2021 Indianapolis 500

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

105th Indianapolis 500
Nielsen ratings
3.15 (5.58 million viewers)
Chronology
Previous Next
2020 2022
Indianapolis Motor Speedway layout

The 2021 Indianapolis 500 (branded as the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons) was a 500-mile (800 km, 200 lap) race in the 2021 IndyCar Series, held on May 30, 2021, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The month of May activities formally began on May 15 with the GMR Grand Prix on the combined road course. Practice for the Indianapolis 500 began on May 18, and time trials were held May 22–23. Carb Day, the traditional final day of practice, took place on May 28.

On April 21, 2021, the track management announced that due to the

GMR Grand Prix (which was moved to July 4). The Intercontinental GT Challenge meeting in October 2020, which included the twin road course races for INDYCAR
, carried a 10,000 spectator limit, with spectators restricted to grandstands in the Turns 1-4 and Turns 12-14.

Scott Dixon, the winner in 2008, won the pole position, and was a heavy favorite to win. Dixon, however, ran out of fuel during the first sequence of pit stops, as a result of a caution coming out, closing the pits and trapping him out on the track. He had to make a stop for emergency service, but the crew could not refire the stalled engine before he fell a lap down, and essentially out of contention. Two-time winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020) was the defending champion, and led as late as lap 193, but he was off-sequence with the other leaders. Sato had to pit for fuel with seven laps to go, and finished 14th.

Three-time winner (2001, 2002, 2009), and four-time pole winner (2003, 2007, 2009, 2010) Hélio Castroneves took the lead for the final time on lap 199, and won his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 after dueling with second-year driver Álex Palou for most of the final 80 laps. The race set a new record for the fastest running of the Indianapolis 500, with an average speed at 190.690 mph (306.886 km/h), as well as a new record for most cars running at the finish (30). Castroneves joined Hall of Fame drivers A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears as four-time winners. After the race, Castroneves celebrated his victory by climbing the catch fence, his signature celebration, which had earned him the nickname "Spider-Man" early in his career. The race was also the first IndyCar Series victory for Meyer Shank Racing.

Race background

The Pagoda, the control tower which houses officials, broadcasting, and hospitality suites, is an icon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sponsorship

On January 31, 2019, it was announced that the online financial services company Gainbridge would become the new presenting sponsor of the 500 under a four-year deal. This will be the third year under the current deal.[3]

Rule changes

  • The temperature requirement rule was changed to "45-45". That required both the ambient temperature to be 45 °F (7 °C) or higher, and the track surface temperature to be 45 °F (7 °C) or higher before cars were allowed out on the circuit. Previously the rule was "50-50".[4]
  • The Last Chance qualifying session was expanded to 75 minutes in order to allow multiple qualifying attempts for each participant. In 2019 participants were permitted only one attempt.[5] This change was supposed to be implemented for 2020, however, only 33 cars were entered and the 2020 Last Chance qualifying session was cancelled.
  • Each entry was allowed 34 total sets of tires (Firestone), for practice, time trials, and for the race. Entries taking part in the Rookie Orientation Program received an additional three sets for use during that session. Entries taking part in a Refresher Test received two additional sets for use during that session. From 2015 to 2019, teams were permitted 36 total sets. In 2020, teams were also allowed 34 sets, however, there was one fewer day of practice in 2020 compared to 2021.

Event changes

2021 IndyCar Series

Main article: 2021 IndyCar Series

The 2021 Indianapolis 500 was the sixth race of the

Pato O'Ward as race winners. The GMR Grand Prix kicked off the month of May at Indianapolis on May 15, won by Rinus VeeKay, the third first-time winner of the season. Scott Dixon entered the Indianapolis 500 as the series points leader. For the first time since 2013, Team Penske
failed to win a race prior to the Indy 500.

Race schedules

The 2021 IndyCar Series schedule was announced on October 1, 2020.[7] The Indianapolis 500 returned to its traditional Memorial Day weekend date after being delayed to August 23 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race was scheduled for Sunday, May 30, the 54th time the race has been held on May 30. From 1911 to 1970, the race was scheduled for May 30 regardless of the day of the week, as Memorial Day at the time was a fixed-date holiday. During that period, if May 30 fell on a Sunday, the race was scheduled for Monday, May 31. Since 1974, the race has traditionally been scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Practice, time trials, and other ancillary events were scheduled for the two weeks leading up to the race. The Freedom 100, however, was not held as the 2021 Indy Lights season only included a race on the road course during GMR Grand Prix weekend.

The

Harvest GP) was held in October as part of the Intercontinental GT weekend. The 2020 GMR Grand Prix was held without spectators
, while the October Harvest GP races were held with a maximum of 10,000 spectators.

Race schedules — May 2021
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
9

 10

 11

 12

 13
Road to Indy

 14
Road to Indy

IndyCar
Qualifying 		15
GMR Grand Prix
16 17 18
Practice
 19
Practice
 20
Practice
 21
Practice
Fast Friday 		22
Time Trials
23
Time Trials
 		24

 25

 26

 27

 28
Carb Day
 29
Legends Day
30
Indianapolis
500 		31
Memorial
Day 		         
Color Notes
Green Practice
Dark Blue Time trials
Silver Race day
Red Rained out*
Blank No track activity

* Includes days where track
activity was significantly limited due to rain

Source: 2021 Indianapolis 500 Event Schedule

Entry list

Further information: 2021 IndyCar Series § Contracted teams and drivers

The entry list for the 2021 Indianapolis 500 was released on May 12, 2021. Thirty-five entries appeared on the list, including nine former race winners and three rookies.[8] With thirty-five entries, bumping returned for the first time since 2019.[9] An expected 36th entry for driver Cody Ware set to drive for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing was withdrawn shortly before the entry list was released due to lack of sponsorship.[10] All entries utilized the Dallara DW12 chassis with the Universal Aero Kit 18, with Firestone tires. The nine former Indy 500 winners making the field the most since there were ten in 1992.

