More from the 109th Indianapolis 500 with Marcus Ericsson, David Malukas, Scott McLaughlin, Will Power, Will Buxton, Dan Towriss and Jill Gregory

Roger Penske:
This is Roger Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indie, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to this special Indianapolis 500 edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental as we continue our fourth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. And a big thanks to Penske Truck Rental for helping bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock to the racetrack to the highways and streets of America. Pit Pass Indy was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the biggest month of the racing year, the month of May, culminating with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25th. Congratulations to Alex Palou, the most dominant driver in IndyCar this season, for winning the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in his career. It was his fifth victory in the first six races of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season, and by winning the biggest race of the year, he has a 112-point lead over Padua Ward, heading into this weekend's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. But it's not about the points in the Indianapolis 500, it's about history. And on Sunday, May 25th, Pillow etched his name into the famed history of the world's biggest race and will always be introduced as an Indianapolis 500 winner. Pit Pass Indy has many great interviews from the Indy 500, and on this special bonus edition, we get into the stories of those who tried, but failed to win this year's Indy 500. That includes 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericcson of Andretti Global. At first, he thought he'd blown his chance at winning his second Indy 500 when Palou passed him in Turn 1 on lap 187. Ericsson finished second and was filled with tearful emotion after coming within one position of what appeared to be a second 8,500 win. But the following day, those tears were wiped away with anger and confusion. Ericsson's No. 28 Honda failed post-race technical inspection, along with Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood and Prema Racing's Callum Eilat. Erickson was moved from 2nd place to 31st on the official box score. Kirkwood was moved from 6th place to 32nd. Eilat had a different infraction and he was moved from 12th to last in the 33-car race. David Maloukas of AJ Foyt Racing was elevated from third place to second place. During post-race technical inspection of the two Andretti Global cars, IndyCar discovered modifications to the Dallara-supplied energy management system covers and the cover to the A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts. According to the IndyCar rulebook, EMS covers must be used as supplied. Additionally, these modifications provided the capability of enhanced aerodynamic efficiency of both cars. All three cars were reordered to the rear of the field in order of their placement in the unofficial results. Prize money and championship race points earned are commensurate to the final and official starting positions. Additionally, each car receives a $100,000 fine and the team competition managers for the three entries have been placed on a one-race suspension to be served at this weekend's NTT IndyCar Series event on the streets of Detroit. The official order of finish was updated with Alex Pillow remaining the winner, David Maloukis finished second, Pato Award third, Felix Rosenquist fourth, and Santino Ferrucci fifth. Back to Erickson. Here are his comments after the race concluded a day before he was penalized. This is from his pit area after the Indianapolis 500.

Marcus Ericsson: It was a tough race. We were in the back there for a bit, struggling with the car, but we kept fighting. The Allegra crew did a really good job, got us back in the fight. We were out in the lead there. It's just painful to not win. I'm very thankful for the team. They kept pushing all the way through, even though we were in the back. I'm very thankful for that. We haven't had the easiest year and a half. So yeah, it would have been nice to get that win. We were very close. Every time racing here, it's unique and it's special. And especially after winning here, you know, it means everything to me to come back here and get the chance to win. So yeah, we have won. We've been close two other times. So hopefully I can get a chance to come back and try again next year. Does this one hurt as much as 23? I don't know. They both hurt very much. No, it's OK. They both hurt very much. And you know, it's just tough to, to be that close, you know, we got ourselves out in the lead there and, you know, it's just tough with the laps cars in front of us, they just sort of played a big part and Alex took an opportunity and, yeah, I'm just angry with myself that I didn't keep the position, so, yeah, it was my race to win there. No, it's just, you know, a lot of emotions, this race, it's more than just a race and it means everything to me, so, to be that close to win again, you know, second time I finished second here, so, We're usually there in the end, but it's painful to miss out. I know this race is winner takes it all. That's how it works here. No one cares about who finished second. It's just painful. The Allegro team did a really good job getting me back in that race. We were struggling a lot throughout that race, but they kept fighting and kept giving me a chance to come back. I gave everything there in the end, but it's painful to miss out. Yeah, but that's the thing that's indwelling right now, you know, what I should have done differently to keep that position because I had the first position. The team gave me that opportunity and I just… Yeah, I should have done that better.

Bruce Martin: A few minutes later, I was able to have this exclusive interview with Ericsson for Pit Pass Indy. Marcus Ericsson, hell of a drive. I can see by the tears in your eyes, this one hurt. How much does it hurt to finish second?

Marcus Ericsson: Yeah, I've done it twice now, so it doesn't get any better. No, it was painful. You know, we had a really strange day because it started off really strong, and in the middle part of the race, the car was really hard to drive, and I was struggling. We had a bad pit stop that dropped us to the back of the field, and that, you know, you think the race is over, but then we had Really good strategy going. We had good pace the second half of the race and fought our way back. So that's, you know, I'm really proud of the 28th Allegra crew to getting us back in contention. But of course, you know, to come out there in the lead in the end and get passed, that's very painful.

Bruce Martin: David Maloukas said the two lap cars really changed the race.

