“We’re not demolition derby,” NASCAR president Steve Phelps said about Austin Dillon’s conduct at Richmond.
Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing are still planning to make a final appeal to overturn NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 Chevrolet driver after their first attempt was denied Wednesday by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel.
NASCAR penalized Dillon and the team in a number of ways, including preventing the August 11 win from making Dillon eligible for the postseason, which a win normally automatically does. Should the final appeal be denied, Dillon would still need a win to make the playoffs.
NASCAR president Steve Phelps recently shared the governing body’s take on the wreck, the penalty and the future implications of both while talking to Kevin Harvick on the Happy Hour Podcast. The interview was recorded before the appeal was heard, according to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass.
Phelps emphasized the need for safety as the sport evolves, but he also explained that it’s difficult to know and instruct drivers on where the line is between hard racing and unnecessary dangerous moves.
He told Harvick:
“I’ve heard from drivers over the years, ‘I don’t know where the line is. Tell me where the line is. Can you show me the line?’ I can’t show you the line, but you will know when it has been crossed, right? So if you hook someone to going 170 miles per hour on a mile-and-a-half track, you have crossed the line, and we’re going to park you. And so we’ve been consistent. We’ve had two of those. Do we want to do that? We don’t! But we need to make sure that we are keeping our drivers safe, and when you have a situation like that, it’s not safe.
“I think, as we were looking at, again, the data and what happened — it happened so quickly — but you had two incidents in a split-second right. Turn 3 had an incident. Turn 4, you had an incident, and then the race was concluded. I think the bump-and-run or slam-and-run or whatever it was, right — I won’t suggest that there wouldn’t have been a penalty. I have no idea, right? Because you had a second move, and the second move was a hook, in our opinion, right? Which was both the eye test as well as the data would suggest that’s what happened. It’s hard to hide from the data, right? And then he put a competitor also at risk, right? Denny took a hard hit, one of the hardest hits I think he’s had in this Next Gen car. And there was a line that was crossed, in our opinion.”
When Harvick brought up the possibility of NASCAR issuing penalties like this immediately after the race, Phelps said “it’s something we’ll explore,” including options of a one-lap penalty or a 15-second penalty for a driver and team.
But, as he also noted, unless it’s urgent or for safety, NASCAR doesn’t typically like to make rule changes mid-season.
The NASCAR president also looked ahead at the rest of the regular season — there are currently two races remaining at Daytona International Speedway and Darlington Raceway — and the 10-race playoffs. He speculated about what could have happened had NASCAR not penalized Dillon and the No. 3 team.
Phelps added:
“If we hadn’t penalized it, then I think what we would see over the next 12 weeks would look significantly different. And we just can’t have it. It really comes down to: What do you want your sport to be? And that’s why I think we ruled the way we did, because we’re not demolition derby. We’re just not. We are a sport that if we had done nothing, I think we would have opened ourselves up for a mess, honestly.”
In case you missed it, Austin Dillon – desperate to win the race and grab a playoff spot – ran into the back of Joey Logano’s No. 22 car coming out of the final turns, spinning him into the wall. In the very next moment, Dillon then clipped the rear right panel of Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 car, sending him to the wall too. Dillon went on to win the race, his first in nearly two years, behind some very aggressive driving that was polarizing among fans and drivers alike – celebrated by some and widely criticized by others.
Since then, NASCAR penalized Dillon by ruling that his win would not count towards playoff eligibility – which Dillon is appealing. It also fined Logano for his actions after the race, where he spun the tires of his car down pit road in front of Dillon’s No. 3 pit box.
On Saturday at qualifying for the FireKeepers Casino 400 in Michigan, reporters caught up with Kyle Busch who offered his thoughts on the whole scene. If there was one thing that came out crystal clear, it’s that Busch still has no love for Logano.
