Fuel-sipping Helio Castroneves holds on to win Indy 300

Castroneves stretches fuel to win Indy 300

SPARTA, Ky. — Helio Castroneves won the Indy 300 on Saturday night, stretching his fuel over the final laps to beat pole-sitter Ed Carpenter at Kentucky Speedway.

Castroneves’ survived the final 53 laps on one tank of fuel, taking advantage when the drivers in front of him had to make late pit stops to fill up.

Ed Carpenter was second, followed by Dan Wheldon, Tony Kannan and Dario Franchitti. Series points leader Will Power led 82 laps but slipped to eighth after a late-race slip.

The victory was the first for Castroneves since taking the checkered flag in Alabama in April.

The three-time Indy 500 winner was fined $60,000 following a postrace outburst in Edmonton in July, where he was penalized for blocking late in the race.