Indy Rookie Rossi Grabs Gold as Honda Takes Top Two in 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500

Circuit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval) Indianapolis, IN
2015 Winner: Juan Pablo Montoya (Team Penske) 161.341 mph average
Weather: Mostly sunny, hot, 88 degrees F

 

Results:

Fn. St. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Notes
1. 11. Alexander Rossi-R Andretti-Herta Autosport Honda 200 166.634 mph average
2. 5. Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Honda 200 +4.4975 seconds
3. 2. Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 200  
4. 18. Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200  
5. 16. Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200  
6. 15. JR Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 200  
7. 1. James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Mtspts Honda 200 Led 27 laps
8. 13. Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200  
9. 19. Sebastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Chevrolet 200  
10. 6. Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 200  
11. 9. Helio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet 200  
12. 10. Oriol Servia Schmidt Peterson Mtspts Honda 200  
13. 14. Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 200  
14. 26. Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda 200  
15. 22. Max Chilton-R Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200  
16. 31. Jack Hawksworth A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 200  
17. 33. Alex Tagliani A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 200  
18. 25. Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda 199 Running
19. 8. Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 199 Running
20. 21. Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing Honda 199 Running
21. 4. Townsend Bell Andretti Autosport Honda 199 Running
22. 27. Matt Brabham-R KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 199 Running
23. 28. Bryan Clauson Dale Coyne Racing Honda 198 Running
24. 3. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 198 Running, Led 52 Laps
25. 29. Spencer Pigot-R Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda 195 Running
26. 12. Takuma Sato A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 163 Did not finish – contact
27. 7. Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt Peterson Mtspts Honda 126 Did not finish – contact
31. 30. Stefan Wilson-R KV Racing Technology Chevrolet 119 Did not finish – mechanical
27. 24. Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Honda 115 Did not finish – crash
23. 32. Buddy Lazier Lazier-Burns Racing Chevrolet 100 Did not finish – mechanical
31. 20. Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 98 Did not finish – mechanical
32. 23. Sage Karam Dreyr & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet 93 Did not finish – crash
33. 17. Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 63 Did not finish – crash

R – Indy 500 R 

Rookie Rossi, Honda Win 100th Indianapolis 500

  • Alexander Rossi extends final fuel run for 36 laps to claim historic victory
  • Record-extending 11th Indy triumph for Honda
  • Carlos Munoz completes 1-2 finish for Honda, Andretti Autosport

Hondas have always been known for their exceptional fuel economy.  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 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.  On a similar strategy, Carlos Munoz ran an impressive 32 laps after his final fill-up to make it a 1-2 finish for Honda and the Andretti Autosport team.

But Sunday's victory for Rossi and Honda wasn't just about saving fuel.  He also turned the fastest lap of the race, at an average of 225.288 mph, with his Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti producing the second-fastest race lap, at 224.772 mph.

Today's victory was a record-extending 11th for Honda in 16 attempts at the "500", starting in 1994, the most of any major automobile manufacturer.  Rossi was one of seven Honda drivers to lead portions of today's race.  Pole qualifier James Hinchclife and outside front-row starter Ryan Hunter-Reay combined to lead all but two of the first 30 laps.  Other Honda leaders included Munoz, Townsend Bell, Bryan Clauson and Alex Tagliani.

A series of mid-race incidents led several teams – including those of Rossi, Munoz and Tagliani – to go "off-sequence" on their pit strategy.  That proved to be the correct call when Takuma Sato brushed the wall on Lap 163, bringing out the caution flag just inside the final pit window for both Rossi and Munoz.  Restarting in seventh and eight, respectively, the pair cycled up the order as the leaders made their final stops for a splash of fuel in the closing laps.  It was only on Lap 197 that Rossi assumed the lead, taking the checkers one lap later as the newest American winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Video recaps from this month's Honda racing activities at Indianapolis, including today's Indianapolis 500, are being posted on the "Honda Racing/HPD" YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the 2015 HPD Trackside Video Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV

IndyCar Series teams and drivers now prepare for a hectic schedule of three races over the next two weeks, starting with next weekend's June 4-5 double-header weekend with races both Saturday and Sunday on the Belle Isle street circuit in Detroit, Michigan.

Alexander Rossi (#98 Andretti Herta Autosport Honda) started 11th, finished 1st, first rookie 500 winner in 16 years, first IndyCar Series victory:  "I have no idea how we pulled that off!  We struggled a bit in the early pit stops, but then Bryan [Herta, team co-owner] came up with an unbelievable strategy.  Ryan [Hunter-Reay] was incredibly helpful, he gave me a tow at the end to produce an amazing 1-2 result.  It's phenomenal.  It will change my life, for sure.  I have to thank Michael Andretti and Bryan for giving me such a wonderful race car all month.  I'll cherish the fact that, at one point, we were last, but we rolled the dice and we came through and made it happen.  The [winner's] milk tasted better than anything I've ever had."

Carlos Munoz (#26 Andretti Autosport Honda) started 5th, finished 2nd: "I knew I had the car to win in the first half of the race.  I was just holding my position, the engine was pulling so good.  But the last part of the race, I was pushing really hard. I was sliding everywhere the last two stints.  I was really disappointed to get second, just half a lap short.  But man, it was a close one.  I am happy for the team, 1-2 for Andretti, 1-2 for Honda.  One day, I will win this race."

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today's race and 11th Honda victory at the Indianapolis 500:  "That 100th running of the Indy 500 had a little bit of everything:  clean, long runs at the beginning, followed by unfortunate incidents in the pits mid-race, to finish up as a strategy and fuel economy nail-biter – all the things that make Indy car racing exciting.  After dominating the first half of the race, it was gratifying to know that we had enough depth to cover both the fuel economy strategy, and the max power strategy.  It makes all the incredibly hard work performed by HPD over the past year worthwhile.  Congratulations to Alexander [Rossi] for an incredible performance in his '500' debut."