Jacob Abel (51) looks out from his pit box Sunday, May 18, 2025, during Last Chance practice ahead of qualifying for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gary Mook/For IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jacob Abel bumped out of 2025 Indianapolis 500 by teammate

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated May 18, 2025 6:49 PM ET

In a battle of Dale Coyne Racing cars, Jacob Abel was bumped out of the 2025 Indianapolis 500.

Marco Andretti, Marcus Armstrong and Abel's teammate, Rinus VeeKay, bested Abel in last-chance qualifying to secure their spots in the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

With Abel planning to make the last run of the day in the waning moments of the session, VeeKay's No. 18 team pushed his car to the front of the grid to ensure that VeeKay would have a say in the final moments of qualifying.

A four-lap average of 226.913 miles per hour around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway was enough to lock VeeKay into the race and bump Abel out of the field.

Jacob Abel has been BUMPED from the 109th Running of the #Indy500. pic.twitter.com/UWLkrt5rWk
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 18, 2025

"I feel relief, but not real happiness," VeeKay told Fox Sports. "Unfortunately, it was one of the two that was going to go out. Jacob's not just a teammate, he's a really good friend. I feel bad for him. This was going to be his first (Indy 500), this is going to be my sixth. It feels good to make the field, but it is very much the definition of bittersweet."

Andretti, Armstrong and VeeKay will start 31st, 32nd and 33rd, respectively, in the Indianapolis 500 on May 25.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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