Indianapolis, IN

South Florida boasts four drivers who could win Indianapolis 500

Published

9 months ago

May 23, 2025

Press Room

South Florida boasts four drivers who could win Indianapolis 500

Holly Cain
| Special to The Post

Kirkwood is currently second in the IndyCar championship standings and is optimistic about his chances in the Indy 500 -despite qualifying 23rd.
Hunter-Reay, a former series champion, is making his 17th Indy 500 start.

SPEEDWAY, IN – As host to the 109^th Running of the Indy 500, Indianapolis always has been considered one of sport’s “boom towns,” the center of it all in the middle of auto racing’s biggest weekend – major races all day in all the world’s premier series.

And this week – as with so many years previously – South Florida has contributed substantially to the great Indy 500 race’s cast of renowned power players. Four of the 33 drivers on this year’s starting grid either call South Florida home now or did only months ago – from breakout star Jupiter’s Kyle Kirkwood, to Fort Lauderdale 2014 Indy winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. Four-time Indy champion Helio Castroneves and young standout Rinus Veekay both lived in Miami until a couple of months ago.

The 2014 Indy 500 winner and 2012 IndyCar Series champion, Hunter-Reay, grew up in Fort Lauderdale, went to Cardinal Gibbons High School and his family of five lives in the same area now. A part-time competitor at this point, this will be Hunter-Reay’s 17^th start in the Indy 500.

And this week 12-year old Ryden Hunter-Reay was able to join his father for race activities – even sitting at the podium during a news conference and fielding a couple of questions with ease.

Missing out on a couple days of school versus being at the most famous race in the world with his father, who will start 25^th, seemed like a no-brainer.

“I think it’s better, way better,” Ryden allowed with a huge smile.

Kirkwood easily has become one of the sport’s favorite competitors. The 26-year old is one of only two race winners this season – claiming his second trophy at the renowned Long Beach Grand Prix in April. He currently sits second in the championship, 97 points behind this season’s only other race winner, four-time victor Alex Palou.

True to his good nature, Kirkwood smiled recalling how after his big win at Long Beach a few weeks ago, a Southern California newspaper mistakenly identified him as “Kirk” Kirkwood in a big headline. With all the kidding he’s received from his teammates and fellow racers, he conceded that “Kirk Kirkwood,” is almost like an alter ego for him now.

“I’m going to start making hats, using that golf font that they always put ‘Brickyard’ on the front, it’s just going to be ‘Kirk,’ “ Kirkwood said this week, laughing. “I’m hoping to get some sales with that. I’m just accepting it now.”

The always challenging Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a steady and positive progression for Kirkwood – as with all drivers it’s a learning curve getting a handle on the unique 2.5-mile track. He is coming off a career-best finish in the 500 – leading his first laps (two) in the race and finishing seventh last year in only his third start.

On May 25, his No. 26 Andretti Global Honda takes the green flag from the 23^rd position on the grid – his starting place not truly indicative of his performance at Indianapolis this month. He was consistently among the top 10 in five days of practice and seemed quite optimistic about his chances in front of about a dozen of his family and friends from Florida who will be among a sold-out crowd of 325,000.

“It was a little bit of a head-scratcher this past weekend because we came out of the first few days, no-tow speeds were amazing, race pace was amazing,” Kirkwood said of qualifying.

Kyle Kirkwood optimistic about Indy 500 chances

Despite the slight qualifying setback, Kirkwood said he’s actually never been more optimistic about his chances on race day.

“Fortunately,” he said. “I have a wizard on the stand, [strategist] Bryan Herta, who has helped me, guided me to the lead or at least close to the lead in the past couple of years. I’m excited for it. This is the best race car I’ve ever had around this place. I don’t want to see it go to waste.”

Castroneves, who just recently moved from Miami to Atlanta, won all four of his record-tying Indianapolis 500 trophies while living in South Florida. A fifth Indy 500 in his No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Team Honda would make Castroneves the all-time winningest driver in the race’s history. And as with his fellow eighth-row starter Kirkwood, Castroneves has been faster than his starting position indicates. And like Hunter-Reay, this is his first start of the season.

“Wow, 25, 25th edition, which is amazing,” the Brazilian Castroneves said of his total Indy starts, which are most in the field. “If I wouldn’t be in so much love with this place, I wouldn’t be coming back for sure. But this place has been good to me. This place is amazing. I want to try to get what a lot of people (want) and especially rewrite history.

“We’re going to have hard work to go up there, but a great row here. I feel like we’re going to be up front very soon.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay’s car catches fire during ‘Carb Day’ practice

Hunter-Reay had a tougher than usual final “Carb Day” practice as his No. 23 Dreyer Reinbold Chevy caught fire midway through the two-hour session. Hunter-Reay pulled off the track and got out quickly. He was OK, the car was towed back to the team garage and the team went to work on it. Disappointed, but not disillusioned, Hunter-Reay acknowledged it is part of the drama of this race.

“That caught my attention,” Hunter-Reay said, adding, “Just have to figure out why.”

Hunter-Reay said it never gets old competing at Indianapolis.

