IndyCar Series

Scott Dixon will sit on the pole at the Indianapolis 500 next Sunday. 

He averaged a speed of 231.685 mph to take the pole and will be joined by Colton Herra (231.655 average mph) and Rinus VeeKay (231.511 average mph) in the front row. 

His speed can’t be beat.

With a four-lap average speed of 231.685 MPH, @scottdixon9 will lead the field of 33 to the green flag for the 105th Indy 500.
#INDYCAR // #INDY500 pic.twitter.com/UkstCjx5W3

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 23, 2021

FOURTH #Indy500 POLE FOR @SCOTTDIXON9! #MustBeMay

Listen as the fans at @IMS salute The Iceman. pic.twitter.com/gJD8lv1FpJ

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 23, 2021

Sunday's triumph earned Dixon a $100,000 prize. He was understandably a happy man, especially after his final run got a touch hairy. 

"Obviously you could see towards the end of that lap there it got pretty sketchy and we scrubbed a ton of speed," he said after the race.

"It doesn't matter what it is, we'll take that," he added after being told he earned the top spot by a minuscule 0.03 mph. 

"How's that, boss?"@ScottDixon9 and @GanassiChip share a moment after Dixon gets his first pole since 2017. #Indy500 // @IMS // @CGRTeams pic.twitter.com/NCRL7G171T

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 23, 2021

Here's how the full field shook out:

The fastest 33 make up the #Indy500 field.

We take you row-by-row ahead of the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 at @IMS. pic.twitter.com/3cefJXAlIU

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 23, 2021

• Row 2: Ed Carpenter, Tony Kanaan and Alex Palou
• Row 3: Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves and Marcus Ericsson
• Row 4: Alexander Rossi, Ed Jones and Pato O'Ward
• Row 5: Pietro Fittipaldi, Felix Rosenqvist and Takuma Sato
• Row 6: James Hinchcliffe, Scott McLaughlin and Graham Rahal
• Row 7: Conor Daly, Jack Harvey and Josef Newgarden
  
• Row 8: JR Hildebrand, Santino Ferrucci and Juan Pablo Montoya
• Row 9: Marco Andretti, Simon Pagenaud and Sebastien Bourdais
• Row 10: Stefan Wilson, Max Chilton and Dalton Kellett
• Row 11: Sage Karam, Will Power and Simona De Silvestro

Notable racers to miss the cut included Charlie Kimball and RC Enerson. 

History was also made Sunday, as De Silvestro and Paretta Autosport owner Beth Paretta became the first female driver-owner pairing to qualify for the race. 

History made at @IMS!

The first time a female driver and female owner have qualified for the #Indy500 together! @OnHerTurf // @simdesilvestro // @ParettaSport pic.twitter.com/GhMwy9mGIW

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 23, 2021

"I feel like we've climbed a mountain together," Paretta said of the achievement. "Hats off to all of these women, also all these men from Team Penske who have been coaching our women on this team and really just working, digging in. ... I couldn't be happier, and we can't wait till next week."

The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place next Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC. 

Spots 10 through 30 in the 2021 Indianapolis 500 have been set after Saturday's round of qualifying. 

Scott Dixon set the pace for all drivers in the 35-car field with a four-lap average of 231.828 mph. He will be among the stars competing in the Fast Nine shootout Sunday to determine the top nine spots in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. 

Here. We. Go. @scottdixon9 sets the tone for the rest of the field with an average speed of 231.828 MPH.

📺: @PeacockTV
📲: INDYCAR Mobile - https://t.co/vyuISIgHnX#INDYCAR // #INDY500 pic.twitter.com/OSWF99vWZK

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 22, 2021

Joining Dixon in the Fast Nine shootout will be Colton Herta, Tony Kanaan, Ed Carpenter, Rinus Veekay, Helio Castroneves, Alex Palou, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marcus Ericsson. 

