INDY LIGHTS: Stoneman edges Jones for Freedom 100 win

Dean Stoneman triumphed in the closest Indy Lights Freedom 100 finish in history on Friday, beating Ed Jones by just 0.0024s.

The previous record had been Peter Dempsey’s 0.0026s victory margin in 2013, and while this year’s race boiled down to a two-way fight instead of a Dempsey’s four-way, it was no less dramatic.

Jones and Stoneman had traded places right through the race, but the win boiled down to a one-lap shootout following a late caution, which was caused by Heamin Choi bouncing into the wall four laps from the end.

Stoneman was leading at the restart, but Jones got the jump on him on the run into Turn 1. The Andretti driver launched his counter-attack on the back straight and ran side by side with the Carlin car through the last two corners, nosing just inches ahead as they approached the finish line.

Cancer survivor Stoneman's second victory in a row – he triumphed also two weeks ago on the Indianapolis road course – has vaulted him from fifth to second in the points table. He now trails Jones by 185-156.

"From five years ago, being in a hospital bed to winning here has been a long road," said Stoneman. "To get a win on a close finish like that with Ed is amazing. I led most of the race so I knew I had a good race car and could position it where I wanted, but there was nothing else I could do to gain speed on the straight. It was going to be what it was. This will be a great memory, that I came here and won on the road course and then again on the oval – especially during the 100th running of the Indy 500, especially being in front of the kind of crowd that was out here today. It really is a dream come true."

Related Jones: "I got a run on him going into Turn 1 and I kept it flat the whole way. I didn't realize how close we were and I got a little bit loose on the exit. I wasn't sure I had enough room and I know it was pretty close. I feel as though if I'd gone to the outside maybe I would have held a bit more momentum and been able to hold him off. The team gave me a car to win the race so to lose it by such a small margin – I really can't think of anything worse."

Third should have gone to Juan Piedrahita, who’d mounted a spirited charge over the final third of the race and briefly challenged for the lead. But he clipped Stoneman’s rear just before the restart and fell back into the field, handing the final podium place to Dalton Kellett – who had survived a scare of his own a few laps earlier when he grazed both the wall and Jones’s car.

Earlier, Kyle Kaiser crashed out when he hit the wall at Turn 4 at the end of the first lap, and Santi Urrutia brought the yellows out later with a spin of his own.