Marcus Ericsson: Yeah, they did. They really… And I should have played that better with them when I was ahead of Alex. So that's what I'm going to think about when I go to bed tonight.

Bruce Martin: In a lot of ways, it's the same thing that happened to him in 2021 when Elio won. Elio was able to use the lappers to draft off of, and that's what got him the victory over Alex Pillow. So, I don't know. There's not much you can do about that when you're out there racing. I mean, lap cars will happen, but what would you like to see done?

Marcus Ericsson: Ah, no. It's part of the game. It's part of the game. Like I said, I should have played it better with him. I think that's the big thing.

Bruce Martin: But to do as well as you've done here at the Indianapolis 500, it shows that you really love this race and you're really good in this race. What is the secret for your competitive fire here?

Marcus Ericsson: I just love this place. I loved it from day one when I got here and in the car. It means everything to get the chance to come back and race here. Yeah, I kind of know how to be strong around here, which is cool, but it's just painful to have, you know, one win in two second places. That one is tough because it's a winner-takes-it-all kind of race. So, yeah, this one is going to be painful for a while.

Bruce Martin: Is it even more painful knowing you got to wait a year to get another shot at it? Yeah, it definitely is, yeah. It's a heck of a drive. I don't know whether I should congratulate you for finishing second or commiserate with you for not winning the race, but good luck the rest of the way and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks, Bruce. Then came Monday and the announcement of Erickson's penalty. I caught up with the driver at this year's Indianapolis 500 Victory Awards Ceremony at the JW Marriott as he discussed the penalty and tries to deal with another disappointment. Here is my exclusive interview with Erickson for Pit Pass In. Marcus Ericcson is back. It's been a bit of a tumultuous 24 hours. You went from a heartbreaking second place finish in the Indianapolis 500 only to discover at 2 o'clock the day after the team had been penalized. It's now a 31st place finish. How are you dealing with all that?

Marcus Ericsson: Yeah, it's the kind of should I laugh or cry situation where we can't seem to catch a break. But of course, it's tough. I was really proud of the performance this month of May. I was really proud of the performance in the race. Both myself and the team, we gave it everything. It's tough to get those news today. Did it just come from out of left field when you got the notice? Yeah, I had no clue about that was, you know, happening and I think the team didn't either, so they're reviewing everything right now and sort of discussing what next steps are, but yeah, I think we're all very shocked about it.

Bruce Martin: After the race, you had tears of sadness. I imagine today you were seeing red. Was there a bit of anger?

Marcus Ericsson: Yeah, I mean, it's… No, but I mean, I respect the integrity of the sport and I think we all do that, obviously. But… Yeah, it's just tough, man. It's tough. We can't seem to catch a break, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Bruce Martin: I know there's a lot of heartbreak that happens at the Indianapolis 500. You've experienced the joy the last couple of years you've had some heartbreak. Does it just make that victory that much more special? Yeah.

Marcus Ericsson: No, for sure. I mean, this place just brings emotions. Whatever happens, it always does. And for me, being a winner here, it's always a very special experience to come back and race here. And I always feel very privileged to get that opportunity and can't wait to try again next year.

Bruce Martin: Despite the penalty, it really looked like Andretti Global is on a rebound here that originally had two cars in the top 10. So you have to feel like there's much better days ahead in 2025.

Marcus Ericsson: Yeah, no, for sure. I think we're having good momentum. I think the team is taking steps forward. We are improving step by step. So I'm proud of that. And I see a lot to go this season. And we have a lot of races to win.

Bruce Martin: And finally, we're here at the Victory Awards celebration. Is it going to be tough when you get up there and speak to the crowd when they call your name up after everything that has happened?

Marcus Ericsson: No, I mean, yeah, it will be tough to some extent, but I'm also, you know, I'm a huge fan of this race. And like I said, I'm very proud to always be a part of it. And that's why, you know, it means a ton to me. So it'll be all right. It'll be all right.

Bruce Martin: Well, Marcus Ericcson, hold your chin up. We know you're a champion. You'll have better days here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, just like you did in 2022 when you won the race. Good luck in Detroit. We'll talk then. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Josef Newgarden: Hey everyone, this is two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Dan Taurus is the owner and CEO of Andretti Global. In his first full season, since taking over the team started by former driver Michael Andretti, Taurus thought he had come close to winning the 109th Indianapolis 500 when I caught up with him after the race for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Dan Towers, very, very close to winning the Indianapolis 500. Marcus gave it a great shot. What do you see as being the difference?

Dan Towriss: You know, it's just probably the two cars in front that were dragging Palou around. You know, it gave him a chance to save fuel and hang in there, where Marcus probably could have pulled away. But, you know, it's tough. It's the Indy 500. It's got to be earned. I'm just gutted right now for Marcus, the effort that he put in. You know, you see what these guys go through in the race, and just gutted for him right now. How gutted are you? Well, right now, honestly, I think more about the team and the driver. It's not about me. But I'm really proud of the effort the team. We got two in the top 10. The effort this team did all month here at the track. And right now, I'm just so proud of Marcus. And I just want to give him a hug and tell him how great he did.