---

2021 Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Results

1. Scott Dixon 

2. Colton Herta 

3. Tony Kanaan 

4. Ed Carpenter 

5. Rinus VeeKay

6. Helio Castroneves

7. Alex Palou

8. Ryan Hunter-Reay

9. Marcus Ericsson

Positions 21 - 30 for the #Indy500
21. Josef Newgarden
22. JR Hildebrand
23. Santino Ferrucci
24. Juan Pablo Montoya
25. Marco Andretti
26. Simon Pagenaud
27. Sebastien Bourdais
28. Stefan Wilson
29. Max Chilton
30. Dalton Kellett

— Nick DeGroot (@ndegroot89) May 22, 2021

The five drivers not yet locked into the #Indy500:

- Will Power
- Simona de Silvestro
- Sage Karam
- Charlie Kimball
- RC Enerson#LastRowShootout

— Nick DeGroot (@ndegroot89) May 22, 2021

Coming out of Fast Friday, Dixon explained that a lot of drivers were struggling to find a clear track to practice. 

“You had some guys doing some pretty silly stuff out there," he told reporters. "Teams should have been held responsible for some of those runs as well. I know it’s difficult. I know everybody wants to try to get a run. Some of those closing speeds when you have people doing cooldown laps at 150 mph, you’re coming in at 240, gets pretty hairy."

Things appeared to get better Saturday, at least for the drivers who qualified for the Fast Nine. Each of them averaged better than 231 miles per hour. 

Dixon has won the pole at the Indianapolis 500 three times previously. His only win in this race from the pole position was in 2008. The last time he started first was in 2017, but he wound up posting the worst finish of his career (32nd). 

Palou earned a spot in the Fast Nine despite his car running into the wall. He was checked by the medical staff and cleared to resume practicing:

REPLAY: @AlexPalou has been checked, cleared and released after this incident at @IMS.

📺: NBCSN
📲: INDYCAR Mobile - https://t.co/vyuISIgHnX#INDYCAR // #INDY500 pic.twitter.com/tGFZUkQIHd

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 22, 2021

Defending champion Takuma Sato will start from the 15th position. The Japanese star won last year from the outside spot on the first row. There hasn't been a driver who started outside the top 10 win the Indy 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016. 

In addition to the intrigue of the Fast Nine Shootout, Sunday will also see two of the drivers in the Last Row Shootout miss out on a chance to compete in the May 30 race. 

The group of five vying for the final three spots will be Will Power, Simona de Silvestro, Sage Karam, Charlie Kimball and RC Enerson. 

"He's coming back tomorrow!"

Will Power does NOT make the top 30, meaning he'll be in the Last Row Shootout to make the #Indy500 field tomorrow at 1P ET on NBCSN. pic.twitter.com/3H8IsCbSwy

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 22, 2021

Wow this isn’t as bad as 1995 for Penske when they missed out on the race but wow. Will Power is likely to be last row but crazy he’ll run on Sunday.

— Inactive (@injuryexpert) May 22, 2021

Power, the 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion, started this season with back-to-back top-10 finishes. He's been OK in the past three races with top-14 finishes in each event, but the 40-year-old is trying to get back on track this weekend. 

The last-chance qualifying run will begin at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. It will be followed by the Fast Nine Shootout at 3 p.m. ET. 

Colton Herta and Scott McLaughlin almost didn't make it to the start of the Indy 500, nearly colliding in practice as defending champion Takuma Sato posed with his Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammates for a photo opportunity.

Sato, Graham Rahal and Santino Ferrucci were moving slower in a line. McLaughlin slowed, but Herta had to check up hard to avoid making contact with the IndyCar rookie. 

REPLAY: Early contact between @ColtonHerta and @smclaughlin93.

