By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio

Persistent rain and a balky clutch failed to dampen Graham Rahal’s outlook for INDYCAR’s pivotal Month of May Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Corvette E Ray had no problems navigating the rain on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 2026 Sonsio Grand Prix. Photo credit: Chevrolet Racing

Pooling of water on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course forced postponement of NTT P1 Award qualifying for the Sonsio Grand Prix to Saturday morning. Live coverage of qualifying is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) on FS2, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls, with the three-round session starting at 10:45 a.m. Coverage will move to FS1 at 11:30 a.m.

The warmup session originally scheduled for 11:40 a.m. Saturday for Round No. 6 of the NTT IndyCar Series has been canceled. The 85-lap/207.3-mile race remains booked for 4:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Four-time/reigning series champion Alex Palou paced both practice sessions in dry conditions earlier Friday in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou’s best combined lap around the 2.439-mile/14-turn layout was 1-minute, 10.0904-seconds/125.274 mph. The Spaniard has won this event for the last three years and returns to IMS as defending champion of the 110^th Indianapolis 500 scheduled for Sunday, May 24.

Palou qualified on-pole for the GP last May via a hot lap of 1:09.3417-seconds/126.625 mph.

Rahal, meanwhile, was second on Friday’s combined speed chart with a best lap of 1:10.179-seconds/125.081 mph set during Practice 1 in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

“The first practice session was good for us,” Rahal said, “but in the second session we had a clutch failure so that was a bummer. I’m glad we’re qualifying (Saturday) so we can try to have a shot at this thing because I feel like all of our cars are quick. Postponing it is better than not qualifying and going off of points (for starting position), that’s for sure.”

The Chevrolet Silverados from the ARA INDYCAR safety team had no problems navigating the rain on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 2026 Sonsio Grand Prix. Photo credit: Chevrolet Racing

Indeed, the IMS Road-Course has been a friend to Rahal, who qualified on-pole in August 2023 and started in the front row a year ago en route to finishing sixth. Graham has 15 top-10 finishes in the 17 races he has competed in on a layout that winds through the IMS infield and includes Turns 2 through 1 (counter-clockwise) of the 2.5-mile oval.

“Well, yeah, it’s been a great track for us,” said Rahal, who is teamed with Louis Foster of Great Britian and series rookie Mick Schumacher of Switzerland. “Overall it’s a place that we’ve had some good success at. I wish I could tell you exactly why. I don’t have that answer, but it’s a place that we’ve enjoyed, that we’ve…even honestly a couple years ago, even last year, I qualified second and Louis was third. Maybe it was two years ago when I was on the front row, and we had a few of us in the top-five, and the setups were completely different yet we were all fast.

“I’m not sure why it works, but I’m excited to be back. I’m particularly excited just based on the performance we’ve had on road and street courses so far. Even the short oval (Phoenix Raceway), right? But for me, I’m excited to see what we can do this weekend, for sure.”

Rahal reiterated this is a huge month for the organization founded and fronted by father Bobby Rahal, the Indy 500 champion in 1986.

The Corvette E Ray had no problems navigating the rain on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 2026 Sonsio Grand Prix. Photo credit: Chevrolet Racing

“Obviously, the Grand Prix, we expect every year to be very strong,” said Rahal, a 37-year-old native of New Albany, Ohio. “It’s really critical that we get the oval side kind of kicking off. In our car, we’re in the top-10 in points. So it’s a big month to carry momentum. Clearly we go right from here onto (Downtown) Detroit and everything else. Detroit we started in the top-five last year. Hopefully we can carry that on, that performance that we had.

“This is a critical time for us in every regard because, when you’re kind of in the hunt like this and you’re not that far out, each and every race carries a lot of weight. When you come to a track like Indy, road- course in particular, where we know we’ve been very strong, the expectation is very high.

“In my car we’re going to try some new things this weekend compared to what we would have run here last year, and really the objective there isn’t simply just to find speed, it’s also to find tire life and consistency. If you look at RLL, this team, we’ve been quite fast in a lot of places but we need to get our tire life to be better. So a lot of things we’re focused on the No. 15 car to start the weekend are dedicated to that, and fingers crossed we can make it happen.”

Enzo Fittipaldi charged from 10th on the starting grid and outdueled Lochie Hughes in changing weather conditions Friday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to earn his first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory.

Fittipaldi, driving the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry, became the fourth first-time winner in five races this season. Fittipaldi joined fellow-rookies Nikita Johnson, Max Taylor and Alessandro de Tullio of Waller, Texas-based A.J. Foyt Racing as maiden winners in 2026 with his victory in Race 1 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix double-header.

SEE: Race Results

“Honestly, that was probably one of the best drives of my career,” said Fittipaldi, 24-year-old grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil. “I just can’t thank my team enough. We had a tricky qualifying. We knew we had the pace. Just so happy with the race today. We were flying there in the dry and in the wet. We started P10 and won the race. I didn’t expect this but knew the win was coming.”

