Alex Palou becomes first Spaniard to win Indy 500

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Alex Palou has go the archetypal operator from Spain to triumph the Indianapolis 500 by holding disconnected erstwhile Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson implicit the closing laps Sunday astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Palou, who has won 3 IndyCar titles successful 4 years — including the past two, came to the speedway with 4 wins done the archetypal 5 races. But it was No. 6, "The Greatest Spectacle successful Racing," that helium had circled connected his calendar. Without an Indy 500 win, Palou said his vocation resume would ne'er beryllium complete.

At 1 point, Palou climbed onto its extortion and raised his arms successful triumph, the winning wreath draped astir his neck. He concisely mislaid his equilibrium and Ganassi instinctively reached retired to drawback his prima driver.

No need.

Palou seldom makes a incorrect move.

"All my household around, it's amazing, honestly," helium said, smiling. "All the squad around, they marque maine look truly bully connected the track."

Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner, finished 2nd for Andretti Global successful a 1-2 decorativeness for Honda. David Malukas was 3rd for A.J. Foyt Racing and the highest-finishing Chevrolet.

Two-time defending contention victor Josef Newgarden had carved his mode done postulation from starting connected the past enactment into the top-10 by the 80th thigh of the race. However, Newgarden's bid to triumph 3 consecutive Indy 500s ended with a substance pump issue; nary operator has ever won from the past row.

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson crashed retired of the Indianapolis 500 adjacent the midway constituent Sunday and Ryan Hunter-Reay ended the archetypal fractional astatine the apical of the leaderboard, but failed to get a 2nd triumph the race.

Hunter-Reay, successful a one-off introduction for DRR-Cusick Motorsports, won the Indy 500 successful 2014 arsenic a operator for Andretti Global. Him starring Sunday with 100 laps remaining was fitting for a contention that was archetypal concisely delayed by rainfall and past deed with a rash of weird incidents.

Scott McLaughlin crashed connected the warm-up thigh portion swerving to get vigor successful his tires. Scott Dixon had a brake occurrence earlier the contention went greenish and past Marco Andretti was crashed connected the archetypal lap.

It was reminiscent of the 1992 Indianapolis 500, erstwhile pole-sitter Roberto Guerrero spun retired and crashed portion besides trying to lukewarm up his tires during the parade laps.

"I truly person nary thought what happened," a heartbroken McLaughlin said. "I can't judge we're retired of the race. I had truthful overmuch hope. It's the worst infinitesimal of my life."

The bizarre lone continued arsenic Alexander Rossi went to pit roadworthy with fume coming from the backmost of his car, lone for it to erupt into flames and his fueler caught fire. Rossi angrily flung his gloves implicit the pit roadworthy partition arsenic helium fled from the flames.

Rinus VeeKay mislaid his brakes and crashed connected pit roadworthy and past Robert Shwartzman, the archetypal rookie to commencement from the rod since 1983, mislaid power entering his pit stall and deed respective of his Prema Racing unit members.

"As soon arsenic I touched my brakes, the full beforehand conscionable locked and I ran into my guys," Shwartzman said. "It was truly scary due to the fact that erstwhile I braked, I was conscionable a passenger."

Shwartzman, a dual nationalist of Israel and Russia and first rookie to pb the tract to greenish since 1983, made his oval debut Sunday. The 25-year-old drove nether the Israel emblem and is the archetypal Israeli successful the field.

On the adjacent restart, Larson's effort to implicit "the double" of 1,100-miles connected the aforesaid time erstwhile helium was collected successful a three-car collision. It ended his Indy 500 and allowed Larson to caput to the airdrome to get to Charlotte Motor Speedway successful North Carolina successful clip for the Coca-Cola 600.

"Just bummed out," Larson said. "Try to get implicit this rapidly and get connected to Charlotte and conscionable hide astir it."

Roger Penske delivered the bid for drivers to commencement their engines aft a 42-minute hold for rainfall — a intermission that had already enactment Larson's treble effort successful jeopardy.

The NASCAR prima had a 4 p.m. deadline to permission Indianapolis to marque it to Charlotte, wherever the Coca-Cola 600 is his priority. Only 1 operator has ever completed each 1,100 miles — Tony Stewart successful 2001. Larson's bid besides failed past twelvemonth due to the fact that a rainfall hold successful Indianapolis made him miss the Coca-Cola 600.

Larson could beryllium seen checking his ticker from wrong his car arsenic helium waited for Penske's command. He's starting 2nd successful Charlotte and started 19th successful the Indy 500.