📺: @peacockTV - https://t.co/Py4Niuv2PQ
📲: INDYCAR Mobile powered by NTT DATA - https://t.co/vyuISIgHnX #INDYCAR // #INDY500 // @IMS pic.twitter.com/z2u9sI6cDs

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 20, 2021

"I'm doing 220 [mph] and coming through the corner, and these idiots are doing 170; it's just ridiculous," Herta told reporters. 

IndyCar announced said that the three cars would have to miss the first 30 minutes of tomorrow's practice as a penalty for "improper conduct," according to Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press. 

Former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick will drive the pace car for the 2021 Indianapolis 500.

"I am very honored to drive the pace car this year at the Indy 500," Patrick said in a press release. "It is even more special because of the past year we have all endured, and it will be so nice to see fans back in the stands."

Patrick, 39, retired from auto racing after finishing 30th in the 2018 Indianapolis 500. She previously posted six top-10 finishes in open-wheel racing's biggest race, highlighted by a third-place finish in 2009.

The 2009 season was the most successful of her career, as she finished fifth in the final IndyCar standings. Patrick left open-wheel racing after the 2011 season for stock cars.

Since leaving full-time racing, Patrick has made several notable media appearances and will be part of NBC's broadcast team for the 2021 Indianapolis 500.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser died Sunday at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, of natural causes, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway confirmed to Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press. He was 87. 

Unser was crowned the champion of the Indy 500 in 1968, 1975 and 1981. 

His younger brother, Al Unser, is a four-time Indy 500 champion. They are the only brothers to have both won the Indy 500.

"Bobby was a ferocious competitor on the track, and his larger-than-life personality made him one of the most beloved and unique racers we have ever seen,'' said Roger Penske, who currently owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway and owned the team with which Unser won the race in 1981. 

That Penske team victory in 1981 came amid controversy after it was ruled Unser passed illegally, giving Mario Andretti the win. The team successfully appealed the ruling in October 1981 and Unser earned his 35th career victory. 

Through 19 career starts at Indianapolis, Unser won the race in 1968, 1975 and 1981 and finished in the top 10 on 10 separate occasions. His 440 leading laps (which spanned 10 races) rank 10th all-time. 

His racing career began at Roswell Speedway in New Mexico in 1949, developing into a family business that saw his nephew, Al Unser Jr., win the Indy 500 in 1992 and 1994. In total, six drivers in the family have raced in the Indianapolis 500. 

After Unser retired from racing, began a broadcasting career that resulted in an Emmy Award in 1989. He was inducted into International Motorsports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and National Sprint Car Halls of Fame, as well as the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

The Wheldon family is getting back into open-wheel racing a decade after the tragic death of Dan Wheldon. 

On Saturday, Andretti Autosport announced the two-time Indianapolis 500-winner's sons, Sebastian and Oliver, will join the team's development program as junior drivers. Sebastian is 12, Oliver is 10, and both are ready to take up their father's career. 

Said team owner Michael Andretti:

"Dan was family to us, and we had a lot of on track success together, we see a lot of Dan in both Sebastian and Oliver and are very proud to officially welcome them into our racing family. No one will ever be able to replace Dan in their lives, but we're happy to offer a network for mentorship to help the boys grow their careers. Karting is the first step, but we have hopes of helping foster promising Road to Indy, and eventually even IndyCar opportunities."

Dan Wheldon raced for Andretti from 2003 to 2005, winning his first Indy 500 in his final year with the team. In 128 career starts, Wheldon won 16 races. He died in 2011 following a crash at the IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The night before the crash, Wheldon had signed a contract to return to Andretti for the 2012 season. 

Now his two sons are joining the Andretti family. 

"Racing runs deep in their DNA," their mother, Susie Wheldon, told the Associated Press. "There have been many summer days where I have been sitting all day in the middle of a field in central Florida asking them 'Are you sure this is what you want to do?' But they do, they have a passion for it, and now they have a path."

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will welcome a limited number of fans back to the famed race track for the 2021 Indianapolis 500 on May 30, according to Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. 

