The 2017 Indianapolis 500 (branded as the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil for sponsorship reasons) was a
Verizon IndyCar Series race held on Sunday May 28, 2017, at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
in Speedway,
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The race was the premier event and the sixth race of the
2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
Despite a threatening weather forecast in the days leading up to the event, the race ran its scheduled distance of 200 laps (500 miles) and was won by Japanese driver
Takuma Sato of
Andretti Autosport. Sato, who also finished on the
podium at the
2004 U.S. Grand Prix on the road course at Indianapolis, became the first Asian driver to win the Indianapolis 500. Sato assumed the lead with six laps to go and held off
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
over the final fifteen miles.
Two violent crashes occurred during the month, involving
Sébastien Bourdais (during time trials) and
Scott Dixon (during the race), respectively. Bourdais suffered a broken pelvis and other injuries, forcing him to sit out the event, while Dixon suffered a minor ankle injury.
Alexander Rossi entered the race as the
defending champion. The event also featured
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
, the first active
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
World Championship driver to contest the race since
Teo Fabi in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
.
Alonso was voted
Rookie of the Year, having led 27 laps before retiring in the closing stages of the race.
The
month of May activities formally began on May 13 with the fourth running of the
IndyCar Grand Prix on the
combined road course. Practice for the Indianapolis 500 began on May 15, and
time trials were held on May 20–21.
Scott Dixon, the
2008 winner, won the pole position, his third career Indy pole. Dixon's qualifying speed of was the fastest pole speed since
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
. Carb Day—the traditional final day of practice, as well as the annual
Pit Stop Challenge and
Indy Lights
Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Roa ...
Freedom 100, were held on May 26. Support races featuring the
Road to Indy were also held during the month.
Race background

The 2017 race was the third and final year contested with the
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
and
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
aero kits outfitted to the
Dallara DW12 chassis. Beginning in 2018, all
DW12 chassis were outfitted with a universal bodywork kit. Furthermore, a development freeze was implemented for 2017, and all aero kits had to adhere to the established specifications carried over from
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
.
Among the major offseason moves,
Chip Ganassi Racing switched engine manufactures from Chevrolet to Honda. Conversely,
A. J. Foyt Enterprises switched from Honda to Chevrolet.
KV Racing Technology, who won the
2013 race with driver
Tony Kanaan, was sold to
Juncos Racing, an established team in the ladder system, scheduled to make its debut at the Indianapolis 500. After losing his seat at KV Racing,
Sébastien Bourdais subsequently signed with
Dale Coyne Racing
Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) is an American professional open-wheel racing team that currently competes in the IndyCar Series and Indy NXT. The team was founded in 1984 and is owned by former driver Dale Coyne. From 1995 to 2000, the team was known ...
. Among the other high-profile moves,
Josef Newgarden departed
Ed Carpenter Racing and joined
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
.
Regulations and rule changes
A series of procedural rule changes were implemented by the series for the
2017 season, however, none of the rule changes significantly affected the Indianapolis 500. The
IndyCar Grand Prix, which opens the on-track activities for the month, a three-day event, had only two days for the Verizon IndyCar Series. That mirrors similar changes made to other races event weekends on the schedule.
*Each entry was allowed 36 sets of tires (
Firestone) total, for practice, time trials, and for the race. This remained the same from 2015-2016. The special compound "red" tires are not used for oval events. Entries taking part in the Rookie Orientation Program received an additional three sets for that session, and entries taking part in a refresher test received two additional sets.
*All entries are subject to engine change-out rules. The standard minimum change-out mileage milestone per engine is set at 2,500 miles. Full-time entries are allotted up to two fresh engines for the month of May on-track activities, plus a third engine that is left over from the previous IndyCar Series races. Teams must first mileage-out their engine from the previous races during practice before they can install a fresh engine for Fast Friday practice and/or qualifying. The second fresh engine is intended to be installed for Carb Day and race day, however each team has a certain amount of latitude as to their installation decisions. Both the engine used for Fast Friday/qualifying and the engine used for Carb Day/race day must be re-utilized and properly mileaged out later in the IndyCar season. Unapproved engine changes are subject to penalty. Teams participating in the
Pit Stop Challenge are permitted to utilize a back-up car for that event, with one of the older engines installed.
*Engines are permitted 130
kPa
The pascal (symbol: Pa) is the unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It is also used to quantify internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus, and ultimate tensile strength. The unit, named after Blaise Pascal, is an SI ...
of
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into th ...
"
boost" during practice from May 15–18. Cars are allowed 140 kPa of "boost" on Fast Friday practice, and during time trials. The "boost" level reverts to 130 kPa for Carb day and race day.
2017 IndyCar season
The 101st Indianapolis 500 was the sixth round of the
2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season, and the 22nd sanctioned as part of the
Indy Racing League/IndyCar Series. There were five different winners in the first five races leading up to the Indianapolis 500. The season began March 12 at
St. Petersburg, with
Sébastien Bourdais a surprise winner. Bourdais won from last place on the starting grid.
James Hinchcliffe won at
Long Beach
Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
, his first victory since suffering a near-fatal accident during practice for
2015 Indianapolis 500
The 2015 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 24, 2015. It was the premier event of the 2015 IndyCar Series season, 2015 season of the IndyCar Series, Verizon IndyCar Series. Juan Pabl ...
.
Josef Newgarden won at
Barber
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a barbershop or the barber's. Barbershops have been noted places of social interaction and public discourse ...
, and
defending series champion
Simon Pagenaud won at
Phoenix. The
IndyCar Grand Prix was won by
Will Power, his second victory in the event.
Entering the month of May at Indy,
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
-powered teams were the prohibitive favorites over the
Chevys. As the week began, Honda teams were even being accused of "sandbagging." However, each day saw a different driver lead the speed charts, split almost evenly between both manufacturers. Honda began experiencing multiple engine failures,
raising significant concerns around the garage area of their reliability.
Entry list
150px, Scott Dixon is a former winner, and two-time former pole winner.