Bruce Martin: It really seemed like the experience rose to the top at the end of this race. with the fact that it was the best driver this season in Alex Pillow and Marcus Ericsson, who is pretty much up there with him when it comes to competitiveness. So does that really say what this race is all about, that in the end, the experienced drivers are the ones that are going to fight it out?

Dan Towriss: I think so. We're really experienced teams, experienced drivers. You know, there's so much that goes into this. Obviously, Chip always brings a fast car, you know, to the Indianapolis 500. Pillow has done what he's done. And so, you know, we gave it our shot and we'll keep working and we'll get them next year.

Bruce Martin: And you being so deeply rooted in this race, Gainbridge sponsors the Indianapolis 500. You've also got a big basketball game tonight down at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But just you as a Hoosier, The place was packed. There was a lot of electricity, even though it was a cooler day. What did you think of the event itself? It got off to a sloppy start, but once racing started, it was pretty good.

Dan Towriss: Glad the rain stayed away. It was a tremendous event. Thank you to all the fans that came out, made this a sellout crowd for the Indianapolis 500. And look, that's what you want. You want a battle between the big, the heavyweights, you know, the showdown at the end. That's what they got. That's what the fans got. We came out on the losing end this time, but we'll get them next time.

Bruce Martin: Do you believe that Andretti Global has returned to being one of the standard-bearers here at the Indianapolis 500?

Dan Towriss: No doubt. We're back, and we're going to keep bringing it every week. And obviously, Alex is having one hell of a season. But, you know, we're not going to give up, and we're going to keep challenging him week in and week out.

Bruce Martin: And finally, when you put into historical perspective what Alex has done, he's won five out of six races, and now he's an Indianapolis 500 champion.

Dan Towriss: Yeah, no, he's obviously a special driver, a generational talent, but that means nothing to us on the track. We're still here to beat him, and we're gonna look to that in Detroit next weekend.

Bruce Martin: Well, Dan Towers, sorry you didn't win the Indianapolis 500, but it was a heck of an effort. Congratulations, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. Jill Gregory is the Chief Operating Officer of Andretti Global and brings an enormous wealth of motorsports experience to her new position. Gregory is responsible for the company's day-to-day business activities, working closely with existing leadership from each race team to bring forth the holistic vision of TWG Motorsports, aligning on-track performance with commercial success. Her role is also instrumental in fostering the relationship with General Motors as the partnership works to bring forward the Cadillac Formula One team effort and the GM Performance Power Unit Company. Additionally, Gregory will serve as president of Andretti Global. Gregory is an acclaimed sports marketer and motorsports executive who previously served as Executive Vice President and General Manager at Sonoma Raceway and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Content Officer at NASCAR. She has also held pivotal roles leading sports investment efforts for brands like Bank of America, Sprint, and Visa. During her tenure at NASCAR, Gregory revamped the organization's marketing content and fan development strategies to elevate strategic planning and enhance collaboration across the industry. She was twice named by Adweek one of the most powerful women in sports and as part of the FIA Women in Motorsports Commission. I caught up with Gregory after the Indianapolis 500 for her thoughts on what appeared to be the team's second-place finish. Remember, this was before Erickson and Kirkwood were moved to 31st and 32nd place, respectively, on Monday. Joe Gregory, president of Andretti Global. Great Indianapolis 500. You come from a NASCAR background. You used to work for NASCAR. What do you think of the electricity and excitement that was here today for the 109th Indianapolis 500?

Jill Gregory: It's really hard to describe, Bruce. I mean, unless you're here and you're like soaking it all in, it's incredible. I mean, I've been to a lot of big races, but this one is right up there.

Bruce Martin: And it seems to have allure that no other race in the world has. And it's just indescribable, the electricity that you feel here.

Jill Gregory: Well, everybody is so happy to be here and knows the tradition and knows exactly what to do and how to enjoy it. And it's contagious.

Bruce Martin: We even saw Steve O'Donnell from NASCAR here. We saw Frank Kelleher, the president of Daytona International Speedway. They were both having a blast. And to have that type of interest from the NASCAR side, because a lot of times teams are chasing after the same sponsorship dollars, But I think you could tell they were having fun and recognize this is the biggest race in the world.

Jill Gregory: They had a great time. I mean, I think that, look, whether you're at NASCAR or IndyCar, you're at a team. Interest in motorsports is good for all of us. And you saw that excitement with them. And now they're going to go run their big race this afternoon.

Bruce Martin: And also Dan Towers, the team owner, very competitive guy. He's involved in so many different forms of motorsports, from IndyCar to NASCAR, to beginning in 2026, Formula One. I mean, he just seems to be the new breed of team owner.

Jill Gregory: Yeah, I think what we're seeing is that, you know, partners, fans like all forms of motorsports. So the fact that we can be at the top level in every series that we race in, that's due to Dan's leadership and the investment that we've made.

Bruce Martin: He's put a lot of responsibility onto you and you're able to deliver on that through your many years of expertise and leadership in other forms of racing. It really seems like Andretti Global is back.

