Newgarden led only 5 laps in the Indy 500-- but he led the one that counted

INDIANAPOLIS-- The roadway to Victory Circle wasn't easy for Josef Newgarden.

He had to climb 16 areas after starting 17th in the field; only Eddie Cheever (1998) and Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose (1941) have managed wins from the 17th area. It was the most affordable beginning position for a winner considering that Ryan Hunter-Reay won from 19th on the grid in 2014.

Newgarden holds back Ericsson for thrilling Indy 500 win

Newgarden led 5 laps; only two Indy 500 champions led less laps (Joe Dawson led simply two laps in 1912 while Dan Wheldon led just one lap in 2011).

Newgarden won his 12th profession Indy 500 start. He tied 2 other champs-- 1957 winner Sam Hanks and 2013 winner Tony Kanaan-- for the most begins before winning in occasion history.

His previous finest performance in the 500 came in 2016, when he put third for Ed Carpenter Racing.

PHOTOS|Newgarden commemorates Indy 500 win

The 2023 race marked only the 3rd time a last-lap pass caused victory. The other 2 were simply as memorable: Sam Hornish passed Marco Andretti late in 2006 and Dan Wheldon zipped by J.R. Hildebrand to win the 2011 race after Hildebrand crashed into the wall.

Newgarden's win marked the fourth-closest surface in Indianapolis 500 history with a margin of victory of.0974 of a second. Only three other surfaces were closer:

• 1992:.043 of a second Al Unser Jr. over Scott Goodyear



• 2014:.0600 of a 2nd Ryan Hunter-Reay over Helio Castroneves



• 2006:.0635 of a second Sam Hornish Jr. over Marco Andretti

This year's race saw 52 lead changes, finest for third in Indy 500 history. The 2013 race holds the record with 68 lead changes, followed by the 2016 race, which included 54 of them.

There were 11 lap leaders who completed on the lead lap, beating the previous record of nine embeded in 2011.

A few other race notes, by means of the NTT IndyCar Series:

• Santino Ferrucci ended up third, marking his finest efficiency in 5 500 starts and providing A.J. Foyt Racing its best surface considering that 2000, when Eliseo Salazar took 3rd place




It was the very first 500 with three competition-related red flags, not involving weather condition




Benjamin Pedersen was the top-finishing novice after putting 21st



• Helio Castroneves reached second location in Indianapolis 500 profession miles finished at 10,995, tracking only A.J. Foyt, who has 12,272.5 profession miles.



• Castroneves finished the complete 500-mile distance for the 17th time in his Indianapolis 500 race career, extending his race record. He has been performing at the end of the race in 21 of 23 profession starts



• Six previous winners led the 2023 Indianapolis 500, surpassing the prior race record of 5 set in 1980, 1981 and 1993. The 6 previous winners to lead in 2023: Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato, Will Power and Helio Castroneves