INDIANAPOLIS — The Japanese driver Takuma Sato held off Hélio Castroneves, a three-time winner, in a stirring duel to the finish Sunday in the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500, a battle littered with crashes that destroyed millions of dollars worth of race cars.
Sato, a 40-year-old former Formula 1 driver with just one previous victory in IndyCar racing, nearly won here in 2012 when he challenged the eventual winner Dario Franchitti for the lead at the finish but spun out.
Ed Jones came in third, just behind Castroneves, who was a mere three car lengths from Sato at the checkered flag.