Andretti INDYCAR Indianapolis 500 Race Report
Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Race Notes
Following an expected, but lengthy weather delay, the green flag finally dropped at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The 200-lap race started late in the afternoon and ran the full 500 miles.
After taking the start from his career-highest qualifying position on an oval, Kyle Kirkwood maintained pace in the early stages of the race to run solidly in the top 10 but numerous pit lane issues forced the AutoNation Honda to the back of the field multiple times. Despite a drive-through penalty near the halfway point of the raceand the pit lane issues, the AutoNation timing stand’s strategy moved Kirkwood back into the top 10 and aided in Kirkwood clocking the fastest leader lap of the raceon Lap 175 with a speed of 225.317 MPH. The AutoNation Honda was the only Andretti car to finish in the top 10 as Kirkwood recorded his 12th top-10 INDYCAR finish.
After an impressive month for the Gainbridge Honda, Colton Herta came out strong in today’s race quickly climbing from his 13th-place starting position into the lead pack, running as high as second at one point. Unfortunately on Lap 86, Herta spun making contact with the SAFER Barrier. After repairs were made to the car back in the garage, Herta rejoined the field to score valuable Championship points.
Following an incident that caused significant damage to the Delaware Life Honda earlier this month, Marcus Ericsson and the No. 28 crew spent the month of May working tirelessly to get the backup car in race day condition. Following a strong Carb Day final practice, Ericsson took today’s green flag from the middle of Row 11 with hopes of charging through the field, but a multi-car incident in the first turn of Lap 1 spun the Swede into the SAFER Barrier bringing his race to an early end.
Marco Andretti made his 19th start at the Indianapolis 500 from the 19th position with hopes of capturing his first win on the oval. The MAPEI / CURB team had a strong strategy that saw Andretti moving up the pylon, but with 86 laps to go the No. 98 ran a bit too high in Turn 1 in an attempt to gain position, ultimately leading to race-ending rear contact.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has a quick turnaround as drivers head north to Motor City next weekend for the Detroit Grand Prix May 31-June 2.
Race Results
Colton Herta No. 26 Gainbridge Honda
P23
Started: P13
Standings: 5th (134pts)
“My heart is torn. I feel terrible for the Gainbridge crew today. They gave me an extremely fast car and disappointed would be an understatement with how I drove it. We worked hard this month and were on track to go for a win today. I appreciate that the team got me back out there after the incident, even if it was just for a little bit. Proud of the No. 26 crew and just wish things went differently today.”
Kyle Kirkwood No. 27 AutoNation Honda
P7
Started: P11
Standings: 10th (115pts)
“We went to the back multiple times during this race but fortunately, Bryan [Herta] was able to guide me up into a potential top-five finish there at the end. We were put in the position once again to win the race and it was close, but no cigar, unfortunately. I can’t say I’m happy with P7, but it’s okay. It keeps us in the points.”
Marcus Ericsson No. 28 Delaware Life Honda
P33
Started: P32
Standings: 19th (68pts)
“This situation is just extremely frustrating. We had to battle so hard this month. I’m really proud of the Delaware Life team and thankful for everything they’ve done. Friday, I felt like we really had a car that had the potential to fight for the win today, and then we got to Turn 1 and the incident in front of us ended our chances. I just can’t believe it. It’s not the way we wanted to end May, but I’m thankful to my team for working through the good and bad this month.”
Marco Andretti No. 98 MAPEI / CURB Honda
P25
Started: P19
Standings: 37th (5pts)
“I’m just really bummed. I just had to go for it after that restart since I was right there with Dixon and think we were on for a good one. You know how the 500 is – it’s a track-position race. I just got up into the gray and had a tank slapper then I just couldn’t catch it.”
Rob Edwards Chief Operating Officer
“It was a long day with the rain and waiting around, but once we got the race going, we were happy that we were able to get the 500 miles in right at the end of the day. Although, it’s unfortunate that all four of the Andretti cars had a disappointing result. With Marcus, there was nothing that he could really do with what happened on Lap 1, so I feel bad for him and the No. 28 guys after how hard they worked this month to bring that car up to speed. For the No. 26, I think we had a car that was capable of being in the hunt for the win, but it just didn’t play out that way. I will say, the guys did a great job of getting the car back out for some laps, but when you think you’ve got a car that’s capable of being there for the win, it’s disappointing to see it come to an early end. The No. 27 car had a great recovery from the issues they had early on which was good to see, I just wish that we could’ve been up there. The No. 98 was running along pretty smoothly and steadily, but sadly ended up with a DNF. So, it was a very disappointing day, but there was a lot of hard work from everyone throughout this month and I’m super proud of all the effort that everyone put in. Preparation of cars for the event was first class. At the end of the day, it’s INDYCAR racing, so the good news is there’s another race next weekend in Detroit. We’ll look to get a W on the street circuit.”
