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Rex Mays

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Rex Houston Mays Jr. (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was an American racing driver . He was a two-time National Champion , won four poles for the Indianapolis 500 , and is generally regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his era.

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113-498: Mays won regional sprint car championships in the mid-1930s. He made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1934 and won the pole in 1935, 1936, and again in 1940 and finished second, he returned the next year and finished second again. Mays won the AAA National Championship in 1940 and 1941 . However, World War II suspended racing until 1946, denying Mays of what likely would have been the peak of his career. After

226-411: A Buick . The breakup of the track surface led to two fatal accidents in the first two long-distance events (a 250 mi (400 km) and 300 mi (480 km), which was shortened to 235 mi (378 km) after two severe wrecks). That these spectacles had attracted 15,000 paying customers (and crowds of up to 40,000) persuaded principal owner Carl G. Fisher to spend $ 155,000 on repaving

339-660: A Formula Ford Festival title, driving for Team USA in England. In 2009, Newgarden moved to England to begin his European career. He competed in the British Formula Ford Championship , finishing runner-up and leading the ultra-competitive series with nine race wins. He competed in the opening round of the 2009 Formula Palmer Audi Season, taking two wins. In 2010, he competed in the GP3 Series , capturing one pole position. Newgarden returned to

452-598: A Lola - Ford . The Offenhauser engine was also paired with a European maker, McLaren , obtaining three wins for the chassis, one with the Penske team in 1972 with driver Mark Donohue , and two for the McLaren works team in 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford . This was also the last time the Offy would win a race, its competitiveness steadily decreasing until its final appearance in 1983. American drivers continued to fill

565-484: A YouTube channel on which he posts vlogs and behind the scenes content of his IndyCar race weekends. The channel also features a now discontinued video series with his Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin titled Bus Bros . Along with fellow racers Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves , he competed in the Indianapolis round of season 8 of American Ninja Warrior in 2016. Newgarden is the driver ambassador for

678-477: A 6th-place finish at the 2016 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, he finished the season in fourth place overall in the season standings, the highest non-Team Penske car in the series. On September 29, 2016, ECR owner Ed Carpenter confirmed that Newgarden would not be back with the team in 2017. Newgarden moved to Team Penske for the 2017 season, with the team making an official announcement on October 5. Newgarden won his first race with Team Penske during round 3 of

791-407: A blind draw for the qualifying order. For each attempt, cars are allowed two warm-up laps. At that time, a member of the team is stationed at the north end of the main stretch. He or she must wave a green flag, signaling an attempt, or else the car will be waved off. The attempt can be waved off during any of the four laps by the team, driver, or race officials. (The series will wave off the run if it

904-414: A career high in wins in a season with five; winning Texas, Long Beach , Road America, Iowa, and Gateway. This would be the most wins by an IndyCar driver in one season since 2016, when former teammate Simon Pagenaud won five races. Newgarden's best finish on the season outside of his five wins was a fourth place at Detroit, putting him in a deficit for the championship heading into the season finale. At

1017-415: A century, the race eschewed any sort of naming rights or title sponsor , a move, though uncommon in the modern sports world, that was well received by fans. This tradition finally ended in 2016 when a presenting sponsor, PennGrade, was added for the first time. In the 21st century, the facility has also slowly added sponsorship ads on the retaining walls and infield grass. The ESPN-produced ABC telecast of

1130-415: A given car number—the "primary" car and a "backup" car. The backup car is identified by the letter "T". For example, the two cars for the #2 team would be numbered #2 and #2T. Both cars may be practiced during the month, but due to engine lease rules, they must share the same engine. It is not uncommon for teams to prefer their backup car, if it is deemed faster, or for other strategic reasons. Additionally, as

1243-459: A hole to rival Scott Dixon. By mid-season and toward the final stretch he produced a series of wins and podium finishes that set him up for a title-deciding showdown with Dixon at the final round in St. Petersburg. Newgarden could only win the championship if he won the race and Dixon either retired or finished no better than ninth. During the race, Newgarden overtook Pato O'Ward in the closing laps after

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1356-399: A part-time team altogether that does not enter any of the other races, or enters only a few selected races. The "Indy-only" drivers may come from a wide range of pedigrees but are usually experienced Indy car competitors who either lack a full-time ride, are former full-time drivers who have elected to drop down to part-time status, or occasional one-off drivers from other racing disciplines. It

1469-495: A period that has seen him win almost half of the oval races IndyCar has raced in that time, has earned him the nickname The Oval King . On road and street courses, Newgarden is known for making successful outside line passes, leading to some pundits and fellow drivers to nickname this tactic the Josef Newgarden Move . Newgarden has been known to race his teammates harder than other IndyCar drivers, and has been at

1582-481: A privileged status for automobile races. The first "500" was held at the Speedway in 1911 on Decoration Day , May 30, (as it was known from its inception in 1868 to 1967, when federal law made "Memorial Day" the official name), run to a 600-cubic-inch (9,800 cc) maximum engine size formula. It saw a field of 40 starters, with Harroun piloting a Marmon Model 32-based Wasp racer—outfitted with his invention,