Jill Gregory: I don't know if we ever left anywhere, Bruce, but we are definitely happy to be back. I mean, there's so much excitement. P2, Kyle Kirkwood was in the top 10. We had three major sponsors with Allegra, who hasn't been in the sport before. They're having a ball out here. Siemens was on the 27 car. So I mean, just the interest that we can bring is fantastic.

Bruce Martin: The Indianapolis 500 was a complete grandstand sellout. On carb day, they brought in Oscar Mayer as a sponsor for the pit stop contest. And they also had a Weenie 500 to get a company like Oscar Mayer involved in IndyCar racing. That's a pretty good brand.

Jill Gregory: Yeah, I think you're seeing a lot of interest here. And I think that, you know, the more finishes like we have today, the brands like Allegra and Siemens that come on board, it's just going to bring more brands along.

Bruce Martin: Well, Jill Gregory, congratulations on your second place finish in the Indy 500, even though you'd rather finish first. Good luck the rest of the way with Andretti Global. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Jill Gregory: Thanks, Bruce. Nice to see you.

Bruce Martin: David Maloukas of AJ Foyt Racing thought he had finished third when I caught up with him on pit lane after the Indy 500 for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. David Maloukas, heck of an effort here in the Indianapolis 500. I know you tried third place. Pretty good, but it's not as good as first. Drove a hell of a race. Just how do you describe it all?

David Malukas: I mean, it's incredible. You know, if we look back until that ending there, I mean, it comes down to this track picking its winners. You know, Polo gets to come behind us and we're a sitting duck being at first, you know, having no tow and two lap cars comes behind. So, I mean, it's easy to work for him. He can just time that run and then gets the tow from the two lappers. So, that's just how this place is. It doesn't really play in our favor, but I mean, I just want to thank the guys from Clearance Technology to everybody involved. I mean, everybody did a hell of a job from the start of May till the end. It's nonstop. And man, I was thinking A.J. Floyd, I wanted to get this car back at the top spot where it belonged and just fell slightly short. How big an impact were the two lap cars? Oh, I mean, it's massive. They changed the race. You know, if they weren't there, Pillow's not going to be wanting to take the lead. And who knows, it would come down to the last few laps. Erickson's going to be there. We filter behind him. And it would just be a three-way battle and maybe even a four-way battle with Pato. It would have been a fantastic ending. But unfortunately, like I said, this place picks its winners. And they picked the guy that keeps winning everything. I don't know. Were you involved in any of the four wide going into turn one? I was on one of the restarts. I was involved in one of them. And I was kind of squeezing the guy, because I passed my guy on the inside, and then they said four wide. So I made sure to stick my line straight. But it all actually worked out, because I was going to filter out in front. I didn't want to lead at that time, save some fuel. So Connor Daly went in front. So I said, you know what? Perfect. That worked out actually very well. And just how would you describe the way the race went?

Bruce Martin: It was got off to a very sloppy start, but then it settled into some pretty fierce action.

David Malukas: I think honestly, it was good for me. The sloppy start was I felt like mentally I wasn't really there. Honestly, I had to pee so bad. I mean, waiting for the green flag to just start in that rain. I'm like, man, I'm going to piss myself. So I was struggling a lot. But after that first caution, and I think we fell back down to 10th, that's when things really started going forward, man. I had a really good car underneath me. And these guys have been practicing nonstop on these pit stops. And when we pulled in today, I mean, those were damn good pit stops. We were coming in. My marks weren't even great. I was all, you know, stressed out coming in sideways and coming in crooked, trying to almost hit some of the guys, and they still did mega, mega stops. I mean, wow. From the engineers and the mechanics to just everybody, I mean, just a fantastic job all around.

Bruce Martin: And finally, wrapping up with David Maloukis, how much does this just want you to win this race that much more? Third is a great finish, but the driver that finishes third doesn't necessarily leave happy.

David Malukas: Yeah, I mean, this race is the only race that a podium doesn't really matter. I mean, you want that top spot. So I mean, I'm not going to lie. I was crying coming into the pits. I mean, the guys did everything perfect from their side, and we just missed out right at the end. It's unfortunate, but like I said, this race picks its winners, and I think from our side, we did everything we could. The track just didn't pick us today.

Bruce Martin: Well, the fans were certainly behind it. David Maloukas, congratulations on your third-place finish. You raced your ass off. Good luck next week at Detroit, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you very much. Malukas went to bed on Sunday night thinking he finished third. By lunchtime on Memorial Day, he learned he had been moved up to second place. Here is my interview with Malukas from the red carpet before the Indianapolis 500 Victory Awards ceremony on Monday night. When I spoke with you after the race, you were the third place finisher in the Indianapolis 500. Tonight I speak with you, you're the second place finisher in the Indianapolis 500. Maybe if we wait until tomorrow night, you'll be the winner of the 109th Indianapolis 500. How surprised were you when you got the news that Marcus Ericcson had been sent back to 31st because of a penalty?

