The annual Indianapolis 500 takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every year, and with each year’s purse increasing, the winner is expected to get a hefty sum of cash along with the trophy after the 2025 race.
During the Sunday, May 25, event, racer Kyle Larson lost control and wrecked during lap No. 93. He was able to exit his car and walk into an ambulance. Afterward, Larson was escorted by helicopter to Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete in the Coca-Cola 600. Apart from Larson, race Alexander Rossi‘s vehicle caught fire after a pit stop.
Below, get updates on the Indy 500 leaderboard and winner.
An early exit for Josef Newgarden and his attempt at a 3-peat. #Indy500 on FOX pic.twitter.com/kTnjvtp3ls
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 25, 2025
Does the Indy 500 Winner Always Chug Milk?
Yes, the winner of each Indy 500 drinks milk because it’s a tradition. Per the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, via USA Today, “Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer regularly drank buttermilk to refresh himself on a hot day and happened to drink some in Victory Lane as a matter of habit after winning the 1936 race. An executive with what was then the Milk Foundation was so elated when he saw the moment captured in a photograph in the sports section of his newspaper the following morning that he vowed to make sure it would be repeated in coming years. There was a period between 1947-55 when milk was apparently no longer offered, but the practice was revived in 1956 and has been a tradition ever since.”
Indy 500 Leaderboard
After Larson’s big crash, racers Devlin DeFrancesco, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Jack Harvey, Davis Malukas, Alex Palou, Santino Ferruci and Conor Daly were wrestling with the top five spots on the track.
Former champion Josef Newgarden had to return to the pit lane, then exited the race, ending his chance to win the Indy 500 three times in a row.
Conor Daly! Sensational!#Indy500 on FOX pic.twitter.com/myTVWlrVGb
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 25, 2025
Who Won the 2025 Indy 500?
The winner of the 2025 Indy 500 was Alex Palou, who made history as the first Spaniard to win the race.
Does the Indy 500 Winner Get Paid?
Yes, the winner of the Indy 500 gets paid millions of dollars along with the Borg-Warner Trophy. The winner’s purse has increased year after year, and for 2025, the race purse is around $20 million, according to USA Today. The outlet reported that the winner could get up to $4.5 million.
After the 2024 Indy 500,Newgarden got $4.288 million. He won the race two years in a row and was seeking a three-peat in 2025.
