FOX has reportedly offered a massive TV deal package to acquire the rights of the NTT IndyCar Series in 2025 and beyond.
The NTT IndyCar Series has a bidding war for its TV rights in 2025 and beyond. As of 2024, NBC Sports has the rights to the IndyCar Series, while FOX Sports is the main competitor. The IndyCar Series has yet to decide, but FOX Sports is putting a significant offer on the table in hopes of luring the racing series away from NBC Sports.
The IndyCar Series has the biggest event of the racing season, the Indianapolis 500, but it needs to figure out how to grow the sport in other areas. A move to FOX Sports could help the viewership and gain more recognition for the sport and its drivers. It will be fascinating to see what the IndyCar Series decides, as this situation will drastically impact its future.
Ryan Blaney expresses his desire to attempt “The Double” in 2025. What did Blaney say about attempting the Indianapolis 500 next year?
The NASCAR world was buzzing in late May as Kyle Larson attempted “The Double” on May 26. Larson was supposed to compete in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and fly to Concord, North Carolina, for the Coca-Cola 600. Unfortunately, the day was ruined by the weather, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver wasn’t able to compete in the Coca-Cola 600.
During the weekend, [autotag]Ryan Blaney[/autotag] was asked about his interest in attempting “The Double” sometime in the future. Blaney has been on record expressing his interest in the past but revealed an exciting idea about attempting the Indianapolis 500.
“There’s always interest there,” Blaney said. “I think racers are always curious about other series. You want to see what the similarities and the differences are between different cars and IndyCar is obviously something I grew up really enjoy watching, as well as the NASCAR scene obviously.”
“I think it’s really special if you get to do The Double…There’s rumors of Kyle Busch doing it here soon. I think it’s really great. I’m trying to start a petition, I don’t know if say this or not, but me and [Scott McLaughlin] doing The Double. I don’t think that’s ever been done.”
Larson, Blaney, and Scott McLaughlin attempting “The Double” in 2025 would set the racing world on fire. All three drivers have the talent to win one of the races, and McLaughlin’s NASCAR debut would be special. Team Penske would have to enter two additional entries overall; however, it would be worth seeing Blaney and McLaughlin attempt “The Double” next year.
Josef Newgarden is interested in completing “The Double” in 2025. What did Newgarden say about the possibility of making his NASCAR debut?
[autotag]Josef Newgarden[/autotag] fought for so long to earn his first Indianapolis 500 victory during the 2023 season; however, it only took him one year to earn his second. Newgarden passed Pato O’Ward on the final lap to win the 2024 Indianapolis 500. The Team Penske driver celebrated with fans in the grandstands after winning two straight Indy 500s.
“I want to. So bad. I want to terribly badly — but that’s not just a me thing,” Newgarden said. “I think if you ask a lot of the drivers in the field, they would all relish in the opportunity to do the double. [Kyle Larson]’s in a unique position. He’s earned that position. It’s part of his pedigree and his history in racing. He’s known as the guy that jumps in and out of a lot of cars. So I think it was really fitting that he was there.”
“The NASCAR guys always had an easier time transferring to an IndyCar versus the other way around. But maybe now, with the specifications of the cars, the IndyCar guys can have some success going over there.”
Team Penske would be able to enter a fourth entry for Newgarden, as the organization only has three full-time cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner has never competed in a NASCAR event but desires to attempt “The Double” in 2025. It’s not fully up to Newgarden, but he has nothing else to prove in the NTT IndyCar Series.
“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.
Kyle Larson tried, but Mother Nature wouldn’t cooperate.
The NASCAR star attempted to pull off two races in one day — he was a rookie in the Indy 500 and finished 18th. Then, he flew to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 for an attempt at The Double, but because the weather in Indianapolis delayed the start of that race, he didn’t get into Charlotte until the middle of the NASCAR race.
Then, weather stopped that race, giving Larson a chance to replace Justin Allgaier… but it was eventually called due to rain.
Larson posted on X (formerly Twitter) and sounded so heartbroken. You’ve got to feel for him:
What I thought could be one of the best days of my life quickly turned into one of the most disappointing ones I’ve ever experienced. I hate it for Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, HAG, Hendrick Motorsports, everyone a part of the 5 team, everyone on the 17 indycar for speeding, my…
So much time, money, and effort went into this experience and it just kills me to have it all end the way it did. I feel like I let so many people down. We knew all along weather could throw a wrench into things but seeing it come to reality is a horrible feeling.
Up until Sunday it was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I can’t describe how appreciative I am of everyone’s support of me to live out a dream. I hope it’s not the last opportunity I have to try the Double but if it is I guess it was memorable.
Thank you to everyone at Arrow McLaren, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and all the competitors there for making me feel welcomed.
Ready to get back on track now and get refocused on winning a 2nd championship for our team.
