Josef Newgarden Wins Indy 500 2024; Kyle Larson Finishes 18th After Weather Delay
- The Indianapolis 500 faced a four-hour delay on Sunday due to severe weather conditions.
- Despite the delay, Josef Newgarden emerged victorious in the race, defending his title.
- Kyle Larson, the American racing driver, finished in 18th place after the weather-related interruptions.
The Indianapolis 500 race was delayed for four hours due to bad weather. When it finally started, Josef Newgarden won the race for the second year in a row. He narrowly beat Pato O'Ward and Alexander Rossi, passing O'Ward on the last lap. This made him the first driver to win the race in consecutive years since Hélio Castroneves in 2001-02. Kyle Larson, who was leading with 20 laps left, finished 18th after a speeding penalty. He was trying to be the fifth driver ever to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Tony Stewart is the only driver to have completed both races in one day. The weather delay caused Larson to miss fully participating in both races. The day was eventful with the first crash happening early, taking out several cars. Racers like Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Hera, Marco Andretti, and Will Power had their races cut short. Ryan Hunter-Reay's race ended after being bumped by Scott Dixon, who surprisingly didn't get a penalty. There was even drama in the pits. The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed due to a strong storm, leading to the evacuation of 125,000 fans. The storm was expected to hit around 12:45 p.m. Officials hoped for a break in the rain to dry the track and complete at least 101 laps to make the race official. NASCAR's track drying equipment was brought in to speed up the process. Kyle Larson's plans to race in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 were in question. The last driver to do it was Kurt Busch in 2014, with Tony Stewart being the only one to complete all 1,100 miles in 2001. Newgarden, the defending winner, had to rebuild his reputation after illegal software was found on his team's cars. Only five drivers have won the race in consecutive years. Chevrolet had the speed advantage in qualifying, but Honda showed strength in race trim. Kyle Larson aimed to be the fifth driver to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Tony Stewart is the only one to have finished both races on the lead lap on the same day.