Indy winner Sato admits he was “very, very close” on fuel
Takuma Sato, winner of the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500, says he was having to juggle the fuel mixture in his #30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan-Honda to keep ahead of Scott Dixon and ensure he had enough fuel to make it to the end of the race.
Sato pitted for the final time on Lap 168 of the 200-lap race, whereas Dixon and Sato’s RLL teammate Graham Rahal stopped one lap later. Dixon emerged ahead of the Japanese driver but with 28 laps to go Sato drafted past the Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda.
When the two off-strategy cars 10sec ahead, those of Zach Veach and Max Chilton, both hit pitlane by Lap 185, Sato was into the lead. Twice Sato had to stave off the charging Dixon and force him to try the long way around at Turn 1, but the 2008 Indy winner and five-time champ tucked back in behind. With 10 laps to go, Sato was 0.7sec ahead but that reduced heavily as they approached traffic.
On Lap 196, Sato’s third teammate, Spencer Pigot in the Citrone Buhl Autosport/RLL car had a huge shunt coming out of Turn 4, and IndyCar ran out the remaining laps under yellow, rather than halt the pack for a two- or three-lap sprint to the checkered flag.
IndyCar Race Control declared: “IndyCar makes every effort to end races under green, but in this case, following the assessment of the incident, there were too few laps remaining to gather the field behind the pace car, issue a red flag and then restart for a green-flag finish.”
Dixon remarked afterward that he was sure Sato wouldn’t be able to make it to the checkered flag and Sato confirmed it was a delicate operation to balance between running rich fuel mixture and leaning it out whenever possible.
“We all knew and observed that Scott was the best competitor for really the entire two weeks,” said Sato afterward. “Dixie and Ganassi did a phenomenal job to always have the car in the competitive situation. He led the start, and then just disappeared. I was able to hang on at that time, I was playing with mixtures, seeing how much fuel mileage we could get out of it.
“Ryan [Hunter-Reay] caught us with speed and I basically wanted to see how the single-car traffic with the double-car track compared.
“So the first 100 laps, you wanted to be top three/top-five, that was always my thought coming into this race. If I had the opportunity, yes, I want to lead it but then you’re using too much fuel…
“I realized that yes, we had a very competitive package and every single pitstop we made some changes. And we went back and forth, back and forth because we went too much greedy, went too much conservative, went too much greedy again. And then finally for the last three stints I was happy with the car. The second half of every stint I knew I was very strong, I had very good speed.
“However, after the pitstop when I took the lead [on Lap 157] I got a voice from the pit that I was using too much fuel, so I had to back off and lean the [fuel] mixture, and as you could see immediately Scott caught me.
“At this point I had to switch back to maximum power and so when he was three cars or four car [lengths] behind, I would go back to the leaner mixture.
“And we were close. No doubt, that last yellow saved us, but even without it I was meeting the [fuel] number. Even if we had gone through [the final stint] entirely green, I think we would have been OK.
“However, still I think I would have been threatened from Dixie for the last few laps when he would probably have been 100 percent rich power. I had some of that in the pocket, but otherwise it was very, very close.”

Indy 500: Sato scores second win under yellow after huge crash
Penske positive about Indy 500’s “remarkable show”

Latest news
Nashville winner Dixon feared his race was ruined by shunt
Scott Dixon was convinced that car damage had ended his hopes of victory, before working his way to the front and clinging on for his 53rd win.
Newgarden unrepentant over Grosjean Nashville IndyCar clash
Josef Newgarden said “Welcome to IndyCar” in response to his clash with Romain Grosjean, while teammate Will Power felt lucky to finish the race after his gearbox was damaged in a clash.
Palou sure he has fair title shot, despite Ganassi conflict
Defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou is sure he will have a chance to retain his crown, despite being only third highest Ganassi driver and on the brink of an acrimonious departure.
Dixon elated to win with wounded car on old tires
Scott Dixon said his 53rd IndyCar victory was a credit to his team, after repairing damage in the early stages of the race.
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and series sophomore Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How Marcus Ericsson finally unlocked his potential in IndyCar
Marcus Ericsson enjoyed a breakout year in the IndyCar Series in 2021, winning twice and finishing sixth in points with Chip Ganassi Racing. How did he finally unlock the potential that was masked by five years of toil in Formula 1 with Caterham and Sauber/Alfa Romeo?
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing win
Saturday, Oct. 16th, marks the 10th anniversary Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500.
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Jack Harvey’s move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate, but their combined strength could prove golden, says David Malsher-Lopez.
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong résumé and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear. By David Malsher-Lopez.
2021 IndyCar title is just the start for Ganassi's newest star
Alex Palou has captured Chip Ganassi Racing's 14th IndyCar drivers' championship, and in truly stellar manner. David Malsher-Lopez explains what made the Palou-Ganassi combo so potent so soon.
Why Grosjean's oval commitment shows he's serious about IndyCar
One of motorsport’s worst-kept secrets now out in the open, and Romain Grosjean has been confirmed as an Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver in 2022. It marks a remarkable turnaround after the abrupt end to his Formula 1 career, and is a firm indication of his commitment to challenge for the IndyCar Series title
IndyCar’s longest silly-season is still at fever pitch
The 2021 IndyCar silly season is one of the silliest of all, but it’s satisfying to see so many talented drivers in play – including Callum Ilott. David Malsher-Lopez reports.