Category: MotorSports

Indianapolis 500 Announcers: Who’s calling the 2024 race for NBC?

Here’s who will be on the call for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

It’s time for the Indianapolis 500 once again, and if you’re tuning into the 2024 race on NBC, you’ll hear some familiar voices calling the action for the 500-mile race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.

For the 108th running of the Indy 500 on Sunday, pre-race coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET with coverage of the race itself beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. Back on the microphone in various roles will be Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick and James Hinchcliffe, while Jimmie Johnson will also join to help out on pre-race and race coverage.

Actors Austin Butler and actress Jodie Comer will be the honorary starters, while MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will be the honorary pace car driver.

Here’s the full list of announcers you’ll see on Sunday at the Indianapolis 500

NBC Indy 500 announcer booth

Play-by-play: Leigh Diffey

Analysts: Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe

NBC Indy 500 pit reporters

Pit reporters: Marty Snider, Kevin Lee, Dave Burns, Dillon Welch

NBC Indy 500 studio commentators

Studio commentators: Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick

Analysts: Jimmy Johnson

NBC Indy 500 roaming reporters

Roaming reporters: Jeff Burton, Kim Coon

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Betting on Kyle Larson’s attempt at the Memorial Day Double? Read your house rules closely

There are a lot of ways to get your Kyle Larson bets voided this weekend.

Kyle Larson will attempt to become just the second driver to ever complete all 1,100 miles of the Memorial Day Double, racing in the Indianapolis 500 in the early afternoon, then flying to Charlotte to run NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600.

Finishing all 1,100 miles an incredible feat of endurance, timing, logistics and, of course, speed, that only Tony Stewart in 2001 pulled off. That year, Stewart finished sixth in the Indy 500, then took third at the Coke 600.

The expectations for Larson’s attempt are much higher.

At BetMGM, Larson is the favorite to win the NASCAR race at +475. He’s also the most-bet IndyCar driver to win the Indianapolis 500 at +675.

But anyone wagering on Larson this weekend at all will want to take a very close look at their house rules as a number of obstacles could limit how much racing Larson actually gets to do in both circuits.

There’s potential rain in the forecast in Indiana on Sunday. And if Larson arrives late to Charlotte — or leaves Indy early — another driver getting behind the wheel of either ride could complicate wagers.

Here’s how FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and ESPN Bet decide whether or not a bet is action or void in these situations.

Spoiler: ESPN Bet has the strictest policy.

FanDuel Sportsbook

  • The start of the race is the signal to commence the warm-up lap. If a driver is not on the grid or ready to start from the pit lane when the signal is given we will void all bets on the selection.
  • Bets will be settled on the result at the time of the podium presentation regardless of any subsequent disqualifications.
  • The race must be run within 72 hours of the scheduled start time for bets to stand.

BetMGM

  • Motor Racing events must take place within 72 hours of the original start time or bets will be void.
  • All wagers will be settled according to the unofficial results reported immediately after the conclusion of the race by the governing organization. Any changes to the finishing order that occurs based on appeals, penalties or scoring malfunctions after the race has concluded, will not be recognized. If a race is abandoned and no presentation position or official result is declared all bets on that race will be void except for bets on any markets which have been unconditionally determined.
  • Match-up Props: If a driver does not take part in the race, then bets on them will be void.
  • Match-up Props:
    • A. Wagers are placed on the driver only, not the car or team.
    • B. If the original driver is replaced by another driver after the start of the race the original driver is the driver of record and the wager will be action.

DraftKings Sportsbook

  • The race must be completed within one week of the scheduled start time for bets to have action.
  • All bets are action unless the driver who was wagered on does not start the race.
  • Match-up Props: Both drivers must start the session for bets to have action. For race settlement if a driver fails to complete the race, the other driver in the match-up wager will be declared the winner. If both drivers fail to complete the race, the number of full laps completed will determine the winner. If both drivers fail to complete the race on the same lap, the official placing assigned by the league’s governing body will be used for settlement. For all other sessions the official placing assigned by the league’s governing body at the end of the stated session will be used for settlement.
  • Winning Manufacturer/Team: All bets are action regardless of certain drivers not starting the race.
  • Not/To Be Classified: In the event a driver does not start, all bets will be cancelled.

ESPN Bet

  • For settlement purposes, a driver/rider who has taken part in an officially-sanctioned practice or qualification session is considered to have taken part in the event, regardless of his eventual participation in the actual race.
  • In “Head to Head” bets all listed participants must take part in the session to which the bet refers to for bets to stand, irrespective of whether a driver manages to get an official time.
  • In “Outright” or “Place” bets, no refunds will apply on those participants who do not take part for any reason, for the session/event/championship to which the offer refers to.
  • All bets which make reference to teams’ performances will stand regardless of any driver/rider changes.

