Josef Newgarden won his second consecutive Indy 500 with a dramatic final-lap pass in a much-delayed race.
The historic race, which involves 200 laps around the 2.5-mile oval track at the Indianapolis Brickyard, was delayed by four hours due to multiple storms.
However, the full-length race finished just before the 8.15pm curfew, with the winner decided on the final lap.
Team Penske’s Newgarden beat Pato O’Ward to win consecutive races for the first time in 22 years.
“There’s no better way to win a race. Credit has to go to Pato, too,” Newgarden told NBC.
“He’s an incredibly clean driver. He could have easily won this race, but we ended up winning. I’m very proud of everyone, the whole team.”
The American driver outdid his Mexican rival to become the first driver to win consecutive Indy 500 races since Helio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002, and just the sixth driver in the event’s 108-race history.
Scott Dixon of New Zealand’s Chip Ganassi Racing was third.
Newgarden and his competitors had to wait to race due to heavy rain and lightning in Indiana.
And when the race finally got underway, it was a chaotic opening lap that saw British rookie Tom Blomqvist crash, ending the races of several drivers, including the 2022 winner, former Swedish F1 driver Marcus Ericsson.
Once the race got underway, there were 16 different leaders and the lead changed hands 87 times over the 500 miles, but Newgarden was ultimately victorious once again.
