With 25 laps remaining in one of the world’s most prestigious races, he leads the pack. However, even the Hoofddorper, who impressively finishes ninth, just four seconds behind the winner in front of 350,000 spectators, can’t compete with Josef Newgarden’s more powerful car.
The 108th edition of the Indy 500 will go down in history as a thrilling race. A total of sixteen different drivers take the lead in this grueling contest, including Rinus ‘Veekay’ van Kalmthout. As the team leader of the ‘small’ racing team of Ed Carpenter, he holds his own in the large field, but his Chevrolet simply lacks top speed, as becomes evident in the final stages when the prizes are distributed.
The finale turns into a duel between the Mexican crowd favorite Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden, who won the spectacle for the first time last year in his twelfth participation. With two laps to go, O’Ward seems set to claim the coveted trophy. However, an all-or-nothing attempt by his American rival pays off. As a result, he becomes the first driver since Helio Castroneves (2001 and 2002) to win the Indy 500 back-to-back. “First, I had to wait twelve years, now just twelve months,” Newgarden exclaims, who can look forward to a winner’s check of nearly four million dollars.