:''See
2017 IndyCar Series § Teams and drivers for further information.''
Former Indianapolis 500 winners that were entered include
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
,
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...
,
Buddy Lazier,
Scott Dixon,
Tony Kanaan,
Ryan Hunter-Reay, and
Alexander Rossi. Former
IndyCar Series champions that entered include Lazier, Dixon, Kanaan, Hunter-Reay,
Will Power and
Simon Pagenaud.
In addition, Juan Pablo Montoya is a former
CART series champion, and
Sébastien Bourdais is a four-time champion of the
Champ Car World Series
Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), ...
. Montoya, after three years in a full-time role at
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
, went down to a part-time role for 2017, driving in the
IndyCar Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 only.
On April 12, it was announced that two-time
Formula 1
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
World Champion Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
planned to drive a
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
with the support of
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
for
Andretti Autosport. Alonso skipped the
2017 Monaco Grand Prix in order to compete at Indianapolis.
Rookies that entered
included Alonso,
Jack Harvey,
Ed Jones, and
Zach Veach. The official entry list was released on May 14.
* Former winner
* Indy 500 Rookie
Schedule
*
''Sources:'
101st Running of the Indy 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil Event Schedule
Road to Indy
Testing and rookie orientation
Private testing – Friday, March 24

A private manufacturers test for
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
teams was scheduled for Friday March 24. The test was moved up one day due to inclement weather predicted for Saturday. Three Honda teams,
Chip Ganassi Racing,
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) is an auto racing team that has participated in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IndyCar Series. Headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana and Hilliard, Ohio, it is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 50 ...
, and
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, tested along with one
Chevy team (
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
). A total of eleven drivers took to the track on a warm, but windy day. No incidents were reported.
Speeds were not reported. Attention during the test focused on
Ganassi taking their first laps at the Speedway with Honda power since
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, after a highly publicized switch from Chevrolet to Honda during the offseason.
Private testing – Sunday, April 2

A private test conducted by Chevrolet teams was scheduled for Saturday April 1. Cold temperatures postponed the test until Sunday April 2. Three Chevrolet teams were scheduled to participate. No incidents were reported.
Private testing – Wednesday May 3
A private test was scheduled for May 3 involving
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
.
Marco Andretti started the day off, shaking the car down shortly after 9:00 a.m. Alonso took to the track and passed all three phases of his rookie test.
Alonso completed 110 laps with a best lap of 222.548 mph. Due to rain approaching the area, the test schedule for the day was slightly compressed, in order to complete all three phases before the weather arrived.
The test was broadcast as a live stream through IndyCar's social media channels, with combined live viewership of the test was estimated to be in excess of 2 million.
Rookie orientation – Monday May 15

The Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) was scheduled for Monday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Four rookies were slated to participate in the session,
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
,
Jack Harvey,
Ed Jones, and
Zach Veach. Track time for refresher tests was also available for
Jay Howard
Jay Howard (born 16 February 1981) is a British professional race car driver who competed in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Howard was the 2005 US Formula Ford Zetec champion (now known as the U ...
,
Oriol Servià, and
Sebastián Saavedra. The three-phase rookie test requirements for 2017 consisted of ten laps at 205-210 mph, fifteen laps at 210-215 mph, and fifteen laps at over 215 mph. The two-phase refresher test consists of ten laps at 210-215 mph and fifteen laps at over 215 mph.
Alonso had passed his rookie test previously on May 3,
but was permitted the additional track time during the session. Ed Jones passed his rookie test at 1:08 p.m.,
while Jack Harvey experienced gearbox trouble, which delayed him taking to the track for almost one hour. Harvey passed only the first phase of the test after fuel pressure issues sidelined him even further. Veach made no attempt to complete his rookie program, turning in only three laps late in the session. Veterans Howard, Servià, and Saavedra all completed their refresher programs during this time.
Practice
Monday, May 15

