IndyCar Series

Sunday marks the first time the Indianapolis 500 will be held in August.

The 104th edition of the race was moved from the final weekend in May to Sunday, and it is also further down the IndyCar Series' race schedule than usual.

The 33 participants have had six races and two-and-a-half months to feel comfortable in their cars before the green flag is waved at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Marco Andretti sits on pole and will be accompanied by Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato on the front row. Dixon and Sato are two of eight prior Indy 500 winners in the field, but only half of them begin the race in the top half of the starting grid.

                   

Indy 500 Information

Date: Sunday, August 23

Start Time: 1 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. ET green flag)

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com.

              

Odds

Scott Dixon: +425 (bet $100 to win $425)

Alexander Rossi: +750

Ryan Hunter-Reay: +800

Josef Newgarden: +900

Marco Andretti: +900

Will Power: +1000

Simon Pagenaud: +1100

Rinus VeeKay: +1400

Takuma Sato: +1500

Odds from Caesars Palace.

               

Preview

Andretti produced the fastest speeds throughout the qualifying process last weekend, but he is not viewed as the pre-race favorite. In fact, three other competitors are viewed as better options to take the checkered flag in the eyes of the oddsmakers.

Andretti has not fared well at the Indy 500 in the past few years, as he a single top-10 finish in his last four appearances. In that span, the No. 98 car driver has either finished one spot better, equal or worse than his starting position.

Although his recent track record is not great, Andretti boasts eight top-10 placings on his resume, and Andretti Autosport has gone to Victory Lane with three different drivers at the Indy 500 since 2014.

Sato, who is now at Rahal Letterman Racing, was one of the victors in that span, with the others being Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi. Sato, Hunter-Reay and Rossi all start on the front three rows and are powered by Honda, who was the fastest of the two manufacturers in practice and qualifying.

Each member of that trio could pose a threat to Andretti from the start, as could Dixon, who won the first three IndyCar Series races of the season.

The five-time IndyCar Series champion's form and speed, which almost took Andretti off pole, make him an intriguing betting pick, even if he is the favorite. Dixon only has one Indy 500 title to his name, and Sunday could be his best opportunity to become a multi-race winner of the prestigious open-wheel race.

The Honda drivers should receive a challenge at some point from the Chevrolet drivers, who had a week to work with their teams on improving the setup that failed them in practice and qualifying.

Josef Newgarden will lead the charge of Chevrolet cars from the fifth row, and he could be the most dangerous threat to the pack of Hondas. Newgarden won the last IndyCar Series race at Iowa, and he was in the mix to win the 2019 Indy 500 before settling for fourth place.

Simon Pagenaud, last year's winner, has a tough task on his hands to repeat as champion, as he begins the race in 25th.

                       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com.

For the first time in the 104-year history of the Indianapolis 500, the race will take place on the last Sunday of August instead of the final Sunday in May.

And for the first time in 33 years, an Andretti is starting on pole.

The coronavirus pandemic forced IndyCar to postpone its marquee event by three months, and the race will take place with notably fewer fans present. It's still setting up as one of the most fascinating events on the race schedule, not only because the late summer heat will affect how drivers handle the 2.5-mile track but also with drivers like Marco Andretti, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato and Scott Dixon in line for a victory. 

Andretti, the grandson of 1969 winner Mario Andretti, becomes the first member of his famed family to earn pole position for the Indy 500 since 1987. Mario's 1969 win remains the family's only checkered flag in 60 attempts at the 500.

Marco has his best chance to snap that streak since finishing second in 2006, as he has never before started the 500 higher than third.

                     

Indy 500 Fast Nine

Row 1

1. No. 98, Marco Andretti, Honda, 231.068

2. No. 9, Scott Dixon, Honda, 231.051

3. No. 30, Takuma Sato, Honda, 230.725

Row 2

4. No. 21, Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet,  230.704

5. No. 28, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 230.648

6. No. 29, James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 229.870

Row 3

7. No. 55, Alex Palou, Honda, 229.676

8. No. 15, Graham Rahal, Honda, 229.380

9. No. 27, Alexander Rossi, Honda, 229.234

All times mph. Full grid available at Indianapolis Motor Speedway website.

