2016 Indianapolis 500

Last updated
100th Indianapolis 500
2016indianapolis500logo.png
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body IndyCar
Season 2016 IndyCar season
DateMay 29, 2016
Winner Flag of the United States.svg Alexander Rossi (R)
Winning team Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
Average speed166.634 mph (268.171 km/h)
Pole position Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe
Pole speed230.760 mph (371.372 km/h)
Fastest qualifier Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe
Rookie of the Year Flag of the United States.svg Alexander Rossi
Most laps led Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay (52)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem Darius Rucker [1]
"Back Home Again in Indiana" Josh Kaufman [2]
Starting command Mari Hulman George and family
Pace car Chevrolet Camaro
Pace car driver Roger Penske
StarterPaul Blevin
Honorary starter Chris Pine
TV in the United States
Network ABC (including WRTV, blackout lifted due to sellout)
Announcers Allen Bestwick, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever
Nielsen ratings 3.9 / 6.0M viewers
Chronology
PreviousNext
2015 2017

The 2016 Indianapolis 500 (branded as the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil for sponsorship reasons) took place on Sunday, May 29, 2016, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was the premier event of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season. 24 year-old rookie Alexander Rossi of Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian won the race on fuel mileage over Carlos Muñoz and Josef Newgarden. Two-time winner Juan Pablo Montoya entered the race as the defending champion. [3]

Contents

Over the final ten laps, most of the leaders were cycling through pit stops, as no one was expected to make it to the finish without pitting for fuel. Most drivers had not pitted since the previous caution that ended on lap 166. Alexander Rossi's team took a gamble and coached the driver into saving fuel. As the other leaders made their stops, Rossi inherited the lead on lap 197. He slowed down to save fuel, but on the final lap Carlos Muñoz began charging to catch up. Coming out of turn four on the final lap, Rossi pulled to the inside and coasted across the finish line, to take the checkered flag. Muñoz finished 4.4975 seconds behind, his second runner-up finish at Indy (2013, 2016). Rossi, out of fuel, came to a stop during his cool down lap. A tow truck brought him in, believed to be the first time in Indy history the race winner was towed back to victory lane.

The 2016 race marked a milestone as the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The race came five years after the event's Centennial Era, a three-year long commemoration which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the circuit (1909), and the 100th anniversary of the first Indy 500 (1911). The 2016 running was the ninety-ninth scheduled 500-mile race of the canon, as the 1916 race was scheduled as a 300-mile race. [N 1] It also commemorated the bicentennial of Indiana statehood.

The month of May activities at the Speedway opened May 14 with the third annual Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Indianapolis 500 practice began on Monday, May 16. Time trials were held on May 21–22, with James Hinchcliffe winning the pole position. Carb Day, the traditional final practice session, and the annual Pit Stop Challenge, was held May 27. Considerable pre-race hype surrounded the milestone event, and for the first time the race was announced as a complete sellout; due to this, the local television blackout of the ABC broadcast was lifted for the first time.

Race background

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5-mile oval circuit with four turns banked at 9deg. Indianapolis Oval.svg
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5-mile oval circuit with four turns banked at 9°.

Going into the race, Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske had mostly dominated the first five races of the 2016 IndyCar season. He finished second in the first two events (St. Petersburg and Phoenix), and won the next three races (Long Beach, Alabama, and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis) to take a sizable lead in the championship points standings.

The most discussed issues in the weeks leading up the race involved the ongoing development of aero kit regulations, and the competitive balance between the two engine manufacturers (Chevrolet and Honda). After three major crashes in 2015, in which cars flipped over and became airborne, series officials attempted to address the situation by adding "dome skids" - aerodynamic devices affixed to the undertrays of the cars, designed to keep the cars on the ground during a crash. This rule change was met with some resistance, particularly from the Honda teams, after testing revealed them to be unsettling to the cars' handling. After practice opened, however, the issues appeared to have been mostly resolved. None of the crashes that occurred during practice or qualifying saw the respective cars flip over. With respect to the engine competition, Chevrolet entered the month having swept all five race wins and all five race pole positions. In addition, Chevrolet had noticeably outperformed Honda in the 2015 race, sweeping the top five spots in qualifying, as well as the top four positions on race day. After practice opened, however, Honda teams led the speed chart on three of the four days (one day was rained out), and also secured the pole position - Honda's first Indy 500 pole since 2011.

Early in the month of May, Speedway officials announced that the grandstand seating for the race had sold out. It marked the first sell-out since before 2003.