*Weather: , Sunny
*Practice summary: Veteran practice was scheduled from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The green flag came out just after 2 p.m., and
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...
earned the distinction of first car out on the track and first driver to complete a lap. At roughly 4:00 p.m.,
Jack Harvey became the first driver to crash during practice when a mechanical failure caused him to drift out of the warm-up lane and into the turn 2 wall. Harvey was uninjured in the incident.
Graham Rahal
Graham Robert Rahal ( ; born January 4, 1989) is an American race car driver and small business owner. He currently races in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a team partially owned by his father Bobby Rahal, the winner of ...
suffered an engine failure just past 5:00 p.m., bringing his day to an end early as well.
Marco Andretti led the speed charts for the day, with a fast lap at 226.338 mph.
Ed Carpenter was the fastest of cars running
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
engines, with a speed of 224.969 mph; good enough for third place overall.
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
dominated the day, however, placing eight cars in the top ten. The fastest "no-tow" lap for the day was turned in by
Tony Kanaan in a Honda at 223.554 mph.
Tuesday, May 16

*Weather: , Sunny and windy
*Practice summary: Warmer temperatures and stronger winds kept speeds lower than the previous day. During the session,
Zach Veach and
Jack Harvey both completed their rookie orientation programs.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
engines proved quicker on the day, taking the top three spots and seven out of the top ten.
Will Power of
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
turned the fastest lap of the day at 224.656 mph.
Ed Carpenter held the fastest "no-tow" lap, with a speed of 222.842 mph. No major incidents occurred during the session.
Wednesday, May 17

*Weather: , Partly cloudy with sustained winds at 25-30 mph, and gusts up to 45 mph.
*Practice summary: Gusty winds kept most cars off the track, as only 21 drivers took to the track, completing only 408 laps. Only 14 drivers attempted any laps at speed, the remaining seven drivers took only a handful of installation laps, some concentrating on pit stop practice.
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
parked their cars for the day, and
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
was the only
Andretti Autosport driver to take any laps at speed.
Ed Carpenter (222.894 mph) was the fastest driver of the day, both overall and with "no-tow".
Thursday, May 18

*Weather: , Mostly sunny
*Practice summary: For the first time during the month, all 33 entries turned in at least an installation lap, as
Buddy Lazier appeared on track for the first time. The first major crash of the month occurred just after 1:00 p.m., when
Josef Newgarden lost control of his car in turn 1 and crashed hard into the outside wall. One further incident occurred later in the session, when
Sébastien Bourdais's engine failed on the backstraight, the second
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
engine failure in three days of practice.
Jay Howard
Jay Howard (born 16 February 1981) is a British professional race car driver who competed in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Howard was the 2005 US Formula Ford Zetec champion (now known as the U ...
was fastest of the day, setting a lap of 226.744 mph; the fastest of the month thus far. Takuma Sato (224.734 mph) set the fastest "no-tow" lap of the day.
Fast Friday — Friday, May 19

*Weather: , Thunderstorms in early afternoon
*Practice summary: An eventful final day of practice saw over two and a half hours lost due to rain, and two major crashes. Fast Friday practice began on time at 12 noon, with a threat of rain approaching. Entries were permitted 140
kPa
The pascal (symbol: Pa) is the unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It is also used to quantify internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus, and ultimate tensile strength. The unit, named after Blaise Pascal, is an SI ...
of
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into th ...
"
boost", up from 130 kPa earlier in the week. A busy first hour saw
Sébastien Bourdais set a fast lap of 233.116 mph, while
Ryan Hunter-Reay set the fastest "no-tow" lap at 231.273 mph.
Jack Harvey blew an engine after only 11 laps, the fifth Honda engine failure for the week. A heavy thunderstorm shut the track down at 1:30 p.m., but pushed through the area quickly, and the track re-opened at 4:30 p.m. During the later session, two separate crashes involved
Spencer Pigot and
Zach Veach. Neither driver was injured, but both cars were heavily damaged. Following the conclusion of practice, the qualifying draw was held in the Pagoda Plaza.
Time trials first day
First Day — Saturday, May 20

