Zingg, who grew up in Hemet, had just signed with the prestigious Kawasaki Team Green.

At Saturday’s Mammoth Mountain MX event, Zingg reportedly crashed in a corner of the 250cc B class race. After the crash, he was, according to the initial report on DirtBikeLover, “run over by multiple bikes and remained unconscious on the track for two laps before the race was red flagged.”

Fellow rider in the race, Aden Keefer, recounted the incident on the RMATVMC Keefer Tested Radio Show on Sunday. The show is hosted by Aden’s father, Kris Keefer, President of Keefer Inc., who is a veteran in the motocross community.

Aden, who was leading the race at the time it was stopped, said he first noticed Zingg on the ground around lap 4. Assuming Zingg had simply passed out, the younger Keefer continued racing. It wasn’t until lap 7 of a scheduled 10 that the race was called.

“As I came around (during lap 4), Aidan was lying in the middle of the track,” Keefer said. “Originally, I thought he was knocked out. Because of the area, I didn’t see how you could crash big, maybe he slid out and just smacked his head.

“I put another lap down, come around again, Aidan is still lying there. When I came around again, they started doing chest compression on him. By the last lap, they had him on a stretcher, and then they red flagged it.”

According to People Magazine, Zingg had just turned professional joining the legendary Team Green program that is backed by Bell, Oakley, Renthol, and more.

Donn Maeda, a motocross veteran and Editor-in-Chief of Swap Moto Live, shared his sadness and impression of the young phenom in a heartfelt Instagram post.

“(Aidan) was one of those kids who made an impression on you from the moment you met him.” Maeda wrote. “I interviewed him for our race series years ago when he was on a 65 (youth level), and when I asked him how long it’d be until he beat his dad, he smirked and said, ‘Soon, I’m sure.’

“After that, he always went out of his way to say hello, even recently when he grew into a fast big bike rider … you know, the age when teens get cocky and cool. Not Aidan.”

Kris Keefer remembers a similarly impressive Zingg.

“He was a great kid,” Keefer said. “There aren’t many kids that age that impress me or leave me wanting to talk to them more.”

Zingg was a fast-rising prospect in the sport. Having been racing since elementary school, he quickly began cementing his name as he picked up wins in the 65cc, 85cc, and Supermini divisions.

In 2024, he captured the AMA Amateur National title in the Supermini 2 division and earned a runner-up finish in Supermini 1.

He had qualified for the prestigious AMA Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch every year since 2019 and was preparing to make the jump to the 250cc class in 2025.

Once he finally made the jump to the 250cc class with Team Green, Zingg began showing true professional potential.

Aidan’s older sister, Alexandria, posted a heartfelt remembrance of her younger brother on Instagram.

“It’s been a day and I feel like it’s been a lifetime,” Alexandria wrote. “My heart is completely broken. You used to joke that I was so old and that I’d die first, I would always joke that you were crazy and you’d be the first. Now I’m sitting here wishing with everything that I am that you were right so I’d never have to live a day without you.”

While no commitment has been reached, San Diego appears to be one of five or six sites vying for dates on next year’s schedule, which is expected to be finalized next month and announced in August.  NASCAR has been looking at possible sites in downtown San Diego, Coronado and one other spot in San Diego County.

“Schedule negotiations are one of the best-kept secrets in NASCAR,” a source told the San Diego Union-Tribune last week. “There is always speculation at this time of year as to where NASCAR is going. But no one knows.”

NASCAR has scouted the San Diego area for potential street courses and is working with Sports San Diego — the organization that produces the Holiday Bowl and Rady Children’s Hospital Basketball Invitational and backs sports tourism in the San Diego area. Sports San Diego did not respond to inquiries.

Southern California hasn’t hosted a regular-season NASCAR race since 2023, when Auto Club Speedway closed. Plans to rebuild that track as a half-mile oval have stalled.

In 2023-24, NASCAR held its preseason Busch Clash all-star race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. But that race has been moved to Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“NASCAR sees San Diego as it does Las Vegas,” said the source, “a destination-style venue, which makes it even more attractive than some other potential sites.”

However, San Diego also faces a number of obstacles — starting with finding a spot on an already packed schedule. NASCAR’s premier series runs from February through the first weekend of November.

This year’s schedule includes a street race in Chicago and the recently run inaugural road race in Mexico City. Both sites are seeking extensions to hold races beyond this year. There is also talk that if the Chicago street race contract isn’t extended, NASCAR could return to the nearby oval at Chicagoland Speedway.

Earlier this year, NASCAR said it wanted to explore “new and unique” street courses given the success at Chicago. Although the first two Chicago events were plagued by rain, the economic impact of each event was estimated at more than $200 million.

NASCAR was very happy with the inaugural Mexico City race, although the logistics and travel issues made it a difficult venue for teams.

Montreal, Philadelphia and Denver have also expressed interest in hosting a NASCAR street race. Montreal’s proposal has backing from the Canadian government. The Philadelphia proposal, which has the historic Franklin Field as its focal point, is tied to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Speedway losing one of its two traditional NASCAR races.

Were NASCAR to renew its contracts with both Chicago and Mexico City, there might not be an opening on the 2026 schedule unless NASCAR expands its schedule deeper into November. Adding a 39th and 40th date has been discussed before, but has met resistance from teams due to the already short off-season. NASCAR has raced as late as Nov. 20 in the past.

There has also been discussions to revise the playoff format at the end of the season and add a race to the regular season.

NASCAR has tight control of its race sites and schedule. Were the San Diego area to be granted a street race, it likely would appear early on the schedule where the Auto Club Speedway date used to be (late February or early March).

This is not the first time a car race has been proposed for downtown San Diego. In 1992, Long Beach Grand Prix founder Chris Pook wanted to move his IMSA sports car race to downtown San Diego after staging it for six years at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. But every course plotted by Pook ran into problems due to crossing railroad tracks and government regulations and restrictions.

IndyCar briefly looked at San Diego earlier this century with a course using Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway. But the tracks and train traffic proved to be an insurmountable barrier.