1695-463: A restart and held onto the lead for his second consecutive win in St. Petersburg but ultimately failed to defend his title when Dixon finished third. 2021 would be an up-and-down year for Newgarden and Team Penske. Despite earning a season leading four pole positions, he would not pick up a win until the tenth round of the season at Mid Ohio. The win was Newgarden's nineteenth in IndyCar, making him

1808-515: A series record for most laps led in a race. Newgarden joined Team Penske in 2017, scoring his first win with the team in his third start. He earned four wins and nine podiums in 2017, capturing his first IndyCar Series Championship. 2018 saw a fifth-place finish with three wins. Newgarden earned his second Championship in 2019 with four wins and seven podium finishes. During the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons, he produced four, two, and five wins respectively, finishing second each year. Newgarden won

1921-399: A single race, and considered a 24-hour contest, in the fashion of Le Mans , or a one-thousand-mile (1,600 km) event. They decided on 500 miles (800 km), the estimated distance a race car could run before dark descended on the track, and a spectacular purse of $ 25,000, equivalent to 82.93 pounds (37.62 kg) of pure gold . The combination allowed the track to rapidly acquire

2034-405: Is a rounded rectangle, with four distinct turns of identical dimensions, connected by four straightaways (two long straightaways and two "short chutes"). Traditionally , the field consists of 33 starters, aligned in a starting grid of eleven rows of three cars apiece. Drivers race 200 laps, counter-clockwise around the circuit, for a distance of 500 miles (800 km). Since its inception in 1911 ,

2147-526: Is an American racing driver who races the No. 2 Team Penske Dallara / Chevrolet in the IndyCar Series . He was the 2011 Indy Lights champion, and 2017 and 2019 IndyCar Series Champion. He won the 2023 and 2024 Indianapolis 500 , and the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona , becoming the 16th driver to win both an Indy 500 and a 24 Hours of Daytona, as well as the first driver since Helio Castroneves to win

2260-598: Is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix , with which it typically shares a date. The inaugural race was held in 1911 and was won by Ray Harroun . The event celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011 , and the 100th running was held in 2016 . The event was put on hiatus twice, from 1917 to 1918 due to World War I and from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II . In two different periods,

2373-415: Is contested by "Indy cars" , a formula of professional -level, single-seat, open cockpit , open-wheel , purpose-built race cars. As of 2020 , all entrants utilize 2.2 L V6 , twin- turbocharged engines, tuned to produce a range of 550–750 horsepower (410–560 kW). Chevrolet and Honda are the current engine manufacturers involved in the sport. Dallara is at present the sole chassis supplier to

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2486-431: Is focused on safety aspects and is done on the pit lane qualifying queue. It is relatively brief, due to the time constraints of the qualifying procedure. The post-qualifying inspection is much more stringent and lengthy, taking place in the garage area. It is to detect deviations from the performance guidelines set forth by the league, and cars can and have been fined or outright disqualified if they fail inspection. During

2599-525: Is half Danish via his mother, and on his YouTube channel that he holds a Danish passport. He credits watching racing on TV at an early age with his father, who was an avid fan of NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula 1, as what got him into the sport. Newgarden grew up in Hendersonville, Tennessee , and attended Pope John Paul II High School , where he was friends with and a former classmate of NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver Golden Tate . Additionally, he

2712-414: Is not uncommon for some drivers (particularly former Indy 500 winners) to quit full-time driving during the season, but race solely at Indy for numerous years afterward before entering full retirement. Technical specifications for the Indianapolis 500 are currently written by IndyCar . Rules are generally the same as every other IndyCar race. In the past, particularly during the era in which USAC sanctioned

2825-403: Is obvious the run will not be fast enough to qualify and it is getting late in the day.) If an attempt is waved off after the run starts, the attempt counts and the previous time is still forfeited unless race officials waved off the attempt because of weather. Weather can and often does affect qualifying and can result in last-minute format changes. From 1911 to 1955, the race was organized under

2938-414: Is upwards of 250,000, and infield patrons raise the total race-day attendance to a range of approximately 300,000–350,000. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track and hosted a smattering of small events, including ones for motorcycles . The first long-distance event, in "fearful conditions", was the 100-lap Prest-O-Lite Trophy in 1909, won by Bob Burman in

3051-401: The 2015 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama , moving from 5th to 2nd on the first lap of the race, and leading the most laps on the way to a 2.2-second win. He would win again later in the season at the 2015 Honda Indy Toronto and finished the 2015 season 7th in the standings with 431 points. Sarah Fisher ended her participation in IndyCar after the 2015 season, with Newgarden remaining with

3164-568: The Milwaukee Mile Indy car race traditionally run the weekend after the Indianapolis 500 was renamed in Mays' honor, recognizing not only his career and tragic death, but his selfless earlier actions in protecting Dinsmore. The Rex Mays Classic ran as such from 1950 to 1987 - at which time the Mays name was eliminated in favor of Miller High Life sponsorship. Riverside International Raceway also held an Indy car race named after Mays,

3277-618: The NASCAR weekend permanently in 2021 ), and the support races on the road course moved to its own September weekend. As races were cancelled because of local restrictions, the Speedway added two more road course races in October as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge meeting, where attendance was capped to 10,000 per event. In 2024, the race was delayed for over four hours due to heavy rain and thunderstorms in

