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‘I can’t believe it’: Marcus Ericsson wins Indy 500

Matt Adams

INDIANAPOLIS — Marcus Ericsson emerged victorious to claim the first Indianapolis 500 win of his career.

It didn’t come without some drama for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver. With just a few laps left, Jimmie Johnson, running in his first Indy 500, crashed into Turn 2. That led to the race being red flagged and set the stage for a crucial restart.


Ericsson, who started fifth, had a significant lead on the field and looked poised to cruise to victory until Johnson’s crash. On the restart, he held off a fierce challenge from Pato O’Ward to take the checkered flag.

The Swedish driver said he “couldn’t believe” the red flag came out. Even more surreal? Winning the race.

“I can’t believe it,” he said of the win. “I’m so happy.”

He’s the second Swedish driver to win the race. Kenny Brack was the other.

Even toward the finish, fans saw more drama when Sage Karam crashed as Ericsson was crossing the finish line.

  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, left, of Sweden, celebrates with car owner Chip Ganassi, front right, after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, takes the checkered flags to win the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
  • Marcus Ericsson, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Dixon comes up short

Scott Dixon, the polesitter, ran strong all day, but a late speeding violation in the pits brought his hopes for a second Indy 500 win to an end. Dixon was essentially a spectator during the race’s final laps after a penalty was assessed.

He took little solace in becoming the all-time laps leader in Indianapolis 500 history during the race.

“I just messed up,” a downtrodden Dixon conceded after the race.

The Iceman finished 21st after leading for much of the day.

Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, drives into the first turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 29, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Turn 2 claims VeeKay, Ilott

Turn 2 proved to be the bane of a few drivers.

The first caution came out on lap 38 and involved driver Rinus VeeKay, who started in the third position and ran strong during much of the 500.

Flames were visible as his car hit the wall on Turn 2. VeeKay said the car “got loose” and was “bummed” for his day to end like that. He walked away uninjured and told reporters he was “fine” after being checked at the medical center.

The second significant crash involved rookie Callum Ilott, who also crashed in Turn 2. The crash brought out the second caution flag of the race and cost Alex Palou dearly. Palou lost position because he needed to make an emergency pitstop to get fuel.

After the restart, fan favorite Conor Daly took the lead before Dixon passed him to retake the lead.

  • Rinus VeeKay, of the Netherlands, hits the wall in the second turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/John Maxwell)
  • Callum Ilott, of England, hits the wall in the second turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Greg Huey)

Grosjean out, Herta’s mechanical trouble

The third caution of the day also involved Turn 2. Rookie Romain Grosjean suffered the same fate as VeeKay and Ilott. Grosjean was the fastest rookie in the field and started ninth. The caution flag allowed Dixon and several other drivers to pit.

On the restart, Dixon passed Daly to retake the lead. Santino Ferrucci worked himself into fourth position, only to cede it to Felix Rosenqvist shortly after that.

Colton Herta retired to the pits after 129 laps. His racing team said the car sustained a mechanical issue, bringing an end to his day. Herta said the car “just wasn’t fast enough” and kept getting loose on him, leading to the decision to park it for the rest of the day.

Herta crashed during Friday’s practice on Carb Day. It appeared his team was unable to recover. He’d qualified 25th for Andretti Autosport.

Romain Grosjean, of France hits the wall in the second turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Greg Huey)

Turn 3 trouble for McLaughlin

The fourth caution involved Scott McLaughlin. The Team Penske driver crashed on Turn 3 and became the fourth driver of the race retired due to contact. McLaughlin qualified 26th.

He said a gust of wind caught him by surprise, leading to the crash.

Scott McLaughlin, of New Zealand, hits the wall in the third turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Mike Alley)

Unofficial Indy 500 results:

  1. Marcus Ericsson (winner)
  2. Pato O’Ward
  3. Tony Kanaan
  4. Felix Rosenqvist
  5. Alexander Rossi
  6. Conor Daly
  7. Helio Castroneves
  8. Simon Pagenaud
  9. Alex Palou
  10. Santino Ferrucci
  11. Juan Pablo Montoya
  12. JR Hildebrand
  13. Josef Newgarden
  14. Graham Rahal
  15. Will Power
  16. David Malukas
  17. Kyle Kirwood
  18. Ed Carpenter
  19. Devlin DeFrancesco
  20. Christian Lundgaard
  21. Scott Dixon (polesitter)
  22. Marco Andretti
  23. Sage Karam
  24. Jack Harvey
  25. Takuma Sato
  26. Dalton Kellett
  27. Stefan Wilson
  28. Jimmie Johnson (retired due to contact)
  29. Scott McLaughlin (retired due to contact)
  30. Colton Herta (retired due to mechanical issue)
  31. Romain Grosjean (retired due to contact)
  32. Callum Ilott (retired due to contact)
  33. Rinus VeeKay (retired due to contact)