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Rookie Alexander Rossi takes shock Indianapolis 500 victory

Former Manor Formula 1 driver Alexander Rossi stole a shock maiden IndyCar win in the 100th Indianapolis 500, sweeping past the chequered flag with barely enough fuel to make the finish

The Andretti-Herta driver had been running his Dallara-Honda on the fringes of the top 10 for the first half of the race, having qualified highest of the rookies in 11th.

After a snap of oversteer for Mikhail Aleshin on lap 114 of 200 speared him into the wall, followed shortly by Conor Daly, the yellow flags came out.

Alex Tagliani and Rossi opted to go off strategy and not pit under the yellow flags, which meant they found themselves at the head of the field.

After being forced to make their stops under the green flags a short time later, the pair looked out of contention.

But a strong stop under yellow flags when Buddy Lazier lost a wheel with 50 laps remaining propelled Rossi up to eighth on the restart.

That put him in contention in the dying laps when first leader Tony Kanaan, and then Carlos Munoz were forced to pit for a splash of fuel.

Rossi had been running on fumes but held on for the win, with just enough to get him over the line.

Munoz finished second ahead of Josef Newgarden in third. Kanaan eventually finished fourth.

The Honda trio of Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti team-mate Townsend Bell and Schmidt Peterson's polesitter James Hinchcliffe had the early pace, trading the lead between them in the first half of the race.

Under the yellows for the Aleshin incident a clumsy exit meant Helio Castroneves and Bell touched, which speared Bell into the path of Hunter-Reay.

Both were wheeled back into their pitboxes for new front wings, but fed out 25th and 26th and out of contention for the win.

In the closing laps Newgarden, Castroneves and Kanaan traded the lead, before a loose left rear wheel guard dropped Penske driver Castroneves back.

Hinchcliffe maintained the pace to run in the top five for most of the race, but couldn't hold on and ended up seventh.

Juan Pablo Montoya lost the rear of his Penske Dallara-Chevy on the exit of Turn 1 on lap 64, which spun his car around and slammed him into the wall, making the 2015 race winner the first retirement.

Championship leader Simon Pagenaud pitted under the ensuing yellow flags but an unsafe release into Aleshin meant the stewards forced him to the back of the field and he eventually finished 19th.

Rossi's result makes him the first rookie to win the Indy 500 since Castroneves in 2001, and the first rookie to win a race this season.

RESULTS - 200 LAPS:

Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Alexander Rossi Andretti Herta Dallara/Honda 3h00m02.0872s
2 Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 4.4975s
3 Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 4.9304s
4 Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 10.4963s
5 Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 10.5218s
6 J.R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 11.3459s
7 James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara/Honda 12.7744s
8 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 15.1607s
9 Sebastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 21.0613s
10 Will Power Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 21.5171s
11 Helio Castroneves Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 22.1015s
12 Oriol Servia Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara/Honda 23.8140s
13 Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 24.9700s
14 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Dallara/Honda 28.2494s
15 Max Chilton Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 28.7589s
16 Jack Hawksworth AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara/Honda 32.1748s
17 Alex Tagliani AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara/Honda 32.1993s
18 Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda 1 Lap
19 Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 1 Lap
20 Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda 1 Lap
21 Townsend Bell Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 1 Lap
22 Matthew Brabham Team Murray Dallara/Chevrolet 1 Lap
23 Bryan Clauson Jonathan Byrd's Racing Dallara/Honda 2 Laps
24 Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 2 Laps
25 Spencer Pigot Rahal Letterman Lanigan Dallara/Honda 5 Laps
26 Takuma Sato AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara/Honda Contact
27 Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara/Honda Contact
28 Stefan Wilson KVSH Racing Dallara/Chevrolet Electrical
29 Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda Contact
30 Buddy Lazier Lazier Burns Racing Dallara/Chevrolet Mechanical
31 Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara/Chevrolet Mechanical
32 Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara/Chevrolet Contact
33 Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet Contact

LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Pos Driver Points
1 Simon Pagenaud 292
2 Scott Dixon 235
3 Helio Castroneves 224
4 Josef Newgarden 211
5 James Hinchcliffe 205
6 Alexander Rossi 203
7 Carlos Munoz 199
8 Tony Kanaan 192
9 Charlie Kimball 189
10 Juan Pablo Montoya 187
11 Will Power 178
12 Graham Rahal 173
13 Ryan Hunter-Reay 162
14 Takuma Sato 134
15 Sebastien Bourdais 134
16 Marco Andretti 130
17 Mikhail Aleshin 127
18 Max Chilton 122
19 Conor Daly 108
20 Jack Hawksworth 91

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