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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The first race of the 2025 IndyCar season took place on Sunday afternoon under picture perfect skies on the shores of St. Petersburg, Florida.

27 drivers took the green flag, including two racing for the series’ newest team PREMA. But only one driver was able to take victory at the end of the 100-lap event.

In what is a recurring theme in IndyCar, Alex Palou was able to put on a clinic and took victory to open the season.

READ MORE: IndyCar St. Pete – Full Race Results

His methodical driving skills allowed him to take care of his tires better than his competitors, and he used the strength that was left in his car to fend off a charging Josef Newgarden in the closing laps despite lapped traffic causing issues.

Despite looking like he was going to challenge for the win in the final 10 laps, Josef Newgarden dropped off the pace dramatically in the final lap.

He revealed after the race that he had fuel miscues, which caused his pit box to call him over the radio with instructions to back way off the pace so he could make it to the finish line.

Newgarden’s sudden ‘emergency mode’ call allowed Scott Dixon to overtake him and claim the second spot on the podium.

Dixon ran the entire race with no radio communication, and he felt that he could have secured the victory himself if he were able to pit at the optimal times.

The fuel miscalculation and radio troubles were the small details that ultimately determined the order of the podium in a close battle.

Early trouble

The race was barely underway before a large incident brought out the full course yellow.

As the field of 27 drivers roared through the first couple turns, track space became a premium and cars began bumping off one another.

By Turn 3, it all came to a head. Nolan Siegel had to check up for traffic ahead and was run into by Will Power.

Both drivers spun into the wall hard, with rookie Louis Foster also spinning amid the chaos as the rest of the field attempted to avoid the chaos.

All three drivers were forced to retire on the spot, having completed zero laps in the 2025 season.

The early caution meant that drivers who started on the soft compound were able to pit on the third lap to get rid of the inferior tires. All but nine drivers took the opportunity, leading to split strategies for the remainder of the race.

Once the green flags flew for a second time, the race continued without interruption for the rest of the event.

A few drivers attempted to make the soft Guayule Firestone tires last 30 laps, splitting the 100-lap race into roughly three equal parts.

That strategy did not work well, however, and they all had to come in again to change tires less than 10 laps later.

Pato O’Ward stayed on the soft tires longer than any other driver, 20 laps on a single stint. It is even more surprising that he was able to climb through the field as quickly as he did.

The young star began the race in 23rd, but worked his way up to 11th by the checkered flag. O’Ward was the most improved driver on the day.

Drivers return to the track in three weeks when the series visits The Thermal Club for a points-paying round at the luxurious club track.

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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.

The post Josef Newgarden immortalized on Borg-Warner Trophy for second time appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Just after noon on Saturday, the NTT IndyCar Series headed out onto The Milwaukee Mile to set the order for both upcoming races later in the weekend.

Overall, nearly all drivers struggled to find grip as they navigated the nine-degree banking. Some cars hard a hard time turning and pushed up the track, while others gave their drivers a heap of oversteer as they cruised through the turns.

The drivers that handled the tricky conditions best were Team Penske team-mates Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden.

READ MORE: IndyCar Milwaukee – Full Qualifying Results

McLaughlin set the fastest first lap on his first flying lap, which earned him pole for Saturday evening’s race around the 1.015-mile oval.

His lap was completed in 22.5082 seconds, averaging a speed of 162.341 MPH.

McLaughlin’s second lap was marginally slower, which allowed Josef Newgarden to slip into the top spot for Sunday’s race.

Newgarden’s second lap was completed in 22.6980 seconds, with an average speed of 160.983 MPH.

The two drivers set the second fastest times for the laps that they were not on pole, but Newgarden has a grid penalty for the first race meaning he will start tenth before lining up on pole on Sunday.

Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi set the third and fourth fastest time for the first race, and Marcus Armstrong and Will Power earned the second row for the second race.

Linus Lundqvist ran well on both of his laps, as did Pato O’Ward. Both drivers will start within the first three rows for both events as they look to end their seasons on a high note.

