Devlin DeFrancesco’s livery for the upcoming Indianapolis 500 will be decided by an online vote.

The 25-year-old driver will have primary sponsorship from Dogecoin for the event, with the cryptocurrency group dictating the look for the #30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda this year.

DeFrancesco has been a supporter of Dogecoin for multiple seasons, but this is the first time it will serve as a major sponsor for him in the Indy 500.

“Super excited to have Dogecoin with me for the Indy 500!!” said DeFrancesco on social media. “My journey with Dogecoin started in 2020!! Excited to see what the future holds!

“I first invested in Dogecoin in 2020 and drove everyone crazy, telling anyone who would listen that they needed to own it. It’s not only my favorite crypto, but the plan to become a global currency and drive payment adoption is awesome.

“I’m pumped to be part of the community and an ambassador for the vision.”

There are three livery choices available for fans to choose from. Each has a brightly colored theme, and has the sponsor’s Shiba Inu mascot located in multiple locations across the car.

“Blaze” is the title of the first option, with yellow, orange, pink, and purple cascading down the car with blended transitions.

The second option features light purple and light blue, reminiscent of 1980’s styling. The “Turbowave” option has hard lines between the two colors in a more traditional layout.

The third option, titled “BananaBoost,” is similar to the second option but features bright yellow instead of purple and is paired with light blue.

Fans looking to vote on the designs will need to navigate to the dedicated indycar.dogecoin.com website and choose their favorite.

Results will be announced next week on March 26, giving the team enough time to properly prepare the car design ahead of Indy 500 running.

Open testing for the Indy 500 takes place on April 23-24, and the race itself takes place the following month on May 25.

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Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has announced that Takuma Sato will attempt to qualify for this year’s Indianapolis 500 in the team’s #75 entry.

Sato has contested every Indy 500 since 2010, including the past couple seasons as he has wound down his full time IndyCar career.

He continues to race in the biggest event on the calendar, and will do so again this year in an attempt to qualify for his 16th race.

“I’m very excited to return to the 109th Indy 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” said Sato.

“Once again, a heartfelt thank you to Bobby [Rahal], Mike [Lanigan], David [Letterman], and the entire organization for this incredible opportunity. I’m also deeply grateful for the continued support from AMADA as the primary sponsor, alongside Panasonic Automotive Systems, Niterra, Deloitte Tohmatsu, NAC, Honda, HRC, and all our loyal sponsors.

“The new #75 car carries over RLL’s historic design with a refreshed and dynamic new livery – it looks absolutely stunning.

“Last year was an incredible experience, reconnecting with the team, and this year, even more familiar faces have joined the effort, which makes this moment even more special and gives me great confidence. I can’t wait to get to work.”

Sato has won the Indy 500 twice, once with Andretti Autosport in 2017 and a second time in 2020 while driving for RLL.

This year will be the seventh time the veteran Japanese driver has raced the famous race with RLL and the odds of him picking up a third win look good, but for the latest odds, fans should look on sport betting VulkanSpiele for great deals.

The 48-year-old will have backing from Amada America, and his car will look similar to last year’s livery which he took to a 14th place result.

Sato’s entry makes for 34 confirmed entries for this year’s Indy 500, which means that qualifying bumping will take place once again.

The added drama brings an extra level of entertainment to qualifying weekend, during which one driver will be sent home without having a chance to start the race.

The 109th Indianapolis 500 takes place on May 25, with television coverage being provided by FOX.

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This past weekend FOX produced its first IndyCar broadcast of a new partnership, televising the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and showcasing Alex Palou’s jumpstart on the 2025 season.

The broadcast was the culmination of an offseason filled with heavy investment by the network, which included the production and wide distribution of multiple high-quality commercials featuring the sport’s top drivers.

Though there was a lot of work that led up to the first race of the year, the early races of the season can be seen as a precursor to the Indianapolis 500 in late May.

IndyCar’s marquee event traditionally draws five or more times the television audience, and fans regular fill over 300,000 seats to watch the race in person at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Speaking during the St. Pete weekend, FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks talked about plans already in motion for the Indy 500. He also gave a preview of the ambitions he has towards increasing the prevalence of wagering on the outcome, building on the model used in horse racing.

“We are going to blow the doors off of Indy,” said Shanks. “We’re going to bring everything that FOX has to bear.

“We have personalities that we probably haven’t announced yet, but there will be an enormous amount of FOX personalities and non-FOX personalities doing everything that you could imagine there. We’re going to be cross-promoting with our other sports, and I think we have a two and a half hour pre-race show that day.

