Alexander Rossi conserved all the fuel he possibly could and managed to take the checkered flag at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The rookie, who was a late sign-up for the Verizon IndyCar Series season, took advice from co-owner Bryan Herta. He slowed down his NAPA Auto Parts/Castrol Edge-sponsored hot-rod enough to hold on for victory ahead of teammate Carlos Munoz and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Josef Newgarden by 4.5 seconds.
The Michael Andretti hired gun became the first rookie to win the Indianapolis 500 in 15 years. Alexander Rossi was a 66-to-1 underdog and definitely not the racer anyone would have put their hard earned greenbacks on to win the sports most illustrious event. When all was said and done, the 24-year-old Californian used fuel strategy to outwit a handful of drivers who had the most dominant cars in the race. Rossi crossed the finish line at a meager 179.784 miles per hour.
“I have no idea how we pulled that off. I really was focused on taking it one lap at a time,” Alexander Rossi said. “The emotional roller coaster of this race is ridiculous. There were moments I was really stoked, really heartbroken, really stoked. I was like, ‘Wow, I’ll need to see a psychiatrist after this.'”
Alexander Rossi’s teammate Carlos Munoz led 10 laps in the prestigious event and finished runner-up. It was clear that Munoz’s car was the faster of the two, but he had to come into the pits for fuel in the race’s final laps and fell 4.498 seconds short of catching Rossi. The finish gave Andretti Autosport a first and second to gloat over. He seemed devastated after his second runner-up Indy finish in four years.
“I was really disappointed when it comes with fuel and you lose the race because of that,” Munoz said. “I was really disappointed to get second. Half a lap short. What can I say? The only thing I’m clear about is that I will win this race one day.”
Car owner Michael Andretti loved the performance of his racing teams. His post race comments show how the final decisions at the races final moments decided who would be taking the victory and the ride to the Winner’s Circle and that cool glass of milk.
“I knew Alex was going to try the fuel strategy, and we said, ‘All right, if he’s going to try it, we’re going to try something else (with Munoz),” Andretti said. “To come home one and two is just incredible. It was amazing. I don’t know what to say, it’s a great day, to be a part of history, to win the 100th running, and to win it with a one two finish is just incredible.”
My pick, Josef Newgarden, finished a respectable third. The #21 Preferred Freezer Services hot-rod found his way top the top ten and remained there for the duration of the contest. Newgarden clearly had the fastest car of the top three, but once again the fuel mileage monster reared it’s angry head and forced the Verizon IndyCar competitor into the pits in the waning stages.
“If I was in Alex’s position, I’d be the happiest person in the world right now, I wouldn’t care how we won the damn race,” Newgarden said. “Everyone was on different strategies, and they played that strategy. Those guys, to put it politely, weren’t as strong as us. They didn’t have as strong a chance to win, so they had to mix it up. It worked out at the end for them.”
The #28 of RyanHunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan and pole sitter James Hinchcliffe, had the strongest vehicles for most of the race. Hinchcliffe, who missed this race last year after a near fatal accident in the practice session, dropped to seventh despite having one of the best cars in the field. Kanaan kept enough power to make the top five in the fourth position and Hunter-Reay slipped all the way to the back in a disappointing 24th.
The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was completed in three hours and two seconds. The margin of victory between first and second was 4.498 seconds and there were six cautions for a total of 46 laps. There were 54 lead changes among 12 drivers in the field and the average speed of the event was 166.634 miles per hour. Eight drivers did not finish the race due to wrecks or mechanical issues, most notably Juan Pablo Montoya. The defending Indianapolis 500 winner was the first driver to wreck his way out of the race on lap 63.
Final Running Order of the 100th Annual Indianapolis 500:
1. (10) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 200.
2. (8) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 200.
3. (6) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 200.
4. (19) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 200.
5. (25) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 200.
6. (15) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 200.
7. (1) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 200.
8. (13) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 200.
9. (20) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 200.
10. (3) Will Power, Chevrolet, 200.
11. (4) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 200.
12. (24) Oriol Servia, Honda, 200.
13. (11) Marco Andretti, Honda, 200.
14. (21) Graham Rahal, Honda, 200.
15. (31) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 200.
16. (28) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 200.
17. (29) Alex Tagliani, Honda, 200.
18. (33) Pippa Mann, Honda, 199.
19. (9) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 199.
20. (19) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 199.
21. (5) Townsend Bell, Honda, 199.
22. (26) Matthew Brabham, Chevrolet, 199.
23. (22) Bryan Clauson, Honda, 198.
24. (2) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 198.
25. (23) Spencer Pigot, Honda, 195.
26. (16) Takuma Sato, Honda, 163, contact.
27. (7) Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, 126, contact.
28. (27) Stefan Wilson, Chevrolet, 119, electrical.
29. (17) Conor Daly, Honda, 115, contact.
30. (30) Buddy Lazier, Chevrolet, 100, mechanical.
31. (14) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 98, mechanical.
32. (18) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 93, contact.
33. (12) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 63, contact.
