Sunday Indianapolis 500 Notebook – Motorsports Tribune

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Detroit can’t come soon enough for Marcus Ericsson.

Since crashing his primary car in practice ahead of qualifying weekend for the 108^th running of the Indianapolis 500, it has been one thing after another for the driver of the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda.

Struggling to find speed with his back-up car, Ericsson nearly missed out of the race altogether after falling into the Last Row Shootout to even have a chance to make the 33-car field.

In that Sunday session to determine who among the four drivers at the back of the pack would go home, more missteps, including Ericsson mistakenly aborting his qualifying run a lap early, nearly saw the 2022 Indy 500 champion watching this year’s race from the sidelines.

However, Ericsson and his No. 28 Andretti Global team found their way eventually, posting a time quick enough to get them in the field, allowing them to turn their attention to race day and the monumental task ahead of them starting from the back of the pack.

Ericsson seemed to be on a more positive trajectory in the two practice sessions head of Sunday’s race and was upbeat about his chances to improve his luck when the green flag flew.

However, the 2022 Indy 500 champion would never get the chance.

Heading into Turn 1 on the opening lap, rookie Tom Blomqvist got too low onto the apron, looping his car around directly in front of Ericsson, who had nowhere to go and made heavy contact with Blomqvist and the outside wall.

Ericsson was able to climb from his car unhurt and checked and released from the Infield Care Center at a loss for words at how his race ended almost as soon as it began.