             

Date: Sunday, August 23

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

TV Info: NBC coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET

Live Stream: NBC Sports app (U.S.)

Four previous Indy 500 winners appear in the top nine, including three of the past six, with Ryan Hunter-Reay, Rossi and Sato each looking to become the 19th driver in history to earn the Borg-Warner Trophy multiple times.

The competition surrounding them might make that pretty difficult.

James Hinchcliffe has his best starting position since 2016 and is always a threat at IMS.

After back-to-back years with a Chevrolet crossing the finish line first, Honda appears to have the inside track to Victory Lane, with eight of the top nine cars in the starting grid. Graham Rahal has three top-10 finishes in the 500 and is starting in the first three rows for the first time since 2010.

Previous champions will also be on the track in Will Power (starting 22nd), Tony Kanaan (starting 23rd), Simon Pagenaud (starting 25th) and Helio Castroneves (starting 28th).

Given those four are driving Chevys and were more than 2 mph off the top line, this race may present an even bigger challenge than normal.  

Sunday could mark the best chance for the Andretti family to put an end to the "Andretti curse" at the Indianapolis 500. 

Marco Andretti had the fastest car in the 33-driver field in the practice and qualifying sessions to earn the honor of bringing the field to the green flag.

The 33-year-old is looking to become the first member of his family to win the Indy 500 since his grandfather, Mario, took the checkered flag in 1969. 

But ending the family's decades-long title drought will not be an easy task with a slew of previous Indy 500 champions surrounding Andretti on the grid. 

Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato accompany Andretti on the front row, while his Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi begin on the second and third rows. 

              

Indy 500 Weekend Schedule

Date: Sunday, August 23

Start Time: 1 p.m. ET (Green flag at 2:30 p.m. ET)

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com.

      

Andretti became the first member of his family to claim the Indy 500 pole in 33 years Sunday, when he bested Dixon in the pole competition. 

The No. 98 car driver could benefit from his fast speeds to surge in front of the pack, which could be more crucial than previous years. 

Andretti told Motorsport.com's David Malsher-Lopez that he believes passing could be tougher than in previous years. 

"Well, it's still going to be a track position race—I think it's been tougher this year to pass—so that's going to mean getting all the little details right like the in and out laps, the pitstops, and bullying people on restarts," he said. 

Andretti has performed well at the Indy 500 when he has started on the first three rows. On six occasions, he has started and finished in the top nine positions, including a three-year run from 2013-15 in which he finished fourth, third and sixth. 

But a run near, or at, the front does not guarantee Andretti will head to Victory Lane after 500 miles. 

Dixon could be viewed as the favorite to win the event since he has been more successful than most other drivers in the field.

The 2008 Indy 500 champion has five IndyCar Series titles to his name and was the closest driver to Andretti in overall speed during practice and qualifying.

Dixon was just .017 seconds slower than Andretti's four-lap speed average, and on two of the circuits around the track, he recorded a faster speed than the pole sitter. 

The 40-year-old has three top-10 finishes in the last five Indy 500s and has finished in that range on 11 occasions in his career. 

Andretti, Dixon and six others drivers starting in the first three rows are powered by Honda. Rookie Rinus VeeKay has the only Chevrolet in the top nine. 

Honda's speed dominance forced Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and defending champion Simon Pagenaud to the back half of the grid. 

If the quartet of past Indy 500 champions have faster vehicles and benefit from their experience at IMS, they could move up the field to challenge Dixon, Andretti and others. 

But if Honda carries the same dominance into Sunday, the competition could come down to Andretti, Dixon and a few others in the last 100 miles.

          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com.

The front row of the 2020 Indianapolis 500 starting grid features two previous winners and a driver who has chased after the illustrious prize for over a decade. 

Marco Andretti, who is looking for his first Indy 500 win, will lead the field to the green flag Sunday alongside 2008 champion Scott Dixon and 2017 winner Takuma Sato. 

The first four rows are dominated by Honda vehicles. Only one Chevrolet car will begin the race in the top 12 positions. 