Kyle Busch on Joey Logano when talking about the Richmond finish: “The one that had it happen to him is probably the one that has done it the most. … I guess his comments, he could be calling himself that.” pic.twitter.com/g1OAcFSJcT
“There’s a lot of guys that have done some desperate things to get wins even when they’re not desperate. The one that had it happen to him is probably the one that’s done it the most that doesn’t need to do it. I guess his comments – he can be calling himself that… Be mindful of what you do, I guess. It’s always going to come back on you. YouTube is there for not all positives.”
Simply put, Busch could’ve just said: what goes around comes around.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – AUGUST 11: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, and Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on August 11, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
It’s also worth noting two things: First, Busch is a teammate of Dillon’s at Richard Childress Racing. And second, he has a history with Logano, getting into a pit road kerfuffle with him in 2017 in Las Vegas after Logano wrecked him.
“He leaned down in the window and I said, ‘Man, that got wild.’ And he said, ‘It doesn’t matter, you won it either way. You were the best car, and you dominated,’ which means a lot to me.”
Engines fire up for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Hamlin is first in the starting grid after qualifying, Dillon is 10th, and Busch and Logano are nestled together at 13th and 14th. Stay tuned for any more potential fireworks between the drivers.
Joey Logano did not hold back on Austin Dillon here.
Welcome to FTW’s NASCAR Feud of the Week, where we provide a detailed breakdown of the latest absurd, funny and sometimes legitimate controversies and issues within the racing world.
Joey Logano did not mince words with reporters about Austin Dillon after the wild end to Sunday night’s Cook Out 400 in Richmond.
On the final lap of the NASCAR Cup Series race in Richmond, Logano was leading heading into the last dash. Dillon wasn’t too far behind Logano, but heading into the final turn, the 34-year-old driver made contact with the him, causing Logano to spin out right before the finish line.
Dillon then clipped Denny Hamlin on his way back inside before finishing an absolutely mind-blowing final lap to win the race. Here’s how the final lap looked on the broadcast.
An incredibly controversial move, to say the least. In the aftermath, Logano was understandably furious with Dillon in a very NSFW post-race interview.
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) August 12, 2024
It’s [expletive], there’s no doubt about it. He’s four car lengths back. Not even close. Then he wrecks the 11 to go along with it and then he’s going to go up there and thank God and praise everything with his baby. It’s a bunch of [expletive], it’s not even freaking close.
Logano continued to fume in a later interview on the track, saying Dillon has “sucked his whole career”.
“He’s a piece of crap. He sucks. He’s sucked his whole career,”
It remains to be seen if NASCAR will dole out punishment at all, but Hamlin — the other driver who was hit by Dillon — also wasn’t pleased about the way things went down.
NSFW language below.
Denny Hamlin says NASCAR parks people two laps for what Austin Dillon did; and that it shouldn't stand and that it's an example of the current lawless NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ifemtAWCgn
Sunday’s Brickyard 400 switched channels at the last minute. Here’s how to watch.
NASCAR fans tuning in to see Sunday’s historic return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and the 2024 Brickyard 400 will have to make a late adjustment.
As news broke that President Joe Biden is withdrawing from the 2024 Presidential race, NBC switched coverage plans and has moved the Brickyard 400 (scheduled to start around 2:30 p.m. ET) over to USA Network.
[UPDATE]: NBC resumed coverage just before the green flag flew. As of 2:45 p.m. ET, coverage on USA Network has concluded.
Tyler Reddick starts on the pole for Sunday’s race, with Denny Hamlin starting second.
This is the first Brickyard 400 on the oval since 2020, a race won by Kevin Harvick.
Kyle Busch – who desperately needs a win to revive his playoff hopes – leads all active drivers with two career Brickyard 400 victories (excluding part-timer Jimmie Johnson, who has four).
[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Brickyard 400 FREE on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/stream/tv/?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=Brickyard400&subId3=2024July”]
Caitlin Clark is going to be at the NASCAR Cup Series race this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Well, sort of.