Three-time Indy 500 winner Hélio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009) has the most previous starts in the field with 20.
Defending winner Takuma Sato won the race in 2017 and 2020.
No. Driver Team Engine
1[A] United States J. R. Hildebrand
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet
2 United States Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet
3
Scott McLaughlin
 R 		 Team Penske Chevrolet
4 Canada Dalton Kellett
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet
5
Patricio O'Ward
Arrow McLaren SP
 Chevrolet
06 Brazil Hélio Castroneves  W  Meyer Shank Racing[B]
Honda
7 Sweden Felix Rosenqvist
Arrow McLaren SP
 Chevrolet
8 Sweden Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
9 New Zealand Scott Dixon  W  Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
10 Spain Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
11 United States Charlie Kimball
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet
12 Australia Will Power  W  Team Penske Chevrolet
14 France Sébastien Bourdais
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet
15 United States Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda
16 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro Paretta Autosport[C] Chevrolet
18 United Arab Emirates Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan
Honda
20 United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
21 Netherlands Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
22 France Simon Pagenaud  W  Team Penske Chevrolet
24 United States Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet
25 United Kingdom Stefan Wilson
Andretti Autosport
Honda
26 United States Colton Herta
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
Honda
27 United States Alexander Rossi  W 
Andretti Autosport
Honda
28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay  W 
Andretti Autosport
Honda
29 Canada James Hinchcliffe
Steinbrenner Autosport
Honda
30 Japan Takuma Sato  W  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda
45 United States Santino Ferrucci Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda
47 United States Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
48 Brazil Tony Kanaan  W  Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
51 Brazil Pietro Fittipaldi  R  Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing
Honda
59 United Kingdom Max Chilton
Carlin
 Chevrolet
60 United Kingdom Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing[B]
Honda
75 United States R. C. Enerson  R  Top Gun Racing Chevrolet
86 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya  W 
Arrow McLaren SP
 Chevrolet
98 United States Marco Andretti
Andretti Herta-Haupert Autosport
with Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian
Honda
OFFICIAL REPORT
  •  W  Former Indianapolis 500 Winner
  •  R  Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Testing and Rookie Orientation

October 2020

Scott McLaughlin
passed rookie orientation during testing in October.

An offseason test was scheduled at the

Scott McLaughlin (Penske) completed the mandatory Rookie Orientation during the afternoon.[12]

Track activity for Thursday, October 29 was rescheduled to Friday, October 30 due to a poor weather forecast.[13]

On Friday, October 30, Sato and Newgarden were joined by

Arrow McLaren SP), and Scott Dixon (Ganassi). The six-car session primarily focused on evaluation of new aerodynamic configurations in traffic. Cool temperatures delayed the start of track activity until approximately 12:15 p.m. No incidents were reported.[4]

Engine hybridization test

A special oval test was held on Friday, March 26 at the

Arrow McLaren SP).[14]

No incidents were reported. Following the test, reactions from the drivers were mixed to negative. The horsepower increases were in the range of 50–60 HP, resulting in straight-line speed increases of 5–7 mph.[15]

Open test — Thursday, April 8

Conor Daly set the fastest lap during the first session of testing.
  • Weather: 65 °F (18 °C), wind up to 21 mph, rain showers in afternoon
  • Summary: A full-field open test on the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was scheduled for April 8–9. A total of 32 car and driver combinations were scheduled to participate.[16][17] Testing was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., with a two-hour session for veteran drivers (21 eligible), followed by a two-hour session for rookie orientation and veteran refresher tests. The final three hours was to be open to all participants, including those that passed their tests in the previous session. Just twelve minutes into the session, Rinus VeeKay suffered a hard crash in turn one on his fifth lap, resulting in a broken finger.[18] Rain at approximately 12:45 p.m. ended the day early for veterans. Conor Daly was fastest overall, with a lap at 222.714 mph (358.423 km/h),[19] while Colton Herta set the fastest "no-tow" lap at 219.846 mph (353.808 km/h).[20] After the rain subsided, the track was opened for rookie orientation and veteran refresher tests from about 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 47 United States Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 222.714 358.423
2 20 United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 221.296 356.141
3 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 220.575 354.981
OFFICIAL REPORT

Rookie Orientation / Refresher tests — Thursday, April 8

Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, took part in Rookie Orientation.
  • Summary: The rookie orientation and veteran refresher programs began just after 6:00 p.m. after track drying from earlier rain had been completed. A total of eleven cars took to the track during the session, with many drivers completing their refreshers. Sébastien Bourdais was fastest during the roughly 1 hour session, turning a lap at 224.427 mph (361.180 km/h). There were no major incidents, and the practice was only halted once for a track inspection.[21] The rookie orientation test for 2021 consisted of three stages: 10 laps between 205 and 210 mph, 15 laps between 210 and 215 mph, and 15 laps over 215 mph. The veteran refresher test consisted of only the second and third phases.[22]
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 14 France Sébastien Bourdais
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet 224.427 361.180
2 24 United States Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet 222.048 357.352
3 06 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Meyer Shank Racing
Honda
 221.097 355.821
OFFICIAL REPORT