David Malukas: Yeah, I was truly shocked. I couldn't believe it. I got the news earlier today. I was finishing up an interview for Fox 32 in Chicago, and my phone was vibrating the entire time. I'm like, why is everybody talking to me right now, right when I have to do an interview? And then I finished it. I look at the phone, and everybody's screaming, P2, P2. And I saw the results. I mean, P3 was already an incredible feat, and now to say that we were runner-ups for the Indy 500 at 23 years old to see my name with AJ Foyt Racing. I mean, I feel like, you know, from my side, I truly want to put the AJ Foyt name where it belongs at that top step, but, you know, for my first year in, to be one place away from it, I think that's a good start.

Bruce Martin: You drove a brilliant race. After the race, you talked about how the cars on the tail end of the lead lap, although we refer to them as lappers, helped dictate the race. But if they're still on the lead lap, what do they do? Because they're still, if there's a yellow, they come around and now they're in contention.

David Malukas: Yeah, of course. I mean, I understand it from both sides. It's more of just an unfortunate situation that they get to be there, you know, at that final battle. I mean, you take those lap cars, you know, out of the scenario and now it's a four or five-way battle for their lead. You know, it's not like… lap cars weren't there, no guaranteed win. No, of course not. I mean, to be fair, we could have probably finished even worse and could have been fifth, but at the end, it just makes for a very good ending. I mean, it's a high-octane finish. I mean, people are going left, right, back and forth, pushing, but when you have lap cars racing up to speed and you have the leader just towing up behind them and nobody can do anything, well, I don't know, it kind of just, 15 laps ago, everybody knew that, hey, this is it, this is our position.

Bruce Martin: What does this do for your career?

David Malukas: I mean, I think we really needed it just for my career and my success with the team. We've had a rough start to the season trying to get this gel and get this flow going. And so many unlucky and unfortunate events kept happening to us. So for things finally to start clicking and this whole month everything was just going in the right direction and to finish it off perfectly, I mean, we really needed this. And I think from my side, it helps drastically. And I think people can always see they saw my success in short ovals. Never could really show that the Speedway and the Foyt guys, they gave me a really good car to finally show my strength.

Bruce Martin: Does the name Billy Arnold mean anything to you? Billy Arnold is the only driver from Chicago to win the Indianapolis 500. He did it in 1930.

David Malukas: Wow, well 1930, that's a very long time ago. You came close, though. We came very close. And honestly, having that Chicago support, it's been incredible seeing all the fans saying, we're all from Chicago, we're rooting for you. And I mean, it's just all around from all sorts of different connections that I've had. It's been an awesome 24 hours.

Bruce Martin: Well, David Maloukas, you did a great job in the 109th in Indianapolis 500. Good luck the rest of the IndyCarSeries season. Thank you for joining us on PitPass Indy.

David Malukas: Thank you very much.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to PitPass Indy after this short break.

SPEAKER_08: Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to PitPass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin had one of the fastest cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was one of the favorites to win the pole. But he crashed that car in the morning practice session as he was preparing for the Fast 12, and Team Penske had to bring out the backup car. Because he was already in the Fast 12, the team chose not to make an attempt, and he was prepared to start 12th while the team made sure the backup car was prepared properly for the race. That was before his teammates, Will Power and Josef Newgarden, were penalized for modifying the rear attenuator and moved to the last two positions in the 33-car starting lineup. McLaughlin moved up to 10th on the grid and was once again a big favorite for the race. But he never made it to the green flag. McLaughlin spun out and crashed while trying to warm up his tires at the start of the pace lap and was out of the race before it ever began. He finished last in the 33 car field and discussed his disappointment to me in this exclusive pit pass in the interview. Our old buddy Scott McLaughlin is joining us. It's the day after the Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately, you never really got to compete in the Indianapolis 500. The crash on the pace lap, what exactly happened?

Scott McLaughlin: I still don't know, Bruce. I was a bit of a… weird one. I don't know whether I caught up, you know, a little bit of shade where the cars had been before the formation laps, and it was a little bit colder than the other pavement, but I really just picked up the throttle and around she went. So it wasn't aggressive, wasn't anything like that, just went around. So it's just one of those things, but maybe someone was protecting me from something else. You know, something was happening maybe later down the track, that's how you got to think of it, and everything happens for a reason, and I'll learn from it and be better.

Bruce Martin: If a picture tells the story, the picture was when you got out of the car and you buried your head in your hands. What was going through your mind at that moment? You had to be devastated.

Scott McLaughlin: Yeah, no. You work for 365 days to be better at this place and I felt like I just wasted an opportunity. I felt like I wasted a year and still do feel like that. But the best thing is we have a race this week in Detroit and just get back on the horse, but it still hurts.

Bruce Martin: Are moments like that when you realize how lucky you are to go back and have your wife and daughter there to lift your spirits?

Scott McLaughlin: That's the best part. I mean, seeing Lucy and Carly and everyone else, I'm very lucky to have such a great support system around me. And yeah, they're honestly the people I want to have in my corner forever and ever. So I'm very lucky to have that.

Bruce Martin: There's been a lot of times where we've had winners who finished last the year before. Maybe you can continue that trend in 2026.

Scott McLaughlin: Look, hopefully blessings are on me next year, but never take anything for granted around this place.

