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The “greatest spectacle in racing” returns this Sunday with the 108th running of the Indy 500. Team Penske enters Sunday after an impressive qualifying round, securing the top three starting positions. Team Arrow McLaren, with drivers Alexander Rossi and Kyle Larson, will follow in the fourth and fifth starting positions. The Indy 500 will be the first of two races for Kyle Larson on Sunday, as he will compete in...

Simon Pagenaud edged Alexander Rossi Sunday in a close finish to win the 103rd Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

With 13 laps to go, Pagenaud and Rossi traded the lead at least a half-dozen times after a restart with 13 laps remaining. Pagenaud took the lead for good with a lap left and then had to swerve heavily on the final circuit to hold off a charge by Rossi.

Takuma Sato finished third, followed by Josef Newgarden and Will Power.

Pagenaud, in his No. 22 Dallara-Chevrolet, qualified for the Indy 500 last weekend after winning the IndyCar Grand Prix two weeks ago.

“Did you see that race? Rossi is one of the best, Simon one of the best,” said team owner Roger Penske to NBC Sports. “Safe race, great day. What a guy! Can you believe it?”

Roger Penske is the father of Jay Penske, chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation.

One...

This article originally appeared on Si.com.

The Denver Post has parted ways with writer Terry Frei after he shared an insensitive tweet following Sunday’s Indy 500 win by Takuma Sato.

Sato became the first Japanese-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 race.

“I am very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend,” Frei wrote before deleting the tweet.

The Denver Post issued the following statement:

“We apologize for the disrespectful and unacceptable tweet that was sent by one of our reporters. Terry Frei is no longer an employee of The Denver Post. It...

The Denver Post has fired writer Terry Frei after he tweeted that he was “very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend.” After Takuma Sato won the Indy 500 on Sunday, writer Frei expressed his discomfort while clarifying that it was “nothing specifically personal.” A huge backlash ensued, as many people took the comment extremely personally. Frei deleted the tweet, apologized and said in a lengthy apology that his father, former University of Oregon coach Gerald L. “Jerry” Frei, had fought against the Japanese in World War II, flying 67 missions in all. Also Read: Frank Deford,...

We’re all familiar with Formula 1 – fast cars, big names and a global appeal. F1 is the pinnacle of motor racing and has an international following of loyal fans. We all know of Lewis Hamilton, we can all point out a Ferrari, and most developed countries host a F1 race at some point in the year. But Formula 1 may be about to receive some competition, in the brand new racing series Formula E.

Set to launch in September 2014, Formula E is a new motor racing world championship which has the backing of F1 governing body, the Fia (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile). Formula E takes the concept of Formula 1, and adds a twist. Where F1 cars are powered by fuel-guzzling V6 Turbo engines, Formula E will be powered exclusively by electric energy. The new all-electric engines have been developed by Renault and will feature innovative wireless-charging.

Designed to appeal to...

Race-car drivers generally don't get credit for being athletes in the truest sense of the word, but their sport does have its unique demands.

Obviously, they must have superior hand-eye coordination to be able to pilot those cars around racetracks at speeds over 200 mph. They must be able to withstand the triple-digit heat that can accumulate in their vehicles as they negotiate sun-scorched Southern tracks on hot summer days. They also must be able to handle the G-forces resulting from taking turns at high speeds.

And then there's the laser-beamlike focus they must maintain for three-plus hours to keep their speeding cars on track, away from other cars and hopefully headed to victory.It's that last attribute that three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves says he put to good use on the dance floor almost six years ago to win Season 5 of "Dancing With the Stars."

"I think the driving ... helped the dancing,...