IZOD IndyCar Series - Indianapolis 500 Preview
From The Sports Network
| |
| DATE: Sunday, May 26 |
| SITE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- Indianapolis, Ind. |
| TRACK: 2.5-mile oval |
| CAPACITY: more than 250,000 permanent seats |
| ANNUAL: 97th |
| TELEVISION: ABC |
| RADIO: IMS Radio Network/SIRIUS Satellite Radio |
| START TIME: noon ET (green flag expected at 12:12 p.m.) |
| QUALIFYING TIME: held on May 18-19 (Ed Carpenter won pole position) |
| DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dario Franchitti |
| RUNNER-UP: Scott Dixon |
| POLE WINNER: Ryan Briscoe (finished 5) |
| LAPS: 200 |
| MILES: 500 |
| QUALIFYING RECORD: Arie Luyendyk, 1996 (236.986 mph) |
| RACE RECORD: Arie Luyendyk, 1990 (185.981 mph) |
| 2012 Finish |
| Finish | Driver | Start | Finish | Driver | Start |
| 1 | Dario Franchitti | 16 | 6 | James Hinchcliffe | 2 |
| 2 | Scott Dixon | 15 | 7 | Justin Wilson | 21 |
| 3 | Tony Kanaan | 8 | 8 | Charlie Kimball | 14 |
| 4 | Oriol Servia | 27 | 9 | Townsend Bell | 20 |
| 5 | Ryan Briscoe | 1 | 10 | Helio Castroneves | 6 |
| 2012 Indianapolis 500 Facts and Figures |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 167.734 mph |
| TIME OF RACE: 2 hrs., 58 mins., 51.2532 secs. |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: Under Caution |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 8 for 39 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 34 among 10 drivers |
| POLE WINNER: Ryan Briscoe (226.484 mph) |
| FASTEST LAP: Marco Andretti, 220.172 mph., Lap 59 |
| Past Indianapolis 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed |
| 2012 -- Dario Franchitti (16) -- Dallara-Honda -- 167.734 mph |
| 2011 -- Dan Wheldon (6) -- Dallara-Honda -- 170.265 mph |
| 2010 -- Dario Franchitti (3) -- Dallara-Honda -- 161.623 mph |
| 2009 -- Helio Castroneves (1) -- Dallara-Honda -- 150.318 mph |
| 2008 -- Scott Dixon (1) -- Dallara-Honda -- 143.567 mph |
| 2007 -- Dario Franchitti (3) -- Dallara-Honda -- 151.774 mph |
| 2006 -- Sam Hornish Jr (1) -- Dallara-Honda -- 157.085 mph |
| 2005 -- Dan Wheldon (16) -- Dallara-Honda -- 157.603 mph |
| 2004 -- Buddy Rice (1) -- Honda -- 138.518 mph |
| 2003 -- Gil de Ferran (10) -- Toyota -- 156.291 mph |
| 2002 -- Helio Castroneves (13) -- Chevrolet -- 166.499 mph |
| 2001 -- Helio Castroneves (11) -- Oldsmobile -- 131.294 mph |
| 2000 -- Juan Montoya (2) -- Oldsmobile -- 167.704 mph |
| 1999 -- Kenny Brack (8) -- Oldsmobile -- 153.176 mph |
| 1998 -- Eddie Cheever Jr (17) -- Oldsmobile -- 145.155 mph |
| 1997 -- Arie Luyendyk (1) -- Oldsmobile -- 145.827 mph |
| 1996 -- Buddy Lazier (5) -- Ford -- 147.956 mph |
| 1995 -- Jacques Villeneuve (5) -- Ford -- 153.616 mph |
| 1994 -- Al Unser Jr (1) -- Mercedes -- 160.872 mph |
| 1993 -- Emerson Fittipaldi (9) -- Chevrolet -- 157.207 mph |
| 1992 -- Al Unser Jr (12) -- Chevrolet -- 134.477 mph |
| 1991 -- Rick Mears (1) -- Chevrolet -- 176.457 mph |
| 1990 -- Arie Luyendyk (3) -- Chevrolet -- 185.981 mph |
| 1989 -- Emerson Fittipaldi (3) -- Chevrolet -- 167.581 mph |
| 1988 -- Rick Mears (1) -- Chevrolet -- 144.809 mph |
| 1987 -- Al Unser (20) -- Cosworth -- 162.175 mph |
| 1986 -- Bobby Rahal (4) -- Cosworth -- 170.722 mph |
| 1985 -- Danny Sullivan (8) -- Cosworth -- 152.982 mph |
