Takuma Sato isn’t the only major Japanese athlete to take home top honors at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year. Countryman Yoshihide Muroya joined him in that on Sunday after winning Red Bull Air Race at IMS, and the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in the process.
Fittingly, the 101st Indianapolis 500 champion was there on site to join him in the celebration.
Muroya flew with a track-record run in the final and erased the four-point deficit to points leader Martin Sonka. The record run came after a disappointing qualifying effort of 11th in the 14-pilot field in the Master Class.
A day after the win, Muroya joined Sato in heading to Sato’s new Verizon IndyCar Series team, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s, Indianapolis-based shop.
A few social posts from Muroya’s victory and the subsequent celebration are below.
ベストフレンド
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) October 15, 2017
Best Friends. @TakumaSatoRacer @Yoshi_MUROYA #Indy500 #AIRRACE pic.twitter.com/jxyD5QBZeX
Two champions. #AIRRACE #Indy500 @Yoshi_MUROYA @TakumaSatoRacer pic.twitter.com/i6v6MF3Tit
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) October 15, 2017
CHECKING OUT EACH OTHER’S RIDES
2017年インディ500王者 @TakumaSatoRacer が #レッドブルエアレース 最終戦インディアナポリスに来場。総合優勝を狙う @Yoshi_MUROYA にエールを送りました。#airrace pic.twitter.com/0Dw6BTwseF
— レッドブル ジャパン🇯🇵 (@redbulljapan) October 14, 2017
Victory tastes better when you share it with a friend. ☝️ #AIRRACE #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/N53zUGwYJc
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) October 15, 2017
#Indy500 champion @TakumaSatoRacer shows #AIRRACE World Champion @Yoshi_MUROYA around @RLLracing before his seat fitting! #INDYCAR ✈️🏎 pic.twitter.com/mv5LEq5vlI
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) October 16, 2017
ASTLES BREAKS THOUGH AS WELL
Muroya wasn’t alone among big winners at the Speedway. In the Challenger Class, Melanie Astles of France became the first woman to win a major race at IMS, and is the first female winner in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
Nine women have competed in the Indianapolis 500 (Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick, Milka Duno, Simona de Silvestro, Pippa Mann, Ana Beatriz, Katherine Legge) and Mann is the first woman to have been on the pole position at IMS, having done so for the Freedom 100 in 2010 in Indy Lights.