The championship points leader Alex Palou qualified 13th and 10th as it appeared that he was driving a bit more conservatively in order to not ruin his chances at a third title.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing looked absolutely awful during the session, with the team’s three drivers qualifying at the very back of the field for both races.

Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard, and Pietro Fittipaldi all have a lot of work to do if they are to salvage a decent weekend.

The first race of the double-header weekend takes place later in the evening on Saturday, with green flag waving around 5:00 PM central time. Sunday’s race gets underway a little earlier in the day at 2:00 PM.

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After nine years away from the historic racing circuit, the NTT IndyCar Series stormed into The Milwaukee Mile on Friday.

The first order of business was the weekend’s only practice session to allow all 27 drivers a chance to get a feel for the nearly-flat 1.015-mile oval.

Unsurprisingly, Josef Newgarden ended the day on the top of the time sheets. The oval master completed a lap in 23.0156 seconds, averaging 158.762 MPH.

Newgarden completed 78 laps over the course of the 90-minute session, which was one of the highest totals of the field.

Scott Dixon set the second fastest time, and was only 0.099 seconds slower that the man at the top.

Pato O’Ward rounded out the top three, and was followed closely by Felix Rosenqvist and Scott McLaughlin.

Early in the session, McLaughlin looked like he was going to be the fastest driver of the day, but he slipped down to fifth as others built up their speeds.

The two championship contenders were slightly down the order, with Alex Palou setting the ninth best time and Will Power setting the 11th best lap.

Katherine Legge was the slowest driver on course, never getting her Dale Coyne Racing #51 within a second of the cars at the top of the field.

Before the main practice session, there was an extra 30 minutes given to drivers to run the low line around the corners.

The dedicated session allowed drivers to put a layer of rubber down on the less preferred line, which will hopefully allow more side by side racing later in the weekend.

Similar sessions have been granted at oval races over the past couple seasons to help make for a better race, the difference is just that at Milwaukee the lowest racing line is the one that needed the extra attention.

The drivers nearly made it through the entire session with no incidents, but with only seven minutes remaining rookie Christian Rasmussen drifted high and hit the outside wall, breaking his suspension.

Up until this weekend, Rasmussen’s only oval experience in IndyCar had been the Indianapolis 500 in May.

His team owner Ed Carpenter decided to step aside for the final races of the season to both give his rookie a chance to learn the ovals and to help the entry stay above the cut line in the Leader’s Circle standings.

A couple other times there were close calls, including when Pato O’Ward fought off a loose race car through the use of his famously fast hands on the steering wheel.

Next time drivers are on track will be for qualifying, which will set the grid for both races of the weekend.

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The NTT IndyCar Series has announced a raft of grid penalties for this weekend’s event at The Milwaukee Mile.

A total of five drivers were given penalties for taking on too many engines over the course of the 2024 season.

Josef Newgarden and Nolan Siegel were the two Chevy-powered drivers to be assessed the penalty, with Marcus Armstrong, Pietro Fittipaldi, and Christian Lundgaard receiving penalties on the Honda side of the equation.

Newgarden’s replacement power plant comes on the heels of his Team Penske team-mate Scott McLaughlin, who took a penalty for his own change last weekend.

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan team in particular has been given many penalties in recent weeks, with all three full-time members of the team having used too many engines by this point in the season.

As per standard rules, this weekend’s race being held on an oval means that each of the five drivers will drop nine positions each ahead of Saturday’s event.

IndyCar handing down grid penalties for excessive engine usage has become a regular occurrence in the latter portion of this season.

This weekend marks the third consecutive weekend that grid penalties have been issued, totaling 14 drivers in that short period of time.

Some penalties at this point in the season is not unheard of, but the number of driver affected has been particularly high this summer.

Many of the penalties stem from early Honda engine replacements during the Month of May, which is now affecting the manufacturer extra hard with only three races remaining.

The first practice session of the double-header weekend gets underway at 3:30 PM central time on Friday, with Saturday’s race starting at 5:00 PM on Saturday.

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NTT IndyCar Series officials have confirmed the chaos on the late restart that resulted in a red flag was not the fault of Josef Newgarden’s driving at the head of the field.