| 1984 -- Rick Mears (3) -- Cosworth -- 163.612 mph |
| 1983 -- Tom Sneva (4) -- Cosworth -- 162.117 mph |
| 1982 -- Gordon Johncock (5) -- Cosworth -- 162.029 mph |
| 1981 -- Bobby Unser (1) -- Cosworth -- 139.084 mph |
| 1980 -- Johnny Rutherford (1) -- Cosworth -- 142.862 mph |
| 1979 -- Rick Mears (1) -- Cosworth -- 158.899 mph |
| 1978 -- Al Unser (5) -- Cosworth -- 161.361 mph |
| 1977 -- A.J. Foyt (4) -- Foyt -- 161.331 mph |
| 1976 -- Johnny Rutherford (1) -- Offenhauser -- 148.275 mph |
| 1975 -- Bobby Unser (3) -- Offenhauser -- 149.213 mph |
| 1974 -- Johnny Rutherford (25) -- Offenhauser -- 158.589 mph |
| 1973 -- Gordon Johncock (11) -- Offenhauser -- 159.036 mph |
| 1972 -- Mark Donohue (3) -- Offenhauser -- 162.962 mph |
| 1971 -- Al Unser (5) -- Ford -- 157.735 mph |
| 1970 -- Al Unser (1) -- Ford -- 155.749 mph |
| 1969 -- Mario Andretti (2) -- Ford -- 156.867 mph |
| 1968 -- Bobby Unser (3) -- Offenhauser -- 152.882 mph |
| 1967 -- A.J. Foyt (4) -- Ford -- 151.207 mph |
| 1966 -- Graham Hill (15) -- Ford -- 144.317 mph |
| 1965 -- Jim Clark (2) -- Ford -- 150.686 mph |
| 1964 -- A.J. Foyt (5) -- Offenhauser -- 147.350 mph |
| 1963 -- Parnelli Jones (1) -- Offenhauser -- 143.137 mph |
| 1962 -- Rodger Ward (2) -- Offenhauser -- 140.293 mph |
| 1961 -- A.J. Foyt (7) -- Offenhauser -- 139.131 mph |
| 1960 -- Jim Rathmann (2) -- Offenhauser -- 138.767 mph |
| 1959 -- Rodger Ward (6) -- Offenhauser -- 135.857 mph |
| 1958 -- Jimmy Bryan (7) -- Offenhauser -- 133.791 mph |
| 1957 -- Sam Hanks (13) -- Offenhauser -- 135.601 mph |
| 1956 -- Pat Flaherty (1) -- Offenhauser -- 128.490 mph |
| 1955 -- Bob Sweikert (14) -- Offenhauser -- 128.209 mph |
| 1954 -- Bill Vukovich (19) -- Offenhauser -- 130.840 mph |
| 1953 -- Bill Vukovich (1) -- Offenhauser -- 128.740 mph |
| 1952 -- Troy Ruttman (7) -- Offenhauser -- 128.922 mph |
| 1951 -- Lee Wallard (2) -- Offenhauser -- 126.244 mph |
| 1950 -- Johnnie Parsons (5) -- Offenhauser -- 124.002 mph |
| 1949 -- Bill Holland (4) -- Offenhauser -- 121.327 mph |
| 1948 -- Mauri Rose (3) -- Offenhauser -- 119.814 mph |
| 1947 -- Mauri Rose (3) -- Offenhauser -- 116.338 mph |
| 1946 -- George Robson (15) -- Sparks -- 114.820 mph |
| 1945 -- Not Held |
| 1944 -- Not Held |
| 1943 -- Not Held |
| 1942 -- Not Held |
| 1941 -- Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose (17) -- Offenhauser -- 115.117 mph |
| 1940 -- Wilbur Shaw (2) -- Maserati -- 114.277 mph |
| 1939 -- Wilbur Shaw (3) -- Maserati -- 115.035 mph |
| 1938 -- Floyd Roberts (1) -- Miller -- 117.200 mph |
| 1937 -- Wilbur Shaw (2) -- Offenhauser -- 113.580 mph |
| 1936 -- Louis Meyer (28) -- Miller -- 109.069 mph |
| 1935 -- Kelly Petillo (22) -- Offenhauser -- 106.240 mph |
| 1934 -- William Cummings (10) -- Miller -- 104.863 mph |
| 1933 -- Louis Meyer (6) -- Miller -- 104.162 mph |
| 1932 -- Fred Frame (27) -- Miller -- 104.144 mph |
| 1931 -- Louis Schneider (13) -- Miller -- 96.629 mph |
| 1930 -- Billy Arnold (1) -- Miller -- 100.448 mph |
| 1929 -- Ray Keech (6) -- Miller -- 97.585 mph |
| 1928 -- Louis Meyer (13) -- Miller -- 99.482 mph |
| 1927 -- George Souders (22) -- Duesenberg -- 97.545 mph |
| 1926 -- Frank Lockhart (20) -- Miller -- 95.904 mph |
| 1925 -- Peter DePaolo (2) -- Duesenberg -- 101.127 mph |