Coronado hosted the Coronado Speed Festival vintage car races from 1997 to 2015 at the North Island Naval Air Station as part of Fleet Week. But the Navy placed restrictions on what attendees could bring onto the base.

INDIANAPOLIS — Alex Palou took the ceremonial swig of milk in victory lane at the Indianapolis 500. He allowed his wife to have a sip, she in turn gave a sip to their baby, and team owner Chip Ganassi ended up with the bottle and took a drink, as well.

“I have to tell you, it was the best milk I ever had,” Palou said.

The first Spaniard to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” then took a victory lap with his entourage around Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the back of a pickup truck. At one point, Palou climbed onto its roof and raised his arms in triumph, the winning wreath draped around his neck. He briefly lost his balance and Ganassi instinctively reached out to grab his star driver.

No need.

Palou rarely makes a wrong move.

Palou came to the speedway as the two-time defending IndyCar series champion – he has three titles in four years – and had opened this year with victories in four of the first five races. It’s the kind of start not seen since 1964, when A.J. Foyt won the first seven races of the season, including the Indy 500.

But it was win No. 6 that Palou had circled on his calendar. Without an Indy 500 win, he said, his career would be incomplete.

“Like he said last week, if he was to go through his whole career and not win here at Indianapolis, it wouldn’t be a complete career,” Ganassi said. “I don’t want to say his career is complete now – he’s got a lot in him yet. Look at the last five, six races we’ve had. It’s just incredible. He’s on a roll.”

Such a roll that IndyCar officials were trying to hustle along the postrace commitments for Palou to get him downtown to watch the Indiana Pacers play the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Palou on Saturday wore a Tyrese Haliburton jersey in the Indy 500 parade.

“That’s going to help some people in Indiana to know me,” Palou said.

Palou was in fuel-saving mode over the closing laps, following former Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson. Palou got tired of staying put with 16 laps remaining and charged ahead – a move Ericsson said “will keep me up at night. What I did and what I didn’t do.” Palou was never challenged from there, taking the checkered flag as a crash brought out a caution.

He stopped the car just beyond the Yard of Bricks, climbing out of it and nearly losing his balance as he raised his arms in triumph. Palou jumped down and took off in a run down the front stretch, pulling off his gloves and tossing them behind him, and ultimately was engulfed by his father, Ramon, and his team in a jubilant celebration.

Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti both hugged him, a pair of former Ganassi Indy 500 winners welcoming him into their exclusive club. He wasn’t sure what the win will do for him Spain, which celebrates Formula 1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr., but Palou said for the first time he can recall he saw throngs of fans with Spanish flags chanting his name at an IndyCar race.

“It makes it extra special that I’m the first Spanish driver to win it,” Palou said. “But honestly, if I was the 50th Spanish driver to win, I would be as happy as I am now.”

Meanwhile, Ericsson climbed from his car in pit lane and pressed his hands to his face, the disappointment of coming oh-so-close to a second Indianapolis 500 victory etched across his face. David Maluks was third for A.J. Foyt Racing.

“It’s pretty painful,” Ericsson said of his second career Indy 500 runner-up finish. “I need to look at it again. You replay it in your head a million times after the finish, wondering what I could have done differently. Second means nothing in this race.”

Josef Newgarden’s bid to win three consecutive Indy 500s ended with a fuel pump issue. He was trying to become the first driver to come from the back row to win because he and Team Penske teammate Will Power were dropped to the back of the field for failing inspection before the final rounds of qualifying.

Power wound up 19th, the highest-finishing Penske driver on a miserable day for the organization owned by Roger Penske. He earlier this week fired his top three IndyCar executives for a second technical infraction in just over a year, and has had to defend the optics of his teams failing inspections when he also owns IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500.

Penske has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times.

It was the sixth Indy 500 win for Ganassi, who has been on a dominating wave since hiring Palou before the 2021 season. Palou won the championship in his first year with the team, added two more titles, and now seems on pace for a fourth one.

“I’ll tell you what, that kid’s a good driver. I think he’s off to a good start,” Ganassi said. “We’re gonna have a good season. It might be OK. Yeah, might be okay. Might be looking at a championship.”

Ganassi also vowed that winning the Indy 500 win “is going to make Alex Palou’s career. It is going to make his life.”

Palou started the race tied with Pato O’Ward as the co-favorites, listed at +500 by BetMGM Sportsbook. O’Ward finished fourth – the fifth time in six career starts the Mexican has finished sixth or higher. Kyle Larson won’t complete “the double” after crashing out of the Indianapolis 500 before he headed to North Carolina to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race.

INDIANAPOLIS — There has been so much drama ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 that Kyle Larson’s attempt to complete the 1,100-mile NASCAR double doesn’t even crack the top attention-getters.

Roger Penske’s credibility was tested this week and he fired the top three executives of his IndyCar team because the cars of two-time defending race winner Josef Newgarden and Will Power failed inspection. The team had modified a spec safety part – something IndyCar insists provided no competitive advantage – and it forced Penske to act.

The second major infraction in just over a year at Team Penske put The Captain’s reputation at stake. He owns his team but also IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 – the most important race in the world to him, and one that the 88-year-old Penske has won a record 20 times.

“We had an organizational failure not once but two times. It hurts me in my gut,” Penske told new TV partner Fox Sports. “There’s a certain amount of credibility you have to have. We let people down. We’ll move on and our goal is to win the race.”

The grandstands are sold out for the first time since 2016 and the Indy 500 is slated to run hours before the Indiana Pacers host Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals a few miles away. The speedway is expecting 350,000 people will attend.

“The downside is that most of the talk going into our biggest race of the year is about that,” 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon said of the Team Penske scandal. “There’s so many cool stories going into it.”

First Israeli driver will lead field

Robert Shwartzman will become the first Israeli driver in the 33-car field when he leads it to the green as the first rookie pole-winner since 1983. The 25-year-old is both Russian and Israeli, though he races under the Israeli flag.

He won the pole with Italian team Prema Racing, a dominant European organization that this season expanded to IndyCar. Shwartzman has never before raced on an oval and will start alongside two-time winner Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward, who lost to Newgarden on the last lap year.

