Sato holds off Helio to give Andretti another Indy 500 win

Team Penske driver Will Power and his crew celebrate a win in the Pit Stop Competition
Team Penske driver Will Power and his crew celebrate a win in the Pit Stop Competition
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29 May, 2017

Just a few laps after Alonso's auto came to a stop, Oriol Servia, James Davison, Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and James Hinchcliffe were all involved in another crash on track. He never got another chance to slingshot his way past Japan's Takuma Sato and wound up settling for a record-tying runner-up finish rather than celebrating a record-tying victory.

Last year, it was with rookie Alexander Rossi.

“Being second again sucks, being so close to getting my fourth, ” Castroneves said.

"I couldn't do what he was doing (on the closing laps)", Castroneves said.

"Clearly he has got a feel for the vehicle, so I wouldn't be surprised that what he felt at that moment was what caught us out in the end". He already has one leg, the Monaco Grand Prix, which he chose to skip this weekend to try the Indy 500.

The Brazilian did everything in his power to end the streak Sunday, he just didn't quite have the wheels to do it.

Castroneves made several efforts to get back to the top spot, but Sato's vehicle was too fast, and he would not give up his position. Castroneves twice came within inches of passing Sato entering Turn 1, but Sato was able to hold him off and Sato won the race by 0.20 seconds.

It was just the start of trouble for a handful of drivers with Honda engines.

Castroneves had passed Chilton with seven laps to go to move into first place, and it looked like victory was in his grasp, but Sato was relentless in his effort to get to the lead, and he did not fail when he had the opportunity. The five-driver pack struggled over the previous two weeks in practice and qualifying.

The crash occurred on lap 53 when Howard's vehicle bounced off the outside wall, apparently crushing his right front suspension. Josef Newgarden also spun, but continued.

Concerns of a failure had been raised earlier in the 500-mile event when teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay's engine gave way on Lap 140.

"We had our cars in the top 10 up and until the accident, we were in good shape", Roger Penske said. "Now we just have to do the hard part and hold on to it".

“Just a little beaten up there.

On Lap 75, he was penalized for jumping a restart, a call Castroneves contended might have been wrong.

Faces in the crowd: Among the notable fans in attendance Sunday were: Professional wrestler Ric Flair; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith; "The Walking Dead" actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his wife, "One Tree Hill" star Hilarie Burton.

He nearly did anyway.

This time, the win was the product of a battle with an Indy 500 legend, as Sato and three-time victor Helio Castroneves waged an epic fight for the lead over the final laps.

Sato went through all the usual post-race traditions, drinking the milk and kissing the bricks and snapping pictures in his vehicle. Me and Helio went side by side with three laps to go.

"When I saw that, I'm like, 'Whoa, I think we're going to win this thing'".

"It's a shame, I think we deserved at least to finish the race".


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