Open test — Friday, April 9

  • Weather: 78 °F (26 °C), Mostly cloudy with brief rain showers around mid-day
  • Summary: Testing time was extended to make up for the previous day's truncated session, with the track now opening at 9:00 a.m. and closing at 6:00 p.m. 31 of the 32 entered cars for the test took to the track, with only Rinus VeeKay absent due to the damage sustained to his car in the previous day's wreck. The session was briefly interrupted just before noon for rain, but was resumed shortly thereafter. No major incidents occurred. Josef Newgarden turned the fastest lap of the open test at 226.819 mph (365.030 km/h). Graham Rahal had the fastest "no-tow" speed at 221.949 mph (357.192 km/h).[23]
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 2 United States Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 226.819 365.030
2 30 Japan Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda
 226.396 364.349
3 86 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya
Arrow McLaren SP
 Chevrolet 226.123 363.910
OFFICIAL REPORT

Practice

Opening Day — Tuesday, May 18

Will Power was the fastest driver on opening day of practice.
  • Weather: 73 °F (23 °C), Cloudy with occasional light rain
  • Summary: The opening day of practice was divided into three sessions. The first session was open to veteran drivers, the second to drivers needing to complete Rookie and Refresher tests, and the third open to all drivers.
    drive axle that prevented him from continuing. Enerson and Top Gun Racing did not return for the remainder of the day.[25] Full field practice began almost immediately after the conclusion of the rookie and refresher session. Will Power set the fastest time of the day, running a lap at 226.470 mph (364.468 km/h). Ed Carpenter held the fastest "no-tow" speed - a lap set without the assistance of drafting - at 219.162 mph (352.707 km/h). The only significant incident of the session came at roughly 4:45 p.m. when Sébastien Bourdais's car caught fire behind the right sidepod after an apparent engine failure.[26]
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 12 Australia Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 226.470 364.468
2 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay
Andretti Autosport
 Honda 226.371 364.309
3 30 Japan Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 226.132 363.924
OFFICIAL REPORT

Wednesday, May 19

Scott Dixon set the fastest lap in the second practice session.
  • Weather: 79 °F (26 °C), Mostly cloudy
  • Summary: The track opened at 11:00 a.m. with a one-hour session for R. C. Enerson to complete the remainder of his rookie orientation testing. Enerson completed the last two stages of the test, but did not appear for the rest of the day after finishing. The track was opened to all competitors at 12:15 p.m. and remained open until 6:15 p.m. Scott Dixon was the fastest driver of the day, running a lap at 226.829 mph (365.046 km/h). Alexander Rossi set the fastest no-tow lap at 221.114 mph (355.848 km/h). There were no significant incidents during the session.[27]
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 226.829 365.046
2 47 United States Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 226.372 364.310
3 20 United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 226.103 363.878
OFFICIAL REPORT

Thursday, May 20

Tony Kanaan was fastest on Thursday.
  • Weather: 83 °F (28 °C), Mostly cloudy
  • Summary: Higher temperatures resulted in lower speeds and reduced running in the heat of the day. Practice began with an unannounced
    Scott McLaughlin and Colton Herta.[28] The Rahal team was later penalized for the incident with all three cars being not allowed to participate in the first thirty minutes of Friday's session.[29] The first major incident of the week came at 4:14 p.m., when Santino Ferrucci lost control of his car and impacted the wall in turn two. Ferrucci required assistance walking to the medical car and was later sent to Methodist Hospital for examination of potential injuries to his left leg.[30] Despite the wreck, Ferrucci was still the third fastest driver on the day. Tony Kanaan was the fastest driver of the day, turning a lap at 225.341 mph (362.651 km/h). Jack Harvey held the fastest no-tow lap, running at 222.090 mph (357.419 km/h).[29]
    For the first time during the week, all 35 entries participated in a full-field practice session.
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 48 Brazil Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 225.341 362.651
2 47 United States Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 225.245 362.497
3 45 United States Santino Ferrucci Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 224.922 361.977
OFFICIAL REPORT

Fast Friday — Friday, May 21

Alexander Rossi had the fastest "no-tow" speed on Fast Friday
  • Weather: 82 °F (28 °C), Fair
  • Summary: Friday saw engine boost pressures increased in preparation for qualifying runs over the weekend. Honda powered cars dominated the day, taking 12 of the top 15 spots in the speed charts. Scott Dixon was fastest of all during the session, turning a lap at 233.302 mph (375.463 km/h). Alexander Rossi held the fastest no-tow lap at 231.597 mph (372.719 km/h). Marcus Ericsson put together the fastest 4-lap average - a simulation of a full qualification run - at 231.950 mph (373.287 km/h). No major incidents occurred during the day. Following the session, the draw for qualifying order was held.[31]
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 233.302 375.463
2 26 United States Colton Herta
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
 Honda 232.784 374.630
3 48 Brazil Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 232.690 374.478
OFFICIAL REPORT

