2021 Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 live blog Helio Castroneves joins 4-time winners club Kyle Larson dominates Charlotte - The Athletic
2021 Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 live blog Helio Castroneves joins 4-time winners club Kyle Larson dominates Charlotte
The Athletic StaffForty-six year old Helio Castroneves won his fourth Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, joining A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears as the only four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500. In a thrilling final 10 laps, Castroneves, driving for Meyer Shank Racing on a partial schedule in 2021, held off hard-charging second-year IndyCar driver Alex Palou, 24, of Spain. It marks Meyer Shank Racing's first IndyCar Series win and Castroneves' first victory since Iowa in 2017. At 46 years, 20 days, (Al Unser, 47, 1987; Bobby Unser, 47, 1981; and Emerson Fittipaldi, 46, 1993). The fastest race in Indy 500 history was completed by the fastest field in history (230.294 mph average), which in 2021 returned to its traditional spot on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend — with fans back in the stands. Double bill
Meanwhile, Team Hendrick, and Kyle Larson specifically, was considered a favorite for the 600-miler at Charlotte Motor Speedway. And he was, surpassing 1,000 laps led this season on his way to his second win this season. The win was a record-breaking 269th for Team Hendrick, whose cars dominated the race and have clearly separated from the Cup Series competition. ? (Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images) Advertisement Ode to joy and a read on speed
This is the Age of Divisiveness, where there seems to be little common ground these days. That made Sunday’s postrace scene at the Indianapolis 500 all the more remarkable. In the moments after Helio Castroneves tied the all-time Indy 500 wins record with his fourth victory, it felt like everyone was on the same team. Castroneves won his first Indy 500 a full two decades ago, then followed it up with a repeat the next year and another victory in 2009. But it’s been so long since he was stuck on three, it seemed like No. 4 was just an annual talking point that grew into a tired storyline — one which would never come to fruition as he grew older. But then it did. Meanwhile ... As crazy as it sounds, it’s not a stretch to think Kyle Larson could have won five straight NASCAR Cup Series races. His average finish in the last four races is an astounding 1.75 and right now he’s clearly the top car on the top team, Hendrick Motorsports. So how far behind are the other teams? . (Photo: Darron Cummings / Associated Press) Fun facts Coca-Cola 600 edition
Kevin Harvick through 15 races in 2020: 3 wins, 572 laps led, 7.2 average finish Kyle Larson through 15 races in 2021: 2 wins, 1,105 laps led, 11.5 average finish Dominating win for Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson rolls to a dominant Coca-Cola 600 win, sweeping all four stages and leading 328 of 400 laps. The win is the 269th Cup win for Hendrick Motorsports, giving the organization the all-time record. "I felt like I had to fight off William (Byron) and Chase (Elliott) a lot," Larson said. "It kind of worked out there in that last run. The No. 43 (Erik Jones) had to pit and pulled out in front of me, and I just towed with him for a while and stretched my lead out. It feels great to be the guy to help Mr. Hendrick break that record, finally. This is awesome. We haven’t seen this many fans in forever." On if he thought he'd be seeing these kinds of results in the No. 5 car, Larson said, "It's still early in the year, but I knew I'd be good. I mean, Chase Elliott won the championship last year and Jimmie had one of the fastest cars every race, they just kind of had some issues and they didn't get the finishes that they quite deserved. "So I had that in the back of my mind and thought, if Jimmie had the fastest car, maybe we would still continue to have one of the fastest cars this year, and Cliff (Daniels) and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, they've probably gotten their stuff even better than where they were the end of the year. And It's been it's been awesome to see; look at the scoreboard, we had four cars in the top five, it's pretty dang cool." (Photo: Jim Dedmon / USA Today) Kravitz With Helio Castroneves fourth Indy 500 win we were all soaking in the moment
