INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A rookie driver for a brand new team won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 on a strange day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Team Penske was disqualified before the final two rounds of qualifying.

Robert Shwartzman, a 25-year-old with dual nationality in Israel and Russia, became the first Indy 500 rookie to qualify on the pole since 1983 when he did it for Prema Racing.

The last rookie to qualify on the Indy 500 pole was Teo Fabi. Coincidentally, he was an Italian — just like Prema, which also was founded in ’83. Prema is established in Europe and races in the Formula 2 series. It made its IndyCar debut this season.

Shwartzman initially raced under the Russian flag until the start of the war with Ukraine. He now races under the Israeli flag, which makes the Tel Aviv native the first driver from Israel to make “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Prema is the first team making its debut in the Indy 500 to land on the pole since Mayer Motor Racing put Tom Sneva there in 1984.

Shwartzman, who has never before raced on an oval, was mobbed by a sea of red-clad team members as soon as his pole-winning run became official.

“Honestly it feels like I’m dreaming. I just had it in my dreams when I was going how would it feel to do such a good job in quali,” he said. “It’s the Indy 500. It’s the main race of the year. Honestly it feels unbelievable.”

Shwartzman had been pursuing a career in Formula 1 and was part of the Ferrari development program as well as its reserve driver from 2021 until the end of last season — when Prema nabbed him for its two-car team.

He was the fourth of six drivers to make their qualifying attempt and took the pole from Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan. But he still had to wait for Pato O’Ward of McLaren and Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing to make their runs, and he nervously watched from pit lane.

O’Ward went first and landed in the third spot and Rosenqvist dropped to fifth, sandwiched in the second row between Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Alex Palou. It was a strange finishing order as the Ganassi cars were expected to battle each other for the top starting spot in next Sunday’s race.

“Rookie on pole with Shwartzman — how wild does that get? New team. I didn’t see that coming at all,” said 2008 winner Dixon.

The pole was wide open for the taking first when Team Penske was disqualified from qualifying for an illegal modification on the cars of two-time defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and Will Power, and Scott McLaughlin destroyed his car in a Sunday morning crash during practice.

The three Penske drivers all started on the front row last year, but will be 10th, 11th and 12th in the fourth row together next weekend. That put the odds in Ganassi’s favor, but they had a surprising drop in speed from Saturday to Sunday.

So then Sato, in his first race in nearly a year, sat atop the scoring pylon until Shwartzman’s shocking run.

“I don’t even know what to say. The car felt amazing,” he said, “Coming here for my first oval race, I couldn’t even expect to be in this position. Big thanks to everyone. Big thanks to the fans cheering for me. It’s unbelievable.”

Shwartzman’s engineer is Eric Leichtle, who spent a season with Team Penske as the engineer for Newgarden in 2022. Leichtle left motorsports and spent the past two years working for SpaceX as a senior structures engineer.

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Carolina Handling Partners With Spire At Talladega Race

Earlier this afternoon, David Ragan made a demonstration run for fans at North Wilkesboro Speedway in the Ford Mustang Mach-E NASCAR Prototype.  It marked the first time this demonstrator vehicle appeared on an oval in front of fans.  Ragan completed a handful of laps that included a standstill start using the car’s ‘launch mode and a brief pause with braking to help recharge the battery.  He ended the session with a burnout down the frontstretch.

This is the ninth vehicle in the Ford Performance EV Demonstrator portfolio, which includes the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck that won last year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb.  The Ford Mustang Mach-E NASCAR Prototype has the same chassis and safety components as the current NASCAR Cup Series Mustang.  It’s equipped with three motors, one in the front and two in the rear, and is capable of producing 1360 horsepower.

DAVID RAGAN, Driver, Ford Mustang Mach-E NASCAR Prototype – HOW DID THAT DEMONSTRATION RUN GO?  “It was really a quick test session for this Ford Mach-E NASCAR Prototype.  The first time here at North Wilkesboro Speedway and this thing has over 1000 horsepower, so it’s incredible the amount of power that this car has.  It stops really well.  I was trying to get a good burnout at the end without shredding the tires all the way, so that was fun.”

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW THIS CAR DRIVES VERSUS A CUP CAR?  “The cars really drive similarly in the middle of the corner.  This is the same chassis that the current Cup cars are running with in the Next Gen race car, so the steering, the side force, the handling feels very similar.  Where the Mach-E just outperforms the other car is that pure acceleration.  The amount of torque that it has is incredible and it’s instant torque because being an all-wheel drive car, you’ve got a lot of torque when you’re on the throttle.  When you hit the brakes, it stops on a dime and it’s quiet.  I can hear myself thinking and it’s really weird to hear some of the rubber banging off the inside of the car.  You can hear the tires squealing a little bit, so you don’t have that loud noise to drown yourself out.”