The Indiana Fever rookie will be featured on Josh Berry’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford paint scheme with a giant photo of her on the hood. In the photo, Clark is wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes uniform seemingly about to shoot the ball with her name and “Raining 3s” written behind her.
Berry’s primary sponsor for Sunday’s Brickyard 400 is Panini America, which is highlighting its trading cards as part of the new Caitlin Clark Collection. While Clark herself will likely be busy this weekend for the WNBA All-Star weekend in Phoenix, she’ll be well represented at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Here are some close-up looks at Berry’s No. 4 Ford:
Caitlin Clark on Josh Berry’s No. 4 Ford for the 2024 Brickyard 400. (Courtesy of Stewart-Haas Racing)(Courtesy of Stewart-Haas Racing)(Courtesy of Stewart-Haas Racing)(Courtesy of Stewart-Haas Racing)
And a time-lapse video of the paint scheme being wrapped, courtesy of Stewart-Haas Racing:
The photo that inspired the Air Jordan logo will speed through NASCAR’s 2024 Chicago Street Race this weekend.
NASCAR returns to the Windy City this weekend for the 2024 Chicago Street Race, with Cup Series drivers starting their engines on Sunday.
One driver, Tyler Reddick of the No. 45 Toyota Camry, will pay homage to perhaps the greatest athlete in the history of professional sports in Chicago – who also happens to own the team Reddick races for.
Reddick’s paint scheme for Sunday’s competition is splashed with purple on the roof and features a young, dunking Michael Jordan on the sides and hood of the car. It’s borrowing from the iconic 1985 poster – which shows Jordan in his unmistakable Jumpman pose – dunking over the Chicago skyline at sunset.
The image was part of Nike’s marketing promotion for the original Air Jordan sneakers. The silhouette of Jordan in that photo later turned into the Jumpman logo.
Reddick’s usual paint scheme is centered around his main sponsor, Monster Energy, while the Jumpman logo is typically featured on his passenger-side rear panel.
But this week, Reddick’s car is all Jordan. Fittingly so for a race in Chicago.
Reddick finished 28th at Chicago last year, but he’s been racing exceptionally well lately, finishing in the top 10 in five of his last six races, and winning at Talladega back in April.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.
It’s undeniable: NASCAR and the tracks it competes at deliver some pretty spectacular trophies to Cup Series race winners.
Sure, there are plenty of traditional-looking trophies that are treasured and will surely be part of drivers’ display cases and trophy rooms. But many of those are also subject to change — in name and design — based on the race sponsor, and other than signifying another tally in the win column, they might not mean much.
Instead, we’re talking about the icons, the staples, the ones drivers can spend their careers chasing because they’re so uniquely coveted. We’re talking about the novelty trophies — whether they’re quirky, funky, steeped in tradition or synonymous with the track presenting them.
And NASCAR has some fantastic ones. So here is our ranking of the top-15 novelty trophies the sport’s tracks give their race winners.
15. Pocono Raceway: The Eagle Trophy
(Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
There’s a lot to take in here from Pocono’s Eagle Trophy, which has been given to race winners since 1996. The soaring eagle isn’t the most remarkable fixture, but it certainly stands out compared with a more traditional trophy.
14. Watkins Glen International: Corning Museum of Glass Trophy
(Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
Looking at that photo, it’s understandable if your eye is immediately drawn to the bowling pin trophy — Watkins Glen has a history of wild sponsor trophies, though the Cheez-It trophy is unparalleled — but that’s not the point here.
Instead, focus on the custom glass trophy made by the nearby Corning Museum of Glass that celebrates both the track and the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York where it’s located. Along with the hand-sculpted center in the shape of the road course (which isn’t visible in this photo), the blue tint of it is a nod to the track’s similarly colored guard rails. Not the quirkiest of NASCAR novelty trophies, but it’s still pretty cool.
13. Michigan International Speedway: The Heritage Trophy
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Naturally, the Michigan race track honors its winners with a trophy that celebrates the track, the Motor City and the history of the auto industry in the U.S. But it’s not actually awarded to the driver. Since 2013, the trophy has been presented to the winning manufacturer — either Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota.
