Indianapolis 500 – NBC Bay Area]]> (2024)

Kyle Larson completed every lap of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, finishing 18th in the NASCAR star’s debut in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” despite a pair of rookie mistakes that cost him a chance to be in the mix at the end.

Then he hopped into an SUV, headed to a waiting helicopter and was off to the Cup Series race in Charlotte.

Larson was attempting to become the fifth driver to do “The Double” by running the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. But when a severe storm brought pre-race festivities to a halt in Indianapolis, and pushed back the start of the Indy 500 by four hours, Larson was left to choose between the IndyCar race and the NASCAR race.

He wound up staying at the Indy 500, where he fulfilled one of his career ambitions just by taking the green flag.

“I would definitely love to be back next year,” Larson said afterward. “Feel like I learned a lot. Made a couple of mistakes early there with the restart — not sure what I did there. Feel like I did a really good job after that and was able to learn a lot.”

Larson started fifth and spent most of the 200-lap race — won for the second time in a row byJosef Newgarden— hanging with the leaders. But he made a minor mistake going through the gears on an early restart and lost about 10 spots, then made a major one later in the race, when Larson locked up the tires entering pit road and was caught speeding.

Larson was sixth at the time but had to drive through pit road again to serve the penalty, shuffling him outside the top 20. He managed to pick up a couple of spots over the last 70 laps but never got a caution that could have given him a chance.

“It killed our opportunity,” Larson said of the pit-road mistake. “Could have executed better.”

Even though Larson had no chance to complete every lap of both races, he insisted on finishing the day in Charlotte, where Justin Allgaier had started the Cup Series race in his place. There were about 275 of the 400 laps left to run there, and Larson hoped to climb into his No. 5 car in time to take a second checkered flag.

“I’ve been around Kyle a little bit through my career. He’s a remarkable driver,” NASCAR driver Noah Gragson said, “and to be able to see one of our guys who we’ve raced with every weekend go and try a different discipline of motorsports is really cool.”

Arrow McLaren fielded the car for Larson in a partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. With rain in the forecast all week, the big question entering Sunday was whether NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick would pull the plug on the effort and send Larson to Charlotte early so that he could race for stage points and help his chances in the Cup Series playoffs.

But when the rain ended, a spokesman for Hendrick Motorsports confirmed that the Indy 500 would be the priority.

Hendrick was on hand in Indianapolis to watch the race, along with Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports who largely grew up in Indiana and once dreamed of running the Indy 500. They were joined by hundreds of other fans who gathered around the No. 17 car when it was pushed to the grid about an hour before the drop of the green flag.

The storm that swept through Sunday wasn’t the first to disrupt Larson’s plans. He had several days of practice washed out — partially or entirely — earlier in the month, limiting the amount of time he was able to spend in the car.

Larson’s attempt at “The Double” had captivated those within the racing world. Most of his Hendrick Motorsports team flew to Indianapolis on Friday to watch the final practice on Carb Day, and drivers back in Charlotte were watching the start of the rain-delayed Indy 500 before heading to their own cars and getting ready for the start of the Cup Series race.

“I’m excited from the NASCAR side, but I’m more excited from the sprint car side, to see another sprint car guy go to the Indianapolis 500,” NASCAR driver Chase Briscoe said. “It’s kind of the origins of Indy. You had these sprint car guys who would go and run — you had A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Jack Hewitt, Bryan Clauson recently — and that was always the thing. If you were the best sprint car guy, you wanted to run the Indy 500. That was the dream. So it’s cool from that standpoint.”

Josef Newgarden put his cheating scandal behind him to become the first back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500 since Helio Castroneves 22 years ago and give Roger Penske a record-extending 20th win in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The Tennessean passed Pato O’Ward on the final lap of Sunday’s rain-delayed race to become the first driver to win consecutive 500s since Castroneves did it for Penske in 2001 and 2002. And just like last year, Newgarden stopped his Chevrolet-powered car on the track and climbed through a hole in the fence to celebrate with fans in the grandstands.

“I love this crowd. I’ve got to always go in the crowd if we win here, I am always doing that,” Newgarden said.

O’Ward slumped his head over his steering wheel in bitter disappointment. He was trying to become the first Mexican in 108 runnings to win the Indy 500.

It was an incredible bounceback for Newgarden, who last month had his March season-opening victory disqualified because Team Penske had illegal push-to-pass software on its cars. Newgarden used the additional horsepower three times in the win and it took IndyCar nearly six weeks to discover the Penske manipulation.

Roger Penske, who owns the race team, IndyCar, the Indy 500 and the speedway, suspended four crew members, including Team President Tim Cindric. The Cindric suspension was a massive blow for Newgarden as Cindric is considered the best strategist in the series.

Newgarden was thrilled to have the win and put the push-to-pass scandal behind him.

“Absolutely, they can say what they want, I don’t even care anymore,” he said.

The start of the race was delayed four hours by rain and it ruined NASCAR star Kyle Larson’s chance to run “The Double.” The delay in Indy made him miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Although Larson was decent most of the day, two rookie mistakes led to an 18th-place finish.

Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing finished third as the highest-finishing Honda driver and was followed by Alexander Rossi, O’Ward’s teammate at Arrow McLaren Racing. Chevrolet took three of the top four spots.

Kyle Larson will not complete all 1,100 miles of racing on Sunday as intended.

Due to a four-hour rain delay at the Indianapolis 500, the 2021 NASCAR Cup champion will miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte (scheduled to begin at 6:22 p.m. ET). The Indy 500 went green at 4:46 p.m. ET and typically lasts three hours.

Justin Allgaier will start the No. 5 car in Charlotte while Larson finishes the race in Indy. The plan is for Larson to leave immediately after the Indy 500 and replace Allgaier whenever he arrives at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Larson, 31, was attempting to become just the second driver to complete all 500 miles in Indianapolis and 600 miles in Charlotte on the same day (Tony Stewart was the first in 1999). Four drivers have competed in both races on the same day — John Andretti (1994), Robby Gordon (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004), Stewart (1999, 2001) and Kurt Busch (2014). Gordon had a similar predicament as Larson in 2000, when the Indy 500 was rain-delayed and he missed the beginning of the co*ke 600 before joining mid-race like Larson plans to do.

As of result of missing the start of the co*ke 600, Larson will not score any points in that race — even if he is able to take over for Allgaier midway through the event. He entered this weekend leading the NASCAR Cup Series points standings with two wins on the season, but that lead could be gone with no points being scored in Charlotte.

Larson will also have to apply for a waiver to be eligible for the NASCAR playoffs. The rulebook states that, in order to be playoff-eligible, a driver must start all 26 regular-season races. Waivers have been granted in the past for drivers due to injuries or suspensions, so it’s more than likely that Larson will be no different in this circ*mstance.

Driving for Arrow McLaren at the Indy 500, Larson qualified fifth for his first IndyCar race.

Allgaier, meanwhile, will have to drop to the rear of the field prior to the start of the co*ke 600. The 37-year-old driver has 81 career Cup starts and 24 wins in the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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Ongoing showers and thunderstorms have delayed the start of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, but officials hope to start the race at about 4:30 p.m. EDT, four hours after the race was supposed to start.

