IndyCar Series: Montoya repeats victory at Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Juan Pablo Montoya (Team Penske) is the winner of the season-opening race of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series. He won at Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and repeated last year’s victory at 1.8-mile St. Pete’s street circuit.

Montoya crossed the finish line 2.3306sec ahead teammate Simon Pagenaud. Team Penske was close to 1-2-3 victory but Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay took third place from Helio Castroneves.

The triumph at St. Petersburg is Montoya’s 15th career IndyCar/CART victory. It is also the 179th victory for Team Penske in Indy car racing, the most of any team in history, and eighth for Roger Penske’s team in the 13-race St. Petersburg history.

Juan Pablo Montoya celebrates consecutive win at St. Petersburg

Will Power earned the pole but missed the race

Fourth Penske’s driver Will Power didn’t start the race after IndyCar medical team diagnosed a mild concussion as a result of Friday’s crash. Will was feeling OK and earned the pole position on Saturday, but after qualifications his condition required another medical evaluation. IndyCar medical director Dr. Geoffrey Billows diagnosed a mild concussion, so Power was replaced in the #12 Chevrolet by Oriol Servia.

After Power’s withdrawal Simon Pagenaud started from the first position on the grid and led the first 48 laps of the 110-lap race. IndyCar Series rookie Conor Daly (Dale Coyne Racing) led a career-best 15 laps midway through the event while on a different pit strategy but finished 13th.

Mikhail Aleshin (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports) finished at the fifth place, ahead of Takuma Sato (AJ Foyt Enterprises). Reigning champion Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) finished seventh. Carlos Munoz (Andretti Autosport), Tony Kanaan (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Charlie Kimball (Chip Ganassi Racing) completed the Top 10.

Check the full results at SnapLap results page!

Video: Multi-car wreck in Lap 57

Photos: indycar.com

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