NASCAR Video Game Rookie Crushes Roger Penske’s Favorites in Indy 500 Shock

In July 2023, Shane van Gisbergen made history. The three-time Supercars champion from New Zealand landed in the U.S. and stunned the NASCAR world. It was his first-ever Cup Series start. He won on the streets of Chicago, a wild course with tight corners and slippery surface. No one had done that in 60 years, not since Johnny Rutherford at Daytona in 1963. SVG came from a world of right-hand-drive and flat-out touring cars. But in Chicago, he weaved through the chaos like he’d been there for years.

Van Gisbergen made the leap many have failed to make. It reminded everyone what can happen when talent meets the right opportunity. Now, another rookie is sending shockwaves through American motorsports. This time, the shock is coming from a rookie who has never raced on an oval before. He didn’t just make headlines; he stole the spotlight at the biggest stage in American open-wheel racing. The Indianapolis 500. And his secret weapon? NASCAR video games.

Robert Shwartzman makes the most of his eNASCAR experience

Robert Shwartzman, a 25-year-old Indy 500 rookie, did the unthinkable. On Sunday, he captured pole position at the 109th Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average of 232.790 mph. The Israeli driver for Prema Racing beat out veterans and former winners. He became the first rookie since 1983 to lead the grid at Indy. The feat was historic. The rookie from Prema Racing had just out-qualified legends, leaving Team Penske’s champions scrambling behind him. The paddock couldn’t believe it, and neither was he.

“Honestly, I can’t believe it myself. It’s my first experience. When I drove the car on an oval for the first time, I thought, “This is really fast.” It’s just unbelievably fast, how you feel it,” he said after the race. But what followed might shock many. According to Shwartzman, his only exposure to oval racing came from watching races on TV and playing NASCAR video games. “I’d only seen oval racing on TV—NASCAR, like you mentioned. I played NASCAR video games and watched some races, but nothing comes close to experiencing it in real life. And now, straight to the Indy 500—the fastest race in the world in terms of speed,” he told Jeff Gluck.

WE DID IT — P6 in quali today & into the FAST 12!!!

First time qualifying for the Indy 500 and it’s the most intense quali I have ever done.
Thanks to the team for the hard work, we still have much to do but we’re in the fight pic.twitter.com/kw5VGqV3BC

— Robert Shwartzman (@ShwartzmanRob) May 17, 2025

His method was calculated. Step by step, he built confidence. That cautious mindset paid off. With no prior oval starts and only digital simulations under his belt, he made history. His success is a remarkable testament to how far virtual learning can go in real-world motorsports. And the numbers prove it: his 232.790 mph run wasn’t just good for a rookie; it was faster than all veteran entries. But Shwartzman isn’t just some lucky gamer. He’s a true racer with a deep resume. Born in Tel Aviv and raised in Russia, he’s raced in everything from Italian F4 to European Formula 3.

He beat future F1 drivers like Mick Schumacher and Zhou Guanyu in his junior days. His 2019 FIA Formula 3 season was dominant, with podiums nearly every race, title was locked up early. He carried that form into Formula 2. In 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19, he finished fourth. The next season, he came runner-up to Oscar Piastri. Many thought F1 was his next stop. Ferrari promoted him to test driver, but with no room in the top team, he was stuck on the sidelines. When the F1 doors didn’t open, he looked elsewhere.

Shwartzman shifted to GT racing, won a race in Barcelona, and even clinched a WEC victory in Austin in 2024. Despite success in sports cars, his heart remained with open-wheel racing. A test with Ganassi hinted at a U.S. switch, and when Prema announced its IndyCar debut, Shwartzman leaped. The gamble? Leaving Ferrari behind. The reward? Indy 500 pole on debut. While Shwartzman stole the spotlight, the rest of the Indy field had a mixed weekend.

Takuma Sato and Pato O’Ward rounded out the front row with speeds of 232.478 and 232.098, respectively. Both were expected to be fast, but neither could match the rookie’s four-lap consistency. Further back, drama hit Team Penske hard. All three of Roger Penske’s star drivers, Newgarden, Power, and McLaughlin, were hit with setbacks. McLaughlin crashed during practice. Newgarden and Power didn’t even get to make a second-day qualifying run due to a rule violation. The result? All three start from Row 4. Meanwhile, NASCAR’s own Kyle Larson will start from 21st place after multiple crashes in the week.

How an Aussie Helped Shwartzman Win Pole in Indy?

Robert Shwartzman’s performance wasn’t just about talent or calm nerves. It was about teamwork. Behind the scenes, one man played a quiet but crucial role. An Aussie veteran with IndyCar roots, Ryan Briscoe. His advice helped Shwartzman settle his nerves and focus during the biggest weekend of his career. The story, however, goes deeper. Briscoe knows what it takes to earn pole at the Indy 500, he did it in 2012. Now, as Prema Racing’s sporting director, he’s using that experience to mentor Shwartzman.

The rookie leaned on Briscoe heavily before qualifying. “Yesterday morning, I was really nervous. I asked Ryan, ‘Were you nervous too?’ He told me, ‘Yeah, absolutely. It’s normal,’” Shwartzman admitted. That one moment helped steady Shwartzman’s mindset heading into one of the biggest laps of his life. Notably, Briscoe’s influence extended beyond calming nerves. He guided the team’s entire approach. While others focused on race setups during practice, Briscoe led Prema through specific qualifying simulations. That preparation allowed them to peak at exactly the right time.

The strategy worked. Prema shocked the paddock with their pace and precision. Even though neither of their drivers, Shwartzman or Callum Ilott, looked like front-runners early in the week, Briscoe’s plan helped them time everything to perfection. In the words of Shwartzman: “It’s amazing to start first… I just want to make it a smooth ride.” For Prema, this was their first-ever shot at the 500. Thanks to an Aussie mentor and a video-game-trained rookie, they’ll lead the field to green.

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