According to the latest update, issued just after 2 p.m. Eastern, fans are being allowed to re-enter the speedway after thunderstorms moved through the area.

Speedway workers will still have a monumental task ahead in drying out the 2.5-mile track, a process that could take nearly two hours, according to officials.

According to raceway officials, the decision was made to pause pre-race ceremonies and to evacuate fans from grandstands at the infield Snake Pit prior to the start of the race Sunday, with lightning detected in the area.

The race, originally set to start at 12:45 p.m. Eastern time, was delayed, according to track officials.

Showers and thunderstorms could threaten the race during the afternoon hours, with a special weather statement currently in effect for the Indianapolis area. Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour are possible with the storms, with the statement in effect until 1:30 p.m. Eastern.

Racegoers were encouraged to take shelter in their vehicles as the storms approached, with others taking shelter within the grandstands at the track.

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Only four drivers have attempted one of the most grueling days in motorsports: the 1,100-mile Memorial Day weekend double.

Kyle Larson is trying to become the fifth to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day andthe 31-year-old Californianbelieves he can do it.

He qualified fifth for Sunday’s 500, which starts at around 12:45 p.m. Eastern. The plan is to complete the showcase in Arrow McLaren’s No. 17 car and then be flown to Charlotte, North Carolina, for his more familiar No. 5 Chevrolet for NASCAR’s longest race set to start at 6 p.m.

Previous quests have been derailed by weather delays, full rainouts, mechanical problems and late arrivals all marring an inflexibly tight schedule. Only one driver, Tony Stewart, has finished on the lead lap of both races on the same day.

Weather could again pose a major obstacle for Larson,the first driver to make the attempt since Kurt Busch in 2014. The current forecast in Indianapolis calls for strong chance of rain Sunday.

The race has not been rained out since 1997 when it took three days to run the race, ruining Robby Gordon’s first shot at the double. A look at the previous efforts:

John Andretti

Total double attempts: One (1994)

At Indianapolis: Started 10th, finished 10th

At Charlotte: Started ninth, finished 36th

Total laps completed: 416 (196 of 200 at Indy; 220 of 400 at Charlotte)

The skinny: The nephew of racing great Mario Andretti and cousin of former IndyCar driver Michael Andretti added his chapter to the family legacy as the first to attempt what once seemed unfathomable. The term “double” soon became synonymous in both the open-wheel and Cup series, and has continued to resonate even afterAndretti’s death in January 2020.The soft-spoken Andretti even tossed aside the family’s long-standing “feud” between his uncle and four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt, teaming up with Foyt on race day. Andretti claimed a top-10 Indy finish in Foyt’s No. 33 Ford before traveling to Charlotte, where a faulty crankshaft relegated him to 36th place. Andretti made five more Indy starts from 2007-11 but never tried the double again.

Robby Gordon

Total double attempts: Five (1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004)

At Indianapolis: Started 12th, fourth, 11th, third and 18th; finished 29th, sixth, eighth, 22nd and 29th

At Charlotte: Started 28th, 42nd, 12th, 38th, 20th; finished 41st, did not start, 16th, 12th, 20th

Total laps completed: 1,926 (669 in five Indy starts, 1,257 in four Charlotte starts)

The skinny: The five attempts and total completed laps are records in double history, thoughrain wreaked havoc on Gordon’s hopes.His first shot was washed out in 1997: He was able to race in the 600, but the 500 was completed the following day so it’s not a true same-day double. A rain-delayed start in Indy three years later forced him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600, giving PJ Jones the start — and credit for all of the laps completed in Charlotte. Attempt No. 4, in 2003, was derailed when the scheduled 400-lap Coca-Cola was shortened to 276 laps. In 2002, he came within one lap of completing all 1,100 miles. A mechanical problem only 88 laps into the 2004 Indy 500 ended his fifth and final attempt.

Tony Stewart

Total double attempts: Two (1999, 2001)

At Indianapolis: Started 24th, seventh; finished ninth, sixth

At Charlotte: Started 27th, 12th; finished fourth, third

Total laps completed: 1,196 (396 in two Indy starts, 800 in two Charlotte starts)

The skinny: The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion grew up in Indiana, dreaming of winning the 500. But he only made five career starts in the race, two coming after he left open-wheel racing for the Cup series. He still found success at his adopted home track and on Memorial Day weekend. “Smoke” completed all but four laps combined in the four double races, posting top-10 finishes in each one. In 1999, he became the first driver to complete all 600 laps in one day and still is the only one to achieve that the feat.

Kurt Busch (2014)

Total double attempts: One (2014)

At Indianapolis: Started 12th; finished sixth

At Charlotte: Started 28th; finished 40th

Total laps completed: 471 (200 at Indy, 271 at Charlotte)

The skinny: Busch became the most recent driver on the list when he teamed up with Michael Andretti’s IndyCar team a decade ago. The month started relatively well. Busch qualified on the fourth row of the 11-row field and started in the middle of the pack at Charlotte. But after matching the highest 500 finish by a driver pulling double duty,Busch’s quest ended with a blown engine in Charlotte.He told reporters the attempt would be a “memory I’ll have forever.”

It’s time for the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The second leg of Sunday’s motorsports tripleheader (F1 in Monaco, NASCAR in Charlotte) will be the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500.

From the milk to the yard of bricks, the Indy 500 is a historic event filled with tradition. And there’s plenty of hype entering the 2024 race, with Team Penske looking quick and NASCAR champion Kyle Larson attempting double duty (racing the Indy 500 in the afternoon and NASCAR at Charlotte in the evening).

Here’s all the info you need to know for the 2024 Indy 500:

Where is the Indy 500 held?

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the site of the Indy 500 since its first running in 1911.

The 2.5-mile rectangular oval is located in Speedway, Indiana, just six miles west of downtown Indianapolis. It is the third-oldest permanent automobile race track in the world and its permanentseating capacityof 257,325 makes it thehighest-capacity sports venue in the world.

The track is nicknamed “The Brickyard” because it was originally paved with bricks in 1909. Today, only the start-finish line is made of bricks while the rest of the circuit is paved with asphalt.

When is the 2024 Indy 500?

The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 26.

What time does the Indy 500 start?

Green flag for the Indy 500 will be at 12:45 p.m. ET.

Driver introductions will take place at 11:47 a.m. ET, followed by Philip Phillips singing “God Bless America” at 12:21 p.m. ET and Jordin Sparks singing the national anthem at 12:24 p.m. ET. Roger Penske will give the command to start engines at 12:38 p.m. ET.

For a full timeline of events at the track, click here.

How to watch the Indy 500 this year

All coverage from Indy will air on NBC and Peaco*ck. Here’s the TV and streaming schedule for Sunday:

• Indy 500 Pre-Race: 11 a.m. ET, NBC and Peaco*ck
• 108th running of the Indianapolis 500: 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC and Peaco*ck

Drivers to watch at the Indy 500

Kyle Larson, No. 17, Arrow McLaren/Hendrick Motorsports

All eyes will be on the 2021 NASCAR Cup champion this weekend. He’s slated to make his IndyCar debut in the series’ biggest event before flying down to Charlotte and driving 600 miles in NASCAR’s longest race. The first few weeks in Indy have gone well for Larson — he qualified fifth and displayed good pace in practices. Regardless of how he finishes, Larson will be the story on Sunday as he looks to become just the second driver to complete all 1,100 miles in both races.