On May 25, Speedway officials announced that the race had reached a total sellout with all general admission tickets sold. In addition, it was announced that for the first time since 1950, the race would not be blacked out for the local audience. [4]

This race would turn out to be the final race of Alex Tagliani's career. For 2017 and onwards, Tagliani would shift his focus to mainly NASCAR. This would also be the final race for Townsend Bell after 13 seasons in IndyCar. After this race, Bell would shift his focus to sports cars racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship from 2017 onwards.

Entry list

Juan Pablo Montoya is a two-time race winner (2000, 2015) and entered as the defending champion. Juan Pablo Montoya - August 2014 - Sarah Stierch.jpg
Juan Pablo Montoya is a two-time race winner (2000, 2015) and entered as the defending champion.
Helio Castroneves is a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and four-time pole position winner. Helio Castroneves 2009 Indy 500 Carb Day.JPG
Hélio Castroneves is a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and four-time pole position winner.
Scott Dixon is a former winner, and two-time former pole winner. Scott Dixon at the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore.jpg
Scott Dixon is a former winner, and two-time former pole winner.
Tony Kanaan is a former race winner and pole winner. Tony Kanaan 2008 Indy Japan 300.jpg
Tony Kanaan is a former race winner and pole winner.
Buddy Lazier, the 1996 winner. Buddy Lazier 2008 Indy 500 Bump Day.jpg
Buddy Lazier, the 1996 winner.

 W  Winner  R  Rookie

No.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
2 Flag of Colombia.svg Juan Pablo Montoya  W  Team Penske Chevrolet
3 Flag of Brazil.svg Hélio Castroneves  W  Team Penske Chevrolet
4 Flag of the United States.svg Buddy Lazier  W  Lazier Burns Racing Chevrolet
5 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
6 Flag of the United States.svg J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
7 Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
8 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Max Chilton  R  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
9 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon  W  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
10 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan  W  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
11 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Chevrolet
12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet
14 Flag of Japan.svg Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda
15 Flag of the United States.svg Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
16 Flag of the United States.svg Spencer Pigot  R  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
18 Flag of the United States.svg Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Honda
19 Flag of Colombia.svg Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing Honda
20 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
21 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
22 Flag of France.svg Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet
24 Flag of the United States.svg Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet
25 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stefan Wilson  R  KVSH Racing Chevrolet
26 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda
27 Flag of the United States.svg Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda
28 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay  W  Andretti Autosport Honda
29 Flag of the United States.svg Townsend Bell Andretti Autosport Honda
35 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Alex Tagliani A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda
41 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Hawksworth A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda
42 Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
61 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Matthew Brabham  R  PIRTEK Team Murray Chevrolet
63 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda
77 Flag of Spain.svg Oriol Servià Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
88 Flag of the United States.svg Bryan Clauson Jonathan Byrd's Racing Honda
98 Flag of the United States.svg Alexander Rossi  R  Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda

Regulations and rule changes

Sponsorship

For the first time in race history, the Indianapolis 500 had a presenting sponsor: the PennGrade brand of the Lebanon, Indiana-based D-A Lubricant company. D-A Lubricant has had a long history of involvement in the Indianapolis 500, having historically sponsored teams at the race in the late-1950s, and being a current associate sponsor of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Although terms of the deal were not officially announced, the Indianapolis Star reported via sources that it is a three-year deal valued around $5 million. [7] [8]

Pre-race ceremonies

Schedule

Race schedules — May 2016
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1

2

3

4

5

6

7
Mini-Marathon
8

9

10

11
Road to Indy
Open test
12
Grand Prix
Practice
13
Grand Prix
Qualifying
14
Angie's List GP
of Indianapolis
15
Car conversion
day
16
ROP
Practice
17
Practice
18
Practice
19
Practice
20
Practice
Fast Friday
21
Time Trials
22
Pole Day
23
Practice
24

25

26
Indy Lights
Qualifying
27
Carb Day
Freedom 100
28
Legends Day
Parade
29
Indianapolis
500
30
Memorial
Day
31









ColorNotes
GreenPractice
Dark BlueTime trials
SilverRace day
RedRained out*
BlankNo track activity

*Includes days where track
activity was significantly limited due to rain

Testing and rookie orientation

Manufacturer's test – Tuesday, April 5

Four Chevrolet teams and one Honda team conducted a private test at the Speedway on Tuesday, April 5. The test was primarily to evaluate dome skids, a titanium safety device affixed to the underside of the chassis intended to reduce the chance of cars becoming airborne in a crash. Honda teams had already tested the dome skids once at Fontana. [9] A new rear wing flap was also added being tested.

Marco Andretti was the lone Honda participant on Tuesday. Chevrolet participants included Sébastien Bourdais, Ed Carpenter, Hélio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and Juan Pablo Montoya. [10] Temperatures were cool, and no incidents were reported.

