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2017 Indy 500 results: Takuma Sato wins

By Brittany Frederick

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 18: Takuma Sato is seen during practice for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 18, 2017 in Indianapolis, In. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 18: Takuma Sato is seen during practice for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 18, 2017 in Indianapolis, In. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Takuma Sato won the 2017 Indy 500 in a busy 101st running dominated by Andretti Autosport. Here are the results from the 101st Indianapolis 500.

Takuma Sato is the winner of the 2017 Indy 500 after an eventful race that was largely controlled by Andretti Autosport.

The day started out well for the Chip Ganassi Racing team, with Scott Dixon leading the first six laps before ceding the lead to teammate Tony Kanaan, who kept it until the first round of pit stops on Lap 28.

But then the Andretti Autosport drivers began to show off the Indy 500 speed they’re known for. The much-talked about rookie Fernando Alonso had the lead on Lap 39, engaging in a dual with his teammate and 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi.

A jaw-dropping moment came on Lap 53, when Jay Howard lost control of his car and wound up colliding with pole sitter Scott Dixon. Dixon’s car went airborne and hit the catch fence, exploding into several pieces:

Both Scott Dixon and Jay Howard were unharmed from the crash which led to the Indy 500 going under a red flag for 18 and a half minutes.

While the Andretti team had four of their six cars in the Top 5 on the restart, they lost one on Lap 66. Conor Daly collided with the wall, and debris from his wreck caught the tire of Jack Harvey’s No. 50 entry, ending both of their days.

Ryan Hunter-Reay was the leader on Lap 81 when the third caution came out for debris on the track from the No. 27 car of his teammate Marco Andretti. While Max Chilton surprised people by snatching the lead on the restart, Helio Castroneves (who narrowly escaped involvement in Dixon’s crash) had moved up through the field and was in front at the halfway point of the 2017 Indy 500.

Hunter-Reay reassumed the lead on the next cycle of pit stops with a considerable gap between himself and the rest of the field. But things packed back up on Lap 122 as Buddy Lazier wrecked for the fourth caution. And then his engine died on Lap 137, making this the second straight year that Hunter-Reay has been forced out of the Indy 500 prematurely. He was the front-runner in 2016 before making pit lane contact with teammate Townsend Bell.

More trouble befell the Andretti team when Alonso’s engine blew up with 20 laps to go, narrowing the Andretti contingent down to three cars. A multi-car wreck followed just four laps later. It all opened the door for Takuma Sato to earn the checkered flag after lurking behind his teammates all day.

Below are the Top 5 finishers from this year’s Indianapolis 500:

1 – Takuma Sato
2 – Helio Castroneves
3 – Ed Jones
4 – Max Chilton
5 – Tony Kanaan

You can find the complete finishing order for the 2017 Indy 500 here.

Next: Full video highlights from the 2017 Indy 500

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