Josef Newgarden, No. 2, Team Penske

The defending Indy 500 champion is well-positioned to be the first repeat winner since Hélio Castroneves in 2002. Team Penske swept the front row in qualifying, with Newgarden slated to start third behind his two teammates. He started 17th last year, so getting to the front from third shouldn’t be a problem. Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar champion, is looking to become just the 21st driver with multiple Indy 500 wins.

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3, Team Penske

Speaking of Team Penske, McLaughlin has been carrying the torch since they got to Indy. The New Zealander is starting on pole after a blistering 234.220 mph four-lap average in qualifying. McLaughlin, 30, is making his fourth Indy 500 start after finishing a career-best 14th last May. Of his five career wins, none have come on an oval — perhaps this will be McLaughlin’s breakthrough.

Alex Palou, No. 10, Chip Ganassi Racing

Talk of the two-time champion and current IndyCar points leader has been oddly quiet in the build-up to Sunday. He won at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit on May 11, but his speed on the oval this year hasn’t been at Team Penske or Arrow McLaren’s level just yet. The Spaniard qualified 14th after never starting worse than seventh in his first four Indy 500 starts. Palou has led at least 35 laps in each of the last three Indy 500s, so he knows how to get around the track. Monitoring his inevitable charge through the field on Sunday will be interesting.

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14, A.J. Foyt Racing

If you’re looking for an underdog with the potential to win, don’t look past Ferrucci. The 25-year-old Connecticut native has five Indy 500 starts with finishes of seventh, fourth, sixth, 10th and then third last year (his first and only career podium). While he isn’t driving for one of the powerhouse teams, Ferrucci wedged his way into sixth on the starting grid. His team owner is 89-year-old racing legend A.J. Foyt, a four-time Indy 500 winner who would love to get back in victory lane.

Weather forecast for Indianapolis 500

As of Sunday morning, it doesn’t look great.

NBC Chicago is predicting an 68% chance of rain with the potential for severe thunderstorms in Speedway, Indiana., beginning around noon. You can keep up to date with the latest forecast right here.

What happens if it rains during the Indy 500?

The Indy 500 cannot be run in the rain.

IndyCar will have a fleet of trucks and jet dryers on site to start drying the track as soon as rain stops. It could take anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours to dry the entire track, depending on the wind and sunshine.

Has the Indy 500 ever been rained out?

Yes — the Indy 500 has been impacted by rain 12 times in the first 107 runnings.

The race is official after 101 laps — once it gets past halfway, it can be called and the finishing order would be determined based on where everyone is running at that time.

Here’s what happened in those 12 instances:

• 1915: Rained out on May 29, completed on May 31.
• 1926: 160 laps (400 miles) completed.
• 1940: 150 laps (375 miles) completed, final 50 laps run under caution because of rain.
• 1950: 138 laps (354 miles) completed.
• 1967: 18 laps (45 miles) completed, final 182 laps completed the next day.
• 1973: 133 laps (332.25 miles) completed over three days due to rain.
• 1975: 174 laps (435 miles) completed.
• 1976: 102 laps (255 miles) completed.
• 1986: Rained out on May 25 and 26, completed on May 31.
• 1997: Rained out on May 25, 15 laps (37.5 miles) completed on May 26, final 185 laps completed on May 27.
• 2004: 180 laps (450 miles) completed.
• 2007: 166 laps (415 miles) completed.

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The Indianapolis 500 is all about traditions.

From the Snake Pit to the Borg-Warner Trophy, the event is filled with history on and off the track. But one tradition that often stands out is the celebration after the 500 grueling miles.

In victory lane, the winning driver emerges from his car and is almost immediately handed a glass bottle of milk.

What’s that all about? Well, here’s a deep dive into the milk tradition at the Indy 500:

When did the Indy 500 milk tradition begin?

It all started in 1936 thanks to Louis Meyer.

“We were very fortunate in 1936, the driver, Louis Meyer, won the Indy 500 for his third time,” said Brooke Williams, director of communications for the American Dairy Association Indiana. “And at that time, he was actually photographed drinking buttermilk. So he had requested buttermilk. He was from a farm. It was always what he drank to quench his thirst. And so that photograph was taken and the tradition began.

“So we’re very fortunate that after all these years, it’s very near and dear to our hearts, but also at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s a tradition that won’t go away anytime soon.”

Meyer’s victory in 1936 made him the first three-time winner of the Indy 500. That was the 24th running of the race, which was first held in 1911. Coincidentally, the Borg-Warner Trophy also debuted in the same year as when Meyer began the milk tradition.

Fourth-generation dairy farmer Alex Neuenschwander might be biased, but he believes the milk ceremony is the most iconic of all Indy 500 traditions. Neuenschwander will serve as the “Veteran Milk Presenter” this year, where he’ll give the bottle to the winning driver in victory lane.

“It’s an event all about tradition. There are a lot of them,” Neuenschwander said. “There’s the bricks, the taps, the princesses. I mean, there’s so many traditions that go into it. I guess I’m maybe a little biased, but I definitely think milk’s the coolest and the most well-known. It has to be like the coolest trophy in all the sports.”

Why does the Indy 500 winner get milk?

When Meyer was photographed with buttermilk in 1936, the tradition was born. Ever since then, the Indy 500 has awarded milk to the winner.

While crossing the finish line and taking a victory lap is memorable, Neuenschwander doesn’t feel like the journey is complete until the driver takes his first sip of milk.

“The tradition of the milk is the driver, they get into winner’s circle and I don’t feel like they’ve truly won the race until they have that milk and they take at least a few swallows of it,” he said. “… They take at least a few swallows of it. And yeah, quite a bit of it goes on their head, but that whole thing is just a very interesting, very unique and awesome tradition.”

Indiana is well-known for its dairy farming, as Williams explained. That has helped contribute to keeping the tradition alive after all these years.

“We have a little over 700 dairy farm families in the state and I believe we’re the 10th largest for milk production across the United States,” Williams said. “So not the biggest, of course. I think most people believe that the cows are from California or Wisconsin. But I think that’s what makes our story even cooler, is that we get to share that every dairy farmer has a different story to tell.

“[Neuenschwander] is a fourth generation dairy farmer and that’s pretty normal to be working on a dairy farm that was passed on from generation to generation. We do have some dairy farmers that they just decided they wanted to become a dairy farmer. But I think that’s why every year the story is so fun to tell, because no two farmers have a similar story in that regard, though the passion across the board is so strong.”

How does the Milk Presenter get chosen?

Handing the bottle of milk to the winning driver is a prestigious honor.

Since 2005, the American Dairy Association has made it a tradition that two Indiana farmers get to present the milk each year. There’s the Rookie Milk Presenter and the Veteran Milk Presenter. The rookie delivers milk to the winning team owner and chief mechanic, while the veteran hands it over to the winning driver.

