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| Turn of fortune in many ways is a double-entendre given this 110th Running Of The Indianapolis 500. There are four turns that have to be negotiated 200 times in order to celebrate a turn in someone's racing fortunes. Bravo to Felix Rosenqviet for passing David Malukas to lead just one lap - the most important last lap in the most dramatic fashion in the history of this motor culture defining event. Image Credit: Matt Fraver NICS (2026) |
Brickyard's Turn Of Fortune: Turn 2's Enduring Grip On Indianapolis 500
Drama
The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 just took place and it was a
historic ride for all involved - all 350,000 plus and all who tuned in on
Over-The-Air television (okay - all of you streamers too).
Turn 2 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long stood as one of the
Brickyard's most unforgiving corners, where banking transitions, dense pack
traffic, and unrelenting high speeds repeatedly rewrite race outcomes. This
bend, and its symmetric counterpart in Turn 4, has delivered both fortune
and misfortune across six decades of Indianapolis 500 history. From
spectacular airborne flips that drivers survived to incidents that prompted
major safety reforms, the corner's legacy reflects the Speedway's constant
demands on drivers and machinery.
The historical pattern is clear and sobering. In the 1975 race, Tom Sneva
made wheel contact in Turn 2 while running fifth, sending his McLaren
airborne into the catch fence where it tore apart and caught fire; Sneva
walked away with minor burns and injuries in one of the era's most dramatic
survivable wrecks. In 1996 practice, pole-sitter Scott Brayton suffered a
right-rear tire deflation entering Turn 2 at nearly 230 mph, resulting in a
fatal impact with the outside wall. The 2010s added further chapters,
including Ed Carpenter's 2015 Fast Friday flip exiting the corner, Sébastien
Bourdais's heavy 2017 qualifying crash that caused serious fractures and
sidelined him, along with later incidents involving Callum Ilott in 2022,
Scott McLaughlin's airborne wall hit in 2025 practice, and Kyle Larson's
race-ending Turn 2 spin in the 109th running.
That reputation carried into preparations for the 110th Indianapolis 500. On
Monday, May 18, 2026, during Practice 7's race-trim sessions, Alexander
Rossi lost the rear of his No. 20 Chevrolet exiting Turn 2 in traffic and
spun hard into the SAFER barrier. Pato O'Ward, running close behind, spun
under braking while attempting to avoid him and made secondary contact,
while Romain Grosjean checked up and hit the wall. The multi-car incident
damaged cars for Rossi and O'Ward severely enough to require backups, sent
Rossi to the hospital for evaluation of minor finger and ankle injuries, and
brought out a red flag before thunderstorms ended the session. It stood as
the first major wall contact of the Month of May.
Which leads us to the brilliant insights presentation put together by
commentator Tom Rinaldi for FOX in their Pre-Race 110th Running of the
Indianapolis 500 package entitled Turn Two. The following is a
transcript captured via audio file that struck a cord and acted as a basis
for a song created using the staff and AI tools available to anyone so led
to create - with inspiration found in the following:
|
| Presenters Chris Myers, Danica Patrick, and Tony Stewart siting on a portable studio desk on the front straight at the Indiana Motor Speedway with the crowd walking the grid in Motor Culture world's largest form of a "Cars & Coffee" with teams and drivers. Image Credit: FOX Pre_Race via FUBO (2026) |
**FULL Turn 2 Package Transcript**
**Chris Myers:** A lot of the tradition has built from the local part of
this speedway and this state and has reached out globally, nationally. And
America's 250th birthday, by the way, it's going to be on everyone's mind
like this race is today. But today, drivers have Turn 2 on their mind, not
2%, as in Turn Two. As Tom Rinaldi rejoins us. Tom, you got more on Turn
Two.
**Tom Rinaldi:** Chris, if you were to look down at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway from above or at a map of the track, you'd essentially see a
rounded rectangle with four corners or turns which appear exactly the
same. But if you were to talk to any driver, what those drivers would tell
you is each has its own personality. And when it comes to where we are
right now, Turn Two, it's a beguiling and difficult mix of menace and
chance, opportunity and danger.
Four turns. Identical dimensions. Equivalent measurements. But in
history...
**Scott Dixon:** When you come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Turn
Two probably demands the most respect.
**Tom Rinaldi:** .. and psychology.
**Will Power:** Turn Two is risk first, reward second. With all the turns,
Turn Two has definitely been my weakness.