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Every 2024 Indy 500 driver’s choice of celebratory milk, should they win

The celebratory bottle of milk is a big part of winning the Indy 500.

Most people probably aren’t begging for a bottle of milk after a long afternoon of athletic competition, but at the Indianapolis 500, that’s the only thing the winning driver wants.

After taking the checkered flag to win the biggest IndyCar Series race of the season and one of the biggest motorsports races in the world, the victorious driver will usually celebrate a bit on the track and with their team before pulling the car to the Winner’s Circle.

Enter the Veteran Milk Man, a representative of the American Dairy Association Indiana who will hand the winner a chilled bottle of their preferred kind of milk. The winner usually takes a few sips before dumping it on their head and maybe splashing some folks nearby.

RELATED: Q&A: Indy 500 pole winner Scott McLaughlin on his record-breaking speed: ‘The closest you’ve ever felt to being a superhero’

Ahead of each Indy 500, the association polls drivers about their celebratory milk choice, should they win The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The options are simple — whole, 2 percent or fat-free milk — though many drivers hilariously would like a few more options. (There is a secret lactose-free option, should a driver request that.)

As we’ve seen over the years, whole milk continues to dominate with 26 of the 33 drivers selecting it. Five opted for 2 percent and two prefer skim.

So, why milk? The answer is simple: It’s a nearly 100-year-old tradition. And the many traditions of the Indy 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway help make the 500 the magical event it is — milk and all.

Decades ago when the milk tradition began, it started with buttermilk and driver Louis Meyer. As Indianapolis Motor Speedway explains:

“Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer regularly drank buttermilk to refresh himself on a hot day and happened to drink some in Victory Lane as a matter of habit after winning the 1936 race. An executive with what was then the Milk Foundation was so elated when he saw the moment captured in a photograph in the sports section of his newspaper the following morning that he vowed to make sure it would be repeated in coming years. There was a period between 1947-55 when milk was apparently no longer offered, but the practice was revived in 1956 and has been a tradition ever since.”

Buttermilk is no longer an option, but after the Indy 500, the designated “milk people” from the American Dairy Association Indiana will pull one of three bottles — one for each milk option — from a chilled cooler, which one of the milk people is sometimes handcuffed to. And they deliver it to the winning driver for the iconic celebration.

The 108th Indy 500 is set for Sunday, May 26 (green flag at 12:45 p.m. ET) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

13 magnificent photos of Josef Newgarden’s Indy 500 victory milk celebration

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Here’s every angle of the vicious Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch fight, including a dad getting involved

This escalated quickly.

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.

In case you missed it, we got a pretty nasty fight between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch after Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race.

After Busch knocked out Stenhouse early in the race, Stenhouse got in Busch’s face and threw a punch, which ended up in some chaos in the melee near the haulers.

There were a lot of cameras in the area filming the whole thing, so it’s time to take a look at every angle of it, and there’s one that shows Stenhouse’s dad, Ricky Stenhouse Sr., getting in on the action. What an absolutely wild moment.

Here are a bunch of videos:

How to watch the 2024 Indianapolis 500

All you need to know ahead of the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

The most anticipated race of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule is nearly here.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, where Josef Newgarden will look to defend his 2023 race win against current points leaders Alex Palou, Will Power and Scott Dixon.

NASCAR Cup Series superstar Kyle Larson will attempt an iconic double on Sunday, running as a rookie in his first Indy 500 before leaving for a 600-mile race in Charlotte on Sunday night.

Here’s all you need to know about Sunday’s must-see Indy 500:

Sunday, May 26th: The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500

The 2024 Indianapolis 500 will begin at 12:35 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Pre-race coverage will begin at 11 a.m. ET.

2024 NTT INDYCAR Series Schedule:

May 26th: The 108th Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)

June 2nd: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (Streets of Detroit)

June 9th: XPEL Grand Prix at Road America (Road America)

June 23rd: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca)

July 7th: Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)

July 13th: Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Race 1 (Iowa Speedway)

July 14th: Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend Race 2 (Iowa Speedway)

July 21st: Honda Indy Toronto (Exhibition Place)

August 17th: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 (World Wide Technology Raceway)

August 25th: BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland (Portland International Raceway)

August 31st: Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s – Race 1 (Milwaukee Mile)

September 1st: Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s – Race 2 (Milwaukee Mile)

September 15th: Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (Nashville Superspeedway)

Kyle Larson shows off his stunning new helmet for his first Indy 500 attempt

This is so cool.

Kyle Larson is preparing for a very busy race day over Memorial Day Weekend, and regardless of how he does, he’ll be doing it in style.

Larson, a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver for Hendrick Motorsports, will attempt his first Indianapolis 500 behind the wheel of the No. 17 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren and Hendrick, assuming he successfully qualifies for the race. And it’s not just his first Indy 500; it’ll be his first IndyCar Series race in general.