Shwartzman has been embraced by the crowd in Indianapolis.

“It’s been since the moment I felt like we were fast and people start noticing us that we were actually not too bad, we’re pretty competitive, it started picking up this level of people just, cheering, cheering, cheering,” Shwartzman said. “When we took the pole, it’s unbelievable, the roar, how loud it is. It’s been a long time since I heard that.”

What about the Penske cars?

The three Team Penske cars did not participate in the final day of qualifying. Scott McLaughlin crashed earlier that day, before Newgarden and Power were disqualified, and his car did not have the illegally altered piece on it.

McLaughlin will start 10th and is motivated to help Penske repair the team image. Newgarden, seeking to become the first driver to win Indy in three consecutive years, will start 32nd and Power in the final spot following the penalties.

No driver has ever won from the last row but Newgarden believes it can be done. The field won’t be surprised.

“The Penskes are freaking missiles,” O’Ward said. “It’s going to be fun watching Josef carve his way through traffic.”

O’Ward’s takeover

The Mexican driver has become IndyCar’s superstar, and he has twice had his heart broken at Indy with runner-up finishes. O’Ward’s third-place starting position is the best of his career and momentum for a victory has been building.

His energy vibrates around the speedway, where his purchasing of a bomber jacket at the infield merchandise tent caused the item to sell out online and boost Indianapolis-brand Homefield to a national level. There were only five jackets, all size XL, still available Friday morning.

O’Ward also got the Indiana Dairy Association to bring a cow to the speedway Friday so he could milk it – a rookie tradition at the Indy 500 that he missed because his first appearance was during the pandemic.

“We need more guys like Pato in NASCAR,” said Larson, his Arrow McLaren teammate at Indy.

Hole in the résumé

Alex Palou has won four of the first five IndyCar races this season but has flown under the radar this month.

The Spaniard will start sixth. His best finish is second and he’s been inside the top nine the last four years.

Palou is the two-time reigning IndyCar champion and has three titles in the last four years. He admitted if he never wins the Indy 500, his career would not be complete – and the 14-race winner has yet to earn a victory on an oval.

“In that race, you don’t think about the championship at all,” Palou said. “A third place is not good enough. A second place is not good enough. It’s only first that counts.”

Let’s play two

Larson is attempting to complete the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina on Sunday, an accomplishment that the NASCAR star fell short of last year because of rain.

A long delay in Indianapolis made Larson late to Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the race had not only started by the time he arrived but been stopped by rain. He didn’t turn a single lap of the NASCAR leg.

He’s not shown the same speed at Indy as he did a year ago, and being teammates with O’Ward has dulled some of the spotlight on him. Larson will make the NASCAR race his priority.

“I feel like I get a lot of attention in everything that I do and race, and I don’t really like that because I feel like it takes away from the spotlight of others,” Larson said. “This year has been better because I feel like I’ve kind of flown under the radar. Last year I felt, like, crazy. It’s been more normal, and I like it that way.”

Larson is set to run both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, a task he set out to accomplish last year but never had a chance to complete after weather disrupted the NASCAR star’s plans.

A year ago rain delayed the start of the Indianapolis 500, putting Larson well behind schedule in his quest. He finished 18th in Indianapolis, and didn’t make it to Charlotte Motor Speedway until 249 laps had been completed. He was set to jump in the No. 5 Chevrolet and take over for replacement driver Justin Allgaier, but lightning and heavy rains forced NASCAR to call the race.

Larson never turned a lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Last year wasn’t as fun and exciting as people might think,” Larson said. “I was super bummed because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to race in both. I didn’t get to enjoy the pre-race stuff or anything, but hopefully this year it goes better with the weather and I can just enjoy the whole experience.”

The forecast for Sunday in both cities looks a little more promising, although there’s still a small chance of rain.

If rain were to delay the start of the Indianapolis 500 again, Larson could face a tough decision. If he doesn’t make it back for the Coca-Cola 600, his playoff chances would be in jeopardy. Larson is considered one of the favorites to win the Cup Championship, having won three Cup Series races this year.

Hendrick Motorsports vice president Jeff Gordon said the team has a “concrete plan” to have Larson in Charlotte in time for driver introductions, about 45 minutes before the race.

“He will be here (at CMS) by 5:45 p.m.,” Gordon said emphatically.

Only a handful of elite drivers have dared to take on the epic motorsports crossover. Tony Stewart set the standard for “The Double” in 2001 when he finished sixth at the Indy 500 and third at the Coca-Cola 600, becoming the first driver to ever complete all 1,100 miles.

“I love to race,” Larson said of the challenge. “I love to compete in big events and I love to try new things to challenge myself,” said Larson. “I try to stay focused on making this the best experience I can and getting my car to drive the best it can while also enjoying the moment.”

Other things to watch at the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night:

Change in spotters

Christopher Bell and Brad Keselowski will have new spotters at the Coca-Cola 600.

Joe Gibbs Racing said Matt Philpott has replaced Stevie Reeves as Bell’s spotter. Reeves had been the spotter for Bell, last week’s All-Star Race winner and the defending Coca-Cola 600 champion, since he made his series debut in 2020.

“I was surprised as well,” Bell said of Reeves’ decision to leave the team. “It was all Stevie’s decision. He made the decision on his own to quit.”

Todd Brewer replaces T.J. Majors as Keselowski’s spotter. Majors will be out a month due to a medical procedure.

Byron’s extension

William Byron called it a “relief” to receive a four-year contract extension Friday from Hendrick Motorsports.

The two-time defending Daytona 500 champion said negotiations were “amicable” and he anticipated they would eventually get done.

“I definitely wanted to be here and focus on winning races,” Byron said. “That’s what it’s all about at Hendrick Motorsports and what I want to do. … I felt like Hendrick was always my home.”

Gordon said “we think it’s a no-brainer. It’s worked and he has been a great fit. … We were going to make it happen one way or another.”

Johnson set for milestone

Seven-time Cup Series champion and Legacy Motor Club part-owner Jimmie Johnson will hit a career milestone at the Charlotte Motor Speedway with his 700th career Cup Series start.