“We have a milk selection committee,” Williams explained. “It used to be an American Dairy Association Indiana board member. But as you can imagine, there are only so many of those. And so now we have a selection committee. Dairy farmers can nominate other dairy farmers in their community, and now we choose.

“It really has opened up who is presenting that milk more and more every year. We know a lot of the farmers here in the state, but you really don’t know what they’re like until, for a month you’re having them do media and taking them and having them be a part of a float and a parade. So, it’s always fun to see how they are on the farm but outside of that lifestyle, as well.”

Neuenschwander served as the rookie last year before taking over as the veteran for 2024.

“Yeah, so the milk presenter is chosen by our peers really, so it’s such an honor to be chosen because my peers in the Dairy Association and the dairy farmers, they choose who’s going to do it,” Neuenschwander said. “They asked and I was excited to be (chosen), (it’s) a huge honor to be chosen to be the milk presenter.”

After getting a taste of the tradition last year as the rookie, Neuenschwander is excited to handle the main responsibility this time around.

“I haven’t really practiced, but last year as the rookie, I was able to go into the winner circle, which is a crazy place to be,” he said. It was awesome. And my job was to give the chief mechanic and the team owner a bottle of milk. So, that’s as much practice as I’m going to get. I’m excited to do the driver this year. He’s going to be a lot easier to find. He’s the guy in the car with a wreath around his neck, where last year I had to go find these people in this mass chaos. It was a lot of fun, but I’m really pumped after going through it last year.”

Jill Houin, the Veteran Milk Presenter in 2020 and 2021, shed some light on just how monumental the moment can be.

“To represent the dairy community in that circle was humbling,” Houin said. “All of these different dairy farmers would contact me, ask me how it was, what was going on and all these different things. And to be able to represent all these families that work so hard every day and celebrate with race car driver whose family has also worked hard every day to get to that winner’s circle. Oh my goodness. It’s humbling. It’s exciting. And I cannot even express how much it was overwhelming, the excitement.”

Do drivers get to pick their milk for the Indy 500?

Yes.

As Neuenschwander and Williams explained, each driver has three milk options that they must decide on before the race: whole, 2% or skim.

“As soon as the drivers start having open practice here at the Motor Speedway, we give them their three choices,” Williams said. “They walk into a room where they have all different autographs and things to sign, but we feel it’s the coolest and it’s always fun to see how the guys react, especially the rookie drivers that are still learning why milk is at the Indy 500. But we have a list pretty early on to be able to gather all the milk that we need and then we release those results the week of the race.”

Neuenschwander added that almost every driver last year chose whole milk as their preference.

In today’s world, there are plenty of other milk options besides those three. It hasn’t happened yet, but any winning driver who is lactose-intolerant would be accommodated with lactose-free milk. There has been one occasion, though, where a driver initially went for a different beverage before switching to the milk.

“If someone’s lactose intolerant, it’s usually a note that they’ll make or we’ll hear from an agent,” Williams said. “But we provide lactose-free dairy milk. It does exist. So we always have that on hand just in case.

“There’s only been one time since 1936 where something other than milk has been drank. In 1993, Emerson Fittipaldi, and it didn’t go well for Emerson. He had an orange grove in Brazil. And so he wanted to honor where he came from and was quickly booed (when he drank orange juice), and then picked up the milk and drank some milk.”

Other types of milk — like soy, almond, chocolate, strawberry or coffee milk — have never been offered.

When is the 2024 Indy 500?

The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 26, at 12:45 p.m. ET on NBC and Peaco*ck.

NASCAR star Kyle Larson looked like an Indianapolis 500 veteran Sunday, reachingthe final round of pole qualifyingand putting his No. 17 Arrow McLaren on the second row for his debut in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” next weekend.

Larson’s four-lap average of 232.846 mph was fifth in the six-car shootout. He’ll start behind an all-Team Penske front row of Scott McLaughlin, who set a pole qualifying record at 234.220 mph, Will Power and defending race winner Josef Newgarden.

Larson’s teammate, Alexander Rossi, will be on his inside with Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing on his outside.

“Qualifying went a lot better than I ever could have hoped or anticipated,” said Larson, who will try to become the second driver to complete “The Double” on May 26 by running every lap of the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

“Just a great team, really,” he added, “and they prepared an awesome race car that stuck to the race track that also has speed.”

By making the pole shootout, Larson was able to give his whirlwind Memorial Day weekend trip a practice run. He was due in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, about three hours after climbing from his car for the start of NASCAR’s All-Star Race.

Larson quickly walked through Gasoline Alley and climbed into a waiting SUV, which whisked him to a nearby helicopter. That was taking him to a nearby airfield, where Larson would climb into a private jet headed for Wilkes County Airport.

Another helicopter was there, waiting to give Larson the final 15-minute lift to North Wilkesboro in time for the green flag.

“We’ll switch the mindset over to the heavy stock car,” Larson said, “and excited to get there and chase a million bucks.”

NASCAR and TV broadcaster FOX worked with Hendrick Motorsports to provide him a bit of a buffer, announcing shortly before Larson’s final qualifying run that they had pushed back the start of the All-Star Race by 16 minutes to 8:30 p.m. EDT.

Chad Knaus, the vice president of competition at Hendrick Motorsports, said there was no backup plan if Larson did not make it in time, which may have played a part in the decision. Larson drives TV ratings as one of NASCAR’s biggest stars.

“The car would just sit there and look pretty. We would save it for another event,” Knaus said from North Wilkesboro. “The way things are working out, all of our cards are in getting Kyle here. That’s the plan.”

After rain limited his practice time early in the week, Larson had a nervy first day of qualifying Saturday. An engine issue that Chevrolet struggled with all weekend caused him to scrap his initial attempt. But he returned to the track later and laid down a 232.563 mph four-lap average, putting him sixth quickest among the 34 entries and into the pole mix.

Things were a little dicey again during an hour-long practice Sunday, too. Larson had to abort his first qualifying simulation because of traffic ahead of him on the track. He backed out of his second after experiencing some understeer. But eventually, he put together a quality run that gave him confidence of making the final six going for the pole.

When he ultimately did it, thousands of fans along the front stretch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway stood and cheered.

“We were just sitting up there in the transport of the 48 (car) and watching him run and we were like, ‘My gosh, I can’t believe he is P1.’ And I was like, ‘My goodness, how did that happen?’” Knaus said. “Very limited track time, did a couple of tests (and) was able to go up there, and he holds a pretty good wheel. … He is a phenomenal talent.”

It will take more than just talent to match the might of Team Penske on race day.

McLaughlin ripped around Indianapolis Motor Speedway shortly after Larson’s qualifying run, breaking the four-lap record set by Alex Palou just last year. That also knocked Power and Newgarden down a spot and gave Team Penske the front row.

Larson will start right behind, though. And he long ago convinced those around him that he is capable of nearly anything.

“People used to say to me, ‘Can you believe Kyle Larson?’” said Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, which is working with Arrow McLaren to field the No. 17 car and clapped from the timing stand when his qualifying run ended.