YOU STARTED THE RUN IN SOMETHING CALLED ‘LAUNCH MODE’.  HOW DOES THAT WORK?  “You need to take a look inside the car at the steering wheel.  There are a lot more buttons than I even know what to do with, but there’s a launch mode that revs the electric motor up to a really high RPM and when I release that button the car just instantly goes.  With this being an all-wheel drive Mach-E that has traction control, it sets you back in the seat so you better make sure you’re pointed and you’re going exactly where you want to go.  There’s a lot of acceleration and a lot of bells and whistles on the steering wheel that the driver can play with.”

THIS IS ANOTHER IN A LONG LINE OF EV DEMONSTRATORS FOR FORD PERFORMANCE.  HOW DOES THIS COMPARE?  “We’re really scratching the surface with the power and the potential with these full EV demonstrators at Ford Performance.  I’ve been a big fan of some of the Pikes Peak Hill Climbs with the SuperVan and F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, so there’s always a lot of new technology rolling out and it’s changing really fast.  I’m really thrilled to see the Mach-E as a part of this because that’s my daily driver.  I love driving it around town, so to see the power on a NASCAR style race car is exciting.  Keep in touch because over the next several months, and certainly later this year, I think we’ve got some really cool things up our sleeves.”

Ford Performance PR

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour kicked off the final day of NASCAR All-Star Weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday afternoon with 150 laps of racing at the historic oval. A race filled with attrition ended with Craig Lutz in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory lane for the fifth time in his career. 

The race was slowed by 10 different cautions, many of which collected multiple contenders, and ended with Lutz fending off Luke Baldwin and riding the elevator to victory lane. The win was Lutz’s first tour victory since August 17, 2022. 

Defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, who was one of many drivers collected in an incident. rebounded to finish third. Jacob Lutz and Austin Beers completed the top five. 

Patrick Emerling, who entered the race atop the championship standings, was involved in an incident and finished 28th. 

Next up for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a trip to Seekonk Speedway on May 31. 

To watch every NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race this season, including a replay of Sunday’s race at North Wilkesboro, sign up for a FloRacing subscription today. 

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at North Wilkesboro Speedway Results

Christopher Bell passed Joey Logano with nine laps remaining and cruised to victory in an action-packed NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday night.

In a slam-bang affair that set a record for lead changes, Bell won by 0.829 seconds over Logano to earn his first All-Star Race victory. Ross Chastain finished third, followed by Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott.

Logano elected to stay on track rather than pit during the final yellow. The decision proved to be costly while trying to hold off Bell, who had pitted for two fresh tires.

The field was bunched for the final time on Lap 216 with the “ Promoter’s Caution,” thrown by two-time Daytona 500 winner and Fox Sports personality Michael Waltrip, who dropped the yellow flag on the track. The gimmick to guarantee a late restart was a sidebar to an eventful race.

After lackluster showings in the first two outings on the 0.625-mile oval (including Logano leading 199 of 200 laps to win last year ), the All-Star Race delivered much more action in its third year at North Wilkesboro Speedway. There were 17 lead changes, breaking the mark of 13 (set in 2016) for the most in the event’s 41-year history.

Pole-sitter Brad Keselowski and Logano traded the lead twice in the first 10 laps and often ran side by side for the lead. There were six leaders and 10 lead changes in the first half of the race, which topped the total number of leaders (four) and lead changes (five) in the past two All-Star Races combined.

After leading 62 laps, Keselowski’s bid for his first All-Star Race victory ended with a crash on Lap 177.

All-Star Open results

Capitalizing on pit strategy, Carson Hocevar led the final 46 laps to win the All-Star Open and advance into the NASCAR All-Star Race.

Runner-up John Hunter Nemechek also advanced to the main event by finishing second in the 100-lap warmup race. Noah Gragson won an online fan vote to earn the final transfer spot to the All-Star Race, whose field will include 20 other drivers competing for $1 million over 250 laps Sunday night.

Pole-sitter Shane van Gisbergen finished 13th after leading the first 54 laps on the 0.625-mile oval. The New Zealand native, who is in his first full Cup Series season after winning three Supercar championships in Australia, fell from first to sixth on a four-tire pit stop during the halfway caution.

“I don’t know whether to smile or cry,” said van Gisbergen, who is ranked 35th in the points standings with one top 10 this season. “It’s been a dismal year for us, but I feel like we’re getting better every week. This shows it.”

Costly penalty

Ryan Preece finished 11th in the Open after being sent to the rear from second place on a restart with 17 laps remaining. Preece said he unintentionally ran over the commitment line before which drivers must choose whether they are restarting on the inside or outside lane.