*Weather: , Heavy rain in late morning and early afternoon, partly cloudy later
The first day of time trials locks in the 33 cars that will comprise the starting field, and determines the nine cars eligible to participate in the Fast Nine Shootout for the pole position on Sunday. The start of qualifications was delayed until 4:01 p.m. due to a heavy thunderstorm. As a result of the delays, all drivers were given only one qualifying attempt.
Sébastien Bourdais crash
The day was marred by a heavy accident involving
Sébastien Bourdais. After completing his first two laps at 231.472 mph and 231.595 mph (the two fastest laps of the day), Bourdais lost control and crashed nearly head-on into the
SAFER Barrier in turn two and did a half-flip before coming to rest upright part-way down the backstretch. Bourdais was extracted from his car and immediately sent to
Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital where he was diagnosed with multiple
pelvic fractures and a
hip fracture
A hip fracture is a break that occurs in the upper part of the femur (thigh bone), at the femoral neck or (rarely) the femoral head. Symptoms may include pain around the hip, particularly with movement, and shortening of the leg. Usually ...
, rendering him unable to compete in the race.
Remainder of day 1
Despite
Honda's dominance in the speed charts during the week, it was
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
driver
Ed Carpenter who turned the fastest attempt of the day, with a four lap average of 230.468 mph. Joining him in the Fast Nine were
Takuma Sato,
Scott Dixon,
J. R. Hildebrand,
Alexander Rossi,
Will Power,
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
,
Tony Kanaan, and
Marco Andretti. Rookie
Ed Jones was the first driver outside the Fast Nine.
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
was surprisingly lackluster during the session, with four of the team's five drivers failing to make the Fast Nine; Power being the lone exception. Rookie
Zach Veach made no attempt to qualify on the day due to damage from a crash in the previous day's practice. The only other minor incident of the day involved
Pippa Mann, the first car out to qualify on the
green track. After a clean first lap, the car stepped out in turn three and nearly tagged the wall in the north short chute. Mann's last three laps dropped off substantially, but she completed the four-lap run 219.282 mph, the slowest car of the day.
Time trials second day
Positions 33 through 10 — Sunday, May 21

*Weather: , Showers in morning, mostly sunny in afternoon
*Qualifying Summary (Positions 10–33):
Early showers slightly delayed the morning warm-up session, but the skies stayed clear for the rest of the day and qualifying was run as scheduled. Prior to qualifying,
Dale Coyne Racing
Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) is an American professional open-wheel racing team that currently competes in the IndyCar Series and Indy NXT. The team was founded in 1984 and is owned by former driver Dale Coyne. From 1995 to 2000, the team was known ...
announced that
James Davison
James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...
would fill in for the injured Bourdais in the No. 18 car.
As Davison had not driven in a Verizon IndyCar Series race since 2015, he was prohibited from participating in Sunday's qualifying session under Rule 4.3.8.7, an Indianapolis 500-specific rule mandating a driver who had not participated in an oval race prior to the previous year's Indianapolis 500 pass the refresher test (the second and third phases of the rookie test). Furthermore, the backup #18 car needed to be converted from road course to oval trim.
The group from positions 10-33 began qualifying first at 2:45 p.m., running in the reverse order of how drivers qualified in the previous day's session.
Zach Veach, having made no attempt on Saturday, was first on course. The day saw, for most drivers, faster speeds thanks to lower temperatures and more rubber on the track than the previous day.
Ryan Hunter-Reay was fastest of the session with a four-lap average of 231.442 mph; nearly a full mph faster than anyone else in the first group. Alongside him in the 4th row were
Ed Jones and
Oriol Servià.
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
once again struggled, with
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...
in 18th being their highest qualifier in the group. No major incidents occurred during the session, though a few drivers, including
Jack Harvey and
Charlie Kimball, scraped the wall in turn 2 during their runs.
''NOTE: Per INDYCAR Rule 8.4.9, Davison, who was ineligible to participate in qualifying, was classified by the Entrant Points of the #18 car during the current season.''
Firestone Fast 9 — Sunday, May 21

Fast Nine qualifying began at 5:00 p.m., with each driver given one shot to reach pole position.
Scott Dixon took the pole position with a four-lap average of 232.164 mph; the fastest four-lap average since
Arie Luyendyk's track record run in
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
. In addition, his first lap of 232.565 mph was the fastest since Luyendyk's track-record 237.498 mph lap, also in 1996. The run was the third fastest pole speed in 500 history, behind only
Scott Brayton's 1996 run and
Roberto Guerrero's
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
run. Joining Dixon on the front row were
Ed Carpenter, the highest qualified
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
, and defending winner
Alexander Rossi.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
stunned during the session, qualifying fifth in his first ever start on an oval circuit.
Alonso's day did not start out entirely smooth, as Honda officials ordered a last-minute engine change in the car. After examining data from the engine, it was decided to install a new engine, with only an hour and a half until the car was due to be in line for technical inspection. The team scrambled to finish the work, and got the car prepared with only minutes to spare.
Takuma Sato had a potential front row starting position until his handling went away on his final two laps, and he subsequently brushed the wall in turn two.
Post-qualifying practice & Carb Day
Post-qualifying practice — Monday, May 22

