Indianapolis, Ind. — In a crash-filled Indianapolis 500 that sent many fan-favorites to the garage early, Will Power found his way to the yard of bricks first, to become the first Australian to win the Memorial Weekend Classic. The win becomes a career highlight for one of the winningest open wheel drivers ever, who said, “It was the last box to tick, to be considered a very successful driver.” The 37-year-old used to consider himself a road and street course specialist that -admittedly- didn’t care for racing on ovals. Power said his attitude started to change several years ago after winning at Fontana. Now the Team Penske driver says each time he starts an oval race, he feels he has a chance to win.
Trailing Power to the checkered flag was Indianapolis resident, Ed Carpenter. Carpenter was visibly dejected at not winning this race that he’s so-long cherished at its completion. Yet the pole-sitter acknowledged that with perspective he’ll view second-place as an achievement, “You know, I’ll feel pretty good about this in a couple days, I think.”
Carpenter is a team owner as well, also fielding cars driven by Spencer Pigot and Danica Patrick. Pigot finished 20th, while Patrick made contact with the wall on lap 133 (of 200), to place 30th in what she’s said will be the final race of her driving career.
2008 Indy 500 Winner Scott Dixon finished the race third, followed by a pair of Andretti Autosport entries, also driven by former Indy 500 winners — Alexander Rossi (2016) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014).
Fan-favorite Helio Castroneves was gunning for his fourth Indy 500 ring, but his day ended early after making wall contact on lap 145, to place 27th. In a post-race press conference, Team Penske President Tim Cindric promised the Brazilian would be back in a Penske car at next year’s race.
In all, thirty-three drivers started The Greatest Spectacle in Racing today, yet only twenty-four entries were running at the end. Seven cautions mostly resulted from cars contacting walls around the famed two-and-a-half mile oval, as high track temperatures and a new car with less downforce combined to make perilous conditions for unbalanced cars.
Team Penske has now won the Indy 500 seventeen times, with twelve different drivers.