Safety test – Wednesday, April 6

One week after the test sessions, IndyCar officials announced revised regulations for the aero kits. The domed skid plates were made mandatory, and optional underwing sidewalls were extended. [15]
Top Practice Speeds — Overall
PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
127 Flag of the United States.svg Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 223.427
228 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 222.047
322 Flag of France.svg Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 221.293
OFFICIAL REPORT

Rookie Orientation and Refresher Tests – Monday, May 16

Rookie orientation and veteran refresher tests were held on the first day of practice from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The 40-lap rookie test consisted of three phases demonstrating car control, placement, and a consistent driving pattern. Phase one consists of 10 laps over 210 mph (340 km/h), phase two consists of 15 laps at 215 mph (346 km/h), and phase three requires 15 laps at over 220 mph (350 km/h). Five rookies took part in the session. Alexander Rossi, Max Chilton, and Spencer Pigot passed all three phases. Matthew Brabham and Stefan Wilson passed the first two phases, and were permitted to pass the third phase during any open practice session. [16] Both successfully completed the final phase in the full-field session later that day.

Practice

Monday, May 16

Marco Andretti led practice on May 16. Marco Andretti at Carb Day 2015 - Stierch.jpg
Marco Andretti led practice on May 16.
Top Practice Speeds — Practice
PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
127 Flag of the United States.svg Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 228.978
226 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 228.945
328 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 228.003
OFFICIAL REPORT

Tuesday, May 17

Wednesday, May 18

Ryan Hunter-Reay set the fastest time during May 18th practice. GoPro Grand Prix 2015 34 - Stierch.jpg
Ryan Hunter-Reay set the fastest time during May 18th practice.
Top Practice Speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
128 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 228.202
226 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 228.066
312 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 227.733
OFFICIAL REPORT

Thursday, May 19

Will Power set the fastest "no-tow" lap on Thursday. Will Power at Carb Day 2015 - Stierch.jpg
Will Power set the fastest "no-tow" lap on Thursday.
Top Practice Speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
119 Flag of Colombia.svg Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing Honda 227.961
229 Flag of the United States.svg Townsend Bell Andretti Autosport Honda 227.593
326 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 227.589
OFFICIAL REPORT

Fast Friday — Friday, May 20

Townsend Bell set the fastest "no-tow" speed on Fast Friday. Townsend Bell - 2015 500 Festival Parade - Stierch.jpg
Townsend Bell set the fastest "no-tow" speed on Fast Friday.
Top Practice Speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
112 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 232.672
221 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 232.344
35 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 231.972
OFFICIAL REPORT

Time trials

First Day — Saturday, May 21

Morning rain delayed the start of practice until 12:30 p.m. Six minutes into the practice session, Max Chilton spun in turn two and crashed into the outside wall. He was not seriously injured. Alexander Rossi set the fastest lap of the practice session at 231.249 mph (372.159 km/h). Officials announced that time trials would be extended to 7 p.m., to account for lost track time due to the moisture and weepers. The top nine qualifiers for the day would be locked in, and advance to the Top Nine Shootout on Sunday. The drivers for positions 10-33 would also be determined, but the actual starting positions will not set until Sunday.

Qualifying began at 2:15 p.m. Tony Kanaan was the first driver to complete an attempt. The early qualifiers were led by Josef Newgarden (230.229 mph (370.518 km/h)), who tentatively took the top spot of the qualifying chart. Rising track temperatures, and wind gusts in turn one, were making qualifying runs challenging for drivers. About an hour later, at 3:40 p.m., Townsend Bell upped the speed to 230.452 mph (370.877 km/h), and took over the top spot.

At 4:24 p.m., Pippa Mann was on her qualifying run, when a rear wing end fence failed. The car broke into a spin in turn two, scrubbed off speed, and tagged the outside wall twice. It came to rest against the inside wall. The car suffered moderate damage, and Mann was not injured. The track stood mostly quiet over the next hour, as teams awaited better track conditions, and waited to see who would make the first move to re-qualify.

At 5:52 p.m., Mikhail Aleshin was the first car to get in line to re-qualify, and improved on his earlier speed. Within moments, teams up and down the pit lane began scrambling to get into the qualifying line. Teams could elect to get into one of two lines. The normal qualifying allowed drivers an opportunity to re-qualify, but if they did not improve, they could revert to the earlier speed. The "fast track" line allowed drivers to move directly to the front of the queue, but at the expense of withdrawing their earlier speed. Hélio Castroneves set the tone for the final hour, moving to position 1 with a speed of 230.500 mph (370.954 km/h). Not to be upstaged, James Hinchcliffe went even faster (230.946 mph (371.672 km/h)). In the final minutes, Marco Andretti made a last-ditch effort to make the Fast Nine. With seven minutes left, Andretti bumped out his teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay. Hunter-Reay answered, putting himself second, and bumping Andretti out of the Fast Nine. With just seconds left before the final gun, Mikhail Aleshin got out onto the track for one more run. Aleshin bumped his way into the top nine as time expired. All top nine qualifiers were over the 230 mph (370 km/h) barrier.