“It’s not like it becomes less stressful,” he said. “You just deal with it in a different way, and you manage that a bit more. Yeah, it’s always come with a lot of pressure and obviously consequences on the racetrack and all that stuff. It’s part of the job.”

As the news conference closed, young Ryden Hunter-Reay was asked to make the ultimate prediction as to who will be celebrating on race day.

He did not hesitate: “My dad.”

109th Indianapolis 500

12:30 p.m., Sunday, May 25

TV: Fox

Defending champ: Josef Newgarden

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Indianapolis, IN

Noblesville man arrested, accused of rape of UIndy student in dorm room

Published

12 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Noblesville man arrested, accused of rape of UIndy student in dorm room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 21-year-old man was arrested and accused of raping a University of Indianapolis student on campus.

Police say the investigation began on Jan. 24 when University of Indianapolis Police received a call from a woman who said she believed she was drugged at a bar in downtown Indianapolis and then raped in her dorm room.

Court documents say she met Marwan Khalaf of Noblesville at the Metro Bar on Massachusetts Avenue and went back to her dorm room, where he repeatedly raped her. When she woke up one of the last times, he was gone.

According to court documents, she next went to shower and passed out again. She woke up in the shower at 7 a.m. Jan. 24 and called 911.

The student told investigators she had gone out alone on Jan. 23 and took an Uber to a few bars downtown before arriving at the Metro Bar at 12:51 a.m. Jan. 24. Court documents state that’s where she met Khalaf and they danced together.

Court documents say the bar refused to serve the student a drink because she was already intoxicated when she arrived. Khalaf then bought her a shot and they asked her to leave. She says Khalaf left with her and offered to take her home.

The student says she recalls his car being “parked directly across the street from Metro.” According to UIPD Detective Jay Arnold, the student’s identification card was used to enter the dorm at 2:13 a.m.

In an interview with detectives, Khalaf admitted to being at the bar and kissing her, but denied having sexual contact with the student. He told detectives he took care of her because she was drunk and said he left the dorm when it became light outside because his mother was calling him.

Khalaf has been charged with two counts of rape and one count of sexual battery.

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Indianapolis, IN

We speak for ourselves in IPS-charter debate. Don’t dismiss us. | Letters

Published

24 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

We speak for ourselves in IPS-charter debate. Don’t dismiss us. | Letters

LaToya Hale, Greg Henson, Dontia Dyson, Cristal Salgado and Swantella Nelson
| Indianapolis Star

The signers of a recent statement by the African American Coalition of Indianapolis questioning who speaks for the Black community raise concerns about process while our students of color continue to be left behind in a public education system that offers too little opportunity and too few positive outcomes.

We agree that parents and students should be heard, which is why we’re troubled that our voices were overlooked during the public process led by the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance. We were present at nearly every ILEA meeting, sharing our personal experiences and asking leaders to take bold action, and we spent months discussing and researching ideas before offering a series of recommendations to improve schools in both IPS and the charter sector.

For many of us, speaking up to improve public education in our city goes back years. We have consistently focused on stronger accountability for all schools within IPS and on growing what works in communities that most need quality schools. So we have to ask: Did you not hear us? Or did you choose to ignore us because our opinions don’t align with yours? Are you now trying to diminish our voices by suggesting that our affiliation with certain organizations means we can’t think or speak for ourselves?

Let us be clear. Our advocacy is driven by our own experiences, and it is these perspectives that add value to the debate we’re having as a community. We live in neighborhoods that are directly impacted by the opportunity gap. It takes courage to advocate, and when voices like ours are attacked, it discourages others in our community from standing up and speaking out.

We strongly support IPS — many of us attended the district as children and have our own students there now. We also support a system of quality charter schools, and we will continue to advocate for both despite attempts to pit sectors against one another. While these recent words and claims are unfair and deeply hurtful, we remain dedicated to bringing voices together to solve problems.

It is time to stop the toxic politics of school type and focus on progress for children, especially Black and brown students who have been harmed by a tragic opportunity gap that has existed for generations. While House Bill 1423 is not perfect, we see it as the best opportunity in many years to hold all schools accountable for improved results, expand transportation and access across IPS, and move toward financial stability across the system.

You may disagree with us on the policy, and that is OK. But please do not dismiss our voices or discount our stories, which represent so many in IPS who simply want a high-quality, safe public school experience for their children.

LaToya Hale, Greg Henson, Dontia Dyson, Cristal Salgado and Swantella Nelson are Indianapolis parents.

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Indianapolis, IN

Westfield’s historic Green Building set for relocation

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Westfield’s historic Green Building set for relocation

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Westfield officials say the historic Green Building will relocate as part of the 32Connects project, in partnership with Indiana Department of Transportation.

The move is set for 8 a.m. Thursday and move north from its current location, along State Road 32 near Union Street, up to near the Basile Westfield Playhouse.

Officials say in order to safely complete the move the intersection of Union Street and State Road 32 will be closed beginning at 4 a.m. Thursday.

The intersection will reopen by 5 p.m. and detours will be in place.

If the weather causes delays, the move will shift to Friday.

This story was written using a script that was aired on WISH-TV.

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