And after his first Indy 500, he’ll head down to Charlotte Motor Speedway and compete in NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, aiming for a total of 1,100 miles of racing in a single day. So yeah, busy weekend.

Wednesday, the 31-year-old driver and 2021 NASCAR champ revealed the special helmet he’ll wear for the Indy 500 — and, presumably, Indy 500 events, like practice and qualifying. It’s a clear tribute to the iconic race, Yard of Bricks included, and Indianapolis as a whole.

With the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, Larson is aiming to become the fifth driver to do what’s known as “The Memorial Day Double.” Drivers John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch have all competed in The Double, but Stewart is the only one to complete all 1,100 miles.

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Chris Buescher had the perfect response to Kyle Larson’s historically close NASCAR photo-finish win

The perfect response after a wildly close photo finish.

We got a pair of photo finishes in races this past weekend, with NASCAR giving us one for the ages.

At Kansas Speedway, both Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher appeared to hit the finish line at the same time. But the photo finish review revealed that Larson crossed 0.001 seconds (!!) ahead of Buescher at the AdventHealth 400.

How did Buescher react? He was totally cool about it, tweeting that he should have stuck his tongue out like Lightning McQueen did in Cars.

Very funny, and as Buescher noted in other posts on X (formerly Twitter), he had no hard feelings toward Larson after the race.

Why Travis Kelce showed up to the 2024 Miami Grand Prix without Taylor Swift

Earlier rumors claimed that the couple would attend Sunday’s race.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was spotted on Saturday at the 150th Kentucky Derby where he appeared to have a great time. And on Sunday, he was on the move once again, making an appearance at the Miami Grand Prix.

But there was a notable absence: Taylor Swift was not with him.

In the days leading up the the Formula 1 race, there were some reports that the 14-time Grammy winner was expected to go to Miami with Kelce to attend the race with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. But there’s a very good reason for why Kelce showed up to Miami solo.

According to the Subreddit that tracks Swift’s private jet, Swift’s plane landed in the Paris area on Saturday. The European leg of Swift’s Eras Tour is slated to begin in Paris on Thursday. So, Swift is likely in preparation mode for the record-breaking tour and didn’t have time to attend the Miami Grand Prix as previously rumored.

That would explain it.

NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie’s car crossed the Talladega finish line on its side and flipped after a huge wreck

Corey LaJoie is OK after what he described as a “pretty wild ride” at Talladega.

NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie is thankfully OK after going for a wild ride — and a wild sideways finish — at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

Chaos and big wrecks at Talladega are fairly common at NASCAR’s longest track, and Sunday’s Geico 500 was no different, and the race ended with a huge wreck as Tyler Reddick crossed the finish line for his first win of the year — and 23XI Racing’s first win with team co-owner Michael Jordan in attendance.

On the last lap of the 500-mile race, leader Michael McDowell was throwing multiple blocks while trying to maintain his position, but he ultimately ignited a multi-car crash just as cars were coming to the finish line.

During the wreck, LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet was hit against the outside wall of the 2.66-mile track and turned on its side. The sideways car had so much momentum that it kept sliding around the track and amazingly crossed the finish line for an 18th-place finish.

The car then slowed down, flipped entirely upside down and then rolled upright again.

And here’s LaJoie’s view from inside the car:

LaJoie is thankfully OK, and he explained what happened from his perspective to FOX Sports after being cleared by the in-field care center, calling it a “pretty wild ride” and noting he couldn’t see much beyond smoke.

He said, via FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass:

“Just never could quite get it in the right spot at the right time there at the end, and then you just know you’re just waiting to pile ’em up. Good thing I gave the belts a good ol’ tug with about three [laps] to go so I didn’t bounce around too much. …

“I did a full rotation. So I did like, left side on the ground for a bit. Then it kind of stopped. Then it flipped over, hit the roof and then landed on all fours, and the all-four hit was pretty big. Glad I slipped past the start-finish line though, so I didn’t have to run past it like I was Carl Edwards.”

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Michael Jordan celebrated Tyler Reddick’s Talladega win by picking up the NASCAR driver’s son

Michael Jordan was SO happy.

Michael Jordan, as we all know, is the most competitive. 

And when he wins? We know he’s overjoyed. But in the five times his team, 23XI Racing, has won a NASCAR race, he hasn’t been in attendance.

As for No. 6? On Sunday, his driver, Tyler Reddick won at Talladega, and you can imagine how happy he was in the moment.

“Everybody tells me when we win, we can have a good celebration,” Jordan told Fox Sports after the win. “But this is the first time I’ve been here. And to my wife and my kids and everybody — yeah, we did it!”

RELATED: NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie’s car crossed the Talladega finish line on its side and flipped after a huge wreck

How happy was he? He picked up Reddick’s son and chatted with him before meeting up with the driver: