Marcus Ericsson becomes second Swede to win Indy 500 for Chip Ganassi Racing: Indycar 2022, as it happened

Many thanks for joining us today for our coverage of,  what proved to be a dramatic Indy 500 race.

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Ericsson: 'I really can't believe it, I'm so happy, the car was amazing but I couldn't believe it when the red flag came out. My family are all here and it's such a great day for them all. 

Ericsson wins Indy 500 and becomes the second Swede to win in the history of the race.

Marcus Ericsson is also presented with his '500' ring and seems overwhelmed with the occasion. 

Ericsson is out of his cart and is presented with the wreath and the traditional bottle of milk. What a day for the Swede. 

Milk time for Ericsson

A Chip Ganassi Racing car wins the Indy 500 for the first time in ten years !

Kenny Brack in 1999 and now in 2022 Marcus Ericsson claims the Indy 500 for Sweden .... What a day for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver..... Pato O'Ward comes second for Mexico as Tony Kanaan claims third place on the podium for Brazil.

Last lap... white flag and it's going to be Marcus Ericsson who will win the Indy 500 as O'Ward attacks.... the Swede defends...

Ericsson looking good in the lead....

We're back in action.... here we go !!!!!!!!!

One lap before the race formally restarts... Ericsson leads O'Ward with Brazilian TK in third.  

Anyone in the top five can win but as things stand it's Marcus Ericsson's race to lose. 7 minutes delay is now over and the cars are ready ..... all apart from Ed Carpeneter's car which has not fired up.

The cars are about to get the command to fire up as the crews clear up their equipment and move away from the vehicles. 

We just await the race control to permit that racing is safe again and that the debris from Johnson's car is cleared up. Cars will do a lap before the race and the final laps get underway.

Marcus Ericsson's team doing their best in giving their driver an emotional boost with the 31-year-old just minutes away from the biggest moment of his life. 'You got this buddy, this is your race' is the message from his Chip Ganassi Racing team

5 laps to go and that means the race will be stopped and the cars head to pit lane

Drama at the IMS as it's a red flag !!!!!!!

Johnson rolls onto the grass and then the car hits the wall to crash out and become the fifth major crash

and we have a crash.... Jimmie Johnson crashes and will that prompt a red flag ? My word, what drama and once again it's turn two .... the good news is that Jimmie seems ok and exits the cockpit.

Marcus Ericsson clocking a 219 lap and with 9 laps to go, the Swede is looking a solid bet to become the first driver from the Scandinavian nation since Kenny Brack in 1999 to win the Indy 500.

Little O'Ward can do as he struggle behind the Swede in second place.

Ericsson-O'Ward and now Kanaan in third as we hit the 190 lap mark

Still many cars that have yet to make their fourth stop which skews the current leaderboard. One thing for sure is that we're not going to see a Castroneves fifth win with the Brazilian over five second behind the leaders.

Major drama at the Brickyard and huge blow for Scott Dixon. It's a Sweden 1 and 2 with Ericsson and Rosenqvist ahead. 

Ericsson nips into the lead and has just been told that he is good for fuel by his team via the radio. 

Less than 20 laps to go and it's Rosenqvist and Ericsson in the lead ... looking good for Swedish drivers

Dixon is hit with a penalty for speeding in the pit lane and that is a major blow for the New Zealander as he entered the pit

The last pit stop is critical for the drivers and even more importantly for the team where any mistake can wreak havoc for the drivers as we edge twrads the climax of the race.

Helio Castroneves still over five seconds behind the leaders in tenth position, tough to see the Brazilian securing the much sought-after fifth Indy 500 title today.

Dixon retakes the lead and leads O'Ward by 0.3 second as the first of the cars head to the pits.

Two Swedish drivers currently in the current top 5....Former winner Kenny Brack is here today at the Brickyard and would be overjoyed to see. awin for one of his compatriots. 

Dixon looking for his third Indy 500 win, O'Ward looking for his debut win.... A fourth and final pit stop imminent in approximately 5 or 6 laps.

Top 3: O'Ward-Dixon and Rosenqvist in third

All sorts of power moves being made now as the pressure levels rise on the track and Colombian Montaya skips ahead of Kirkwood. Pato 'Patricio' O' Ward is just 39 laps away from making history in becoming the first Mexican driver to win the Indy 500.

41 laps to go and this is where things get really interesting... one pit to go for all drivers as the heat intensifies on the track hitting 120 F

The safety car is out and the restart is moments away as the debris from the McLaughlin crash is cleared for the track

Without doubt the biggest impact and potentially the most dangerous of the four crashes we've seen today. A relief to see the rookie driver leave the vehicle with no visible injuries.

Scott McLaughlin is the latest driver to crash out. A big hit into the wall at turn 4 and good to see the New Zealander be able to exit his car with relative ease. A big double crash as he hits the wall at turn 3 and the momentum takes hims through to turn 4 .. a miracle that no other cars were caught up in that incident.

Swede Felix Rosenqvist now holds third place in the race and wise strategic move from Arrow McLaren SP as they currently hold a 1 and 3 place in the race with Dixon a lone ranger with his closest team mate in sixth place. 

A better pit from O'Ward will see the Arrow McLaren driver take the lead now and it's Dixon's turn to sit in the Mexican's slipstream as we approach lap 150.

Dixon pit stops and a smooth tyre change for the New Zealander as O'Ward momentarily holds the lead but the Mexican has yet to make his third trip to the pit.

Dixon still leading as he has done for most of the race as we see Colton Herta retire from the race with throttle issues. Not been a great day with the 22-year-old experiencing all sorts of technical problems throughout the entire race. 

Romain Grosjean speaking after crashing out: "I really don't understand why the car spun. I am anxious to look at the repeats of the footage and check the data as there is no reason why the car crashed out".

Pato O'Ward is looking good poised in second position and will enjoy the fuel saving position the Mexican finds himself in. 

Helio Castroneves' cockpit cooling vent has become loose and this will impact on the temperature that the Brazilian is experiencing behind the wheel. The current temperature at the Brickyard is 81F with a track temperature of almost 120 so the veteran will really be feeling the heat in his car.

Scott Dixon is a former Indy 500 winner with the New Zealander getting to drink the milk back in 2008. 2020 winner Sato is currently well positioned in seventh position and the Brickyard has been good to the Japanese racer in the past with the veteran a winner also in 2017. 

Where is Castroneves?

The Brazilian veteran is now in 11th and just over five seconds behind leader Scott Dixon. 

British driver Callum Illot speaking after crashing out earlier with the Cambridge driver one of the three to crash out at turn 2 on the IMS course: "I'm really sorry for the team but have to commend the safety crew here at the course for their professionalism in handling the situation".

Current leader board: Dixon-O'Ward and Daly in the 1-2-3 positions.

What a move from Santino Ferruci as he jumps into fourth spot as the 23-year-old delivers a display that belies his age with calculated moves and aggressive defensive driving.

The track is now at 117 degrees Fahrenheit as the Indiana sun beats down at the IMS

The former F1 driver Grosjean seems okay after the incident as he walks from his damaged car.

Grosjean is also out of the Indy 500 and yet again, it's turn 2 that sees the Frenchman crash out. A similar incident to that of Illots as his car swerves and hits the wall. 

Daly drops to third as Mexican O'Ward sneaks ahead of the Indiana born driver. O'Ward still 1.2 seconds behind leader Dixon.

It's really in the final 50 laps of the race where we see major drama as the drivers generally play acautios game in the first 3/4 of the race. Time for the third pit stop coming up now with a sense of the 'calm before the storm' very much the prevailaing sensations.

The Chip Gnassi Racing drivers standings as we reach the halfway stage of the 2022 Indy 500.

We're heading towards the half way mark of this 106th Indy 500 and, as he has done for most of this race, New Zealand's Scott Dixon leads the way ahead of local boy Conor Daly. 

Helio Castroneves is lurking too in the race with the Brazilian veteran now in 14th position just gox and a half seconds behind leader Dixon. What a day it would be for the Sao Paulo native if he could claim an incredible fifth Indy 500 win.

It's been a great race so far from Christchurch born Scott Maclaughlin as the New Zealander has moved up 12 spots from his starting position with the 28-year-old now in 12th position in the race.

Dixon, Daly and O'Ward are the 1-2-3 of the leaderboard as local boy Daly is jockeying looking to sneak ahead of the New Zealander in the lead.

So, as we hit lap 80, just 31 drivers remain in the Indy 500 after we lost Dutch driver Rinus Veekay and Callum Illot. 

Heartbreak for Alex Palou who now has dropped to last place and Scott Dixon must do it alone now without his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate.

Local driver Conor Daly currently in second place in his Ed Carpenter Racing car with the Indiana man approximately half a second behind Dixon who looks good in the lead.

The track is still being cleared from the debris from Callum Illot's Juncos Hollinger Racing car crashing out.

All the cars pull over to the pit road grid as we head into lap 73

Alex Palou pulls in for fuel and will have to serve a penalty. No tyre change allowed for the Spaniard and this is a major blow for the Catalan driver. 

Another crash as Callum Illot is out of the race. The Brittish driver leaves his car unscatched at turn 2 and spins out of the Indy 500. 

Scott Dixon and Alex Palou now stop for their second pit stop

Hildebrand the first driver to pull over for the second pit stop as we see a slow average pace which could be be a fuel saving strategy

Still the Chip Ganassi Racing team dominating at the 106th running of the Indy 500, Palou and Power still swapping the lead.

Second pit stop window looming as we complete 60 laps.

