INDIANAPOLIS -- Simon Pagenaud pulled away to win the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on Saturday for his third straight victory and second in three years on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
One more you guys!!! So happy to be back in winner's circle for #GPofIndy! Great job No. 22 team!! #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/b7vbEicWIU
— Simon Pagenaud (@simonpagenaud) May 14, 2016
CHECKERED FLAG!! @simonpagenaud win #GPofIndy 3rd straight #IndyCar win! pic.twitter.com/UFo1lxllXe
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) May 14, 2016
Pagenaud inherited the lead when Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves pitted with 20 laps to go, and beat the Brazilian by 4.4748 seconds on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn course.
Pagenaud is the first IndyCar driver to win three in a row since Scott Dixon in 2013.
He started from the pole and led 57 of the 82 laps. Pagenaud kept the lead despite making his final pit stop one lap after Castroneves.
Pagenaud extended his points lead over Dixon to 76. Dixon, the defending series champion, finished seventh for Target Chip Ganassi.
VIDEO | Simon Pagenaud: It's unbelieveable
Canadian James Hinchcliffe, of Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports, was third.
Pagenaud took the pole for the Grand Prixon Friday with a new event record of 1:08.6868 in his Chevrolet.
It's his second season with Team Penske and seventh season in Indy car racing.
Pagenaud is a four-time Verizon IndyCar Series race winner, including the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis in 2014.