The fans wouldn’t leave, not a chance. They cheered wildly, scores of them skittering down the bleachers toward the fence in order to take pictures of history. Helio Castroneves, who had essentially been put out to IndyCar pasture after 2017 by team owner Roger Penske, had just won his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 Sunday while driving for the smallish Meyer Shank team. In the process, he reminded everybody that even at the age of 46 and as the fourth-oldest driver to win the race, he has not yet reached his competitive expiration date. He now joins an august group of motorsports icons with four Borg-Warner Trophies: A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr. The celebration? He didn’t just climb the fence; he ran down the frontstretch waving to adoring fans, everybody content to soak in a moment they never wanted to end. After last year, could you blame anybody? . (Top photo: Paul Sancya / Associated Press) Season milestone for Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson becomes the first driver to pass 1,000 laps led this season. All four Hendrick cars are in the top five, with only Kyle Busch breaking up the party in third. Ryan Newman's contact with the wall ends Stage 3, with Larson winning the stage, followed by William Byron, Busch, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman. Advertisement Chip Ganassi Racing' s night to forget
Based on how the first half of the Coca-Cola 600 unfolded, this is clearly Hendrick Motorsports' race to lose. Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Elliott continue to run in the top three in some order while separating themselves from the pack. And on the other end of the spectrum is Chip Ganassi Racing, which is having a night to forget. Both Ross Chastain and Kurt Busch have suffered mechanical failures that sent them to the garage, and shortly after Busch returned to the track, he had an engine failure. Busch is out of the race and will finish last; Chastain is 39 laps down and scored in the second to last position, though running. Coca-Cola 600 goes caution-free in Stage 1
Kyle Larson dominates a caution-free Stage 1, leading 91 of 100 laps. It's 1-2-3-10 for Team Hendrick. The stage win is Larson's seventh of the season, a series-best.Chase ElliottWilliam ByronKevin HarvickAustin Dillon Harvick was nearly 14 seconds behind Larson. After winning the pole Saturday, Larson said Charlotte was "definitely probably my worst 1.5-mile track" in the past. "But now that I’m with Hendrick Motorsports and they were really fast here last year and should have won the 600, and I think Chase (Elliott) won the next race," he said. "They led a bunch of laps. And they’ve had a long history of success here. I know their notebook is strong, and I expect that we can be really good all night long.” Who did Jeff and Jordan have as their upset picks for the Coca-Cola 600? Read on below. Denny Hamlin and Charlotte Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin has 18 top-10s at Charlotte and has two poles there — but he's 0-for-29 there. Should he win, he'd be only the 12th driver to win the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. (Photo: Jim Dedmon / USA Today) Helio Castroneves was waiting for the right opportunity ' When I made the move I said that' s it'
Helio Castroneves has been happy with his car since qualifying, telling his Meyer Shank Racing team "don't touch it, the car is really good." So his objective today was to make sure he stayed up front until the end. "Once the pit cycles came in, I was in second place with Palou," he said. "Pato (O'Ward) came to play a little bit. I was like, just keep doing what I'm doing, understanding what I need to do. I lost too many races in second place here. I was like, this is not going to be the day. "Palou was very good. He was very fast. The Ganassi guys did a great job. They were very, very strong on their own. They really were able to do some amazing laps. I think it was almost 221. I try myself, and I couldn't do it. I decided just to wait for the right opportunity. I did a couple of tries. Like I said before, I remember my teammate, Sam Hornish, beating me a lot in those races by a nose. So I did a couple tries to see if I would cross the finish line first, and I did. "My strong corners were both 2 and 4, I knew that. It's just a matter of, like, waiting for the right opportunity. When I saw the traffic, it was a bunch of it actually. I'm like, that's it, I'm not going to wait because I need that traffic to pull me so I can get the same speed. When I made the move, I said, that's