Dutchman Rinus Veekay speaking after crashing out: "I tuned into turn 2 and the car got loose and there was nothing I could do and it's a bummer. The incident caught me off guard". 

Drama as Colton Herta almost hits the wall at turn 1 with the American using his back up car today after crashing in Friday's warm up.

Palou, Dixon still hold the lead with Pato O'Ward in third leading Swede Marcus Ericsson who is in fourth. Three Chip Ganassi Racing cars in the top four.

A major blow for Power with the Australian leading the 2022 ranking as we headed into today's Indy 500 race. 

Will Power has a problem with his pit stop as his car stalls coming out of the pits and the Australian drops way down the ranking losing valuable seconds.

With the Dutchman out of contention, it's still a 1-2 from the Chip Ganassi Racing drivers as Dixon and Palou hold the lead

Rinus Veekay crashes out and that is a major blow for the Dutchman as he hits the wall at turn 2

Mexican Pato O'Ward is the current leader but the Arrow McLarern driver yet to make a pit stop.

219/220 mph is the average speed on the circuit after we've completed 33 laps of the 200. Veekay is in the pits now too and gets new Firestone tyres. 

Pit stop time as the drivers head in for the first tyre change of the race. Early leader Scott Dixon is now out in clean air....

Australian Will Power seems to be struggling as the Team Penske driver has dropped three places from the starting grid. 

We'll probably have 6/7 pit stops over the course of the race but this could be conditioned by cautions.

We've already completed 24 laps of the 2.5-mile oval circuit at the IMS and expect drivers to make their first pit stops in the next 7/8 laps. 

Still one and two from the Chip Ganassi Racing team as Dixon and Palou lead the pack.

In third is Rinus van Kalmthou or Rinus VeeKay as he is known driving his Ed Carpenter Racing car

Helio Castroneves is over 14 seconds off the lead with the Brazilian starting way down the grid in row 9. It's going to be a big ask for the Sao Paolo veteran today as he looks for his fifth Indy 500 win.

Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dixon and Palou now switching roles at the front of the race as they work as a team as part of a fuel saving strategy. 

Front 3 rows of the grid

This is how the first three rows of the grid looked pre-race

His Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon is in second place with the New Zealander .42 second behind the 
Spaniard.

Álex Palou is the early leader with the Chip Ganassi Racing driver initially starting in second place on the grid

We're underway in Indianapolis

The parade lap is underway as the drivers warm up their tyres....

IMS steward Roger Penske is about to get the race underway..... the 106th Indy 500 on Memorial weekend is moments away....

'Drivers Start Your Engines"

"Back home in Indiana rings out" which can only mean one thing .... race time is looming !!!!!!

33 cars lined up today on the grid with a crowd of approximately 300,000 spectators in Indianapolis. The biggest crowd for a daily sporting event with the return of fans a breath of fresh air after covid 19 restrictions saw a cut on fans back in 2020 and 2021.

Still 15 minutes away from the green flag and with the pre-race pomp over, the as the drivers start to make their way slowly towards their cars. 500 miles and 200 laps of the famous IMS circuit to look forward to this afternoon.

Who will drink the milk in approximately five hours? 

Stick with us as we get ready to 'start the engines'.

Jordan Fisher is on National Anthem duty delivering a stunning acapella version of the 'Star Spangled Banner' as six fighter jets blaze a trail in the sky over the IMS.

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We're just moments away from the start of the 106th Indy 500 as the thousands of fans pay a Memorial Day mark of respect to the victims of the recent Texas shootings in Uvalde where 19 schoolchildren and two teachers were gunned down by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.

What role will the Indy 500 the old guard play today?

IndyCar has seen a pack of hard-charging newcomers emerge over the last two seasons but when it comes to the Indy 500 the old guard has been less willing to pass the torch.

Palou, at 25-years-old is the reigning drivers champion while Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward and Andretti Autosports's Colton Herta all posted multiple wins last season and have attracted interest from Formula One.

But at the notorious Brickyard experience, bravery and smarts count and there will be plenty of it on Sunday's grid.

Polesitter Dixon is 41 while team mate Johnson is 46 as is Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya. Kanaan and Castroneves are 47.

Dixon, Kanaan, Montoya and Castroneves all have at least one Indy 500 victory on their resumes while Johnson has won the Daytona 500 twice.

Frenchman Romain Grosjean, 36, brings a different type of experience to his first Indy 500 having made 179 Formula One starts before moving to IndyCar.

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Dixon out to upset Castroneves

Perhaps the biggest roadblock in his drive-for-five is a powerhouse Chip Ganassi Racing outfit which will have five drivers near the front led by Scott Dixon, snatching pole with a record speed of 234 mph.

The 'Iceman' also started from pole in 2008 when he claimed his only Indy 500 win.