Inspired by the Stanley Cup, the trophy is about 50 pounds and more than three feet tall. While the base is an ode to landmark Detroit buildings, the sculpture on top resembles Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, who also served as an inspiration for hood ornaments from Cadillac, Rolls-Royce and Packard.
12. Talladega Superspeedway: The Vulcan Trophy
(Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports)
With another hat tip to ancient mythology, Talladega presents Cup race winners with the Vulcan Trophy, inspired by the Roman god of fire and the Vulcan statue in Birmingham, Alabama not far from the superspeedway. The hot-poured iron trophy weighs more than 130 pounds.
11. Texas Motor Speedway: Six-shooter revolvers, a cowboy hat and a cowboy boot trophy
(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
These are some quintessential Texas novelty awards right here with the winner dressed in Victory Lane looking like a cowboy. The trophies are unlike anything else presented to NASCAR race winners, but given the rampant gun violence in the U.S., it’s time for Texas Motor Speedway to ditch the six-shooters and stick with the hat and cowboy-boot trophy.
10. Phoenix Raceway: Live painting in Victory Lane
Joe Gibbs and Bill Patterson at Phoenix Raceway. (Will P1 Images/Will Patterson)
A trophy that’s also art is fabulous, but a trophy that’s also art and created on the spot is even better. Artist Bill Patterson generally begins painting his canvas with a few laps remaining in the race and quickly completes it with the respective winners — and sometimes the runner-up — according to the track. And then the winning driver signs it.
However, the only strike against this novelty trophy is the fact that the driver doesn’t get to keep it — the track does, though the winning teams often commission more. Still, a live painting from Victory Lane is decidedly impressive.
9. Charlotte Motor Speedway: A vintage Coca-Cola vending machine
(HHP/Harold Hinson, courtesy of Charlotte Motor Speedway)
For the Coca-Cola 600 — one of NASCAR’s “crown jewel” races, which is held at the iconic Charlotte track — the winning driver receives a traditional piston-style award called the Bruton Smith Trophy.
But the real specialty item here is the restored vintage Coke machine, which the track has been giving out since 2010. How fun is that? And a perfect novelty trophy for an important race with a consistent sponsor.
8. Daytona International Speedway: The Harley J. Earl Trophy
(eter Casey-USA TODAY Sports)
The Harley J. Earl trophy, given to the winner of the Daytona 500, is this high on the list mostly because of the massive accomplishment it is to get your name engraved on it. And there are actually two.
The Harley J. Earl Perpetual Trophy is the massive one that includes the names of every Daytona 500 winner, weighs more than 100 pounds and stays at the famous Daytona track. But the winner gets a smaller replica weighing in at 54 pounds with the bronze Firebird One car on top weighing 22 pounds. That car takes about seven months to complete.
7. California (Auto Club) Speedway: A surfboard
(Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
Would you expect anything else from a southern California track? In addition to the rad surfboard trophy the winners get immediately after the race, they’re also honored the following season when NASCAR returns to Fontana. Although it’s a year later, the previous race winner gets a custom-made surfboard, which makes for an awesome novelty trophy.
The thing is, however, NASCAR’s return to Fontana remains unclear. The track is under construction, and The Athletic recently noted NASCAR is unlikely to return in 2025. So who knows when the next driver will get a surfboard.
Kyle Busch with his custom surfboard. (Photo courtesy of Auto Club Speedway)
6. Sonoma Raceway: A massive wine goblet
(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Wine is a phenomenal prize for a hard day’s work, whether or not you’re in wine country. In this case, Sonoma Raceway goes all out with an incredible wine goblet, along with a huge wine-themed trophy.
5. Dover Motor Speedway: The Monster Trophy
(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
OK, look: This is not exactly a surfboard or a wine goblet or a vintage anything, but Dover’s Monster Trophy has to be among the best.
