| Summary of each IndyCar Race in 2025 By Dan Vielhaber |
| 2025 INDYCAR RACE REVIEWS |
Copyright © 2025 IndySpeedway.com All Rights Reserved
| May 4 GP of Alabama BARBER MOTORSPORT PARK BIRMINGHAM AL - 90 LAPS |
| MAY 10 SONSIO GP INDY MOTOR SPEEDWAY R/C INDIANAPOLIS IN - 85 LAPS |
| MAR 23 IndyCar GP THERMAL CLUB Palm Desert - 65 LAPS |
| MAR 2 Firestone Grand Prix of ST PETERSBURG Street/Airport Race - 100 LAPS |
Firestone GP of St. Petersburg
IndyCar at Thermal Club
Acura GP of Long Beach
Children's of Alabama Indy GP at Barber Motorsports Park
SONSIO Grand Prix at IMS
Indianapolis 500 at IMS
Chevrolet Detroit GP on the Streets of Detroit
Bommarito Auto Group 500 at WWT Raceway
XPEL GP at Road America
Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
IndyCar 250 1 at Iowa Speedway
IndyCar 250 2 at Iowa Speedway
Honda Indy Toronto
Firestone GP of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Bitnile.com GP of Portland at Portland Int'l Raceway
Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250
Music City GP at Nashville Superspeedway
IndyCar at Thermal Club
Acura GP of Long Beach
Children's of Alabama Indy GP at Barber Motorsports Park
SONSIO Grand Prix at IMS
Indianapolis 500 at IMS
Chevrolet Detroit GP on the Streets of Detroit
Bommarito Auto Group 500 at WWT Raceway
XPEL GP at Road America
Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
IndyCar 250 1 at Iowa Speedway
IndyCar 250 2 at Iowa Speedway
Honda Indy Toronto
Firestone GP of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Bitnile.com GP of Portland at Portland Int'l Raceway
Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250
Music City GP at Nashville Superspeedway
| INDEX |
| MAY 25 Indy 500 INDY MOTOR SPEEDWAY INDIANAPOLIS IN - 200 LAPS |
| JUNE 01 Chevrolet Detroit GP Street Race DETROIT, MI - 100 Laps |
| JUNE 22 REV Group GP ROAD AMERICA ELKHART LAKE, WI - 55 LAPS |
| JULY 06 Honda Indy 200 MID-OHIO LEXINGTON, IL - 90 LAPS |
| Points Leader - Alex Palou - 51 |
| AUG 31 Music City Grand Prix NASHVILLE Superspeedway - 225 LAPS |
| AUG 31 Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250 Milwaukee Mile - 250 LAPS |
| JUNE 15 Bommarito Auto Group 500 WWT Raceway ST LOUIS - 260 LAPS |
| AUG 10 Grand Prix of Portland Portland Int'l Raceway PORTLAND OR - 110 LAPS |
| JULY 27 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey WeatherTech Raceway CA - 90 LAPS |
| APR 13 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach LONG BEACH CA - 90 LAPS |
| JULY 20 Honda Indy Toronto TORONTO CANADA - 90 LAPS |
| JULY 12 IndyCar 250 Race 1 Iowa Speedway NEWTON IA - 250 LAPS |
| JULY 13 IndyCar 250 Race 2 Iowa Speedway NEWTON IA - 250 LAPS |
| Points Leader - Alex Palou - 142 |
| Points Leader - Alex Palou - 196 |
| Points Leader - Alex Palou - 248 |
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FULL RACE RESULTS
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FULL RACE RESULTS
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FULL RACE RESULTS
| 2025 IndyCar Champion - |
FULL RACE RESULTS
Mar 2
Mar 23
Apr 13
May 4
May 10
May 26
June 1
June 15
June 22
July 6
July 12
July 13
July 20
July 27
Aug 10
Aug 24
Aug 31
Mar 23
Apr 13
May 4
May 10
May 26
June 1
June 15
June 22
July 6
July 12
July 13
July 20
July 27
Aug 10
Aug 24
Aug 31
Alex Palou
Alex Palou
Kyle Kirkwood
Alex Palou
Alex Palou
Kyle Kirkwood
Alex Palou
WINNER
| Points Leader - Alex Palou - 102 |
The weather was sunny and 69-degrees at start of race.
Scott McLaughlin from Team Penske had the pole position. His teammate, Josef
Newgarden, qualified 10th.
The only accident of the day was on the first lap when Will Power got into the back of
Nolan Siegel. Louis Foster, making his IndyCar debut, was also involved and all three
cars were out. That would also be the only caution period of the race.