Time Trials

Qualifying — Saturday, May 22

  • Weather: 83 °F (28 °C), Overcast early, partly cloudy late
  • Summary: Time trials on Saturday determined the top thirty qualifiers which would be locked into the starting field. The nine fastest cars advanced to the Fast Nine Shootout scheduled for Sunday to determine the pole position. The slowest five cars moved on to participate in the Last Row Shootout to determine the final row of the grid and which two entries would not qualify. Scott Dixon, the first driver to take the course, was the fastest driver, turning a four-lap average at 231.828 mph (373.091 km/h), with a best single lap speed of 232.574 mph (374.292 km/h). Colton Herta was second at 231.648 mph (372.801 km/h), while Dixon's teammate Tony Kanaan was third at 231.639 mph (372.787 km/h).[32]
On his second qualifying attempt, Álex Palou suffered a crash in turn 2 after losing control and sliding into the wall at corner exit. However, Palou had not withdrawn his previous time to make this attempt, and his initial time was still fast enough to make the Fast Nine session the next day.[33]
One of the major stories of the day was the difficulties for 2018 winner Will Power. Power was bumped from the field after his initial run and was unable to bump his way back in on subsequent runs, relegating him to the Last Row Shootout session. Sage Karam, Simona de Silvestro, Charlie Kimball, and R. C. Enerson were also forced into the Last Row Shootout.[32]
Honda-powered cars were once again dominant in qualifications, taking eleven of the top 15 positions and seven of the Fast Nine spots. Pietro Fittipaldi, who qualified 13th, earned the Fastest Rookie Qualifier award.
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
Fast Nine Qualifiers
1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon  W  Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 231.828 373.091
2 26 United States Colton Herta
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
Honda
 231.648 372.801
3 48 Brazil Tony Kanaan  W  Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 231.639 372.787
4 20 United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 231.616 372.750
5 21 Netherlands Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 231.483 372.536
6 06 Brazil Hélio Castroneves  W  Meyer Shank Racing
Honda
 231.164 372.022
7 10 Spain Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 231.145 371.992
8 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay  W 
Andretti Autosport
Honda
 231.139 371.982
9 8 Sweden Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 231.104 371.926
Positions 10–30
10 27 United States Alexander Rossi  W 
Andretti Autosport
Honda
 231.046 371.832
11 18 United Arab Emirates Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan
Honda
 231.044 371.829
12 5
Patricio O'Ward
Arrow McLaren SP
 Chevrolet 230.864 371.540
13 51 Brazil Pietro Fittipaldi  R  Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
Honda
 230.846 371.511
14 7 Sweden Felix Rosenqvist
Arrow McLaren SP
 Chevrolet 230.744 371.346
15 30 Japan Takuma Sato  W  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda
 230.708 371.289
16 29 Canada James Hinchcliffe
Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
Honda
 230.563 371.055
17 3
Scott McLaughlin
 R  		Team Penske Chevrolet 230.557 371.046
18 15 United States Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda
 230.521 370.988
19 47 United States Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 230.427 370.836
20 60 United Kingdom Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing
Honda
 230.191 370.457
21 2 United States Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 230.071 370.263
22 1 United States J. R. Hildebrand
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet 229.980 370.117
23 45 United States Santino Ferrucci Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda
 229.949 370.067
24 86 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya  W 
Arrow McLaren SP
 Chevrolet 229.891 369.974
25 98 United States Marco Andretti
Andretti Herta-Haupert Autosport w/ Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian
Honda
 229.872 369.943
26 22 France Simon Pagenaud  W  Team Penske Chevrolet 229.778 369.792
27 14 France Sébastien Bourdais
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet 229.744 369.737
28 25 United Kingdom Stefan Wilson
Andretti Autosport
Honda
 229.714 369.689
29 59 United Kingdom Max Chilton
Carlin
 Chevrolet 229.417 369.211
30 4 Canada Dalton Kellett
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet 228.323 367.450
Last Row Shootout
31 12 Australia Will Power  W  Team Penske Chevrolet No time
32 24 United States Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet No time
33 11 United States Charlie Kimball
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet No time
34 16 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro Paretta Autosport Chevrolet No time
35 75 United States R. C. Enerson  R  Top Gun Racing Chevrolet No time
Official Report

Bump Day/Pole Day — Sunday, May 23

  • Weather: 83 °F (28 °C), Sunny early, mostly cloudy late

Last Chance Qualifying

Last Chance Qualifying[34][35] began at 1:15 p.m. The format was expanded to a 75-minute session, with each participant having one guaranteed attempt. Previously, the Last Row Shootout session was limited to only one attempt per car. Entries were now allowed to make additional attempts, time-permitting, but were required to withdraw their previous time to do so.[36] In addition, cars that had completed an attempt would have the time voided if they performed any subsequent work on the car before time ran out in the session. If any adjustments were made, or if any engine cooling efforts were performed, the car was automatically withdrawn and was required to make a new attempt.

Sage Karam was the fastest of those in the Last Row Shootout, turning a four-lap average at 229.156 mph (368.791 km/h), to secure 31st starting position. Despite brushing the wall in turn two on his final lap, Will Power was second fastest, taking 32nd. Simona de Silvestro was third fastest, giving her the final starting position (33rd) for the race. Charlie Kimball and R. C. Enerson were 4th-fastest and 5th-fastest, respectively. Despite multiple attempts each, Kimball and Enerson failed to qualify.[37]

Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
Last Row Qualifiers
31 24 United States Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet 229.156 368.791
32 12 Australia Will Power  W  Team Penske Chevrolet 228.876 368.340
33 16 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro Paretta Autosport Chevrolet 228.353 367.499
Failed to qualify
34 11 United States Charlie Kimball
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Chevrolet 227.584 366.261
35 75 United States R. C. Enerson  R  Top Gun Racing Chevrolet 226.813 365.020
Official Report

Fast Nine Qualifying

Scott Dixon, the polesitter

Scott Dixon won his fourth Indianapolis 500 pole position with a four-lap average of 231.685 mph (372.861 km/h) and a fastest single lap of 232.757 mph (374.586 km/h). It was Dixon's first IndyCar pole position since the 2017 race. Colton Herta qualified second at 231.655 mph (372.813 km/h), only 0.0197 seconds slower than Dixon. Rinus VeeKay improved from his fifth-placed result in Saturday qualifying to take the outside of the front row, running at 231.511 mph (372.581 km/h). VeeKay was also the highest qualified Chevrolet-powered entry in the field.[38]

Following the conclusion of qualifications, a two-hour practice session was held.

Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
Fast Nine Qualifiers
1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon  W  Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 231.685 372.861
2 26 United States Colton Herta
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
Honda
 231.655 372.813
3 21 Netherlands Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 231.511 372.581
4 20 United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 231.504 372.570
5 48 Brazil Tony Kanaan  W  Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 231.032 371.810
6 10 Spain Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 230.616 371.140
7 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay  W 
Andretti Autosport
Honda
 230.499 370.952
8 06 Brazil Hélio Castroneves  W  Meyer Shank Racing
Honda
 230.355 370.720
9 8 Sweden Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda
 230.318 370.661
Official Report

Post-Qualifying practice

Post-qualifying practice — Sunday, May 23

  • Weather: 83 °F (28 °C), mostly cloudy
  • Summary: A two-hour practice session began at 5:00 p.m. following the conclusion of qualifications. Cars returned to their race-day boost levels, and practice runs were oriented on race set-ups. Simon Pagenaud suffered an engine failure during the session, the most significant incident of practice. Álex Palou turned the fastest lap, running at 225.649 mph (363.147 km/h).[39]
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 10 Spain Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 225.649 363.147
2 8 Sweden Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 225.632 363.120
3 47 United States Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 225.453 362.831
OFFICIAL REPORT

Carb Day final practice

Carb Day — Friday, May 28

  • Weather: 60 °F (16 °C), intermittent rain showers
  • Summary: Carb Day practice, the final practice before the race, was scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. However, rain showers delayed the start by over 2 hours, with practice not starting until roughly 1:30 p.m. Lower temperatures led to higher speeds for the drivers. Scott Dixon turned the fastest lap of the day at 228.323 mph (367.450 km/h). The session was cut short by roughly 10 minutes due to further rain showers.[40]
Due to limited attendance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Pit Stop Challenge and concerts were not held.[41]
Top Practice Speeds
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Speed (mph) Speed (km/h)
1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 228.323 367.450
2 22 France Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 227.157 365.574
3 2 United States Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 226.856 365.089
OFFICIAL REPORT

Starting grid

Row Inside Middle Outside
1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon  W  26 United States Colton Herta 21 Netherlands Rinus VeeKay
2 20 United States Ed Carpenter 48 Brazil Tony Kanaan  W  10 Spain Álex Palou
3 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay  W  06 Brazil Hélio Castroneves  W  8 Sweden Marcus Ericsson
4 27 United States Alexander Rossi  W  18 United Arab Emirates Ed Jones 5
Patricio O'Ward
5 51 Brazil Pietro Fittipaldi  R  7 Sweden Felix Rosenqvist 30 Japan Takuma Sato  W 
6 29 Canada James Hinchcliffe 3
Scott McLaughlin
 R  		15 United States Graham Rahal
7 47 United States Conor Daly 60 United Kingdom Jack Harvey 2 United States Josef Newgarden
8 1 United States J. R. Hildebrand 45 United States Santino Ferrucci 86 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya  W 
9 98 United States Marco Andretti 22 France Simon Pagenaud  W  14 France Sébastien Bourdais
10 25 United Kingdom Stefan Wilson 59 United Kingdom Max Chilton 4 Canada Dalton Kellett
11 24 United States Sage Karam 12 Australia Will Power  W  16 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro

Failed to qualify

No. Driver Team Reason
11 United States Charlie Kimball
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Fourth fastest in Last Row Shootout. Too slow on second attempt.
75 United States R. C. Enerson  R  Top Gun Racing Fifth fastest in Last Row Shootout. Too slow on second attempt.
R Indianapolis 500 rookie
W Indianapolis 500 winner

Race report

  • Weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Sunny.

First half

Ed Carpenter Racing teammates Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay dominated the first half of the race. The race began with Scott Dixon pulling into the lead, but by the end of the first lap, Colton Herta had overtaken him. On lap 2, VeeKay moved into the lead and kept it for 29 laps. The lead cars remained in roughly the same order until the first round of pit stops began around lap 31. Ed Carpenter lost significant time when his car fell off its air-jacks and then stalled, dropping him down the order. In the midst of this pit sequence, Stefan Wilson lost his control of his car and wrecked entering pit lane, triggering the race's first caution period. The timing of the caution period caused several participants to make emergency service stops. The worst affected were pre-race favorites Dixon and Alexander Rossi, who both ran out of fuel entering pit lane. Both drivers fell off the lead lap trying to get the cars refired as a consequence.[42] Due to the number of cars taking penalties for stopping for emergency service, the caution period lasted 11 laps while IndyCar officials determined the running order.[43]

Racing resumed at lap 46, with Herta, VeeKay, and Daly as the top 3. After a few laps of racing, VeeKay moved into the lead briefly before being passed by his teammate Daly.

