More celebrating over spilt milk: the 2024 Indy 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, US, May 26

This year, IndyCar’s showcase revs up for its 108th outing. Over 200 laps and 500 miles of action, 33 drivers will once again battle it out around the world’s most famous four corners – all for a bottle of milk. Well, and around £2.4m.

Defending champion, Penske’s Josef Newgarden – the first American winner of the Indy 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016 – is back for another grab at glory after claiming four of the five IndyCar oval races last year. Meyer Shanks’s Hélio Castroneves will also be chasing a win, which would see him into a league of his own with five Indy victories, while Rahal Letterman Lanigan welcomes two-time winner Takuma Sato back into the fold.

NASCAR star Kyle Larson has said he has “a lot to learn” as he prepares for his debut in the No17 Arrow McLaren, and former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean returns with Juncos Hollinger Racing for a third year. The French-Swiss driver crashed in both years he has attempted the Indy 500 previously.

Andretti’s Formula 1 bid may have been unsuccessful, but it will have four drivers lining up on the renowned Motor Speedway grid, with Michael Andretti’s son Marco among them. Driving the No98 MAPEI/CURB-Honda, his attempt will be his 19th Indy 500 start. In that time, he has had four top-three finishes.

Also back again is Katherine Legge, who re-entered the 500 after a 10-year hiatus last year. She will start with Dale Coyne Racing as the only female on the grid. After sailing into the back of Stefan Wilson’s car during practice last year, knocking Wilson out of the 2023 race and into hospital before it had even started, the British driver has something to prove.

Young gun Sting Ray Robb will compete for the second time with AJ Foyt Racing, having crashed on lap 92 last year – even with a name like that. The Idaho native, who gets his moniker from the Corvette, will be one of the youngest ever Indy 500 winners if he manages to glide to greatness. And that cash prize sure wouldn’t ‘sting’ either.

WRC – Portugal rally
Porto, Portugal, May 9-12

A founding round of the WRC in 1973, this will be the 57th edition of Rally de Portugal. Sand and gravel are tough on both cars and crew, with 22 special stages across more than 200 miles situated to the east and south of Porto.

MotoGP – French Grand Prix
Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, France, May 10-12

Set to host the French Grand Prix until 2026, the Bugatti Circuit recorded the highest-ever attendance for a MotoGP race last year, 278,805, as the series celebrated its 1000th world championship race. Marco Bezzecchi triumphed over fellow Ducati driver Jorge Martin in 2023, but Martin has started ’24 strongly.

Formula 1 – Monaco Grand Prix
Circuit de Monaco, May 24-26

For the 70th time, the street circuit hosts the most-loved race on the Formula 1 calendar. In 2023 here Max Verstappen secured his 39th victory as a Red Bull driver, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s win record with the team.

Masters of Motoring live
Castle Combe Race Circuit/ Bowood House & Gardens, Wiltshire, June 1-2

This two-day motoring festival at Castle Combe and the lawns of nearby Bowood House is a mix of track action and concours. Expect to see John Surtees’ TS9 Formula 1 car, one of three March Can-Am 707s and NASCARs in action, and, if that’s not enough, you can go for a spin in a police car.

BTCC – Thruxton
Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire, June 8-9

Thruxton hosts BTCC’s fourth round of the season – which boasts the highest average speed of any circuit on the 2024 calendar. Claiming two race victories at Thruxton last year, Ash Sutton aims to take a fifth BTCC title in 2024 as he continues with NAPA-backed Alliance Racing.

MORE EVENTS

May 9-11 WEC – Spa 6 Hours
May 17-19 British Karts – Larkhall
May 25-26 Formula E – Shanghai ePrix