Wild last lap at Indy 500 leads to memorable win and celebration

The 107th Indianapolis 500 ended in a wild finish. It’s up to you to determine if that was good or bad.

Multi-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden moved from second to first on the final restart to win the Indy 500. In his 12th attempt, Newgarden finally wins the race that eluded him for so long. Newgarden celebrated by stopping his car at the yard of bricks and disappearing in the grandstands.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN WINS THE 107TH INDIANAPOLIS 500!

It's Newgarden's first Indy win in 12 tries, and he celebrates in the stands! #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/0ETNw0LXtE

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) May 28, 2023

IndyCar decided to have a red flag and do a one-lap shootout immediately after the cars left pit road. As it was demonstrated twice before, IndyCar did a pace lap after a red flag before going green. Because there was one lap left, and a pace lap would’ve ended the race, the series decided to forego the pace lap and immediately go green.

Supporters of the decision will say it’s for the fans to do all they can to end the race under green. Detractors will say it’s inconsistent to do something one time and then something different the next just because it’s the end of the race.

And then there is the potential conflict of interest with Roger Penske. Penske owns the NTT IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the car that won the race. Penske isn’t running his team or even race control, so I’m not saying he’s telling IndyCar officials to throw a red flag to give his driver a chance to win. But no one can deny that, on its face, a situation like this could potentially lead to accusations of favoritism.

Regardless, Newgarden becomes the newest winner of the Indy 500, and it’ll be a memorable win for years to come.