“The other thing with the 500 that I’m working on really hard with these guys is I really want to turn the Indy 500 into more of a Kentucky Derby day from a wagering standpoint.

“It’s hard to understand how to wager on motorsports. You just kind of don’t get it, but on Kentucky Derby day even if you don’t know anything about horseracing, you put down an exacta or a trifecta, you got win, place, show.

“How can we figure out how to get that type of broad attention around an event that honestly kind of feels a lot like horseracing that day? That kind of stuff we’re working on as well and hopefully have an announcement in the near future.”

Wagers on races are already available to the public in the US, with fans in many states being able to put money on the winner of the most popular motorsports events right from their phone.

It seems that Shanks and FOX would like to have more focus put on the wagers available, however, in order to draw in people that are not necessarily fans of IndyCar.

The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place on May 25, with Josef Newgarden looking to become the first driver in history to win the event in three consecutive years.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway has pulled back the curtain on the ticket design for this year’s upcoming Indianapolis 500.

The tickets will prominently feature last year’s winner Josef Newgarden, which is a tradition that has been in place for many years.

Fans will notice attention to detail on the new ticket design, specifically the numerous references to Newgarden’s back-to-back accomplishment, which is stylized as ‘BACK 2 BACK’ and highlights his car number.

There are double images of the driver’s #2 Team Penske Chevy, two images of his victory lane celebrations, and a list of all six instances of a driver earning consecutive victories in the history of the Indy 500.

No driver has won the famous race three times in a row.

“It’s very cool to be here in the Indianapolis International Airport,” Newgarden said at an event unveiling the design.

“Indiana and Tennessee are my two homes, so the fact we have the Indianapolis 500 in Indiana and the [NTT IndyCar Series] championship finale in Tennessee is a great parallel. To top it all off is seeing this beautiful ticket from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500. It’s an incredible-looking ticket.

“To see my likeness on there, to see our team represented, it’s a very special feeling. You don’t know if that day will ever come when you drive into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“The fact we’ve been able to pull it off twice, back to back, and that it’s been celebrated on this ticket, I’m super, super thankful.”

IMS still produces and mails out physical tickets for the marquee event, famously inside light blue envelopes, which allows fans to keep souvenirs of their attendance each year.

The 109^th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place Sunday, May 25.

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Will Buxton is IndyCar’s new lead TV presenter, moving over from Formula 1 to take the reins inside the FOX booth.

Ahead of his debut call this weekend, Buxton reconfirmed his long-touted love of American open wheel racing.

He also claimed that nearly everyone involved in motorsports around the world feels IndyCar has the best racing in the world, even if they don’t admit it publicly.

“I think IndyCar is motorsports’ best-kept secret,” said Buxton. “And that’s because nobody in any paddock anywhere in the world will admit what they know to be the truth, which is that IndyCar is the greatest racing on earth.

“We all talk about it; it doesn’t matter what paddock you’re in, whether it’s the World Endurance paddock or the Formula E paddock or the Formula 1 paddock. Everyone knows the greatest form of racing in motorsport is IndyCar, but they can’t ever go on the record about it because they’d be down-talking their own championship.”

Moving stateside

In his new role, Buxton will have a chance to catch up with a couple drivers who have similarly made the jump from F1 to IndyCar in recent years, including Marcus Ericsson.

A few drivers who have raced in Formula 2 are also part of this year’s IndyCar grid, with Robert Shwartzman joining Callum Ilott, Christian Lundgaard, and Marcus Armstrong in that category.

Buxton related that a large reason why there aren’t more Formula 1 hopefuls and veteran drivers trying their hand at IndyCar is because there is a level of fear associated with the stateside racing.

“I think for a lot of F1 drivers there’s a fear associated with IndyCar, and I think that’s twofold. One, they see it as quite scary. They see ovals as being quite scary. Two, they don’t want to turn up and get shown up.

“Fernando Alonso, one of the greatest of his generation, one of the greatest of all times, qualified and ran well in his first [Indianapolis] 500; second, he didn’t even qualify.

“That’s a huge embarrassment for any Formula 1 driver considering leaving Formula 1 and coming over to America that doesn’t quite consider themselves to be at the level of Fernando Alonso. If he can get bumped, any of them can get bumped.

“I think there’s trepidation on a couple levels there for them, and it’s great when you see drivers that do come over and want to give it a go.”

Buxton will be joined by veteran IndyCar drivers James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell in the commentary booth starting this weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

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The NTT IndyCar Series announced on Tuesday morning that longtime Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles has been named the President of IndyCar.

Boles has served as IMS President since 2013 and has overseen, among other events, many iterations of the storied Indianapolis 500, including the historic 100th running in 2016.

