Will IndyCar’s three-race “no caution” streak end at IMS?
- Morgan Holiday
- May 9
- 4 min read
Written by Morgan Holiday
The opening lap of the 2025 IndyCar season saw the first caution of the year.
Now four races into the season, it has also been the only caution of the season. Three races fully under green followed the mostly-clean season opener. Those races included the second Long Beach Grand Prix without a caution in 26 years as well as the first time in 14 years that the race at Barber Motorsports Park had been raced fully green.
Fans complain that no cautions make the races more boring. After all, part of what makes motorsport so exciting is the knowledge that a wreck could happen at any moment. But the drivers have other opinions.
“It makes it more physical,” commented Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood about having to race a full race without a caution. “I don't know if that's a benefit or a negative, but it's something to know.”
Kirkwood didn’t lean one way or the other, but Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist highlighted a “cool” aspect of racing under green when speaking to the media ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
In a way it's pure,” said Rosenqvist. “Like the quickest guy wins. There's no way around it. I think Alex winning those races is a pretty clear -- there's no luck. There's no ingredient that makes it easier. It's just pure racing, which I think is cool.
“There is definitely less action, less overtaking. I find myself in Barber kind of like waking up in a dream, like it feels like you're just going around forever on your own. So it gets kind of lonely, I guess.
“I think there's definitely one cool aspect about it.”
History of contact at IMS Road Course
The 2025 IndyCar season is currently seeing an unprecedented level of green flag racing.
That being said, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course coming up this weekend is a track known for causing contact, especially heading into the first corner of the circuit.
According to Kirkwood, the speed the drivers carry into Turn 1 is "probably the highest" of any track on the IndyCar calendar. "It's close to the highest," he amended. "Maybe Long Beach is up there as well."
Speaking about the prospect of contact going into Turn 1, Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske’s only words of wisdom were “trust your instincts”.
“Just hope you don't have contact,” he commented on avoiding incidents. “You just go in there – you've got to trust your instincts. I think we all do.
“Yeah, it funnels there, but it funnels everywhere. I think we know that we need to make passes early to move forward in the race. I think you see that in exchanges and whatnot.
“Yeah, just try and get through there unscathed. I didn't last year. I spun out Felix [Rosenqvist], I think, so it wasn't a good thing.”
Championship leader and three-time race winner this year Álex Palou cheekily added: “The key is to start far forward.”
Given the history of incidents at this track, it seems unlikely that we’ll see another full race under green conditions. But of course, that’s what everyone said last weekend about Barber. And to be fair, the past three IndyCar races at the IMS road course have had only six or less laps under yellow each.
Looking forward to the 500
No matter what happens on Saturday in the race, the event is just a forerunner to the biggest event of the year: The Indy 500. All the same, for some drivers, having a good weekend at the road course can be crucial to gain momentum for the coming weeks.
“Momentum is a big thing here,” said McLaughlin. “Obviously look at Alex's run. It's a real thing in INDYCAR. You want to get on that run yourself, and what a place to start.
“Yeah, we'll be working hard, but yeah, a long month ahead.”
Palou is currently all positive momentum after winning three of the four races of the season so far, but he is a little more skeptical when it comes to the impact that this weekend’s Grand Prix will have on the 500.
“It depends,” he said. “If it goes well, you want it to mean a lot, and if it goes bad, you don't want it to mean anything. It depends also how the race goes. Having a lot of speed tomorrow doesn't mean anything for the 500, or not having enough speed I don't think it's going to translate much.
“But it's true that momentum and having good results is going to impact, not only the driver, but also the overall mindset of the team. Not winning here doesn't mean -- or not having a good result doesn't mean that it's going to be a tough month, but for sure you don't have that extra boost from the Indy road course.”
IndyCar’s first race weekend in the month of May kicks off tomorrow with practice and Qualifying before the race, which will take place on Saturday.
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