When the field was lined up to take the restart with 10 laps remaining at World Wide Technology Raceway, they all paced Newgarden and tried their best to second guess when he would accelerate away.

The two-time champion waited until the very end of the prescribed restart zone in order to give those behind less time to make a pass down the front straight.

Just as Newgarden accelerated, there was chaos behind when the field stacked up and Alexander Rossi was launched into the air over the back of Will Power’s machine.

There was immediate suspicion that Newgarden had falsely accelerated or waited too long to bring the field up to speed, causing the drivers behind to run into each other as they wrongly assumed that they were back racing again.

Power had a similar thought, and gave his team-mate a one-finger salute after he climbed from his stricken car.

IndyCar released car data from Newgarden’s restart after the race, the same information they used to deem that his actions did not warrant a penalty, helping clear the air about the incident.

A series official confirmed that the speed of the #2 car did not deviate from 80 MPH before he accelerated cleanly, and that his acceleration and the green flag being waved happened nearly simultaneously.

The green flag is waved by default if the leader reaches the end of the restart zone, whether or not he has accelerated. In this instance, both events took place at nearly the same time.

Newgarden also explained his point of view after the race, saying that he purposely waited as long as possible to accelerate but did not do anything that would purposely cause issues behind.

“I was trying to go as late as I could,” said Newgarden. “Sometimes people go really early, sometimes they go in the middle, sometimes they go kind of late, and sometimes they go really late.

“It’s not that different of a restart I’ve done before. I’ve done a lot of restarts from the front. It’s not that different from other restarts that have gone late.

“I don’t know that I’d change much. If anyone, especially on our team, wants to look at the data, you’re going to see a very consistent speed.

“What it looked like to me, when stopped on the red I saw the replay, what looked like happened is it went green momentarily before I went, just momentarily. I’m talking like half a second or a second.

“If it’s just that slight difference in timing, if race control goes green and I haven’t gone yet for just a second, I think people were trying to jump, which we’ve had a problem with, to be honest. We’ve had a problem with jump-starts the last two years. It’s a constant topic in the driver meeting”

For his part, Newgarden said that he will talk with his team-mate later tonight to make sure that there were no hard feelings between the two.

Newgarden went on to win the event, holding off his other team-mate Scott McLaughlin during the final six-lap run to the checkers.

The post IndyCar clears Newgarden from blame in late red flag incident appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Saturday evening’s race around World Wide Technology Raceway held a little bit of everything across the 260 laps.

Varying fuel strategies, numerous cautions, mechanical retirements, and even a late red flag all played into the results.

In the end, it was Josef Newgarden that was triumphant, earning the second win of the season and continuing his oval prowess.

READ MORE: IndyCar Gateway – Full Race Report

Newgarden’s team-mate Scott McLaughlin crossed the line in second, with Linus Lundqvist battling his way to an impressive podium after starting down in 18th.

The crashes and mechanical retirements resulted in 10 drivers failing to finish the race. In contrast, a long green flag run in the middle of the race led to only five drivers finishing on the lead lap.

For next week’s event, the paddock travels west for the yearly visit to Portland International Raceway, the last road course of the 2024 season.

The post IndyCar Gateway – Race Results appeared first on Motorsport Week.

IndyCar held a Saturday afternoon race around World Wide Technology Raceway, and by the end there were many different situations for the drivers and teams to navigate.

Fuel strategies diverged in the middle of the race, then appeared to come back together as those that were saving fuel matched up with those that took an extra pit stop.

A late spin by Josef Newgarden split them again, however, as the 61 laps remaining was just a hair outside the optimal fuel window.

READ MORE: IndyCar Gateway – Full Race Results

Some drivers planned to take one more stop later in the race, some tried to make it to the end from lap 199, and others still abandoned the fuel save strategy with only 30 laps remaining and had to come in for a splash of fuel.

It appeared that everything had sorted itself out when a late caution mixed up the situation once again.

Newgarden and his team-mate Scott McLaughlin were able to pit with virtually no consequence, so they took tires as well as a splash of fuel for the final 10 laps.

