Sunday, Indy rookie Alexander Rossi stretched his final tank of fuel for 36 laps to the checkers – four more laps than any other competitor – to win the 100 running of the Indianapolis 500. It was Rossi’s first Verizon IndyCar Series victory and he became the first rookie to win the Indianapolis 500 since Helio Castroneves in 2001.
Advertisement
“I just can’t believe we’ve done this”, he said.
An Indianapolis 500 rookie who only a few months ago lost his drive in Formula One thanks to sport’s extortionate pay driver rates won the 100 installment of North America’s most famous race in front of almost 400,000 people at the Brickyard.
Munoz finished second, followed by Josef Newgarden, Tony Kanaan (kuh-NAHN) and Charlie Kimball. Hinchcliffe, the pole victor who missed the race previous year after a near-fatal accident in a practice session, faded to seventh.
Auto owner Bryan Herta’s team last won with the late Dan Wheldon at the wheel in 2011-the 100th anniversary year of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Pole-sitter James Hinchcliffe led 11 times for 27 laps. “I’m not surprised, but to be a rookie and win this race, I kept saying, ‘Wow.'” Now Rossi has done something that his owner never did, and he’s very aware of the historical significance. But the last part of the race, I was pushing really hard.
Juan Pablo Montoya skipped the pits and went straight to the garage on lap 64. Now Rossi is an Indianapolis 500 champion and he continues a trend of rookies winning landmark Indy 500s started by Ray Harroun at the first race in 1911 and Graham Hill at the 50th in 1966.
“I’m still on the last lap with Bryan yelling at me, ‘Pull the clutch and coast!’ And I’m like, ‘What?'”
“Ryan and Townsend looked really good up front, we thought they would be the team to beat”, team owner Michael Andretti said.
The differences there were that the driver Wheldon was chasing – JR Hildebrand – hit the Turn 4 wall coming to the checkered flag, and Wheldon was already a 500 victor. His 14 laps led tied 1920 victor Gaston Chevrolet for the seventh-fewest laps led by a race victor.
This was only Rossi’s second career oval race, but that didn’t seem to matter. “We led a lot of laps here, but we never led the right one”.
With the traditional milk celebration at the end of the race at The Brickyard, Rossi joins a unique band of winners of the prestigious event and the American who left for Europe aged 16 to pursue his single-seater career says he’s astonished to go down in IndyCar history. “I’m just honored to be able to drive next to all four of them”.
Sunday also marked the sixth straight race the victor took the lead for the final time with four laps or less remaining.
“To win this as a team has given back what was taken away several times as a driver”, 76-year-old Mario told Reuters, referring to his son’s winning team on Sunday.
Although Munoz has raced a auto in the Indianapolis 500 before, Rossi is a definite IndyCar rookie who has dreamed of driving in Formula One since the tender young age of 10.
Michael Andretti has reaped the spoils of team ownership, winning with Dan Wheldon (2005) and Dario Franchitti (2007). He added, “I have no doubt it’s going to change my life”.
Advertisement
Braving humidity, long lines and snarled traffic, a projected 350,000 fans packed the grandstands and infield, affirmation that the 100th running was not just another running. He took the lead for the first time on Lap 179, regained it on five laps later and yet again with eight laps to go. We’ve been strong from day one, on Monday.