| 1924 -- L.L.Corum and Joe Boyer (21) -- Duesenberg -- 98.234 mph |
| 1923 -- Tommy Milton (1) -- Miller -- 90.954 mph |
| 1922 -- Jimmy Murphy (1) -- Miller -- 94.484 mph |
| 1921 -- Tommy Milton (20) -- Frontenac -- 89.621 mph |
| 1920 -- Gastno Chevrolet (6) -- Frontenac -- 88.618 mph |
| 1919 -- Howdy Wilcox (2) -- Peugeot -- 88.050 mph |
| 1918 -- Not Held |
| 1917 -- Not Held |
| 1916 -- Dario Resta (4) -- Peugeot -- 84.001 mph |
| 1915 -- Ralph DePalma (2) -- Mercedes -- 89.840 mph |
| 1914 -- Rene Thomas (15) -- Delage -- 82.474 mph |
| 1913 -- Jules Goux (7) -- Peugeot -- 75.933 mph |
| 1912 -- Joe Dawson (7) -- National -- 78.719 mph |
| 1911 -- Ray Harroun (28) -- Marmon -- 74.602 mph |
| Past Indianapolis 500 Pole Winners (Finish) |
| 2012 -- Ryan Briscoe -- 5 |
| 2011 -- Alex Tagliani -- 28 |
| 2010 -- Helio Castroneves -- 9 |
| 2009 -- Helio Castroneves -- 1 |
| 2008 -- Scott Dixon -- 1 |
| 2007 -- Helio Castroneves -- 3 |
| 2006 -- Sam Hornish Jr -- 1 |
| 2005 -- Tony Kanaan -- 8 |
| 2004 -- Buddy Rice -- 1 |
| 2003 -- Helio Castroneves -- 2 |
| 2002 -- Bruno Junqueira -- 31 |
| 2001 -- Scott Sharp -- 33 |
| 2000 -- Greg Ray -- 33 |
| 1999 -- Arie Luyendyk -- 22 |
| 1998 -- Billy Boat -- 23 |
| 1997 -- Arie Luyendyk -- 1 |
| 1996 -- Tony Stewart -- 24 |
| 1995 -- Scott Brayton -- 17 |
| 1994 -- Al Unser Jr -- 1 |
| 1993 -- Arie Luyendyk -- 2 |
| 1992 -- Roberto Guerrero -- 33 |
| 1991 -- Rick Mears -- 1 |
| 1990 -- Emerson Fittipaldi -- 3 |
| 1989 -- Rick Mears -- 23 |
| 1988 -- Rick Mears -- 1 |
| 1987 -- Mario Andretti -- 9 |
| 1986 -- Rick Mears -- 3 |
| 1985 -- Pancho Carter -- 33 |
| 1984 -- Tom Sneva -- 16 |
| 1983 -- Teo Fabi -- 26 |
| 1982 -- Rick Mears -- 2 |
| 1981 -- Bobby Unser -- 1 |
| 1980 -- Johnny Rutherford -- 1 |
| 1979 -- Rick Mears -- 1 |
| 1978 -- Tom Sneva -- 2 |
| 1977 -- Tom Sneva -- 2 |
| 1976 -- Johnny Rutherford -- 1 |
| 1975 -- A.J. Foyt -- 3 |
| 1974 -- A.J. Foyt -- 15 |
| 1973 -- Johnny Rutherford -- 9 |
| 1972 -- Bobby Unser -- 30 |
| 1971 -- Peter Revson -- 2 |
| 1970 -- Al Unser -- 1 |
| 1969 -- A.J. Foyt -- 8 |
| 1968 -- Joe Leonard -- 12 |
| 1967 -- Mario Andretti -- 30 |
| 1966 -- Mario Andretti -- 18 |
| 1965 -- A.J. Foyt -- 15 |
| 1964 -- Jim Clark -- 24 |
| 1963 -- Parnelli Jones -- 1 |
| 1962 -- Parnelli Jones -- 7 |
| 1961 -- Eddie Sachs -- 2 |
| 1960 -- Eddie Sachs -- 21 |
| 1959 -- Johnny Thomson -- 3 |
| 1958 -- Dick Rathmann -- 27 |
| 1957 -- Pat O'Connor -- 8 |
| 1956 -- Pat Flaherty -- 1 |
| 1955 -- Jerry Hoyt -- 31 |
| 1954 -- Jack McGrath -- 3 |
| 1953 -- Bill Vukovich -- 1 |
| 1952 -- Fred Agabashian -- 27 |
| 1951 -- Duke Nalon -- 10 |
| 1950 -- Walt Faulkner -- 7 |
| 1949 -- Duke Nalon -- 29 |
| 1948 -- Rex Mays -- 19 |
| 1947 -- Ted Horn -- 3 |
| 1946 -- Cliff Bergere -- 16 |
| 1945 -- No Race |
| 1944 -- No Race |
| 1943 -- No Race |
| 1942 -- No Race |
| 1941 -- Mauri Rose -- 26 |
| 1940 -- Rex Mays -- 2 |
| 1939 -- Jimmy Snyder -- 2 |
| 1938 -- Floyd Roberts -- 1 |
| 1937 -- Bill Cummings -- 6 |
| 1936 -- Rex Mays -- 15 |
| 1935 -- Rex Mays -- 17 |
| 1934 -- Kelly Petillo -- 11 |
| 1933 -- Bill Cummings -- 25 |
| 1932 -- Lou Moore -- 25 |
| 1931 -- Russ Snowberger -- 5 |
| 1930 -- Billy Arnold -- 1 |
| 1929 -- Cliff Woodbury -- 33 |
| 1928 -- Leon Duray -- 19 |
