Sato is the first 40-year-old Indy 500 winner since in 1998, according to ESPN.
The Andretti family has struggled for decades to win the Indianapolis 500.
As a car owner, though, Michael Andretti certainly knows the way to victory lane.
Takuma Sato won the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday to give Andretti a second consecutive victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” An Andretti driver has now won the 500 three times in the last four years.
Sato is the first 40-year-old Indy 500 winner since in 1998, according to ESPN.
Last year, it was with rookie Alexander Rossi. This time it is with Sato, who joined the team just this season and had largely been overlooked at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the Andretti camp expanded to six cars for the 500 with the addition of Formula One driver Fernando Alonso.
It never seemed to spread the team too thin, and the main issue facing Andretti Autosport was the reliability of its Honda engines. Alonso put on a thrilling show and even led 27 laps — third most in the race — but the two-time Formula One champion was sent to the paddock when his engine blew with 20 laps remaining.
The Honda teams had a clear horsepower advantage over Chevrolet, but the engine maker had serious questions about reliability. Before Alonso’s failure, 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay lost his engine. Hunter-Reay had led 28 laps and was a strong contender late.
Sato had to hold off Helio Castroneves, who was trying to win for a record-tying fourth time, in the closing laps. Castroneves, in a Chevrolet for Team Penske, briefly took the lead but couldn’ t make it stick as Sato grabbed it back.
The margin of victory was 0.