*Weather: , Sunny
*Practice summary: During the first of two post-qualifying practices (the other is Friday), cars returned to their race boost levels, bringing speeds back down. The morning practice session was reserved for Indy Lights cars. The first afternoon session started 30 minutes earlier for
James Davison
James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...
to take the refresher test. The practice session ran from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the second Indy Lights session began at 4:30 p.m. to conclude the day. The day's lone incident came early in the session, when the engine on
Oriol Servià's car failed, bringing a short halt to practice.
Max Chilton went fastest on the day with a speed of 228.592 mph. Off the track, news focused on pole position winner
Scott Dixon. Late Sunday night, after the conclusion of time trials, Dixon accompanied by former driver
Dario Franchitti, were robbed at gunpoint at a
Taco Bell
Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...
drive-thru about a mile away from the track. Neither driver was injured in the altercation.
Carb Day practice — Friday, May 26
*Weather: , Mostly cloudy
*Practice summary: The final one-hour practice session was held on Carb Day.
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
led the speed chart, with a total of four
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
cars in the top eleven. Polesitter
Scott Dixon also ranked in the top five. A total of 960 laps were completed by the field without any wall major contact, however,
James Hinchcliffe blew an engine, believed to be Honda's seventh engine failure dating to the
IndyCar Grand Prix earlier in the month. Going into the session, Honda teams were limited by the manufacturer to a maximum of 40 laps.
Takuma Sato reportedly ran over debris and cut a tire, and later
Conor Daly reportedly brushed the wall on the main stretch, which brought two of the several yellow flags during the session.
Pit Stop Challenge
The 40th annual
Pit Stop Challenge was scheduled for Friday May 26. For the first time in event history, the finals were a
best-of-three format. In addition, the set up was revised such that both cars start the race on asphalt pavement. Previously, one lane was
asphalt
Asphalt most often refers to:
* Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete
* Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...
and one was
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
, putting one lane at a grip disadvantage. Due to an earlier engine failure in
James Hinchcliffe's #5 car, Hinchcliffe drove
Jay Howard
Jay Howard (born 16 February 1981) is a British professional race car driver who competed in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Howard was the 2005 US Formula Ford Zetec champion (now known as the U ...
's #77 car for the Pit Stop Challenge.
In the second quarterfinals heat,
Ed Carpenter was assessed a 5-second penalty due to an unsecured lug nut on the left-front wheel. In the final round,
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (
James Hinchcliffe) faced
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
(
Will Power) in a best two-out-of-three matchup. By virtue of the fastest individual time during the semifinals, Power was awarded lane choice for the first finals heats, and selected the left lane. The teams swapped for the second heat. Power had the best time from the first two finals heats, and was awarded lane choice for the third and final heat. He subsequently selected the left lane again.
*Will Power (Penske) won the first finals heat 11.803 seconds versus 12.843 seconds.
*James Hinchcliffe (Schmidt Peterson) won the second finals heat 12.017 seconds versus 12.300 seconds.
*Will Power (Penske) won the deciding third heat 11.619 versus 13.223 to take the victory. It was Team Penske's record 17th victory in the event.
Starting grid
(R) = Indianapolis 500 rookie; (W) = Former Indianapolis 500 winner
Withdrew
*
Sébastien Bourdais (#18) — injured during a qualifying crash; replaced by
James Davison
James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...
Race
First half
Start
Race day saw temperatures in the mid range with partly cloudy skies. For the first time since
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, all 33 cars were able to take the green flag to start the race. At the start,
Scott Dixon moved into the lead, while
Will Power managed to jump up to second from his ninth place start. However, he soon faded and
Tony Kanaan moved into second. On lap 6, Kanaan moved past his teammate Dixon for the lead, while
Alexander Rossi held third. Indy 500 rookie
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
made a slow start, but quickly began moving his way back up to sixth by lap 19. As pit stops neared, Dixon began to slip down the order, losing second to Rossi and third to
Ed Carpenter. The first round of stops came at lap 29, with Kanaan being the first of the leaders to pit. After the sequence, however, Carpenter had moved into the lead, with Rossi second, Alonso third, Kanaan fourth, and
Takuma Sato fifth. During the cycle,
Jay Howard
Jay Howard (born 16 February 1981) is a British professional race car driver who competed in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Howard was the 2005 US Formula Ford Zetec champion (now known as the U ...
ran out of fuel, placing him several laps off the pace.
The
Andretti Autosport teammates Rossi and Alonso soon dispatched Carpenter, and on lap 37 Alonso moved into the lead. The two dueled for the lead, with Rossi taking back the lead on lap 43, before Alonso returned the favor on lap 48.
Lap 53 crash & red flag
On the 53rd lap of the race,
Jay Howard
Jay Howard (born 16 February 1981) is a British professional race car driver who competed in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Howard was the 2005 US Formula Ford Zetec champion (now known as the U ...
drifted wide in turn 2 after being passed by
Ryan Hunter-Reay, sending him into the wall. Howard's car drifted across the track after the impact and straight into the path of
Scott Dixon. Dixon's car was launched off the back of Howard's, sending Dixon into an airborne flip, before crashing down into the inside wall and piercing a hole in the catch fencing. The force of the crash ripped nearly the entire rear assembly from Dixon's machine. Miraculously, neither Dixon nor Howard were injured in the incident. However, extensive repairs were needed for the catch fencing, forcing the race to be red flagged. After 18 minutes of red flag time for the repairs, cars were fired back up and the race resumed under caution with
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
still in the lead after subsequent yellow flag pit stops. During the caution,
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
