Just one year removed from being sidelined with a severe wrist injury that left David Malukas without a ride for last year’s Indianapolis 500, he returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway not only as a driver but as a contender.

Malukas finished third driving the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises in Sunday’s 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

“Last year, there was a chance I would never be back in the INDYCAR paddock again,” Malukas said. “I was a fan watching in Turn 1, and now one year later, I’m back here fighting for the win.”

Malukas' 2024 season started with promise after signing with Arrow McLaren, but a mountain biking accident in February shattered those plans. The injury kept him off the grid longer than expected, leading to his release from the team. During the Month of May last year, he took a very different role—contributing to INDYCAR's content team while healing, uncertain if he’d ever return to competitive racing.

Once medically cleared, Malukas secured a part-time opportunity with Meyer Shank Racing for the final 10 races of the 2024 season. His performances there reignited his career, ultimately earning him a full-time seat with AJ Foyt Racing in 2025.

Entering the 2025 Indy 500, his season-best was only a 13th-place finish at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. His best Indy 500 result had been 16th place as a rookie driving for Dale Coyne Racing in 2022.

But Sunday, he delivered the performance of his career, fighting among the leaders and holding strong to claim third.

This third-place finish is a powerful symbol of Malukas’ return and potential. From spectator to top-three finisher in just one year, Malukas is no longer a comeback story – he’s a serious contender.

Despite the result, Malukas admitted the result stung a bit.

“Bittersweet because you’re just so close to greatness,” he said. “Every driver wants to be there.”

His inexperience in a late-race duel for victory might have cost him the win, as he noted his team had to make educated guesses on the car’s setup for the final stint. Ultimately, it was Alex Palou and 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson who had the upper hand in the final laps.

“We did everything right,” Malukas said. “The guys did an incredible job. It’s just bad timing at the end there. They (Palou and Ericsson) got us, and we tried to get that setup to where it needed to be on that final run, but never have been in that situation before, so we kind of made a guess.”

Newgarden’s Three-Peat Bid Halted

Josef Newgarden’s bid for history at the “500” came to a premature and frustrating end, not through driver error or pit lane mishap, but due to a mechanical failure that forced him to retire on Lap 135.

Starting deep in the field (32nd), Newgarden methodically worked his way forward, breaking into the top 10 by the midway point of the race. He worked his way to sixth by Lap 128. It was shaping up to be a classic Newgarden oval charge – poised, strategic, and quietly effective.

But just one lap after a routine pit stop on Lap 133, something broke. He brought the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Chevrolet back to pit lane, climbed out and saw his hopes of becoming the first driver to win three straight Indy 500s come to a halt.

“It’s tough to not have a shot at the end,” Newgarden said. “It felt really good. Tried to be methodical today. It’s a team sport. As tough as it is to take, still grateful to be out here today.”

Larson’s Day Ends in Crash

Kyle Larson’s ambitious attempt at the Indy/Charlotte “Double” in 2025 ended in disappointment at Indianapolis, where a Lap 92 crash in Turn 2 derailed both his day and his bid to join Tony Stewart in motorsports history.

Larson aimed to do what only Stewart accomplished in 2001 by completing all 1,100 miles in one day — 500 miles at Indy and 600 miles in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte. Stewart’s feat remains the gold standard, with a sixth-place finish at Indy and third at Charlotte.

On a restart, Larson suffered understeer behind Takuma Sato, then oversteer mid-corner in Turn 2 and lost control of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The result was a multicar crash involving Kyffin Simpson (No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) and Sting Ray Robb (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet).

All three made heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier. Robb’s car then spun across the track and slammed the tire barrier inside Turn 2.

“It was a bit crazy there on the start,” Larson said. “I got a bit tight behind Takuma, and then I got loose and kind of all over the place. I just hate that I got a little too eager there on the restart and caused that crash. Hate it for everybody that got caught up in it. Just bummed out.”

Ferrucci Continues Top-10 Streak

Santino Ferrucci’s Indy 500 record remains unblemished — seven starts, seven top-10 finishes.

With a seventh-place finish in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet on Sunday, the AJ Foyt Racing driver continued to solidify his reputation as one of the most consistent and confident performers at the Brickyard.

Ferrucci carved his way from 15th on the starting grid to a solid top-10 result. It's a performance that fits perfectly with his Indy 500 track record being always in the mix.

“Bittersweet because I knew we could have been in the top five,” he said. “The goal is to win this race. I woke up this morning and wanted to win, told the guys let’s win it. So, I’m a bit disappointed in myself that I couldn’t get it done for us. Just faced a little bit more adversity than I anticipated.”

Rough Start

Sunday’s race reminded everyone early that the margin for error at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is razor-thin, even before the green flag drops.

After a 43-minute weather delay, the race was just moments from beginning when Scott McLaughlin, driving the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, lost control on the final pace lap while warming up his tires and slammed into the inside pit wall entering Turn 1.

The contact knocked his car out of the race before he ever took the green flag, relegating him to a 33rd-place finish, the lowest in the field.

“I don’t know what happened; I really had no idea,” McLaughlin said. “I didn’t even get to see the green flag.”

This was a crushing blow for last year’s Indy 500 pole sitter, who entered the month with high expectations. He already had suffered a setback during practice for Top 12 Qualifying when a crash forced him into a backup car, eliminating his chance at a pole repeat and dropping him to 10th on the grid. Sunday's early exit added more woes in what’s been a turbulent Month of May for the New Zealander.

“Worst moment of my life,” he said. “I know that’s probably dramatic. I just put so much into this race.”

