Verizon IndyCar Series – Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis (May 14, 2016)
With a steely gaze and a heavy golden foot, pole-sitter Simon Pagenaud achieved the rare three-victories-in-a-row at this year’s Angie’s List Grand Prix. It was torment and tailpipes for the rest of the pack as Pagenaud’s car and team continue to perform at their peak.
After the race, Pagenaud commented on the serendipitous parallels between his driving style and the layout of this Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) track – the super smooth track which is very nice to drive on…with long entries and curbing at the corners…making it unique among the tracks on the IndyCar series’ courses – which suits him perfectly.
IMS is his friend: Pagenaud was the 2014 winner at this event while driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
Holding On: Leading for 52 out of 82 total laps, this outing was slightly less commanding than his 84 out of 90 laps led in Alabama, but still sufficient for the task.
Astonishing: Starting at the last row, Graham Rahal in the #15 Steak ‘n Shake Honda moved up to finish fourth in this race. Imagine the driving skill and superb pit efficiency required to accomplish such a comeback.
He’s Back: James Hinchcliffe, who suffered through and recovered from injuries resulting from a crash last year at the IMS, is back in business. We are very pleased to witness his successes going forward.
Through gapped fingers: A tough day for the Chip Ganassi Team due to a collision between their #10 car driven by Tony Kanaan and the #11 Team EUROPA – KVSH Racing Chevrolet driven by Sebastien Bourdais. Kanaan’s car was immediately out of the race. Bourdais nursed his car for 20 laps before finally packing it in.
Finger to Lips: Two Hondas among the top five finishers. Is it something about this track that suits Hondas? Is this a hint for possible results at the 500?
The Top Five
#1 – Simon Pagenaud in the #22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet
#2 – Helio Castroneves in the #3 hum by Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet (+ 4.47 seconds)
#3 – James Hinchcliffe in the #5 Arrow Electronics Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda (+ 5.08 seconds)
#4 – Graham Rahal in the #15 Steak ‘n Shake Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda (+ 7.07 seconds)
#5 – Charlie Kimball in the #83 Tresiba Chip Ganassi Racing Team Chevrolet (+ 7.42 seconds)
Looking Ahead: Round 6 of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season will be the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the IMS in Speedway, Indiana. It will be held on May 29, 2016.