Indy 500 Results 2015: Highlights of Juan Pablo Montoya's Win, Updated Standings
A late surge from Team Penske’s Juan Pablo Montoya saw him triumph in the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 after a thrilling three-way battle in the closing stages.
Montoya’s teammate, Will Power, and Scott Dixon, who finished second and fourth, respectively, were the two men bidding to oust the Colombian. But they fell just short in the latter stages. Charlie Kimball eventually edged out Dixon to take third.
Here’s a look at the full race results, per IndyCar.com, and a closer examination of how the action panned out:
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| 1 | Juan Pablo Montoya | — |
| 2 | Will Power | -0.1046 |
| 3 | Charlie Kimball | -0.7950 |
| 4 | Scott Dixon | -1.0292 |
| 5 | Graham Rahal | -2.3122 |
| 6 | Marco Andretti | -2.5388 |
| 7 | Helio Castroneves | -2.5388 |
| 8 | JR Hildebrand | -3.5631 |
| 9 | Josef Newgarden | -4.0281 |
| 10 | Simon Pagenaud | -4.2148 |
Montoya Recovers to Seize Sensational Win
“This is what racing in IndyCar is all about," Montoya said after his tremendous victory, per Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports. "Awesome racing all the way down to the wire.”
Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano, also from the Penske stable, paid tribute to the Colombian in the aftermath, who has now won two of his three appearances at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
For long spells, it looked as though this was going to be a disappointing afternoon for the Penske star. Indeed, Montoya was forced to grind this one out after an early setback; he was clipped by Simona de Silvestro while under caution and dropped back to 30th position.
It took the Colombian until the 165th lap to get in among the leaders again, and as noted by INDYCAR on NBCSN, already it was an awesome effort from Montoya:
Although the lead changed hands in the final embers, things were about to get even better. Not just for the Colombian either, who had began this race in the fifth row of the grid, but the millions of racing fans around the world who were set to be treated to an enthralling climax.
Power and Dixon both drove magnificently, but Montoya called upon every ounce of his vast experience to get over the line first. After moving up into second position with four laps to go, the Colombian edged past his teammate with three remaining, hoping to cling on and take the chequered flag.
As Nate Ryan of NBC Sports noted, from this point on it was clear that a final lap showdown was in store:
Despite the affinity the pair naturally posses as teammates, neither Power not Montoya held back as the final lap got going, and once the Colombian held on through the first corner, he looked to be in the clear. But as noted by Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch, the winning margin really couldn’t have been much closer.
Here’s how the top 10 is shaping up in the IndyCar standings on the back of the Penske one-two finish, per ESPN.com:
| 1 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 221 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | Will Power | 206 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Helio Castroneves | 179 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Scott Dixon | 176 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Graham Rahal | 174 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Josef Newgarden | 151 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Sebastien Bourdais | 142 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Tony Kanaan | 141 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | James Hinchcliffe | 129 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Charlie Kimball | 124 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
This performance will give Montoya an immense sense of satisfaction. The 39-year-old has now won this iconic chase two times, with 15 years separating each of his triumphs. Back in 2000, the Colombian was a fearless rookie upstart, and although he’s a lot more considerate these days, Montoya’s racing instincts remain as sharp as ever.
The challenge for Penske is to preserve this dominance for the remainder of the series. After a win here, the Colombian has a 25-point lead over Power and will go to Detroit next weekend hoping to extend that advantage. Topping the IndyCar standings at the Sonoma finale in August would be the coup de grace for Montoya on a phenomenal racing career.
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