Starting alongside the New Zealander will be his young Spanish team mate Alex Palou, runner-up at last year's 500, while Row Two will have two more Ganassi employees in Swede Marcus Ericsson and Brazilian Tony Kanaan.

Not far back in row four is Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion seen as a dark horse pick despite making his Indy 500 debut.

"I think we have a good mix of some veterans and also some younger guys," said Dixon, a six-time IndyCar champion who sits third on the all-time win list with 51.

"The team Chip and everybody has put together is very unselfish but also have the common goal to just want to win.

"That's hard to come by and keep that as an even keel. Right now is probably is one of the times where I have seen the whole team all smiling.

"That's hard to achieve with two or three cars, it's difficult with five - really tough."

Indy 500 captivated by Castroneves's drive-for-five

Having joined the Indianapolis 500's most exclusive club of four-time champions last year, Helio Castroneves will try to move into a league of his own on Sunday by becoming the first to win the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on five occasions.

Castroneves exploded onto the IndyCar scene by winning the 500 on his first two tries in 2001 and 2002. He completed the hat-trick in 2009.

But it took 12 years to bag number four and at 46-years-old the window is closing for the charismatic Brazilian to make Brickyard history.

"I want it a lot. I want to do something nobody ever did," said Castroneves, who joined AJ Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser as a four-time winner. "I've tied the record, now it would be phenomenal to do something nobody has ever done.

"Am I going to fight for it? Absolutely.

"Is it going to happen, we are going to see on Sunday.

"I dream about it. I think about it.."

While it is nice to dream, the reality is Castroneves will start 27th - near the back of the 33-car field in a car that has not shown it is capable of running up front.

No female drivers in Indy 500 for second time in three years

The Indianapolis 500 was once the land of opportunity for women racers but for the second time in three years their will be no female drivers on the starting grid at the Brickyard when the green flag is dropped on Sunday.

Pioneers such as Janet Guthrie, who became the first woman to start an Indy 500 in 1977, have left their mark on motorsport but progress recently has been more slow motion than fast track when it comes to the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing".

In 2010 and 2011, with four women sprinkled across the 33 car fields, IndyCar appeared to be on the road to diversity that other sports were just coming to grips with.

Danica Patrick, the first and only woman to win an IndyCar race, had become the sport's most recognisable and marketable name, a crossover star with appeal beyond the race track.

But that progress has stalled. The 2020 Indy 500 was the first without at least one woman in the field since 1999 and this year's race will mark a second shutout in three years.

Patrick is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week but as a television commentator.

So is Sarah Fisher, the first woman to win an IndyCar pole, who will be on the track on Sunday but behind the wheel of the pace car.

"There should be more women in the sport for sure, certainly in a place like this," said Graham Rahal, who is married to former drag racer Courtney Force. "We need to generate more opportunities to help and find sponsors."

Spotlight on Casroneves

In between are 500 miles of high-octane action with the spotlight once again on Hélio Castroneves.

Having joined the Indianapolis 500's most exclusive club of four-time champions last year, the charismatic Brazilian will try to move into a league of his own on Sunday by becoming the first to win five.

With Covid-19 restrictions in the rear-view mirror, an expected crowd of more than 300,000 is looking forward to a return to the Indianapolis 500 glory days on Sunday, as Helio Castroneves set out to become the first five-times winner.

With the 2020 race held without spectators and last year's run with crowd restrictions, the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" was instead a dreary scene as drivers charged around the sprawling 2.5-mile oval in front of mostly empty grandstands.

That will not be the case on a sizzling Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) with officials saying the race would pull in the largest crowd in the last 20 years with the exception of the 100th running in 2016.

Romain Grosjean has looked promising in his first appearance at the Brickyard, and will start aside two-time winner Takuma Sato and 2018 winner Will Power alongside him.

With all of the possible stories that can be told at Indy, we will have to wait to see who finishes on pit row and who is drinking the milk.

With Dixon in the favored pole position, there are a few other drivers to keep your eye on. Defending series champion Alex Palou is in second and the field is made up of many former champions. Tony Kanaan, who won in 2013 is in sixth. Helio Castroneves, last year’s winner, is starting at the back of the field, but he definitely has the wiliness to move up the pack and cause trouble.

Jimmie Johnson and Marcus Ericsson are starting near the front and have proven themselves to be quick through the qualifying. Colton Herta, fresh off his horrific crash in qualifying looks to be starting from the worst spot but anything can happen over the course of 500 miles.

With the field set and Scott Dixon leading the pack, all that remains is for the spectators to settle in and watch the gentlemen as they start their engines.

In an endurance event, like Indianapolis, raw speed is not all that counts. Strategy must mold itself to the ever-changing conditions as they develop over a gruelling 500-mile race.

Hello and a very warm welcome to our live coverage of the 106th Indianapolis 500 as we look forward to 200 laps and 500 miles of pulsating race action.