Josef Newgarden won the 2023 Indy 500 on a restart after three red flags

Josef Newgarden won the 107th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday 28 May 2023. He got by Marcus Ericsson at the last restart, and the event had been red-flagged three times along the way. It was his first win in the race.

What was the 2023 Indianapolis 500?

The 2023 race was the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500, a 500-mile contest over 200 laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the sixth round of the 2023 IndyCar Series season, and Gainbridge presented it in the first year of its current deal.

The month opened on 13 May with the GMR Grand Prix on the road course. Practice on the oval had been set for 16 May, but rain cancelled it, and running began on 17 May. Time trials took place on 20 and 21 May, and Carb Day, the last practice day, came on 26 May.

Gainbridge had originally signed a four-year deal that ran from 2019 to 2022, and the 2023 race was the first under the renewed agreement.

Three red flags, a restart pass with half a lap to go, and a record pole speed that never settled the race.

Who took pole, and how fast was it?

Alex Palou took pole with a four-lap average of 234.217 mph (376.936 km/h). It was his first Indianapolis pole and Chip Ganassi Racing's eighth, and the speed set a new record for the fastest pole in the event's history, beating Scott Dixon's 2022 mark.

The run was also the second-fastest qualifying effort ever at the track, and it displaced Dixon's from the year before in that position.

Qualifying had its share of drama. Two Foyt cars, driven by Santino Ferrucci and Benjamin Pedersen, reached the top 12 shootout, and Pedersen set a one-lap rookie qualifying record.

Who was on the 2023 entry list?

The race had 34 confirmed entries, including nine former winners and four rookies, and the field was locked in by the official list published on 15 May. Each car ran a spec Dallara IR18 with the universal aero kit, and Firestone supplied every tyre.

Honda and Chevrolet supplied 17 entries each. With 34 cars confirmed, bumping returned for the first time since 2021, which meant the slowest qualifiers on the list could miss the field. The official list came out on 15 May.

Helio Castroneves was going for his 23rd consecutive 500, more than any active driver. Tony Kanaan, the 2013 winner and 2004 series champion, announced his retirement after the race. Katherine Legge returned after a decade away, the first woman in the field since 2021.

What rules changed for 2023?

Championship points for the 500 reverted to the standard values used for other races. The double-points bonus that had applied from 2014 to 2022 ended, and qualifying bonus points were left as they had been in 2022, with no further change.

The new rear attenuators and wheel tethers were now compulsory, along with revised front suspension components, and the aero rules were loosened in places. Additional Gurney flaps and bargeboards were approved, and the maximum rear wing inclination rose from 2 to 5 degrees.

An updated cockpit helmet surround was introduced as well. The two-day qualifying format from 2022 was kept, but the Last Chance session was moved so that the Fast Six teams had more time to prepare. Last Chance Qualifying was moved between the Top 12 and the Fast Six.

How did the qualifying weekend run?

Saturday's time trials locked positions 13 to 30, and cars ranked 31 and lower went into Last Chance on Sunday. Sunday ran the Top 12 at 2 p.m., Last Chance at 4 p.m. and the Fast Six at 5:15 p.m., with cars given two cool-down laps after their runs.

Felix Rosenqvist was fastest on the first day at 233.947 mph (376.501 km/h), with Alexander Rossi second at 233.528 mph (375.827 km/h). Agustin Canapino's second attempt ended in the turn-one wall and bent his rear suspension.

Malukas found speed with less than 10 minutes left to qualify 23rd, and Callum Ilott got into the field from 28th after switching chassis. Katherine Legge survived a bumping attempt from teammate Christian Lundgaard and set a female qualifying record at 231.070 mph (371.871 km/h).

What did the open test show?

The open test on 20 and 21 April was split into sessions. Veterans had the track from 10 a.m., rookies and refreshers from noon, and the full field from 2 p.m. Rain cut into the rookie session, and the second day was cancelled.

Marcus Ericsson was fastest in the veterans session at 224.330 mph (361.024 km/h). Marco Andretti was quickest in the rookie session at 221.569 mph (356.581 km/h), and Newgarden's best lap came at 227.686 mph (366.425 km/h). The day produced 3,522 laps among all drivers.

Linus Lundqvist, the 2022 Indy Lights champion, tested privately at Texas, yet he had no seat for the 500.

Legge ran out of fuel and stalled on track, needing a tow back to the pits before she could continue. R. C. Enerson was confirmed as the 34th entry that afternoon, and he completed his rookie test later in May.

How did practice begin in May?

Practice on the oval was called off on 16 May because of rain. Running began on 17 May with installation laps, and rookie testing ran from 10:15 a.m. to noon, with R. C. Enerson the only participant. Takuma Sato set the fastest lap of the day at 229.439 mph (369.246 km/h).

Graham Rahal's only contact came at turn three, when he drifted high and brushed the outside wall with minimal damage. Late in the session Ed Carpenter slowed on the inside of the backstretch, and Ryan Hunter-Reay squeezed between him and Scott McLaughlin without a collision.

Thursday 18 May was faster. Marcus Ericsson set the best lap at 229.607 mph (369.517 km/h) and led the no-tow ranking at 224.414 mph (361.159 km/h). Enerson nearly collided with Pato O'Ward in the pit exit lane, the day's most notable moment.

What happened on Fast Friday?

Fast Friday on 19 May came with turbo boost raised to qualifying levels of 1.5 bar (22 psi). Sato took the fastest single lap at 234.753 mph (377.798 km/h), and his four-lap average of 233.413 mph (375.642 km/h) was also the best of the day.

Juncos Hollinger Racing moved Callum Ilott to a back-up chassis mid-session, after he had struggled with the handling all week. An apparent engine failure for Jack Harvey around 5:45 p.m. brought out a caution. Overnight, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou both had engine changes, and the work was finished in time for Saturday morning.

Key practice and qualifying speeds

How did the 2023 race end?

The decisive move came on the restart, when Newgarden went past Ericsson with half a lap left, after several late incidents had brought out repeated stoppages. It was the third Indianapolis 500 decided on a last-lap pass, following the 2006 and 2011 editions, and the first finish to be settled by a one-lap shootout since 1997.

It was also the first 500 since 1973 to be stopped with the red flag three times, and the first time an IndyCar race under this title had seen three red flags.

Roger Penske collected his record-extending 19th Indianapolis 500 win as an owner. It was also the first Indy win since Penske bought the speedway in late 2019.

How had the 2023 season gone before Indianapolis?

Five different drivers won the first five races. Marcus Ericsson took St. Petersburg, Josef Newgarden won Texas, Kyle Kirkwood won Long Beach for his first career IndyCar win, Scott McLaughlin won Alabama, and Alex Palou won the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis road course.

Palou held the championship points lead going into the 500.