CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDIANAPOLIS 500: TEAM CHEVY POST RACE RECAP

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

105TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRESENTED BY GAINBRIDGE

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

RACE RECAP

MAY 30

Team Chevy drivers grab three of top five spots in Indianapolis 500

  • Simon Pagenaud, Pato O’Ward, Ed Carpenter lead the way
  • Chevrolet claims six of the top nine in the fastest ‘500’ in history
  • Sage Karam advances a field-high 24 positions to finish seventh
  • Conor Daly leads field-high 40 laps; Team Chevy leads 108 of 200

INDIANAPOLIS (May 30, 2021) – Chevrolet drivers claimed three of the top five positions, led by third-place finisher Simon Pagenaud, in the 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Pagenaud, the 2019 Indy 500 winner, advanced 23 positions relative to his starting spot in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet. He was joined in the top five by Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and Ed Carpenter driving the No. 20 SONAX Chevrolet.

Sixteen drivers powered by the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected Chevrolet V6 engine took the green flag and six combined to lead 108 of the 200 laps in the fastest Indy 500 in history at an average speed of 190.690 mph. The race was marred by two cautions.

Three drivers added top-nine finishes for the Bowtie Brigade.

Sage Karam was the biggest mover of the race, gaining 24 positions in the No. 24 DRR AES Indiana Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet to place seventh. Rinus VeeKay, 20, who a week earlier became the youngest front-row starter in race history, led 32 laps and finished eighth in the No. 21 Bitcoin Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya advanced 15 positions to finish ninth in the No. 86 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

The six Chevrolet drivers combined to advance a total of 64 track positions. O’Ward, who started the month by recording his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval, moved to third in the championship standings with his finish in the double points race.

Also, two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden finished 12th, moving up nine positions in the No. 2 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet. Conor Daly, who led a field-high 40 laps in the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, gained six positions to finish 13th, and JR Hildebrand picked up seven positions to place 15th in the No. 1 ABC Supply/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.

Simona De Silvestro, No. 16 Rocket Pro TPO Paretta Autosport Chevrolet, methodically worked her way to the top-20 from her 33rd starting position, but a pit lane incident relegated her to the 31st finishing position. Nonetheless, the Beth Paretta Autosport female owned team can count its debut as a success.

Former race car driver Danica Patrick led the 33-car field to the green flag in the 2021 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray hardtop convertible. The race marked the 32nd time for Chevrolet to pace dating to 1948, and the 18th time since 1978 for America’s favorite sports car.

Helio Castroneves drove his Meyer Shank Racing Honda to victory to become the fourth four-time winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” joining A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES season continues June 12 and 13 with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader on the Belle Isle street circuit. The event was not contested in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. NBC will telecast both 70-lap races on the 2.35-mile, 13-turn course. Team Penkse’s Josef Newgarden won the first race of the 2019 twinbill powered by Chevrolet on his way to the driver championship.

TEAM CHEVY FINISHERS with starting position in parentheses:

  • 3. Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske (26)
  • 4. Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP (12)
  • 5. Ed Carpenter, No. 20 SONAX Ed Carpenter Racing (4)
  • 7. Sage Karam, No. 24 DRR-AES Indiana Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (31)
  • 8. Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Bitcoin Ed Carpenter Racing (3)
  • 9. Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 86 Arrow McLaren SP (24)
  • 12. Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske (21)
  • 13. Conor Daly, No. 47 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing (19)
  • 15. JR Hildebrand, No. 1 ABC Supply/AJ Foyt Racing (22)
  • 20. Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske (17)
  • 23. Dalton Kellett, No. 4 KITS.com/K-Line Insulators/AJ Foyt Racing (30)
  • 24. Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin (29)
  • 26. Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing (27)
  • 27. Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP (14)
  • 30. Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske (32)
  • 31. Simona De Silvestro, No. 16 Rocket Pro/Paretta Autosport (33)