Colton Herta had arguably his best race in over a year yesterday, but his fifth-place finish at Road America came as little consolation after he led the majority.
RJ O'Connell's articles on RaceFans

Motorsport has been a lifelong interest for RJ, both virtual and ‘in the carbon’, since childhood. RJ picked up motorsports writing as a hobby in 2014, which then blossomed into a more regular endeavour by 2017 – where he established a reputation for offering in-depth coverage of Japanese motorsports, in particular the Super GT Series and the Super Formula Championship, which was scarcely seen in western publications. American open-wheel racing has been a part of RJ’s interest in motorsport, and in 2021, he joined RaceFans as a writer covering the IndyCar Series.
Palou wary his 74-point IndyCar lead could easily be lost
IndyCar
Posted onAlex Palou’s win at Road America stretched his lead to 74 points but the 2021 series champion isn’t taking a second title for granted.
Palou overhauls Herta to claim third win in last four rounds at Road America
IndyCar
Posted onDespite leading over half of the race, Colton Herta’s bid for victory fell short as Alex Palou came from behind to claim another victory at Road America.
Largest top class field for 12 years promises close fight for centenary Le Mans
World Endurance Championship
Posted onAn 11th-hour rules tweak means Toyota faced renewed competition from Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac and Peugeot in the 100th anniversary Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend.
Palou wins incident-packed Detroit race to extend IndyCar points lead
IndyCar
Posted onAlex Palou had misgivings about IndyCar’s new Detroit street circuit but scored an important victory in his bid to win a second championship.
Palou takes a hat trick of IndyCar poles at Detroit
IndyCar
Posted onAlex Palou made it three straight poles and won the first pole position for the Detroit Grand Prix at the new Renaissance Centre circuit.
Kanaan doesn’t want to “spoil the moment I had” by returning to Indy 500
IndyCar
Posted onTony Kanaan won’t reconsider his retirement after bidding farewell to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway crowd during his final Indy 500 race.
Ericsson call Indy 500 conclusion “unfair and dangerous” after narrow defeat
IndyCar
Posted onMarcus Ericsson was left fuming after narrowly missing his chance to score a second consecutive victory in the Indianapolis 500.
Newgarden hails win in “most difficult race” and defends controversial finish
IndyCar
Posted onJosef Newgarden said he was “emotional the last 10 laps” before passing Marcus Ericsson to win the Indianapolis 500 in a controversial last-lap restart.
Newgarden finally claims Indy 500 victory after three red flags and last-lap restart
IndyCar
Posted onJosef Newgarden passed and held off defending Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson in a one-lap sprint to the finish after three late red flags.
Palou leads Ganassi charge with McLaren in pursuit – but many more could win
2023 Indianapolis 500 preview
Posted onRecording-breaking pole-winner Alex Palou leads a packed field of Indianapolis 500 victory candidates from Ganassi, McLaren, Penske and many more.
Wilson taken to hospital but “doing well” after Monday practice accident
IndyCar
Posted onStefan Wilson was taken to hospital after he and Katherine Legge crashed together during Monday practice for this weekend’s Indianapolis 500.
‘We weren’t good enough’: Rahal parses the emotions of failing to make the Indy 500
IndyCar
Posted onGraham Rahal struggled to find the words to describe his Indy 500 qualifying miss, while Jack Harvey said making the field was ‘not a moment for celebration’.
Palou wins pole position in a record-breaking Indy 500 qualifying shootout
IndyCar
Posted onAlex Palou will start from pole position in the 107th Indianapolis 500, heading up a record-setting front row with Rinus VeeKay and Felix Rosenqvist.
Rahal bumped from Indianapolis 500 field after last-minute Harvey heroics
IndyCar
Posted onIt was jubilation for Jack Harvey and devastation for Graham Rahal, who was bumped from the field of the Indy 500 in a dramatic Last Chance qualifying session.
Rosenqvist leads first day of Indy 500 qualifying, Rahal headlines last row shootout
IndyCar
Posted onMcLaren led the field on the first day of qualifying for next weekend’s Indy 500 with Felix Rosenqvist quickest ahead of Alexander Rossi.
A refresher on the Indianapolis 500’s unique two-day qualifying format
IndyCar
Posted onPole shootouts, last chance qualifiers, priority lanes, and bumping – here’s RaceFans’ guide to the qualifying format to the 2023 Indianapolis 500.
Race winner, points leader: Is this really a driver who needs a change of team?
IndyCar
Posted onAlex Palou scored another crushing win for Ganassi last weekend. Does the slim chance of an F1 drive really make McLaren a better option for him?
Zhou expects Alfa Romeo’s Imola upgrade will be worth “a few tenths”
2023 F1 season
Posted onAlfa Romeo are “struggling” for pace in corners and straights but have an upgrade package planned for this weekend’s race.
Palou sees off Lundgaard and McLaren trio for emphatic Indianapolis GP win
IndyCar
Posted onAlex Palou romped to victory at the Indianapolis Grand Prix ahead of the chasing McLaren drivers and pole winner Christian Lundgaard.