Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden discusses staying humbled after two Indianapolis 500 wins.
The Borg-Warner Trophy will be on the line today in the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. Thirty-three drivers will take the green flag in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway hoping to win the one of the most famous races in motor sports.
A number of drivers will be chasing history on Sunday, including Helio Castroneves, who seeks his fifth win in the iconic race, which would break the record he shares with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears for most in Indy 500 history. Josef Newgarden will look to overcome a penalty and major controversy at Team Penske as he tries to become the first driver to win the Indy 500 in three consecutive years.
Kyle Larson has a full day and 1,100 miles on his plate as he tries to become the first driver since Tony Stewart in 2001 to complete the motorsports double – racing the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in the same day.
USA TODAY Sports will provide complete coverage of the 2025 Indianapolis 500. Follow along for updates, results and highlights of all the action:
INDY 500: 33 things to know about 2025 race, including drivers to watch
What time does the 2025 Indy 500 start?
The green flag for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET. Cars will begin arriving in pit lane between 9-9:20 a.m. ET, with the command to start engines at 12:38 p.m. ET.
What TV channel is 2025 Indy 500 on?
The 2025 Indianapolis 500 will air on Fox, with the race set to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET. Pre-race coverage on Fox will start at 10 a.m. ET.
2025 Indy 500: Live streaming options
Fans can stream the Indy 500 with the Fox Sports app and at FoxSports.com, as well as with Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Watch the 2025 Indy 500 on Fubo
A few rain drips have started coming down at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, delaying the start of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. The rain is light, so the hope is that the race won’t be dayed too long. The forecast for today, according to AccuWeather, was for mostly cloudy skies with a high of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here are the drivers starting in the first four rows on Sunday:
(Car number in parentheses, followed by driver, team, manufacturer; R=rookie; W=former winner)
- (83) Robert Shwartzman (R), Prema Racing, Chevrolet
- (75) Takuma Sato (W), Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
- (5) Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
- (9) Scott Dixon (W), Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
- (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
- (10) Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
- (4) David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet
- (7) Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
- (28) Marcus Ericsson (W), Andretti Global, Honda
- (3) Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, Chevrolet
- (76) Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet
- (20) Alexander Rossi (W), Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
STARTING GRID: Click here for full 33-car starting lineup
Josef Newgarden is the two-time defending Indy 500 champion and is looking to become the first driver to win the legendary event three years in a row. But in the leadup to Sunday’s race, Newgarden is drawing attention for another reason: the controversy and fallout at his race team.
The IndyCar Series determined Team Penske made illegal modifications to some of their cars, including Newgarden’s, during Indy 500 qualifying, and penalized the drivers by fining them and forcing them to start at the rear of the field. Roger Penske, who owns the race team – and also owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series – fired the entire leadership of his IndyCar team in the wake of the scandal, making Newgarden’s attempt at a three-peat even more difficult.
— Jon Hoefling
Racing fans will have no shortage of excitement over the holiday weekend. One driver certainly won’t, either: Kyle Larson.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion is attempting “The Double” on Sunday by racing in both the Indy 500 for Arrow McLaren and the Coca-Cola 600 for Hendrick Motorsports. He’s ranked 10th to win the Indy 500 and the favorite to win the Coca-Cola 600, per BetMGM‘s latest odds.
“I enjoy challenges and I enjoy trying to learn on the fly,” Larson told USA TODAY Sports ahead of his second attempt to drive in both events.
A rain delay at the Indy 500 last year kept Larson from making it to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. With no rain in the weather forecast for Indianapolis, he’s ready for another attempt this year.
“I wouldn’t be doing it, obviously, if I didn’t feel like I had a shot to win both,” said Larson, who starts 19th at the Brickyard on the inside of Row 7.
— Ayrton Ostly
Prema Racing driver Robert Shwartzman is in pole position for the 2025 Indianapolis 500, the first rookie to qualify first since 1983. The Russian-Israeli driver posted a four-lap average speed of 232.790 miles-per-hour, nosing ahead of two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato. — Jason Anderson
In keeping with tradition, the 2025 Indianapolis 500 is 200 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a total of 500 miles.
The honorary starter at the 2025 Indianapolis 500 will be Casey Irsay Foyt.
Irsay Foyt “will wave the flag to honor the irreplaceable and impactful legacy of her father, Jim Irsay, whose stewardship of the Indianapolis Colts and generous philanthropic efforts had a transformative impact across Central Indiana and the Hoosier State,” per a press release from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jim Irsay, who owns the Colts, passed away Wednesday at the age of 65.