A late red flag for another incident on the restart pushed the number of green flag laps down to six.

Once racing, Newgarden was able to fend off McLaughlin with relative ease and motored his way to victory.

The win was Newgarden’s second of the season following his disqualification at St. Pete and win at the Indy 500.

McLaughlin crossed the line in second and appreciated the fact that his car got better and better as the temperatures dropped late in the evening.

Linus Lundqvist battled side by side with Colton Herta in the final laps and ended up claiming the second podium of his young IndyCar career.

David Malukas looked set to continue his streak of finishing on the podium at Gateway, but a late battle with Will Power ended in tears.

Power squeezed Malukas low in Turn 1, the two touched, and the younger driver ended up spinning into the wall. Power continued, but then was fully involved in the late crash that brought out the red flag.

Alexander Rossi ran over the back of Power when those in front did not accelerate as quickly as expected, and Rossi was launched into the air.

Power felt that his team-mate Newgarden was mostly responsible for not smoothly taking the green flag, and even flipped him the bird after he climbed from his stricken car.

The end of the race was eventful to say the least, and the start was as well.

It only took until the ninth lap for the first caution to come out. Ed Carpenter was racing with Katherine Legge when he chopped down on her and made contact.

Legge was forced to retire on the spot, and Carpenter was able to continue after making repairs and ended his day 17th.

The second caution came just a few laps after they went back green, with Conor Daly spinning down the backstretch and making contact with his Juncos Hollinger team-mate Romain Grosjean and Kyle Kirkwood.

All three were able to continue, but all three had their days effectively ruined.

There were a few other mechanical retirements as well, with Marcus Ericsson the most notable. He was making the fuel save strategy work well and figured to be in the mix for the win when he started receiving errors related to the MGU.

He initially came to the pits, but the crew did not have any remedy for the overheating hybrid component. He ran a couple more laps before retiring due to the issue.

Graham Rahal also retired with a mechanical issue, as did Pato O’Ward. To say it was a frustrating day for a majority of the field would be an understatement.

A long caution-free stretch in the middle of the race and a bevy of different fuel strategies led to only five cars finishing on the lead lap.

Drivers only have a couple days to digest the chaotic race and reassess their position in the points before the next race, which takes place across the country at Portland International Raceway.

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Josef Newgarden finished second in Sunday’s IndyCar race from Road America, but feels that he could have taken victory if he had planned his last pit stop better.

With just over 10 laps remaining on the lengthy 4.014-mile course, final pits took place for the trio of Team Penske drivers at the head of the field.

Scott McLaughlin pit first from second place, then the following two laps saw Newgarden then Will Power each come down pit lane from the lead.

The overcut proved to be very powerful, however, and Power emerged from the pits with a sizable lead despite only pitting one lap later.

Newgarden talked after the race how he should have known that staying out longer would be an advantage, and rued the fact that he took his last pit stop before Power.

“Great team day,” said Newgarden. “Really rewarding I think for the entire crew when you have to go through something like [rebuilding my wrecked car from qualifying], put it all together, we finish 1-2-3, it’s as good as it can get.

“At the same time we sort of gave that one away. I mean, I will say this, too. I felt like we gave it away, but all three of our cars were pretty stellar pace-wise. Whether it was the 3, the 12 or me, I think we all had similar pace.

“With that capability for any of us to win that race was there. You saw the 1-2-3 because of that, I think.

“Today the warm-up was really tough on the tires. It was literally nearly three seconds of an advantage on an overcut. Two-and-a-half, three-second advantage.

“You can’t get overcut on a day like today. You got to work that problem out. We pretty much had it worked out. You got to sort of manage the situation. I felt like I didn’t make the right call there.

“We could have kept going, and we should have. So when you go for the undercut, that’s what happens. You just get burned. We got burned at the end.”

Newgarden’s podium was his second of the year following his Indianapolis 500 victory and discounting the St. Petersburg win that was taken away due to improper use of the Push to Pass system.

The two-time champion now sits eighth in the points, and is over a full race worth of points behind his team-mate and points leader Will Power.

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