2026 Indy 500: Examining Closest Finish In Race’s History By The Numbers

It’s hard to put the closest finish in the history of the Indianapolis 500 into context, but we’re certainly going to try. Felix Rosenqvist won the 110th installment of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing on Sunday, passing David Malukas after the final turn to win Sunday’s race by less than a tenth of a second. To be more precise, Rosenqvist won the race by 0.023 seconds, giving INDYCAR fans a photo finish they’ll remember for ages. The thrilling finish led to an exuberant celebration for Rosenqvist, while Malukas and his team expressed disappointment with the result. It’s Rosenqvist’s first victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it’s the second straight year that Malukas has finished as the runner-up in the Indy 500 as the 24-year-old seeks his first career victory. There’s much more to know, though, about Sunday’s race. So, let’s take a closer look at the 110th edition of the Indianapolis 500 by the numbers. 0.0233: Blink once and you would’ve missed it. Felix Rosenqvist won Sunday’s Indy 500 by not only less than one second, but also by less than one-tenth of a second. Rosenqvist won Sunday’s race by 0.0233 seconds, making it the closest finish in the 110-year history of the Indy 500. Rosenqvist’s tight victory came as he passed David Malukas with just feet to go in Sunday’s race. Malukas took the lead on the final lap following a restart, passing by Marcus Armstrong. However, Rosenqvist made his move right after the final turn, beating Malukas on the outside to get in front just in time to claim victory. 3: Malukas is the third Swedish driver to race to victory at the Indy 500, joining Marcus Ericsson and Kenny Brack. Ericsson won the race in 2022 and finished in second in 2023. Ericsson finished in 13th on Sunday. Brack, meanwhile, won the 1999 Indy 500. He only competed in the race six times, with his 1999 Indy 500 victory being his final INDYCAR win. 162.021: Did it feel like the cars were moving quickly at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday? Well, that was definitely the case. The average speed that Rosenqvist and Malukas traveled at in Sunday’s race was 162.021 miles per hour. But that trailed Hélio Castroneves’ record by a good bit. The Brazilian driver had an average speed of 190.690 miles per hour in the 2021 Indy 500. 70: There were multiple records set at Sunday’s race. In addition to it being the closest finish, the 2026 Indy 500 had the most lead changes in the history of the race with 70. The previous record for the most lead changes in the Indy 500 was 68, which occurred in the 2013 edition of the race. Tony Kanaan won that year, defeating Carlos Muñoz by 0.1159 seconds. 14: When you have a record number of lead changes, you’ll also have a significant number of different leaders, too. A total of 14 drivers held the lead at one point in Sunday’s race. Alex Palou, who won the 2025 Indy 500 and started Sunday’s race in first, led the race for 59 laps, but finished in seventh. Scott Dixon had the second-most number of laps led, sitting in first for 32 laps before finishing in 15th. Rosenqvist led for 25 laps in Sunday’s race, while Malukas was out front for 30 laps. 18: Amid the history at Sunday’s race, INDYCAR also took time to pay tribute to Kyle Busch, who died suddenly on Thursday. The scoring pylon next to pit lane lit up with Busch’s name, his birth year (1985) and 2026 on Lap 18, a nod to the No. 18 car Busch won two NASCAR titles in. Romain Grojean also switched the font on his No. 18 car to resemble Busch’s car.