Josef Newgarden Won The Indy 500 In A One-Lap Sprint

It’s Tuesday, May 30, 2023 and this is Who Won Where, your recap of last weekend’s racing action and headlines from around the world. Here are the results that you need to know in one place.

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Controversial One-Lap Sprint Decides Indy 500

Photo: Justin Casterline (Getty Images)

The conclusion of the year’s Indianapolis 500 will likely be remembered for decades to come. The red flag-filled finale featured thrilling on-track action, a parked sedan destroyed by a loose wheel, and a divisive decision to restart the race with a single lap remaining.

The last 16 laps of the 200-lap classic began with McLaren’s Felix Rosenqvist losing control of his car in Turn 2, spinning out and colliding with Andretti Autosport driver Kyle Kirkwood. The impact sheered the left rear corner off of Kirkwood’s car, rendering the tethers meant to keep the wheel attached to the chassis useless. The loose wheel flew over the catch fence and a grandstand, coming down in the gap between the stands and the Turn 2 hospitality suites. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured but the wheel hit a parked Chevy Cruze.

With only two laps remaining, it seemed like Marcus Ericsson was going to become the first back-to-back Indy 500 winner since 2002. However, race control decided to restart the race with no warm-up lap for a single-lap sprint. IndyCar’s rulebook leaves the restart procedure at the race director’s discretion, so the irregular restart was legal.

Josef Newgarden outduels Marcus Ericsson for Indy 500 win in shootout | Motorsports on NBC

The field saw both the white and green flags as they came to the line to start lap 200, and all hell broke loose as Ericsson desperately attempted to hold back Penske driver Josef Newgarden. Ericsson moved all the way to the grass at the Turn 2 exit, but he was just a sitting duck to Newgarden. Out of Turn 4, Newgarden did the same with both drivers racing down the pit lane entry but there just wasn’t enough pavement until the finish line for Ericsson to catch the new leader.

Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500, becoming the first American to do so since Alexander Rossi in 2016. The victory also extends Team Penske’s record for most Indy 500 wins to 19.

Race Results

1. – Josef Newgarden (Penske)
2. – Marcus Ericsson (Ganassi) – 0.097 seconds
3. – Santino Ferrucci (Foyt) – 0.527 seconds
4. – Alex Palou (Ganasi) – 0.764 seconds
5. – Alexander Rossi (McLaren) – 0.993 seconds

Max Verstappen Wins Rain-Hit Monaco Grand Prix

Photo: Ryan Pierse

Another Formula 1 race weekend, another Max Verstappen race win. Red Bull’s defending world champion is still unstoppable, but the Monaco Grand Prix left the door open for an unexpected spoiler. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso had the opportunity to take his first F1 victory in a decade. On Saturday, the Spaniard was provisional pole during qualifying until Verstappen clawed a quarter of a second back in the last sector of his final run.

On Sunday, Monaco was its usual procession for the drivers at the front until rain showers came over the track during the final third of the race. The rain was mainly over the northern end of the circuit around the iconic hairpin. Alonso was presented with another opportunity at the race win as all the team and drivers contemplated when to switch to tires appropriate for the weather. However, a communications error led to Aston Martin fitting Alonso’s car with dry weather tires when he came into the pit lane. The two–time champion was forced to pit again on the following lap for intermediate tires.

Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix by almost 28 seconds after Alonso’s extra stop. Surprisingly, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon rounded out the podium with a third-place finish. It was Ocon’s first podium since his shock Hungarian Grand Prix win in 2021.

Race Results

1. – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 27.921 seconds
3. – Esteban Ocon (Alpine) – 36.990 seconds
4. – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 39.062 seconds
5. – George Russell (Mercedes) – 56.284 seconds

Ryan Blaney Ends Win Drought At Rain-Delayed Coke 600

Photo: David Jensen (Getty Images)

Rain on Sunday forced NASCAR to delay the Coca-Cola 600 until Monday. Penske’s Ryan Blaney was dominant for most of the race distance, leading 163 out of 400 laps in Charlotte. Blaney held off Hendrick driver William Byron to win NASCAR’s Memorial Day major. It was a historic holiday weekend for Penske as Blaney’s victory swept both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time. Blaney mimicked his stablemate Josef Newgarden by running into the stand to celebrate with the fans. He also ended a drought of 59 races without a win.

NASCAR will likely be busy during the week determining what to do as a serious incident during the Coke 600. On lap 185, Chase Elliott hooked the right-rear corner of Denny Hamlin’s car and sent him head-on into the wall on the front stretch. The No. 11 Camry collected Elliott’s Camaro as it rebounded off the wall so neither driver could continue. Hamlin claims the move was deliberate retaliation.

Race Results

1. – Ryan Blaney (Penske)
2. – William Byron (Hendrick)
3. – Martin Truex Jr. (Gibbs)
4. – Bubba Wallace (23XI)
5. – Tyler Reddick (23XI)