Motorsports

Shwartzman shocks the field as he becomes 1st Indy 500 rookie since 1983 to win the pole

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. Robert Shwartzman, of Israel, celebrates after winning the pole position during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, […]

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4 weeks ago

May 19, 2025

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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.

Robert Shwartzman, of Israel, celebrates after winning the pole position during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)(AP/Michael Conroy)

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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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Motorsports

Reports: New IndyCar and Engines Promised for 2027 Will Be Delayed

So it’ll be one more year for IndyCar’s Dallara DW12 chassis, which has already been in service for 14 years, certainly making it the oldest platform used in a major auto racing series. IndyCar had promised that a new car would debut for the 2027 season, but that has been postponed until at least 2028, […]

Published

11 seconds ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

So it’ll be one more year for IndyCar’s Dallara DW12 chassis, which has already been in service for 14 years, certainly making it the oldest platform used in a major auto racing series.

IndyCar had promised that a new car would debut for the 2027 season, but that has been postponed until at least 2028, according to the Indianapolis Star and Racer.com. Why? Not so much because the car itself couldn’t be ready, but because engine suppliers Honda and Chevrolet need more time to develop upgraded powerplants, which include a new engine and energy recovery system.

INDYCAR Hybrid System Open Testing - Indianapolis — Justin Casterline/Getty Images

According to Racer, the two companies need at least 18 months to build and test 50 new engines each, the quantity that is required to supply the series. Apparently, the Roger Penske–owned IndyCar series has yet to give Chevrolet and Honda a final draft of the rules governing the new engines.

The current formula—a 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6, used by both Honda and Chevrolet—dates back to 2012. A hybrid system was added late last season and has earned mixed reviews from drivers and teams.

Current supplier Dallara will also build the new car, currently called the IR-27. It’s unclear if it will be renamed the IR-28 … or beyond.

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Motorsports

2025 Viva Mexico 250 odds, predictions, props: NASCAR at Mexico City picks by model that called 22 winners

The 2025 Viva Mexico City 250 will take place at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on Sunday. The 17-turn, 2.674-mile track has hosted Formula 1 races and was previously a stop on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. Road racing savant Shane Van Gisbergen, who further exemplifies NASCAR’s growing global reach as a New Zealander, […]

Published

1 minute ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The green flag drops at 3 p.m. ET and the race is scheduled for 100 laps around the famed Mexico City circuit. This will be the second of six road races on the NASCAR schedule this season. Before entering any 2025 Viva Mexico 250 picks, NASCAR DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, or locking in NASCAR props on sites like PrizePicks, Sleeper Fantasy, and Underdog Fantasy, be sure to see the latest 2025 NASCAR at Mexico predictions from SportsLine’s proven projection model.

Developed by daily Fantasy pro and SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, this proprietary NASCAR prediction model simulates every race 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as track history and recent results.

The model began its 2025 season by calling Chase Elliott to win for a +300 payout at the Clash at Bowman Gray and was also high on Byron as a +2000 longshot at Daytona. Then it predicted Kyle Larson’s win in Miami for a +350 payout, Christopher Bell’s +600 triumph in the NASCAR All-Star Race and Denny Hamlin’s +650 victory in Michigan. In 2024, it nailed Larson to win in Las Vegas for a 21-5 sports betting payout and predicted Denny Hamlin’s wins in Bristol at 5-1 and Richmond at 17-4.

It also impressively nailed five of Larson’s wins during his historic season in 2021. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 22 winners since 2021. Anyone who followed its lead on betting apps and sportsbooks on those NASCAR picks could have seen huge returns. New users also have the opportunity to take advantage of the latest Bet365 promo code, Caesars Sportsbook promo code and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

Now, the model simulated the 2025 Viva Mexico 250 10,000 times. Head to SportsLine to see the complete projected NASCAR at Mexico City leaderboard.

Top 2025 Viva Mexico 250 predictions

For the 2025 Viva Mexico 250, the model is high on Michael McDowell, even though he’s a +2200 longshot in the latest 2025 NASCAR at Mexico odds. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. The 40-year-old is in his 18th season racing in the NASCAR Cup Series and he has two victories under his belt, including a win in the 2021 Daytona 500 and a road race triumph in the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

McDowell began his racing career as an open-wheel driver and his comfortability on road courses has helped him stay competitive in NASCAR. Of the 45 career top-10 finishes that McDowell has recorded, 11 have come in road races. Earlier this season in Austin, he led three laps on his way to a solid 11th-place finish and he’ll be looking to Mexico City to jumpstart his season after only recording one top 10 over the first 15 races of the season. BetMGM is offering the best odds here for McDowell and you can also build in first-bet insurance with the latest BetMGM promo code.

The model has also revealed one of its surprising NASCAR prop bets for Sunday: Daniel Suarez finishes top five for a +200 payout. It might be difficult to hear over the roar of his Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, but Suarez will be the prohibitive fan favorite as the only Mexican driver in the field. The 33-year-old has made the NASCAR playoffs in two of the last three seasons, thanks to wins at Sonoma in 2022 and Atlanta in 2024.

He is 28th in the NASCAR standings and likely in a position where he’ll need to win his way back into the postseason this year and Mexico City looks like a perfect opportunity. Suarez finished 36th in Austin after a crash, but he qualified fifth for that race so he has documented speed in a road setup this season. He’s also managed six career top-five finishes on road courses and that’s why the model sees this +200 offering from FanDuel (check out the latest FanDuel promo code too) as an incredible value. See which other drivers to avoid and the rest of the projected NASCAR leaderboard at SportsLine.