was forced to make repairs to his car after taking minor damage in his attempt to avoid Dixon's car, forcing him back to 22nd.
Second quarter
When racing finally resumed, Alonso held the lead over his teammates Rossi and
Takuma Sato. On lap 61, Rossi returned to the lead, while Sato and
Ryan Hunter-Reay both moved past Alonso for position. On lap 65, Sato moved into the lead for the first time of the race. Two laps later came the race's second caution period, as
Conor Daly lost control of his car in turn 3 and crashed into the outside wall while trying to make a pass. In the midst of the wreck,
Jack Harvey spun attempting to avoid Daly's debris, sending him into the inside wall in the North "short-chute," taking him out of the race as well. During the caution, Castroneves was assessed a drive-through penalty for jumping the previous restart.
The next restart saw Rossi move back around Sato for the lead, while both Hunter-Reay and
Tony Kanaan moved around Sato in the following laps to move themselves into second and third respectively. This green flag run was short-lived, though, as caution flew once again on lap 81 as a winglet from
Marco Andretti's car broke off and landed on the course on the front straight. The majority of the field elected to pit during the caution, with Hunter-Reay leading Rossi and Alonso out of the pit lane. However,
Will Power,
Max Chilton, and
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
elected to stay out having made pit stops only six laps earlier during the previous caution, thus placing the trio at the head of the race.
The restart saw Chilton immediately snag the lead away from Power, but by lap 86, those that had pitted during the caution returned to the head of the field. Power began to fall back, while Castroneves and Chilton remained toward the front end of the field. On lap 96, Castroneves moved into the lead of the race after passing Hunter-Reay, while Kanaan moved back into the top five after passing his teammate Chilton.
Second half
Halfway
On lap 104, Castroneves, still off sequence from the previous caution, surrendered the lead to make a pit stop, opening up the cycle of green flag stops while handing the lead back to Hunter-Reay. The majority of the field came in around lap 110, with Hunter-Reay resuming the lead with a margin over three seconds to his teammate Rossi. Alonso, Castroneves, and Power rounded out the top five. The gaps were erased on lap 122, when
Buddy Lazier lost control of his car in turn 2 and hit the wall, bringing an end to the former winner's day. During the ensuing caution,
Sage Karam's race came to an end when a dead battery caused him to grind to a halt on course.
Racing resumed on lap 129, with Hunter-Reay ahead of Alonso and Rossi. One lap later, though, Alonso moved back into the lead of the race. No sooner was the pass complete when caution waved again, this time for debris on the front straight. The brief caution ended on lap 135, with Alonso and Hunter-Reay switching the lead back and forth before Alonso won out on lap 136. However, pre-race concerns about
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
reliability came to fruition that same lap, as Hunter-Reay's engine suddenly began to smoke on the back straight before slowing and coming to a halt just before the pit entrance. Caution once again waved. Most leaders pitted under this period, Alonso leading the field off pit lane. Rossi, however, suffered major fueling issues, dropping him down outside the top 20. Several drivers elected not to pit during the period, including
Max Chilton,
Charlie Kimball,
J. R. Hildebrand,
James Davison
James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...
, and
Ed Jones.
The restart saw Kimball grab the lead from Chilton, but caution waved near immediately, as
Ed Carpenter did a half spin and punched a hole in the sidepod of
Mikhail Aleshin's car, breaking Carpenter's front wing and sending debris across the track in turn 1. Racing resumed on lap 147, with Chilton quickly moving back around Kimball. On lap 149,
Graham Rahal
Graham Robert Rahal ( ; born January 4, 1989) is an American race car driver and small business owner. He currently races in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a team partially owned by his father Bobby Rahal, the winner of ...
's hope of Indy victory was dashed when a deflating tire forced him to pit under green.
Fourth quarter
With the race drawing to its closing stages,
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
began moving back up the field, and by lap 151 moved into fourth, while
James Davison
James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...
moved into second ahead of him. Further back,
Takuma Sato began moving back toward the front, moving to eighth by the end of lap 163. On lap 166, Chilton made what would be his final pit stop, moving
James Davison
James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...
to the lead. Davison, by leading a lap, became the first driver since
Alex Tagliani in the
2016 Indianapolis 500 to lead laps after starting last. Caution flew nearly immediately after this, as
Charlie Kimball's engine gave up in similar fashion to Hunter-Reay's. At the same time, rookie
Zach Veach rolled to a halt on the back straight, his day done as well. Nearly the entire field pitted during the caution, with
Ed Jones and Castroneves leading the charge off pit lane. However, having just made a green flag stop, Chilton resumed the lead of the race. The running order was now Chilton, Jones, Castroneves, Davison, and Sato.
Racing resumed with Chilton in control, but Castroneves began to duel with Jones for second. Behind them, Sato moved to fourth after passing Davison. Eventually, Sato managed to pass both Castroneves and Jones, allowing him to pursue Chilton ahead. Behind them, other Honda cars began attempting to move forward, but on lap 179,
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
(then running 7th) fell out of the race as his engine failed (a recurring problem for Alonso in Formula 1 over the past two-plus seasons) coming down the front straight; the third Honda failure of the race. Caution once again bunched up the field. Alonso's retirement meant that none of the three McLaren cars scheduled to race that weekend finished their respective races (as both Stoffel Vandoorne and Jenson Button, the latter subbing for Alonso, crashed out of the Monaco Grand Prix in separate incidents).
Racing resumed on lap 184, with Castroneves managing to take third away from Jones. Just behind, chaos erupted in the field when Davison and
Oriol Servià made contact in turn 1 triggering a multi-car pile-up that involved Davison, Servia,
Will Power,
James Hinchcliffe, and
Josef Newgarden. Of the five, only Newgarden was able to resume, but only after losing several laps.
Finish