3390-683: The Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway , in Newgarden's hometown of Nashville . On December 5, 2022, Newgarden announced that he would be teaming up with fellow Team Penske IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin and Indy NXT driver Kyffin Simpson would be entering the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona with an LMP2 entry. Newgarden would return later in the year at the Petit Le Mans driving for Porsche Penske Motorsport driving

3503-558: The Peugeot Grand Prix engine which had been serviced in his shop by Fred Offenhauser in 1914, installing it in Jimmy Murphy 's Duesenberg and allowing him to win the 1922 edition of the race. Miller then created his own automobiles, which shared the 'Miller' designation, which, in turn, were powered by supercharged versions of his 2.0- and 1.5-liter (122 and 91 in ) engine single-seaters, winning four more races for

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3616-674: The Rex Mays 300 , which ran from 1967 to 1969. Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500 , formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race , and commonly shortened to Indy 500 , is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana , United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis . The event is traditionally held over Memorial Day weekend, usually

3729-615: The SeriousFun Children's Network , a charity started by actor and race team owner Paul Newman . Newgarden is also a ping-pong player. He hosts an annual celebrity tournament during May that raises funds for the Serious Fun Children's Network. In 2019, the tournament raised over $ 100,000 for the charity. Newgarden is a gamer and was a brand ambassador for the Microsoft title Forza Motorsport . His voice

3842-428: The green–white–checker finish in case of a late-race yellow. The race can be (and has at times) finished under caution. However, officials may call for a late-race red flag (in lieu of a lengthy yellow) to provide an opportunity for a green-flag finish, an option that was used in 2014 , 2019 , 2022 , and 2023 . The circuit lacks lights, therefore lateness can become a factor in the cases of lengthy delays. The event

3955-411: The rear-view mirror . Harroun (with relief from Cyrus Patschke ) was declared the winner, although Ralph Mulford protested the official result. Eighty thousand spectators were in attendance, and an annual tradition had been established. Many considered Harroun to be a hazard during the race, as he was the only driver in the race driving without a riding mechanic , who checked the oil pressure and let

4068-416: The "International Sweepstakes" dropped. Since 1981, the race has been formally advertised in this fashion, complete with a unique annual logo with the ordinal almost always included. Around that same time, in the wake of the 1979 entry controversy, and the formation of CART , the race changed to an invitational event, rather than an Open , rendering the " sweepstakes " description inappropriate. For nearly

4181-533: The #7 in the GTP Class alongside Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr they would finish 4th overall. In 2024 Newgarden would return to Porsche Penske Motorsport at the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona again driving the #7 alongside Campbell and Nasr and Dane Cameron after a long race the #7 team would win the 24 Hours of Daytona. Since his second year in IndyCar Series, Newgarden has established himself as one of

4294-592: The 100th race. Harold Hefner (Allison), Tom Harrison (Fisher), Jeff Angel (Wheeler), and Matthew Allen (Newby). In 2020, the race was delayed for the first time from its usual Memorial Day running to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic . There was no audience in attendance, so as to comply with pandemic guidelines. The road course race was moved to the NASCAR weekend in July (which led to an IndyCar road course race added to

4407-523: The 1970s. Soon after the death of Tony Hulman in 1977, and the loss of several key USAC officials in a 1978 plane crash, several key team owners banded together and formed CART in late 1978 to sanction the sport of Indy car racing . The Indianapolis 500 itself, however, remained under the sanctioning control of USAC. It became the lone top-level race the body still sanctioned, as it ultimately dropped all other Indy car races (as well as their stock car division ) to concentrate on sprints and midgets . For

4520-407: The 1980s, as was Dutchman Arie Luyendyk . In 1993, reigning Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell shocked the racing world by leaving Formula One for CART . While he came in only third in the 500 , he won the 1993 CART championship . Foreign-born drivers became a regular fixture of Indianapolis in the years to follow. Despite the increase in foreign drivers commonly being associated with

4633-507: The 2013 race in Baltimore and in 2014, would stand on his second career podium at Iowa Speedway. During his fourth full season in IndyCar, Newgarden raced under the merged team of Sarah Fisher and Ed Carpenter . Under this new team banner Newgarden started 2015 finishing in 12th position at St. Petersburg. During the fourth race weekend in the 2015 season at Barber Motorsports Park , Newgarden earned his first IndyCar Series victory at

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4746-523: The 2017 season at Barber Motorsports Park; clinching the victory after a duel with Scott Dixon in the final laps. Newgarden moved into the IndyCar points lead following back to back victories at Toronto and Mid Ohio. At Gateway, Newgarden held off his teammates and Scott Dixon to clinch his fourth series victory of the season but not without controversy as late in the race, Newgarden went under teammate Simon Pagenaud very late going into Turn 1. After bumping tires, both continued but, as Pagenaud nearly hit

4859-468: The 33-car field lining up three-wide for the start, the annual singing of the chorus of " Back Home Again in Indiana ", and the victory lane bottle of milk. Also unique is that qualifying requires the driver to complete four, rather than one, timed laps, and the time trials are conducted on a separate weekend. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity

4972-543: The CART era, three of the first six Indianapolis 500 winners were non-American drivers. In 2009, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began a three-year-long "Centennial Era" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909), and the 100th anniversary of the first Indy 500 (1911). As a gesture to the nostalgic Centennial Era celebration (2009–2011), tickets for the 2009 race donned

5085-620: The Formula Ford Festival title, becoming the only American to do so. At the Walter Hayes Trophy event, Newgarden won all of the qualifying races leading to the main event. He started the event from the pole position, but mid-way through the race in wet conditions, Newgarden crashed from the lead, finishing 6th place. In 2009, he moved to England to compete in the British Formula Ford Championship and start his European career. He finished runner-up in 2009, leading

5198-598: The Formula One drivers who did drive at the speedway was five-time world champion Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio , though he failed to qualify for the 1958 race. It was not until the Indianapolis 500 was removed from the World Championship calendar that European entries made their return. In 1963, technical innovator Colin Chapman brought his Team Lotus to Indianapolis for the first time, attracted by

5311-543: The Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades, made a brief return just before World War II , with the competitive Maserati 8CTF allowing Wilbur Shaw to become the first driver to win consecutively at Indianapolis, in 1939 and 1940. With the 500 having been a part of the World Drivers' Championship between 1950 and 1960, Ferrari made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with Alberto Ascari , but European entries were few and far between during those days. Among

5424-500: The Indianapolis 500 two years in a row. Newgarden began racing at 13 in karts , capturing four championship titles in 2005–2006.  He switched to open-wheel racing in 2006, competing in the Skip Barber Racing School Series, finishing second in the regional championship in 2006, followed by sixth and second in the national series, in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, he became the first U.S. driver to capture

5537-609: The Indy 500 (but CART sanctioned the other Indy car races), rules at Indy slightly differed at times. The result, for example, would be a particular chassis or engine configuration being legal at Indy, but not so at the CART-sanctioned events. This was rather commonplace in the 1980s and early 1990s, when "stock-block" engines (namely the V-6 Buick) were allotted an increased level of turbocharger boost by USAC at Indy, compared to

5650-676: The Kart Racers of America (KRA) Junior Can Championship. He also competed in the TAG world championships that year in the junior division, securing the title. 2006 was his most successful year in karting; he secured two championships in the KRA Junior Can division and repeated as the TAG World Champion in the junior division. He went on to compete in junior car racing in 2007, but returned to karting several times, racing in

5763-582: The Southern Regional Series with three wins and another seven podium places. He next competed in the 2007 BFGoodrich / Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda championship, finishing sixth with two wins. Newgarden remained in the series for 2008 and improved to second place, with three wins. After the 2008 season, Newgarden was selected for the Team USA scholarship to compete at the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy. He secured

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5876-537: The States in 2011 and competed in the Indy Lights Series , capturing five wins and 10 podiums out of 14 races. He clinched the points championship with one race remaining.  In 2012, Newgarden joined the IndyCar Series , earning his first career win in 2015 at Barber Motorsports Park followed by a win at Toronto . In 2016, Newgarden captured his third win at Iowa , where he led 282 of 300 laps and set

5989-528: The United States' participation in the two World Wars (1917–1918, 1942–1945), the advertised Centennial Era occurred during the 93rd to 95th runnings. To avoid confusion between the 100th anniversary, and the actual number of times the race has been run, references to the ordinal during the Centennial Era were curtailed. In the 2014 meeting, the road course became part of the race meeting for

6102-401: The area. The race was originally advertised as the "International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race" from 1911 to 1916. However, from its inception, the race has been widely known as the Indianapolis 500 or, more simply "the 500", as for many years, it was the only noteworthy auto race of such distance. In 1919, the race was referred to as the "Liberty Sweepstakes" following WWI . From 1920 to 1980,

6215-684: The auspices of the AAA Contest Board . Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster , AAA dissolved the Contest Board to concentrate on its membership program aimed at the general motoring public. Speedway owner Tony Hulman founded USAC in 1956, which took over sanctioning of the race and the sport of Championship racing . From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 also counted toward the FIA 's World Championship of Drivers (now synonymous with Formula One ), although few drivers participated in

6328-416: The center of some of the most infamous finishes in IndyCar history. Most famously was the 2023 Indianapolis 500 , where after a series of red flag incidents Newgarden passed Marcus Ericsson with two corners to go on the final lap before weaving briefly into the pitlane to take away clean air from Ericsson and win the race. Although the move was considered legal at the time, IndyCar ended up banning weaving into

6441-404: The championship hunt with two races to go, and with an early retirement at Laguna Seca Newgarden finished fifth in the 2023 IndyCar Series. Newgarden started 2024 with a pole position at St. Petersburg, but was stripped of his win after Team Penske violated push-to-pass regulations. Newgarden rebounded by winning the 108th Indy 500, achieving back to back Indy 500 victories. Newgarden became

6554-578: The country. After a year of this, his father purchased a kart . When he was 13, he and his family ventured outside of Tennessee to find a competitive kart racing environment. This led Newgarden to a kart racing facility in New Castle, Indiana , that had recently been launched by IndyCar driver Mark Dismore . In order to stay efficient with funding, Newgarden focused on local and regional championships rather than competing nationally. In his first year of karting (2005), Newgarden finished 2nd and 3rd in

