Indianapolis, IN…Juan Pablo Montoya often has said that his most formidable competition in the Verizon IndyCar Series are his three Team Penske teammates. In the closing laps of the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, that proved to be the case. Montoya, who won the race 15 years earlier, held off reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion and teammate Will Power by .1046 of a second after a thrilling battle over the final 15 laps that also included 2008 race winner Scott Dixon. There were five lead changes in the final 15 laps following a restart, with Montoya overtaking Dixon in Turn 1 for second and Power in Turn 4 to lead Lap 197 by .0420 of a second..

“It was awesome,” Montoya said in Victory Circle. “This is bigger than the other one. This is what Indy car racing is all about, racing down to the wire.”

Montoya finished fifth last May in his return to the Indy 500 after a 13-year absence in which he won races in Formula One and NASCAR competition.

Montoya, who started 15th in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, fell to 30th early in the race after being hit from behind while under caution, which necessitated an unscheduled pit stop to change out the rear wheel assembly.

Charlie Kimball was .7950 of a second back in third — a career best in the Indy 500 — in the No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and Dixon was 1.0292 seconds arrears in fourth place in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Graham Rahal, who started 17th in the No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, finished fifth.

By IndyCar’s Dave Lewandowski