James Hinchcliffe set the fastest qualifying speed on Saturday May 21, and secured the pole position on Sunday May 22. Hinchcliffe 20120519.jpg
James Hinchcliffe set the fastest qualifying speed on Saturday May 21, and secured the pole position on Sunday May 22.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Pos.No.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
Fast Nine Qualifiers
15 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 230.946
228 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 230.805
312 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 230.736
43 Flag of Brazil.svg Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet 230.500
529 Flag of the United States.svg Townsend Bell Andretti Autosport Honda 230.452
621 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 230.229
77 Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 230.209
826 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 230.173
922 Flag of France.svg Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 230.102
Positions 10-33
1098 Flag of the United States.svg Alexander Rossi  R  Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda 230.048
1127 Flag of the United States.svg Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 230.037
122 Flag of Colombia.svg Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 229.745
139 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 229.497
1420 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 229.429
156 Flag of the United States.svg J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 229.075
1614 Flag of Japan.svg Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 228.096
1718 Flag of the United States.svg Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Honda 227.862
1824 Flag of the United States.svg Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet 227.821
1910 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 227.679
2011 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Chevrolet 227.442
2115 Flag of the United States.svg Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 227.437
2288 Flag of the United States.svg Bryan Clauson Jonathan Byrd's Racing Honda 227.110
2316 Flag of the United States.svg Spencer Pigot  R  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 227.100
2477 Flag of Spain.svg Oriol Servià Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 226.893
2542 Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 226.549
2661 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Matthew Brabham  R  PIRTEK Team Murray Chevrolet 226.390
2725 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stefan Wilson  R  KVSH Racing Chevrolet 225.560
2841 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Hawksworth A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 225.388
2935 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Alex Tagliani A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 224.507
304 Flag of the United States.svg Buddy Lazier Lazier Burns Racing Chevrolet 224.341
318 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Max Chilton  R  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet No time
3219 Flag of Colombia.svg Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing Honda Wave off
3363 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda Crash
OFFICIAL REPORT

Second Day — Sunday, May 22

Pole Day qualification saw warmer temperatures than the previous day's trials with roughly the same amount of wind, resulting in lower speeds and an even slicker track. Qualifications began with the determining of positions 10 through 33. Early in the session, Alex Tagliani lost control of his car, hit the outside wall, then slid back across the track and tapped the pit lane attenuator with the nose of his car. Tagliani was uninjured, but the crash forced him to start in last place. Later in the session, a minor incident occurred where a trash bag blew onto the course in the middle of Juan Pablo Montoya's run. Montoya ran over the trash bag, causing a massive loss in downforce for the remainder of the run. IndyCar officials allowed Montoya to retry his run due to the circumstances. The 10-33 position session was topped by Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Oriol Servià with a speed of 229.060 mph (368.636 km/h). Marco Andretti, who was one of the fastest cars during the week, was hampered in his run due a broken fifth gear, relegating him to a 14th place start.

Oriol Servia led the Group One "10-33" qualifying session. Oriol Servia 2005.jpg
Oriol Servià led the Group One "10-33" qualifying session.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Positions 10-33
Pos.No.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
1077 Flag of Spain.svg Oriol Servià Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 229.060
1198 Flag of the United States.svg Alexander Rossi  R  Andretti Herta Autosport Honda 228.473
1214 Flag of Japan.svg Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 228.029
139 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 227.991
1427 Flag of the United States.svg Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 227.969
156 Flag of the United States.svg J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 227.876
1642 Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 227.822
172 Flag of Colombia.svg Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 227.684
1810 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 227.430
1911 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Chevrolet 227.428
2020 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 227.226
2119 Flag of Colombia.svg Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing Honda 227.192
228 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Max Chilton  R  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 226.686
2324 Flag of the United States.svg Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet 226.436
2418 Flag of the United States.svg Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Honda 226.312
2563 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda 226.006
2615 Flag of the United States.svg Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 225.847
2761 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Matthew Brabham  R  PIRTEK Team Murray Chevrolet 225.727
2888 Flag of the United States.svg Bryan Clauson Jonathan Byrd's Racing Honda 225.266
2916 Flag of the United States.svg Spencer Pigot  R  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 224.847
3025 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stefan Wilson  R  KVSH Racing Chevrolet 224.602
3141 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Hawksworth A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 224.596
324 Flag of the United States.svg Buddy Lazier Lazier Burns Racing Chevrolet 222.154
3335 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Alex Tagliani A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda Crash

Fast Nine qualifying began shortly after the final run from the first group. Josef Newgarden held the fastest time for much of the session with a speed of 230.700 mph (371.276 km/h). However, his time was beat at the last moment by the final qualifier of the day, James Hinchcliffe, who went just fast enough to best Newgarden with a speed of 230.760 mph (371.372 km/h). [17] Hinchcliffe's pole came one year after his near fatal accident during practice for the previous years running of the race. [18] The pole also marked Schmidt Peterson Motorsports first pole position at Indianapolis since Alex Tagliani won pole in 2011.

