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When it comes to American sporting traditions, there are few events as storied as the Indianapolis 500. It's a 500-mile test of speed, endurance, and bravery that takes place at the end of May. It takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4km) race track that's not only the oldest of its kind but also the largest sporting venue anywhere on Earth. And this year's Indy 500 is a special one—it's the race's 100th running. With speeds well in excess of 200mph (321km/h), it's the fastest race on the motorsport's calendar, and this year Ars was in attendance along with more than 350 thousand others to take in what's often called  the greatest spectacle in racing. The Track As we'll see, the cars have changed a lot over the course of those hundred runnings. And the race has gone through good times—with crowds topping 400,000—and bad. There's been innovation, and more than its fair share of tragedy. But throughout it all the tr...

A n Indianapolis 500 rookie who only a few months ago lost his drive in Formula One thanks to sport’s extortionate pay driver rates won the 100 th  installment of North America’s most famous race in front of nearly 400,000 people at the Brickyard. Alexander Rossi, the 24-year-old American, had almost no experience of oval racing before taming the fearsome Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning ahead of a vastly more experienced field. While the rest of the leaders had to pit for fuel near the finish, Rossi and his team Andretti-Herta gambled, almost coasting through the chequered flag with barely any fuel left in the car. Not only is it the first win for a rookie in the Indy 500 for 15 years it also marks an astonishing turnaround for Rossi, a talented victim of Formula One’s pay driver market. Rossi raced in five grand prix for Manor last year, with a best of 12 th at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. "It was close obviously [on fuel], too close for comfort,...