INDIANAPOLIS -- Marcus Ericsson had to leave Formula One to become a global superstar -- a goal achieved Sunday when the Swedish driver won the Indianapolis 500.
Ericsson took control of the race late -- largely because of teammate Scott Dixon's speeding penalty -- and had it under control for Chip Ganassi Racing until a crash by teammate Jimmie Johnson with four laps remaining brought out a rare red-flag stoppage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IndyCar is among the purest forms of motorsports and rarely throws artificial cautions or issues stoppages that might change the outcome. But the crowd of more than 300,000 -- only a few thousand shy of a sellout and the largest sporting event since the pandemic began -- roared when IndyCar called the cars to pit road.