Rookie Alexander Rossi Wins Indianapolis 500

Alexander Rossi wasn’t on anyone’s list as a potential winner of the 100th Indianapolis 500, but he wound up outlasting the field and crossed the iconic brick finish line first on Sunday.

Rossi, a California native, took the race on behalf of Bryan Herta and Andretti Autosport and became just the ninth rookie to take the checkered flag in the event’s history. The last was Helio Castroneves in 2001.

Rossi and his team boldly opted to stretch his fuel to its extreme limits, gambling that he could make it to the line. The strategy worked, though he ran out of gas just after crossing the finish line.

The 24-year-old IndyCar rookie joined the circuit after failing to secure a steady job in Formula One. His fortunes during the race were up and down, as he started 11th, fell as far as 33rd, then came all the way back to win.

Looks like the move from Formula One to the Indy circuit paid off for Rossi.