Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis 500 preview: Josef Newgarden returns a different driver
INDIANAPOLIS — A social media post designed to introduce drivers in the Indianapolis 500 to the general public put Josef Newgarden in an awkward light when the reigning race winner was asked a simple question.
“Which IndyCar driver would you take on a road trip?” asked the questionnaire.
“Solo” Newgarden responded.
An odd answer for a driver who a year ago was practically inseparable from Scott McLaughlin, his Team Penske teammate. The “Bus Bros.” had a media company, a YouTube show and merchandise. They appeared to be the best of friends and McLaughlin celebrated Newgarden when the Tennessean finally broke through to win his first Indianapolis 500.
Twelve months later, the Bus Bros. are no more, the friendship apparently unraveled after Newgarden went solo and unfollowed everyone on social media — including his wife — in a bid to rebuild his love of racing.
Winning the Indy 500 wasn’t as fulfilling as he had expected; for the two-time IndyCar Series champion, racing had become a grind of too many failures and not enough successes.
Insulated but re-energized when he returned for this season, Newgarden scored an emphatic victory in the opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida. Six weeks later, IndyCar discovered illegal push-to-pass software on the three Team Penske cars and threw out both Newgarden’s win and McLaughlin’s third-place finish.
Newgarden returns to the speedway for Sunday’s race as the defending Indy 500 winner but caught in a cheating scandal that has damaged his pristine reputation and that of Team Penske. A deeply embarrassed Roger Penske suspended four team members, including team President Tim Cindric, Newgarden’s strategist.
If the drama is distracting Newgarden, he’s not let on.
He qualified third to complete Team Penske’s first front row lockout in Indy 500 qualifying since 1988. McLaughlin won the pole and Will Power qualified second.
Asked how different this year has felt from last season, when Newgarden won in his 12th try, he felt nothing much has changed.
“Feels really similar to me in a lot of ways. I feel a lot of respect for this facility and this race, this track,” Newgarden said before turning the topic to how good his Chevrolet was a year ago. “We were fortunate enough as a team, as a group, where it just fell into place for us. We had a great car. … it was our day.
“I feel the same in that regard. I think I’ve got another great race car,” he continued. “I had sort of let go of the fact that I was ever going to win this race. It’s such a tough race to win, I think you had to be comfortable with that. I think that rings true for a second. I’m happy to be here, happy to have a shot.”
PADDOCK UNREST
There remains dissatisfaction about the scandal, particularly from teams who simply don’t believe the Team Penske explanations as to how Newgarden, his engineers and McLaughlin found nothing to be amiss when their horsepower boosts worked when they should not have. IndyCar said Penske drivers had manipulated the push-to-pass software system on their cars; Penske and Cindric called it a miscommunication and breakdown in process.
Zak Brown, head of Arrow McLaren Racing, said the Penske punishments were too light; he called Cindric’s presence at Penske’s sports car win at Laguna Seca two weeks ago while under suspension “a bad look.”
There is skepticism that Cindric won’t be involved in some form in the race. IndyCar set no parameters on what the suspended team members can or can’t do, leaving the discipline to Penske to dole out. Penske owns not only the race team, but IndyCar itself, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500.
“Do I think Tim Cindric is engaged during the Month of May? Yes. In what way, I don’t know the rules they set out, I don’t know that,” Brown said. “But do I believe that Tim Cindric is sitting on his couch, turning on the race and watching it as 5 of 6 million other people are? No.”
Newgarden can win a $440,000 bonus from trophy-maker BorgWarner if he becomes the first driver to win back-to-back Indy 500s since the award was established in 1995. It’s been claimed only once — by Helio Castroneves after 2001 and 2002 victories — and only five drivers in 107 runnings have won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in consecutive years.
Newgarden is the race favorite, followed by McLaughlin and Kyle Larson, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The odds made McLaughlin a little nervous and same for Larson, who couldn’t understand why anyone would “waste their money betting on me.”
Said McLaughlin: “My first Indy 500, I was headed out to driver intros and some guy screamed at me he’d bet $20,000 on me to win. And all I could think was ‘Why?’”
LARSON EFFECT
This year’s race has NASCAR star Kyle Larson in the field as he attempts to become the fifth driver in history to complete “The Double” and race in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
The 2021 Cup Series champion is the first driver to attempt the 1,100 miles of racing since Kurt Busch in 2014. Weather is not in his favor with the Indy forecast calling for rain on Sunday.
Larson qualified fifth for his debut Indy 500 and a year’s worth of prep has gone into his joint effort between Arrow McLaren Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. Rick Hendrick, his boss, now seems to be having second thoughts about pulling Larson from Indy to get him to Charlotte Motor Speedway in time for the evening’s NASCAR race.