Defending champion Simon Pagenaud is one of the Chevy drivers who will have to work his way up from the back of the pack to have a chance to contend over 500 miles. 

           

Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid

Row 1: Marco Andretti, Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato

Row 2: Rinus VeeKay, Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe

Row 3: Alex Palou, Graham Rahal, Alexander Rossi

Row 4: Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson, Spencer Pigot

Row 5: Josef Newgarden, Felix Rosenqvist, Pato O'Ward

Row 6: Ed Carpenter, Zach Veach, Conor Daly

Row 7: Santino Ferrucci, Jack Harvey, Oliver Askew

Row 8: Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Dalton Kellett

Row 9: Simon Pagenaud, Fernando Alonso, James Davison

Row 10: Helio Castroneves, Charlie Kimball, Max Chilton

Row 11: Sage Karam, JR Hildebrand, Ben Hanley

        

Breakdown

Andretti is the first member of his third-generation racing family to land on the Indy 500 pole in 33 years. 

He is looking to break the Andretti Curse that has plagued his family since his grandfather, Mario Andretti, won the race in 1969.

Despite decades worth of Indy 500 starts, Marco and his father, Michael, have not reached Victory Lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

Andretti had the fastest car during Friday's practice session, Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's Fast Nine Shootout pole competition. 

The 33-year-old told NBCSports.com's Nate Ryan that this is one of the best cars he has had going into the Indy 500: 

"I mean, as far as like raw horsepower and dominance through the month, it's been a whirlwind of a start for me. It's like almost every time we go out on track, we can almost go to the top when we want. It's almost too good to be true. So from that standpoint, 2012 we were gone in the lead. 2013, we were fast, but as far as horsepower, Honda really brought it."

Andretti is looking to become the second driver in a row to win the event from pole position. 

A high starting spot has been a good indicator of success recently. Sato won in 2017 from fourth, and Will Power started third in 2018 on his way to victory. 

Even though he has the fastest car, Andretti needs to put in a near-perfect race to fend off the experienced competitors around him.

Dixon is a five-time IndyCar Series champion, but the New Zealand native hasn't won the 500 since 2008. His four-lap average Sunday was only 0.017 miles per hour slower than Andretti. 

If the 40-year-old does not turn into Andretti's top competitor, it could be another Honda driver, such as Sato or Graham Rahal. 

Honda had 11 of the 12 fastest cars in qualifying, with Rinus VeeKay being the only Chevrolet driver to break that dominance. The 19-year-old, a rookie from the Netherlands, starts fourth on the grid. 

Josef Newgarden had the fastest Chevrolet of the manufacturer's top drivers, but the series' reigning champion was 0.772 seconds off Andretti's pace. 

If Chevrolet's engines can be adjusted during the week, it could make the race competitive between the two companies. 

Even if that is the case, Newgarden, Power and others may have to be more aggressive or use a different pit strategy to maneuver their way up the field. 

                

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com.

For the fourth time in Indianapolis 500 history, an Andretti will lead the cars to the green flag.

Marco Andretti followed in his grandfather's footsteps Sunday, earning the pole for the 2020 Indianapolis 500. He recorded a four-lap average of 231.068 miles per hour, besting Scott Dixon by just 0.017 miles per hour.

Takuma Sato finished third to round out the first row. Rinus VeeKay, Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe will start on Row 2.

1. Marco Andretti (231.068 mph)

2. Scott Dixon (231.051 mph)

3. Takuma Sato (230.725 mph)

4. Rinus VeeKay (230.704 mph)

5. Ryan Hunter-Reay (230.648 mph)

6. James Hinchcliffe (229.870 mph)

7. Alex Palou (229.676 mph)

8. Graham Rahal (229.380 mph)

9. Alex Rossi (229.234 mph)

Full starting grid available here.

Mario Andretti, considered one of the greatest athletes in motorsports history, won the Indianapolis 500 pole three times. He did not win the race in any of those instances, with his only Indy 500 triumph coming in 1969.

Michael Andretti, Marco's father, came narrowly close to winning the 500 on several occasions but finished no better than second in 1991. His best qualifying effort was third place in 1986.

Marco Andretti, who has finished in second once and third three times in the sport's biggest event, will be looking to change the family luck from the pole. 

If history is any indication, though, the odds are not in his favor. Andretti has been no higher than sixth since 2014 and has been outside the top 10 each of the last two races. He's also finished no higher than 10th in a race during the 2020 season.

Simon Pagenaud won from the pole in 2019, but he was the first to do so in a decade. 

Dixon won the Indy 500 in 2008, and Sato took it home in 2017. 

Marco Andretti has set the pace the past two days at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and if he can extend that streak to three days, he will end up in the pole position for the Indy 500.

Andretti's Honda topped the charts during Friday's practice session and Saturday's qualifying round. He will be joined by eight other competitors in the race for the pole Sunday. The first three rows for the August 23 event will also be determined.

The field of nine pole position hopefuls is dominated by Honda cars. Only one Chevrolet featured in the top nine speeds Saturday.

                      

Indy 500 Qualifying Information

Date: Sunday, August 16

Start Time: 1:15 p.m. ET 

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com.

              

Pole Prediction

Marco Andretti

It seems hard to imagine anyone will match Andretti's pace based on the past 48 hours.

Even though he was one of the last drivers to hit the course Saturday, Andretti laid down the only lap under 38.8 seconds. The No. 98 car driver had the fastest time around the track at 38.7635 seconds on his first lap, and he hit 231.351 miles per hour for Saturday's top speed.

Andretti revealed he was not sure whether his car would land the top spot, but he was confident in having a top-nine vehicle, per the Indianapolis Star's Nathan Brown.

"I wasn't worried about it," Andretti said. "I knew as long as I executed, we'd be a top-nine contender. But did I think P1 [was realistic]? I'm not sure about that, so it made me feel good. I think it's something we can replicate [Sunday] and find a little bit we can capitalize on."

Andretti's closest competition for the pole may come from within his own team, as Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe respectively finished second, third and fourth Saturday.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is the only other team to have multiple drivers competing in the Fast Nine. Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato sit in eighth and ninth.

Scott Dixon, who has sat on the Indy 500 pole twice, looks like Andretti's top competition from another team, as he had the fifth-fastest car Saturday. Rinus VeeKay is the lone Chevrolet representative, and Alex Palou resides in seventh place.

While a case could be made for another Andretti Autosport car to top the charts, Andretti has set a consistent pace at the top of the lap time and speed charts. Until another car eclipses what Andretti's machine is capable of, it is hard to see anyone else starting first on the grid come the Indy 500.

                   

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from NBCSports.com.

The first round of qualifying for the 2020 Indianapolis 500 is in the books, with Rows 4 through 11 locked into place.

Each of the top nine drivers during Saturday's qualifying round will return to the track Sunday to determine the final starting grid.

Here is how all 33 drivers finished in the first round of qualifying:

Fast Nine: Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi, James Hinchcliffe, Scott Dixon, Rinus VeeKay, Alex Palou, Graham Rahal, Takuma Sato

Row 4: Colton Herta (230.775 mph); Marcus Ericsson (230.566 mph); Spencer Pigot (230.539 mph)

Row 5: Josef Newgarden (230.296 mph); Felix Rosenqvist (230.254 mph); Pato O'Ward (230.213 mph)

Row 6: Ed Carpenter (230.211 mph); Zach Veach (229.961 mph); Conor Daly (229.955 mph)

Row 7: Santino Ferrucci (229.924 mph); Jack Harvey (229.861 mph); Oliver Askew (229.76 mph)

Row 8: Will Power (229.701 mph); Tony Kanaan (229.154 mph); Dalton Kellett (228.88 mph)

Row 9: Simon Pagenaud (228.836 mph); Alonso Fernando (228.768 mph); James Davison (228.747 mph)

Row 10: Helio Castroneves (228.373 mph); Charlie Kimball (227.758 mph); Max Chilton (227.303 mph)

Row 11: Sage Karam (227.099 mph); JR Hildebrand (226.341 mph); Ben Hanley (222.917 mph)

Marco Andretti set the pace with an average speed of 231.351 mph during his run, narrowly edging out Ryan Hunter-Reay at 231.33 mph.