For the 49-year-old Johnson, it’s a poignant moment, returning to the venue where he began his Cup Series journey in 2001. Johnson’s first start came Oct. 7, 2001, at Charlotte. He went on to dominate at Charlotte, winning the Coca-Cola 600 four times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014), the Bank of America 500 four times (2004, 2005, 2009, 2016), and the All-Star Race four times (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013).

“This is my 700th start, but let’s be clear – it’s not my last start,” Johnson said.

The Coca-Cola 600 grind

The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race on the NASCAR circuit, and it can often take five hours to complete the 400 laps on a 1½-mile track. Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet formerly run by Dale Earnhardt, called it one of the most grueling races on the NASCAR circuit.

“The track’s not smooth. … It’s rough, so I think you prep your seat well for this race too,” said Dillon, who won the race in 2017. “I changed that two years ago when we went to this car. I remember the first time in the Next Gen car here, it was awful under caution, even just your head rattling around in there. So I tried to make our foam a little different around our head rest, which helps.”

Salute to service

Charlotte Motor Speedway has a long tradition of honoring the military on Memorial Day weekend as part of their “Salute to Service.” There are flyovers, numerous military members on site, the playing of “Taps” and each driver carries the name of a fallen soldier’s name on their racecar.

“To have a name on the side of a race car, to share that with their family, it means more than motorsports,” said AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 car for Kaulig Racing. “I’ll be 100% honest, I get lost. You know what our job is, you’re out there to win, and that’s all you focus on, but there’s a brief moment there of all the pre-race stuff at the (Coca-Cola) 600 where racing doesn’t mean anything.”

NASCAR on Prime

NASCAR on Prime is set to make its debut Sunday.

Prime Video will exclusively stream five consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races to conclude the first half of the season. Adam Alexander serves as race announcer alongside analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte in the booth, with Trevor Bayne, Kim Coon, and Marty Snider patrolling pit road. Danielle Trotta hosts Prime Video’s on-site studio coverage, joined by analysts Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie.

Fans can watch NASCAR live at home or on the go, and across hundreds of compatible devices, streaming from the web, or using the Prime Video app on smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, game consoles, and connected TVs.

INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden spent the final 2-hour practice for the Indianapolis 500 on Friday carving through a track full of cars.

He’ll have to do the same thing when it counts on Sunday.

The two-time defending Indy 500 winner, who will start in the last row as punishment for an illegally modified part found during qualifying, had the fastest lap of the 2-hour final practice on Carb Day at 225.687 mph. Teammate Will Power, who will also start at the back, was fifth while fellow Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin was just 27th on the chart.

“We have the tools and the people to battle to the front,” Newgarden said, “which is what we plan to do.”

McLaughlin, whose car did not have the offending part and escaped Team Penske punishments, will start 10th after wrecking his primary car in practice last Sunday. His fastest lap in the final session of practice was just 221.675 mph.

“I know we have fast cars,” McLaughlin said. “Everyone feels that way, as well.”

The final opportunity to put cars on the track before race day, when a grandstand sellout is expected to produce a crowd of more than 350,000 people, turned out to be an eventful one for Rahal Letterman Lanigan and several other teams.

Graham Rahal, who struggled just to make the 33-card field, only got about 40 minutes of practice in before a mechanical issue produced a puff of smoke and fluid out the back of the No. 15 car. He wound up going to the garage area early.

“It just seems like we’ve always been behind and things keep happening,” said Rahal, whose team was still trying to diagnose the problem. “We can’t get caught up here. The car was better today, a lot better. … It is what it is at this stage. You just got to go.”

Two-time winner Takuma Sato, who will start for RLL in the middle of the front row, also failed to make it to the end. He pulled his car behind a wall and waited for time to run out on the session before his team began to troubleshoot his problems.

Ryan Hunter-Reay’s session quite literally went up in smoke. Fire erupted out the back of the No. 23 car, which had been eighth-quickest in practice, and the 2014 race winner had to quickly escape from the vehicle as the emergency crew arrived.

“I had a methanol fire back in 2003, and I just remember what went on there and that same kind of feeling. So after I felt a liquid or whatever it was – it could have been some kind of fire-retardant liquid – it just started to smoke more and more.”

Hunter-Reay wasn’t sure the extent of the damage to the rear of the car or what it could mean for his race.

“I hope it’s not a hybrid deal because Jack (Harvey) earlier in the week had a hybrid melt down on him,” Hunter-Reay said. “But yeah, that caught my attention. When it fills up with smoke in fourth gear, something is seriously wrong.”

Rookie pole-sitter Robert Shwartzman spent long stretches in his pit box as Prema Racing tried to get his car working better in traffic; Colton Herta, who went to a backup car after his crash last Saturday, had trouble with his brake systems; Ed Carpenter’s hybrid system had to be replaced because it wasn’t working properly; and 2016 winner Alexander Rossi went to the garage just 30 minutes into practice because of water that suddenly began leaking from the back of his car.

The result was a busy Gasoline Alley just 48 hours before the green flag for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

“I think the car has been good and we were happy with where we were in practice Monday,” said Rossi, who will start on the outside of the fourth row. “But that’s what Carb Day is for, to find issues like this.”

NEWGARDEN BEATS POWER IN PIT-STOP CHALLENGE

Newgarden beat Power in the final of the Indianapolis 500 pit-stop challenge on Friday, giving the whole of Team Penske something to feel good about after a trying week.

In the decisive matchup, Newgarden’s team stopped the clock in 10.263 seconds and Power in 10.503, giving the two-time Indy 500 winner his second consecutive pit-stop championship and Team Penske its 20th dating back to its first in 1981.

“These are the unsung heroes of this race. They’re risking it every time we’re coming in,” said Newgarden, who will start 32nd on Sunday as he chases an unprecedented three-peat. “It’s not easy to do this job. They work on their cars all day, all night, and then they have to come out and perform in these moments, and they have to perform on Sunday.”

The pit-stop title was the third overall for Newgarden, putting him in a tie with Al Unser Jr. for fourth-most by any driver.

