Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Monday 27 May 2019
Simon Pagenaud wins Indy 500 on

Penske’s golden anniversarya

By JENNA FRYER lane from Japan, where said. “This one will be hard
AP Auto Racing Writer he was meeting with Prime to get over.”
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Si- Minister Shinzo Abe over Rossi, who drove from the
mon Pagenaud arrived at trade. Penske passed the back to finish fourth a year
Indianapolis Motor Speed- phone to Pagenaud, and ago, had been patient
way this month with his job Trump later tweeted an in- through the first half of the
on the line and rumors swirl- vite to the White House for race and set himself up to
ing around Gasoline Alley the winning team. take control after the half-
that Alexander Rossi could Penske, who was there ear- way point. But a trouble-
soon replace him at Team lier with Joey Logano last some fuel hose on a pit Simon Pagenaud, of France, celebrates by pouring milk on
Penske. month to celebrate last stop caused a lengthy himself after winning the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at
The Frenchman is leaving year’s NASCAR Cup Series delay, and Rossi was an- Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 26, 2019, in India-
napolis.
with a pair of wins, his face championship, said Trump grily pounding his steering Associated Press
soon to be engraved on told him: “I must have been wheel while imploring the
the Borg-Warner trophy as your good-luck charm.” Andretti crew to get him restart the final sprint as the two went back and forth
the Indianapolis 500 cham- Penske now has two con- back on track. leader, and he conveyed four more times before Pa-
pion and an assurance secutive Indy 500 victories He really lost his cool when his mood over his team ra- genaud locked down the
from Roger Penske himself — Will Power won last year he couldn’t get past the dio. win. Former champion Ta-
that he isn’t going any- — for the first time since lapped car of Oriol Servia. “A bunch of hungry, an- kuma Sato finished third as
where. “Do I even have 2002-03. It was his third win As Rossi finally raced by, gry cars behind me,” Rossi he and Rossi gave Honda
to answer that?” Penske in the crown jewel race in he angrily raised his fist at said. “Little do they know two spots on the podium.
asked. “Absolutely.” the past five years and fifth the Spaniard. A late wreck I’m angrier.” Santino Ferrucci in seventh
In a head-to-head duel in the past 14. then caused an 18-minute Pagenaud got him on the was the highest finishing
for the ages, Pagenaud It was a banner day, too, stoppage with Rossi set to restart, though, and the rookie.q
defeated none other than with Josef Newgarden fin-
Rossi with a dramatic pass ishing fourth and Power in
on the penultimate lap, fifth. Rossi lost his cool sev-
then holding on the rest of eral times in the race, but
the way to hand Penske his the Californian had better
18th win in “The Greatest fuel mileage than Pagen-
Spectacle in Racing.” Even aud and the Penske cars.
sweeter, it came the 50th The 2016 race winner twice
anniversary of Penske’s ar- charged to the front in the
rival at the Brickyard. closing laps.
Pagenaud and Rossi “Horsepower. That’s unfor-
swapped the lead five tunately the way it is,” said
times over the final 13 laps, Rossi, who was in a Honda
and the margin of victory for Andretti Autosport. “I
was a mere 0.2086 seconds think we had the superior
— the seventh-closest finish car. We just didn’t have
in the 103 years of the race. enough there at the end.”
“It’s a dream come true. A Pagenaud was in a Chev-
lifetime trying to achieve rolet, and the bowtie
this,” said Pagenaud, who brand was the dominant
dismissed the thought over engine all May. It swept the
job security as he celebrat- top four spots in qualifying,
ed his first Indy 500 win. won the race and took four
“The milk motivated me. of the top six spots.
I was just focused on the Pagenaud is the first
job, man.” Frenchman to win the Indy
Pagenaud was dominant 500 since Rene Thomas in
all day, leading 116 of the 1914. Indianapolis records
200 laps, and the win was count five French winners,
cathartic. He stopped his but Gil de Ferran in 2003
car at the start-finish line and Gaston Chevrolet in
and hopped out to share 1920, while born in France,
the moment with his fans. list other nationalities. Pa-
And once he finally made genaud was the 21st win-
his way to victory lane, Pa- ner form the pole and first
genaud climbed from his since Helio Castroneves a
car and let out a primal decade ago.
scream, then dumped the As he began the traditional
entire bottle of milk over his victory lap in the back of a
head. convertible, Rossi was one
“I never expected to be of many drivers to walk
in this position,” Pagenaud onto the track to congrat-
said, “and I certainly am ulate him. The American
grateful.” leaned in for a genuine
President Donald Trump embrace. “Nothing else
phoned Penske in victory matters but winning,” Rossi