it." "When I crossed the finish line, I was like, 'Can you believe it? I don't believe it. Do you believe it?' I was talking to myself, it was really fun." It was an emotional celebration for Castroneves, who took awhile to climb the fence because he ran down the frontstretch. "I don't know what I was doing to be honest," he explained. "I was drawn by the positive energy of everyone. For a long time these people want to see a four-time winner. I say that because they tell me. Every time we sign the autographs, they are like, I've never seen a four-time winner. I want to see it. That's what probably made me thank all of them because they made this place special. I can't deny that without that I wouldn't be able to be who I am. I'm thankful for them to be here." (Photo: Mykal McEldowney / USA Today) Simon Pagenaud Helio' s ' one of the best teammates I' ve ever had'
"He's a great friend," third-place finisher Simon Pagenaud said of his former Team Penske teammate. "He's such a great person, one of the best teammates I've ever had. I told him before the race, I did say, if I don't win, I want you to win your fourth. There's a reason for that. I think it's great for our generation that we have a guy going into the four club. I call it the four club. I don't know if that's the right way to call it. "Obviously Mario, A.J. and obviously Mears, it's fantastic that they've done four. We need somebody else to join them. We need to keep breaking records. That's what sport is about. Helio has joined them now. There's hope for the future. I think he just gave us hope." Pagenaud, who won here in 2019, was the race's hardest charger, starting 26th and finishing third using 26 passes. "I thought it was great racing," he said. "I thought I could pass people. I thought it was a matter of having the right adjustment done during the pit stops. It was a matter of being aggressive also. "I took a lot of risks today, more risks than I usually take, because it's such an incredible race. I could smell the blood. Just wanted to get to the front. I knew the more cars I was going to pass, the better it was going to be. Just came up a little short. It hurts a little bit, I got to say." Advertisement Helio Castroneves and the four-time club
The other three members of the four-time winners club — A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears — were at IMS yesterday, but Helio Castroneves did not have the chance to talk to him. But he did bump into Al Unser at St. Elmo's and said "I'm gonna try to join your club," and he said "I'll be cheering for you." He hopes to have a sit-down with them, because "it means a lot to me." In a statement, A.J. Foyt said, "He deserved it. He worked hard to get it and he finally got it. It wasn't given to him and when someone works as hard as he did, I'm glad it happened for him. As I said, he deserved it." Stay tuned for more. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas/ USA Today) Fun facts
Helio Castroneves became the first driver to win an Indianapolis 500 for Team Penske and win again with another team. He drove to victory for Meyer Shank Racing today. This was the fastest race in Indy 500 history (190.690 mph), eclipsing the record of 187.433 mph set in 2013. It's the first time the No. 06 car — or any car starting with 0 — has won the Indy 500. There were two cautions for 18 laps today, both race records. The previous record for fewest caution periods was four, in 1990 and 2019. The previous record for fewest caution laps was 21 in 1976, 2013 and 2014. The 12-year gap between Castroneves’ fourth win and his third win in 2009 is the second-longest gap between victories in Indianapolis 500 history, behind Juan Pablo Montoya’s 15-year gap between victories in 2000 and 2015. Castroneves is the third driver to win from the eighth starting spot. The last winner who started eighth was Kenny Brack in 1999. Danny Sullivan won from eighth in 1985. Scott Dixon has led at least one lap in 14 of his 19 Indianapolis 500 starts, tying Tony Kanaan for the all-time record. Will Power did not lead a lap today, ending his race-record streak of eight consecutive Indianapolis 500s (2013-20) leading at least one lap. Helio should be back in the Indy 500 next year
Helio Castroneves is still celebrating his victory. But team owner Michael Shank is already thinking ahead to next year. "I believe Helio deserves to go for a fifth Indianapolis 500 and we’re going to do everything to make that possible for him.” (Marc Lebryk / USA Today) Alex Palou proud but it ' hurts a lot'