**Tom Rinaldi:** And strategy.
**Scott McLaughlin:** Some of the biggest crashes, some of the biggest
moments have happened through Turn Two.
<<< Film Clip - Tom Sneva | AJ Foyt >>>
**Tom Rinaldi:** Turn 2 is a high-speed study in volatile
geometry. Start with the invisible vortex of shifting air and pitiless
wind.
**Josef Newgarden:** Turn 2 doesn't have a lot of shielding.
**Scott McLaughlin:** The wind is always a massive factor there. It's one
line where you cannot be late, you can't be early. You've got to be
perfect.
**Scott Dixon:** You've got to imagine that we're kind of driving fighter
jets - wings that push the car down. You know, 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of
downforce, making that car stick to the road.
**Josef Newgarden:** When you get these crosswind profiles hitting the
nose at the wrong time. It'll get underneath you, and it can shove you out
toward the wall.
<<< Film Clip - Scott Dixon >>>
|
| . Image Credit: FOX Pre_Race via FUBO (2026) |
**Tom Rinaldi:** Add in more elements: changing track temperatures,
turbulent air wake, limited visibility - often pushing drivers past their
limits and into aerodynamic disaster.
<<< Film Clip - Kyle Kirkwood | Alexander Rossi >>>
**Josef Newgarden:** We had a very tough wreck this week. You know, you
have to be able to see something terrible at times and immediately
understand it and then erase it.
**Will Power:** When the crash is in practice, watching it on screen is
worse. It always makes you apprehensive. That's why I don't watch them.
Try not to even look at them.
**Scott McLaughlin:** It basically is a bit of a wake-up call that, okay,
well, she bites if you get it wrong.
**Tom Rinaldi:** For all its challenges, Turn 2 has singular opportunity.
A corner where an inch of space and a breath of wind can measure the
difference between catastrophe and glory.
**Scott McLaughlin:** Turn 2 for me is the part of the track where if you
get that right, it's your last opportunity to go for the win.
**Scott Dixon:** And understand how it can help you through the race. Not
necessarily how it can hurt you, but you've really got to understand how
it can help you.
**Will Power:** If you hate the turn, you'll never conquer it. But if you
take it as a challenge... You will get it.
**Josef Newgarden:** You know, two of my best moments here at the track
have come off Turn Two. It ended up being a very important moment both
times that we won the race. That doesn't mean it can't catch me out in the
future at some point.
**Tom Rinaldi:** Back in September and October, a 100-foot stretch of Turn
2 was actually torn up and repaved. Why? Because the original bricks
underneath had started to shift, creating a bump in the track along Turn 2
- an additional challenge for drivers.
|
| Front straight studio with the track behind them - Will Buxton, Townsend Bell, and James Hinchcliffe. Image Credit: FOX Pre_Race via FUBO (2026) |
**Will Buxton:** Beautifully said, Tom. What a lovely piece. Townsend (Bell), James (Hinchcliffe), you have both experienced this. I want to roll to something that Joseph Newgarden said: "The corners of this track are like having four children. You love them all equally, but you raise them individually."
**Townsend Bell:** That's absolutely right, and Turn Two has always been a
mystery because the groove is just a little bit more narrow there. The
consequences seemingly just a little bit bigger. It's dangerous in all
four corners, but Turn Two demands your best. Listen, my body can still
feel the crash I had back here in 2014. Left rear suspension let go. I was
in contention to win that day. Ended up punching a hole in the SAFER
barrier.
You see me bring the steering wheel off, but guys, when I came to a stop,
my knee was in front of my face. You can't get out of these cars unless
the steering wheel's off. I had hit so hard backwards that it bent the
steering shaft, the steering column all the way over. The steering wheel
was bent up, and I'm sitting there with my knee like this. I didn't know
what state I was in. I couldn't breathe for about 45 seconds. Turn Two has
left its mark on my body, no doubt.
**Will Buxton:** And James, it wasn't Turn Two, but you know more than
anybody the perils of this circuit and what those walls have in store for
you when it all goes wrong.
**James Hinchcliffe:** Well, look, it doesn't matter what corner you're
talking about at 220 plus miles an hour. It doesn't tickle when you hit
the wall.