“I used to think the same way but I don’t anymore,” Gordon said. “He always steps up. He’s just fun to watch.”

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AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

Racing season is in full swing.

After NASCAR and Formula One kicked off their respective campaigns, it’s time for IndyCar to do the same.

The NTT IndyCar Series begins this weekend with a street race in St. Petersburg, Fla. That event will be the first of 17 races in the 2024 season, a schedule that is highlighted by the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Between driver changes, schedule tweaks and team rebrands, it’s sure to be an exciting IndyCar season.

Here’s a full preview of everything you need to know about IndyCar in 2024:

What is the IndyCar Series? How is it different from NASCAR and F1?

You can describe IndyCar Series as a combination between NASCAR and Formula One — the series is based in the United States (like NASCAR) but races open wheel cars (like F1).

IndyCar races on a variety of different track types, including five ovals, six road courses and four street circuits across the U.S. and Canada. The crown jewel event, of course, is the famed Indy 500 — which runs each May on Memorial Day Weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

What is the 2024 IndyCar Series schedule?

There are several schedule changes for the upcoming season. For the first time since 2008, IndyCar will run a non-points paying exhibition event — an All-Star race, of sorts. The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge will take place on March 24, with the winner earning $1 million.

Elsewhere, the Nashville race will move from a street circuit to the Nashville Superspeedway oval to wrap up the season. It will be the first IndyCar race on the oval since 2008. Texas Motor Speedway was also removed from the schedule after hosting a race since 1997. The Milwaukee Mile will pick up two races for the first time since 2015.

Here’s the full IndyCar schedule for 2024:

How to watch IndyCar in 2024

The entire IndyCar schedule will air on NBC networks once again in 2024. Every race will stream live on Peaco*ck, with Toronto and Milwaukee (Race 1) exclusively streaming.

The remaining races will air on either NBC or USA Network.

• NBC will have St. Petersburg, Thermal Club, Alabama, Indy GP, Indy 500, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Iowa (Race 1 and 2) and Nashville.
• USA Network will have Long Beach, Detroit, Laguna Seca, Gateway, Portland and Milwaukee (Race 2).

When is the 2024 Indy 500?

The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 26, 2024, with green flag scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET.

Who is racing in the IndyCar Series this season? List of teams and drivers

Here’s a team-by-team breakdown of the drivers competing this season with their car numbers, statistics and info about their schedule (full-time unless otherwise noted):

Team Penske

• Josef Newgarden, No. 2 (29 career wins, two-time champion, defending Indy 500 winner)
• Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 (four career wins)
• Will Power, No. 12 (39 career wins, two-time champion, 2018 Indy 500 winner)

Chip Ganassi Racing

• Kyffin Simpson, No. 4 (19-year-old rookie from Barbados)
• Linus Lundqvist, No. 8 (24-year-old rookie from Sweden)
• Scott Dixon, No. 9 (55 career wins, six-time champion, 2008 Indy 500 winner)
• Alex Palou, No. 10 (nine career wins, two-time champion including 2023)
• Marcus Armstrong, No. 11 (first full IndyCar season)

Arrow McLaren

• Pato O’Ward, No. 5 (four career wins, McLaren’s 2024 F1 reserve driver)
• Callum Ilott, No. 6 (only driving St. Petersburg and Thermal Club)
• David Malukas, No. 6 (will miss St. Petersburg and Thermal Club due to wrist injury)
• Alexander Rossi, No. 7 (eight career wins, 2016 Indy 500 winner)

McLaren-Hendrick

• Kyle Larson, No. 17 (2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will only attempt Indy 500)

Andretti Global

• Colton Herta, No. 26 (seven career wins)
• Kyle Kirkwood, No. 27 (two career wins)
• Marcus Ericsson, No. 28 (four career wins, 2022 Indy 500 winner)
• Marco Andretti, No. 98 (two career wins, will only attempt Indy 500)

A.J. Foyt Racing

• Santino Ferruci, No. 14 (one career podium)
• Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 (23rd in the standings last season as a rookie)

Ed Carpenter Racing

• Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 (rookie, will attempt Indy 500 and 10 other races)
• Ed Carpenter, No. 20 (three career wins, will attempt Indy 500 and six other races)
• Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 (one career win)

Juncos Hollinger Racing

• Romain Grosjean, No. 77 (six career podiums)
• Agustín Canapino, No. 78 (21st in the standings last season as a rookie)

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

• Graham Rahal, No. 15 (six career wins)
• Pietro Fittipaldi, No. 30 (first full season, Haas’ 2024 F1 reserve driver)
• Christian Lundgaard, No. 45 (one career win)
• Takuma Sato, No. 75 (six career wins, two-time Indy 500 winner, will only attempt Indy 500)

Meyer Shank Racing

• Hélio Castroneves, No. 06 (25 career wins, four-time Indy 500 winner, will only attempt Indy 500)
• Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 (one career win)
• Tom Blomqvist, No. 66 (30-year-old rookie from England)

Dale Coyne Racing

• Jack Harvey, No. 18 (one career podium, will attempt 14 races)
• Nolan Siegel, No. 18 (19-year-old rookie from California, will attempt Indy 500 and three other races)
• Colin Braun, No. 51 (35-year-old rookie from Texas, will attempt first two races and potentially more)

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

• Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 23 (16 career wins, 2012 champion, 2024 Indy 500 winner, will only attempt Indy 500)
• Conor Daly, No. 24 (one career podium, will only attempt Indy 500)

Abel Motorsports

• R.C. Enerson, No. 50 (will only attempt Indy 500)

An Indianapolis 500 fan whose vehicle was damaged when a tire flew off a racecar and out of the track during the race will receive a new car, an Indianapolis Motor Speedway spokesperson said.

The spokesperson told The Indianapolis Star that Penske Entertainment will provide fan Robin Matthews, who is from Indianapolis, with a new car following the incident.

“I didn’t see it come down,” she said. “I came down and they said, ‘Robin, it’s your car!’ I thought, ‘No.’ I thought somebody was pranking me. It’s a car. It’s fine.”

The wheel came off with less than 20 laps to go in Sunday’s race when Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood collided. Kirkwood’s left rear tire bounced off the track and over the fence and the corner of the grandstand in the second turn before landing in a parking lot. It traveled about 350 yards (320 meters) before crashing into the front of Matthews’ parked Chevrolet.

A red flag halted the race after the crash, and two more red flags followed before Josef Newgarden won by beating Marcus Ericsson in a one-lap shootout.

One spectator received treatment at the infield medical center with minor injuries related to debris flying. An IMS spokesman said at the time that there were no injuries related to the tire

IndyCar owner Roger Penske says he is certain series officials will investigate what led to the tire sailing over the catch fence and grandstands.

“We haven’t had a wheel come off in a long time,” Penske said. “We were very fortunate we didn’t have a bad accident.”

The Indianapolis 500 is the one race Josef Newgarden desperately wanted to win.

It’s basically the only race that matters to his boss.

Coming up empty for 11 consecutive years had become personal for the two-time IndyCar champion.