Fittipaldi added another chapter to his family’s history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Grandfather “Emmo” won the Indy 500 in 1989 and 1993. Cousin Christian Fittipaldi teamed with Joao Barbosa to win the 2014 Brickyard Grand Prix sports car race at IMS, giving the family two wins on the iconic 2.5-mile oval and two on the 2.439-mile/14-turn road-course.

“It’s a huge amount of weight,” said Fittipaldi, a resident of Miami. “My family has a very successful history here in Indianapolis and the Indy 500. This legendary track, to get my first race win here in INDY NXT is very special. I’m just so happy and so stoked. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my whole team supporting me. They did a great job.”

Johnson finished third in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry after charging from 10th to fifth by Lap 19. He gained two more spots to earn his fourth podium finish in five starts this season, including two victories on the Streets of Petersburg, Fla., and Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

HMD Motorsports rookie Tymek Kucharczyk of Poland finished fourth in the No. 71 entry, while Taylor finished fifth in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen Andretti Global car after slipping from third during the wet portion of the race.

The race turned on weather. Hughes led the opening 12 laps from pole before rain started and intensified, bringing out a caution on Lap 11. A lap later, the field was red-flagged to allow teams to switch to wet Firestone Firehawk tires and make adjustments, as the INDYCAR developmental series does not include scheduled pit stops.

Fittipaldi had climbed from 10th to third before the stoppage, then quickly closed on Hughes after racing resumed on Lap 16. Fittipaldi and the Andretti Global driver dueled for several laps before Fittipaldi made the winning pass on Lap 25 exiting Turn 9, one of a race-record 284 on-track passes.

A late caution on Lap 28 for Bryce Aron’s No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing entry stopping in Turn 6 sealed the result, allowing Fittipaldi to cross the Yard of Bricks first on the next lap in the race that became a timed event because of the red flag.

Despite leading 25 of 29 laps-completed, Hughes settled for second in the No. 26 Andretti Global entry, a result he badly needed. Hughes, a second-year driver, was the top returning point-finisher after placing third as a rookie last year. He struggled at the start of this season, seventh in points entering this event with two fifth-place finishes as his best results.

“Considering the last few rounds that we had, this is a step in the right direction where we should be,” said Hughes, 24-year-old native of Australia. “When it really started raining, I had just a bit less grip than the cars around me. Nevertheless, a great result. A solid podium and a great start to the rest of the season.”

Pole-sitter de Tullio endured a chaotic opening lap after locking his brakes entering Turn 1 and driving through the runoff area. Multiple incidents around the circuit shuffled the order further, including contact involving Myles Rowe, Salvador de Alba of Mexico and Max Garcia in Turn 6, along with separate contact between Johnson and Kucharczyk in Turn 12.

De Tullio recovered to finish ninth in the No. 14 Foyt Racing entry.

Fittipaldi’s win vaulted him from fourth to second in the standings, 23 points behind Johnson entering Saturday’s second race of the double-header. The 30-lap/73.17-mile/50-minute race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (EDT) on FS1, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

Taylor and de Tullio again will share the front row for Race 2, with Taylor starting from P1.

INDYCAR Officiating has updated its rules for Push to Pass usage for the NTT IndyCar Series and INDY NXT by Firestone.

Beginning with this weekend’s events on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course and for all subsequent road and street circuit races, Push to Pass _ a driver-controlled system that provides roughly 60 extra horsepower via increased turbocharger boost _ will be available and allowed for use at all times once the car passes the alternate start/finish line following the start and once the green flag has been displayed.

Expanded availability, which now includes use on race restarts, will provide teams and drivers additional tools and overtake possibilities during the crucial moments of race restarts. The rule prohibiting passing prior to the restart line remains in effect.

In a separate announcement, INDYCAR Officiating provided its findings following a thorough review of the Push to Pass software failure during the Streets of Long Beach event on April 19.

“The Push to Pass software failure at the Streets of Long Beach allowed INDYCAR an opportunity to fully review the rules of the system and consider any improvements, including leaving Push to Pass available on restarts,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement. “Push to Pass is a driver and team enhancement, which has evolved since its introduction in 2009, and _ working with stakeholders _ we believe it’s time for this additional update.

“While maybe ironic on how we transitioned to this procedural revision, we look forward to seeing how this new opportunity to use Push to Pass will enhance strategy and the potential for even more wheel-to-wheel action.

“This has been a superb example of INDYCAR Officiating and INDYCAR working together to provide our sport outcomes that will greatly benefit on-track competition. We are confident in the update to the software and are gratified with the outcome of this full review.”

Push to Pass timing parameters, including time and maximum time per push, remain unchanged.

Alex Palou, the series’ four-time/reigning champion and current point-leader, said he does not believe the update will be a “huge deal.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s going to change much,” said Palou, who swept last year’s two Month of May events at IMS. “It’s just going to be probably everybody is going to use it in research now. So we’re going to get to the end of the race with a bit less Push to Pass. But it’s the same for everybody. So I don’t think it’s going to be a huge deal.

