Alexander Rossi wins the 100th Running of the Indy 500

Alexander Rossi wrote his name in the history books in the most amazing of ways, winning the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil 

Running dangerously close to running out of fuel after streching his 18.5 gallons of ethanol for 36 laps, Rossi all but coasted the final lap but still crossed the finish line 4.4975 seconds ahead of teammate Carlos Munoz to win the historic running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” It was the first Verizon IndyCar Series victory for the rookie in his sixth race and he is the first rookie to win the Indianapolis 500 since Helio Castroneves in 2001.

Rossi, in the No. 98 NAPA Auto Parts/Curb Honda, inherited the lead on the 197th of 200 laps on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval when Munoz stopped for a splash of fuel. The Californian slowed his pace dramatically his final four laps. His last lap averaged 179.784 mph, nearly 40 mph slowed than Munoz’s final circuit, but he still had enough momentum to take the checkered flag.

“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” team owner Michael Andretti said. “They did a great job with strategy.”

All the race leaders stopped for fuel and tires on Lap 164. One by one, they were forced to make late stops for splashes of fuel, including Munoz in the No. 26 United Fiber & Data Honda on Lap 196. Everyone waited for Rossi to follow suit, but the 25-year-old never did. He ran out of fuel on the cool-down lap and coasted to a stop in Turn 4.

“To get a 1-2 finish is great,” Andretti said. “We’re just so happy. It’s so awesome.”

Josef Newgarden finished third, followed by Tony Kanaan, Charlie Kimball, JR Hildebrand, pole sitter James Hinchcliffe, Scott Dixon, Sebastian Bourdais and Will Power.

Verizon IndyCar Series points leader Simon Pagenaud saw his three-race winning streak come to an end, finishing 19th.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, who won the 2014 race, led the most laps (52), but finished a disappointing 24th after a number of problems, including a Lap 115 pit road incident when Townsend Bell bumped Helio Castroneves, spinning Bell into Hunter-Reay in the process.

Pagenaud’s teammate, defending Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya’s day ended early when he lost control of his No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet and hit the wall exiting Turn 2 on Lap 64 in a single-car incident.

“The car felt good and then it just stepped out of nowhere,” Montoya said.

Montoya becomes the third defending champion to finish last the following year. The others were Jimmy Bryan in 1959 and Johnny Rutherford in 1977.

A number of drivers were involved in pit road incidents, including Will Power, Castroneves, Bell and Hunter-Reay.

Sage Karam, in a one-off deal for the 500, tried to get around Bell, only to hit the Turn 1 wall hard on Lap 94, ending Karam’s day.

“I’m more bummed than hurt,” Karam said. “It just seemed like I could run through anyone. I’m so disappointed.  Just wrong place at wrong time. Just wish I hadn’t of gone into Turn 1 like that.”

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: