Juan Pablo Montoya drives Chevy to a second Indy 500 victory

Montoya passes teammate Will Power for the win at the Brickyard

The old guy ruled Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who turns 40 in September, joined the Indianapolis 500’s two-time winner’s club with a late-race flurry. He passed Team Penske teammate Will Power on the outside in turn one on lap 198 of 200 and held on.

Montoya won his first 500 as a series rookie in 2000, then went to Formula One and NASCAR before joining Roger Penske’s IndyCar Series organization last year.

Penske went to victory lane for a record-extending 16th time and the first time with Montoya, who won for Chip Ganassi the first time.

Montoya won despite being 30th early in the race after being forced to pit with rear-wing damage following contact from Simona de Silvestro. Montoya wasn’t happy with the Swiss driver, but he kept his cool and recovered.

Power settled for second with Charlie Kimball of Ganassi Racing third and teammate Scott Dixon fourth. All four of those drivers are powered by Chevrolet.

The top-finishing Honda was driven by Graham Rahal in fifth.

Marco Andretti was sixth with three-time 500 winner Helio Castroneves seventh.

The race hadn’t even started and there was trouble on the track. Conor Daly’s second 500 ended on the pace lap when it appeared his car’s exhaust system caught fire. Alex Tagliani had a shifting problem, but he was able to leave the grid due to a push start.

In the first turn of the race, Takuma Sato tried to use his momentum to go from the outside of row eight to the outside of row seven, but that didn’t work. Sage Karam, who had the position, couldn’t do anything about already being two-wide, and three cars at the corner’s exit was too much. Karam and Sato collectively hit the wall.

Behind them, Ryan Briscoe tried to slow up and was clipped from behind by James Davison. The two Australian drivers had started on the last row as a result of not having qualified the car. Briscoe’s car wasn’t damaged, and he soldiered on after refiring. Davison’s car wasn’t hurt either.

Under the caution, de Silvestro ran into the right rear corner of Montoya’s car, breaking part of his rear wing. The broken piece came off in turn four before Montoya could pit.

On lap 62, short-track champion Bryan Clauson had his car drift high in turn four and hit the wall. Clauson was not injured.

Ed Carpenter’s difficult month came to an end on lap 113 when he hit the wall in a crash including Oriol Servia. Carpenter tried to pass Servia entering turn one on the inside, and Servia came down on him. The crash was reminiscent of last year’s involving Carpenter and James Hinchcliffe, although in that instance Carpenter was in the other position. Neither driver was injured.

The crash was the second in the past eight days for Carpenter, who destroyed a car in the morning practice before qualifying. That crash, in turn two, was more dramatic as the car got airborne. His team, CFH Racing, also crashed a car in practice with Josef Newgarden.

In the caution for that accident, three Dale Coyne Racing cars were on pit road at the same time. Pippa Mann was leaving her pit box when Davison’s car pulled out. They made contact, pushing Davison’s car toward Tristan Vautier’s car, which was parked. Both right-side crew members were knocked in the air, the one working the rear tire taken off pit road in an ambulance.

Tony Kanaan, the 2013 race winner, was a top contender until he lost control in turn three following a pit stop. He had asked for and received a wing change on that stop, and the change in downforce must have caught him off guard. The back end of the car stepped out, hitting the wall. He was not injured.

On lap 176, three cars came together in a big crash. Things started with Jack Hawksworth clipping the back end of Sebastian Saavedra. They both slid to the wall, and Saavedra’s momentum took him into the path of rookie Stefano Coletti. The impact was fierce, with Coletti hit Saavedra’s car in the left wheel. Debris scattered and the front of Coletti’s car lifted slightly in the air, but it was not the airborne crash of earlier in the month.

Saavedra’s damaged car slid to the inside wall where there was another impact. Saavedra had to be extricated from the car and carried to the ambulance.

The race was held without Hinchcliffe, who remained at an Indianapolis hospital following injuries suffered earlier in the week.

 

Indianapolis 500 ResultsPos.Car #DriverManufacturerLapsRunning / Reason Out12Juan Pablo MontoyaChevrolet200Running21Will PowerChevrolet200Running383Charlie KimballChevrolet200Running49Scott DixonChevrolet200Running515Graham RahalHonda200Running627Marco AndrettiHonda200Running73Helio CastronevesChevrolet200Running86JR HildebrandChevrolet200Running921Josef NewgardenChevrolet200Running1022Simon PagenaudChevrolet200Running1111Sebastien BourdaisChevrolet200Running125Ryan BriscoeHonda200Running1314Takuma SatoHonda200Running1424Townsend BellChevrolet200Running1528Ryan Hunter-ReayHonda200Running1698Gabby Chaves (R)Honda200Running1748Alex TaglianiHonda200Running187James JakesHonda200Running1929Simona de SilvestroHonda200Running2026Carlos MunozHonda200Running2125Justin WilsonHonda199Running2263Pippa MannHonda197Running2317Sebastian SaavedraChevorlet175Contact2441Jack HawksworthHonda175Contact254Stefano Coletti (R)Chevrolet175Contact2610Tony KanaanChevrolet151Contact2719James DavisonHonda116Mechanical2818Tristan VautierHonda116Mechanical2932Oriol ServiaHonda112Contact3020Ed CarpenterChevrolet112Contact3188Bryan ClausonChevrolet61Contact328Sage KaramChevrolet0Contact3343Conor DalyHonda0Mechanical

