The ‘Biggest Spectacle in Racing’ continues to dwell as much as its identify up with some really astonishing finishes through the years, whereas additionally having a race in 1913 the place the margin of victory was over 13 minutes between first and second…
It is ought to come as no shock that on this more and more aggressive fashionable age with fields nearer than they’ve ever been earlier than, three of the 5 closest finishes in Indy 500 historical past have taken place within the final 12 years.
However this 12 months marked the closest ever, besting a file that had stood for over three a long time as Felix Rosenqvist charged from third to first on the ultimate lap to win the Indianapolis 500.
Check out how he did it, and the opposite nail-biting finishes from IndyCar’s crown jewel occasion:
2026 — Felix Rosenqvist defeats David Malukas by 0.023s
Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Honda, David Malukas, Staff Penske Chevrolet
Photograph by: Penske Leisure
The one hundred and tenth operating of the Indy 500 changed into a one-lap sprint that has already solidified itself as one of the iconic finishes within the historical past of the race. Rosenqivst restarted third behind Malukas and Meyer Shank Racing teammate Marcus Armstrong, with Malukas rapidly taking the lead. Rosenqvist truly touched tires with Armstrong as he pulled to his exterior, and so they spent nearly all of the lap wheel-to-wheel. Whereas that appeared to benefit Malukas, the truth that Rosenqvist had continuous clear air in that greater groove allowed him to construct up some momentum by way of Turns 3 and 4. He drafted off the again of Malukas, flicked the wheel to the appropriate, and pulled off a formidable slingshot for the closest end ever within the 115-year historical past of IndyCar’s crown jewel occasion.
1992 — Al Unser Jr. defeats Scott Goodyear by 0.043s
This 12 months’s end dethrones a file that had stood for 34 years. ‘Little Al’ had the lead, however Goodyear was following in his tire tracks for all the closing lap. He had an enormous run out of the ultimate nook, pulling to the within simply as they reached the yard of bricks. It was the youthful Unser’s first of two Indy 500 wins, and for Goodyear, that was as shut as he ever acquired to racing immortality.
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport Honda celebrates
Photograph by: Jay Alley
Ah sure, Captain America vs. Spiderman within the battle of the yellow automobiles. The race went inexperienced with simply six laps to go, with Hunter-Reay almost taking to the grass to grab the lead from Castroneves with 4 laps to go. They continued to swap-draft with Hunter-Reay taking the lead on the skin on the white flag. Castroneves spent all the closing lap build up a run, however he could not fairly get there because the checkered flag flew. Regardless of a troublesome loss in 2014, Castroneves would finally get his record-tying fourth Indy 500 win seven years later.
2006 — Sam Hornish Jr. defeats Marco Andretti by 0.063s
Sam Hornish Jr. takes the checkered flag forward of Marco Andretti
Essentially the most notorious instance of the ‘Andretti Curse’ as no member of the Andretti household has received an Indy 500 since Mario did so in 1969. In 2006, his grandson Marco was a rookie in IndyCar, and he held a superb lead within the closing second of that 12 months’s Indy 500. Hornish threw it beneath Andretti into Flip 3 with two laps to go, however needed to raise or they each would have crashed. That seemed to be race over, however Hornish managed to draft his means again as much as him, pulling beneath the rookie just some hundred toes from the end line, stealing the win from the third-generation racer. Marco would go on to start out 20 Indy 500s earlier than retiring, however by no means acquired to style the milk.
Josef Newgarden wins
Photograph by: Justin Casterline / Getty Pictures
One other one-lap sprint in 2023, with Ericsson making an attempt to win the Indy 500 for the second consecutive 12 months. Behind him was one of the aggressive oval aces within the sport. Newgarden was charging quick, and whilst Ericsson swerved to the apron on the backstretch in a determined effort to interrupt the draft, it wasn’t sufficient. Newgarden shot across the exterior and cleared him coming into Flip 3. Ericsson was coming again at him, and Newgarden wildly swerved down the observe, disappearing behind the pit wall earlier than coming again up the observe on the frontstretch. He continued to serpentine all the best way to the road, successful the race. He denied Ericsson back-to-back Indy 500 wins, however Newgarden himself would accomplish the feat the next 12 months.
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