For me, the drivers talked about the win. This is the only corner that has
a gap in the grandstands. There's a gap after the end of the grandstands,
before those Turn Two suites. And the other thing that's so unique about
it is there's that bump going in that Tom talked about. The wind can just
create a tunnel effect through there and really catch drivers off.
The other thing that's so challenging, I think, Townsend, is the Turn Two
suites. They sit so much closer to the racetrack than any of the
grandstands or anywhere else around here that visually it looks a little
bit different. It throws drivers off. It's so easy to get wrong.
Absolutely, it's a place you have to respect around the speedway.
**Will Buxton:** Well, Scott McLaughlin knows that only too well. He had a
nightmare of an Indy 500 last year, which was over before it began. But a
violent crash knocked him out of top 12 qualifying down there at Turn Two.
Thankfully, he'd be OK to race. Penske got his car back up and running for
the 500 itself.
In 2026, for the 110th running, he seeks redemption.
**Georgia Henneberry:** And your sixth Indianapolis 500, how can you and
the three team ensure that it's your best one yet?
**Scott McLaughlin:** Look, I think we're as prepared as we can be. I
mean, the Pennzoil Chevy has been solid all month. I feel like we've sort
of flown under the radar, but had reasonable speed the whole way through.
And I feel really comfortable. Our best session was on Friday. So I got
our list done and ready to go. I can't wait. I just can't wait to create a
new storyline. And yeah, last year put a lot of things in perspective for
me. So I'm really excited to turn the table.
**Georgia Henneberry:** This month has certainly been a progression for
the team. Friday was the first day you said you have checked all those
boxes. How confident are you in your race?
**Scott McLaughlin:** Yeah, super confident. Everyone's going to say they
feel good, don't get me wrong, but I've got all the tools that I need to
win this race. Hopefully we can dot the I's, cross the T's, and make it
happen.
**Chris Myers:** Good luck, Scott.
So Turn Two getting the attention. How would you rank them in terms of
toughness? You agree starting with two would be the worst if you go
through the four corners?
**Danica Patrick:** Man, I'd have to say one, two, three, four. It
actually goes in order. But to just pick up on Scott McLaughlin there, he
went from a pole in 2024 to the Indy 500 to crashing out before it even
started in 2025. I just want to point out how hard it is to drive these
cars. Someone like him that's the best of the best out there, able to
still make a mistake under those conditions. It just shows how focused
these drivers have to be, whether they're under caution going slow or
going 240 miles an hour.
**Chris Myers:** The corners, you rank them real quick.
**Tony Stewart:** I had a different order. I always thought Turn Two, Turn
One, Turn Four. The easiest was Turn Three to me.
**Chris Myers:** All right. Well, hopefully they're turning the right way
as we continue here.
ENDS
Brickyard's Turn Of Fortune
Theme for the toughest turn at the Greatest Spectacle In Racing
LYRICS
**Verse 1**
Four turns on the map look the same,
But only one carries your name.
Rounded bricks and shifting wind,
Turn Two waits with teeth bared and grin.
Crosswinds howl, downforce fights the air,
One line only — you must be there.
Late or early, she’ll punish your name,
Throw you hard into the wall of flame.
**Pre-Chorus**
Risk comes first where the brave ones play,
Biggest wrecks and biggest wins in the fray.
**Chorus**
Menace, Chance, Opportunity, Danger,
That’s the soul of Turn Two, stranger.
She’ll baptize you in fire and fear,
Then hand you glory if you stay clear.
Menace, Chance, Opportunity, Danger,
Four words that define her temper.
Love her or hate her, you’ll never be free —
Turn Two is where champions come to be.
**Verse 2**
Fighter-jet wings at two-twenty flat,
Turbulent wake trying to snatch you back.
Track temps rising, vision gone blind,
One wrong twitch and you’re flipping through sky.
She bites when you’re lazy, rewards when you’re bold,
Old bricks still whisper the stories of old.
They tore her up, laid new pavement down,
But the spirit of Turn Two still rules this town.
**Chorus**
Menace, Chance, Opportunity, Danger,
That’s the soul of Turn Two, stranger.
She’ll baptize you in fire and fear,
Then hand you glory if you stay clear.
Menace, Chance, Opportunity, Danger,
Four words that define her temper.
Love her or hate her, you’ll never be free —
Turn Two is where champions come to be.
**Bridge**
An inch of space, a breath of wind,
Separates the fallen from the ones who ascend.