 

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There are still 6,000 first-gen Chevy Volts on dealer lots

There are still 6,000 first-gen Chevy Volts on dealer lotsImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: ChevroletImage Credit: Chevrolet2015 VoltMSRP$34,345ShopReviewsMore Photos2016 Chevy Volt Interior Options2016 Chevy Volt Exterior Colors2016 Chevy Volt Technical SlidesChevy Volt Gen II Battery Lab2016 Chevrolet Volt: Detroit 20152016 Chevy VoltChris Bruce

The next-gen 2016 Chevrolet Volt looks to be a pretty fantastic vehicle with more electric driving range, better fuel economy than its predecessor, and a lower starting price. However, if you're looking for a deal, the 2015 model of the plug-in hybrid might not be a bad place to check because Chevy has a ton of them to get rid of.

According to The Detroit Free Press, there are around 6,000 examples of the 2015 Volts that are still sitting on dealer lots. That might not sound like a lot, but Chevy only sold 905 of them in April and 2,779 through that month in 2015. It moved 18,805 of the PHEVs for all of 2014.

Buyers are in a pretty good spot to haggle at the moment, too, with the a new Volt right around the corner. According to The Detroit Free Press based on TrueCar figures, the current average closing price for a 2015 model is $30,607 before any federal or state tax credits. You can also lease one for 39 months for $299 a month and $1,649 due at signing. In April, Chevy was reportedly offering customers 2.9-percent financing for 48 months and leases with no money down for buyers trading in a vehicle from a competitor.

Of course, there's also always the option to buy a pre-owned example. Just a few months ago, prices for used Volts were reportedly as low as $13,000 at auction.Featured Gallery2014 Chevrolet Volt

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Weekly Recap: GM plans massive new paint shop at Chevy Corvette factory

Weekly Recap: GM plans massive new paint shop at Chevy Corvette factoryPlus: Notes On Takata, Mazda, And Motorcycle FatalitiesImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsImage Credit: Drew PhillipsMore PhotosJeff Gordon and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 pace car at Indy2015 Callaway Corvette Z062015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06: First Drive2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Shipping2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 order guide2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 power graphicsGreg Migliore

General Motors is laying out some serious green to maintain the Chevy Corvette's expansive color palette.

The automaker is breaking ground on a new paint shop this summer that's part of a $439-million investment to upgrade the 34-year-old Bowling Green, KY, factory that builds the Stingray. The massive new structure will total 450,000 square feet, nearly half the size of the current 1-million square-foot facility. Construction is expected to take two years and won't impact Corvette production.

The upgrades include new robots that save paint and create a better finish, longer, more efficient ovens to bake in the finish, and LED lighting. There's also a dry scrubbing booth technology with a limestone handling system that eliminates waste.

GM has invested $135 million in the factory in last four years for the changeover to build the C7 and to relocate its Performance Build Center to Bowling Green. The improvements continue to modernize the Kentucky factory, which has become a tourist attraction in its own right, as more than 56,000 enthusiasts visited it last year. The upgrades are part of a $5.4-billion investment GM confirmed in April that will remake its US footprint in the next three years.

The Bowling Green expansion underscores GM's continued commitment to the Corvette, which sold nearly 38,000 copies around the world last year, an eight-year high. "With this major technology investment, we can continue to exceed the expectations of sports car buyers for years to come," North American manufacturing manager Arvin Jones said in a statement.
OTHER NEWS & NOTES

Takata recall hits 34 million vehicles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded the Takata airbag recall to an almost unthinkable 34 million vehicles on Tuesday. The recall is part of an agreement reached by the two sides where Takata admitted some of its airbag inflators have a defect, and the deal compels the company to comply with all future regulatory actions and investigations. Takata's airbag inflators were produced with "a propellant that can degrade over time" and lead to ruptures, NHTSA said. Six deaths have been attributed to the flaw worldwide. Investigations conducted by Takata, automakers, and others have not determined the exact cause of the inflator problem, but NHTSA said moisture appears to alter the propellant's chemical structure. It then ignites too rapidly, creates too much pressure that ruptures the inflator, and blasts shards of metal at passengers. For more information on the Takata case and other recalls, click here.

