Pagenaud wins inaugural Grand Prix

INDIANAPOLIS – As Simon Pagenaud pulled into pit lane after his cool down lap, he ran out of gas. But at that point, it didn’t matter.

He had already won.

Pagenaud kept off the other drivers and won the inaugural IndyCar Grand Prix of Indianapolis Saturday.

Pagenaud was given orders by his team to conserve fuel to avoid making an extra pit stop. At the same time, he was ordered to drive quickly enough to hold off his competitors during the closing laps.

He inherited the lead when Oriol Servia pitted for fuel with five laps remaining and spent the closing laps in fuel-conservation mode. The Frenchman Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver short shifted and stayed off the breaks and gas as much as possible around the redesigned Indianapolis road course, all while trying to fend off a charging Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

The gamble paid off.

Pagenaud crossed the line with just enough fuel to take the checkered flag at the inaugural IndyCar Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

“Obviously there were a lot of things going on during the race, and it was important to save a lot of fuel,” Pagenaud said. “I’ve got to say a big thank you and hats off to Honda for an engine that could be that fast and save that much fuel. I didn’t think I could hold on the last 15 laps. But I’m really proud tonight.”

The win is Pagenaud’s third career victory in IndyCar. Hunter-Reay finished second, .8906 seconds behind, and Castroneves rounded out the podium at third, finishing 1.8244 seconds behind first.

But it was Pagenaud’s ability to find the precise balance between speed and fuel conservation that brought him to victory lane at the “World’s Greatest Racecourse.”

“It’s a skill, and you have to perfect that skill,” Pagenaud said. “So it’s still racing. You’re still going as fast as you can with the fuel they ask you to meet. But it was stressful.”

Pagenaud’s strategy-propelled victory capped off what drivers were calling an odd race. The Prix was the first time open wheel racing has returned to the Indianapolis road course since 2007.

The start of the race was marred with a four-car crash caused when polesitter Sebastian Saavedra stalled his car on the standing start. Saavedra was rear ended by Carlos Munoz and then hit by Mikhail Aleshin.

None of the drivers were injured, but Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, serving as the race’s honorary starter, suffered a soft tissue injury below his chest when he was hit by debris.

In the opening laps of the restart, Pagenaud made what proved to be a crucial pass of Hunter-Reay on the inside of Turn 2. As it would turn out, that pass would be for position as the two drivers would both pit with 28 laps to go.

“It was a strange race today,” Hunter-Reay said. “The rhythm was off at times. You didn’t know who you were racing, where the strategy was going. Guys running three-stoppers, guys running two-stoppers, different tire strategies. It was a busy day, that’s for sure.”

While Pagenaud and Hunter-Reay saved fuel, Castroneves, who made an extra pit stop and was not worried about conserving fuel, quickly reeled in the leaders in the closing moments of the race.

But time was not on the Team Penske driver’s side.

“I just ran out of laps,” Castroneves said. “I guess we just didn’t want to take a chance with the fuel. But at the end of the day, I’m happy with the result.”

The IndyCar drivers and teams had a quick turnaround after Saturday’s Grand Prix. Practice for the Indianapolis 500 began Sunday with the qualifying set to take place this weekend.

Each of the drivers finishing on the podium pointed to their successful Grand Prix finishes as momentum-building, but they all have work to do with the biggest scheduled race looming.

“It’s a whole different day, and that’s racing,” Pagenaud said. “Even though I won today, tomorrow I could be at the back of the field. That’s my motto. That’s what gets me to work every day. I don’t want to be at the back of the field.

“We’re going to work and try to do the same at the Indy 500.”