This continues the streak of impressive driving for Andretti that began with his practice run Friday:

.@IndyCar confirms that @MarcoAndretti has turned the fastest Fast Friday lap (233.491 mph) since @ArieLuyendyk back in 1996 (239.260 mph).

— Nathan Brown (@By_NathanBrown) August 14, 2020

"In the middle of the day, the heat of the day, we put together a really solid four laps," Andretti told reporters of his Fast Friday run. "That is the heat of the day, right? That's the positive to take, that if it is going to be hot, we already did that."

Andretti's recent history at the Indianapolis 500 hasn't been great. The 33-year-old has just one top-10 finish in this event since 2016. His 26th-place showing last year was the second-worst of his career, ahead of only his 2009 run (30th).

If Andretti can repeat his success from the past two days on Sunday, he will secure his sixth career pole.

Current IndyCar points leader Scott Dixon will be among the eight drivers challenging Andretti on Sunday after his fifth-place showing Saturday. He already has three wins this season and has five top-five finishes in six races.

Scott Dixon shows there’s still some speed out there. He went out and improved from sixth to fifth, but his first three laps were pretty strong.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 15, 2020

The 2008 Indy 500 champion is looking for his fourth career pole victory at this event. He last started from the top spot three years ago but was unable to finish after a scary-looking crash on Lap 53.

Simon Pagenaud, who is currently Dixon's closest competition in the points standings, didn't have nearly as strong of a run Saturday. The defending Indianapolis 500 champion will begin in 25th place, his worst starting position since joining the IndyCar series in 2011.

One reason for optimism for Pagenaud when the green flag drops next week is that bad qualifying hasn't impacted his overall results this season:

Simon Pagenaud has the worst average starting position among all drivers this year. He is 2nd in points.

— Beyond the Flag (@Beyond_The_Flag) August 15, 2020

On the other hand, Pagenaud is fighting against recent history as he chases his second straight Indy 500 victory. There hasn't been a winner outside of the first two rows since Alexander Rossi came from the 11th spot in 2016.

The Fast Nine portion of qualifying will begin at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. This year's Indianapolis 500 will take place on Aug. 23.

The Honda cars enter qualifying for the Indy 500 with an advantage over Chevrolet to land the pole for the August 23 race after Honda produced the fastest cars during the Friday practice session.

Graham Rahal will start Saturday's session after he was selected first in a random draw to get out on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

The top nine cars from qualifying will advance to Sunday's Fast Nine, where the pole sitter and the front three rows will be determined. 

        

Indy 500 Qualifying Information

Dates: Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16

Times: Saturday (11 a.m.-5 p.m. ET); Sunday (1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m. ET)

TV: NBC (Saturday 3-5 p.m. ET; Sunday 1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m. ET)

Live Stream: NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports app and NBCSports.com.

         

Preview

Rahal and his teammate Takuma Sato have the opportunity to set the qualifying pace after they were drawn into the first two positions for Saturday.

Not only is the early draw favored by the fast Honda cars, but it is envied by the Chevrolet racers looking to pick up more speed. 

Will Power, who will hit the track 10th, told NBC Sports' Nate Ryan the early start could play favor him and others. 

"The first run really counts," Power said. "If you drew in the first top 10, you're in pretty good shape, especially for us who are just trying to crack into the top nine. I was really happy about that."

Power told NBC Sports he was frustrated throughout Friday's practice session because the Team Penske Chevrolet cars were not as fast as others (h/t The Athletic's Jeff Gluck).

"We're just not fast," Power said. "We're just not going to be able to challenge Honda (for the pole). I can't see it."

Power, Josef Newgarden and Sage Karam could be Chevrolet's top hopefuls to land in the top nine spots since they go off ninth, 10th and 11th. 

If they land in the back part of the top nine, they could be in for a nervous wait with Marco Andretti looming in the 28th position of the draw. 