Once the race went green, the trouble didn’t stop. On the Lap 4 restart, Marco Andretti andRinus VeeKay made slight contact in Turn 1. Andretti, stuck high, got pinched and was forced into the outside SAFER Barrier, ending his day early. He finished 32nd in the No. 98 MAPEI/Curb Honda for Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian.

“I guess I could have been patient, but once I was committed up there, I was already at the wall,” Andretti said. “Whoever was next to me was crowding me, and I ran out of room.”

Pit Road Problematic

Pit road proved to be just as treacherous as the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval Sunday.

In a race where pit stops can make or break a 500-mile effort, the 2025 Indy 500 saw more of the latter. Whether it was mechanical failures, brake issues, procedural errors or just bad luck, pit road played a decisive – and in many cases, destructive – role in shaping the final outcome.

In his second “500” start, Larson’s first pit stop on Lap 24 went sideways when he exited his pit stall in the wrong gear, dropping him from 17th to 31st. While he recovered somewhat later in the race, the mistake was an early reminder of how unforgiving pit road can be, especially for someone of Larson's caliber.

Rookie Louis Foster was caught speeding on pit lane after his second stop in the No. 45 Desunda Tequila Honda, earning a costly penalty. He still finished as the top rookie, in 15th.

Meanwhile, Colton Herta had a double dose of trouble. He experienced brake issues and was also penalized for speeding. Both issues severely compromised his day in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda and eliminated any chance at a top-tier result. He finished 17th.

On Lap 73, 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi came to pit road with what appeared to be a gearbox issue. Things worsened when a fire broke out on the left rear of his No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet. He was classified 31st, marking the worst finish of his Indy 500 career.

“Another opportunity gone,” Rossi said.

Just eight laps later on Lap 81, VeeKay experienced what appeared to be a brake failure in his No. 18 askROI Honda. He did a half-spin, smacked the inside wall with the right rear and then hit again.

“I had no response from the brakes ... I was just a passenger,” VeeKay said. He finished 30th.

On Lap 87, during a caution period pit cycle, pole winner Robert Shwartzman endured a terrifying moment when he locked both front tires and slid into his pit crew, thenhit the pit wall.

No serious injuries were reported, but the No. 83 PREMA Racing car was retired, ending Shwartzman's day in 29th – the worst finish by a pole sitter since Scott Dixon (32nd in 2017).

“I was just a passenger,” Shwartzman said. “Really scary.”

On the same stop, Sato, who was leading the race and led 51 of the first 87 laps, overshot his pit box, costing him several positions. He finished 11th in the No. 75 AMADA Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

On Lap 169, Ryan Hunter-Reay also led when he stalled while pitting, dashing his late-race victory hopes. Hunter-Reay led 48 of 200 laps but finished 24th in the No. 23 DRR CUSICK WEDBUSH SECURITIES Chevrolet.

This is the 13th time in the last 15 years that the driver leading the most laps failed to win.

Hunter-Reay’s Races Backup Car

Hunter-Reay’s 2025 Indianapolis 500 story was one of resilience, brilliance and heartbreak.

During the final two-hour Miller Lite Carb Day practice on Friday, Hunter-Reay’s No. 23 DRR CUSICK WEDBUSH Securities Chevrolet suffered a mechanical failure that led to a fire, forcing the team to abandon its primary car. With just over 48 hours until the green flag, the crew faced a monumental task.

The backup car, which was rushed from the team’s Indianapolis-area shop, was a pit stop practice car and had never turned a lap on track.

Both DRR and Cusick Motorsports crews worked until 1 a.m. Saturday, while five crew members pulled an all-nighter to prep for a special 8:30 a.m. install-lap session Saturday morning to complete a systems check.

Historic Cars Take Pre-Race Lap

Forty years ago, Danny Sullivan took the No. 5 Miller American Special to victory lane for a victory in the 69th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in his famous “spin and win.” Before Sunday’s race, Sullivan was among the drivers in 13 historic cars to circle the 2.5-mile track.

He was joined by:

  • 2010 Target Chip Ganassi driven by Dario Franchitti
  • 2000 Target G Force driven by Jeff Ward
  • 1990 Domino Pizza Lola driven by Arie Luyendyk
  • 1980 Pennzoil Special Chaparral driven by Zach Veach
  • 1963 Willard Battery Agajanian Special driven by Mario Andretti
  • 1960 Ken Paul Special Watson driven by Willy T. Ribbs
  • 1955 Keck Epperly Streamline driven by Sebastian Saavedra
  • 1955 John Zink Special Kurtis driven by Michel Jourdain Jr.
  • 1950 Cummins Diesel Kurtis driven by Al Unser Jr.
  • 1950 Wynn’s Friction Proofing Kurtis Kraft driven by Donnie Beechler
  • 1939 Maserati 8CTF driven by J. Douglas Boles
  • 1935 Ford V-8 Miller driven by Lyn St. James

Odds and Ends

  • This is the third-time in history a driver swept the Month of May as Palou joins Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019) to win the Sonsio Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 in the same month.
  • Palou is just the second driver in the last 17 years to win the “500” under the age of 32. He joins Rossi, who was 24 when he won the 100th Running in 2016.
  • Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing have won the last four Indianapolis 500s. Ericsson (2022) and Palou (2025) won for CGR, with Newgarden (2023, 2024) for Team Penske.
  • Palou is tied with Dan Wheldon for 31st on the all-time wins list with 16 each. Next up is Ralph Mulford, Sullivan and Tony Kanaan with 17.