“At this point, just hoping the weather cooperates to get all 1,100-miles in. It’s been something I’ve looked forward to for close to two years,” Larson said. “It doesn’t look too promising for Indy on Sunday, but I think for me, where I sit, if it’s going to rain, I hope it rains all day. That way it can just get pushed to Monday or something. We can get (NASCAR) in on Sunday night and then come here Monday.”
McLaren boss Zak Brown said the decision would be solely for Hendrick to make.
CHEVROLET vs. HONDA
Chevrolet clearly had the speed benefit in qualifying when the engine maker claimed the first eight spots in qualifying. But Honda showed it can hold its own in race trim, which means there is no obvious favorite for Sunday.
“I think Chevrolet has a little bit of a power advantage right now, but you never know once the race starts,” said Chip Ganassi, who failed to qualify any of his five Honda-powered cars inside the top 12. “I’ll take a handling car any day over horsepower.”
BROWN’S OWN DOUBLE
Brown has his own eye on the weather and a plane ticket on hold for Saturday to take him to the Monaco Grand Prix if it appears the Indianapolis 500 will be rained out.
He would then attempt his own version of “The Double” and watch his F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on Sunday in Monaco, then return to Indianapolis for the 500 on Monday. If he decides to stay in Indianapolis but the 500 is rained out, Brown said he’d travel to North Carolina to cheer on Larson in the Coca-Cola 600.
“I just hope it’s not a rain delay,” Brown said. “I hope it’s either a washout, chucking down rain and we’re not racing Sunday and leave, go to Charlotte, and come back. That’s the delay I want.”
Indianapolis 500
When: 9 a.m. PT Sunday (green flag scheduled for 9:45 a.m.)
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
TV: NBC Ch. 4
INDIANAPOLIS — A woman was critically injured in a shooting on the northeast side of Indianapolis Tuesday night.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the 5500 block of East 41st Street around 8:45 p.m. to investigate a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult female with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Per IMPD, the victim was transported from the the scene to a local hospital in critical condition. Police reported that hospital staff later provided them with an update that indicated the victim remains in critical condition.
Investigators believe the shooting occurred inside a residence on 41st Street. One shell casing was found in the front yard of that residence near its driveway. Police do not believe that stray shell casing is related to the shooting in any way.
Law enforcement detained a person of interest during its investigation of the shooting. IMPD has not yet provided any of the detainee’s identifying information like sex, age or name.
Police do not believe the shooting poses any ongoing threat to the public. Investigators are, however, still encouraging area residents to call IMPD at (317) 327-3475 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 to pass along any information they may have on the shooting.
Larry D. Hunter, 80, of Indianapolis, passed away peacefully at his home on April 16, 2026. He was born in Metamora, Indiana, on April 19, 1945, the ninth of 11 children of Conley and Oma Hunter (née Mobley). He was a graduate of Brookville High School, where he played basketball and also served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, B. High Spirit. While in high school, he also played baseball in the Babe Ruth League in Brookville.
After graduating in 1963, Larry joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1964 until 1967. During this time, while stationed in Germany, he met his first wife, Gabriele (née Vetter). They returned to the States, married in 1968 and remained together until 1988. They had two children, Rusty and Nikki. In 1997, he married Connie (née Sparks) and they remained together until 2022. Larry was a member of Five Points Baptist Church in Mooresville and the Carpenters Union Local 301. He was employed with Paul Fox Construction for several years before working at F.A. Wilhelm Construction, where he stayed for over 40 years as a layout engineer and then superintendent before officially retiring in 2025 at the age of 80.
Larry had many interests including spending time with family; watching Indianapolis Colts games, comedy movies and game shows; playing board games; working his booth at the flea market, and playing ping pong, mini golf and bowling, for which he participated in a league for a few years. He also loved his many dogs – Chief, Champ, Prince, Max and Molly – and cats Cuddles, Sophie, Misty and Meanbutt.
Survivors include his two children, Rusty Hunter of New Palestine and Nikki Hunter of Indianapolis; one brother James A. (Karen) Hunter of Shelbyville; step-daughter Amie Jo Sparks (Christopher) Ross; five step-grandchildren Jordan (Paige) Cowan, Mason (Alexis) Cowan, Erica Cowan, Jessica Furkin, and Daila Hargitt; eight step-great-grandchildren, Callie, Aiden, Rylie, Princeton, Sensei, Charlotte, Luka, and Amelia. In addition to his parents, Larry was preceded in death by nine siblings: William, Ray, Roy, Herbert, Eva, Elsie, Ruth, Paul (“Bud”), and Garry; and one stepson, Brian Sparks.
Visitation will be held on Monday, May 4 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Cook Rosenberger Funeral Home, 929 Main Street, Brookville, Indiana 47012. Pastor Rob Edwards will officiate the funeral service beginning at 1 p.m. and burial will follow immediately after in Metamora Cemetery – Mobley Addition.
