Bravo Alex: a masterful drive wins him Indy 500 crown

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

The Indianapolis 500 was run for the 109th time on May 25. Mark Glover attended for the 60th time.  Here's his take on a memorable race:

And so, after it was all over -- after the spins, the wall impacts, the car part-altering scandals, the racing team firings, the rookie pole position winner and 200 laps around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a teeth-chattering cold Saturday -- the cream rose to the top.

Alex Palou, the 28-year-old Spanish sensation, won the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. The driver and car that have dominated the 2025 IndyCar season won the biggest jewel in the IndyCar crown. And frankly, looking back, they did it with ease.

I started closely watching Palou halfway into the race.  What I observed was a master at work, a master getting a lot of help from some of the smartest people in high-speed racing.

Palou seemed to be cruising along among the top five, apparently content to ride things out.  I realized that Palou was making very little effort to pass cars in front of him -- cars that I figured were far inferior to his.

A few laps later, I started doing the math and figured it out: he's trying to get home on just two more pit stops.  And he's saving fuel by following in the aerodynamic tow generated by the cars in front of him.

So simple, so brilliant.

It's part of a strategy that has worked for Indy 500 winners dating back to the 1920s.  Don't burn out your car, be patient, strike when it's go time at the finish.  Al Unser was a master at it. So was Rick Mears.  Both won the 500 four times.

I figured 35 laps to go was the maximum risk point to make a final pit stop.  Smarter to get a couple laps below that number.  Sure enough, Palou did just that.  When it was winning time with less than 20 laps to go, Palou blew past the last threat and sailed home with apparent ease.

Checkmate.  Lovely to watch.

And now, the question all the other drivers want answered is: Can anyone beat Palou?

Palou answered that on Sunday.  I'm guessing the answer will not change -- at least not dramatically -- through the remainder of the 2025 IndyCar season, with Palou nailing down his fourth IndyCar title well before his 30th birthday.

Bravo Alex. Bravo.

A remarkable rookie and four Indy 500 contenders

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

The Indianapolis 500 will be run for the 109th time on May 25, and Mark Glover will be attending his 60^th 500. Here's his take on the race to come:

Just when you think you've figured out the Indianapolis 500, a 25-year-old newcomer with no oval racing experience wins the pole position for the 109th running of the race.

Robert Shwartzman's incredible run to the pole -- averaging 232.790 miles per hour over four laps -- was, in my view, the most remarkable pole position storyline in the history of the race. Coming into last weekend, it looked like Spanish IndyCar star Alex Palou would continue his dominance.

Now, all of a sudden, he's surrounded by a crowd of contenders.

No matter, I still like his chances on Sunday.  The three-time IndyCar Series champ has been close previously, finishing second in his rookie Indy 500 run in 2021 and dominating in 2023 before his car was slammed in the pits, a mistake not of Palou's making.

This year, Palou has owned the IndyCar series, winning four of the first five races, and looking invincible doing it.  Yes, Shwartzman is fast, and there could be more chapters to come in his dazzling story, but I'll take Palou's experience in the rough and tumble, turbulent race day traffic.

Keeping in mind that anything can happen in a 500-mile race, I see three others with a good chance to win.

Six-time IndyCar series champ Scott Dixon, starting fourth, knows how to best drive the race more than anyone in the field.  The New Zealand native won the 500 in 2008 and has lost a couple of heartbreakers since then.  He's cool under fire, a master of fuel savings and always fast.  Indy win No. 2 could come Sunday.

Mexico's Pato O'Ward also knows Indy heartbreak, with two second-place finishes.  Last year, eventual winner Josef Newgarden passed O'Ward on the last lap, crushing O'Ward's normally buoyant spirits.  Nobody drives harder.  Fewer take as many chances in the heat of battle.  Will that pay off for O'Ward on Sunday?  Even bet, I'd say.

And finally, there's Newgarden, trying to do what has never been done at the historic racetrack -- win three Indianapolis 500s in a row.  Five times back-to-back race winners have had a chance to pull it off; five times it has not happened, although four of those five came very close.  Newgarden has Roger Penske power and a trophy-laden team going for him, along with his own considerable skills. He has a better than even chance of making history on Sunday.

Ram's pickup excellence shines in the 2500 Laramie

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- You can go through 50 crossover sport-utes and nearly as many passenger cars, but there is nothing quite like the pickup truck segment.

It's brutally competitive, constantly innovating and populated by a relatively small group of competitors stuffed with mind-blowing features and technology.

So, it's saying something when the Ram 1500 wins Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year award for 2025.

And this wasn't Ram's first rodeo.  So, what makes these Ram trucks stand out?

A recent week in the 2025 Ram 2500 Laramie Sport Crew Cab 4X4 provided some answers.

Walking up to it, and wow, it's large!  You see that big-as-California grille coming in your rearview mirror and you just naturally get out of the way.

And yet the tester's road manners at 65 miles per hour were remarkably smooth and civilized.  Kudos to Ram engineers for the combination of power and velvet-glove handling.