“It helps you win the Indy 500,” he said of the quick pit stops. “Everything has to be perfect and this is a big part of it.”

Newgarden, whose team won $50,000, beat Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren in the semifinals in a rematch of last year’s head-to-head final. Power won his semifinal matchup with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, whose team won two years ago.

“After the week we’ve had, all three cars are ready to go out there and take this win,” said Caitlyn Brown, one of the Team Penske crew members on Newgarden’s car, who two years ago became the first female over-the-wall crew member at the Indy 500.

“Winning this competition only powers us to go out there and take it,” she said. “Starting from the back doesn’t mean anything.”

WIENERMOBILES PUT ON RIVETING RACE

Give the Borg-Wiener Trophy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the Wienermobile affectionately known as Slaw Dog.

In a down-to-the-wire race among the six iconic Wienermobiles that serve as goodwill ambassadors for Oscar Mayer, the hot dog-on-wheels representing the Southeast proved to be the big dog on Carb Day.

It made a dramatic pass of the Wienermobile repping Chicago at the finish line to win the inaugural Wienie 500 on Friday.

The margin was about a half a bun.

“You are standing in a moment in hot dog history right now,” Sarah Oney, who was co-piloting the Wienermobile representing New York with Connor Wolff, told The Associated Press. “This is the first-ever time we have honestly had all six Wienermobiles together and especially at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

It was the definition of a wiener-take-all race, too: The driver and co-pilot of the No. 3 dog, who managed to roast the rest of the Wienermobiles on a cool, sunny afternoon, got to stick around for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The Wienermobiles have been around since 1936 as a promotional vehicle for Oscar Mayer – not to be confused with Louis Meyer, the first three-time winner of the Indy 500. They travel around the country, logging about 20,000 miles annually, though none were probably as important to the hotdoggers on board as the 5 miles they drove on Friday.

Oney and Wolff jumped into the lead when the green flag flew at the historic yard of bricks, and the six Wienermobiles slowly picked up speed until they reached about 65 mph. They were right in each other’s grills down the backstretch, and swapped the lead among themselves several times until the second of two laps, when the No. 4 dog led the field out of Turn 2.

That’s when smoke began pouring from its rear, and that dog was cooked.

The Wienermobile wearing No. 1 assumed the lead as the field headed onto the front stretch, and a crowd of nearly 80,000 fans who had just watched the final practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 was standing and cheering.

That’s when the Wienermobile from the Southeast, which had doggedly hung around the lead for most of the race, made its big move. It passed the the Wienermobile repping Chicago just in time to relish in the sweet taste of victory.

It might have been the fastest Wieners have gone since Joey Chestnut’s heyday on Coney Island.

“The Indy 500 marks the unofficial kickoff of summer and the start of hot dog season,” said Kelsey Rice, brand communications director at Chicago-based Oscar Mayer. “It’s only fitting that we bring a race of epic proportions to the Speedway and celebrate a timeless tradition: delicious meats and a little friendly competition to kick off a summer of wieners.”

AWARD WINNERS

Earlier in the day, Chip Ganassi Racing manager Barry Wanser and broadcast statistician Russ Thompson were given the Robin Miller Award, which honors unheralded people who have devoted a significant portion of their lives to IndyCar.

The award is named after Miller, a longtime motorsports writer who died in 2021.

Pat Caporali, the lead communications representative for tiremaker Firestone, was given the Jim Chapman Award for excellence in public relations. Chapman was a legendary PR executive who worked with Babe Ruth, among others.

INDIANAPOLIS — Roger Penske personally told Will Power about the firings of Team Penske’s top three executives – a decision Power said his boss made after a sleepless night contemplating how to handle a cheating scandal ahead of the Indianapolis 500.

“I know it was very tough for him. He said that. He said he didn’t sleep the night before because he had to make a very hard decision,” Power said Thursday, one day after the shock dismissals of team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer.

Penske cleaned house after the cars for both Power and two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden failed inspection ahead of Sunday’s final round of qualifying. The cars were found to have modified a spec part – the rear attenuator is a safety part and IndyCar said it has found no evidence the Team Penske filling a seam on it provided a competitive advantage.

Newgarden declined to discuss the situation Thursday.

“I don’t want to disappoint or offend anybody. I’m here to talk about the race. I’m here with my team. I’m ready to go racing,” he said. “I love this race. My goodness, I’ve been enjoying being here this whole time. I look forward to it every year, as we all do. Ready to go to work with our group. Proud of everything that we have done up to this point. Ready to go racing. So that’s what I got to say.”

It was the second major technical violation for Team Penske in just over a year. The team last year was found to have illegal access to its push-to-pass system at times the drivers should not have been able to gain the additional boost of horsepower. Newgarden was stripped of last year’s season-opening victory once IndyCar discovered the team was illegally using the software.

Power expressed sympathy for Penske, who owns the three-car race team, IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. Penske confirmed to new television partner Fox Sports that IndyCar is exploring an independent governing body that does not consist of Penske employees.

“I feel bad for him. He’s in a very tough spot in that situation,” Power said of Penske. “You could tell it was heavy on him. Tough, tough for him to have to do that. I think Roger moves forward very quickly. He makes decisions. He moves forward. Doesn’t dwell on it.

“Starts looking at what is absolutely best for the team and everyone to move forward. That’s Roger. That’s why he’s so successful,” Power continued. “He’s not going to sit and spend a month worrying about what happened. I think he’s ‘How can we fix this and let’s move forward and make sure it doesn’t happen again.’”

Team Penske earlier Thursday announced the personnel that has been adjusted for its three cars ahead of Sunday’s 109th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Penske has won the race a record 20 times.

Newgarden, who is trying to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indy 500s, will have Luke Mason as his strategist and Raul Prados as lead engineer. As part of the penalties levied on the team, he was dropped to 32nd on the starting grid and no driver has ever won from the last row.

“You can win this race from any seat in the house. There’s no bad seat in this house,” Newgarden said. “I like the challenge of coming from 32nd. We do have a great car. It just seems to be getting better every year. I’m trying to protect that right now. It’s one of these things where every day changes a little bit at the Speedway. You have to stay on top of it. Sunday is really going to be the day that counts. We have to make sure we’re in the right place for that day. If we can do that, we should be in a good spot.”