The track, nicknamed “The Monster Mile,” has been giving this to race winners since 2004, and it has to be the most peculiar and odd one given out. But its weirdness is what makes it great, and it’s even able to hold a replica of the race winner’s car.
4. Nashville Superspeedway: A Gibson guitar
(Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
With Nashville Superspeedway returning to NASCAR’s schedule this year, its famed trophy is back as well. For NASCAR’s first Cup race and first event at the track since 2011, the race winners earned a Gibson guitar — a perfect trophy from the Music City track. And really, who doesn’t want to feel like a rock star sometimes?
3. Bristol Motor Speedway: A gladiator sword
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A gladiator sword is exactly the kind of novelty trophy you’d expect from the short track nicknamed “The Last Great Colosseum.” It’s a wild and larger-than-you-think kind of prize, and, as Joey Logano previously demonstrated, you can have a lot of (somewhat dangerous) fun chopping random things with it. A cool trophy that can also help you trim your hedges.
“It kind of feels good too just to chop stuff with a sword,” Logano said about his recently discovered recreational activities.
2. New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Loudon the Lobster
(Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
A race win in New England obviously means a lobster trophy, but the one New Hampshire gives out is typically between 18 and 22 pounds — though the one Hamlin is holding was reportedly a whopping 44 pounds. And it’s alive. While this novelty trophy is not No. 1 on this list, it’s definitely the most exceptional one.
Unfortunately for Hamlin, his self-described “lobster phobia” probably prevented him from enjoying the trophy. When asked in 2017 what he planned to do with it — the shell is typically preserved, hand-painted and mounted on a plaque — Hamlin said:
“I’m not going to do anything with it. I’ve seen it and touched it for the last time. I have a lobster phobia. I don’t know why. I just don’t like them. I cannot eat dinner if someone beside me is eating lobster. I can’t look at it. So as far as I’m concerned, they need to put it back in the water and let it live.”
1. Martinsville Speedway: A grandfather clock
(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Martinsville’s grandfather clock is the obvious choice for NASCAR’s best novelty trophy. It’s arguably the most coveted trophy on the schedule, and NASCAR drivers like Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have said as much.
Why? It’s a valuable piece of furniture you’d want to display proudly in your home rather than in a trophy room, and there’s a unique level of prestige associated with winning the clock.
As Johnson — who won nine grandfather clocks, tying him for third-most with Jeff Gordon — explained to For The Win in 2019:
“We get a lot of big trophies, and most are plastic. … To actually have — I don’t know if it should be called an art piece — a significant piece of furniture that you can proudly display in your home, it crosses over into that furniture category as well as a major achievement. They go right into houses because it’s not your typical trophy. Looking at that as a young driver, you think, ‘Wow, I can’t afford a grandfather clock. But I can go win one.’”
A new Formula 1 video game is out, as EA SPORTS released F1 24, from developer Codemasters, on Friday. What’s new for sim racing and F1 fans this year?
Perhaps the biggest change in F1 24 is the introduction of “EA SPORTS Dynamic Handling,” a huge overhaul that could prove to be polarizing for veterans of the series. EA says that developers worked with F1 champ Max Verstappen to make car handling and performance feel more realistic in-game, and the result is something that does feel entirely different from earlier entries in the series, for better or worse.
At high speeds, zipping a car around some of the greatest circuits in the world in F1 24 feels great even on a controller – though in some cases too forgiving – but it’s at low speeds where you really notice the difference. There’s a much greater sensitivity and responsiveness to slow corners, making it all too easy to over-rotate your car and cut corners or hop curbs you never meant to. At tight tracks like Monaco, you’re going to need to log laps to come to grips with the new handling model, which at the moment leaves the car feeling a bit too light and maneuverable.
Career mode has been updated and given additional depth for F1 24, and players have plenty of options for a single-player journey through F1. You can play as an already existing driver and control their career as you see fit, you can create your own avatar and join a team – either directly in Formula 1 or starting in Formula 2 – or you can create a brand new 11th team on the grid.