| 1927 -- Frank Lockhart -- 18 |
| 1926 -- Earl Cooper -- 16 |
| 1925 -- Leon Duray -- 6 |
| 1924 -- Jimmy Murphy -- 3 |
| 1923 -- Tommy Milton -- 1 |
| 1922 -- Jimmy Murphy -- 1 |
| 1921 -- Ralph DePalma -- 12 |
| 1920 -- Ralph DePalma -- 5 |
| 1919 -- Rene Thomas -- 11 |
| 1918 -- No Race |
| 1917 -- No Race |
| 1916 -- Johnny Aitken -- 15 |
| 1915 -- Howdy Wilcox -- 7 |
| 1914 -- Jean Chassagne -- 29 |
| 1913 -- Caleb Bragg -- 15 |
| 1912 -- Gil Anderson -- 16 |
| 1911 -- Lewis Strang -- 29 |
| Last Race Results |
| RACE: Sao Paulo Indy 300 (May 5) |
| SITE: Streets of Sao Paulo -- Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| MILES: 190.2 |
| LAPS: 75 |
| WINNER: James Hinchcliffe |
| RUNNER-UP: Takuma Sato |
| THIRD: Marco Andretti |
| FOURTH: Oriol Servia |
| FIFTH: Josef Newgarden |
| POLE WINNER: Ryan Hunter-Reay (finished 11) |
| TIME OF RACE: 2 hrs., 9 mins., 34.7383 secs. |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 88.070 mph |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.3463 secs. |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 7 for 19 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 9 among 7 drivers |
| LAP LEADERS: Ryan Hunter-Reay 1-9; Tony Kanaan 10-20; Sebastien Bourdais |
| 21-33; Takuma Sato 34-37; Hunter-Reay 38-44; Kanaan 45; Marco |
| Andretti 46-52; J.R. Hildebrand 53-56; Sato 57-74; Hinchcliffe |
| 75. |
| Indianapolis 500 Entry List |
| Car | Driver, Hometown | Car/Name |
| 1 | Ryan Hunter-Reay (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | DHL/Andretti Autosport |
| 2 | A.J. Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) | IZOD/Team Penske |
| 3 | Helio Castroneves (Sao Paulo, Brazil) | Shell V-Power/Team Penske |
| 4 | J.R. Hildebrand (Sausalito, CA) | U.S. National Guard/Panther Racing |
| 5 | E.J. Viso (Caracas, Venezuela) | Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM |
| 6 | Sebastian Saavedra (Bogota, Colombia) | Dragon Racing |
| 7 | Sebastien Bourdais (Le Mans, France) | Dragon Racing |
| 8 | Ryan Briscoe (Sydney, Australia) | NTT Data/Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 9 | Scott Dixon (Auckland, New Zealand) | Target/Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 10 * | Dario Franchitti (Edinburgh,Scotland) | Lexar/Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 11 | Tony Kanaan (Salvador, Brazil) | Hydroxycut/KV Racing Technology |
| 12 | Will Power (Toowoomba, Australia) | Verizon/Team Penske |
| 14 | Takuma Sato (Tokyo, Japan) | ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Racing |
| 15 | Graham Rahal (New Albany, OH) | Midas/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
| 16 | James Jakes (Leeds, England) | Acorn Stairlifts/RLL Racing |
| 18 | Ana Beatriz (Sao Paul, Brazil) | Ipiranga/Dale Coyne Racing |
| 19 | Justin Wilson (Sheffield, England) | Dale Coyne Racing |
| 20 | Ed Carpenter (Indianapolis, IN) | Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing |
| 21 | Josef Newgarden (Hendersonville, TN) | Century 21/Sarah Fisher Hartman Rac. |
| 22 | Oriol Servia (Pals, Spain) | Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing |
| 25 | Marco Andretti (Nazareth, PA) | RC Cola/Andretti Autosport |
| 26 | Carlos Munoz (Bogota, Colombia) | Unistraw/Andretti Autosport |