Fast Nine
Pos.No.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
15 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 230.760
221 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 230.700
328 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 230.648
429 Flag of the United States.svg Townsend Bell Andretti Autosport Honda 230.481
526 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 230.287
612 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 229.669
77 Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 229.562
822 Flag of France.svg Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 229.139
93 Flag of Brazil.svg Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Chevrolet 229.115
OFFICIAL REPORT

Post-qualifying practice

Monday, May 23

Josef Newgarden went fastest in post-qualifying practice. Josef Newgarden at the 2012 Indy 500.jpg
Josef Newgarden went fastest in post-qualifying practice.

Post-qualifying practice was scheduled on Monday, May 23. The session was scheduled only until 4:00 p.m. to allow practice for Indy Lights later in the day. The teams converted their cars back to race setups and boost was reduced back to race day levels. All 33 cars appeared on track, mainly participating in drafting and race simulations. One incident occurred during the day just after 3:10 p.m., when fire erupted from the left rear on the car of Jack Hawksworth. Hawksworth emerged from the car quickly. Despite the shortened session, more laps were turned during the day than any other practice session prior, with a total of 2886 laps. Chevrolet cars took the first four spots in the speed charts for the day, with Josef Newgarden running the fastest lap at 227.414 mph (365.987 km/h).

Top practice speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
121 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 227.414
210 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 226.393
39 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 226.339
OFFICIAL REPORT

Carb Day

Practice — Friday, May 27

Carb day practice was scheduled Friday, May 27. Practice was only scheduled for 70 minutes to allow for other events later in the day. The day also turned out to be the warmest practice session of the month. One incident occurred during the day when Pippa Mann slapped the wall coming off of turn four early in the session. Tony Kanaan set the fastest time of the day at 226.280 mph (364.162 km/h).

Top Practice Speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/
Aero Kit
Speed
110 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 226.280
226 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 224.772
39 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 224.606
OFFICIAL REPORT

Pit Stop Challenge

First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
            
5 James Hinchcliffe 13.988
28 Ryan Hunter-Reay12.877
28 Ryan Hunter-Reay
61 Matthew Brabham
28 Ryan Hunter-Reay 12.989
3 Helio Castroneves12.610
3 Helio Castroneves12.332
15 Graham Rahal 12.769
15 Graham Rahal12.682
42 Charlie Kimball 13.991
3 Helio Castroneves12.235
7 Mikhail Aleshin 19.381
2 Juan Pablo Montoya 21.648
26 Carlos Muñoz16.998
26 Carlos Muñoz13.106
24 Sage Karam 13.789
26 Carlos Muñoz 13.499
7 Mikhail Aleshin12.833
9 Scott Dixon 12.970
7 Mikhail Aleshin12.883
7 Mikhail Aleshin12.578
14 Takuma Sato 14.098

Source: [19] [20]

Starting grid

(R) = Indianapolis 500 rookie; (W) = Former Indianapolis 500 winner

RowInsideMiddleOutside
15 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe 21 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden 28 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay (W)
229 Flag of the United States.svg Townsend Bell 26 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz 12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power
37 Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin 22 Flag of France.svg Simon Pagenaud 3 Flag of Brazil.svg Hélio Castroneves (W)
477 Flag of Spain.svg Oriol Servià 98 Flag of the United States.svg Alexander Rossi (R)14 Flag of Japan.svg Takuma Sato
59 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon (W)27 Flag of the United States.svg Marco Andretti 6 Flag of the United States.svg J. R. Hildebrand
642 Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Kimball 2 Flag of Colombia.svg Juan Pablo Montoya (W)10 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan (W)
711 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais 20 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Carpenter 19 Flag of Colombia.svg Gabby Chaves
88 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Max Chilton (R)24 Flag of the United States.svg Sage Karam 18 Flag of the United States.svg Conor Daly
963 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Pippa Mann 15 Flag of the United States.svg Graham Rahal 61 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Matthew Brabham (R)
1088 Flag of the United States.svg Bryan Clauson 16 Flag of the United States.svg Spencer Pigot (R)25 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stefan Wilson (R)
1141 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Hawksworth 4 Flag of the United States.svg Buddy Lazier (W)35 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Alex Tagliani

Race

First half

The field in turn one on the pace lap. 2016Indy500Start.jpg
The field in turn one on the pace lap.