Bruce Martin: And is this a year, Indy, that you'd like to just forget? Because you had probably the pole winning car, crashed in the Saturday morning practice, had to go to Josef Newgarden's backup Speedway car, never really got a chance in that. And the incidents that happened with your teammates, they were in the back, they had to race their way to the front. Newgarden had a fast car, then he has fuel pressure issues. It really was not a good month for Team Penske.

Scott McLaughlin: I mean, the first week went really well for Team Penske, and then after that it was really tough. So, yeah, it's difficult and I'm sad for everything, but, you know, we're a team. We'll get together, we'll push forward, we'll stand tall, and we'll be okay.

Bruce Martin: This doesn't help for the disappointment that you experienced. in yesterday's Indianapolis 500, but the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers last night.

Scott McLaughlin: So did that make a bad day a little bit better? I said to Carly last night, I was like, I need them to win so badly. So they did. So that was thankful. But yeah, hopefully, hopefully I need it because I didn't make too much money this week. So I need some money for the bet I got with Ed Carpenter.

Bruce Martin: And you as a competitor, you race against Alex Pillow every week, and you know how good he is.

Scott McLaughlin: Yes.

Bruce Martin: To see him get an Indy 500 victory, are you happy for him, or is it another one where it's like, what do we got to do to get this guy to… No, I'm happy for him.

Scott McLaughlin: He's an elite talent. He's probably the best guy I've ever raced against. He's the whole package, and I take pride in trying to beat him, you know, and I believe we can. But you got to get credits where credit's due. And I believe I'll be in that spot one day. But, you know, he's done a fantastic job at this point. He's got his team around him and all he can do is give kudos.

Bruce Martin: Now it's off to the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, another very important race for your team owner, Roger Penske. How well do you think you guys will do in that race?

Scott McLaughlin: Who knows? I think I'm really strong on the street circuit. I feel like we can really bounce back strong. Yeah, strong, strong, strong weekend for us. We need to get back in this fight a little bit.

Bruce Martin: Well, Scott McLaughlin, we were all sad to see what happened and you never really got a chance to fight it out in the Indianapolis 500. But we know you'll be back.

Scott McLaughlin: Yeah.

Bruce Martin: But Scott, good luck the rest of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Scott McLaughlin: Thanks, Bruce. Appreciate it, man.

Bruce Martin: One of his teammates, Will Power, was the only one of the three Team Penske drivers that was running at the finish of the Indy 500. Power started 33rd and finished 16th, one lap down. His teammate, Josef Newgarden, started 32nd and raced his way to 6th place before he pitted on lap 133. Newgarden made a scheduled pit stop on that lap and had an issue. He returned to the track but came back down pit road on lap 134 and never returned to action. A fuel pressure issue put Newgarden out of the race. Combine that with McLaughlin's crash on the pace lap and Powers' finish one lap down was the best Team Penske could do in this year's Indy 500. Here's my exclusive interview with Power for Pit Pass Indy. Will Power joins us now on Pit Pass Indy, and it was a very strange month for Team Penske. I believe you're the only driver who finished the race.

Will Power: Um, oh, okay. Yeah, I didn't realize, yeah. No, but… Yeah, because Joseph Van Garde didn't keep going.

Bruce Martin: Yes, yes, yes. And we lost Scott McLaughlin because… Yes, obviously. …he crashed on the pace lap.

Will Power: Yeah, tough, tough… Oh, man, I can't believe it. But, um… Yeah, I had high expectations actually. I just haven't had a good run there for so long. A lot of pressure. You've got to try to ignore all that stuff and just put the race together. Starting last certainly wasn't ideal. But we were looking good, man. We were like halfway. I think we were like up to 14th. If a couple of those restarts and checkups went differently, we would have made our way in the top 10. Yeah.

Bruce Martin: I asked you this earlier in the month, but did this race remind you a little bit of your race in 2018, where there wasn't a lot of passing like we've seen in past races?

Will Power: There would have been a lot of passing for the win if there wasn't two backmarkers racing in front of them. Simply. Everyone, with all the people watching, and they're just watching two backmarkers for the last people on the lead lap. fight it out, which is, um, you know, I think they need to do something about that. What do you do in that situation? Because if they are on the lap, I know, I just think maybe with 20 to go, you need a blue flag rule or something because everyone's there to see the leaders fight it out. And, you know, it's been, for me, it's been a huge problem with IndyCar for a long time is, um, like, why should you fight with a person in last place? You know, who's still running. Yeah.

Bruce Martin: But if they're, once again, I go back, if they're on the lead lap, how do you make that call? If they're lapped cars, they have to.

Will Power: Yeah, no, if the lead is coming up behind you, get the F out of the way. That's certainly one way to do it.

Bruce Martin: Oh, it is.

Will Power: Just get out of the way, dude. Your day's done. There's 15 to go. People are fighting out for a win. Come on.

Bruce Martin: Was it a strange start of the race? Because getting ready to go, getting ready to throw the green flag, and then all of a sudden, spotty showers. You're sitting in the car for 36 more minutes.