| 27 | James Hinchcliffe (Toronto, Canada) | GoDaddy.com/Andretti Autosport |
| 41 | Conor Daly (Noblesville, IN) | ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing |
| 55 | Tristan Vautier (Corenc, France) | Lucas Oil/Schmidt Peterson Motorspt. |
| 60 | Townsend Bell (San Luis Obispo, CA) | Sunoco Turbo/Panther Racing |
| 63 | Pippa Mann (Ipswich, England) | Cyclops Gear.com/Dale Coyne Racing |
| 77 | Simon Pagenaud (Montmorillon, France) | Schmidt-Hamilton HP Motorsports |
| 78 | Simona de Silvestro (Thun, Switzer.) | Nuclear Entergy Areva/KVRT |
| 81 | Katherine Legge (Guildford, England) | Angie's List/Schmidt Peterson Motor. |
| 83 | Charlie Kimball (Camarillo, CA) | NovoLog FlexPen/Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 91 | Buddy Lazier (Vail, CO) | Lazier Partners Racing |
| 98 | Alex Tagliani (Lachenaie, QB, Canada) | Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta Autospt |
| Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years) |
| Driver | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Dario Franchitti | 14 | 6 | 7 | Won | --- | 7 | Won | 12 | Won |
| Scott Dixon | 8 | 24 | 6 | 2 | Won | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Tony Kanaan | 2 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 29 | 27 | 11 | 4 | 3 |
| Oriol Servia | --- | --- | --- | --- | 11 | 26 | --- | 6 | 4 |
| James Hinchcliffe | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 29 | 6 |
| Helio Castroneves | 9 | 9 | 25 | 3 | 4 | Won | 9 | 17 | 10 |
| J.R. Hildebrand | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2 | 14 |
| Takuma Sato | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 31 | 33 | 17 |
| E.J. Viso | --- | --- | --- | --- | 26 | 24 | 25 | 32 | 18 |
| Ed Carpenter | 31 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 21 |
| Marco Andretti | --- | --- | 2 | 24 | 3 | 30 | 3 | 9 | 24 |
| Ryan Hunter-Reay | --- | --- | --- | --- | 6 | 32 | 18 | 23 | 27 |
| Will Power | --- | --- | --- | --- | 13 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 28 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mover of the Week |
| Josef Newgarden - started 25 and finished 5 |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Marco Andretti |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Will Power) - finished 24 |
| NOTES: |
|
The Indianapolis 500 is the fifth race on the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series
schedule. This will be the first oval event of the season. The first four
races have been held on road/street circuits.
This will be the 97th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ed Carpenter will start on the pole for this
year's 500-mile race. This past Saturday, Carpenter won the pole at
Indianapolis for the first time in his career with a four-lap average of
228.762 mph during the final segment in qualifying (the fast-nine shootout).
The Indianapolis 500 traditionally has run on Memorial Day weekend since 1911,
except war years (1917-18 and 1942-45). It is the oldest automobile race in
the United States.
The track was once paved with 3.2 million bricks, earning the nickname "The
Brickyard." A 36-inch "Yard of Bricks" remains at the start/finish line. They
are the only visible bricks left at this historic facility.