He has been praised for this promotional aspirations, which have been crucial in bringing more than $150 million is strategic investment to the speedway.

In addition, Boles is seen as one of the most down-to-Earth executives in IndyCar. He often spends time talking directly with fans, watching race events from the general admission viewing mounds, and frequently personally addresses issues he is made aware of.

Boles will continue his role as IMS President as he takes on new duties with IndyCar, and will report directly to Penske President and CEO Mark Miles.

“Racing is in my DNA, and no form of racing resonates more personally and strongly with me than the NTT IndyCar Series,” said Boles.

“I’m honored to lead the amazing team at IndyCar, and I truly believe the future is bigger and brighter than ever for our sport and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I’m extremely grateful to Mark Miles for this opportunity, and fans can rest assured the hard work is already under way and 2025 will be a fantastic season.”

As part of the move, the outgoing IndyCar president Jay Frye has left the series altogether.

Frye has worked with the series for 10 years, and has focused on sporting and safety developments including the introduction of the Aeroscreen in 2020.

He navigated tough development and supply chain issues to get the hybrid system across the finish line midway through the 2024 season.

No details were given about the nature of Frye’s departure or his future plans.

Other leadership moves

Other shifts in IndyCar’s leadership structure are occurring at the same time, changing the landscape within the series.

Mark Sibla, a senior member of IndyCar’s management for over a decade, has been named Senior Vice President of IndyCar competition.

Sibla will be tasked with special initiatives, such as the introduction of the new chassis which is planned for the 2027 season.

Race Director Kyle Novak will become IndyCar’s Vice President of Officiating and Race Control.

Novak has been a constant presence since joining IndyCar in 2018, and added a bit of dramatic flair as he sent drivers out for their qualifying runs during the Indy 500.

He will now lead both the Race Control and Race Tech teams, and will ensure compliance with the rules in all aspects of the weekend.

In addition, Alex Damron will continue his role as Vice President of Corporate Communications while also serving as Chief Marketing Officer.

Louis Kissinger has also been promoted to General Manager of IMS operations.

The list of leadership changes is long, particularly for an organization that has been relatively stable since Roger Penske purchased the series in early 2020.

The changes also come as the presentation of IndyCar is changing on account of FOX Sports taking over broadcast rights from NBC starting this season.

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Andretti Global confirmed on Tuesday that it will field a fourth car in this year’s upcoming Indianapolis 500 with veteran Marco Andretti behind the wheel.

Andretti will step into the #98 entry and will have major sponsorship backing from MAPEI, which first adorned the side of his car in 2024.

When Andretti takes the green flag, he will begin his 20th Indy 500. He has contested every event since joining the series in 2006, but has yet to win the infamous race.

His continuation with another attempt sets aside concerns that his single-race arrangement would be in jeopardy on account of recent leadership changes at his family’s team.

“Our partnership with MAPEI over the 2024 season was such an excellent addition to our Andretti IndyCar program,” said Doug Bresnahan, Chief Commercial Officer at Andretti Global.

“The constant of the MAPEI brand on Kyle Kirkwood’s #27 throughout the full season paired with MAPEI’s increased presence as the primary partner for Marco Andretti’s #98 at the 2024 Indianapolis 500 was the perfect way for our team to expose a new partner to all the great opportunities the NTT IndyCar Series has to offer, and we are honored to have MAPEI back on board in 2025 for what is sure be another exciting season.”

Andretti stepped away from full-time IndyCar competition after the 2020 season, and has contested the Indy 500 alone since then.

In the 2020 race, which was held in August on account of delays surround the Covid-19 pandemic, Andretti started the race on pole and finished in 13th.

His best finish to date in the iconic race came in his maiden attempt in 2006, when he very nearly won the event but for a late pass by Sam Hornish Jr. just before the finish line that dropped Andretti to second.

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The NTT IndyCar Series and FOX Sports have released the US broadcast start times for the 2025 season.

Defined race start times were not part of the announcement, but the green flag will likely wave for most events within 30 minutes of the broadcast start time.

Most events appear to have roughly the same start time as the previous year, with a few notably moving earlier in the afternoon.

Laguna Seca and the first race of the Iowa Speedway double-header have both shifted three hours forward.

The earlier event at Laguna Seca, starting at noon local time, could potentially give less time for the region’s famous marine layer clouds that wash over the track nearly every morning to clear away.

An earlier time for Saturday’s Iowa race is beneficial for the race teams working the event, some of which were working until the middle of the night last year making repairs to their cars ahead of Sunday’s race.

