Ericsson Wins Indy 500!

Most of the time people who look to bet on motorsports focus on NASCAR odds, but that’s not the case every year on Memorial Day weekend. That’s because that is when the Indianapolis 500 takes place, and this is known as the “greatest spectacle in racing.”

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was once again jam-packed for the big race, and it was estimated that more than 325,000 people were in attendance. The fans in attendance saw another terrific race, but one that was controlled late by Marcus Ericsson. 

Marcus Ericsson used to be a driver on the Formula One circuit but wanted to give things a shot in the IndyCar Series. The driver from Sweden earned the biggest victory of his career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and also earned a big payday in the process. 

Ericsson is a driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, and that team had plenty of drivers near the top throughout the race. When Jimmie Johnson wrecked with four laps remaining, Ericsson was in the lead and headed to pit row with the rest of the drivers. 

Pato O’Ward made a strong challenge after the cars were back on the track, but Ericsson was able to hold him off to cross the finish line on top. A yellow flag was brought out for the final lap, taking any drama out of the finish. 

This is just the third win for Ericsson in the IndyCar Series and he has been in over 50 races. Ericsson has still found more success in IndyCar than he did with Formula One as he was never able to win a race in five seasons. 

Scott Dixon was in command for the early stages of this race and ended up leading 95 of the 200 laps. Dixon likely would have held on for the victory, but he failed to slow down when making a pit stop, and the penalty kept him from winning the race. 

Tony Kanaan, another driver for Ganassi Racing, was in the mix as well, but he couldn’t seem to find a way to get past his teammate. O’Ward was trying to win the title for Arrow McLaren SP but just came up a little bit short. 

Helio Castroneves was looking for a second straight win at IMS, but he ended up finishing in a disappointing 7th place. 

Huge Purse Awarded

The win over the weekend could become career-changing for Ericsson, and his name will forever be linked to the big race. One that is for sure is that Ericsson got a handsome payday for winning the Indy 500. 

The total purse handed out for the 2022 Indy 500 was $16.1 million, easily shattering the previous record that was set all the way back in 2008. Ericsson took home $3.1 million with the win, the largest prize ever awarded in this race. 

Even the drivers who never really challenged for the win had a nice payday as the average reward was close to $500,000. 

Verstappen Staying Away

It isn’t unusual for Formula 1 drivers to join the IndyCar Series at some point in their careers, and that move clearly paid off for Ericsson. There is one driver that has no intention of coming to the United States, and that’s Max Verstappen. 

Verstappen is the reigning champion of F1 and he cited some safety concerns as to why he will never get into an IndyCar. The Indy 500 is one leg of the Triple Crown of racing, but Verstappen has no intentions of trying to chase that honor. 

The Monaco Grand Prix is another of the legs, and Verstappen has stepped into the winner’s circle at that event. The Le Mans is the third and final leg, and the F1 champion is at least open to the idea of giving that race a try. 

There are usually some major crashes that occur at the Indy 500, and the drivers continue to go faster and faster. Even though driving an F1 car is dangerous as well, Verstappen does not want to risk his life by signing up to race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.