“I’m happy that it’s not enabled for the start because then just too many buttons to press, especially for the start of the race. Still, it would be the same for everyone.”

The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X _ a true American hypercar and America’s quickest production car _ will lead the field to the green flag for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Corvette ZR1X Pace Car celebrates America’s 250^th anniversary with purpose-driven American craftsmanship forged into this year’s bold livery.

Indiana University Head Football Coach Curt Cignetti, leader of IU Football’s undefeated National Championship team, has been named honorary Pace Car driver and will guide the field of 33 drivers in the Corvette ZR1X to start “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

“America’s hypercar will be front-and-center at the Indianapolis 500, and it has the speed to stay there,” said Tony Roma, Global Corvette and Performance Cars team executive chief engineer. “The ZR1X is made for the racetrack. This Corvette, inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, will absolutely give Coach Cignetti and the fans a thrill.”

The Corvette ZR1X delivers 1,250 horsepower across all four wheels, combining a 186-HP electric motor on the front axle with a 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V8 putting 1,064 horsepower to the rear wheels. For Pace Car duty, the ZR1X is equipped with the Carbon Aero package, including dive planes on the front bumper, underbody aero strakes and the rear wing, which creates more than 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed.

The Corvette ZR1X is capable accelerating from zero to 60 mph in under two-seconds and can reach 233 mph _ approaching speeds turned by race cars in the field.

“As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, this Pace Car design reflects both where we’ve been and where we’re headed,” said Phil Zak, Chevrolet Global executive design director. “Every element _ from the badging to the colors _ were deliberately crafted to honor this milestone while expressing a forward‑looking vision of Chevrolet design.”

Designed in tandem with the Stars and Steel Collection, the Pace Car features stars‑and‑stripes decals running across the car. This exclusive ZR1X was custom painted, appearing Arctic White from the driver side and Admiral Blue from the opposite profile. Every detail was considered, including the painted striping running down the ZR1X’s carbon fiber spine on the rear hatch.

Inside, Santorini Blue seats are paired with red accent seat belts and red stitched floor mats for a cohesive, performance‑driven interior.

“Having ‘America’s Sports Car,’ the Corvette, pacing the field feels especially fitting this year as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “With race car-like performance, the Corvette ZR1X is the perfect choice to pace the field of 33 in the Indianapolis 500.”

As the longest-running car nameplate in automotive industry history, Corvette has paced the Indy 500 more times than any car. The 2026 race marks the 37th time for Chevrolet to pace the event dating to 1948 and the 23rd time overall, all since 1978, for Corvette.

NTT IndyCar Series Point Standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 205; 2, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 188; 3, David Malukas, Team Penske, 142; 4, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 136; 5, Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, 131; 6, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 130; 7, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 127; 8, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 120; 9, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 109; 10, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 106; 

11, Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, 105; 12, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 104; 13, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, 104; 14, Will Power, Andretti Global, 89; 15, Rinus VeeKay, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 79; 16, Dennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing, 76; 17, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 75; 18, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 74; 19, Romain Grosjean, Dale Coyne Racing, 60; 20, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 60;

21, Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Racing, 59; 22, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 59; 23, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 56; 24, Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 44; 25, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 42.

FOX SPORTS’ 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES BROADCAST SCHEDULE/(RACE WINNER)

Note _ All times Eastern

Sunday, March 1 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)

Saturday, March 7 _ Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz., (Josef Newgarden, Team Penske)

Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas, (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)

Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)

Sunday, April 19 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif., (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)

Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 24 _ 110^th Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval, 10 a.m.

Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Detroit, 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill., 9 p.m.

Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., 2 p.m.

Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 19 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn., TBA

Sunday, Aug. 9 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, 4 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 16 _ Streets of Markham, Canada, Noon

Sunday, Aug. 23 _ Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., TBA

Saturday, Aug. 29 _ The Milwaukee Mile Race 1, West Allis, Wis., 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 30 _ The Milwaukee Mile Race 2, West Allis, Wis., 1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 6 _ WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., 2:30 p.m.

Note _ Dates and times subject to change.

2026 INDYCAR NXT BY FIRESTONE SCHEDULE/(RACE-WINNER)

Sunday, March 1 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., (Nikita Johnson, Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR)

Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas, (Max Taylor, Andretti Global)

Saturday, March 28 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., (Nikita Johnson, Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR)

Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., (Alessandro de Tullio, A.J. Foyt Racing)

Friday, May 8 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course Race 1 (Enzo Fittipaldi, HMD Motorsports)

Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course Race 2

Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Detroit

Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.

Saturday, June 20 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., Race 1

Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., Race 2

Saturday, July 4 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Race 1

Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Race 2

Sunday, July 19 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn.

Sunday, Aug. 9 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway

Sunday, Aug. 30 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis.

Saturday, Sept. 5 _ Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., Race 1

Sunday, Sept. 6 _ Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., Race 2