Rookie Rossi finishes on fumes to win Indy 500

Alexander Rossi was the stunning victor of the historic 100th running of “The Greatest Spectacle In Racing” on Sunday in a victory that allowed the long-suffering Andretti family to celebrate in the biggest race of their famed careers. Are the domed skids going to ruin the race? – we came out with positive story lines like the massive sellout crowd, a new American hero, James Hinchcliffe coming back a year later and sticking his vehicle on the pole, and a really exciting, unpredictable race. He had almost died from injuries six days earlier in a crash at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Canadian driver who spent the past year fighting back from the life-threatening leg injury, completed a remarkable comeback Sunday by posting a four-lap qualifying average of 230.760 miles per hour on the final run of the day to barely edge American Josef Newgarden for the pole.

Going into the 500, Rossi said even though he was composed, he could feel the tension in his team’s garage on race morning and was completely blown away with the enormity of the crowd and the pre-race pageantry.

“My first memory was 2006 and Marco and what he came so close to accomplishing in his rookie year, and it was something that really stood out to me”.

It was Rossi’s first career win in five races. I can’t be sour about it, like I said. He earned $423,243 in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing Teams and now has logged four top-10 finishes in his last five Indy 500s. “Ryan (Hunter-Reay, a fellow Andretti teammate) was unbelievable in helping me get to the finish”.

For, yes, Michael Andretti, whom Indy tortured for 16 years as a driver, then unaccountably embraced on its special day. I was trying to remind myself it’s not about (the pole).

Rossi’s victory was the first win by a rookie since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000.

Throughout Sunday’s uncertainty was one absolute: Rossi was cool and steady.

The next caution was the result of Lazier’s left front wheel coming off on the warmup lane in Turn 1. Though his vehicle spun 5 1/2 times, he was quickly checked, released and cleared to drive by the infield medical center. Before trying to master the transition from racing in Europe to racing in the US, he had to attempt to do the same in going from the U.S.to Europe.

Everything seemed a bit out of whack Sunday. Before that, you’d have to go back to 1966 when Graham Hill did it and 1927 when George Souders took the checkered flag. Last year’s victor, Juan Pablo Montoya, saw his bid for a repeat scuffled when his Chevrolet snapped around on Lap 64 and ended up in the Turn 2 wall. I think me and [Josef] Newgarden (dueling with Munoz, below) had the win, we were so strong.

“A couple guys out there took a punt on fuel”, said Hinchcliffe. That’s the twists of Indy, 100 years in the making.

The Colombian settled for second in a 1-2 finish for Andretti Autosport and for Honda.

The former American Idol judge was supposed to ride in a two-seat IndyCar pace vehicle alongside racing legend Mario Andretti on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, but Gaga suited up instead. The only thing available was a ride with the small and usually underfunded team owned by ex-Indy vehicle driver Bryan Herta.

WHO’S NOT: Team Penske. With numerous series point leaders struggling on Sunday, Hinchcliffe jumped three spots to fifth place in the driver standings.

And then, they drop the green flag on a ideal start: eleven rows of three cars, and there are thirty-three IndyCars coming at you in turn one, somehow making it through a tight first turn, across the short chute and into two, led by pole sitter James Hinchcliffe. Pagenaud was eighth and Castroneves was ninth. For one, winning the Indy 500 as a rookie is a feat in it of itself. He’s driving in honor of his late brother, Justin, who was killed last August after being hit in the head with debris during a race at Pocono.

Someone at Monday’s news conference reminded Rossi that he had talked recently about all drivers being “alpha males”.