Patricio O'Ward moved into third. A slower stop dropped Castroneves to seventh. At the halfway mark of the race, the running order was Daly, VeeKay, O'Ward, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Herta.[43]

Second half

Another round of pit stops came around lap 103. Differing fuel strategies meant that several drivers extended farther, going as far as lap 118.

Patricio O'Ward, and Rinus VeeKay.[43]

Racing resumed at lap 125, with the top 3 drivers exchanging the lead for several laps before settling back into their original order. More pit stops came at roughly lap 144, with the lead cars avoiding incident. Further back, Will Power spun his car trying to slow down for pit entry, causing him to fall off the lead lap. The running order remained Palou, Castroneves, and O'Ward, with Ryan Hunter-Reay moving up to fourth.[43]

The final round of pit stops came at around lap 170. Castroneves came out ahead of Palou initially, but was quickly passed on track. Hunter-Reay's top-5 run came to an end after failing to slow in time for pit entry, resulting in a penalty. Further back, Simona de Silvestro spun and damaged her car entering pit lane, forcing her to retire from the race.[43]

Finish

Race winner Hélio Castroneves

While the leaders had pitted for the final time,

Scott McLaughlin
was the higher finishing of the two rookies in the race despite a pit lane penalty, netting him Rookie of the Year honors.

Castroneves celebrating with his crew by climbing the safety fencing

With an average speed of 190.690 mph (306.886 km/h),[51] the 2021 race set a new record for the fastest running of the Indianapolis 500, eclipsing the mark set in the 2013 race by over 3 mph.[52] The race was noted for its competitive parity, with 361 overtakes made, including 35 for the lead between 13 different drivers.[53] The race further set a record for most competitors still running at the finish, with 30 of the initial 33 starters still circulating.

Box score

Finish No. Driver Team Chassis Engine Laps Time/Retired Pit
Stops 		Grid Pts.1
1 06 Brazil Hélio Castroneves  W  Meyer Shank Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 2:37:19.3846 5 8 103
2 10 Spain Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 0.4928 5 6 85
3 22 France Simon Pagenaud  W  Team Penske Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 0.5626 6 26 71
4 5
Patricio O'Ward
Arrow McLaren SP
 Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 0.9409 5 12 65
5 20 United States Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 1.2424 5 4 66
6 45 United States Santino Ferrucci Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 9.0876 6 23 57
7 24 United States Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 13.4359 5 31 53
8 21 Netherlands Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 14.2415 5 3 56
9 86 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya  W 
Arrow McLaren SP
 Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 14.8808 5 24 44
10 48 Brazil Tony Kanaan  W  Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 15.4428 7 5 45
11 8 Sweden Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 16.5166 6 9 39
12 2 United States Josef Newgarden Team Penske Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 22.3045 5 21 36
13 47 United States Conor Daly Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 22.6921 5 19 37
14 30 Japan Takuma Sato  W  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 23.2955 5 15 33
15 1 United States J. R. Hildebrand
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 23.5277 7 22 30
16 26 United States Colton Herta
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
 Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 28.8029 5 2 37
17 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon  W  Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 38.6410 6 1 36
18 60 United Kingdom Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 40.1572 6 20 24
19 98 United States Marco Andretti
Andretti Herta-Haupert Autosport w/ Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian
 Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 40.3591 6 25 22
20 3
Scott McLaughlin
 R  		Team Penske Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 200 + 40.8337 8 17 20
21 29 Canada James Hinchcliffe
Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
 Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 40.8464 5 16 18
22 28 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay  W 
Andretti Autosport
 Dallara UAK18
Honda
 200 + 41.5762 6 7 19
23 4 Canada Dalton Kellett
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 199 + 1 Lap 6 30 14
24 59 United Kingdom Max Chilton
Carlin
 Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 199 + 1 Lap 8 29 12
25 51 Brazil Pietro Fittipaldi  R  Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 199 + 1 Lap 6 13 10
26 14 France Sébastien Bourdais
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 199 + 1 Lap 6 27 10
27 7 Sweden Felix Rosenqvist
Arrow McLaren SP
 Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 199 + 1 Lap 8 14 11
28 18 United Arab Emirates Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan Dallara UAK18
Honda
 199 + 1 Lap 6 11 10
29 27 United States Alexander Rossi  W 
Andretti Autosport
 Dallara UAK18
Honda
 198 + 2 Laps 10 10 10
30 12 Australia Will Power  W  Team Penske Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 197 + 3 Laps 6 32 10
31 16 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro Paretta Autosport Dallara UAK18 Chevrolet 169 Contact 4 33 10
32 15 United States Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara UAK18
Honda
 118 Contact 3 18 11
33 25 United Kingdom Stefan Wilson
Andretti Autosport
 Dallara UAK18
Honda
 32 Contact 1 28 10
OFFICIAL REPORT

 W  Former Indianapolis 500 winner

 R  Indianapolis 500 Rookie

All entrants utilized Firestone tires.