Racing resumed with 11 laps to go with Chilton maintaining his lead over Sato. On lap 192, Castroneves was able to make a pass on Sato for second. One lap later, he managed to move around Chilton, placing the Brazilian in the lead of the race. However, Sato passed Chilton shortly thereafter and, one lap later, moved around Castroneves to take the lead. Castroneves made one last attempt to pass Sato with three laps to go, but was ultimately unable to catch back up to Sato.
Takuma Sato took victory by just 0.2011 seconds over Castroneves, while Jones came across the line in third. By taking the win, Sato became both the first driver from
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and the first driver from
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
to take victory in the 500. Sato also became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and finish on the podium in a
United States Grand Prix hosted at Indianapolis, having finished third in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. It also marked the first time since
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
that the winner of the race came from the first three rows. The victory was the third in four years for the
Andretti Autosport team.
Box score
Former Indianapolis 500 winner
Indianapolis 500 Rookie
All entrants utilized
Firestone tires.
Points include qualification points from
Time Trials, 1 point for leading a lap, and 2 points for most laps led.
Race statistics
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
;Manufacturer standings
*
Note: Only the top five positions are included.
Broadcasting
Television
The race was
televised live in the United States on
ABC.
Allen Bestwick was the lead play-by-play announcer for the race, joined by
Scott Goodyear and
Eddie Cheever. The race took place just after the highly publicized
2017 ESPN layoffs, of which both Bestwick and Punch were identified as casualties. Both Bestwick and Punch, and presumably the remainder of the contracted on-air crew, was officially terminated a week later after ABC's coverage of the
Detroit Grand Prix
The title of Detroit Grand Prix (United States Grand Prix – East) was applied to the Formula One races held at the Detroit street circuit in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America from 1982 through 1988.
History
In 1982, the U ...
. However, on February 7, 2018, ESPN communications director Andy Hall announced that the full IndyCar broadcast team, Bestwick and Punch included, would return for the
2018 season.
The broadcast utilized 96 cameras, with 14 cars equipped with three in-car cameras each, and the introduction of Visor Cam, which featured live, first-person camera angles from cameras mounted on the helmets of
Graham Rahal
Graham Robert Rahal ( ; born January 4, 1989) is an American race car driver and small business owner. He currently races in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a team partially owned by his father Bobby Rahal, the winner of ...
and
Josef Newgarden. Live in-car camera feeds were available online via
WatchESPN
ESPN began offering a TV Everywhere platform in 2010, allowing subscribers on participating Multichannel television, television providers in the United States to stream programming from ESPN's linear television channels online, on Mobile device, ...
. ESPN also introduced a new "Race Strategist" feature, which featured predictive analysis based on various factors that could affect the race. As with all other IndyCar Series events,
ESPN International
ESPN International is a family of Broadcasting of sports events, sportscasting and production networks around the world. It was begun in 1983, is operated by ESPN Inc. and owned by The Walt Disney Company.
Current operations
Canada
ESPN Int ...
produced a world feed broadcast for international markets.
In the United States, the 2017 Indianapolis 500 was the least-watched edition of the race since the inception of live flag-to-flag coverage, with a 3.6 overnight
Nielsen rating
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the #Nielsen TV ...
(down from 4.1 in 2016). The tape delayed broadcast in Indianapolis (the live broadcast was, as is customary,
blacked out by
WRTV
WRTV (channel 6) is a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on Meridian Street (Indianapolis), Mer ...