I selected this option, as while F1 might be able to keep Andretti Global off the grid in real life, there was nothing stopping me from taking over as a driver/owner and signing a teammate. I was able to sign a driver from roster of current young stars, or F1 legends like Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button.
Within career mode, advancing your “recognition” will be a goal every week, as when you complete challenges and deliver solid results on the track, your recognition will rise and make you a more valuable asset to other teams. You could find yourself invited to a secret meeting with a rival team looking to negotiate a future contract. Recognition also plays a role in the R&D side when developing your current team, as having more recognition will make it easier to improve your car over time.
There’s a new challenge career mode, which allows you to compete against other drivers on a leaderboard without having to brave online lobbies for live multiplayer. You’ll be given a series of different “episodes” to complete, where you’ll tackle race scenarios against the AI, with your difficulty setting affecting a score multiplier.
Single-player modes are where F1 24 impressively delivers on the same level as other standout sports games like MLB The Show, and it’s thanks to the competitive AI that you’ll be battling on track. At a lower difficulty, it isn’t too hard for a new player to blow away the field, but at higher difficulties, AI drivers can pose a significant challenge, and they behave in realistic ways – aggressively going for overtakes in braking zones and battling you wheel-to-wheel in tight spots on track.
The level of customization available within the My Team career falls a bit short when compared to other racing games like Gran Turismo, Forza or iRacing. Upon starting a new team, you’ll be given a few options for a team logo and a surprisingly small number of choices for a main paint scheme. You’ll be able to unlock more cosmetic options as you play by earning and spending in-game currency – but the livery editor doesn’t give you the tools to make something on the same level as the other teams you’ll be competing against.
On the multiplayer side, you can compete in open unranked lobbies, or take on ranked multiplayer where you’ll face opponents close to your own skill level and have the chance to progress to higher ranks with good results. There’s also an integrated F1 league option, where you can use an EA app to browse and join player-run leagues.
F1 24 releases on May 31st on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One.
“You never come into [the Indy 500] expecting to win it. It’s so tough to get right.”
Josef Newgarden went from being an elite IndyCar Series driver to the member of some exceptionally exclusive clubs after winning his second straight Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
Following a four-hour weather delay to begin the race, the Team Penske driver started third, and Newgarden and his No. 2 team had a strong race. But at the end, the 33-year-old put on a racing masterclass in the final laps to take the checkered flag. For a peak Indy 500 finish, he out-dueled Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward in the last few times around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s iconic 2.5-mile oval, pulling off a stunning last-lap pass for the victory.
Newgarden is now the first back-to-back Indy 500 champion since Hélio Castroneves did it in 2001 and 2002, and he’s also now the 11th two-time winner of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
For The Win spoke with Newgarden about his victory, the famous milk celebration afterward and the moment he knew he had the edge over O’Ward.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Congratulations. How are you? Have you slept?
I have not slept, and it was not from a lack of trying. I tried to get back early [Sunday] night. We celebrated a little bit with the team. We also got done very late [Sunday] with the four-hour delay. Everything after that gets pushed, and it’s a long process to go through with this event.
Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden (2) celebrates with his crew members, Sunday, May 26, 2024, after winning the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Alex Martin / Journal & Courier-USA TODAY NETWORK)
How did that four-hour delay affect you, if at all, ahead of the race?
It’s difficult to keep yourself mentally where you need to be. You wake up, and you’re expecting the intensity of race day and for the moment, and then you see this impending storm that’s barreling down on us, and you sort of already know that the race is gonna be put into jeopardy as far as the timeline.
I ended up taking a nap. I didn’t actually feel that great [Sunday] morning, and my son was scheduled for a nap. So I took one with him. I got about an hour and a half in, and then it stopped raining when I woke up and it seemed like we had an opening. … But just, yeah, roller coaster of emotions and energy and just trying to stay in the program for what we’re about to do. It’s a tough race to get right, and ultimately, it’s the only day that matters this month. We’re here for three weeks; this is the only day that matters.