Mazda launches 'Driving Matters' campaign

It's been a big week for Mazda, the Miata, and Autoblog, and Mazda capped it Friday with the launch of a new campaign called Driving Matters. The advertising highlights the "emotional connection" of driving Mazdas, and it is an evolution of the company's Game Changers campaign. The long-running Zoom-Zoom tagline "will absolutely still be there," spokesman Nick Beard said, and it appears at the end of the campaign's first spot. Mazda has used Zoom-Zoom since 2000.

Motorcycle fatalities projected to fall

Motorcycle fatalities are projected to drop for the second year in a row, the Governors Highway Safety Association said Wednesday. Fatalities fell 1.8 percent in 2014 to 4,584, according to early data from the first nine months of last year. Motorcycle deaths decreased in 27 states, increased in 19, and were flat in four states and the District of Columbia.

Despite the potential progress, the GHSA urges caution, noting that motorcycle deaths are 26 percent higher than a decade ago. That's the opposite of vehicle deaths, which have fallen 28 percent. The decline in motorcyclist deaths has more to do with weather patterns than an increase in safety, the association said. "The risk factors that are associated with it [motorcycling] aren't really changing," spokesperson Kara Macek said.

Meanwhile, NHTSA also proposed plans this week to crackdown on so-called novelty helmets that do not meet Transportation Department standards. The proposal would beef up existing regulations and help law enforcement officials identify non-conforming helmets. "Wearing a helmet that meets DOT standards can literally mean the difference between life and death," NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement. "Our proposal ensures that when motorcyclists put on a helmet it offers that life-saving protection."

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See all seven colors available on 2016 Chevy Volt

See all seven colors available on 2016 Chevy VoltThe Iridescent Pearl Tricoat And Summit White Look A Lot Alike In Pictures2016 Chevy Volt in Siren Red Tintcoat

2016 Chevy Volt in Siren Red Tintcoat

Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Mosaic Black Metallic

2016 Chevy Volt in Mosaic Black Metallic

Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Kinetic Blue Metallic2016 Chevy Volt in Kinetic Blue Metallic.

Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Summit White2016 Chevy Volt in Summit White.Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Heather Grey Metallic2016 Chevy Volt in Heather Grey Metallic.Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Silver Ice Metallic2016 Chevy Volt in Silver Ice Metallic.Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Iridescent Pearl Tricoat

2016 Chevy Volt in Iridescent Pearl Tricoat.

Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Siren Red Tintcoat

2016 Chevy Volt in Siren Red Tintcoat.

Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Summit White2016 Chevy Volt in Summit White.Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Iridescent Pearl Tricoat2016 Chevy Volt in Iridescent Pearl Tricoat.Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Kinetic Blue Metallic

2016 Chevy Volt in Kinetic Blue Metallic.

Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Silver Ice Metallic2016 Chevy Volt in Silver Ice Metallic.Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Mosaic Black Metallic2016 Chevy Volt in Mosaic Black Metallic.Image Credit: GM2016 Chevy Volt in Heather Grey Metallic2016 Chevy Volt in Heather Grey Metallic.Image Credit: GM2015 VoltMSRP$34,345ShopReviewsMore Photos2016 Chevy Volt Interior Options2016 Chevy Volt Technical SlidesChevy Volt Gen II Battery Lab2016 Chevrolet Volt: Detroit 20152016 Chevy Volt2016 Chevy Volt at CESSebastian Blanco

General Motors has been happy to promote the 2016 Chevy Volt in the shiny blue color. On the company's website for the car, though, we can find all seven exterior colors, thanks to the magic of digital technology. We went through the site and played around with the option picker and put together a gallery of all the colors the new Volt will be available in as well as the five interior options.

For the record, the exterior colors are: Kinetic Blue Metallic, Iridescent Pearl Tricoat, Summit White, Silver Ice Metallic, Mosaic Black Metallic, Siren Red Tintcoat, Heather Grey Metallic. You'll be forgiven if you can't quite tell the difference between the Pearl and the White in these images, but both colors have been available on the 2015 model year Volt. GM spokesperson Michelle Malcho told AutoblogGreen that buyers do have a preference, with Pearl accounting for 10 percent of the sales and Summit White accounted for 17 percent. The Pearl color is a tri-coat and thus has a $995 price premium, which was likely a factor as well. The interior of the new Volt will have two cloth options (Dark Ash and Jet Black) and three leather choices (Dark Ash, Jet Black, and Jet Black/Brandy). That last one will only be available in the LTZ trim level. You can play around with the color adjuster yourself here.

Kathy Sirvio, the color and design manager of the Volt design team, told AutoblogGreen that, "Kinetic Blue is a marketing name. At Design we call it 'Blew Me Away'. That is it in a nutshell. The blue color is vibrant, rich and eye catching. It may not sell at the highest volume, as we know from history whites, blacks and silvers are the dominant color sales. However, it will tell everyone who sees it on the street that here comes a new vehicle and it is expressive in all the right ways."

The next-gen Volt arrives later this year with a starting price of $33,995. The powertrain upgrades will push the all-electric range to 50 miles and the gas-only fuel economy to 41 miles per gallon.

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