“It’s really nonexistent from inside the car,” Preece said. “You can’t see it. I’m frustrated because if you have a situation like that, put a cone out there so we can see it. Our Ford Mustang was super fast, and I think we were the only one that was making some waves. It’s heartbreaking to have a run like that taken away.”

NASCAR repainted the restart commitment line before the start of the All-Star Race.

More money

The All-Star Race winner’s share has been $1 million since the 2003 event, and some drivers have grumbled that an increase for inflation is well overdue.

“I definitely think it should get raised,” 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney said this week. “That’s the only thing about the All-Star Race I’d probably change. I don’t want to get greedy, but I think you can raise it to $3 million.”

Bubba Wallace said he’d suggest $5 million but would be good for a bump to $3 million.

“They’ve got more TV money, so why not,” Wallace said, referring to NASCAR’s media rights raising to $1.1 billion annually in a deal starting this year.

Up next

The Cup Series will race May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season. Christopher Bell won last year’s race, which was shortened from 600 to 374 miles by rain.

Kyle Larson missed the 2024 race after arriving late because the Indianapolis 500 was delayed by rain. The Hendrick Motorsports star again will attempt to become the fifth driver to race the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Christopher Bell passed Joey Logano with nine laps remaining and cruised to victory in an action-packed NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday night.

In a slam-bang affair that set a record for lead changes, Bell won by 0.829 seconds over Logano to earn his first All-Star Race victory. Ross Chastain finished third, followed by Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott.

Logano elected to stay on track rather than pit during the final yellow. The decision proved to be costly while trying to hold off Bell, who had pitted for two fresh tires.

The field was bunched for the final time on Lap 216 with the “ Promoter’s Caution,” thrown by two-time Daytona 500 winner and Fox Sports personality Michael Waltrip, who dropped the yellow flag on the track. The gimmick to guarantee a late restart was a sidebar to an eventful race.

After lackluster showings in the first two outings on the 0.625-mile oval (including Logano leading 199 of 200 laps to win last year ), the All-Star Race delivered much more action in its third year at North Wilkesboro Speedway. There were 17 lead changes, breaking the mark of 13 (set in 2016) for the most in the event’s 41-year history.

Pole-sitter Brad Keselowski and Logano traded the lead twice in the first 10 laps and often ran side by side for the lead. There were six leaders and 10 lead changes in the first half of the race, which topped the total number of leaders (four) and lead changes (five) in the past two All-Star Races combined.

After leading 62 laps, Keselowski’s bid for his first All-Star Race victory ended with a crash on Lap 177.

All-Star Open results

Capitalizing on pit strategy, Carson Hocevar led the final 46 laps to win the All-Star Open and advance into the NASCAR All-Star Race.

Runner-up John Hunter Nemechek also advanced to the main event by finishing second in the 100-lap warmup race. Noah Gragson won an online fan vote to earn the final transfer spot to the All-Star Race, whose field will include 20 other drivers competing for $1 million over 250 laps Sunday night.

Pole-sitter Shane van Gisbergen finished 13th after leading the first 54 laps on the 0.625-mile oval. The New Zealand native, who is in his first full Cup Series season after winning three Supercar championships in Australia, fell from first to sixth on a four-tire pit stop during the halfway caution.

“I don’t know whether to smile or cry,” said van Gisbergen, who is ranked 35th in the points standings with one top 10 this season. “It’s been a dismal year for us, but I feel like we’re getting better every week. This shows it.”

Costly penalty

Ryan Preece finished 11th in the Open after being sent to the rear from second place on a restart with 17 laps remaining. Preece said he unintentionally ran over the commitment line before which drivers must choose whether they are restarting on the inside or outside lane.

“It’s really nonexistent from inside the car,” Preece said. “You can’t see it. I’m frustrated because if you have a situation like that, put a cone out there so we can see it. Our Ford Mustang was super fast, and I think we were the only one that was making some waves. It’s heartbreaking to have a run like that taken away.”

NASCAR repainted the restart commitment line before the start of the All-Star Race.

More money

The All-Star Race winner’s share has been $1 million since the 2003 event, and some drivers have grumbled that an increase for inflation is well overdue.

“I definitely think it should get raised,” 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney said this week. “That’s the only thing about the All-Star Race I’d probably change. I don’t want to get greedy, but I think you can raise it to $3 million.”

Bubba Wallace said he’d suggest $5 million but would be good for a bump to $3 million.

“They’ve got more TV money, so why not,” Wallace said, referring to NASCAR’s media rights raising to $1.1 billion annually in a deal starting this year.

Up next

The Cup Series will race May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season. Christopher Bell won last year’s race, which was shortened from 600 to 374 miles by rain.

Kyle Larson missed the 2024 race after arriving late because the Indianapolis 500 was delayed by rain. The Hendrick Motorsports star again will attempt to become the fifth driver to race the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.