Erase the crash burning in your mind,
Trust the line and leave the wreck behind.
**Final Chorus (bigger, with gang vocals)**
Menace! Chance! Opportunity! Danger!
Turn Two calling out your name louder.
I’ve won here, I’ve lost here, I’ll race her again,
She’s the heartbeat of the 500 wind.
Menace, Chance, Opportunity, Danger,
My beautiful, brutal savior.
Last chance to chase that checkered light —
Turn Two… take me home tonight.
**Outro (building then fading)**
Four turns look the same…
But only one ever called my name.
Menace… Chance… Opportunity… Danger…
Brickyard's Turn Of Fortune - Turn Two.
ENDS
Race day itself on May 24 added its own Turn 2 punctuation. Early on laps
17-18, Ryan Hunter-Reay spun and hit the wall in Turn 2, collecting
Katherine Legge as she tried to avoid the incident; both drivers were
eliminated quickly and triggered the first caution. Late in the event,
rookie leader Caio Collet got loose exiting Turn 2 around lap 191,
overcorrected into the outside wall, and slid with a right-rear fire,
prompting a red flag for cleanup with few laps remaining. On the restart,
Mick Schumacher brushed the wall in the Turn 1-2 area, bringing out the
final caution and setting up a one-lap green-white-checkered finish - not to mention one of the most positive and deciding developments in Turn 2 when Felix Rosenqvist stayed outside - side-by-side - of this teammate Marcus Armstrong to finally complete a pass in Turn 4 and sling past David Malukas for the closest finish in INDY500 history.
Turn 2 has seen fewer headline tragedies than Turns 1 or 4 in the modern
SAFER-barrier era, yet it remains a persistent high-risk zone during
practice traffic simulations and race conditions. As teams analyze data from
the 110th running, the corner's influence on Indianapolis 500 outcomes
continues to demonstrate the razor-thin margin between strategy, car setup,
and survival at the Brickyard.
As for the historic part of the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 that all
of the above took place, Felix Rosenqvist secured his first Indianapolis 500
victory in his eighth career start, winning the 110th running presented by
Gainbridge by a razor-thin margin of 0.0233 seconds over David Malukas - the
closest finish in “500” history, surpassing the previous mark of 0.043 seconds
set by Al Unser Jr. over Scott Goodyear in 1992.
The race produced a record 70 lead changes, eclipsing the previous high of 68
from 2013. Rosenqvist, who led 25 laps, became the third Swedish winner of the
event, joining Kenny Bräck (1999) and Marcus Ericsson (2022). Driving for
Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian, he delivered the team its second
Indianapolis 500 triumph.
The finish marked the fifth time in race history that the leader entering the
final lap was passed for the win. Malukas lost the lead on the last lap,
joining a list that includes recent defeats by Pato O’Ward (2024), Marcus
Ericsson (2023), JR Hildebrand (2011), and Marco Andretti (2006).
At 34 years old, Rosenqvist became the first driver of that age to win since
Hélio Castroneves in 2009. Starting fourth, he joined an elite group as only
the eighth winner from that position. It was also the first victory for car
No. 60 and the 17th for a Honda engine.
Notable performances included Mick Schumacher finishing as the top rookie in
18th, Romain Grosjean advancing from 24th to ninth, and Conor Daly posting the
race’s fastest lap at 225.126 mph. Pato O’Ward recorded his fifth top-four
finish in seven starts without a win. Santino Ferrucci completed his eighth
consecutive full 500-mile distance, while Hélio Castroneves set a new all-time
mileage record (12,480 miles) despite a mechanical DNF on Lap 194.
The 2026 race featured 14 different lap leaders and a record 26 lead swaps
between Alex Palou and Scott Dixon. Palou, the pole sitter, led the most laps
with 59. In a contest defined by its back-and-forth intensity, Rosenqvist
delivered a historic last-lap masterstroke to etch his name into Indianapolis
500 lore.
... notes from
The EDJE
TAGS:
#Indy500, #Turn2, #BrickyardFortune, #IndyCrashes, #RacingHistory,
#110thIndy500, #Rosenqvist, #ClosestFinish, #Indy5002026, #LastLapDrama,
#MeyerShankRacing, #SwedishWinner, #RecordLeadChanges, #INDYCAR,
#HondaPower, #TheEDJE