1 Points include qualification points from time trials, 1 point for leading a lap, and 2 points for most laps led.

Race statistics

Broadcasting

Television

The race was televised on NBC in the United States. The coverage began at 11:00 a.m. EDT.[54] On May 28, it was announced that the race was not blacked out in the Indianapolis area for the fifth time in race history, airing live on WTHR (Channel 13), as all tickets had been sold out and reached 40 percent of venue capacity. This event hosted 135,000 fans on the circuit.[55]

Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick returned for pre and post-race coverage, as they had done the previous two years. Patrick also drove the pace car during pre-race festivities. Jac Collinsworth made his Indy 500 debut as the Prerace Host on NBCSN. Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned for pre-race coverage after being absent for the 2020 event as a result of rescheduling (Earnhardt and Letarte were covering the Drydene Twin 500km at Dover International Speedway on the rescheduled weekend).[54]

On May 4, Jimmie Johnson was announced as part of the broadcast team as part of the "Peacock Pit Box" crew alongside Steve Letarte.[54]

The 2021 race was the final "500" for Robin Miller, who had covered the event for roughly fifty years at The Indianapolis Star, Racer, and on television through ESPN, Speed, and NBC. Miller died of leukemia on August 25, 2021.[56][57][58]

NBC
Booth Announcers Pre/Post-Race
Pit/garage reporters

Announcer: Leigh Diffey

Color: Townsend Bell
Color: Paul Tracy

NBC Host: Mike Tirico
Studio Analyst: Danica Patrick
NBCSN Host: Jac Collinsworth
Analyst/Features: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Features: Rutledge Wood

 Marty Snider
Kelli Stavast
Dave Burns
Kevin Lee
Jimmie Johnson (pit box)
Steve Letarte (pit box)

Radio

The race was carried by the IndyCar Radio Network. The chief announcer or "Voice of the 500" for the sixth consecutive year was Mark Jaynes with Davey Hamilton as driver analyst. Recently retired Donald Davidson returned to the booth in a live capacity for the first time since 2019 as in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic all of his appearances were taped. This year marked the debut of Alex Wollf as an on-air pit reporter.[59] It also marked the debut of Scott Sander as a pit reporter.[60]

1070 The Fan broadcast weeknights with Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee. Speedway historian Donald Davidson retired at the end of 2020, and his longtime program The Talk of Gasoline Alley was no longer aired. In its place, a new Indianapolis 500 themed program title Beyond The Bricks was hosted by Jake Query (an IndyCar Radio Network veteran) and former WIBC personality Mike Thomson.[61]

The 2021 race was the final "500" for Bob Jenkins, the former radio, television, and public address announcer, and emcee. Jenkins died August 9, 2021, from brain cancer.[62] Jenkins had worked as a reporter/broadcaster at the race every year from 1979 to 2020, and had attended the race nearly every since 1960.[D] Due to his condition, he attended the 2021 race only as a spectator, and sat for only brief pre-recorded pieces for the radio broadcast.

IndyCar Radio Network
Booth Announcers Turn Reporters
Pit/garage reporters
 Guest Commentary

Chief Announcer
: Mark Jaynes
Driver expert: Davey Hamilton
Historian: Donald Davidson

Turn 1: Nick Yeoman
Turn 2: Michael Young
Turn 3: Jake Query
Turn 4: Chris Denari

 Alex Wollf (north pits)  R 
Scott Sander (north middle pits)  R 
Rob Blackman (south middle pits)
Ryan Myrehn (south pits) 		Paul Page
Dave Wilson
Sam Rumpza
Mike Thomsen
Bob Jenkins

Footnotes

  1. A. J. Foyt Enterprises agreed and arranged to assign car No. 1 to the J. R. Hildebrand Foyt entry to commemorate the 60th anniversary of A. J. Foyt
    's first Indianapolis 500 victory.
  2. ^
    Andretti Autosport
    .
  3. ^ Paretta Autosport has a technical alliance with Team Penske.
  4. ^ In multiple public interviews, Jenkins claimed he had attended the Indianapolis 500 every year from 1960 to 2020, except for 1961 and 1965.

