There is really no other way to describe the month of May and the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 except as “picture perfect.” Weather for the Grand Prix, Qualifying, Carb Day, and Race Day was absolutely beautiful. The grandstands for the Indianapolis 500 were packed with a near sellout crowd, rivaling the attendance at the 100th Indianapolis 500 in May of 2016.
More importantly, the on-track action was outstanding. From the excitement in qualifying to the last lap pass for the lead on Race Day, Indianapolis Motor Speedway did not disappoint.
The race was spectacular to watch. The long green flag run at the beginning of the race allowed for several rounds of green flag pitstops and made the teams anticipate fuel strategy. The weather was hotter than expected and changing track conditions forced teams to keep pace with the ever-increasing track evolution. There was drama on pit lane when, during the first caution period, Rinus VeeKay lost control of his car exiting his pit box and slid into Alex Palou. Suddenly, with just over 100 laps remaining, VeekKay and Palou, two of the fastest cars, were mired deep in the field, leaving Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward as the race leaders. Sure and steady, Josef Newgarden quietly moved his way to the front. By the end of lap 148, Newgarden, who had started 17th, worked his way to 2nd place, a perfect position for the final 50 laps.
Lap 184 to the end was mesmerizing. Watching in real time, I caught Kirkwood’s tire flying over the catch fence but could not believe what I was seeing. What a miracle it was for the tire not to have hit anybody. Could you imagine? There was a photograph taken of the tire as it exited the track. Those in the Turn 2 grandstands can be seen in the background, all fixated with gaping mouths and wide eyes on the rubber wrecking ball as it whirled past their seats.
And who can forget that final lap? Though marked with controversy, Newgarden’s pass down the back straightaway and into Turn 3 was exhilarating, not knowing whether he would be able to hold off Marcus Ericsson coming to the checkered flag. Yet, with a dive out of Turn 4 and a veer back to the outside, Newgarden was able to break the draft and edge out Ericsson, winning his first Indianapolis 500. A race that had spurned him for so long, there was none more deserving than the two-time series champion. Few were disappointed to see Newgarden cross the yard of bricks first.
After watching the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500, I draw two conclusions. First, as I have written about before, IndyCar should race on more ovals. Second, NASCAR needs to bring back the Brickyard 400.
Zech Yoder is a local resident, an attorney at Adler Attorneys in Noblesville, and a lifelong race fan.