Here's what Indy 500 drivers drive off the track in daily life: 'I'm more of an SUV guy'

INDIANAPOLIS – There’s something you should know about Marcus Ericsson, defending Indianapolis 500 champion: He's as comfortable at 240 mph in his race car as he is at 24 mph in his daily driver.

Don’t expect stoplight burnouts, hard braking and heavy g-loads in the turns when Ericsson is at the wheel of his Acura MDX Type S. He certainly doesn’t drive it foot-to-the-floor like he does his Honda-powered Dallara for Chip Ganassi Racing.

“People jump in the passenger seat with me and they expect me to go super fast,” said the 32-year-old Swedish driver, in his fifth IndyCar Series season after driving Formula 1 for five years. “It’s cruise control for me. I appreciate sports cars, but I’m more of an SUV guy. I like comfort when I drive on the road. People say, ‘But you’re a racing driver!’ I tell them, ‘Hey, I go fast on the race track but I don’t need to do it on the road.’ ”

Ericsson isn’t alone among his IndyCar competitors, content to buckle in, turn on some tunes and ease on down the road.

Roman Grossjean

Grossjean, a Formula 1 veteran driving in his second Indy 500, owns a Lamborghini Urus but he’s most often behind the wheel of his Honda Ridgeline pickup.

“I just drive like a dad,” he said. “Slowly.”

Graham Rahal

The Indy 500 veteran is perhaps the leader of the exotic-car crowd among Indy 500 drivers. He has been cruising into the speedway drivers’ lot this month in a 1991 Porsche 911 by Singer. It’s one of the perks of owning Graham Rahal Performance, an Indianapolis shop that restores and sells some of the highest-end sports cars.

“We just finished the Singer after about four years,” Rahal said. “I love the purity of the old 911s and Singer takes it to a whole different level. I’ve been fortunate that I get to drive a lot of cool stuff because I own the company. The other day I drove a LaFerrari and I’ve driven (McLaren) P1s, (Porsche) 918s and Carrera GTs. You name it, we’ve had it through there.

“I mean, as the boss I’ve gotta make sure they work, right? Gotta make sure there’s no check-engine light.”

Rahal doesn’t need a fast car to have a great driving experience. He owns a 1964 Mini Cooper that’s as satisfying to drive as a supercar.

“The Mini is not fast, but it will put a smile on your face that no modern supercar will,” he said. “I’ve really trended toward the older stuff because it’s so pure and so raw that it excites and awakens all the senses.”

The 911 by Singer that Graham Rahal has been driving to Indy 500 practices. (Kirby Arnold)

Takuma Sato

Two-time Indy 500 winner Sato also owns a classic Mini Cooper, a performance Mini produced by the John Cooper Garages, and a Honda Beat, a 1990s two-seater with 656cc of mid-engine bliss. Those couldn’t be more different than the 700-horsepower IndyCar that Sato will drive in the 500, but that’s the point.

“Performance is relative, isn’t it?” Sato said. “The Mini is such a tiny car, you wouldn’t get any speed like a Porsche or Ferrari. But the feeling is more fun. Any car with wheels and pedals, I love it.”

Simon Pagenaud

The former 500 winner loves the classics, especially from his native France. The prize of his large collection is a 1984 Renault 5 Turbo 2 Evolution, the 200^th of 200 that were made.

“It’s a very special car,” Pagenaud said. “The rally history behind it, for me, is a passion. It’s from my birth year so it’s very special to me. I drive it every week.”

Peugeot, Citroen and Porsche also mark his collection, along with a nice group of BMWs that cover every version of the M3s that were produced.