Many drivers who had started the race on the soft alternate tires, took the opportunity to
pit under the yellow and switch to the preferred primary tires. No one knew how long
the new alternate tires would last, but each driver had to use them at least once during
the race. Three drivers who pit early would all finish on the podium.
McLaughlin stayed out and led the race until his pit stop on Lap 32, where he took on
the alternate tires. He pit again 17 laps later to get back on primary tires. The drivers
who had pit on Lap 2, were able to run double that number of laps on the primary tires.
Christian Lundgaard led for the next 23 laps. He pit a bit early and wound up back in
11th after the pit cycle. Palou took the lead. He was followed by Newgarden, Dixon and
McLaughlin. These cars remained in their position almost to the end, when on the last lap,
Dixon passed Newgarden for 2nd place!
Pato O'Ward was the biggest mover, improving 12 positions, having started 23rd and
finishing in 11th. Indycar has begun awarding a trophy for that!
Scott McLaughlin from Team Penske had the pole position. His teammate, Josef
Newgarden, qualified 10th.
The only accident of the day was on the first lap when Will Power got into the back of
Nolan Siegel. Louis Foster, making his IndyCar debut, was also involved and all three
cars were out. That would also be the only caution period of the race.
Many drivers who had started the race on the soft alternate tires, took the opportunity to
pit under the yellow and switch to the preferred primary tires. No one knew how long
the new alternate tires would last, but each driver had to use them at least once during
the race. Three drivers who pit early would all finish on the podium.
McLaughlin stayed out and led the race until his pit stop on Lap 32, where he took on
the alternate tires. He pit again 17 laps later to get back on primary tires. The drivers
who had pit on Lap 2, were able to run double that number of laps on the primary tires.
Christian Lundgaard led for the next 23 laps. He pit a bit early and wound up back in
11th after the pit cycle. Palou took the lead. He was followed by Newgarden, Dixon and
McLaughlin. These cars remained in their position almost to the end, when on the last lap,
Dixon passed Newgarden for 2nd place!
Pato O'Ward was the biggest mover, improving 12 positions, having started 23rd and
finishing in 11th. Indycar has begun awarding a trophy for that!
| Scott Dixon (2nd) |
| Alex Palou (1st) |
| Josef Newgarden (3rd) |
After a few short exhibition races at the private Thermal Club race track near Palm Desert
in California last year, IndyCar held their first points race there today. Consequently, the
teams were lacking the usual amount of setup data. The big question were the tire choice
- how long would the faster, soft alternates last on the abrasive track surface?
The weather was hot, nearly 90-degrees.
The two McLaren cars started from the front row, with Pato O'Ward on pole.
Alex Palou qualified 3rd for Ganassi. All 3 Andretti cars and both Meyer Shank cars
qualified in the top ten. Alexander Rossi qualified 6th for Ed Carpenter Racing. Louis
Foster, who had not yet completed a single IndyCar race lap, qualified in 10th for Rahal
Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Notably missing from the front of the grid were the three Penske cars, which did not make
it past the first round of qualifying.
The only incident in the race happened on the first lap when Devlin DeFrancesco ran into
Scott McLaughlin, sending both cars off. That incident resulted in Callum Ilott slamming
into the back of his teammate. The cars continued to the pits and no caution was called.
The entire 65-lap race would run caution free. However, McLaughlin would develop
overheating issues with his hybrid system and he was the only car not to finish the race.
The front of the grid remained mainly unchanged throughout the race, albeit Foster, which
ended up requiring at least three pit stops from every driver. However, there was plenty
of exciting passing throughout the field.
On Lap 46, Palou passed Christian Lundgaard for 2nd after a fierce back and forth
battle, then began pulling away quickly. O'Ward had built up a comfortable 11-second
lead when Palou pit on Lap 48. O'Ward then made his final pit stop on the next lap.
All three cars were now on black tires, but Palou was much faster and he soon reeled in
O'Ward, passing him with 10 laps to go. Palou pulled away to a 10-second lead and won
again.
Will Power was the big mover of the race, advancing 15 positions to finish 6th.
FOX had some type of power problem and was unable to broadcast for about 20 minutes
of the race.
in California last year, IndyCar held their first points race there today. Consequently, the
teams were lacking the usual amount of setup data. The big question were the tire choice
- how long would the faster, soft alternates last on the abrasive track surface?
The weather was hot, nearly 90-degrees.
The two McLaren cars started from the front row, with Pato O'Ward on pole.
Alex Palou qualified 3rd for Ganassi. All 3 Andretti cars and both Meyer Shank cars
qualified in the top ten. Alexander Rossi qualified 6th for Ed Carpenter Racing. Louis
Foster, who had not yet completed a single IndyCar race lap, qualified in 10th for Rahal
Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Notably missing from the front of the grid were the three Penske cars, which did not make
it past the first round of qualifying.
