - May 25, 2025

JOSEF NEWGARDEN No. 2 SHELL V-POWER NITRO+ CHEVROLET

START: 32ND  
FINISH: 25TH  
POINTS: 14TH (-203)
 

RACE RUNDOWN: Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 Shell V-Power Nitro+ Chevrolet team looked poised to make history with a third-consecutive win in the Indianapolis 500 before a fuel pressure issue ended their day early. Following technical issues in qualifying, Newgarden began the day from the 32nd position on the 33-car grid with no driver having won the Indy 500 from the last row. Yet, with one of the fastest cars in the field, Newgarden knew that he had a shot with a methodical and patient drive through the field. Through the first half of the race, Newgarden worked to get in position for a shot at the win and found himself inside the top 10 at the halfway point of the 200 lapper. He was up to the sixth position - an improvement of 26 positions - prior to making his fifth pit stop of the day on Lap 132. After a routine stop, Newgarden radioed to his crew that something felt amiss and he returned to pit lane where a fuel pressure issue was discovered. As with his teammate Scott McLaughlin, Newgarden was forced to retire early from the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

NEWGARDEN'S THOUGHTS: "It's tough to not have a shot here at the end. It's a team sport. It takes everything to win here. I'm still immensely grateful to run at Indianapolis. As tough as it is to take, I still feel grateful to be out here today. I just wish we had a chance to fight for it. We didn't get to see what we had in this Shell V-Power Chevrolet. We were slowly working forward. Thank you to our partners and our whole team. It's a big effort and a shame to not be there in the fight."

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN No. 3 PENNZOIL CHEVROLET

START: 8TH  
FINISH: 33RD  
POINTS: 7TH (-161)
 

RACE RUNDOWN: Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 Pennzoil Chevrolet team finished 33rd in Sunday's 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 following an incident on the final pace lap prior to the start of the race, part of a chaotic start to the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." The race was delayed by half an hour as a light rain shower passed over the area on a day when temperatures were cooler than normal. As with any race start, McLaughlin was warming his tires on the final pace lap before the green flag when the rear of his Chevrolet quickly swapped ends, making moderate contact with the inside wall. After returning to the garage it was determined that that the damage was too severe to continue. 

MCLAUGHLIN'S THOUGHTS: "I don't know. I have no idea. I just lost control of the car. It just came out of nowhere. I've never had that. I just lost rear grip. I'm sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, my sponsor, and my team. It's definitely the worst day of my life."

WILL POWER No. 12 VERIZON CHEVROLET

START: 33RD 
FINISH: 19TH 
POINTS: 8TH (-166)
 

RACE RUNDOWN: Will Power and the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet team finished 19th in Sunday's 109th Indianapolis 500, an improvement of 14 positions after starting 33rd in the 33-car field. As with teammate Josef Newgarden, Power began the 200-lap event from the rear of the field following a technical infraction in qualifying. His plan to ride in the wake of an aggressive Newgarden paid off as the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner also was able to carve his way through the field. Eventually, Power made his way inside the top 10 as the race moved into the second half, which was a goal of his on the day as Verizon would donate $1 million to help eliminate veteran healthcare debt in Indiana if Power finished inside the top 10. It was on his penultimate pit stop of the day, however, that his afternoon took a turn as Power overshot his pit stall and ran over the front air hose, resulting in a nearly 20 second pit stop that dropped him to the 25th position upon returning to the track. Yet, on the strength of his Chevrolet, Power was able to pick up valuable positions prior to the checkered flag. 

POWER'S THOUGHTS: "Obviously not the best day for the Verizon Chevy team. I certainly wanted to finish inside the top 10 for the extra $1 million to go to veteran healthcare debt in Indiana. The good news is they are going to do it anyway despite finishing 19th in the Indy 500. I can't thank them enough for all they have done and will continue to do to help our veterans. It certainly turns a day we weren't very happy with into something that we can be proud of. Now we need to put this weekend behind us and get back at it next weekend in Detroit."

After three consecutive weekends in Indianapolis, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to the Motor City of Detroit for the seventh round of the 2025 season. All of the action from the streets of Detroit can be seen live on FOX at 12:30 pm ET on Sunday, June 1.