INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Felix Rosenqvist of Arrow McLaren Racing was the leader at the halfway point of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday and Katherine Legge, the only woman in the field, was first driver eliminated from “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Race favorite Alex Palou started from the pole and led 36 of the first 100 laps. The Spaniard easily had one of the best cars in the race, but he was crashed into by Rinus VeeKay when the cars were trying to exit pit road.
Palou's Chip Ganassi Racing team had to run to push his car back to the stall and he needed a new front wing. Palou dropped to 26th at the halfway point and VeeKay received a penalty for avoidable contact.
The crash on Lap 95 occurred during full-field pit stops under the first caution, caused three laps earlier by rookie Sting Ray Robb, who had a rough month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He crashed along with his Dale Coyne Racing teammate on the opening lap of the road course race at Indy and then struggled to even make the field of 33 for the 500.
Robb was livid with Graham Rahal after the crash for what Robb said was “way too aggressive” driving.
“Just got caught up racing someone I thought didn’t stand up to the stereotype, but I guess it’s there," said Robb, who refused to mention Rahal by name. “I’ve had too many learning experiences this year. I’m tired of them. Not much else to say. Really upset and just want to move on.”
The caution for Robb created a frenzy on pit road, from VeeKay crashing into Palou, Christian Lundgaard nearly hitting a crew member and a speeding penalty on Argentine rookie Agustin Canapino.
During green-flag stops later in the race, there was more pit-road drama when Colta Herta was released from his stall and hit Andretti Autosport teammate Romain Grosjean, who was entering his stall directly ahead of him. Herta was penalized for an unsafe release, but neither car was damaged.
Legge was the first driver eliminated because of an electrical problem in what's been a terrible month for Rahal Letterman Lanigan. The team failed to qualify Graham Rahal for the race and had the three slowest cars in the field.
Rahal got into the race anyway as the injury replacement for Stefan Wilson, who broke his back when Legge crashed into the back of him during a practice session. Wilson, meanwhile, made it out of the hospital and was at the track Sunday for the start of the 107th running of the race.
It began with the usual pageantry before a crowd of more than 300,000 inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and immediately Rahal had a problem. He was stranded on the starting grid when his car wouldn't start after Roger Penske's command to start the engines. By the time the car started, the green flag had flown and Rahal already was a lap down.
Things rarely go according to script in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." The chaos of 33 cars flying down the front stretch and into that infamous first turn at more than 230 mph, and the ensuing 200 laps, often produces unexpected results.
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