Speedway, Ind. – Three-time and two-time defending NTT IndyCar champion Alex Palou said earlier this week that his career would “not be complete” if he never won the Indy 500.
Palou accepted the tall challenge and now has etched his name in racing immortality by winning his first oval race of his career and the biggest one that you can win on an oval, the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Palou becomes the first Spaniard to win the Indy 500.
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The 2025 Indy 500 victory marks the sixth win for owner Chip Ganassi, and the first since 2022.
“I cannot believe it,” Palou said. “It’s amazing to win. There were some moments that I felt really good in the race, but at the end I didn’t know if I was going to able to pass Marcus or not, but I made it happen. First oval win. What a better place?”
“Best milk I’ve ever tasted,” Palou said on the Victory Podium after a hearty swig from the traditional winner’s bottle of milk. “It tastes so good. What an amazing feeling.”
Palou won under caution when Indy 500 rookie Nolan Siegel made contact with the turn 2 wall in his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet on the final lap of the 200-lap scheduled distance. Palou passed 2022 Indy 500 champion Marcus Ericsson in the No. 28 Allegra Honda of Andretti Global on Lap 187 and never looked back.
The “Palou Show” continues in the 2025 NTT IndyCar season as this marks Palou’s fifth win in six races, the first to accomplish this blistering start since A.J. Foyt did it in 1979. Palou now has extended his points lead to a staggering 115 points over second-place driver Pato O’Ward.
Ericsson finished in second place for the second time in three years in his No. 28 Allegra Andretti Global Honda.
“Yeah, right now I’m just disappointed,” said Ericsson. “This race means everything to me. I know how much it means to win this race. So, to finish second again, it’s pretty painful, yeah.”
Rounding out the top five was Chicago native David Malukas earning his career best finish in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Pato O’Ward coming home in fourth in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for his fourth top-five finish in six “500” attempts and Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top five in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian.
“Yeah, all those yellow flags, seeing our position of the car and how good we were, I mean, we had it at the end there,” said Malukas. “We gave it our all in those last – I think it was about 15 to go, and we turned it up and I was just hanging on for dear life trying to get something out of it. Those two lap cars kind of came in and ruined the fun for us and chose this winner. That’s just kind of how this track goes.”
The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge got off to a slow start when the race was delayed 43 minutes due to passing sprinkles. It only took a pace lap to set the tone for the 109th edition of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing when Scott McLaughlin spun the rear tires during his tire warmup and lost control of his No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet on the front straightaway and made contact with the inside retaining wall near pit exit.
“I have no idea what happened,” said McLaughlin. “I just lost it and I don’t know whether it was a little bit of moisture, I don’t know. I’m really sorry to my fans, the team. Far worst moment of my life.”
Once the field saw the green flag, chaos continued in turn one of lap one, when Marco Andretti (making his 20th Indy 500 start) in his No. 98 Mapei Andretti Global Honda was squeezed into the outside wall entering turn 1 by Jack Harvey in the No. 24 Invst Dale Coyne Racing Honda causing Andretti to spin and get tangled with Marcus Armstrong in the No. 66 Spectrum Meyer Shank Racing Honda, ultimately making contact with the outside SAFER Barrier in turn one.
Pole sitter Robert Shwartzman, ended the day in 29th place. He was eliminated from the race during a pit lane accident on Lap 87 when his No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet slid through his pit box, hitting the inside wall and a crew members.
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson making his second “double” attempt of the “500” and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway had his day cut short on lap 91, when he lost control of his No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and hit the SAFER Barrier in turn two and collected Kyffin Simpson in the No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and Sting Ray Robb in the No. 77 Goodheart Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, ending all three drivers’ days.
“It was a bit crazy there on the start,” said Larson. “I got like tight behind Takuma (Sato), I was really close to him, and I think I got loose and kind of got all over the place. I just hate for everybody that also got caught up in it. Just bummed out. Try to get over this quickly and get on with Charlotte.”
Once the race got settled after the half-way point it was a ferocious battle between teams with pit strategies and daring on-track passes.
Palou made his final pit stop on Lap 168, that ultimately allowed Malukas to take the lead on Lap 169 when 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay pitted in the No. 23 Wedbush Securities Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet, after leading an impressive 48 laps. Only two-time “500” winner Takuma Sato led more laps (51) in the 200-lap race. Hunter-Reay stalled his car on pit exit, ending his bid for a second win.
Malukas made his final stop on Lap 170, handing over the lead to Ericsson. Malukas exited the pits ahead of Palou, giving him the best chance to contend for the win once Ericsson made his final stop.
But Palou took advantage of lap traffic ahead of Malukas and drove past Malukas for what would have been the ultimate lead of the race. Ericsson made his final stop on Lap 175 and exited the pits in front of Palou and Malukas.
Palou took advantage of the draft to save fuel, waiting until the last five to 10 laps to make his move. Ericsson was trying to navigate the “dirty” air from the cars of Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammates Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster, who had a battle of their own for 15th place ahead of Ericsson.
Palou took advantage of the lap traffic and played his cards right in the closing laps and made his move on lap 187 to take the lead and setting his sights on having his face and name etched on the infamous Borg-Warner trophy.
The 2025 installment saw a total of 22 lead changes among 14 drivers, 44 caution laps, 483 total passes, the fastest race lap posted by four-time winner Helio Castroneves on lap 175 with a speed of 226.178 mph and an official race time of two-hours and 57 minutes. On the month of on-track activities, drivers completed a total of 17,179 laps (42,947.5 miles).
The NTT IndyCar Series now moves on to the streets of Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix that will air on June 1 at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the NTT IndyCar Series Radio Network on SiriusXM radio channel 218.
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