Scott McLaughlin, who crashed early Sunday and didn’t participate in the final rounds of qualifying, will start from 10th with Ben Bretzman as his strategist and Malcolm Finch as lead engineer.

He was the only driver of the Penske three to admit to being angry over the situation.

“I’m disappointed with how Roger’s name has been thrown through the mud, his integrity, our team, the people on the floor, the people that spend hours away from their families trying to build these cars,” McLaughlin said. “Basically they’re being thrown to the mud. I take that personally.”

Power, who is in the final year of his contract at Penske and was dropped to last in the 33-car field, will have Jonathan Diuguid as strategist and David Faustino as lead engineer.

He believes Penske was forced into the firings by the external pressure from other team owners who are furious Team Penske has had major technical violations in two consecutive seasons. He also said the attenuator modification gave him no advantage and felt good people lost their jobs over the incident.

Cindric had been with Penske since 2000.

“It’s kind of a shock and a pity. They’re all extremely good at their job,” Power said. “It was just the pressure from outside. I guess Roger had to make a tough decision, but I can tell you these were very credible people. They really were. As you know, the infraction was very minor. It wasn’t a performance gain.”

Cindric posted on social media late Wednesday calling his time with Penske “an amazing ride!”

“While my conscience remains clear through all of the noise and accusations, I’m grateful to have so many great people to draw strength from in times like this,” Cindric wrote. “Still standing tall!”

A second social media post on Thursday encouraged “those who truly want to understand more about the technical side of the part that was in question” to read an article explaining the modification that was written by a motorsports mechanic.

PATO O’WARD LOOKING FOR COW TO MILK

IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward understands winners drink milk at the Indianapolis 500.

He just doesn’t want a small oversight to cause him any more race day consternation. So during Thursday’s media day, O’Ward said he plans to participate in a superstition that he hopes will end the tough spills he’s endured in his first five Indy 500 starts.

Pole winner Robert Shwartzman recounted how after last weekend’s qualifying, he took part in the rookie tradition of milking a cow – and the role it’s believed to play in who quenches their thirst in victory lane.

“The woman, she came to me and said, ‘The people who didn’t milk the cow, they never won the Indy 500,’ and they were like (did not finish). It’s bad luck,” Shwartzman said. “Whoever milks the cow. Alexander Rossi did it. He won the 500. You have to milk the cow.”

Shwartzman described his personal experience with a “very calm, cute” cow named Indy.

O’Ward never got his chance to squeeze an udder because his rookie start came in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the race was run in August with no fans and the milking tradition was put on hold.

Since then, he’s finished sixth, fourth, second, 24th and second.

Two-time race winner Takuma Sato claimed he never took part in the tradition, but that didn’t seem to impress O’Ward, who eventually asked: “Are they always ready to just …?”

Finally, after Shwartzman suggested O’Ward wait until next year to make it right, O’Ward said he wasn’t content to have yet another race day spoiled. He wanted to milk a cow immediately.

The Indiana Dairy Association was quick to offer help.

“We know some farmers who know some cows who can make that happen,” the group posted on X.

PLAYING HOOKY

Ryan Hunter-Reay brought a special guest to the dais Thursday – his oldest son, Ryden.

The soon-to-be-sixth-grader wore a baseball cap, shorts and, of course, No. 23 socks to honor his dad, the 2014 Indy 500 winner.

Spending race week in Indianapolis was only part of the treat for Ryden Hunter-Reay. He also got to miss his last week of school.

“I think it’s better (here),” he said when asked about his absence from class.

And who does he think will win Sunday’s race?

“My dad,” he said.

FEELING BETTER

Colton Herta canceled his local Community Day appearance Wednesday because he was under the weather.

By Thursday, he was feeling well enough to show up for his media day interview.

While Herta seems to be on the mend or Sunday’s race, he would feel much better with a higher starting spot. He qualified 29th on Saturday, just 4½ hours after crashing on his first qualifying attempt. He’ll start 27th because of the penalties assessed to two Team Penske cars.

At least he’s comfortable in the backup car his team scrambled to set up Saturday.

“It’s just like being in the other car, they patched everything pretty perfectly, which for me has never happened before, so it was a surprise,” Herta said. “It filled me with a lot of confidence, made it easier to get back to work.”

DRIVE FOR FIVE

Helio Castroneves is the fourth and most recent member of Indy’s four-time winners club. His quest to become the race’s first five-time champion has been overshadowed by Kyle Larson’s second attempt at running the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, and by the Team Penske scandal.

The longtime Penske driver who now drives for Meyer Shank Racing will start 22nd after moving up two spots on the starting grid because of the penalties assessed to his two former teammates. It’s the third-lowest starting position of his 25 career Indy starts after he qualified 28th in 2020 and 27th in 2022.

The 50-year-old Brazilian also is completing his own double this season by competing in the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in the same year.

“This place has been good to me, this place is amazing and I’m trying to get something special, to rewrite history,” Castroneves said. “So we’re going to have hard work to do, but I feel like we’re going to be up front very soon.”

AP sports writer Michael Marot contributed to this story.

INDIANAPOLIS — Roger Penske attempted to close the latest cheating scandal engulfing his race team – this one at his beloved Indianapolis 500 – by firing his top three executives at Team Penske after two of the Penske cars were found to be illegal.

Penske fired team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer on Wednesday in the wake of this Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal.

“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” Penske said in a statement. “We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners and our organization for letting them down.”

Penske is owner of the three-car team, IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500. He has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times. Penske also owns the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The firings and Penske’s statement have been his first public reaction since two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were found to have an illegally modified spec part on their cars ahead of Sunday’s final round of qualifications for the 109th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Penske, after the firings were announced, held a team owner’s meeting remotely in which he took responsibility for his team’s actions. Some who dialed in told The Associated Press the meeting lasted 20 minutes and the owners were satisfied with the outcome; no owners called for the Penske cars to be kicked out of the race, and the only questions asked were about how IndyCar moves on from the scandal ahead of the biggest race in the world.

