This phrase means the winner and the second-place car were separated by a very small gap. In IndyCar, that can happen when cars are very evenly matched.
The last lap is the final circuit of the race. That’s when drivers usually push hardest because the finish is right there.
Company
Junko's
“Junko’s” seems to be the name of an IndyCar racing team. The team’s car setup and race calls help the driver get good results over the whole race.
Company
Dale Coincar
“Dale Coincar” looks like a misheard team name. The key point is that Roman Grosjean finished ninth with that team’s car, showing they stayed in the race.
In IndyCar, pit timing is a strategy decision that can change track position and how much time you lose (or gain) relative to rivals. “Pitting at the right time” usually means aligning the stop with race conditions like traffic, fuel windows, and caution timing.
Ed Carpenter Racing is one of the IndyCar teams. The host says it struggled in this Indy 500, with cars finishing far back in the field.
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Indycar Dad: Welcome to the Indy Car Dad Podcast. This is Indy Car News in five minutes. The Indie 500 was awesome. And in this pro race show, we're going to talk about all the things that were great and all the things that are memorable.
So when a race sets a record for the most lead changes, the closest margin of victory, and there's no injuries, and you have a super cool winner, you have to be impressed with one of the greatest indie 500s of all time.
There is no doubt after watching that race that the Indy 500 is the greatest spectacle in racing. So let's look at the results. First place, Felix Rosenquist won the dang thing. If you didn't know, I'm such a fro fan that I won a charity auction to spend the weekend with Meyer Shank Racing.
So I'll talk about it in little bit. Second place, David Malucas came second in the closest finish in history. This is the second, second place in a row. A great performance that really probably broke his heart, but showed his skill.
Scott McLaughlin passed from way back in the field to third place on the last lap for a great finish for Scottie Mack. Pato didn't really have the car all day, but he still managed to bring it home fourth just by being savvy at the end.
I swear he's gonna win this race someday. Those three guys, Lucas McLaughlin and Pato, they're gonna win this race. So. Marcus Armstrong led the race with one lap to go and he finished fifth. It's a great result for Marcus and great for MSR.
For a guy who didn't race ovals four years ago, he's really doing great. So Renus VK somehow got a Juncos car to sixth. It's a stunning feat of skill. So I'm really impressed with that. Alex Pelot was seventh.
He led the most laps in the race, but late in the race, the car just wasn't there. Santino Ferrucci was eighth, keeping his history. Of a top 10 Indy 500 finishes alive. ⁓ Santino's run seven Indy 500s, and he's always finished in the top 10, never outside the top 10.
Even in his rookie year, he finished seventh. Roman Grosjon finished ninth in a Dale Coincar that just never really seemed fast, but he stayed in the race. And Takuma Sado ⁓ finished 10th, the top ⁓ just ⁓ single race entry.
⁓ top rookie was Mick Schumacher. He was 18th. He was the last car in the lead lap. Wasn't really that impressive of a run for a rookie of the year, but it was the best of the group. Hauger was a lap down.
Jacob Abel, who counts as a rookie because it's his first 500, was two laps down. And Kyle Colette crashed who Kyle Colette was running in the top ten, but he crashed with nine to go. 24 cars ended up finishing the race, making it a fairly exciting one.
Only one wreck involved two cars, the first wreck, and ⁓ it only involved two cars because Ryan Hunter race spun on his own, ⁓ but it made so much smoke that Catherine Legg had nowhere to go and hit him.
⁓ I like to do winners and losers. I think people ⁓ that resonates with listeners. So let's talk about winners and losers. Winners, Felix Rosenquist, man, that dude is winning at life. He had a baby this month, his first baby, an adorable little girl.
Then he had a really fast car all month. Then he won the race. He actually kind of won the race twice. The team won it once on strategy and speed by pitting at the right time. And then he won it once on bravery.
That last lap was stunning. If you haven't watched the last lap of the 2026 Indy 500, you really need to. I mean, I know I give you the news in five minutes, but that will show you the whole race in 44 seconds.
So ⁓ So please, if you have watched it, watch it again. It's just amazing. So, other winners, Malucas and Armstrong, they're both really demonstrating that they're the next wave. I really think they're both strong drivers.
They're nice and young. They're gonna be in top teams for a long time. I think this is who we're looking for for our future stars. Rena Svike, this guy's a winner. How come no one's talking about him?
He took a Junko's car and put it in sixth place. It's an amazing drive. ⁓ last year at Dale Coin, he showed strength. This year at Hunkozy's stone showing strength. If he's not in a top team next year, someone's really not doing their homework.
So also winners, the fans. This was great racing. The weather held off, and it was just a lot of fun. The Indy 500 is lot of fun. The final winner, my son and I. Here's the story. I won a charity auction over the winner.
MeyerShank donated a VIP package for the 500 to something called Helen's Pink Sky Foundation, which is a foundation fighting a rare childhood disease. At the time, you know, me, I'm a huge fro fan. So I opened up my wallet and I won the auction.
And we got to, my son and I got to spend the entire race weekend embedded with Meyer Shank racing. We were in the suites, we were in their ⁓ stands. We even watched the finish of the Indy 500 in Felix Rosenquist's pit.
When the race ended, we got to rush out onto the track surface with the team and see him climb out of the car. My son and I are the big winners here. We literally had the greatest fan experience possible.
I made a video about it and it's on my social media. So have a look if you can. So that's the winners. Where there's winners, there's losers. So let's talk about who the losers are. Ed Carpenter Racing ECR is on the loser list two weeks in a row.
Their cars finished 31st, 30th, and 27th. Three cars, and the best they've managed to finish is 27th. You know, this is a well-funded operation now. Like, what's going on over there? Other than that, there's no other losers, in my opinion.
I looked, only thing I could find was that. It was a wonderful indie 500 weekend. So ⁓ what's next? I posted a video about my experience in the 500. Search for Indie Car Dad on social media. I think you'll like the video.
I know I put more work into it and then I do some other things. And it was a very exciting time for my son and I. So ⁓ Detroit comes up quickly. It will be this weekend. Practice starts on Friday. And remember, we have a short week this week, so it might already be a day ahead of where you think you are.
The weather's looking perfect for race weekend. Detroit's my home race, so I'll be there for every minute. And ⁓ I just want to say thank you to everyone who saw me at the track in Indy and said hello.
If you see me in Detroit, say hi. I'm friendly and I want to meet you. Thanks for watching. This is IndyCar Dad Podcast. I do IndyCar News in five minutes, and then I do some special features once in a while as well.
About this episode
Felix Rosenquist takes the Indy 500, and the host breaks down how strategy and pit timing shaped the outcome. The race also stood out for a record number of lead changes and the closest margin of victory, with the final lap described as “stunning.” The episode also calls out Ed Carpenter Racing’s tough stretch, then pivots to upcoming Detroit weekend logistics, including a Friday practice start and a reminder that the week may be “a day ahead of where you think you are.”
The Indy Car Dad Podcast provides a comprehensive review of the Indy 500, highlighting the winners and losers of the race, as well as the personal experience of the host and his son at the event. The podcast also emphasizes the impressive performances of rookie drivers, setting the stage for future stars in the sport.