The earlier Iowa time, along with an earlier start time for World Wide Technology Raceway, does mean that there are once again no night-time or evening races scheduled unless weather pushes an event past the daylight hours.

Expanded coverage for Indy 500

A full two hours of pre-race programming will be shown for the 109th Indianapolis 500, giving fans of the most-attended motorsports event plenty of chance to prepare for the big race.

“The unrivaled exposure FOX will bring to the NTT IndyCar Series, including an additional hour of Indy 500 pre-race coverage, will prove to be a spectacular showcase for our drivers and teams,” Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles said.

“With FOX’s tremendous partnership and support, we’re going to bring the most competitive and compelling motorsport on the planet to a growing and massive audience. We cannot wait to raise the curtain on the 2025 season with FOX.”

All 17 races on the 2025 calendar will be broadcast on over-the-air FOX affiliates in the US, a major perk that helped lure the series away from its longtime television home of NBC.

Coverage of all practice and qualifying sessions will be shown on FS1 or FS2, FOX Sports’ paid television networks that are offered through cable and satellite TV packages.

Details about how FOX plans to offer streaming solutions for cord cutting fans have yet to be revealed, and the broadcast talent identified to call the races has also not been announced.

The first race of the new FOX broadcast deal takes place on March 2 from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

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The newest face on the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy was unveiled on Wednesday, showing off the additional profile of Josef Newgarden affixed to the base.

The 33-year-old took victory in May’s 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, securing his second consecutive win of the iconic race.

Newgarden streaked past then held off Pato O’Ward in the closing laps to cross the yard of bricks in the lead, and celebrated by climbing into the grandstands just as he had done the year before.

One of the many perks of winning the Indy 500 is that the driver’s likeness is sculpted, cast in sterling silver, and affixed to the famous Borg-Warner Trophy alongside all the previous winners.

Will Behrends is the master sculptor that was once again called upon to design the newest addition, with the 78-year-old adding his 35th face to the iconic, 110-pound trophy.

Newgarden’s face is now the 111th individual face to be enshrined for all to see, lengthening the legacy even further.

“There are more wrinkles, yes,” joked Newgarden when he saw the new addition alongside the sculpture of his first win. “I knew it!

“I like the hair a little better. Yeah, it does look better in 2024. Will had a good day! No, that’s really cool. I do love that the details are different.”

Going for a three-peat

Engraved alongside Newgarden’s face is his average speed for the entire 500 miles, with 167.763 MPH forever logged along with his victory.

Newgarden also spoke candidly about his opportunity to win a third consecutive Indy 500, which would be the first time the feat has been accomplished in the race’s long history.

“I like that we’ve already been planning stuff for next year. Potentially. We’re not shy that we have the opportunity to win it again next year. I know the probability is extremely low, but winning it twice is a very low probability.

“We do have a chance to do it. I’m not shy to talk about it because there is a chance to win it three years in a row. Talking about it is not going to change what we do. We’re there to win, and we know the process that we have to do.

“It’s an honor just to be in the race. I really recognized that two years ago, and now to win it [twice] has taken the appreciation to a new level. I don’t think you can understand the appreciation until you win it.”

Newgarden will look to defend his title on Sunday, May 25, potentially becoming the first driver to ever win three races in a row.

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Dreyer and Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports announced on Wednesday both drivers for a two-car lineup for next year’s Indianapolis 500.

Returning in the #23 entry will be Ryan Hunter-Reay, who is a long-time veteran of the NTT IndyCar Series.

Hunter-Reay won the series championship in 2012 and won the Indianapolis 500 a couple years later in 2014, both while racing for Andretti Autosport.

The native Texan shifted to a part time driving role after the 2021 season, and has contested two Indy 500 races with DRR in the previous two years.

His return gives stability to the small team’s efforts as it hopes to make its single race efforts pay off in the biggest way possible next May.

Piloting the second entry will be Jack Harvey, who will climb behind the wheel of the #24 for the 109th Indianapolis 500.

Harvey has struggled to find his footing after earning his best results in 2021 and subsequently leaving the Meyer Shank Racing team.

He spent two years racing for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and last year drove for Dale Coyne Racing for a majority of the calendar.

The British driver also was forced to sit out for the second round of the Iowa Speedway double header due to lingering neck and back pain that did not seem to stem from any on track incident.

He was able to finish out the season after recovering during the summer break, but still only managed a best result of 13th at the season finale in Nashville.

As Harvey joins DRR-Cusick for the first time, he will have time to focus on the Indy 500 as his only confirmed race of the 2025 season. He will attempt to improve on his best career finish of ninth for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing on May 25.

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