Dean Stoneman topped Ed Jones by 0.0024. See the video by clicking the picture below.
Irvine, Calif. (May 27, 2016) – In more than the 100 year history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, no race of any kind had a closer finish than today’s Indy Lights Freedom 100 as Dean Stoneman crossed the finish line 0.0024 seconds ahead of Ed Jones. The two had battled for the lead most of the 100-mile race, and Jones pulled alongside Stoneman in Turn 3 on the final lap. The duo stayed wheel-to-wheel for the remainder of the dash for the finish line. It was the first of three races Friday for the three-tiered Mazda Road to Indy.
The Englishman Stoneman, driving for Andretti Autosport, is a rookie in the Indy Lights series, and is back racing after battling cancer. He is the second driver with two wins this year after 8 races. (Jones is the other.)
“From five years ago, being in a hospital bed to winning here has been a long road,” Stoneman said after his victory. “To get a win on a close finish like that with Ed is amazing. This will be a great memory, that I came here and won on the road coarse and then again on the oval, especially during the 100th running of the Indy 500 and especially being in front of the this kind of crowd that was out here today. It really is a dream come true.”
Ed Jones maintained the lead in the Indy Lights point standings, and Stoneman moved into second place in the standings, ahead of Mazda scholarship driver Santi Urrutia.
The Mazda Road to Indy at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500
Including popular pole sitter James Hinchcliffe, 23 drivers in the starting field have raced in the Mazda Road to Indy categories. Simon Pagenaud, the IndyCar points leader, won the 2006 Atlantics Championship powered by Mazda, making the total 24 out of 33. Hinchcliffe has a long history with Mazda, including racing with the Mazda Prototype team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Spencer Pigot, who raced with the Mazda Prototypes earlier this year at Daytona and Sebring, is making his first start in the 500 due to his Mazda scholarship earned last year when he won the Indy Lights championship. Pigot is the first to win four Mazda driver development scholarships and has been a Mazda racer since he was 16.