I’ve visited this very spot the night before the Indy 500 every year since my rookie start in 2012. I sat here Saturday night and could not wait for the opportunity to run this race once again. I love this place so much. The home of speed ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BAGsoWXDzP
You’re the sixth driver to have back-to-back Indy 500 wins, the first in more than 20 years. You’re the 11th two-time winner. You joined a lot of exclusive clubs. Has two-time Indy 500 winner sunk in yet?
It’s crazy. I let go of the fact, last year, that we were ever gonna win this race just because it’s so difficult to win. And to finally break through last year and then to follow it back up with this year, it’s pretty extraordinary. That’s the only way I can put it. It was unexpected. You never come into this race expecting to win it. It’s so tough to get right.
And just really proud of the team. They executed all day, and it’s a team sport, more so than people realize in racing. And every race we go to is a team effort. But nowhere else that we go to exemplifies the team like Indianapolis, and it really is about everyone doing their job perfectly on the day. And we were able to do that two times in a row, which is pretty cool.
Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske, celebrates in Victory Circle after winning the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
It looked like you very politely sipped from your bottle of milk instead of pouring it everywhere. Was that lessons learned from last year, or did this one just feel different and a different celebration followed?
Well, I wasn’t super polite. I still had a bunch dripping all over me, so it wasn’t very clean. But I think you celebrate however you want to. I don’t think there’s a wrong way to celebrate. But a lot of times people will pour the milk over their heads after they have a drink, and I did that last year. It was fun to do. It just seems like you want to do that for some reason. But having already gone through that and done that, I thought, well, we don’t need to do that again. I’m just gonna enjoy the milk this time and savor it. And so that’s what I tried to do.
May 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indycar Series driver Josef Newgarden celebrates after winning the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oh, you didn’t want to sit for six hours in a milk-covered suit?
Yeah, not this time. It definitely helps with the clean up. It wasn’t all over the car. Yeah, it’s a better process it seems like.
Was there a moment before you took the checkered flag where you thought, “Oh, my gosh, I’m going to win this thing again”?
Yeah, right entering Turn 4. When I passed Pato in Turn 3, I saw that I had the momentum on him, and I think it’s because of the nature of that pass. I passed him basically right at the apex is where I cleared him — the middle of the corner in [Turn] 3 — and I could see that he lost momentum because of it. And I felt really good about the fact that I had enough gap now to get to the line, and it’s gonna happen.
It’s crazy when it does. You almost can’t believe it when you’re headed to the line, and you see that it’s gonna be yours, it’s the team’s. But yeah, that was the moment. Definitely, entering Turn 4, I knew we had it.
This is only the fourth time the Indy 500 has been decided with a last-lap pass, and you’re responsible for the last two. Can you explain the strategy with that and why you’re able to make it work so well in such a high-pressured situation?
It’s definitely not my strategy — I promise you. It’s just the circumstance. The race last year was pretty different, but it was intense with a one-lap shootout. So if you were gonna win it, it needed to be a last-lap pass. There was really no choice. And then [Sunday], there was no game plan. I didn’t know how that was gonna ultimately shape up at the end, but I felt like, whatever happens, I’m gonna react to it, and I’m just gonna try and be ready for the moment.
Pato chose his point to go, and I just tried to basically rebuttal pretty quickly. And it ended up being the right place, right time, right moment. So it worked out for us. I think he’s a great champion too. He’s a great driver. He drove me with a lot of respect, and that’s ultimately what made the move possible. You can’t just drive with everyone like that. Pato is a really hard racer, but he races clean.
One of the most dramatic finishes in #Indy500 history.
Can you expand a little bit on how if it were a different driver or you were raced differently, why you might not have been able to pull that off?
I don’t know that I would have done anything different. The likelihood of it being pulled off, I think, is higher with someone like Pato because he’s a fierce competitor, but he’s very clean. He’s gonna race you fairly, and that was on full display. He raced me incredibly fair, and I didn’t know if it was gonna work out with him. But I think the likelihood is much higher with someone like Pato.
