There was a lot of heat during the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 race, but not all came from the 91 degree heat.
No drivers were injured in the broadcasting of this event.
There were 34 lead changes among ten drivers. MARCO ANDRETTI/Andretti Autosport Chevrolet led the most – three times for 59 laps, but finished twenty-fourth, 13 laps down after hitting the wall. The third generation Andretti turned the Fastest Race Lap and Fastest Leader Lap – 220.172 mph/0:40.8771 sec on Lap 59.
SCOTT DIXON/Chip Ganassi Racing Honda led nine times for 53 laps, and finished second to his teammate, winner DARIO FRANCHITTI.
TAKUMA SATO/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda led 15 times for 31 laps, but finished seventeenth, one lap down after he made a gutsy inside move on Franchitti for the lead on the last lap and crashed. There was controversy over the move. Several of the front runners, who were right in the thick of it, weren’t so approving of the move. However, Franchitti said “I moved over, and I saw he was coming. I came back over, and I moved up the track. He got loose underneath me. Kind of reminds me of Emerson (EMERSON FITTIPALDI) and Little Al (AL UNSER Jr) at the end there.”
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Franchitti’s good buddy, TONY KANAAN/Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, wasn’t so diplomatic. He said “Wherever he is, Dan (DAN WHELDON), is definitely making fun of Sato. I can tell you that, and he’s giving Dario a tap on the back for sure, and he was going to call me a wanker that I didn’t win this thing.”
There was mention several times by Franchitti, Dixon and Kanaan that their late pal, Dan, would have approved of his three best comrades finishing 1-2-3.
Last year’s pole sitter, ALEX TAGLIANI/Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb/Agajanian Honda led once for two laps, and finished twelfth.
The Pace Car led eight times for a total of 38 of the 200-lap race. The reasons were spins, stalls and accidents.
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Sixteen drivers finished on the lead lap, and twenty-three finished the race. Three retired due to contact – Andretti, points leader WILL POWER/Team Penske Racing Chevrolet, and MIKE CONWAY/A.J. Foyt Enterprises Honda. The latter two had an accident, with Conway making an amazing slide down the outside wall, seemingly on his nose.
One of Conway’s wheels came loose of its mandated tether and went rolling down the track, glancing off the right front tire of HELIO CASTRONEVES/Team Penske Racing. The ebullient Brazilian finished tenth, behind TOWNSEND BELL/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Honda.
Power was said to be angrier than he portrayed, after being crashed out in an incident not of his own making. “(Conway) said the team sent him out with a broken wing. I don’t understand why they would do that. I’m fine, but I’m just disappointed for the Verizon guys. All the work they put in this month, and to be just taken out that. Obviously, both of us are OK. We’ll move on.”
Five cars retired with mechanical issues.
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…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Two of Andretti Autosport Chevrolet drivers DNF: SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA and RYAN HUNTER-REAY, for different mechanical reasons. Saavedra had electrical problems, to finish twenty-sixth, while RHR broke a suspension piece and finished twenty-seventh. A bitter pill after starting third.
Rookies racing for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda, JOSEF NEWGARDEN and BRYAN CLAUSEN retired. Clausen was first, after 46 laps. He just stopped on course, and finished thirtieth. Newgarden lasted 161 laps, and placed twenty-sixth.
As expected, the reason for DNF for the last two drivers was ‘handling’ which is the euphamism for being too slow. Competition Director BEAUX BARFIELD had warned all drivers in the private driver’s meeting that drivers not meeting the 105 per cent rule would be black flagged and parked. First to get the call was JEAN ALESI/Lotus-FP Journe-Fan Force United Lotus., who was credited with 9 laps. He ignored the Black Flag for two laps and was penalized.The other Lotus driver, SIMONA de SILVESTRO/Lotus-HVM Racing parked a lap later.
Alesi said “Frustration is part of my job. We worked hard. it’s a shame we cannot be out there. The regulation is fair. I want to come back next year. There is a pat of the job that can be fixed on the track, but we had an engine that was not competitive straight away, and we had to deal with it. We tried many things to avoid a lack of performance, but it could not be overcome.”
The Swiss Miss was really disappointed which could be seen as she packed up and watched the race. “I understand the call. We have to have more horsepower to be competitive. I’m pretty disappointed to get black-flagged after only a few laps. We were trying to keep the pace, but unfortunately right now we don’t have the pace. It’s really, really tough. We’ll see what happens next year.”
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Franchitti led seven times for 23 laps. Pole sitter RYAN BRISCOE/Team Penske Racing Chevrolet led twice for 15 laps, and finished fifth, behind ORIOL SERVIA/Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet – the only driver in the top six who didn’t lead a lap.
TONY KANAAN/KVR Technology Chevrolet led only once, for seven laps, but was arguably the favorite move of the race based on the fan reaction. Kanaan said “To lose the race this way, battling until the end … it’s not a loss. I had a lot of fun. I mean, the first thing I did when I passed five cars on the restart, I looked at the grandstands because I wanted to see the people. They were all up and cheering for me. During the yellow, I can see it. People were screaming. It’s awesome. I love this place. They make me feel so wanted here. I think people like me here because I haven’t won yet. I became more famous for not winning the thing than actually winning, so I’ll keep trying. We can see old people do well here – Dario – so I think I still have a shot.” Kanaan finished third.
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE/Andretti Autosport Chevrolet led three times for five laps, before finishing sixth. The night before and during the live ABC TV race broadcast, his sponsor Go Daddy aired some new commercials which feature Hinch. Contrary to the previous IZOD IndyCar driver sponsored by Go Daddy, DANICA PATRICK, The Mayor of Hinchtown was criticized for not showing any skin. The adverts continue to be casual and even funnier with Hinchcliffe.
CHARLIE KIMBALL/Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Honda led twice for three laps, and finished eighth.
The top finishing Rookie, RUBENS BARRICHELLO/KVR Technology Chevrolet, led once for two laps. He turned 40 on Carb Day, but wasn’t the oldest Rookie. That honor went to 47-year old Alesi.
Barrichello ran his first ever oval race at The Brickyard. “I like it. I think that it couldn’t have been better because the whole month, you might think, OK, this place changes a lot, everybody told me it changes a lot. I had a whole week in the car, trying to get different lines. Some friends, Scott (Dixon), TK (Kanaan), Dario (Franchitti) – ‘Man, get out of that white line.’ Everyone that play with me this month, they play me safe. At the end of the day, those 20 laps, there’s no friends there. I can see that. But at least people have a lot of respect before. We had fun this whole month. I’m pretty sure that tomorrow when I leave this place, I’m going to miss it.”
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Monday morning after the race, it’s traditional for the winning driver and team to have a media presence for all kinds of photos on the bricks, with the trophy, etc. Then that evening, the teams and officials will have their Indianapolis 500 Banquet, where lots of awards and big checks will be distributed.