INDIANAPOLIS – Marcus Ericsson survived a thrilling green-white-checkered finish to win the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ericsson came on strong at the end of the race and held the lead when a red flag waved after Jimmie Johnson crashed in turn two to allow the race to end under the green flag.
It was the second time since 2014 that IndyCar Race Control has red flagged the Indianapolis 500 in the final 10 laps to ensure a race to the finish. The last was 2014 when Ryan Hunter-Reay beat Helio Castroneves to a thrilling finish in what remains the second-closest Indy 500 finish in history at 0.060-of-a-second.
Pato O’Ward of Mexico finished second in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet followed by Tony Kanaan’s No. 1 American Legion Honda, Felix Rosenqvist’s No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and Alexander Rossi’s No. 27 NAPA Auto Parts/AutoNation Honda finishing fifth.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Ericsson said. “You can never take anything for granted and obviously there were still laps to go. It was hard to refocus, but I knew the car was amazing. I had to do everything I could there to keep them behind. I can’t believe it.”
Driving the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 8 Honda, Ericsson held off a furious charge on the restart from McLaren Chevrolet driver O’Ward and was in the lead exiting turn three when the yellow flag waved for Sage Karam’s crash on the backstretch.
“It’s still tough to sort of take in,” Ericsson said afterwards. “Obviously it’s the biggest race in the world, something we all work so much towards, we all dream of winning this race.
“We’ve had a really good month. We’ve been really strong as a team, the whole Chip Ganassi Racing organization has been really good. I knew we had a chance to win today. Obviously, there were some stuff happening along the way, but I knew I had a shot.
“I’m just very thankful for Chip Ganassi Racing, for Honda, Huski Chocolate. It was a true team effort and I’m very, very proud to be the champion.”
O’Ward is very proud of his second-place finish and did his best on the restart, but Ericsson was using a draft-breaking move by snaking down the track on the final two laps.
“They gave me a really, really good car,” O’Ward said of his team. “I was so happy with the handling. We did everything perfectly. We did the fuel perfect. No mistakes were done. We positioned ourselves perfectly to have a shot at it.
“When we got done with that last pit stop, Felix Rosenqvist undercut us, then when I pitted and started catching up to him, then Marcus out of nowhere just came out with insane speed. He got by me like I was standing still. I got up to Felix I think within two laps, passed him like he was standing still, left him. I got to Felix finally. I passed him. I had nothing for him. I said, I need a yellow to try and have a shot.
“Tony Kanaan was also really quick coming behind me. I know he was catching me faster than what I was catching Marcus. When the restart happened, I said, I have one shot, I have to go flat, and still wasn’t enough.
“Sadly, they have the faster car. We need to do a better job. We need to come back next year and give it hell again. I’m proud of the job we did today. It’s my best result in the 500. It’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow after such a long race, doing everything correctly.”
Ericsson became the second Swedish driver to win the Indianapolis 500, joining Kenny Brack, who won for A.J. Foyt Racing in 1999.
Brack attended Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 as one of the former winners who take a ceremonial lap around the track in pre-race ceremonies. He did not have a chance to speak to Ericsson before the race but offered his congratulations via Zoom in the winner’s interview.
“You finally put your talents to good use today,” Brack said to Ericsson. “Congratulations. It was a good drive, Marcus. I was really pleased for you. I know you worked a long time for this. Was a great race, great drive today. Very well deserved.”
Ericsson replied, “Thank you, Kenny. I appreciate that. It means a lot hearing that.
“Kenny was the one that helped me from go-karts to single seaters. He’s done very, very much for my career. He’s one of the persons that I wouldn’t be here without him and his help throughout my career. So, I’m very thankful for those words, Kenny.”
It was Ericsson’s third NTT IndyCar Series victory.
A late-race speeding penalty on pit road by pole winner Dixon ended his bid for a second career victory. This came on a day when he became the all-time lap leader in Indianapolis 500 history, surpassing the late Al Unser.
Dixon led a race-high 95 laps, setting the all-time record for Indianapolis 500 career laps led with 665. The previous record was 644 by four-time winner Al Unser. Dixon broke Unser’s record by leading Lap 133. Dixon jumped past Unser and Ralph DePalma, as De Palma was second on the list entering this event with 612 laps led.
Only four drivers have stood atop the all-time lap leaders list for the Indianapolis 500: Ray Harroun (1911), Ralph DePalma (1912-86), Al Unser (1987-2021), Scott Dixon (2022).
Dixon led the most laps in the Indianapolis 500 for the sixth time in his career, extending his event record. He also led the most laps in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2020. Dixon also led 12 times today, extending his Indianapolis 500 record for times led to 70.
Dixon and Tony Kanaan each led today, extending their shared all-time record of leading in 15 starts.
With a huge crowd just a few thousand short of full capacity, and a bright sunny day to greet the throngs of fans that had returned to the Indy 500, the race got off to a fast and clean start.