Will Power: Well, it's nice to just sit in the car, to be honest. It sucks when you're sitting when you're not in the car. But yeah, to me, To me, I was fine. Once I was sitting in the car, I was relaxed. Felt better.

Bruce Martin: And then at the start of the race, it looked like your teammate backed off a little just because he kind of anticipated there might be something happening. And sure enough, Marco Andre.

Will Power: Yeah, crazy. Joseph said, just take it easy. And sure enough, there's someone spinning. I couldn't believe it. Yeah. How close were you to that? Very close. Yeah, it was right in front of me. Did you have any more close calls throughout the race? No. Massively close, no. I mean, there's some big checkups and all that, but yeah. Yeah, it was just a weird race, man.

Bruce Martin: Would you say it was your weirdest Indy 500?

Will Power: Oh, no. I mean, just starting back, that was just another Indy 500. It wasn't like, it was just a bit, yeah, I thought some of the restarts were a bit strange with the way they threw the green and so on.

Bruce Martin: Now it's off to Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. It's a very important race to Roger Penske and Bud Denker and the Penske Corporation. After having a month of May at Indy, does that race recharge you? Because you're going to be doing a lot of extra events for Bud Denker and Roger Penske and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

Will Power: It will be, uh… Yeah, I mean, it's definitely important for Chevy to get a win, man. You have no one this year. It's important for our team to get a win. We have no one this year. So, yeah, it's just been a tough… I mean, everyone's been beaten by Polo, simply. So, that's it. Yeah.

Bruce Martin: Well, Will Power, you're always in demand. You're now being summoned by Ryan Hunter Ray. So I'll let you go here. We'll see you up in Detroit. Hopefully next year's Indianapolis 500 is better for you. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Will Power: Yes, sir. Thank you.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Will Power: This is Will Power of Team Penske. And you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. This year's Indianapolis 500 was the first time Fox Sports televised the sold-out race live as Fox airs all NTT IndyCar Series races in 2025 as the television partner. For just the third time in the last three decades, the Indianapolis 500 was the most-watched motorsports event on American television as 7.01 million viewers turned into the Fox broadcast, with a peak of 8.5 million for the climactic ending from 4.15 to 4.30 p.m. Eastern Time. By comparison, 6.4 million viewers watched February's Daytona 500, also on Fox. In the past three decades, the only other times the Indy 500 has received a higher rating than the Daytona 500 was in 1995 and 2021. It was the most watched Indianapolis 500 in 17 years. Will Buxton is the new voice of the Indianapolis 500 on Fox Sports as the network has taken the sport to a new audience with aggressive and creative promotion. Buxton joined me on the red carpet before Monday night's Indianapolis 500 victory celebration at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Joining us now is the voice of the Indianapolis 500, Will Buxton of Fox Sports. Can I just say that? Yes, the voice of the Indianapolis 500, Will Buxton.

Will Buxton: It still sounds like a dream to me to hear that. Yeah, that's never going to get normal for me.

Bruce Martin: When you think of all the great names that have been the voice of the Indianapolis 500, starting with Sid Collins, it's pretty much a who's who of broadcasting.

Will Buxton: It's humbling. It really is. Broadcasters that I look up to. And I was very cognizant, stepping into this role of all those who had come before me and the path that they laid and the incredible work that they'd done over a hundred years. So, yeah, I walked into Sunday unbelievably nervous, but full of humility and respect.

Bruce Martin: So you're getting ready to call your first Indianapolis 500 and then the command is delayed because of rain. And then Scott crashes. So all the preparation that goes into calling your first Indianapolis 500 and then, like Indy, something unexpected happens. So how do you prepare for the unexpected?

Will Buxton: Well, we… we'd just done a two-hour pre-race show. And then suddenly it's like, okay, guys, we don't know when we're going to actually go green, so just talk. And we were like, how long do we have to talk for? They're like, we're not sure, maybe 10 minutes, maybe 20, could be half an hour. And so at that point, luckily I have two of the best in the business alongside me in James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. And so we just looked at each other and I went, right, we start at the top, we go from the front row, we pick out some interesting stories, they're like, great. And we just do what we do every weekend, we just, talked amongst ourselves, brought out the knowledge that we've accrued over all these practice days and qualifying and the season and you know for them their many years in the sport and hopefully kept people entertained until we were ready to roll.

Bruce Martin: Did the Indianapolis 500 live up to all the expectations that you had realizing you were going to get to call it for the first time in your career?

Will Buxton: I mean, we're standing here on Monday, and honestly, it's still sinking in. And I think it's going to take a few days until the enormity of it, you know, has really settled. It's a bit like It's almost like having a child. You get so caught up in the whirlwind and you're in a daze. And then 24 hours, 36 hours later, you're at home with this beautiful thing and you have to care for it. And I think it's going to be like that for me maybe tomorrow when I wake up and look back on it. And realize just how phenomenal it was but I remember so many moments on the on the Sunday of just the hair standing up on the on the back of my neck or on my arms and whether it's back home again in Indiana or You know the flyovers or God bless America. The plane of taps was… Man, that was… I come from a military family. That was really quite something. And to experience that for the first time, something I'll never forget.