6667-491: The crews. More lengthy repairs are allowed, and since 1998 teams are permitted to return to the garage area to make repairs. However, there are limitations to the extent of repair work allowed and the practicality of such work. Teams are not allowed to change engines, and since 1933 a rule has been in place where teams are not allowed to add oil . In addition, the officials designate a certain lap after which off-track cars being serviced/repaired are no longer permitted to return to

6780-409: The distance has been completed, the race must be resumed and achieve at least the 101-lap distance in order to be official. A primary limiting factor is available daylight, as the track does not have lighting. If the race is halted and cannot be resumed before sunset, the resumption will be scheduled for the next possible day. The Indianapolis 500, as well as other IndyCar Series races, does not utilize

6893-548: The driver know when traffic was coming. In 1912, the purse was raised to $ 50,000, the field was limited to 33 (where it remains), and a riding mechanic was made mandatory. This second event was won by Joe Dawson in a National , after Ralph DePalma 's Mercedes broke. Although the first race was won by an American driver at the wheel of an American car, European makers such as the Italian Fiat or French Peugeot companies soon developed their vehicles to try to win

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7006-525: The engine up to 1929 (two of them, 1926 and 1928, in Miller chassis). The engines powered another seven winners until 1938 (two of them, 1930 and 1932, in Miller chassis), then ran at first with stock-type motors before later being adjusted to the international 3.0-liter formula. After purchasing the Speedway in 1927, Eddie Rickenbacker prohibited supercharging and increased the displacement limit to 366 cu in (6,000 cc), while also re-introducing

7119-409: The event did not recognize this sponsorship and instead had Firestone Tires as its presenting sponsorship. The Borg-Warner Trophy , introduced in 1936, proclaims the event as the "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race", with no reference at all to the name "International Sweepstakes". The Indianapolis 500 is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , a 2.5-mile (4 km) oval circuit . The track

7232-433: The event, which they did from 1912 to 1919. The 1913 event saw a change to a 450-cubic-inch (7,400 cc) maximum engine size. After World War I , the native drivers and manufacturers regained their dominance of the race, and engineer Harry Miller set himself up as the most competitive of the post-war builders. His technical developments allowed him to be indirectly connected to a history of success that would last into

7345-625: The first consecutive winner of the Indy 500 since Helio Castroneves 22 years ago, also driving for Team Penske . Newgarden participated in the 2018 Race of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the 2019 Race of Champions at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico , both times for Team USA. On February 23, 2022, it was announced that Newgarden would be a guest driver in Tony Stewart 's Superstar Racing Experience at

7458-455: The first half of the season, including his first win in the Indianapolis 500 after a last lap pass against Marcus Ericsson . Although he managed to sweep the double header at Iowa for another season of three or more wins, Newgarden would struggle uncharacteristically throughout the season on road and street circuits, recording only one podium finish on a road or street course all season. A rare crash at Gateway while leading took Newgarden out of

7571-519: The first time. The GMR Grand Prix road course event, and the three upper tiers of Road to Indy , participated in road course events at the Speedway during the first week of activities. Six years later, in 2016 , the race celebrated its 100th running with about 350,000 in attendance. Four local actors were hired to portray the Founding Four of James Allison, Carl Fisher, Frank Wheeler, and Arthur Newby during multiple Centennial Era events and

7684-543: The highly competitive Robo-Pong 200 at New Castle Motorsports Park multiple times over the next few years. He won the 200-mile endurance race twice, with both successes coming with members of the Dismore family as his teammates (Mark Dismore Sr in 2011 and Mark Dismore Jr in 2013). Newgarden started his open-wheel car career in the Skip Barber Racing School series in 2006. He finished as runner-up in

7797-564: The inaugural PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge in 2022 by winning on an oval, road course, and street circle. In 2023, Newgarden swept the Iowa Speedway weekend and nearly became the first driver to win every oval race on the schedule with wins at Texas and Indianapolis . After a thrilling last-lap pass, Newgarden won the 2023 Indianapolis 500 in his 12th attempt at the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing". He finished fifth in

7910-474: The large monetary prizes, far bigger than the usual at a European event. Racing a mid-engined car, Scotsman Jim Clark was second in his first attempt in 1963, dominated in 1964 until suffering suspension failure on lap 47, and completely dominated the race in 1965, a victory which also interrupted the success of the Offy, and giving the 4.2-liter Ford V8 its first success at the race. The following year, 1966, saw another British win, this time Graham Hill in

8023-411: The last weekend of May. It is contested as part of the IndyCar Series , the top level of American open-wheel car racing , a formula colloquially known as "Indy car racing". The track itself is nicknamed the "Brickyard", as the racing surface was first paved in brick in the fall of 1909. One yard of brick remains exposed at the start/finish line. The event, billed as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing ,

8136-663: The majority of entries at the Brickyard in the following years, but European technology had taken over. Starting in 1978, most chassis and engines were European, with the only American-based chassis to win during the CART era being the Wildcat and Galmer (which was technically built in Bicester , England) in 1982 and 1992, respectively. Ford and Chevrolet engines were built in the UK by Cosworth and Ilmor , respectively. As of 2023,