Newgarden finally broke through Sunday, though, winning the Indy 500 to extend team owner Roger Penske’s record to 19 victories — and the first since he bought Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newgarden did it with an audacious pass of defending race winner Marcus Ericsson during a frantic, controversial 2.5-mile sprint to the finish.

“We’ve had a tough go here the last three, four years, and we’ve had a lot of questions to answer every day, after every qualifying weekend. We’ve had to come out and put on a brave face,” Newgarden said. “It’s just not an easy place to succeed at. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the fact that if you don’t win the 500, your career is a failure.

“But I think a lot of people view this race and this championship with that lens,” Newgarden continued. “The 500 stands alone and if you are not able to capture one, the career really is a failure.”

After the race was red-flagged for the third time in the final 16 laps, Newgarden was moved from fourth to second by race control following a review of the running order at the time the yellow flag waved.

He took advantage of his improved position to slingshot around Ericsson on the restart and hold him off from there.

Newgarden brought his Chevrolet-powered car to a stop on the front stretch, jumped out and found a hole in the fence, diving into part of a crowd estimated at more than 300,000 to celebrate. Then, Newgarden climbed the fence to mimic longtime Team Penske driver and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

The 32-year-old from Nashville is the first American to win the Indy 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016. He led five of the 200 laps and beat Ericsson in the fourth-closest finish in 107 years with a margin of victory of .0974 seconds.

“I’m just so thankful to be here. I started out as a fan in the crowd, and this place is amazing, regardless of where you’re sitting,” Newgarden said after pouring a bottle of whole milk over his head. “Everyone kept asking why I hadn’t won this race, and they look at you like you’re a failure if you haven’t won it. I knew I was capable. I knew I could.”

Ericsson finished second in a Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he immediately criticized IndyCar’s decision to hold a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. The Swede believed the race should have ended under caution, with him the winner, rather than having the green flag fly on the first lap out of the pits.

“I think it wasn’t enough laps to go to do what we did. I don’t think it’s safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is sort of still trying to get out on track when we go green,” Ericsson said. “I can’t agree with that.”

Newgarden and Ericsson were followed by Santino Ferrucci, who gave 88-year-old A.J. Foyt his team’s best finish in the iconic race that Super Tex won four times since Kenny Bräck reached victory lane in 1999.

Alex Palou, the pole sitter and race favorite for Chip Ganassi Racing, finished fourth after recovering from a crash on pit road, and Rossi was fifth on what was an otherwise disappointing day for Arrow McLaren.

What was on pace to be the fastest Indy 500 in history ended with three red flags in the final 16 laps.

The first came for a crash involving Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood, who were near the front of the lead pack. Kirkwood went upside down into the catch fence, beginning a terrifying, spark-filled ride through the short chute.

One of Kirkwood’s wheels sailed over the fencing and narrowly cleared the packed grandstand. Nobody was injured. His tire smashed the hood of a Chevrolet in a parking lot next to the grandstand.

“All I know is I was up in the fence, which is never a good thing in IndyCar. Thank God these cars are so safe,” Kirkwood said. “I saw sparks flying everywhere. That’s the scary part. You’re upside-down and you’re kind of stuck at that point.”

On the restart, Pato O’Ward — who already had a restart called off for setting too slow of a pace — was shuffled from first to third as Newgarden shot to the lead. O’Ward and Ericsson were then side by side entering Turn 3 and touched wheels, and O’Ward slid into the wall and out of the race in another disappointment for Arrow McLaren.

Agustin Canapino did a 360-spin behind him, snapping a break line. He was unable to stop and collided with O’Ward’s car.

“I was a little too nice there,” O’Ward said. “I just feel so bummed for the team. … I got onto the apron to give (Ericsson) room. I got squeezed. Yeah, I won’t forget that.”

Suddenly, the race had its second red flag with six laps to go.

Last year’s race was red-flagged with five to go, when Ericsson was leading O’Ward to the finish. Ericsson held him off the rest of the way, and many criticized O’Ward for not making a more aggressive move for the win.

Newgarden didn’t make the same mistake with Ericsson out in front of him.

As Newgarden crossed the yard of bricks, Penske and his entire executive committee jumped up and down in celebration on an elevated platform near the start-finish line. And for a moment, the 86-year-old team owner looked like a child filled with joy.

“The last two laps, I forgot about being the track owner and said ‘Let’s go for it,’” said Penske, who joined Newgarden in an open-top Chevy Camaro for a victory lap around the speedway. It was the first Indy win for a Team Penske driver since 2019, the year before Roger Penske bought the track.

“We always want to win this place, but 2019 was the last time that we had won and somebody else owned the place before,” Penske president Tim Cindric said. “I apologize it’s taken four years.”

Roger Penske’s parking spot inside the speedway has been marked simply 18 for the last four years. Newgarden was still doing postrace media obligations and the spot had already been changed to 19.

“I think back about coming here in 1951 with my dad to see the first race of my own with him, and of course never realized that many, many years would pass and I would be here today, our family as the steward of the track, and also to have 19 wins,” Penske said.

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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed to this report.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

How to watch Indy 500: Start time, TV channel, lineup originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The world’s biggest race has finally arrived.

After weeks of practice and qualifying sessions, the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 is here.

Thirty-three drivers will compete for the chance to raise the Borg-Warner Trophy, sip a bottle of milk and kiss the bricks at the start-finish line.

Here’s all the info for the race:

What is the Indy 500 schedule for this weekend?

The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is set for Sunday, with the green flag being waved by actor Adam Driver at 12:45 p.m. ET.

How do I watch the Indy 500?

All coverage from Indianapolis will air on NBC and Peaco*ck. Here’s the full TV schedule:

Sunday, May 28

Pre-race show: 9 a.m. ET, Peaco*ck

Pre-race show: 11 a.m. ET, NBC and Peaco*ck

Indianapolis 500: 12:45 p.m. ET, NBC and Peaco*ck

Mike Tirico will be the host for NBC’s pre-race telecast alongside racing legends Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick. For the race, Leigh Diffey will be the play-by-play announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. The pit reporters are Marty Snider, Kevin Lee, Dave Burns and Dillon Welch.

What were the qualifying results for the Indy 500?

The starting lineup for the 33-car field was set last weekend. Alex Palou, the 2020 IndyCar champion for Chip Ganassi Racing, won his first career Indy 500 pole award with a four-lap qualifying average of 234.217 mph.

Here’s the full starting lineup:

1. Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
2. Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
3. Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren
4. Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises
5. Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren
6. Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
7. Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren
8. Takuma Sato, Chip Ganassi Racing
9. Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren
10. Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
11. Benjamin Pederson, A.J. Foyt Enterprises
12. Will Power, Team Penske
13. Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing
14. Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske
15. Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Autosport
16. Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
17. Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
18. Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
19. Romain Gosjean, Andretti Autosport
20. Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
21. Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport
22. Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing
23. David Malukas, Dale Coyne Racing
24. Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta Autosport
25. Devlin DeFrancesco, Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
26. Agustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing
27. Callum Ilott, Juncos Hollinger Racing
28. R.C. Enerson, Abel Motorsports
29. Katherine Legge, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
30. Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
31. Sting Ray Robb, Dale Coyne Racing
32. Jack Harvey, Rahal Metterman Lanigan Racing
33. Graham Rahal, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Will Stefan Wilson race after crashing in practice?