In just his second Indy 500 and just his ninth oval race ever, Alex Palou finished runner-up to Helio Castroneves. It hurts, he said, but for the most part he was upbeat after the race. "He had three (wins). Why did he want four — he couldn't give me one?" he joked. "I just wanted one. But it's OK. We'll come back next year." Told he had more time in his career to get that win, he replied, "I know but I wanted THIS one!" All joking aside, Palou is having a great year. He won the season opener at Barber Motorsports Park and finished second in the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Still, though, he would have liked an Indy 500 win. "Super proud to finish in second," he told NBC Sports. "It hurts a lot, but it was a good battle with Helio and it's better when you lose against the best in the business, so good job, Helio." (Photo: Mike Dinovo / USA Today) Helio Castroneves is the newest member of the 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner' s club
In a breathtaking final 10 laps, Alex Palou, one of the bright young stars of the IndyCar Series gave his all. But 46-year-old Helio Castroneves passed him for the lead on lap 199 to earn his fourth Indianapolis 500 win and first since 2009. After Team Penske temporarily ended its sports car program, Castroneves was left without a ride. The win comes for Meyer-Shank Racing, where Castroneves is running a partial schedule this year. Rounding out the top 10: 2. Alex Palou 3.Simon Pagenaud 4. Pato O'Ward 5. Ed Carpenter 6. Santino Ferrucci 7. Sage Karam 8. Rinus VeeKay 9. Juan Pablo Montoya 10. Tony Kanaan (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Advertisement 10 to go
Alex Palou and Helio Castroneves are battling it out, with Pato O'Ward and Simon Pagenaud not far behind. But Felix Rosenqvist still leads. His last pit stop was 32 laps ago. 25 to go
Conor Daly has slid to 24th; just after halfway, a slow pit stop dropped him so far he was in danger of being lapped. Scott Dixon, who appeared to be in a big hole after the car wouldn't refire, pitted with 38 to go. He's the king of fuel mileage — can he make it work? In front of him are names like Takuma Sato, Helio Castroneves and Spain's Alex Palou. A Spaniard has never won the Indy 500. Loose wheel sends Graham Rahal into the wall
Graham Rahal seemed to be in perfect position. He had saved more fuel than anyone, allowing him to long-pit and set himself up for a strong finish. Could this be an Indy 500 win for Rahal? Well ... no. As soon as Rahal exited the pits, his left rear tire came off and . Rahal crashed hard and the wheel bounced down the track, hitting the nose of Conor Daly's car. Just like that, Rahal's Indy 500 went from hopeful . Daly's team is still assessing possible damage but it appears his car is OK. Rahal has been checked and released from the infield care center. "We had 'em, we had 'em," Rahal said. "We had saved the fuel, we were kicking their butts on the fuel save, we were looking really good at the end to maybe even just do one more stop. "This one's going to sting." Halfway through the Indy 500 Conor Daly' s U S Air Force Chevy has slim lead over teammate Rinus VeeKay
What an interesting and racy Indy 500 so far at the halfway point. The Stefan Wilson caution really seemed to shake some things up when Alexander Rossi and Scott Dixon ran out of fuel and were stuck a lap down (which they still have not gotten back). Meanwhile, Ed Carpenter Racing's Conor Daly restarted in third place after the caution and soon took the lead to the sound of thunderous cheers. The Indianapolis native had never lead a lap at the Indy 500, but has led more laps than anyone so far and continues to pace the field at the halfway point — but may have to make an extra pit stop compared to some competitors. It's Daly, teammate Rinus VeeKay and Arrow McLaren SP's Pato O'Ward in the top three spots, followed by former Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. Lap 46 restart Helio Castroneves Indiana' s own Conor Daly move up
Noblesville, Indiana native Conor Daly was extremely disappointed that his No. 47 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevy qualified 19th, while teammates Rinus VeeKay and Ed Carpenter qualified third and fourth. But four laps after the restart following Stefan Wilson's crash, Daly charted ahead of VeeKay and Colton Herta, while three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves took fourth. These are the first laps Daly has led during the 500; it's his eighth start. Load more updates