“What he did in firing three people is a big deal,” Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan told The Associated Press. “I think everyone recognized how big of a deal this is to Roger and now it’s just a question of how to move on and how to make sure tech doesn’t miss these things again.”

Neither Newgarden or Power were allowed to qualify Sunday when rivals pointed out the illegal modification. Both drivers on Monday were dropped to the back of the field and will start 32nd and 33rd. Rival teams have been arguing it was not enough since it’s the second cheating scandal in two seasons and potentially illegal cars bumped Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing from the field.

Newgarden is attempting to become the first driver in history to win three consecutive Indy 500s; no driver has ever won starting from the last row.

Cindric and Ruzewski had already been suspended by IndyCar for the race and both teams fined $100,000. It is the second consecutive year Cindric and Ruzewski were suspended from the Indy 500.

Rivals have been calling on Penske to address the situation since Sunday while questioning if IndyCar and the Indy 500 can continue to operate without an independent governing body absent of any Penske employees.

The trouble for Team Penske began before the fast 12 shootout on Sunday, when rival team owner Chip Ganassi was among a chorus of competitors who accused it of cheating. They noticed unapproved changes had been made to the rear attenuator, a safety device designed to absorb and reduce the force of impacts, and the assumption was the modifications would have given the two Team Penske cars an aerodynamic advantage in their four-lap qualifying runs.

Further investigation showed Newgarden’s winning car from last year that is displayed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum has the same illegal modification, as did the car Team Penske brought to the White House last month. Rivals claim to have photos indicating the modification has been in place for some time.

Helio Castroneves, who won three Indy 500s driving for Team Penske, was among the few who doubted the team was cheating and believed Cindric’s explanation that the illegal modification was for aesthetic purposes only. Penske, after all, requires everything he owns to be pristine and with as clean lines and looks as possible.

“I believe they did something to look good. I don’t think that little (adjusted) lip is going to make them three miles an hour faster,” Castroneves said. “I know how Roger operates. He wants to make everything beautiful, perfect, shiny. I believe it was, again, a mistake, touching an area they’re not supposed to. In the rule book, they’re not supposed to touch. I believe what the series is doing is right. But they don’t need anything like that to go fast. I don’t see this as a situation that people are cheating. In terms of performance, I don’t think it would have changed anything.”

Colton Herta of Andretti Global also did not believe this latest scandal was as damaging as last year’s Team Penske fiasco.

“Do I think they had it for qualifying Saturday? Absolutely for sure. Do I think that’s why they were fast? Absolutely not,” Herta said. “I’d imagine that would equate to the smallest margins of drag. It is still disappointing to see the team get caught up in something again, but sorry, this is way different than 50 extra horsepower and I won’t be passed because of what they did.”

Herta is referring to last year’s Penske scandal when the team was caught in a push-to-pass manipulation in which Newgarden was found to have access to an additional boost of horsepower when he should not have while winning the season opener. He was stripped of his win and Penske suspended Cindric for two races, including the Indy 500.

Cindric is the biggest name to fall in this scandal. He’s a member of the Team Penske Hall of Fame and has been with the organization since 2000 as President of Penske Racing Inc. He’s been long assumed to be Penske’s successor on the racing part of Penske’s empire.

Cindric was elevated to the role of President of Penske Performance in 2005 and, until February, essentially ran the day-to-day operations of all of Penske’s racing properties.

But Penske’s right-hand man in February was stripped of most of his roles although he said he chose to step back as the overall leader of the organization. He remained president of the IndyCar program.

Cindric is the father of NASCAR driver Austin Cindric.

“I was very vocal in the offseason that I wanted to get off to a strong start with Arrow McLaren and I think we’ve clearly done that,” he said. “I’ve never been higher in the championship than I am now, so we’ve done a good job.”

Lundgaard, who previously drove for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing before signing with Arrow McLaren for this season, moved into third place in the series standings behind Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood, who finished first Sunday ahead of second-place Palou.

Lundgaard, of Denmark, was eighth in the season-opener at St. Petersburg and third in Thermal.

“I think we started sort of conservative in St. Petersburg and I think today we showed where we really can be, where we’re supposed to be,” Lundgaard said.

PARTNERSHIP

AJ Foyt Racing held a news conference in the media center announcing a recent partnership it has put together with the Alzheimer’s Association, which seeks to end the disease as well as other forms of dementia by advancing research, providing free local education programs as well as care and support services.

Larry Foyt, the biological grandson and adopted son of Hall of Fame driver A.J. Foyt, is happy that his team is on board with the endeavor.

“Well, first of all we’re just honored to be a part of this program,” said Larry Foyt, who added, “so it’s really exciting to bring more awareness.”

Gloria Crockett is the executive director of the California Southland Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. At one point, she asked reporters at the news conference to raise their hands if they have been affected by Alzheimer’s in any way. Many in the crowd of about 100 did.

“We need to increase awareness,” Crockett said. “There are over 7 million, and I want to repeat that, 7 million individuals across the United States that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.

“And right here in California, there are over 700,000 and those are the ones that are documented. There are several out there that haven’t been, so there’s been a stigma around this. We need to talk about it and we need to make sure we create a movement.”

Part of that movement will include a series the association is calling Walk to End Alzheimer’s events across the Southland. They begin Sept. 21, with one in Long Beach scheduled for Oct. 26 at Shoreline Aquatic Park.

HALL OF FAME

The Motorsports Hall of Fame of American announced its 2026 induction class, with the ceremony to take place next March 9-10 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Enshrined into the open wheel category will be “Slammin Sammy” Swindell.

Others include Dale Earnhardt Jr. (stock cars), Steve Gibbs (drag racing), Pete Lyons (media), John Morton (sports cars), Kenny Roberts Jr. (motorcycles) and Dave Villwock (powerboats).

