Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
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Indianapolis 500 | |||||
Sanctioning body | IndyCar | ||||
Season | 2016 IndyCar season | ||||
Date | May 29, 2016 | ||||
Winner | Alexander Rossi | ||||
Winning team | Andretti Herta Autosport | ||||
Average speed | 166.634 mph (268.171 km/h) | ||||
Pole position | James Hinchcliffe | ||||
Pole speed | 230.760 mph (371.372 km/h) | ||||
Fastest qualifier | James Hinchcliffe | ||||
Rookie of the Year | Alexander Rossi | ||||
Most laps led | Ryan Hunter-Reay (52) | ||||
Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
National anthem | Darius Rucker | ||||
"Back Home Again in Indiana" | Josh Kaufman | ||||
Starting Command | Mari Hulman George and family | ||||
Pace car | Chevrolet Camaro | ||||
Pace car driver | Roger Penske | ||||
Honorary starter | Chris Pine | ||||
TV in the United States | |||||
Network | ABC | ||||
Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever | ||||
Nielsen Ratings | 3.9 / 6.0M viewers | ||||
Chronology | |||||
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The 2016 Indianapolis 500 (branded as the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil for sponsorship reasons) took place on Sunday, May 29, 2016, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was the premier event of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season. 24 year-old rookie Alexander Rossi of Andretti Herta Autosport won the race on fuel mileage over Carlos Muñoz and Josef Newgarden. Two-time winner Juan Pablo Montoya entered the race as the defending champion.
The 2016 race marked a milestone as the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The race came five years after the event's Centennial Era, a three-year long commemoration which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the circuit (1909), and the 100th anniversary of the first Indy 500 (1911). The 2016 running was the ninety-ninth scheduled 500-mile race of the canon, as the 1916 race was scheduled as a 300-mile race.
The month of May activities at the Speedway opened May 14 with the third annual Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Indianapolis 500 practice began on Monday, May 16. Time trials were held on May 21–22, with James Hinchcliffe winning the pole position. Carb Day, the traditional final practice session, and the annual Pit Stop Challenge, was held May 27.