8249-599: The mid-1970s. For musical entertainment before the start of the race, the Purdue All-American Marching Band has been the host band of the race since 1919. In 1946, American operatic tenor and car enthusiast James Melton started the tradition of singing " Back Home Again in Indiana " with the Purdue Band before the race when asked to do so on the spur of the moment by Speedway president Tony Hulman . This tradition has continued through

8362-414: The moniker "93rd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes". It is the first time since 1980 that the "Sweepstakes" title has been used. In May 2009, the ordinal (93rd) was used very sparingly, and for the first time since 1981, was not identified on the annual logo. Instead, in most instances in print, television, and radio, the race was referred to as the "2009 Indianapolis 500". Since the race was not held during

8475-465: The month wears on, a "T car" may be split off into a separate entry, and reassigned a new number, or be sold to another team. All cars must pass a rigorous technical inspection before receiving a sticker signifying that the car is eligible to practice. Various criteria include minimum weight, dimensions, and approved parts, particularly safety equipment. Before and after qualification attempts, cars must pass another inspection. The pre-qualifying inspection

8588-518: The most recent active Formula One driver to have entered the 500 is Fernando Alonso , who drove in the 2017 race. Alonso was the first Formula One driver to enter the 500 since Teo Fabi in 1984 . After foreign cars became the norm, foreign drivers began competing in the Indianapolis 500 regularly, choosing the United States as their primary base for their motor racing activities. Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi , Italian Teo Fabi , and Colombian Roberto Guerrero were able to obtain good outings in

8701-511: The most successful American driver currently active in the series. Newgarden picked up a second win at Gateway. Heading into the final race of the season at Long Beach, Newgarden was one of only three drivers mathematically in contention for the title alongside Alex Palou and Pato O'Ward. Newgarden finished second in the race, giving him a second-place finish in the championship for the second consecutive year. Newgarden would be an at times dominant and at times inconsistent force in 2022 . He set

8814-572: The most victories is Castroneves. Rick Mears holds the record for most career pole positions with six. The most successful car owner is Roger Penske , owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Team Penske , which has 20 total wins and 18 poles. Penske also has five wins at the IndyCar Grand Prix , held on the combined road course . The event is steeped in tradition , in pre-race ceremonies, post-race celebrations, and race procedure. The most noteworthy and most popular traditions are

8927-527: The next three years, the race was not officially recognized on the CART calendar, but the CART teams and drivers comprised the field. By 1983, an agreement was made for the USAC-sanctioned Indy 500 to be recognized on the CART calendar and the race awarded points towards the CART championship. Josef Newgarden Josef Nicolai Newgarden (born Joseph Edgar Newgarden , December 22, 1990)

9040-439: The other races of that series. Italian driver Alberto Ascari was the only European-based driver to race in the 500 during its World Championship years. His appearance in 1952 in a Ferrari was also the only time a Ferrari has ever appeared in the race. Juan Manuel Fangio practiced at the track in 1958 but declined an offer to race. Control issues of monetary prizes and squabbles over technical regulations caused conflict in

9153-485: The pit lane at the Indianapolis 500 for safety and sporting reasons. Newgarden was born in Nashville , Tennessee . Originally named Joseph Edgar, his parents changed his name at 6 years old to honor his mother’s Danish heritage. His parents moved from New York in the 1980s with the family photography business. He is the youngest of three siblings, having two older sisters. Newgarden has said in an interview that he

9266-569: The points championship with one race to go. In New Hampshire, the 11th race of 2011, Newgarden lapped the entire field and went on to win. He was the first Indy Lights driver to do this since Thiago Medeiros in March 2004. Newgarden, as a rookie, would also lead the series with the most number of wins for the 2011 season. On December 7, 2011, Newgarden was announced as the driver for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing . He competed in IndyCar from 2012 to 2014 with Fisher's team. He would earn his first podium at

9379-527: The points standings after every race except the Indy 500 where Team Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud led from the pole position. Newgarden won his second IndyCar title at Laguna Seca by only 25 points. Newgarden started his second title defense slowly in 2020 , a season shorted by the COVID-19 pandemic . Although he finished third at the opener in Texas he found himself in an early-season slump that put him in

9492-632: The points. The season was highlighted by a pole position at Hockenheimring and a best finish of fifth at the season finale at Monza . At the start of 2011, Newgarden would return home to the United States to compete in the Indy Lights Series with Sam Schmidt Motorsports . He won his first Indy Lights race in the season opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg . He followed his opening win in St. Petersburg with four more wins and ten podium finishes out of thirteen races in 2011, clinching him

9605-470: The pole for Sonoma, setting a track record. Newgarden needed to finish 4th or higher regardless of Pagenaud's result and he finished 2nd to clinch his first title. Newgarden became the first American born driver to win the Astor Cup since Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2012. Newgarden won the opening race of the 2019 season at St. Petersburg and followed that up with wins at Detroit , Texas and Iowa . He led