Pato O’Ward talks about his heartbreaking finish in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Find out what O’Ward had to say about the final moments!
[autotag]Pato O’Ward[/autotag] thought he had finally accomplished his dream. In Turn 1 on the final lap of the 2024 Indianapolis 500, O’Ward passed Josef Newgarden for the lead, which is the turn where he lost the 2022 event. However, the Arrow McLaren driver’s dreams faded quickly after Newgarden pulled off a remarkable pass in Turn 3, winning his second straight Indy 500.
O’Ward climbed out of his No. 5 car in devastation. The 25-year-old driver was in tears as he thought the 2024 Indianapolis 500 was his to lose. Then, O’Ward talked to NBC Sports about the defeat and didn’t hold back his emotions.
“It’s hard to put it into words,” O’Ward said. “I’m proud of the work we did today; we recovered, we went back, we went forward, we went back. Some people were just driving like maniacs. We had so many near-race ends and were just so close again, so [expletive] close.”
“I put that car through things I never thought it was going to be able to do. Sometimes I said, ‘Aw, that’s it,’ and somehow I came out of the other side of the corner. Oh, man: It’s just so painful when you put so much into it, and then two corners short.”
The words don’t do it justice. O’Ward was absolutely devastated, and everyone could see it after the race and during the interview. The Arrow McLaren driver was so close to winning the biggest racing event in the world. Instead, O’Ward has to settle for another second-place finish and wait for his turn at winning the Indianapolis 500.
Josef Newgarden discusses winning the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Find out what Newgarden said about his second straight Indy 500 victory!
[autotag]Josef Newgarden[/autotag] finally won the Indianapolis 500 in 2023 and wanted to be the first repeat winner in 20 years this year. Newgarden thought those hopes slipped away as Pato O’Ward passed him on the final lap; however, it was short-lived after he pulled off a remarkable move on O’Ward in Turn 3. Newgarden willed his way to victory, winning his second straight Indy 500.
Following the remarkable finish, the Team Penske driver got out of his car and celebrated with the fans. Then, Newgarden talked to the reporter on the front stretch about his Indianapolis 500 victory.
“Unbelievable! I love this crowd. I’m always doing that,” Newgarden said. “They can say whatever they want at this point. I don’t even care anymore. I’m so proud of this team. They crushed it. They came here with the fastest car and worked their tales off.”
“(Suspended engineer Luke Mason) and (suspended strategist and team president Tim Cindric) aren’t here today, but they’re a huge part of this. I’m just so proud of everybody at Team Penske. That’s the way I wanted to win the thing right there.”
Team Penske issued significant suspensions before the Indianapolis 500 after its cheating scandal at St. Petersburg. Yet, nothing can take away from what happened on Sunday evening. Newgarden has won his second straight Indianapolis 500, adding to his stacked resume as a driver in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Kyle Larson posts a heartbreaking message about his failed “Double” attempt on social media in 2024. Check out what Larson had to say!
[autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] was supposed to attempt “The Double” with the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 26. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t cooperate. Larson was forced to make a decision and stayed in Indianapolis. The Hendrick Motorsports driver completed the Indianapolis 500, flew to Charlotte, and didn’t attempt the Coca-Cola 600 due to weather.
It was disappointing for Larson, who was heartbroken that the weather had ruined his day. On Monday morning, Larson posted a message on X about his attempt at “The Double.” Larson said it turned into one of the “most disappointing” days he has ever experienced and was upset over his speeding penalty, which gave him an 18th-place finish.
What I thought could be one of the best days of my life quickly turned into one of the most disappointing ones I’ve ever experienced. I hate it for Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, HAG, Hendrick Motorsports, everyone a part of the 5 team, everyone on the 17 indycar for speeding, my…
Larson said that he hopes this isn’t his last attempt at “The Double” and that it was one of the greatest experiences of his life until Sunday. The entire message can be read on his social media post. Larson deserves another opportunity at a true shot with “The Double,” and hopefully, Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports give him a chance.
Find out how to watch IndyCar live at the Detroit Street Circuit in 2024, including the IndyCar weekend schedule!
The NTT IndyCar Series is leaving Indiana after two exciting weeks of action for the Indy 500. Josef Newgarden pulled off a shocking last-lap pass on Pato O’Ward to win the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Now, IndyCar will head to the Detroit Street Circuit, the place of the sport’s sixth weekend of the 2024 season. IndyCar is back in Michigan, so you don’t want to miss the action!
Below, you can find more details about the on-track action at the Detroit Street Circuit this weekend!
IndyCar live today: Detroit Street Circuit
Here are the upcoming practice, qualifying, and race times for the current race weekend on the IndyCar schedule (all ET).
3:30 p.m.: IndyCar Race: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (USA Network) – Watch FREE on Fubo
[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Detroit Street Circuit FREE on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=Motorsports%20Wire&subId2=2024&subId3=Austin”]
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.