Bruce Martin: And then the Black Hawk helicopters on one of the parade laps.

Will Buxton: Oh, yeah. That was something that Eric Shanks had wanted to organize for a long time. And boy, did he ever pull that off.

Bruce Martin: Fox Sports promised there would be a huge ratings increase, and we got it. 7.05 million viewers watched the Indianapolis 500, largest TV rating in 17 years. Were you surprised by that number? Because that's a really good jump.

Will Buxton: I was. And the news has literally just came out. I'm overjoyed. I know everybody at Fox is overjoyed. Yes, it's a huge surprise, a massive surprise. The team at Fox have done such an incredible job with their promotion. As soon as they got the rights, and then this year, from the Super Bowl onwards, the push that they have put into this championship in the series, and particularly around the Indy 500, we were hopeful that the figures would be good. I'm not sure anybody anticipated they'd be this good. And I hope that amongst that number, there are going to be fans who want to now watch every race and tune in every weekend and who have turned on and said, You know what, this is a great championship and I really want to watch this week in, week out.

Bruce Martin: And the other thing with the younger audience that we're seeing watching the Indy 500, it's like the Indy 500 is cool again amongst younger viewers.

Will Buxton: Yeah, I hope so. And we've got an incredible crowd of drivers, many of whom are young. We had three guys in the race this year who could have put their name on the Borg Warner as the youngest winner in history. That's fantastic. That resonates. You've got your established stars, you've got your legends, but then you've got these kids coming through who I think really relate with a younger audience. I hope that we can bring them on board and make new fans out of them and they'll keep coming back for years to come.

Bruce Martin: And when you think of all the effort and the promotion that Fox Sports put into IndyCar, it's a new venture. A lot of people looked at it and thought of them as a NASCAR broadcaster, but they've brought new ideas, fresh ideas, and it's working. So everybody at Fox has to feel extremely gratified that it's only up and even better from here.

Will Buxton: Let's hope so. Let's hope so. And you know, this is only the beginning for Fox. This is only the beginning for us. We do have a long way to go. We know there are things that we can do. We will never rest on our laurels. We will always seek to improve, whether that's me in the broadcast booth, whether that's our production team, our graphics team, our promotions team. You know, we have a big team behind us with a wealth of experience through many, many sports in America, and we will keep pushing. The objective isn't just to take IndyCar back to the glory days. It's to make it more popular than it has ever been.

Bruce Martin: And finally, you called a race where Marcus Ericsson raced his heart out, finished second. Today at two o'clock, we discover the team's been penalized. He's finished all the way back in the last row. So what is your reaction to that?

Will Buxton: I feel for Marcus. I was actually talking to him this morning and I actually said to him, you know what? Your finishing record at Indy is insane because over the last four years, you've had two second places and a win. No one's had that record other than you. It's incredible. You know, look, a lot of the last Fortnite, particularly the last week, there has been a lot of talk about scrutineering and about the effectiveness of scrutineering in IndyCar. While it is sad that, again, after the race, some of the talk is about scrutineering, I actually think it's a positive that these discrepancies were discovered, they were unearthed, they were caught and penalties were applied. You never like to see it and it's harsh for the drivers, of course it's harsh for the drivers because there's nothing that they could have done, but with all the talk around scrutineering and is it good enough and is it up to the level it needs to be, what we've seen immediately post-race is discrepancies discovered and acted upon.

Bruce Martin: And finally, to see the unbridled joy on Alex Pillow's face, winning his first Indianapolis 500. I go back to when Al Unser Jr. won in 1992, watching him run up and down the front stretch. You just don't know what Indy means. We saw that on full display, and you got to call that when he got out of the car. How big a moment is that when it comes to just human emotion?

Will Buxton: Ultimately, one of the things that we're very keen on with Fox is letting those moments exist in the emotion that is on display. I don't want to talk over the top of that, because that takes away from the rawness of it. So we lay out during those moments and just let it speak for itself. Yeah, as he leapt from his car and as he was celebrating with the team, and we did get to talk about that, all you can do is talk about what you see. That's our job, is talk about what you see. And as you said, the unbridled joy, the passion and the emotion in his face, in his interactions with his team and with his family, it's clear how much it meant to him.

Bruce Martin: Well, Will Buxton, great job calling your first Indianapolis 500. I'm sure you'll be calling it many more times in your career. Thank you so much. Good luck the rest of the NTT IndyCar Series season on Fox, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Will Buxton: You're very welcome.

Bruce Martin: And that puts a checkered flag on this Indianapolis 500 edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, Marcus Ericcson of Andretti Global, Dan Taurus and Joe Gregory of Andretti Global, second place finisher David Maloukas of AJ Foy Grayson, Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske, Will Power of Team Penske, and the voice of IndyCar in the Indianapolis 500 on Fox, Will Buxton, for joining us on today's special Indy 500 podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Glitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 109th Indianapolis 500. We will have regular and bonus episodes all month, thanks to our friends from Penske Truck Rental and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We will have even more from this year's Indy 500 on next week's regular show, along with interviews from the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. So be sure to tune in for that special Indy 500 edition of Pit Pass Indy next week. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.