The only incident in the race happened on the first lap when Devlin DeFrancesco ran into
Scott McLaughlin, sending both cars off. That incident resulted in Callum Ilott slamming
into the back of his teammate. The cars continued to the pits and no caution was called.
The entire 65-lap race would run caution free. However, McLaughlin would develop
overheating issues with his hybrid system and he was the only car not to finish the race.
The front of the grid remained mainly unchanged throughout the race, albeit Foster, which
ended up requiring at least three pit stops from every driver. However, there was plenty
of exciting passing throughout the field.
On Lap 46, Palou passed Christian Lundgaard for 2nd after a fierce back and forth
battle, then began pulling away quickly. O'Ward had built up a comfortable 11-second
lead when Palou pit on Lap 48. O'Ward then made his final pit stop on the next lap.
All three cars were now on black tires, but Palou was much faster and he soon reeled in
O'Ward, passing him with 10 laps to go. Palou pulled away to a 10-second lead and won
again.
Will Power was the big mover of the race, advancing 15 positions to finish 6th.
FOX had some type of power problem and was unable to broadcast for about 20 minutes
of the race.
| Palou Passes Lundgaard for 2nd. |
| Palou Won! |
Race day weather was cooler than expected for SoCal (63 degrees) and overcast.
The sun soon came out after the race started and warmed the track up.
Andretti Global started on the front row; Kyle Kirkwood on pole with Colton Herta
beside him.
Once again, tire strategy played a role. The primary tires were preferred, but everyone
had to use the softer alternate tires at some point in the race. Most drivers opted to start
with the green alternates and to pit very early.
Josef Newgarden, who started a disappointing 15th, pit on the 2nd lap just to switch off
of the alternates. By lap 59 he had worked his way up to 6th. But then, his seatbelt
mysteriously came unfastened and he returned to the pits to get help refastening it. The
time wasted with that extra pit-stop sent him to the very back, where he would finish.
Herta and Marcus Ericsson pit on lap 5 from the top 5. Herta then came under pressure
fast from the Penskes. Fast action and passing ensued.
Kirkwood pit from the lead on lap 7 and Christian Lundgaard took over the lead.
All the other drivers who had started the race on alternates pit by lap 10.
Following Lundgaard were the other drivers on primaries - Scott Dixon, Kyffin Simpson,
Sting Ray Robb and Santino Ferrucci. They ran at the front until they finally had to pit,
between laps 26-29.
Kirkwood resumed the lead, however, he pit 5 laps later to get rid of the alternate tires
and for a while, Robb led! Once Robb pit on lap 53, Kirkwood took over, followed by
Alex Palou, Felix Rosenqvist and Lundgaard! Lundgaard then passed Rosenqvist with 5
laps to go and made the podium.
This was Kirkwood's 3rd victory. He also won Long Beach in 2023, in his first year with
Andretti Global.
There were no yellows during the race.
Santino Ferrucci was the Biggest Mover of the race, having started last in 27th and
finishing in 11th.
The sun soon came out after the race started and warmed the track up.
Andretti Global started on the front row; Kyle Kirkwood on pole with Colton Herta
beside him.
Once again, tire strategy played a role. The primary tires were preferred, but everyone
had to use the softer alternate tires at some point in the race. Most drivers opted to start
with the green alternates and to pit very early.
Josef Newgarden, who started a disappointing 15th, pit on the 2nd lap just to switch off
of the alternates. By lap 59 he had worked his way up to 6th. But then, his seatbelt
mysteriously came unfastened and he returned to the pits to get help refastening it. The
time wasted with that extra pit-stop sent him to the very back, where he would finish.
Herta and Marcus Ericsson pit on lap 5 from the top 5. Herta then came under pressure
fast from the Penskes. Fast action and passing ensued.
Kirkwood pit from the lead on lap 7 and Christian Lundgaard took over the lead.
All the other drivers who had started the race on alternates pit by lap 10.
Following Lundgaard were the other drivers on primaries - Scott Dixon, Kyffin Simpson,
Sting Ray Robb and Santino Ferrucci. They ran at the front until they finally had to pit,
between laps 26-29.
Kirkwood resumed the lead, however, he pit 5 laps later to get rid of the alternate tires
and for a while, Robb led! Once Robb pit on lap 53, Kirkwood took over, followed by
Alex Palou, Felix Rosenqvist and Lundgaard! Lundgaard then passed Rosenqvist with 5
laps to go and made the podium.