No, Wilson will not compete on Sunday.

Wilson wrecked with Legge in Monday’s practice session. He was transported to the hospital, where he stayed overnight and was diagnosed with a fracture of the 12th thoracic vertebrae.

As a result, Wilson will miss the race and be replaced by Rahal in the No. 24. Rahal was the only driver who did not make the race on qualifying speed, but he will now get a chance to compete in his 16th career Indy 500 – albeit driving someone else’s car. He has a career best finish of third in the race, doing so in 2011 and 2020.

How many people attend the Indy 500?

Last year, 325,000 fans attended the event – which marked the race’s second-best attendance in the last 20 years.

Track president J. Douglas Boles said Thursday that the 2023 crowd will be the second-biggest in 25 years, topping the 2022 attendance.

What is Carb Day at the Indy 500?

Carb Day is annually held on the Friday before the Indy 500. It is the final practice session prior to the event. Traditionally, Carb Day was when teams would tune their carburetors similar to how they would on race day. Even though no car has used a carburetor since 1963, the official name of Carburetion Day has stuck.

What is the Indy 500 Carb Day concert for 2023?

After the Carb Day practice session in the middle of the day, there is a Pit Stop Challenge followed by the Carb Day Concert.

Bryan Adams will headline the concert with special guest Soul Asylum to open the show. Concert gates open at 3:30 p.m. ET with the show set to run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Who won the Indy 500 last year?

Marcus Ericsson, a former Formula One driver, won the 2022 Indy 500 for his first career oval track victory.

Including Ericsson, there are nine former Indy 500 champions vying for another win in 2023: Helio Castroneves (2001-02, 2009, 2021), Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), Simon Pagenaud (2019), Will Power (2018), Alexander Rossi (2016), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Tony Kanaan (2013) and Scott Dixon (2008).

Who is favored to win the Indy 500?

Two teams stand out entering the race: Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren. They’ve been the quickest cars all month and that’s reflected in the betting odds, where the top seven favorites drive for those two teams.

Here are the full odds to win the 2023 Indy 500, courtesy of our betting partner, PointsBet:

• Alex Palou, +600
• Pato O’Ward, +700
• Scott Dixon, +800
• Marcus Ericsson, +850
• Takuma Sato, +1000
• Felix Rosenqvist, +1000
• Alexander Rossi, +1200
• Rinus VeeKay, +1200
• Scott McLaughlin, +1200
• Josef Newgarden, +1300
• Santino Ferrucci, +1400
• Will Power, +1600
• Tony Kanaan, +2000
• Colton Herta, +2100
• Kyle Kirkwood, +2500

What is the weather for the Indy 500?

Sunday is setting up to be a beautiful day for racing in Speedway, Ind. NBC Chicago is expecting a high of 79 degrees, with cloudy skies and just a 2% chance of rain. You can see the full forecast here.

Editor’s note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links. ​

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Two-time Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, who will soon be starring as Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of the Italian automobile magnate, will serve as the honorary starter for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

Driver perhaps most famously played Kylo Ren in the three most recent “Star Wars” films, and he was nominated for Academy Awards for his work in “BlacKkKlansman” and “ Marriage Story.” Driver also has received four Primetime Emmy nominations for the comedy-drama “Girls” and his guest appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in 2020.

“Adam is going to experience one of the most exhilarating, powerful and exciting moments in all of sports as he stands atop the flag stand and waves the green flag to officially start the world’s greatest race,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said in making the announcement Tuesday.

Driver grew up in Mishawaka in northern Indiana before serving in the armed forces with the Marines. He returned from duty and enrolled at the University of Indianapolis before auditioning for Julliard, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

His other film credits include “House of Gucci” by Ridley Scott, Steven Soderbergh’s “Logan Lucky” and “Silence” by Martin Scorsese. He also appeared on and off Broadway in “Look Back in Anger and the revival of Lanford Wilson’s “Burn This.”

Given its traditional Memorial Day weekend placement, the Indy 500 is steeped in military pageantry. There are enlistment ceremonies, helicopters and other equipment on display, and the playing of “Taps” just before the call to start the engines.

Driver enlisted in the Marines shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and served in the 1st Marines as a mortarman for nearly three years. After an injury while mountain biking, he was medically discharged as a lance corporal and went on to co-found Arts in the Armed Forces, a nonprofit that stages theater and musical performance for members of the military.

“Race day is full of meaning for our drivers, our fans across the globe and most especially our active-duty military members and veterans,” Boles said. “Adam is not only a star recognized across the world but also a former U.S. Marine who will be a very fitting addition to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Stefan Wilson was taken by ambulance to the hospital Monday after a heavy crash with Katherine Legge in practice for the Indianapolis 500, the first wreck of the two-week build-up to the 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Wilson was immobilized and wearing a neck brace but gave a quick thumbs-up after the safety team spent about 10 minutes carefully removing him from his crumpled car. Legge climbed out of her machine on her own.

The two were going through Turns 1 and 2 about an hour into the two-hour practice when the entire field appeared to slow. Legge closed fast on Wilson and hit the rear of his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car, sending them skidding into the wall. Legge ricocheted off with a glancing blow but Wilson was pointed nearly head-on when he made contact with the the SAFER barrier.

“I can tell you that he’s doing well,” said Dr. Julia Vaizer, the chief medical director for IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, adding that Wilson was being taken to the hospital for advanced imaging. “He’s in good spirits.”

Wilson’s brother, Justin Wilson, was the last IndyCar driver killed on the track. He was competing in a 2015 race at Pocono when Sage Karam crashed ahead of him, and a piece of his car struck Wilson in the helmet and sent him into the wall.

Legge is the only female driver in this year’s field, and she was the only driver from the struggling Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing that made the 33-car starting grid on the first day of qualifying. Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey joined her Sunday when Harvey was able to bump out teammate Graham Rahal in the final seconds with a dramatic qualifying run.

It was unclear whether Legge’s car could be repaired or she would be granted use of an entirely new chassis.

“I know it’s another blow to the team,” she said. “After yesterday, those guys don’t deserve it. It’s not right.”

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Alex Palou will lead the field to green in the Indianapolis 500 after the young Spaniard put together the fastest four-lap pole run in history Sunday, edging Rinus VeeKay and Felix Rosenqvist to give Chip Ganassi Racing its third consecutive pole in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Palou, who won on the road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend, whipped four laps around the historic 2.5-mile speedway at an average of 234.217 mph. That was a mere 0.007 mph faster than VeeKay, who still gave Ed Carpenter Racing a front-row starting spot for the ninth time in the last 11 years.

“It means the world to me now, to the boys, to everybody,” said Palou, who is likely moving to Arrow McLaren next year.

He roared when Rosenqvist missed out on the pole for Arrow McLaren in the last run of the day.

“I’m just super happy,” Palou said.