References

  1. ^ "Danica Patrick to drive Indy 500 pace car". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Pruett, Marshall (April 21, 2021). "Indy 500 announces attendance plans". Racer. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "Gainbridge becomes new sponsor for Indy 500". ESPN.com. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Pruett, Marshall (November 2, 2020). "IndyCar crunching the data after two-day aero test at IMS". Racer. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "Indy 500 to feature record purse, increased speeds". IndyCar.com. February 14, 2020. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "Indianapolis 500 Plan Ahead Guide". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  7. ^ "NTT IndyCar Series announces 17-race schedule for 2021 season". IndyCar Series. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  8. ^ 2021 Indianapolis 500 Official Entry List
  9. ^ Pruett, Marshall (March 23, 2021). "Bumping back on the cards for the 2021 Indy 500 field". Racer. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  10. ^ Pruett, Marshall (May 12, 2021). "35-car Indy 500 entry announced". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Pruett, Marshall (September 28, 2020). "IndyCar to test aero changes to promote overtaking". Racer. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  12. ^ Ryan, Nate (October 28, 2020). "Social roundup: Takuma Sato leads IndyCar back on track in offseason test at Brickyard". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  13. ^ Ryan, Nate (October 27, 2020). "Several IndyCar Series drivers will test Wednesday and Friday at Indianapolis". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  14. ^ Pruett, Marshall (March 25, 2021). "IndyCar planning hybridization rehearsal at IMS test". Racer. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  15. ^ Miller, Robin (March 27, 2021). "IndyCar drivers not behind push-to-pass at IMS". Racer. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  16. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (March 9, 2021). "Jimmie Johnson "sensing" his IndyCar in final preseason test". Motorsport.com. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  17. ^ Fowler, Ashley (April 4, 2021). "IMS to host Indy 500 Open Test this week". WIBC.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.Open access icon
  18. ^ Pruett, Marshall (April 8, 2021). "VeeKay confirms broken finger from testing crash". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  19. ^ Pruett, Marshall (April 8, 2021). "Daly leads rain-shortened first day of Indy Open Test". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  20. ^ @indy44 (April 8, 2021). "Matt Archuleta - Open Test Timing & Scoring as of 12:55 p.m." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ Pruett, Marhsall (April 8, 2021). "Bourdais tops rookie/refresher session at IMS". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  22. ^ @adrianfm94 (April 8, 2021). "Adri Fernandez - Rookie/Refresher Speeds" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  23. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (April 9, 2021). "Newgarden leads three former winners in Indy 500 test". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  24. ^ Pruett, Marshall (May 18, 2021). "Rahal leads opening practice of Indy 500". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  25. ^ Pruett, Marshall (May 18, 2021). "Hildebrand completes Indy refresher as Enerson finds issues in ROP session". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  26. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (May 18, 2021). "Indy 500: Former winners dominate first day of practice". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  27. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (May 19, 2021). "Indy 500: Ganassi and Carpenter cars top Day 2 of practice". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  28. ^ Pruett, Marshall (May 20, 2021). "Herta, McLaughlin trip over Indy photo-op". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  29. ^ a b Malsher-Lopez, David (May 20, 2021). "Indy 500: Kanaan leads Daly in race setup testing on Day 3". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  30. ^ Barnes, Joey (May 20, 2021). "Ferrucci undergoing medical evaluation after Indy 500 practice crash". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  31. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (May 21, 2021). "Indy 500: Ericsson, Herta top 4-lap averages on Fast Friday". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  32. ^ a b Barnes, Joey (May 22, 2021). "Dixon leads Indy 500 qualifiers; Power outside top 33". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  33. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (May 22, 2021). "Palou suffers heavy shunt in Indy qualifying". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  34. ^ Kelly, Paul (May 22, 2021). "Dixon Fastest, Power Drops to Last Chance in Qualifying Drama". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  35. ^ Kelly, Paul (May 23, 2021). "Dixon Powers to Fourth '500' Pole in Fastest Indy Field". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  36. ^ Benyon, Jack (May 22, 2021). "Indy 500 Qualifying: How it Works and What to Expect". the-race.com. The Race. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  37. ^ Pruett, Marshall (May 23, 2021). "Karam, Power, De Silvestro claim Indy 500 last row". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  38. ^ Pruett, Marshall (May 23, 2021). "Dixon saves his best for last to win Indianapolis 500 pole". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  39. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (May 23, 2021). "Indy 500: Ganassi cars lead last practice before Carb Day". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  40. ^ Kelly, Paul (May 28, 2021). "Dixon cements race favorite status by leading final practice". IndyCar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, LLC. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  41. ^ "Miller Lite Carb Day". IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. IMS LLC. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  42. ^ Medland, Chris (May 30, 2021). "Domino effect from Wilson pit incident spoils Dixon's Indy chances". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  43. ^ a b c d e Malsher-Lopez, David (May 30, 2021). "Indy 500: Castroneves beats Palou, scores famous fourth win". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  44. ^ Miller, Robin (May 30, 2021). "Loose wheel wrecks Rahal at Indy". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  45. ^ Medland, Chris (May 30, 2021). "Wheel that 'fell out of the sky' slows Daly's Indy charge". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  46. ^ Barnes, Joey (May 30, 2021). "Sato fuel mileage gamble comes up short". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  47. ^ a b "Indy 500: Helio Castroneves becomes fourth four-time winner". BBC Sport. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  48. ^ "105th Indianapolis 500 Historical Notes". IndyCar.com. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  49. ^ Taranto, Steven (30 May 2021). "2021 Indy 500 winner: Hélio Castroneves wins record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 joining Unser, Mears, Foyt". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  50. ^ Ryan, Nate (May 31, 2021). "Helio Castroneves earns $1.8 million for win in Indy 500 as purse increases from last year". nbcsports.com. NBC Universal. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  51. ^ Malsher, David (1 June 2021). "How 'chess master' Castroneves cemented his Indy legend status". Autosport. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  52. ^ Taranto, Steven (30 May 2021). "2021 Indy 500 winner: Hélio Castroneves wins record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 joining Unser, Mears, Foyt". CBS Sports. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  53. Racer magazine
    . Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  54. ^ a b c Barnes, Joey (May 4, 2021). "NBC Sports adds Johnson to Indy 500 broadcast team alongside Patrick, Tirico". Racer.com. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  55. ^ "Indy 500 local blackout will be lifted for just the fifth time in race history". Awful Announcing. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  56. ^ "MILLER: A letter to the RACER nation". RACER. July 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  57. ^ "Legendary Racing Journalist Miller Dies at 71". IndyCar. August 25, 2021.
  58. ^ Benbow, Dana Hunsinger. "Robin Miller, journalist who captivated race fans with unfiltered takes, dies at 71". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  59. ^ In the radio broadcast, it was mentioned by Mark Jaynes that he had helped the broadcast previously behind the scenes
  60. ^ Also mentioned on the broadcast by Mark Jaynes
  61. ^ "Beyond the Bricks". May 6, 2021.
  62. ^ "Bob Jenkins, longtime racing announcer and former voice of the Indianapolis 500, dies at 73". August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.

External links


Previous race:
2021 GMR Grand Prix 		IndyCar Series
2021 season 		Next race:
2021 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
Previous race:
2020 Indianapolis 500 		Indianapolis 500 Next race:
2022 Indianapolis 500
Preceded by
187.433 mph
(2013 Indianapolis 500)
 Record for the Indianapolis 500 fastest average speed
190.690 mph 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Indianapolis_500&oldid=1220272295"