Kyle Kirkwood crosses the finish line under the checkered flag as he wins the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Race fans watch the 50th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in the pole position in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Christian Lundgaard during the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Alex Palou during the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Races fans watch the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in the pole position in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Alex Palou during the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in the pole position in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Will Power during the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in the pole position in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Christian Lundgaard rounds the hairpin during the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in the pole position in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Indycar Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood speeds through the track during the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Indycar drivers Alex Palou, left, and Kyle Kirkwood races past the fountain during the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Indycar Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood races through the streets of Long Beach during the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Indycar Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood (27) leads the pack into turn one during the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kirkwood went on to win the race. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Indycar Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood races through the streets of Long Beach during the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Race fans watch the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palos was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kyle Kirkwood leads the pack as he starts the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kyle Kirkwood leads the pack as he starts the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kyle Kirkwood leads the pack as he starts the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kyle Kirkwood, right, joins Christian Lundgaard, left, and Alex Palou as the celebrate the results of the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kyle Kirkwood, left, joins Christian Lundgaard, center, and Alex Palou as the celebrate the results of the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kyle Kirkwood rounds the hair pin ahead of Alex Palou during the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, Alex Palou was second and third place went to Christian Lundgaard. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The 50th anniversary Acrura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday April 13, 2025. Winning driver Kyle Kirkwood navigates the hairpin turn. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

The 50th anniversary Acrura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday April 13, 2025. Winning driver Kyle Kirkwood celebrates with champagne. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

The 50th anniversary Acrura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday April 13, 2025. Winning driver Kyle Kirkwood, center, 2nd place finisher Alex Palou, left and 3rd place finisher Christian Lundgaard, right, celebrate. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

The 50th anniversary Acrura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday April 13, 2025. Winning driver Kyle Kirkwood, 3rd place finisher Christian Lundgaard and 2nd place finisher Alex Palou celebrate. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

The 50th anniversary Acrura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday April 13, 2025. Winning driver Kyle Kirkwood celebrates. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

The 50th anniversary Acrura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday April 13, 2025. Winning driver Kyle Kirkwood navigates the hairpin turn. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

The 50th anniversary Acrura Grand Prix of Long Beach took place Sunday April 13, 2025. Winning driver Kyle Kirkwood and 3rd place finisher Christian Lundgaard celebrate. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

Kyle Kirkwood makes the turn off Shoreline Drive early on his way to victory in the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, Apr. 13, 2025. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

IndyCar winner, Kyle Kirkwood is photographed by Chuck Bennett at turn 11 on his way to winning the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

LONG BEACH — It once again was Kyle Kirkwood’s day at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Two years after he won both pole position and the race here in 2023, he turned that trick again Sunday with a fine performance in the race’s 50th running on the streets of Long Beach.

The pole-sitter beat second-place Alex Palou by 2.6 seconds and third-place finisher Christian Lundgaard by a whopping 18.7 seconds.

Palou, of Chip Ganassi Racing, was trying to become the first driver to win the first three races in an NTT IndyCar season since teammate Scott Dixon did it at the outset of 2020.

Dixon, the defending champion of this race, finished eighth Sunday.

This was Kirkwood’s third IndyCar victory, all of them coming on street courses; he won in Nashville in 2023. Before heading to the winner’s circle, Kirkwood, who drives for Andretti Global, expressed his delight in a trackside interview.

“What a great day,” said Kirkwood, 26, of Jupiter, Florida. “We controlled the race even from practice, right? We felt like we were in control really through qualifying. Amazing race, amazing strategy. It was just execution all across the board, is what won us that race here today because if Palou was in front, he would have beat us for sure.

“This was a track position race here today without any yellows.”

For the first time since 2016, there were no caution flags at this race.

Kirkwood, who now has 108 series championship points and moved into second place behind Palou’s 142, couldn’t say enough about the significance of winning this iconic race on its 50th anniversary.

“It’s massive, right? said Kirkwood, who led 46 of the 90 laps. “This is a historic race and, you know, I don’t think it’s set in yet for me. But I feel how special it is coming into this, to win the 50th anniversary is huge.

“And to be a multiple-time winner here is absolutely massive, right? It’s turning into a shorter list for me that I put my name on and I’m proud to do it. I’m proud to do it in an Andretti car. Andretti’s got huge history here and to add to that history is big for me, big for the team and everyone involved.”

It was an impressive victory, to be sure. Kirkwood led Palou by 2.5 seconds after 74 laps. Even with the talented Palou – who already has three series titles in his first five seasons – behind him, Kirkwood kept increasing the lead. On Lap 87, it grew to 4.5 seconds.

“It’s a special one, to go out and dominate like this,” Kirkwood said. “It might have made it a little bit boring to most of the media, the announcers, etc. But … this is exactly what, as drivers, we want to see happen.”

Palou, who started third, didn’t sound like he was too bummed out about not winning the first three races of the season. He won the season-opener at St. Petersburg and then won in Thermal, which was an exhibition race in 2024 but became full points race this year.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing because you know you cannot do it again this year,” said Palou, 28, of Spain. “In another way, it’s amazing to be the only person that had that chance. Honestly, I’m super happy to be here (on the podium).”

He praised Kirkwood.

“Kyle, he did an awesome job throughout the weekend, in qualifying and the race he was managing,” Palou said. “And every time I was having a small chance, he just had a little bit more pace.”

Lundgaard, of Arrow McLaren, started 12th. He made a late pass on Felix Rosenqvist, who finished fourth, to make it to the podium. He used his push to pass – which gives drivers an extra blast of 50 horsepower – to help get that done.

He was thrilled with the work of his team, especially since it had to do quite a bit of work to his car that got beat up during qualifying Saturday.

“For everybody to rebuild the car, put it out on the track this morning. She ran effortless today, so I’m extremely happy for everybody,” Lundgaard said.

Lundgaard, just 23, is now in third place in points with 96.

Team Penske’s Will Power, a two-time winner here, finished fifth after starting 13th. Scott McLaughlin (Penske) was sixth, Santa Clarita’s Colton Herta (Andretti) was seventh, then Dixon, Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Hollinger Racing) was ninth and Kyfffin Simpson (Ganassi) took 10th.

Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr. were on hand. Andretti won this face four times. Unser is the most successful driver here, with six victories.