He’s definitely someone I have a lot of respect for, and he deserved to win this race just as much as me. I think he drove a great day. His team did a great job, and it just fell our way. And sometimes that’s the way it rolls. It’s heartbreaking for him. I know it is. I would have been heartbroken on the other end of it, but that’s the Indy 500. That’s why it’s so gratifying when you get it right.
May 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indycar Series driver Pato O’Ward (5) passes Josef Newgarden coming to the white flag during the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
When you and Pato and Alexander Rossi were trading for the lead and racing hard at the end, the broadcast described it as a “220-mile-an-hour game of chess.” Is that what it felt like?
Yeah, pretty much. We were all sizing each other up, trying to understand. No one was gaming it. We were all just trying to lead and show who’s the superior car at the very end. It was a 30-lap shootout for sure, and you’re just trying to study everybody on the fly. There’s not enough time to study everything and come up with an articulate plan for how it’s all gonna unfold, so you’re just reacting within the learnings that you have throughout those laps.
But it was definitely a chess fight just trying to see where you’re gonna be positioned and when you’re gonna make the move at the right time. There’s no perfect recipe. It’s really hard to understand what the right thing to do is. So that’s why I always say it’s reactionary because, in a lot of ways, it’s not planned. You can’t plan exactly how it’s gonna go, so you’re just trying to understand how it’s flowing and then react accordingly.
In these few hours since you won, what has been the best celebration moment for you?
Oh, it’s the traditions. When you win the race, you get to come back. You can celebrate differently — everyone does — but I like to go back to the Yard of Bricks, right on the start-finish line. I like to celebrate with the crowd, and then it’s everything that comes after that. It’s the milk, it’s the wreath, it’s the kiss from one of the [500 Festival] Princesses.
There’s so many little details that this race has accumulated over the years that have just built tradition, and it’s fun to go through that whole process. There’s nothing like it. There’s no other race that rivals it. So I just cherish all of that. That hour period right after the win is really cool here.
What was it was a different running in the stands this time? Did you know you were going do that or was it like, let’s run it back and do it again?
Well, I always wanted to do that [and did] last year. Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve been dreaming of going into the crowd. And I knew where to go, and I was maybe thinking of something different but I couldn’t come up with a good scenario. So I thought, “Well, I’m gonna do that again, but I’m gonna go into a different spot.”
I think I was a little filled with adrenaline, to be honest with you. It was so unexpected to win the race again that I didn’t really have a plan. I just wanted to get into the crowd as quickly as possible. So, yeah, still pretty nuts and cool to do.
With the 108th Indy 500 delayed about four hours because of inclement weather, Larson couldn’t make it to Charlotte in time for the start of the NASCAR race. So Justin Allgaier started behind the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, waiting for Larson to arrive.
After starting fifth following an impressive qualifying round last weekend, Larson finished 18th in his first Indy 500 behind the wheel of the No. 17 Arrow McLaren/Hendrick Chevrolet. His best lap speed was 223.584 miles per hour, and he led four laps.
“I would definitely love to be back next year. I feel like I learned a lot throughout the race. I made a couple of mistakes early there with the restart. I’m not sure what I did wrong there, but I somehow got myself in a third, and then I felt like I did a really good job on the restarts and was able to learn a lot.
“And definitely feel good about knowing what I would need different for the balance, I think, coming back to help runs and stuff. And then, yeah, obviously I smoked a left-front [tire] or something into the green-flag stop and killed our opportunity. So proud to finish, but pretty upset myself. So I just could have executed a better race.”
After the interview, Larson took a helicopter to the airport and a jet to Charlotte. As Fox Sports’ Coca-Cola 600 broadcast noted, Larson landed in Charlotte at 9:19 p.m. ET and should be able to take over for Allgaier when he gets to the track, weather permitting.
