Simon Pagenaud has become the first Frenchman to win the Indy 500 in more than 100 years.

Polesitter Pagenaud narrowly beat out the furious, Honda-powered Alex Rossi to take his Chevrolet-powered team Penske car across the finish line in first.



Rossi, who had fought his way into the lead around the 138 lap mark, was dealt a demoralizing blow when his fuel pump failed to lock into the car. The pump was unable to deliver fuel, making his pit stop much longer than it should have been, and dumping him into the midfield.

Eventually fighting his way back into the lead pack, Rossi retook the lead with just three laps to go. Pagenaud, though, kept his cool, and two laps later was back in the lead.

From there, some heavy defending allowed the Frenchman to hang on to his lead until he crossed the finish line less than a second ahead of Rossi.

"Simon wasn't going to be beat today," team owner Roger Penske said. "He raced clean, and that's what I have to say about Rossi also. The two of them for the laps that they ran side by side was as good of racing as you've ever seen here."