Power is plentiful, thanks to a 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel in-line 6 engine rated at 430 horsepower and a best-in-class 1,075 foot-pounds of torque paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

I found the Ram 2500 so strong that it felt restless at anything under 50 miles per hour.  It effortlessly cruised at 70 mph, and it was easy to touch 80 mph with a microscopic move of my right foot.

In the cabin, roominess was exceptional.  Ditto technology and comfort/convenience features.

Perks included adaptive cruise control, park assist, remote start, a surround-view camera system, pedestrian/cyclist emergency braking, a heated steering wheel and much more.

A boatload of options pushed the tester's bottom-line price to $89,590 ... very much in line with the contemporary world of loaded pickup trucks.

Overall, I can't think of anything the tested pickup did not have to please today's pickup motorist.  In this competitive class, Ram stands tall.

Venerable Sonata midsize sedan excels in hybrid skin

 This review first appeared in the April 2025 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

To subscribe to the Cruisin' News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an email request to subscribe@cruisinnews.com.  Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin' News, P.O. Box G, Virginia City, NV 89440.

Sacramento, California -- I hereby confess that, over many years, I have recommended the Hyundai Sonata to folks who wanted my take on a midsize sedan purchase.

What made me do that with so many hot-selling Honda, Toyota and American-made models out there?

Usually, the tipping point was this: the Sonata gave you more for the price.

With the tested 2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid, the tradition continues. You get a lot, with the bonus of a hybrid system that gets you 44 miles per gallon in the city and 51 mpg on the highway.

Another bonus: Styling.

The Sonata is now wrapped in sleek, sporty skin.  It has drawn mixed reviews, but I like it.  After all, it took some time for automakers to discover that you could make hot-looking hybrids, instead of glorified roller skates.

Per usual, the Hyundai tester was absolutely stuffed with features.  The super-long list included forward collision-avoidance assist, a panoramic sunroof, heated side mirrors, smart headlamps, leather-trimmed seats, a Bose audio system, a power trunklid, a head-up display and a heated steering wheel.

Bottom line on the tester's sticker: a reasonable $38,810.

Power comes from a 2-liter, four-cylinder hybrid system. The combined gas-electric systems pair up for a max 192 horsepower -- plenty for the open road or hill climbs in the Sierra Nevada.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all: the refined, smooth ride. The tester was buttery on the freeways and rock-solid on twisty slalom runs.  Other auto reviewers were likewise surprised at the Sonata's ride quality.

This being a Hyundai product, warranties are exceptional.

Overall, the tested Sonata upholds the model's respected tradition, which dates back 40 years now.

The buyer still gets reliability, excellent engineering and extraordinary value. And with the hybrid system, one can count on improvements in the annual fuel budget.

The competition in this segment remains brutal, but this hybrid Sonata stands strong in the crowd.

Cool Kia compact reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

My review of the 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line compact sedan can be seen in the latest, May 2025, edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news and marketplace."

The "Hot Laps" reviews, along with my "Oil Drips" observations on anything with wheels, appear monthly in the publication.

To subscribe to the Cruisin' News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an email request to subscribe@cruisinnews.com.  Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin' News, P.O. Box G, Virginia City, NV 89440.

74th Sacramento Autorama showcases cars as art

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- Sacramento once again will be the focus of the customized car world this weekend as the 74th Sacramento Autorama kicks off its three-day run on Friday.

Some of the nation's top custom artists will show off their handiwork and celebrate the area's rich history of car customization on the Cal Expo grounds at 1600 Exposition Blvd.

Presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts, this year's Autorama will feature more than 500 hot rods, customs, muscle cars, trucks, and motorcycles from across the country competing to win numerous awards. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Event organizers are touting the Custom d'Elegance award presented by ARP (Automotive Racing Products) as a top honor in 2025. It will be awarded to "the best chopped, channeled or sectioned vehicle from 1936-64 that embodies the true spirit of a classic custom." The award includes a $5,000 prize and a custom trophy.

Major "Big B" awards honor world-famous customizers from the Sacramento area, including Joe "Candy Apple Red" Bailon, Dick Bertolucci and Sam Barris.  Another long-standing, prestigious award is the Harold Bagdasarian Memorial World's Most Beautiful Custom trophy.

The World’s Most Beautiful Lowrider award, recognizing the show’s most outstanding lowrider entry, includes a $5,000 prize from ARP.

Hundreds more vehicles are expected to participate in the 18th Annual Sacramento Autorama Drive-In, featuring more than 400 cars and trucks.

The Butch Gardner Club House will again be part of this year's show, with numerous car clubs showing off their prize wheels. The Club House is organized in memory of Butch Gardner, a long-time member of the storied Thunderbolts auto club in Sacramento and a dedicated Autorama volunteer and participant. Thunderbolts club members played a key role in organizing the first Sacramento Autorama in 1950.

General admission tickets for ages 13 and older are $25 each. Tickets for ages 6 to 12 are $10; children ages 5 and younger are admitted free.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://rodshows.com/sacramento-autorama or at the event. Discount tickets are available at participating local O'Reilly Auto Parts stores. Parking on the Cal Expo grounds is $10.

More information can be obtained at www.rodshows.com or by calling 877-763-7469.