It was the 108th edition of the Indianapolis 500 this past Sunday, but the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" took a prolonged back seat to the weatherman/lady. That was because Mother Nature opened the skies above the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, resulting in a four-hour delay before the gentlemen (and lady) started their engines. 

Curfew was set at 8:15 PM ET, with the race having concluded just before.

A late charge saw Josef Newgarden successfully defend his title, though without any of the controversy of a year ago. Newgarden thus became the first to win consecutively (and drink that milk) at the Brickyard since Helio Castroneves some 22 years ago.

Newgarden was an 8-1 (+800) proposition to win, according to Indianapolis 500 odds.

Oh, and car owner Roger Penske extended his record with 20 wins in this event.

Newgarden stopped his car on the track at the conclusion of the race, heading to the grandstand to once again celebrate with the fans.

It was more than a $4 million payday between Newgarden (approximately) $3.6 million winner’s share and an additional $440,000 BorgWarner bonus after defending his title.

It was Newgarden doing the celebrating, but Pato O'Ward was on the other end of the spectrum.

O’Ward was in great position to win heading into the final lap, but ended.3417 seconds behind the winner. Then, after the race, O’Ward delayed removing his helmet. He’d been crying.

Newgarden and O’Ward gave fans thrilling final laps, the two drivers were trading the lead before a slick maneuver by Newgarden allowed him to win the race.

Scott Dixon finished third, trying to win his first Indy 500 since his lone win in 2008.

Katherine Legge saw her day end early, with a smoking car on the 23rd lap.

Moving Past Scandal

It’s been a strange start to Josef Newgarden’s season behind the wheel. A “cheater” label placed on him after the Indianapolis 500 last season, Newgarden then won the first (Florida) race of 2024 back in March, but was eventually stripped by IndyCar officials. It was determined that Newgarden used illegal “push-to-pass” technology during that race.

Larson’s Disappointing Day

Kyle Larson was trying to complete the “double” by driving in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) the same day. With the elongated weather delay at Indy, Larson couldn’t turn the trick.

Remaining at Indianapolis, he had a legitimate shot before a pit-row speeding penalty derailed it. Larson finished 18th. He and his team have requested a waiver to keep him eligible to compete in 16-driver, 10-race NASCAR Playoffs. That’s TBD of this writing.

There is always wagering available on the world’s best auto racing, as per motor sports odds.

There have been 21 multiple-win drivers of the Indy 500…