Memorial contributions in honor of Larry may be directed to the American Legion Bernard Hurst Post #77. Donations will be accepted in person at the visitation, or they can be mailed to 1290 Fairfield Avenue, Brookville, IN 47012.
To share fond memories, offer personal condolences, or to sign the online guestbook, please visit www.cookrosenberger.com. The staff of Cook Rosenberger Funeral Home are honored to care for Larry and his family during this time.
If there’s one topic that can compel multiple people to shout an expletive into a microphone in a church sanctuary, it’s data centers.
Company executives from Atlanta-based DC BLOX, the latest developer looking to build a data center campus in Indianapolis, made their pitch on April 27 at Downey Avenue Christian Church in Irvington, the east-side neighborhood near which three proposed facilities would sit. The sanctuary was packed with close to 200 people, including residents who came to speak vehemently against the idea, union laborers who showed up to support it and many more who came to listen.
“It’s not popular to be in the data center business right now. It’s really popular to go online, on social media especially, and hate on data centers,” DC BLOX Senior Vice President of Sales David Armistead said to the room before public comment. “But what I will tell you is not all data centers are the same, and not all data center companies are the same. And if there’s a data center that was irresponsible and they’re getting a lot of hate, then that’s well-deserved.”
Armistead’s remarks did little to comfort residents who criticized the plan for several reasons, among them: the company’s intention to seek tax breaks; the air and noise pollution more than three dozen backup diesel generators could cause; and the data centers’ proposed location just south of Irvington Community Elementary School.
“I think you should pay your fair share of taxes, just like every small business in the community pays taxes from the day they open their door,” William Moser, an east-side resident, told the company leaders.
While most kept their comments civil, one woman told the DC BLOX representatives that “every single one of you are disgusting.”
Before the meeting, the company decided to postpone its May hearing before the Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner to take more time to gather feedback. The use variance request required for the data center — which needs final approval by the full MDC but not the Indianapolis City-County Council — is now set for an initial hearing June 11.
What to know about DC BLOX data center
DC BLOX wants to build a data center campus with three buildings encompassing more than 400,000 square feet in an industrial park just east of Irvington, at 305 Fintail Drive. The company aims to complete the initial facility, the smallest at 80,000 square feet, within two years of city approval and the two larger buildings by 2030.
All told, Armistead said, the three facilities would cost upward of $2 billion to build and use close to 80 megawatts of energy — enough to power tens of thousands of homes. DC BLOX says the data center will employ 35 “high-wage” permanent staffers and up to 600 construction workers during the buildout.
The buildings would sit on part of a 150-acre site where a longstanding Ford automotive parts factory operated until 2007. After the plant was demolished, the site rebranded as the Thunderbird Commerce Center in 2021 to attract logistics and manufacturing firms.
The site’s anchor business is beverage retailer and distributor Monarch Distributing, which moved into a roughly 500,000-square-foot facility in 2024. The data center buildings would be just north of where Monarch sits, closer to the Pennsy Trail.
How DC BLOX deals with energy, pollution concerns
The company’s proposal aims to mitigate some of the common fears about data centers, particularly related to energy use.
For one, the facilities won’t initially be used to power artificial intelligence, the force driving much of the data center boom. DC BLOX says it will house data for regional network communications and local clients like banks, hospitals, universities and governments.
What’s more, the first building will cool computer equipment with a waterless system similar to those big-box stores use. The next two facilities would use a closed-loop system, a less water-intensive method that will pull water only from municipal provider Citizens Energy Group — not from natural aquifers.
In case of rare emergencies or mechanical issues, the company says it will dispose of leaking water in line with state regulations and not flush it into the city’s wastewater system.
DC BLOX also says it will pay for all costs associated with a new electricity substation that could be needed to power the three facilities. The company cites an AES Indiana statement that promises new data centers will cause “no negative impact to existing customer rates” because AES will be able to spread out new infrastructure costs over a larger amount of electricity sold.
Armistead said Monday night that although DC BLOX would not be legally bound by proposed city regulations on data centers that could take effect this summer, the company plans to adhere to most of them anyways. DC BLOX also won’t sign non-disclosure agreements as part of its negotiations, representatives said.
“I see this as a way to extend technology into an area where it hasn’t existed before,” Armistead said, “to allow the community to participate in this high, high- growth sector of our U.S. economy.”
The company says it aims to host another community forum in City-County Council District 20, where the data center is technically located, in the coming weeks. Irvington sits just to the west in District 14.
District 20 Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, whose opposition helped to kill a Google data center in his district last fall, told IndyStar in an April 22 phone interview he remains “neutral” on the DC BLOX proposal.
He said residents should “take the time to show up and make sure that they’re getting all questions asked and answered.”
“Anything we want in a commitment is still completely plausible, because it still takes a vote, and that’s from the MDC,” Hart said. “So if there are valid points that need to be made, there are still members of that body who are going to listen and can approve these things. And that’s where the convincing has to happen.”
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
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