Pole-winner Dixon maintained the lead at the green flag, but it was teammate Palou that took the lead in Turn 3 to lead the first lap.
Dixon was credited with leading Lap 8 when he passed Palou in turn one. Palou and Dixon would swap leads through the first stint of the race before pit stops began.
Dixon and Daly were among the first to hit pit road on lap 30. VeeKay pitted on lap 32 for four tires and fuel and had established himself as a leading contender for victory.
But seven laps later, VeeKay’s hopes at victory came to
an end when he spun and crashed in turn two, making heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier.
VeeKay’s dreams of a victory from the front row were over.
Palou was in the lead heading to the restart on lap 46, but two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato went four-wide down the frontstraight to pick up a few positions.
Dixon passed Palou on the following lap continuing the lead changing dynamic of this race.
Dixon pitted for four tires and fuel before rookie driver Callum Ilott became the second driver to crash into the turn-two wall on lap 70.
Palou was about to pit before Ilott’s pit stop and was running out of fuel. He had to make an emergency pit stop on lap 71, which penalized him for pitting in a closed pit. It was similar to the situation that happened to Dixon in last year’s race.
Palou was sent to the back of the field and that took away his dream of contending for the victory.
The green flag waved on lap 78 and the crowd roared two laps later when hometown boy Conor Daly took the lead by passing Dixon. Daly is from nearby Noblesville, Indiana.
Dixon would regain the lead as the two drivers swapped the top spot. At the halfway point of the race, Dixon was the leader with Daly second.
Five laps later, France’s Romain Grosjean spun and hit turn two with a thud in his No. 28 Andretti Autosport Honda. The leaders under caution were Dixon, O’Ward, Ericsson and Kanaan.
On lap 112, Daly led the field out of turn four to the green flag, but Dixon passed him on the restart. O’Ward took the lead one lap later before Dixon regained it on the following lap.
On lap 133, Dixon led his 75th laps in the race to become the all-time lap leader in Indianapolis 500 history. He broke Al Unser’s record of 644 laps led.
But the only lap Dixon was interested in leading was the 200th lap and the checkered flag.
Dixon pitted on lap 141 for four tires and a tear-off of the aeroscreen. That gave O’Ward the lead. When O’Ward pitted, he had a great in and out lap and was able to return to the track in front of Dixon.
Palou was scored the leader, but still had to make a pit stop. Once Palou pitted, O’Ward led Dixon by.9047 seconds.
With 50 laps to go, it was O’Ward, Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist, Daly and Ferrucci.
Scott McLaughlin pounded the turn-three wall and slid through the north chute before crashing into turn four to bring out another yellow flag.
Colton Herta’s No. 26 Honda was also parked for being slow. It was a backup car that Herta had to drive after his big crash on Friday’s Carb Day practice.
On the restart on lap 158, O’Ward led the field off turn four but Dixon passed him going into turn one. Meantime, Alexander Rossi went from 10th to sixth on the restart.
On lap 161, O’Ward passed Dixon for the lead. Three laps later, Dixon retook the lead.
On lap 175, Dixon entered pit lane for his final stop and locked up the wheels, trying to avoid a pit speed violation. Dixon was nailed for speeding on pit lane, ending his bid for victory.
“It’s heartbreaking to be honest,” Dixon said. “It must have been very close. I came into the pits and had to lock the rears. I knew it would be very close. Maybe 1 mile an hour over or something. It’s frustrating. The car was really good all day. It had great speed and the team did an amazing job on strategy.
“I just messed up.”
Ericsson’s first Indianapolis 500 victory came in his fourth career start. His previous results were 23rd in 2019 with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, 32nd in 2020 and 11th in 2021, both with Chip Ganassi Racing.
This is the fifth Indianapolis 500 victory for Chip Ganassi Racing. Its previous wins came in 2000 with Juan Pablo Montoya, 2008 with Scott Dixon, and 2010 and 2012 with Dario Franchitti. Team owner Chip Ganassi also was a co-entrant with Pat Patrick on the 1989 winner driven by Emerson Fittipaldi.
This was also Ganassi’s 40th Anniversary of his first Indianapolis 500 in 1982 when he was the fastest rookie in the race.
“I’m sure everybody remembers in 1982 when I got here, someone asked me if I ever wanted to be a car owner,” Ganassi recalled. “I said, ‘I couldn’t imagine why anybody would want to own one of those things. I had a change of heart about that.
“I couldn’t be happier. I seem to be a little better at this than I was driving.”
Ericsson became the eighth Indianapolis 500 winner to start fifth. Buddy Lazier was the last winner from the fifth starting spot, in 1996. Ericsson is 31. The last 31-year-old to win the Indianapolis 500 was Al Unser in 1970, when he also earned his first “500” win.
He led the race for 13 laps, the fewest laps led by a winner since Juan Pablo Montoya led nine laps in 2015.
