Live updates: Scott Dixon denied Indy 500 victory

Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, speeds down the main straightaway during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500. Photo / AP

Live updates of the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Japan's Takuma Sato has won the Indy 500...a crash meant the race effectively stopped early. Sato's second win. Scott Dixon of New Zealand - chasing his second Indy 500 title - second. Sato defended his lead brilliantly in the final stages, and Dixon was unlikely to overtake him anyway. Graham Rahal third.

Lap 199 of 200: Sato wins. Dixon led for 111 laps but he finishes second. Spencer Pigot smashes into wall, spins across track...violent crash. Pigot shaken but okay. Race stops and instead of going red flag, the race finishes under yellow.

Unlucky for Dixon but Sato was the stronger finisher over the last 20 laps. We are denied what was looking like a great finish with five cars in the mix. Not to be for Dixon. His second second-placing at Indy.

Lap 194 of 200: Sato can't find his way clear of lapped cars. But Dixon is under pressure from Rahal and co. It could be a five car battle dominated by Hondas now. It's looking better for Sato, who is one second lead. But now we a crash at the back of the field. Sato could win under yellow...

Lap 191 of 200: Japan's Takuma Sato protecting the inside, forcing Dixon try to take around him on the outside. Sato about to reach lapped cars which will make things more difficult.

Lap 183 of 200: It looks to be a duel between Sato and Dixon, with Dixon closing in but not as quickly as expected.

Lap 176 of 200: Sato, Dixon, Rahal, Ferrucci. That's the order going into the business end of the race, although there are two cars in front of them yet to make their final pit stop. Dixon checking Sato out, in striking distance. Dixon knows you don't want to have the lead from here until the final few laps, so he's happy to sit behind Sato.

Lap 170 of 200: Dixon may have survived a slightly slow pit stop - the team was flawless up until then. That should be his final pit. 30 laps to go!

Lap 163 of 200: Sato overtakes Dixon. Final pit stops looming.

Lap 156 of 200: Dixon dominating, and he has just become third highest lap leader in race history, overtaking AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti. Great move from Newgarden. Running order: 1 Dixon, 2 Sato, 3 Newgarden, 4 Rahal.

Lap 144 of 200: Alexander Rossi is out, bits having flown off his car. Touched the wall. The mad chase is over. Dixon has four second lead over Sato and next is Graham Rahal, son of former winner Bobby Rahal. Under caution. This is going to change things in terms of strategy once again.

Lap 134 of 200: Rossi, sent to the back of the field, is driving like crazy to get back in the hunt. His pit stop penalty came after a slightly wonky tyre change led to contact with Sato. Dixon leads.

Lap 129 0f 200: Drama, drama, drama...Rossi sent to the back of the field for re-start, because of contact in pit lane on Sato. Ruled an unsafe release. Rossi had been in a duel with Dixon at the head of the race.

Lap 124 of 200: Some crazy stuff on mass pit stop...Rossi makes contact with Sato, Dixon almost does the same on Andretti. Looks like a good stop for rookie O'Ward.

Running order: 1 Dixon, 2 O'Ward, 3 Ross, 4 Sato.

Lap 122 of 200: Spaniard Alex Palou the latest casualty. Race slows again. Palou skidded along the wall near Turn One. Six drivers out, five due to crashes. This is going to mess with the leaders' strategy. Might mean a splash and dash at the end.

Lap 109 of 200: Indy Car drivers are so polite, those who crash out thank everyone form their sponsor to the people who build such safe cars. Dixon and Rossi playing cat and mouse with lead, swapping in order to save fuel. They are trying to lose third placed Pato O'Ward.

Lap 104 of 200: Race resumes for real at halfway point, and Rossi immediately overtakes Sato to take second spot, and sets after Dixon who lost his big lead thanks to the thrills and spills. Dixon appears to have given Rossi the lead, maybe to save on fuel.

Running order: 1: Alexander Rossi, 2: Dixon, 3: Pato O'Ward, 4: Takuma Sato.

Lap 98 of 200: Dixon leads, the race still being run under caution. Daly and Askew seem to be okay after spinning out although their cars aren't. Pit issues for Alexander Rossi.

Lap 88 of 200: A smash up as race resumes with Conor Daly and Oliver Askew the casualties by the looks of it. Cars slow to a crawl again. Daly and rookie Askew being extricated from their cars.

Lap 84 of 200: Canadian Dalton Kellett has hit the wall, race under caution. Tow truck taking Kellett's tangled mess away. Not the best outcome for Dixon as his big advantage is taken away but he'll still lead when they come out of yellow.

Lap 80 of 200: Scott Dixon is in total control of this race. He has a 10 second lead over Takuma Sato. There are a load of previous winners on Dixon's tail but he's in command.

Lap 61 of 200: Dixon resumes in the lead, after a brilliant pit stop, while others have a few troubles in the pit lane. He's in a great position fuel wise. His closest rival on the lap pit strategy is Alexander Rossi who is sixth, more than five seconds back. Dixon has the luxury to take it a bit easy and conserve fuel for this stretch, a huge advantage over the rest of the field.

There is a long long way to go but the first 60 laps couldn't have gone better for the Kiwi.

Running order: 1: Dixon, 2: Oliver Askew, 3: Simon Pagenaud, 4: Helio Castroneves.

Lap 42 of 200: Dixon back in sixth after that pitstop. The new leader is Simon Pagenaud with Will Power sitting third as that early pack who went into pits all sit near the front of the race. Marco Andretti back in 12th now. But once this leading group all pit, Dixon should move straight back into the lead.

Lap 27 of 200: Marcus Ericsson's car is now on fire as the race goes under yellow again. Scott Dixon gives up the lead for the first time as he heads into the pits.

Lap 14 of 200: It's green flag after the cleanup from Davison's car. Dixon still leads as he battles ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay. Dixon has led every lap so far.

Lap 7 of 200: Dixon still leads but the day is over for Aussie driver James Davison as his right front tyre catches alight. It's stunning scenes as he continues to drive with the wheel flaming as he attempts to get to the pits but has to pull over as the fire spreads. He safely gets out of the car but his Indy 500 is over.

The back third of the pack all pit to go into a different sequence than the leaders.

Running order: 1: Dixon, 2: Ryan Hunter-Reay, 3: Takuma Sato, 4: Marco Andretti.

Lap 1 of 200: In a pre-race interview Scott Dixon said you don't want to lead this race, it's better to sit behind. Well he's taken the lead right from the start, getting ahead of Marco Andretti.

6.15am: The pre-race ceremony begins with a prayer, the Last Post and the American national anthem.

Dixon sits on row one with Marco Andretti and Takuma Sato. Sitting behind them is the trio of Rinus Veekay, Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe.

Some big names much further back. Will Power is on row eight next to Tony Kannan, while Simon Pagenaud and Fernando Alonso are a further row behind them.

Pre-race: Scott Dixon will start in second after posting the second quickest time behind Marco Andretti - son of Michael and grandson of racing icon Mario.

It will be the fourth time in 18 starts at Indianapolis that the New Zealander will start on the front row.

Dixon won the 2008 Indy 500 and has had a top three finish on three other occasions.

Marco Andretti was two months old the last time his venerable facing family led the field to green at the Indianapolis 500. In this strange pandemic-plagued season, he ended a 33-year Andretti drought by winning the pole.

That darned "Andretti Curse" has haunted three generations of racers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1969, when Mario Andretti won his only Indy 500. Now his grandson, with a lightning-fast and fearful four laps around the speedway, has cleared the first hurdle toward an elusive victory.