The Indianapolis 500 or “Indy” is an annual racing event. The event was almost two weeks long including practices. It started on Tuesday, May 13, with the main event being on Sunday, May 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The Indy is named after the 500 miles racers have to drive, consisting of 200 laps in total around the 2.5 mile track. 2025 marked the 109th annual race.
Spanish racer Alex Palou finished in first place by a long shot, having over 100 more points than the second place racer, Pato O’Ward. Palou was the champion of a few other IndyCar races; however, this was his first oval-victory and first Indy 500 win.
There were 34 racers set to compete for the 33 slots available in the race. Jacob Abel was the racer who didn’t make it into the event. Team Penske members Josef Newgarden and Will Power were deemed ineligible for the Top 12 shootout after their cars were found to have an illegal modification. Newgarden eventually finished in 25th place. This was a big upset for fans because he was the winner of both 2023 and 2024’s Indy 500.
Fans may be confused about the official ranking of racers, even if they attended the race in person. While Palou undoubtedly finished first, the other rankings are inconsistent between sources. The official IndyCar website places Christian Lundgaard in third place with 181 points. However, according to New York Times Athletic, Kyle Kirkwood placed third with 180 points. The ranking is not solely based on what racers finish before others but is determined by a point system. Points can be awarded or deducted based on the judges who enforce the strict rules. This is why the ranking changed so much after the race’s conclusion.
There were about 7 crashes at this year’s Indy, including one that happened before the race even started. Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin spun out on the first turn of a pace lap. McLaughlin was extremely apologetic towards his fans. However, he made up for it during the race and managed to finish seventh overall.
There is a long-standing tradition at the Indy 500 for the winner to drink milk on the victory podium. It started in 1936 when three-time winner Louis Meyer drank buttermilk on the podium. The tradition has evolved over time, with recent winners opting to dump the milk on themselves after winning. Palou decided to only sip from it though, explaining that he didn’t want to be covered in milk for hours. However, fans brought their own milk to the race and were pictured pouring it on themselves in celebration.