Raceday featured partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 80 °F (27 °C) range. Hélio Castroneves had a small issue getting his car started, but quickly resumed his place on the grid. During the first parade lap, smoke began to come from underneath the car of Buddy Lazier, stemming from what was later reported to be a stuck throttle. Lazier would not return to the race until roughly a quarter of the way through.

Start

Pole starter James Hinchcliffe led the field into the first turn, but was passed on the backstretch by Ryan Hunter-Reay, who led the first lap of the race. From here, the first quarter of the race became a three-way battle for the lead between Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe, and Josef Newgarden. The first round of pit stops occurred during this time, which served to spread out the field and separate the leaders from the rest of the pack. They also allowed for Townsend Bell to join in on the battle for the lead. On lap 47, the first caution of the day flew for debris on the backstretch. During the ensuing pit stops, an incident occurred when Will Power pushed Tony Kanaan against the pit lane wall while exiting his own pit stall. Power was penalized for the incident (Unsafe Pit Exit Release) and sent to the rear of the field.

Second quarter

Green flag racing resumed on lap 54 with Ryan Hunter-Reay in the lead. The battle between him and James Hinchcliffe resumed with the two swapping the lead regularly. The battle was interrupted on lap 64 when defending champion Juan Pablo Montoya lost control of his car in turn two and hit the outside wall. This marked the first time that Montoya failed to finish an Indy 500. Pit stops again occurred during this yellow. A second pit lane incident occurred when Simon Pagenaud, who had been running well up in the field, bumped into the car of Mikhail Aleshin while leaving his pit box. Pagenaud, just as his teammate Will Power, was sent to the back of the field for the incident (Unsafe Pit Exit Release). During the pit stop sequence, Will Power elected to stay out, giving him the lead.

The race was attempted to be resumed on lap 71, but reports of moisture briefly delayed the restart. The race went back green on lap 74, where Will Power was quickly shuffled back by James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who once again resumed their duel for the lead. At roughly lap 90, Hélio Castroneves joined the leading group and inherited the lead for the first time on lap 92. The third caution of the day came out just laps later on lap 94, when Sage Karam went wide while trying to pass Townsend Bell and slapped the wall in turn one. Karam's car slid against the wall all the way to the backstretch. Pit stops occurred during the yellow with no major incidents. Bryan Clauson stayed out to lead three laps during this yellow before making his own stop, promoting Castroneves back into the lead. Also during this yellow, Simon Pagenaud began to report that the engine in his car had started to misfire, effectively ending his chances of winning the race.

Second half

Alexander Rossi. 2016Indy500-Rossi2.jpg
Alexander Rossi.

Halfway

The green flag came out again on lap 104. Hélio Castroneves led for the opening few laps after the restart, but soon fell behind Ryan Hunter-Reay, Townsend Bell, and Tony Kanaan. These three would fight for the lead for the next several laps, swapping positions regularly. On lap 115, the 4th caution period of the race occurred when the rear suspension on the car of Mikhail Aleshin broke, sending him spinning into the turn one wall. Conor Daly was also collected in the incident after spinning in an attempt to avoid Aleshin's car. Daly retired from the race due to the incident, while Aleshin would eventually return after many laps of repair.

Yellow flag pit stops during this caution period brought one of the most pivotal moments of the race. As cars exited the pits, previous race leader Townsend Bell attempting to gain position contacted with Hélio Castroneves, sending Bell into a spin that collected Ryan Hunter-Reay. Bell and Hunter-Reay would both fall off the lead lap due to the incident, while Castroneves was not greatly affected. During these pit stops, Alex Tagliani and Alexander Rossi elected not to pit, putting them off sequence from the rest of the field.

Racing resumed on lap 121 with Alex Tagliani in the lead. Alex Tagliani matched a record set by Tom Sneva in the 1980 race and became the second driver in Indy 500 history to start last and lead laps during the race.

The battle for the lead became a battle between Tagliani and Alexander Rossi for roughly 15 laps, before both drivers had to come in for their own pit stops. This handed the battle for the lead back to Hélio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan. On lap 149, Castroneves and Kanaan appeared to be leading what would be another round of green flag pit stops. However, just as both reached their pit boxes, the fifth caution of the day occurred when a tire from Buddy Lazier's car came off the car and onto the race surface in turn two. Lazier would retire from the race due to damage caused from trying to drive with only three wheels. Yellow flag pit stops would once again occur, cycling Castroneves and Kanaan back to the front of the field. Several cars would be sent to the rear of the field during this caution for entering a closed pit lane in order to have emergency fuel service.