This was Kirkwood's 3rd victory. He also won Long Beach in 2023, in his first year with
Andretti Global.
There were no yellows during the race.
Santino Ferrucci was the Biggest Mover of the race, having started last in 27th and
finishing in 11th.
| Inaugural Winner - Brian Redman and his winning Lola 332 |
This was the 50th Long Beach Grand Prix. The first race was a SCCA Formula 5000
Series race and included such drivers as Al Unser, Sr., Mario Andretti, Jody Schekter,
Gordon Johncock, Danny Ongais and David Hobbs.
Al Unser, Jr., who won this grand prix the most - 6 times, shared grand marshall duties
with Mario Andretti, who won the race both in F1 and in CART.
Also on hand was the winner of the inaugural race in 1975, Brian Redman, a Formula 1
driver.
The Long Beach Grand Prix became a Formula 1 race the following year.
Series race and included such drivers as Al Unser, Sr., Mario Andretti, Jody Schekter,
Gordon Johncock, Danny Ongais and David Hobbs.
Al Unser, Jr., who won this grand prix the most - 6 times, shared grand marshall duties
with Mario Andretti, who won the race both in F1 and in CART.
Also on hand was the winner of the inaugural race in 1975, Brian Redman, a Formula 1
driver.
The Long Beach Grand Prix became a Formula 1 race the following year.
| Long Beach Winner Kyle Kirkwood |
Alex Palou qualified on pole.
Race day was cloudy in the low 60s.
The softer tires were the preference.
This ended up being a 3-stop race.
Palou led the entire race but for pit stops. He won, finishing 16
seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher Christian Lundgaard.
For the third race in a row, there were no cautions. That has not
happened since 1986!
All of the top 10 finishers started in the top 10; though, technically,
Alexander Rossi started in 15th and jumped to 10th on the first lap.
The biggest mover of the race was Scott Dixon, who advanced
from P27 to P12.
Race day was cloudy in the low 60s.
The softer tires were the preference.
This ended up being a 3-stop race.
Palou led the entire race but for pit stops. He won, finishing 16
seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher Christian Lundgaard.
For the third race in a row, there were no cautions. That has not
happened since 1986!
All of the top 10 finishers started in the top 10; though, technically,
Alexander Rossi started in 15th and jumped to 10th on the first lap.
The biggest mover of the race was Scott Dixon, who advanced
from P27 to P12.
Sunny and 75 degrees.
In a new twist affecting race strategy, the drivers were required to run both types of
tires - hard black primaries and softer red alternates - twice during the race.
Alex Palou won pole. All three Rahal Letterman Lanigan cars made it to the top 6,
with Graham Rahal starting on the front row.
Rahal grabbed the lead at the first turn and managed to stay out in front of the reigning
IndyCar champion, who has been almost unbeatable this season. However, on Lap 56
as Rahal's rear tires were going away, Palou got around him for the lead.
At the last round of pit stops, the leaders were all able to switch to the preferred
alternate tires, except for Rahal, who had to run the harder primary tires. The result
was that Rahal fell back to finish 6th.
It was looking to be the 4th IndyCar race in a row with no cautions, but on Lap 69,
David Malukas suffered a mechanical problem that put him in the grass, and the
yellow flag waved.
That bunched up the field, but Palou kept the lead and won his 4th race of the season!
Pato O'Ward and Will Power finished 2nd and 3rd.
Rinus VeeKay was the biggest mover of the race, starting in P24 and finishing in P9.
In a new twist affecting race strategy, the drivers were required to run both types of
tires - hard black primaries and softer red alternates - twice during the race.
Alex Palou won pole. All three Rahal Letterman Lanigan cars made it to the top 6,
with Graham Rahal starting on the front row.
Rahal grabbed the lead at the first turn and managed to stay out in front of the reigning
IndyCar champion, who has been almost unbeatable this season. However, on Lap 56
as Rahal's rear tires were going away, Palou got around him for the lead.
At the last round of pit stops, the leaders were all able to switch to the preferred
alternate tires, except for Rahal, who had to run the harder primary tires. The result
was that Rahal fell back to finish 6th.
It was looking to be the 4th IndyCar race in a row with no cautions, but on Lap 69,
David Malukas suffered a mechanical problem that put him in the grass, and the
yellow flag waved.
That bunched up the field, but Palou kept the lead and won his 4th race of the season!
Pato O'Ward and Will Power finished 2nd and 3rd.
Rinus VeeKay was the biggest mover of the race, starting in P24 and finishing in P9.
| Graham Rahal Led the Most Lap |
| Winner Alex Palou |
| Miss America Grand Marshal |
| Alex Palou Wins Another for Chip Ganassi Racing |