Up to 135,000 fans will be permitted to watch the race in person, 40 percent of the track's capacity. While the official number of seats in the grandstand has never been confirmed, Indianapolis Star reporter Curt Cavin counted 257,325 permanent seats in 2004. 

While the track has never announced official attendance numbers, in 2016, the Star said 350,000 fans would be at the race, while an estimated 400,000 spectators attended in 1990, per the Associated Press (via USA Today). 

Last year's race, the 104th running, was postponed until August 23 and held without fans in attendance because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Brown noted if reached, 40 percent capacity at IMS will represent the highest-attended event in the United States since the onset of the pandemic. 

Race officials announced the sale of 170,000 tickets to the Indy 500 last week before sending out an advisory requesting ticket holders confirm how many of their allotments they planned to use with credit available for next year's race for any unused tickets. Speedway president Doug Boles told Brown nearly 33,000 tickets were already returned and fans interested in attending can still submit an application with the track to do so.

Those in attendance will be required to wear a mask unless eating or drinking, observe social distance guidelines and temperature checks will be required before entering the grounds. 

Additionally, IMS plans to use the month of May to continue encouraging Indiana residents to get vaccinated. The track held a four-day mass vaccination clinic in March that served 16,000 people. The drive-up vaccine clinic at the track will remain available throughout May until the 27th—three days before the Indy 500. 

Per Brown: 

"IMS projects that by race day, nearly 60% of its fans will have been vaccinated, which they believe, along with mask-wearing and spacing, should ensure safety by those who do attend this year's race. A year ago, IMS initially said in July they would allow as much as 50% capacity for the Aug. 23 race, and then fans' demand lowered that projection to 25% on July 21. But on Aug. 4, track officials announced the decision to hold the race without fans due to the significant continued spread of COVID-19 locally and the lack any vaccine at that point."

“The city and state have worked with us to identify the appropriate health and safety precautions so that we can successfully host a limited but very enthusiastic crowd," Boles said in a statement. "The health and safety of everyone coming to IMS, along with central Indiana and the Hoosier state, have been paramount throughout this process.”

The 2020 Indianapolis 500 concluded in anticlimactic fashion as Takuma Sato crossed the finish line under caution to claim the title Sunday.

With four laps remaining, Spencer Pigot spun out and collided with the entrance to pit road. Track officials opted to wave the yellow flag rather than the red, which effectively ended the race. Sato cruised to Victory Lane as Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal finished second and third, respectively.

"WE WON IT!"@TakumaSatoRacer is a two-time #Indy500 winner! @IndyCarOnNBC pic.twitter.com/jMA4CrBU1Y

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 23, 2020

.@TakumaSatoRacer is a two-time #Indy500 winner, and he's loving that milk! pic.twitter.com/Cb7QI71kj5

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) August 23, 2020

Here's how the top 10 shook out.

     

2020 Indianapolis 500 Leaderboard

1. Takuma Sato

2. Scott Dixon

3. Graham Rahal

4. Santino Ferrucci

5. Josef Newgarden

6. Pato O'Ward

7. James Hinchcliffe

8. Colton Herta

9. Jack Harvey

10. Ryan Hunter-Reay

Full results available at the IndyCar Series' official site

     

This is Sato's second triumph at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He edged out Helio Castroneves in 2017, becoming the first Japanese driver to capture the checkered flag in the Indianapolis 500.

The circumstances surrounding Sunday's result are clearly less than ideal.

Dixon couldn't hide his disappointment while praising Sato's performance.

"It's definitely a hard one to swallow. We had such a great day," he said, per Autosport's Luke Smith. "With fuel mileage, I really can't see how they were going to make it. They decided to go and run it. Sato drove his pants off today, they were super fast."

The nature of the outcome is likely to be a dominant storyline coming out of the race. Some will likely argue Pigot's crash—and the point at which it happened—warranted the red flag. Others might point to this as an example of why the IndyCar Series should adopt something similar to NASCAR's overtime period.