Fourth quarter

Racing resumed on lap 158 with Hélio Castroneves in the lead, but Tony Kanaan took the lead almost immediately. A four-way battle for the lead ensued as Castroneves and Kaanan were joined by Josef Newgarden and James Hinchcliffe. On lap 161, Castroneves's chances of winning were dashed when J. R. Hildebrand clipped the left rear bumper pod on Castroneves's car, forcing him to the pit to make repairs. Castroneves caught a small break, though, when the sixth and final caution of the race flew just two laps later after Takuma Sato hit the outside wall at the exit of turn four. Believing all cars would need to stop again, most drivers made yellow flag pit stops.

The green flag flew once again on lap 167. The battle for the lead became a three way duel between Tony Kanaan, Josef Newgarden, and Carlos Muñoz. J. R. Hildebrand also ran in the lead group, but was off sequence in pit stop strategy and came in much earlier than anyone else.

Finish

Race winner Alexander Rossi. 2016Indy500-Rossi1.jpg
Race winner Alexander Rossi.

With 10 laps to go, it became apparent that the leaders would need a splash of fuel to get the cars to the end of the race. Of the leading group, Tony Kanaan would be the first to pit, followed by Josef Newgarden a few laps later, and finally Carlos Muñoz with five laps to go. It appeared the winner would be the driver with the best pit stop.

When Muñoz made his stop, the lead of the race passed to Alexander Rossi, who had been 10th at the time of the previous restart. With the guidance of Bryan Herta, Rossi attempted to gamble on fuel and finish the race without another pit stop. With two laps to go, Rossi began to slow considerably in order to bring the car to the finish. As the white flag fell, Rossi held a lead of over 20 seconds. Despite running a final lap at less than 180 mph (290 km/h) and coasting from turn 4 to the finish line, Rossi was able to hang on to win by roughly 4.5 seconds over his teammate Carlos Muñoz. [21] Rossi was the first rookie to win the Indianapolis 500 since 2001 when Hélio Castroneves took victory in his first attempt. Rossi would eventually run out of fuel on the cool-down lap, requiring his car to be towed into Victory Lane.

Box score

PosNo.DriverTeamEngine/Aero KitLapsTime/RetiredPit StopsGridPts. 1
198 Flag of the United States.svg Alexander Rossi  R  Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda 2003:00:02.0872811124
226 Flag of Colombia.svg Carlos Muñoz Andretti Autosport Honda 200+4.497585115
321 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 200+4.930482111
410 Flag of Brazil.svg Tony Kanaan  W  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200+10.496381881
542 Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200+10.521891678
66 Flag of the United States.svg J. R. Hildebrand Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 200+11.345971576
75 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 200+12.77448195
89 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon  W  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200+15.160781369
911 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Chevrolet 200+21.061391959
1012 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 200+21.51718673
113 Flag of Brazil.svg Hélio Castroneves  W  Team Penske Chevrolet 200+22.10159965
1277 Flag of Spain.svg Oriol Servià Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 200+23.814091060
1327 Flag of the United States.svg Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 200+24.970091454
1415 Flag of the United States.svg Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 200+28.249492640
158 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Max Chilton  R  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200+28.7589102242
1641 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Hawksworth A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 200+32.174893131
1735 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Alex Tagliani A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 200+32.199373328
1863 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Pippa Mann Dale Coyne Racing Honda 199+1 Lap82533
1922 Flag of France.svg Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Chevrolet 199+1 Lap10850
2019 Flag of Colombia.svg Gabby Chaves Dale Coyne Racing Honda 199+1 Lap112133
2129 Flag of the United States.svg Townsend Bell Andretti Autosport Honda 199+1 Lap11455
2261 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Matthew Brabham  R  PIRTEK Team Murray Chevrolet 199+1 Lap82723
2388 Flag of the United States.svg Bryan Clauson Jonathan Byrd's Racing Honda 198+2 Laps102821
2428 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Hunter-Reay  W  Andretti Autosport Honda 198+2 Laps8353
2516 Flag of the United States.svg Spencer Pigot  R  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 195+5 Laps82915
2614 Flag of Japan.svg Takuma Sato A. J. Foyt Enterprises Honda 163Contact61232
277 Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda 126Contact5740
2825 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stefan Wilson  R  KVSH Racing Chevrolet 119Electrical63014
2918 Flag of the United States.svg Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Honda 115Contact42420
304 Flag of the United States.svg Buddy Lazier  W  Lazier Burns Racing Chevrolet 100Mechanical63212
3120 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 98Mechanical52024
3224 Flag of the United States.svg Sage Karam Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet 93Contact32322
332 Flag of Colombia.svg Juan Pablo Montoya  W  Team Penske Chevrolet 63Contact21727
OFFICIAL BOX SCORE

 W  Former Indianapolis 500 winner

 R  Indianapolis 500 Rookie

All entrants utilized Firestone tires.