9718-538: The purpose-built V-8 quad-cam engines. While the "stock block" engines were technically legal in CART competition, they were not given the increased boost advantage, which effectively rendered them uncompetitive, and precluded their use by teams. The most famous manifestation of the USAC rules disparity was the Ilmor -built Mercedes-Benz 500I engine fielded by Roger Penske in 1994 . Teams may enter up to two machines under

9831-522: The race has always been scheduled on or around Memorial Day . Since 1974 , the race has been specifically scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is widely considered one of the most important days on the motorsports calendar, as it is the day of the Indianapolis 500, the Coca-Cola 600 , and (usually) the Monaco Grand Prix . Practice and time trials are held in

9944-429: The race is not held in wet conditions. In the event of a rain delay , the race will be postponed until rain showers cease, and the track is sufficiently dried. If rain falls during the race itself, officials will halt the race (red flag) and await safe conditions. The officials can end the race and declare the results official if more than half of the scheduled distance (i.e., 101 laps) has been completed. If less than half

10057-418: The race officially reverted to the "International Sweepstakes" moniker, as printed on the tickets and other paraphernalia, with slight variations over the years. Following WWII , the race was commonly recognized as "The 500", "The 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500", or the simple form "Indy 500". Usually the ordinal (e.g. "50th") preceded it. Often the race was also advertised on

10170-493: The race was part of FIA World Championships ; between 1925 and 1928 , the World Manufacturers' Championship and between 1950 and 1960 , the World Drivers' Championship . Josef Newgarden , the winner in 2023 – 2024 , is the reigning champion. The most successful drivers are A. J. Foyt , Al Unser Sr. , Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves , each of whom has won the race four times. The active driver with

10283-425: The race, work on the car is permitted, but it is usually limited to routine pit stop work (changing tires and refueling) and minor adjustments (wing angles, etc.) Pit stop activity is rigorously rehearsed by the crews and in modern times, routine pits stops are regularly completed in under ten seconds. Other more involved work, such as replacing damaged bodywork (wings, nose cones, etc.), can also be completed quickly by

10396-451: The race. Throughout the years, the race has used several different qualifying procedures. The current four-lap (ten-mile) qualifying distance was first introduced in 1920 and has been used every year since 1939. Presently, qualifying occurs on over two days. On Day 1, positions 13–30 (or 13–33 if there are only 33 entries) have their position set with all other positions set on Day 2. Following Fast Friday practice, all cars are entered into

10509-399: The radio as the "Annual Memorial Day race", or similar variations. By the late 20th century, the term "Indy 500" had slowly emerged as the most common and most popularly used moniker. As such, since 2016, the official race logo has used the contemporary and colloquial term "Indy 500". For the 1981 race , the name "65th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race" was officially adopted, with all references as

10622-489: The riding mechanic. In 1935, Miller's former employees, Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goossen , had already achieved their first win with the soon-to-become famous 4-cylinder Offenhauser or "Offy" engine. This motor was forever connected with the Brickyard's history with a to-date record total of 27 wins, in both naturally aspirated and supercharged form, and winning a likewise record-holding 18 consecutive years between 1947 and 1964. Meanwhile, European manufacturers, gone from

10735-502: The season finale at Laguna Seca Newgarden was one of five drivers in contention for the series title alongside his Penske teammates Will Power and Scott McLaughlin along with Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson . Although Newgarden mounted a furious charge from 25th to 2nd at Laguna Seca he was ultimately unsuccessful at clinching his third championship, finishing second in the standings to Will Power. 2023 would be Newgarden's most difficult season with Team Penske. He took two victories in

10848-546: The second race in Iowa Newgarden suffered a massive crash due to a mechanical failure while leading the race. Although he was able to exit the car on his own power and walked away he collapsed shortly afterwards in the driver's motorhome lot, after which he was airlifted to a hospital in Des Moines for further evaluation. Newgarden was later cleared to race in the following weekend's Gallagher Grand Prix. Heading into

10961-472: The series in total race wins and amassing 550 points. Newgarden competed in the opening round of the 2009 Formula Palmer Audi season at Brands Hatch , taking two wins and a fourth in the third race. In 2010, Newgarden competed in the newly formed 2010 GP3 Series with Carlin Motorsport . 2010 would end in Newgarden's most disappointing championship position of his young career, finishing 18th in

11074-433: The series most versatile drivers. Newgarden is considered a complete driver, with strong one lap pace in qualifying and high end racecraft allowing him to start at the front of many races and take dominant race wins. He is equally at comfort with all four of the types of tracks the IndyCar series covers, having taken wins at road courses, street courses, short ovals, and superspeedways. Newgarden's dominance on ovals since 2019,

11187-522: The series. Firestone , which has a deep history in the sport, dating back to the first 500, is currently the exclusive tire provider. The traditional 33-car starting field at Indianapolis is larger than the fields at the other IndyCar races. The field at Indy typically consists of all of the full-time IndyCar Series entries (roughly 20–22 cars), along with roughly 10–15 part-time or "Indy-only" entries. The "Indy-only" entries, also known as "One-offs", may be an extra car added to an existing full-time team, or

11300-460: The standings in 2023, his eighth consecutive season finishing in the top-five in the championship standings. Newgarden won the 2024 Indianapolis 500 becoming the first driver in over twenty years to win the Indianapolis 500 back-to-back. According to an interview on The Dale Jr. Download , Newgarden's first race vehicle was a motorized scooter purchased at a skate shop in Hendersonville, Tennessee . In 2001, Newgarden competed in events across