This famed 2.5-mile "rectangular" oval, which opened in 1909, has 9 degrees of
banking in all of its turns and no banking on the straightaways. The lengths
of the turns are 1/4-mile in length, while the straightaways are 5/8-mile
long. The width of each turn is 60 feet, and the width of each straightaway
measures 50 feet.
Ray Harroun won the inaugural Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911.
Three drivers share the record for most Indy 500 victories with four: A.J.
Foyt (1961, '64, '67, '77), Al Unser (1970, '71, '78, '87) and Rick Mears
(1979, '84, '88, '91).
Mears holds the record for most pole wins in this race with six (1979, '82,
'86, '88, '89, '91).
There are seven drivers who have won the Indy 500 three times: Louis Meyer,
Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Helio Castroneves and
Dario Franchitti. Castroneves and Franchitti are competing in this year's
race.
One year ago, Franchitti joined the list of those drivers who won the Indy 500
three times or more. Franchitti's victory was a difficult task and an
emotional one as well. The four-time IndyCar champion overcame adversity by
not only starting 16th in his Honda-powered Target Chip Ganassi Racing car but
enduring a pit-road mishap that occurred early in the race. E.J. Viso bumped
into the back of Franchitti and turned him around in his pit stall. He fell
way back to 28th in the field.
After patiently making his way through the field, Franchitti grabbed the lead
for the first time with 47 laps to go. The lead changed hands numerous times
among Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Takuma Sato. Franchitti grabbed
the lead for good with less than two laps to go. During the final lap, Sato
made contact with him, with Sato slamming into the outside wall in turn one.
The race ended under caution, with Franchitti taking the checkered flag. His
teammate, Dixon, crossed the line in second to give Ganassi a 1-2 finish in
the Indy 500. Franchitti's other victories in this race came in 2007 and '10.
He won the IndyCar title in both of those years as well.
Franchitti dedicated his victory to the late Dan Wheldon, who won the 2011
Indy 500 after taking the lead from then-rookie J.R. Hildebrand when
Hildebrand crashed coming out of the final turn on the last lap. Wheldon lost
his life during a horrifying multi-car accident in the early going of the Oct.
16, 2011 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 2012 Indy 500 featured a record 34 lead changes among 10 drivers. The
previous record for most lead changes in this race was 29, set in 1960.
Castroneves' victories in the Indy 500 came in 2001, '02 and '09.
There are three rookies in this year's starting field for the Indy 500: A.J.
Allmendinger, Carlos Munoz and Tristan Vautier. Munoz will start in the middle
of the front row for this race.
Eight drivers have won the Indy 500 in their rookie year, with Castroneves the
most recent one to do it in '01.
Four women -- Simona de Silvestro, Ana Beatriz, Katherine Legge and Pippa Mann
-- will race in this year's Indy 500. It will be the second time that many
females compete in this event. Beatriz, de Silvestro, Mann and Danica Patrick
were in the starting field for the 2011 Indy 500.
Patrick, who is now a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,
holds the record for the highest-finishing female in the Indy 500. She placed
third in the 2009 race. Patrick also is the only woman to lead laps in the
Indy 500, doing so in her 2005 rookie season.
Twenty time has the Indy 500 been won from the pole position. Castroneves most
recently did it in 2009.
Roger Penske holds the record for most car owner wins in the Indianapolis 500
with 15. Team Penske has three entries in this year's race: Allmendinger,
Castroneves and Will Power.
The Borg-Warner Trophy, which is one of the most recognizable trophies in all
of sports, has been awarded to every Indianapolis 500 winner since 1936.
Crafted out of sterling silver by Spaulding-Gorham of Chicago, it was unveiled
at a dinner in New York in February 1936, featuring bas-relief sculptures of
every "500" winner up until that time. The new winner has been added every
year since, and in 1986 (the trophy's 50th anniversary), the final space
became filled. The solution for 1987 was to add a base, but this too became
filled, and in 2004, an even larger version replaced it, this one with enough
spaces to last through 2034. The only sculptured face not of a winning driver
is that of the late speedway owner Tony Hulman, whose likeness, in gold, was
placed on the base in 1987.
The next IndyCar events are the Chevrolet Indy Duel in Detroit. Race 1 at
Detroit's Belle Isle Park road course is scheduled for June 1, and race 2 is
slated for June 2. Scott Dixon won last year's event there.
05/21 19:09:19 ET
|
As of May 21, 2013, at 07:09 PM ET
Powered by The Sports Network.
|
