Kyle Larson crashes out of Indy 500, Ryan Hunter-Reay takes the lead after weird incidents

Kyle Larson crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 close to the halfway level Sunday whereas Ryan Hunter-Reay ended the primary half on the high of the leaderboard, searching for a second victory in “The Biggest Spectacle in Racing.”

Hunter-Reay, in a one-off entry for DRR-Cusick Motorsports, gained the Indy 500 in 2014 as a driver for Andretti International. Him main Sunday with 100 laps remaining was becoming for a race that was first briefly delayed by rain after which hit with a rash of bizarre incidents.

Scott McLaughlin crashed on the warm-up lap whereas swerving to get warmth in his tires. Scott Dixon had a brake hearth earlier than the race went inexperienced after which Marco Andretti was crashed on the primary lap.

It was paying homage to the 1992 Indianapolis 500, when pole-sitter Roberto Guerrero spun out and crashed whereas additionally making an attempt to heat up his tires in the course of the parade laps.

“I actually do not know what occurred,” a heartbroken McLaughlin mentioned. “I can not consider we’re out of the race. I had a lot hope. It is the worst second of my life.”

The weird solely continued as Alexander Rossi went to pit street with smoke coming from the again of his automotive, just for it to erupt into flames and his fueler caught hearth. Rossi angrily flung his gloves over the pit street wall as he fled from the flames.

Rinus VeeKay misplaced his brakes and crashed on pit street after which Robert Shwartzman, the primary rookie to begin from the pole since 1983, misplaced management coming into his pit stall and hit a number of of his Prema Racing crew members.

“As quickly as I touched my brakes, the entire entrance simply locked and I bumped into my guys,” Shwartzman mentioned. “It was actually scary as a result of after I braked, I used to be only a passenger.”

Shwartzman, a twin nationwide of Israel and Russia and first rookie to guide the sector to inexperienced since 1983, was making his oval debut. The 25-year-old drives beneath the Israel flag and is the primary Israeli within the area.

On the following restart, Larson’s try to finish “the double” of 1,100-miles on the identical day when he was collected in a three-car collision. It ended his Indy 500 and allowed Larson to move to the airport to get to Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina in time for the Coca-Cola 600.

“Simply bummed out,” Larson mentioned. “Attempt to recover from this rapidly and get on to Charlotte and simply neglect about it.”

Two-time defending race winner Josef Newgarden, in the meantime, carved his manner via visitors from beginning on the final row into the top-10 by the eightieth lap of the race. Newgarden and Group Penske teammate Will Energy have been dropped to thirty second and thirty third for the beginning for failing an inspection forward of qualifying.

Newgarden is making an attempt to grow to be the primary driver to win the five hundred in three consecutive years; no driver has ever gained from the final row.

Roger Penske delivered the command for drivers to begin their engines after a 42-minute delay for rain — a pause that had already put Larson’s double try in jeopardy.

The NASCAR star had a 4 p.m. deadline to depart Indianapolis to make it to Charlotte, the place the Coca-Cola 600 is his precedence. Just one driver has ever accomplished all 1,100 miles — Tony Stewart in 2001. Larson’s bid failed final yr as a result of a rain delay in Indianapolis made him miss the Coca-Cola 600.

Larson may very well be seen checking his watch from inside his automotive as he waited for Penske’s command. He is beginning second in Charlotte and began nineteenth within the Indy 500.

Pato O’Ward, a two-time Indy 500 runner-up, and two-time reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou have been the co-favorites, listed at +500 by BetMGM when the race started. O’Ward began third and could be the primary Mexican winner; Palou, winner of 4 of the primary 5 races this season, could be the primary Spanish winner ought to he earn his first profession victory on an oval monitor.