11413-403: The team again known as Ed Carpenter Racing . Newgarden started the 2016 season with a podium at the 2016 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park . He missed pole position during qualifying for the 2016 Indy 500 and started in the middle of the front row. He finished the 100th running of the Indy 500 in 3rd. At the 2016 Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway , Newgarden

11526-432: The track with 3.2 million bricks; he also added a 33-inch (0.84 m) concrete wall around the track's circumference. During the 1910 Decoration Day weekend, the first events on the newly paved circuit drew 60,000 spectators; Ray Harroun won the 200-mile (320 km) Wheeler-Schebler Trophy in a Marmon . The crowds grew progressively smaller for the rest of the season, however, so the track owners chose to focus on

11639-579: The two weeks leading up to the race, while miscellaneous preliminary testing is held as early as April. The race is the most prestigious event of the IndyCar calendar, and one of the oldest and most important automobile races. It has been reported to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Likewise, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is regarded as the world's largest sporting facility in terms of capacity. The total purse exceeded $ 13 million in 2011 , with over $ 2.5 million awarded to

11752-476: The wall, he was not pleased with his teammate's move. The following week at Watkins Glen, Newgarden had a sizable cushion in the points over second-place Dixon. Coming back onto the track after a pit stop under green on cold tires, he lost control of the car as Sébastien Bourdais made contact with him damaging the suspension. Newgarden ended up leaving the Glen with a three-point lead, later a four-point lead as he won

11865-418: The war, Mays again won the Indianapolis pole in 1948 but was knocked out by a mechanical problem. In a race at Milwaukee , a fellow driver, Duke Dinsmore , was thrown from his car during an incident in the south turn. Mays was leading the race and saw Dinsmore's body lying in the middle of the south turn. Mays spun his car into the wall, got out of the car, and pulled the unconscious Dinsmore to safety. Mays

11978-400: The winner, making it one of the richest cash prize funds in sports. Similar to NASCAR 's Daytona 500 , the Indianapolis 500 is typically held early in the IndyCar Series season. That is unique to most sports where major events are usually at the end of the respective season. Currently, the Indy 500 is the sixth event of the 17-race IndyCar schedule. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Indianapolis

12091-407: The years, notably by actor and singer Jim Nabors from 1972 until 2014. Nabors announced in 2014, citing health-related reasons, that the 2014 Indy 500 would be the last at which he would sing the song. In 2015, the a cappella group Straight No Chaser sang the song before the race, and in the two races held after Nabors' retirement (and before he became the regular singer), the singing of the song

12204-490: Was a former classmate of NASCAR driver Josh Berry in the 7th and 8th grades. Before starting racing, Newgarden played baseball , football and basketball . On October 7, 2018, Newgarden announced that he and his longtime girlfriend, Ashley Welch, had gotten engaged while on a trip to Japan . They were married in the fall of 2019 in Nashville. In 2022, Newgarden's wife gave birth to their first child. Newgarden has

12317-554: Was done on a rotating basis, with the Spring 2014 winner of The Voice Josh Kaufman performing in 2016. However, the Speedway has returned to a standard singer with Jim Cornelison doing it since 2017. Following the European trends, engine sizes were limited to 183 cu in (3,000 cc) during 1920–1922, 122 cu in (2,000 cc) for 1923–1925, and 91 cu in (1,490 cc) in 1926–1929. The 1920 race

12430-444: Was injured in a crash, breaking his hand and clavicle. He returned to the car two weeks later, finishing in a top 10 spot at the 2016 Kohler Grand Prix at Road America . 28 days after his crash at Texas, Newgarden won the 2016 Iowa Corn 300 in dominating fashion, leading 282 of 300 laps. At IndyCar's return to Watkins Glen International , the 2016 Grand Prix at the Glen, Newgarden claimed another podium, finishing 2nd. After

12543-536: Was killed at the age of 36 in a crash during the only Championship Car race held at Del Mar Fairgrounds race track in Del Mar, California in November 1949. In this accident, Mays swerved to miss a car that had crashed in front of him. His car went out of control and flipped, throwing Mays to the track surface, where he was hit by a trailing car. Mays has been inducted into the following halls of fame: In addition,

12656-473: Was often the second or third race of the season, and as late as the 1950s, it was sometimes the first championship event of the year. Due to the high prestige of the Indianapolis 500—rivaling or even surpassing the season championship—it is not uncommon for some teams and drivers to focus heavily on preparing for that race during the early part of the season, and not focus fully on the championship battle until after Indy. Due to safety issues such as aquaplaning ,

12769-467: Was won by Gaston Chevrolet in a Frontenac , prepared by his brothers, powered by the first eight-cylinder engine to win the 500. For 1923, riding mechanics were no longer required. A supercharged car, ID, first won the race in 1924. In 1925, Pete DePaolo was the first to win at an average over 100 mph (160 km/h), with a speed of 101.13 mph (162.75 km/h). In the early 1920s, Miller built his 3.0-liter (183 in ) engine, inspired by

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