Andretti produced the fastest lap in hot conditions Friday, which could be a good indicator for his performance Saturday. The Andretti Autosport driver tried to use that reasoning to put a positive spin on his unlucky draw, per Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press.

"In the middle of the day, the heat of the day, we put together a really solid four laps," Andretti said. "That is the heat of the day, right? That's the positive to take, that if it is going to be hot, we already did that."

Andretti has never started on the pole for the most prestigious North American open-wheel race. 

Ed Carpenter won the pole position most in the last decade. He started first in 2013, 2014 and 2018. Scott Dixon had two first-place starts in that span, and Simon Pagenaud began the race in first in 2019.

          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

The 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Aug. 23 will be held at approximately 25 percent fan capacity, and all spectators will be required to wear masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic, race organizers announced Tuesday. 

Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles explained the decision in the press release:

"In June, we announced the race was on and that attendance would be limited to no more than 50 percent of capacity. We also made clear we intended to do things differently this year. By offering credits to fans who had previously purchased tickets, encouraging those over 65 to stay at home, limiting attendance in the infield, reducing tickets in our suites and promising fans their decision to not attend would not impact their seniority or right to renew tickets for 2021, we now anticipate attendance at approximately 25 percent of capacity. We will welcome fans back, and we have an aggressive plan in place, which has been developed through collaboration with national, state and local health experts."

The seating arrangement will also account for safe social distancing, hand sanitizer will be provided to attendees, and all people who enter the venue will have their temperatures taken before being granted admittance. 

Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star reported that the approximate crowd size—estimated to be around 87,500 people—would be the smallest since 83,000 fans were in attendance in 1916. 

The race was originally scheduled to be run May 24 but was rescheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Race organizers made it clear that they had no intention of holding the race without spectators.

"A 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway without fans would be just that—a 500-mile race without fans," IMS President Doug Boles told the Indianapolis Star in June. "And that's not the Indy 500. In order to have the Indy 500, you have to have fans."

Miles added Tuesday: 

"We look forward to welcoming fans back to the 500 in person. Our outdoor facility is mammoth, and with attendance of about 25 percent, it will certainly look different this year. We want to demonstrate that even under current circumstances, people can gather with carefully planned procedures in place so we don't have to go back to shutting down our country and our community."

As for the race itself, Simon Pagenaud will be hoping to repeat his win from the 2019 season. The race has not had consecutive wins by a driver since Helio Castroneves pulled off the feat in 2001 and 2002. Pagenaud ranks second in the IndyCar standings behind Scott Dixon, who won the series' first three races. Josef Newgarden, Pato O'Ward and Will Power round out the top five. 

IndyCar drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway's GMR Grand Prix expecting the 14-turn road course to provide the day's biggest challenge were proven wrong early Saturday afternoon.

It wasn't the track the racers had to worry about; it was the heat. 

As temperatures soared above 90 degrees at IMS, some drivers began overheating to an extreme degree.

Indiana native Conor Daly, who has driven at the track professionally since 2013, tweeted that he lost 12 pounds during the race.

I lost north of 12lbs in the race today. It was HOT in the wagon. Really brutal temps. Heart rate lower on road courses but more difficult with the heat I thought. Felt great after Texas. Was feeling ROUGH after today. #IndyGP pic.twitter.com/PsdliX0dOs

— Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22) July 4, 2020

"Man, I thought I was going to die after the race," Daly told Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star. "All my body cramped. It was terrible. [That] was worse than I've ever felt after a race. I had to sit down for 45 minutes after the race. [My] heart rate was still above 140." 

The GMR Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500, the sport's two biggest events at IMS, are normally run in May, but both were pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Daly finished 12th overall, and seventh-place driver Josef Newgarden told Ayello it was the hottest race he's ever competed in. 

As bad as those two felt, the didn't have nearly as tough an outing as Colton Herta, who was unable to drink water in his car for nearly two hours after his water bag malfunctioned at the start of the race. 

"I was pretty loopy at the end there," Herta said, per Ayello. "I hydrated a bunch at the beginning. I think that's what saved me. But my head was spinning, and I was close to kind of falling over when I got out of the car."