INDYCAR: Pagenaud keeps rolling with Indy GP win

Simon Pagenaud had dominated Saturday’s third annual Angie’s List Grand Prix, yet he found himself trailing Penske teammate Helio Castroneves as the laps wound down.

Good pace and a timely caution helped Castroneves charge from 13th to first, and when he made his final pit stop on Lap 63 of the 82-lap race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, it looked like he might be able to steal a victory.

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Polesitter Pagenaud inherited the top spot and pitted the next time around, but thanks to a blistering in and out lap in his Menard’s Chevy he never lost his lead, taking the checkered flag four seconds ahead of the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner for his third consecutive win.

“I went faster than any other lap on the in-lap. [Team manager and car strategist] Kyle Moyer told me that I had to go and I knew it was going to be the chance to get back in the lead,” Pagenaud said. “The pit sequence was so important. With the temperature being so low, it was very difficult on the out-lap to get the tires going.

“I knew this was my chance so I drove as hard as I could. I drove into pit lane like a rally car so it worked out! The pit crew did a fantastic job on that stop. That was an easy last stint.”

Castroneves wasn’t surprised.

“I knew he’d be tough, he’s really smart and really good and obviously that was the difference,” he said.

A year after nearly losing his life in a practice crash at IMS, James Hinchcliffe (right) started and finished third in his Arrow Honda and Graham Rahal turned in the drive of the day, coming from 24th to fourth in the Steak & Shake Honda.

“It feels good, we had a great car all weekend and I think I was quicker than Helio at the end but I just couldn’t figure out a way around him,” said Hinchcliffe, who missed the rest of 2015 after his accident one week before the Indianapolis 500.

“If we started third I think we could have won this thing because we had the pace,” said Rahal, who had a dandy duel with Pagenaud at Barber before finishing second. “It wasn’t easy, but it was good fun and I passed a lot of cars and got great work from my crew.”

On a cold, overcast day that saw temperatures in the high 40s, a sparse crowd estimated at 15,000 watched Pagenaud lead 57 of 82 laps and continue his amazing season.

Five races into the 2016 Verizon IndyCar season, Pagenaud has three first-place finishes, two seconds and 242 points, giving him an 86-point lead over Scott Dixon.

“Three in a row is pretty incredible these days in IndyCar,” the 31-year-old Frenchman said. “It’s not just me; it’s the whole team. This car is magical. I couldn’t do it without them.

It was the first race for longtime IndyCar owner John Menard as Pagenaud’s sponsor, and he was all smiles with Roger Penske in victory lane.

“This is amazing, what a way to start May,” said Menard, who has spent millions but never won the Indy 500. Charlie Kimball came home fifth in the Tresiba Chevy after starting second, and Conor Daly (left) led 14 laps in the Byrd Honda and finished sixth in a splendid effort for Dale Coyne Racing.

“It was great,” Daly said of motoring from 22nd on the grid. “We had a great start, then [Mikhail] Aleshin punted us and I thought it ruined our race. Thankfully we made the call to pit before the yellow. It’s nice to lead.”

The race began with a caution when Tony Kanaan got squeezed going into Turn 1 and shoved Sebastian Bourdais into the wall.

Practice begins Monday for the 100th Indianapolis 500.

Click here for full results from Saturday's Grand Prix of Indianapolis.