Sato's performance shouldn't be overlooked, though.

Anti-climactic finish aside, Sato was and is a fantastic and deserving champion. Winning this race twice is an incredible achievement.

— Derek Schultz (@Schultz975) August 23, 2020

Takuma Sato is a damn wheelman I don’t care if he won under yellow.

Give that man his milk and enjoy the show.

— Dakota Crawford (@DakotaCrawford_) August 23, 2020

He drove well throughout the buildup to Sunday, narrowly qualifying for the Fast Nine Shootout and then coming in third in that event. He proceeded to have one of the strongest cars on the track in the Indy 500, with his best lap speed (222.086 mph) the fifth-fastest on the day.

Alex Palou and Alexander Rossi, both of whom started in the third row, showed that a strong car isn't enough on its own to guarantee victory.

Palou slammed into the wall to end his day after completing 122 laps.

Spaniard @AlexPalou has dreamed of racing in the #Indy500 for years.

A crash ended the rookie's day just past the halfway mark. Coverage continues on @NBC. pic.twitter.com/3FWcbTS5eS

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) August 23, 2020

Rossi, meanwhile, incurred a penalty for an unsafe release on pit road before a wreck doomed his chances of a possible comeback.

It's over for @AlexanderRossi.

Trying to race his way back to the front, he crashes out of the #Indy500 on @NBC: https://t.co/THKlb49aWT pic.twitter.com/MvINVIPrkO

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) August 23, 2020

Sato avoided making any critical errors and faced a difficult head-to-head battle with Dixon toward the end to ensure he remained in first.

"I know Scott was coming right through, out of Turn 4, he was screaming coming," Sato said, per the Associated Press' Jenna Fryer. "I had to hold him off."

Perhaps Dixon would have caught Sato under green over the final stretch, but nobody will ever know.

And make no mistake, Sato was a deserving champion in the 104th installment of the legendary race.

The 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be unlike any other in IndyCar history.

Typically held in late May, the race was moved to the second-last Sunday in August because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the changes don't stop there.

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing will have noticeably fewer fans in attendance this year, with the pandemic meaning the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is unable to host fans. IMS previously hoped it could have a 25 percent capacity but cited conversations with state and county officials in reversing the decision August 4.

That's not to say there isn't plenty to watch for when the drivers take to the track Sunday. Here's a look at what to keep an eye on when the biggest race of the summer goes green.

                     

Indy 500 Fast Nine

Row 1

1. No. 98, Marco Andretti, Honda, 231.068

2. No. 9, Scott Dixon, Honda, 231.051

3. No. 30, Takuma Sato, Honda, 230.725

        

Row 2

4. No. 21, Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet,  230.704

5. No. 28, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 230.648

6. No. 29, James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 229.870

        

Row 3

7. No. 55, Alex Palou, Honda, 229.676

8. No. 15, Graham Rahal, Honda, 229.380

9. No. 27, Alexander Rossi, Honda, 229.234

All speeds mph. Full grid available at Indianapolis Motor Speedway website.

                 

Notable Odds

Scott Dixon: +425 (Bet $100 to win $425)

Alexander Rossi: +750

Ryan Hunter-Reay: +800

Marco Andretti: +900

Will Power: +1000

Simon Pagenaud: +1100

Takuma Sato: +1500

Graham Rahal: +2200

Helio Castroneves: +2500

Ed Carpenter: +4000

Via Caesars Palace.

                 

Date: Sunday, August 23

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

TV Info: NBC coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET

Live Stream: NBC Sports app (U.S.)

         

Andretti on Pole

It's been 33 years since a member of the Andretti family began the Indy 500 on pole. That streak ends Sunday.

Marco Andretti shocked plenty of racing fans by grabbing the lead position and moving one step closer to breaking the so-called Andretti Curse. No member of the family has won the Borg-Warner Trophy since Marco's grandfather, Mario, kissed the bricks in 1969.