) saw a 16% increase in viewership over 2015 (the last time the race was blacked out in Indianapolis, since the 2016 edition had its blackout lifted).
By contrast, viewership in Spain was significantly high due to Fernando Alonso's debut, with 443,000 viewers and a 3.6% share, higher than the Formula One
Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the wo ...
that occurred earlier in the day.
Carb Day, the final practice session, along with the
Pit Stop Challenge and
Freedom 100, were carried on
NBCSN
NBCSN (also known as NBC Sports Network) was an American sports television television channel, channel owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It originally launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Lif ...
. The booth announcers for NBCSN were Kevin Lee,
Townsend Bell
Townsend Lorenz Bell (born April 19, 1975) is an American professional motor racing driver competing in the International Motor Sports Association, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and also as a motorsports commentator for FOX Sports’ I ...
and
Paul Tracy. The pit reporters were Marty Snider,
Jon Beekhuis, Katie Hargitt, and
Robin Miller. Lee was joined in the booth by
Anders Krohn and
Ed Jones the Freedom 100 coverage segment.
Radio
The race was carried live by the
IMS Radio Network, part of the Advance Auto Parts IndyCar Radio Network. Mark Jaynes served as chief announcer for the second year. The crew for 2017 was largely the same from 2016. Once again, all living former chief announcers took part in the broadcast.
Paul Page joined as a guest commentator in the booth, and
Bob Jenkins appeared during the pre-race in a pre-recorded segment recapping the 25th anniversary of the
1992 race. Jenkins then served on the Speedway Public Address system team.
Mike King also appeared during the pre-race coverage, narrating a pre-recorded segment recapping the
IndyCar Grand Prix, and
Dave Wilson narrated a tribute to
John Andretti (a former IMS Radio Network analyst for the
Brickyard 400) who was battling
colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...
. During the race, Wilson interviewed vice president
Mike Pence
Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
, then reported from the track hospital. For the second straight year, Michael Young interviewed the winner in victory lane.
Among the guests in the booth was
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Eric Holcomb, Mark Reuss (
GM), Matt Davis (
Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is an American automotive aftermarket parts provider. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, it serves professional installer and do it yourself (DIY) customers.
Company History
In April 1932, Arthur Taubman purch ...
/
Carquest), and James Verrier (
BorgWarner
BorgWarner Inc. is an American automotive and Electric vehicle, e-mobility supplier headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. As of 2023, the company maintains production facilities and sites at 92 locations in 24 countries, and generates revenu ...
). For the first time, the traditional commercial out-cue was recorded by a voice-over announcer instead of the chief announcer or drivers in the field. This was the final 500 in Turn 1 for
Jerry Baker as he would depart the crew for and join the public address crew for 2018 when it was decided that Turn 1 would not be used in 2018 but due to a new broadcast booth debuting in 2019 named after Sid Collins, Turn 1's broadcasting location would be reinstated.
According to a study from GfK Custom Research, the broadcast reached 20.5 million listeners, and averaged 8.8 million listeners per quarter hour. It represented a 75% increase in ratings over 2016, and the broadcast was carried on over 350 terrestrial radio affiliates, a 5% increase from 2016.
1070 The Fan broadcast nightly beginning May 8 with ''Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee'', followed by
Donald Davidson's ''
The Talk of Gasoline Alley''.
References
External links
Official Race Broadcast
{{IndyCar Series on ABC
Indianapolis 500 races
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 Indian ...
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 Indian ...
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 Indian ...
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 Indian ...
2010s in Indianapolis