His latest win gave team owner Roger Penske his 18th victory in his 50th year at the track.
INDIANAPOLIS — Simon Pagenaud has won his first Indianapolis 500, making an audacious pass of Alexander Rossi before taking the white flag and holding off the hard-charging driver from Andretti Autosport.
Pagenaud’s victory after an incredible duel with Rossi completed a sweep of the Month of May for him. He came into the season trying to hang onto his job with Team Penske, and a brazen move near the end of the Indianapolis Grand Prix gave him a win two weeks ago.
His latest win gave team owner Roger Penske his 18th victory in his 50th year at the track.
Takuma Sato was third, Josef Newgarden fourth and defending champion Will Power was fifth.
Congrats to @simonpagenaud and @Team_Penske for winning the Indianapolis 500 Presented by @GainbridgeLife!#ThisIsMay | #Indy500 https://t.co/wGWjXjUKXU
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 26, 2019
Graham Rahal and Sebastien Bourdais brought out the red flag with 23 laps to go when they touched wheels down the backstretch and triggered a heavy five-car wreck.
Felix Rosenqvist, Charlie Kimball and Zach Veach also were involved.
Rahal had gone low to pass Bourdais when he got squeezed heading into Turn 3, and the brief touch of tires sent both into the fence. Rahal already was gesturing wildly at Bourdais before the cars came to rest next to each other, and he quickly jumped from his car to get in his face.
James Hinchcliffe neatly avoided the wreck, slipping through a crack between sliding cars as his spotter shared rapid-fire guidance over the radio.
Chris Minot, a crew member with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, has been transferred to Indiana University Methodist Hospital for evaluation of a leg injury.
He was injured when rookie Jordan King hit him along pit lane.
Minot initially was taken to the track’s infield medical center and then was transported to the nearby hospital.
Minot’s injury was the only one stemming from a series of pit-lane miscues, which included defending champion Will Power being sent to the rear of the field on a restart for hitting one of his crew members.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was assessed a drive-through penalty after hitting James Davison on pit lane early in the race.
The Brazilian damaged Team Penske’s No. 3 car while the incident spun Davison sideways and sent a tire bouncing across pit lane. Davison’s crew pushed the car back into the proper pit box.