On top of her connections to the city of Indianapolis, Irsay Foyt is also very close to the world of motor racing. Her husband, A.J. Foyt IV, drove in IndyCar and NASCAR, and is the grandson of four-time Indy 500 champions A.J. Foyt. — Jason Anderson
Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan will drive the pace car at the 2025 Indianapolis 500. Strahan, now a host on “Good Morning America” and a member of Fox’s NFL studio team, will drive a white 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to pace the cars before the rolling start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. — Jason Anderson
Drivers with the best odds to win 2025 Indianapolis 500 via BetMGM as of Sunday morning
- 1. Pato O’Ward (+450)
- 2. Alex Palou (+475)
- 3. Josef Newgarden (+725)
- 4. Scott Dixon (+750)
- 5. Takuma Sato (+1000)
- 6. Scott McLaughlin (+1100)
- 7. Felix Rosenqvist (+1700)
- 8. Will Power (+2000)
- 9. Robert Shwartzman (+2200)
- T10. David Malukas (+2500)
- T10. Christian Lundgaard (+2500)
- T10. Kyle Larson (+2500)
- T10. Alexander Rossi (+2500)
The tradition started in 1936 when Louis Meyer drank buttermilk in victory lane. According legend, Meyer drank the milk because his mother said it would refresh him on a hot day.
A dairy industry executive saw a photo of Meyer drinking the milk and decided to offer it to winners thereafter. The Indiana Dairy Association became an official sponsor in the 1950s, and these days every driver is asked what kind of milk they prefer — whole, skim or 2% — just in case they get the opportunity to celebrate with it.
— Rachel Bowers
MORE MILK: See what kind of milk drivers in the 2025 field chose
Former TV talk show host David Letterman first jumped into the IndyCar ownership ranks in 2004 – at almost the exact midpoint of his 22-year run on CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
From the start, he’s partnered with former Indianapolis 500 champion Bobby Rahal in what’s now known as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL).
David Letterman’s team has four drivers in the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500:
- Takuma Sato, a two-time Indy 500 (2017 and 2020), posted the second-fastest time in qualifying. He will start in the middle of the front row in the No. 75 RLL Honda.
- Devlin DeFrancesco, a 25-year-old Canadian driver, is in his first season with RLL. He qualified 16th in the No. 30 Honda
- Louis Foster: The British driver is a rookie in the IndyCar Series and will make his Indy 500 debut on Sunday. He starts 20th in the No. 45 RLL Honda.
- Graham Rahal, the son of team owner Bobby Rahal and a six-time IndyCar series winner, is in his 18th season on the IndyCar circuit. He will start 28th in the No. 15 RLL Honda. (Fun fact: Graham Rahal once presented a Top 10 list on Letterman’s “Late Show” in 2013.)
— Steve Gardner
The record for most Indianapolis 500 wins is four, held by four people: A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977), Al Unser (1979, 1971, 1978, 1987), Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991), and Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021).
Five drivers have won the Borg-Warner Trophy three times:
- Louis Meyer (1928, 1933, 1936)
- Wilbur Shaw (1937, 1939, 1940)
- Bobby Unser (1968, 1975, 1981)
- Johnny Rutherford (1974, 1976, 1980)
- Dario Franchitti (2007, 2010, 2012)
INDIANAPOLIS CHAMPIONS: See the full list of Indy 500 winners by year
Nathan Brown, IndyStar motor sports reporter: Alex Palou to win
Brown writes, “Is it predictable? Yes, but Palou has proven over the course of the last three months that picking against him is largely silly. He’s yet to win on an oval in his career, but the championship leader checks that box with the help of a pit crew that’s been nearly flawless all year and a car that’s been near the top of the charts virtually every session this month.”
Aaron Ferguson, IndyStar motor sports editor: Scott Dixon to win
Ferguson writes: It would be a statement weekend for (Chip) Ganassi to win after being outspoken about (Team) Penske. Dixon won in 2008 and has finished second three times and has five poles, so I’m trusting the veteran.”
Dana Hunsinger Benbow, IndyStar enterprise reporter: Takuma Sato to win
Benbow writes: “This two-time Indy 500 champ has the skill, the experience and the IMS wisdom to become the oldest winner in history at 48.”
STAFF PICKS: Click here for more expert predictions from IndyStar
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