Palou surpassed the record pole run of 234.046 mph that Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon put up last year. It also was the second-fastest qualifying effort, trailing only Arie Luyendyk’s 236.986, which he set the day after pole qualifying in 1996.

“He did exactly what he needed to do. He’ll be the first to tell you it was a total team effort,” said Ganassi, who put a car on the pole at the Indy 500 for the eighth time. “We’re going to sail into the 500 starting on the pole. We’re pretty excited.”

Palou was confident he had a fast car, even though Rosenqvist was quickest during the Fast 12 efforts earlier in the day.

“We have to go fast. Are you ready to go really fast?” team manager Barry Wanser asked Palou over the radio, as the 26-year-old headed off pit road under sunny skies and before a huge crowd lining the old speedway. “Let’s get it done.”

He did, and his rivals were left looking for more.

“I got everything out of it. Wish I had just a little more,” VeeKay said. “It’s so close, and the thing really had a shot for the pole position, but also I’m a bit spoiled to say that. This is only the start to the race. Proud of the team, proud of the whole crew.”

Santino Ferrucci qualified fourth, on the inside of Row 2 for underdog A.J. Foyt Racing, which has turned heads all week. Rookie Foyt driver Benjamin Pedersen also made the Fast 12 and will start in 11th for the May 28 race.

Pato O’Ward will start alongside Ferrucci with Dixon, who was going for a record third straight pole, qualifying sixth.

Alexander Rossi was the fastest of those that failed to make the Fast Six, putting him seventh on the grid. He’ll be on the inside of Row 3 along with Takuma Sato and Tony Kanaan, who will start ninth in what he says is his final Indy 500.

The others that failed to advance to the pole shootout were defending Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, who will start 10th for the strong Ganassi contingent, Pedersen and Will Power, the lone Team Penske driver to make the Fast 12 from Saturday’s qualifying runs.

“All weekend we’ve been struggling to do four laps. It’s been an issue pretty much every day,” Ericsson said. “This morning we did three pretty good laps (in practice) and had a moment. I did stay flat out for four laps, but just had too much sliding.”

VeeKay had his own moment during practice when smoke came out of the back of the No. 21 car. The engineers from his Ed Carpenter Racing team determined it was a failed header, and that no damage was done to the engine. They felt confident sending him onto the warm, sun-splashed track for the hour-long qualifying session.

“This morning was a bit tough. A bit tough. We had some issues,” VeeKay said, “but the 21 crew, they gave me their A-game. We even had time to spare. The engine felt great. The car felt great. All I had to do was stay flat-out for four laps.”

That’s what Ferrucci did, too, as the Foyt team has become the feel-good story of Gasoline Alley. A.J. Foyt lost his wife of 68 years, Lucy, last month, and the 88-year-old Foyt thought about skipping out on May in Indianapolis, where he’s one of four four-time winners of the race.

Foyt decided to come, though, and has been treated to some of the fastest laps around the track by his own team. He watched both qualifying sessions inside a closed garage and asked that all interview requests be held until the end of the day.

But when Ferrucci returned to the garage to see Foyt after his qualifying run, he was followed by an entourage of well-wishers that included former Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George and Jim Campbell, head of Chevrolet’s racing program.

“That’s the fastest I’ve ever been for four laps,” said Ferrucci, who nearly clipped the wall on his first lap during the Fast 12, moments after his team told him over the radio: “Remember we have to race this thing. Let’s not do anything dumb.”

Foyt cars had not advanced into the qualifying shootout rounds for the Indy 500 since the format was introduced in 2010.

Foyt himself won four Indianapolis 500 poles — all while he was the team owner. He’s the first driver to ever win four Indy 500s, a club that only added its fourth member in 2021 when Helio Castroneves won his fourth.

He was quick to point out after Ferrucci wound up fourth that Foyt himself had never won the 500 from the front row, but twice did it from fourth and both were his final two Indy 500 victories.

Stephanie Beatriz, who starred as Detective Rosa Diaz on the TV show “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and voiced MirabelMadrigal on the Academy Award-winning film “Encanto,” will serve as the grand marshal for the Indianapolis 500 later this month.

The track announced Tuesday the award-winning actress, who will star in the upcoming show “Twisted Metal,” will walk the Indy 500 red carpet on May 28 before giving the command for drivers to report to their cars.

“Stephanie brings a fresh energy and excitement to pre-race ceremonies that both spectators at the track and everyone watching on NBC and Peaco*ck will appreciate,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said.

Practice for the race began Tuesday and continues throughout the week, with qualifying on Saturday and Sunday. The annual Carb Day festivities include a final practice and concerts by Bryan Adams and Soul Asylum before the race-day events culminate with the 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Country music star Blake Shelton served as the Indy 500 grand marshal last year. Others have included Army General Norman Schwarzkopf and Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin.

Kyle Larson will attempt to race the Indianapolis 500 next year with McLaren Racing in a joint effort with NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick.

The surprise announcement Thursday by McLaren and Hendrick at last gives Larson a path into his dream race. It also means he will become just the fifth driver to run “The Double” on Memorial Day weekend, driving the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the same day. John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch are the other NASCAR drivers to compete in both races.

Larson has long said he wants to race in the Indy 500 but did not have a viable Chevrolet opportunity for the 2023 running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” this May.

His entry with McLaren will be co-owned by Hendrick and sponsored by HendrickCars.com, the primary backer of Larson’s ride in NASCAR.

“Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time — since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars,” Larson said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it even though it’s still about a year-and-a-half away. I’m really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 and maybe even get a win or two that day.”

McLaren did not have room for Larson — or Kyle Busch — this year as the Arrow McLaren lineup for Indianapolis is already at four cars. The team expanded this year to add 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi to its roster and hired 2013 Indy winner Tony Kanaan for the 500.

To make room for NASCAR’s 2021 Cup champion next season, McLaren partnered with Hendrick, who will enter his first ever IndyCar race as an owner . Hendrick Motorsports has won a record 291 Cup races and has scored 10 NASCAR wins on Indy’s 2.5-mile oval.

Larson is entering his third season driving for Hendrick Motorsports and had been actively pursuing an Indy 500 ride. Rick Hendrick relaxed his stance on drivers competing in other series about the time he signed Larson, and teammate Alex Bowman this week is competing in the sprint car Chili Bowl in Oklahoma.

“Putting Kyle in top-level equipment and allowing ample time for him to prepare for such a difficult challenge was important,” Hendrick said. “It’s going to be very, very special to field a Chevrolet in the Indy 500 as a car owner. A collaboration like this was what we needed to make it happen, and fortunately the stars aligned.”

The 30-year-old Larson, who just welcomed his third child on Dec. 31, has 19 Cup Series victories since his 2014 debut. He won NASCAR’s all-star race in 2019 and 2021, the year he won 10 races and his only Cup title. The Elk Grove, California, native has more than 400 career wins across a variety of racing series and disciplines.

“Adding Kyle Larson with a HendrickCars.com partnership to the Indy 500 lineup in 2024 is exciting for our Arrow McLaren team as well as for race fans,” McLaren head Zak Brown said. “He’s a complete driver, known for racing anything on wheels, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Kyle can do.”