1 Points include qualification points from Time Trials, 1 point for leading a lap, and 2 points for most laps led.

Race statistics

Championship standings after the race

Broadcasting

Television

The Indianapolis 500 was broadcast live in the United States on ABC and streaming on WatchESPN and the ESPN app, [22] called by Allen Bestwick, Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever. [23] The broadcast utilized 100 television cameras, including 36 on-board cameras on twelve cars. Pre-race coverage began race morning with SportsCenter on the Road live at the Speedway with hosts Matt Barrie, Sara Walsh, Marty Smith and Ryan McGee. [24]

On May 25, Speedway officials announced that all grandstand and general admission tickets had sold out. As a result, the local television blackout of the ABC network telecast was lifted for the first time since the race went to live "flag-to-flag" coverage in 1986. [4] For Indianapolis viewers, it was the first time since 1950 that they were able to watch the race live on local television (the 1949 and 1950 races were broadcast locally on WFBM-TV, but Speedway officials barred live television coverage after 1950 out of fear that such broadcasts would cut into live attendance).

The race was also aired in Spanish through ABC's SAP channel in the United States and Puerto Rico and on ESPN in all of Latin America (except for Brazil), called by Andrés Agulla and Alex Pombo.

The race was also aired in Portuguese through the Band and BandSports channels in Brazil, called by Téo José and former IndyCar driver Felipe Giaffone.

ABC Television
Booth Announcers Pit/garage reporters

Host: Lindsay Czarniak
Announcer: Allen Bestwick
Color: Scott Goodyear
Color: Eddie Cheever

Jerry Punch
Jon Beekhuis
Rick DeBruhl

Marty Smith (pre-race)

Radio

The race was carried live by the IMS Radio Network, part of the Advanced Auto Parts IndyCar Radio Network. Paul Page announced his retirement from the crew, and handed over play-by-play duties to the new "Voice of the 500" Mark Jaynes. Page, and fellow former chief announcers Bob Jenkins, and Mike King, took part in the pre-race coverage. Page called the pace laps and the start of the race, then handed the call over to Jaynes for the completion of the first lap. Jenkins recorded commentary for the pre-race, then spent the day at his normal role on the public address announcing team. Page, as well as Mike King, visited the booth during the race and during the post-race for guest commentary. The pre-race coverage was extended from one hour to two hours, with the first hour celebrating the 100th running with recaps and highlights of past races.

With Jaynes moving from his long-time position in turn three (2000-2015) to the Pagoda booth, the announcing crew shuffled slightly from previous years. Jake Query, previously a pit reporter, and then the turn two reporter, took over the turn three position. Nick Yeoman, also previously a pit reporter, took over the turn two location. Historian Donald Davidson celebrated his 52nd year as a part of the broadcast, and Jerry Baker his 43rd. This was Baker's 29th year reporting from turn one, which is believed to be the second-longest tenure of any reporter in one of the turns - second only to Jim Shelton in turn four (32 years). Newcomer Rob Howden joined the crew in the pits. Dave Wilson returned to the crew, this time monitoring the race coverage and impressions on social media. No reporters were specifically assigned to the garage area and/or track medical center, but pit reporter Rob Howden made one roving report at each location.

During the broadcast, the commercial out-cues were recited by Jaynes, and the historical chief announcers (like 2009, 2011-2013). During commercial breaks, the classic Stark & Wetzel "whistle" jingle was also used, as well as a classic Stark & Wetzel commercial, reflecting the famous former sponsor of the network from the 1950s and 1960s. Sponsor guests included Mark Reuss (GM), Dale Herrigle (Firestone), James Verrier (BorgWarner), and Speedway president Doug Boles.

1070 The Fan broadcast nightly beginning May 2 with Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, followed by Donald Davidson's The Talk of Gasoline Alley .

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Booth AnnouncersTurn Reporters Pit/garage reporters Color

Chief Announcer: Mark Jaynes
Driver expert: Davey Hamilton
Historian: Donald Davidson
Pre-race/Commentary: Paul Page

Turn 1: Jerry Baker
Turn 2: Nick Yeoman
Turn 3: Jake Query
Turn 4: Chris Denari

Rob Howden (north pits)
Dave Furst (north-center pits)
Kevin Lee (south-center pits)
Michael Young (south pits)

Pre-race: Bob Jenkins
Guest commentary: Mike King
Social media: Dave Wilson

Footnotes

  1. Although the first race was held in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 was not held in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I, and was again cancelled from 1942 to 1945 owing to World War II. The 1916 race is part of the canon, despite having been only scheduled for 300 miles.

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