Marco has started in the Fast Nine on nine occasions at the Indy 500 but missed out in both 2018 and 2019. Andretti placed second in his rookie year of 2006, but he hasn't made the top three since 2014.

While the question is asked every spring, it's never been uttered in the summer, so it bears repeating: Is this the year the Andretti Curse ends?

                  

Former Champions Flood the Field

Eight former Indy 500 winners will take to the track Sunday, and given the unusual nature of this year's race, it wouldn't be a surprise if one of them comes away with the checkered flag again.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Tony Kanaan, Alexander Rossi and Takuma Sato are all veteran drivers with plenty of experience at IMS.

How much will that come into play with the race having been moved to the end of the summer rather than the beginning of it?

            

Track Conditions

One of the benefits of the Indianapolis 500 taking place at the end of May is the heat hasn't become too unbearable and the odds of a nice, cloudy day keeping the track cool are much higher.

That won't be the case Sunday.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-80s for the majority of the race, per AccuWeather. How drivers handle the heat will have a lot to do with who ends up in Victory Lane once the 500 miles have been completed.

Sunday marks the first time the Indianapolis 500 will be held in August.

The 104th edition of the race was moved from the final weekend in May to Sunday, and it is also further down the IndyCar Series' race schedule than usual.

The 33 participants have had six races and two-and-a-half months to feel comfortable in their cars before the green flag is waved at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Marco Andretti sits on pole and will be accompanied by Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato on the front row. Dixon and Sato are two of eight prior Indy 500 winners in the field, but only half of them begin the race in the top half of the starting grid.

                   

Indy 500 Information

Date: Sunday, August 23

Start Time: 1 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. ET green flag)

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com.

              

Odds

Scott Dixon: +425 (bet $100 to win $425)

Alexander Rossi: +750

Ryan Hunter-Reay: +800

Josef Newgarden: +900

Marco Andretti: +900

Will Power: +1000

Simon Pagenaud: +1100

Rinus VeeKay: +1400

Takuma Sato: +1500

Odds from Caesars Palace.

               

Preview

Andretti produced the fastest speeds throughout the qualifying process last weekend, but he is not viewed as the pre-race favorite. In fact, three other competitors are viewed as better options to take the checkered flag in the eyes of the oddsmakers.

Andretti has not fared well at the Indy 500 in the past few years, as he a single top-10 finish in his last four appearances. In that span, the No. 98 car driver has either finished one spot better, equal or worse than his starting position.

Although his recent track record is not great, Andretti boasts eight top-10 placings on his resume, and Andretti Autosport has gone to Victory Lane with three different drivers at the Indy 500 since 2014.

Sato, who is now at Rahal Letterman Racing, was one of the victors in that span, with the others being Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi. Sato, Hunter-Reay and Rossi all start on the front three rows and are powered by Honda, who was the fastest of the two manufacturers in practice and qualifying.

Each member of that trio could pose a threat to Andretti from the start, as could Dixon, who won the first three IndyCar Series races of the season.

The five-time IndyCar Series champion's form and speed, which almost took Andretti off pole, make him an intriguing betting pick, even if he is the favorite. Dixon only has one Indy 500 title to his name, and Sunday could be his best opportunity to become a multi-race winner of the prestigious open-wheel race.

The Honda drivers should receive a challenge at some point from the Chevrolet drivers, who had a week to work with their teams on improving the setup that failed them in practice and qualifying.

Josef Newgarden will lead the charge of Chevrolet cars from the fifth row, and he could be the most dangerous threat to the pack of Hondas. Newgarden won the last IndyCar Series race at Iowa, and he was in the mix to win the 2019 Indy 500 before settling for fourth place.

Simon Pagenaud, last year's winner, has a tough task on his hands to repeat as champion, as he begins the race in 25th.

                       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com.