How to make 2025 NASCAR at Mexico picks

The model is also targeting three other drivers with Mexico NASCAR odds of 12-1 or longer to make a serious run at the checkered flag. Anyone who backs these drivers could hit it big. You can see all of the model’s NASCAR picks, props, and projected leaderboard over at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2025 Viva Mexico 250, and which longshots are must-backs? Check out the latest 2025 NASCAR at Mexico odds below, then visit SportsLine now to see the full NASCAR Mexico projected leaderboard, all from the model that has nailed 22 winners, and find out.

2025 NASCAR Mexico odds, drivers, lineup

See the full NASCAR at Mexico picks at SportsLine

Shane Van Gisbergen +330
Christopher Bell +700
William Byron +800
Tyler Reddick +800
Kyle Larson +800
Chase Elliott +1000
AJ Allmendinger +1200
Kyle Busch +1400
Daniel Suarez +1400
Chris Buescher +1600
Ross Chastain +1800
Michael McDowell +1800
Alex Bowman +2500
Carson Hocevar +2800
Chase Briscoe +3000
Ty Gibbs +3000
Austin Cindric +3500
Denny Hamlin +4000
Ryan Blaney +4000
Joey Logano +5500
Todd Gilliland +15000
Bubba Wallace +15000
Brad Keselowski +15000
Noah Gragson +20000
Ryan Preece +20000
Justin Haley +20000
Austin Dillon +20000
Zane Smith +25000
Cole Custer +25000
Josh Berry +30000
Riley Herbst +30000
Erik Jones +30000
Ricky Stenhouse +40000
John Hunter Nemechek +40000
Ty Dillon +100000
Katherine Legge +100000
Cody Ware +100000

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Motorsports

NASCAR’s first Cup Series race outside US hits travel snags to Mexico City

MEXICO CITY — NASCAR’s first Cup Series race outside the United States was off to a bumpy start Friday with several teams yet to arrive in Mexico City because of travel issues in North Carolina. At least one chartered flight to Mexico City was grounded Thursday with an engine issue, leaving teams scrambling to find […]

Published

23 minutes ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MEXICO CITY — NASCAR’s first Cup Series race outside the United States was off to a bumpy start Friday with several teams yet to arrive in Mexico City because of travel issues in North Carolina.

At least one chartered flight to Mexico City was grounded Thursday with an engine issue, leaving teams scrambling to find alternative routes to get to Mexico. Some drove to Atlanta to catch a commercial flight.

But when the track opened Friday, many were not at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Trackhouse Racing was among them — Daniel Suarez arrived Tuesday with some support personnel so he was not affected — but the communications director for the Cup team had been summoned to help unload the Trackhouse cars off the truck because no crew members were available.

The trucks came directly from last Sunday’s race in Michigan and arrived at the Mexico City track on Thursday.

NASCAR said only “a select few” teams aren’t on site Friday morning. But, it seems most are Xfinity Series teams based on a revamping of the weekend schedule.

“Due to two aircraft issues that grounded multiple race teams in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday, NASCAR has adjusted the on-track schedule for this weekend’s activities at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez,” NASCAR said in a statement.

NASCAR delayed Friday’s originally planned Cup Series practice to later in the afternoon. NASCAR also pushed all Xfinity Series practice sessions from Friday to Saturday. And, the first of two NASCAR Mexico Series races will run earlier than originally scheduled on Friday.

The Xfinity Series will lose some practice time, with just one 50-minute session on Saturday morning, right before qualifying. There are other slight adjustments as well, but Cup teams will not lose any practice.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Motorsports

NASCAR’s first Cup Series race outside US hits travel snags to Mexico City | National News

MEXICO CITY (AP) — NASCAR’s first Cup Series race outside the United States was off to a bumpy start Friday with several teams yet to arrive in Mexico City because of travel issues in North Carolina. At least one chartered flight to Mexico City was grounded Thursday with an engine issue, leaving teams scrambling to […]

Published

39 minutes ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The trucks came directly from last Sunday’s race in Michigan and arrived at the Mexico City track on Thursday.

NASCAR said only “a select few” teams aren’t on site Friday morning. But, it seems most are Xfinity Series teams based on a revamping of the weekend schedule.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Motorsports

NASCAR’s first Cup Series race outside US hits travel snags to Mexico City – Action News Jax

MEXICO CITY — (AP) — NASCAR’s first Cup Series race outside the United States was off to a bumpy start Friday with several teams yet to arrive in Mexico City because of travel issues in North Carolina. At least one chartered flight to Mexico City was grounded Thursday with an engine issue, leaving teams scrambling […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The trucks came directly from last Sunday’s race in Michigan and arrived at the Mexico City track on Thursday.

NASCAR said only “a select few” teams aren’t on site Friday morning. But, it seems most are Xfinity Series teams based on a revamping of the weekend schedule.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Motorsports

How to watch 2025 NASCAR Mexico City: Schedule, start time, TV channel for Viva Mexico 250

Published

1 hour ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Viva Mexico 250 marks a historic moment as the NASCAR Cup Series races internationally for the first time in 25 years — and for the first time in a points race since the 1950s. Set at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a legendary track built in 1959 and home to the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, this event promises high-stakes action in a landmark setting. Here’s what you need to know about the race, how to watch and more.