| May 2014 News |
Changes for the Month of May
A new race! IndyCars will race in the
opposite direction around IMS, using the
newly renovated road course. The Grand
Prix of Indianapolis will take place on the
Saturday before Mother's Day. It will be a
standing start. Other open-wheel series on
the ladder to the big league will be
competing also:
Indy Lights
Mazda Pro
US F2000
A new music concert has been added to the
First Day of Qualifications and to the Day
Before the 500.
The Carb Day concert is being moved to
the fourth turn infield.
New viewing mounds have been added.
A new race! IndyCars will race in the
opposite direction around IMS, using the
newly renovated road course. The Grand
Prix of Indianapolis will take place on the
Saturday before Mother's Day. It will be a
standing start. Other open-wheel series on
the ladder to the big league will be
competing also:
Indy Lights
Mazda Pro
US F2000
A new music concert has been added to the
First Day of Qualifications and to the Day
Before the 500.
The Carb Day concert is being moved to
the fourth turn infield.
New viewing mounds have been added.
| RACE NEWS & VIEWS |
| Most recent news is at bottom of page. |
IndyCar Driver Updates
2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan switched
to the Chip Ganassi Racing team for 2014.
2000 Indy 500 winner Juan Montoya has
rejoined IndyCar this year, driving for Penske.
1995 Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve will
return to the Indy 500, driving for Schmidt
Peterson Motorsports.
NASCAR driver Kurt Busch will attempt to race
in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on
Memorial Day.
The Rahal Letterman Lanigan race team has
added Oriol Servia to run select races, including
the Indy 500.
2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan switched
to the Chip Ganassi Racing team for 2014.
2000 Indy 500 winner Juan Montoya has
rejoined IndyCar this year, driving for Penske.
1995 Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve will
return to the Indy 500, driving for Schmidt
Peterson Motorsports.
NASCAR driver Kurt Busch will attempt to race
in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on
Memorial Day.
The Rahal Letterman Lanigan race team has
added Oriol Servia to run select races, including
the Indy 500.
Paul Page is back as chief announcer.
A chic new party is being held inside the Speedway called Rev -
held the Friday before Mother's Day.
There is a new company in charge of refreshments at IMS.
This will be the last Indy 500 that Jim Nabors sings at the Indy
500.
Race fans can now take a fast lap around the speedway in either a
two-seater IndyCar (160 mph) or a Chevy Impala (60 mph) any
day where the weather is good and there are no race cars on the
track.
The qualifying format for the 500 has changed.
See New Qualifying Rules
A chic new party is being held inside the Speedway called Rev -
held the Friday before Mother's Day.
There is a new company in charge of refreshments at IMS.
This will be the last Indy 500 that Jim Nabors sings at the Indy
500.
Race fans can now take a fast lap around the speedway in either a
two-seater IndyCar (160 mph) or a Chevy Impala (60 mph) any
day where the weather is good and there are no race cars on the
track.
The qualifying format for the 500 has changed.
See New Qualifying Rules
| <<<<< DAY 1 - PRACTICE >>>>>>> |
May 11 - Six former winners and series champions
representing nearly every major form of motorsports
are among the drivers named to the entries filed for
the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race
on May 25.
Thirty-three drivers have been named to the entries.
Chevrolet engines will power 15 entries, Honda 18.
A warm day with temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
Drivers had to adjust today to running the oval, at
greater speeds and in the opposite direction, from the
past three days where they were running the road
course for the Grand Prix.
Sage Karam passed Rookie Orientation today. New
drivers, or drivers that have not competed in the Indy
500 in a long time, run through a series of speed tests
to determine their eligibility to progress to qualifying
next week. Most required drivers passed orientation
back on May 5th.
EJ Viso began testing James Hinchcliffe's car since
he was injured yesterday in the Grand Prix of
Indianapolis.
representing nearly every major form of motorsports
are among the drivers named to the entries filed for
the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race
on May 25.
Thirty-three drivers have been named to the entries.
Chevrolet engines will power 15 entries, Honda 18.
A warm day with temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
Drivers had to adjust today to running the oval, at
greater speeds and in the opposite direction, from the
past three days where they were running the road
course for the Grand Prix.
Sage Karam passed Rookie Orientation today. New
drivers, or drivers that have not competed in the Indy
500 in a long time, run through a series of speed tests
to determine their eligibility to progress to qualifying
next week. Most required drivers passed orientation
back on May 5th.
EJ Viso began testing James Hinchcliffe's car since
he was injured yesterday in the Grand Prix of
Indianapolis.
| Rookie Sage Karam passed his Rookie Orientation today. |
| Helio Castroneves ran the most laps - 83 |
| <<<<< DAY 2 - PRACTICE >>>>>>> |
May 12 - Legendary car builder A.J. Watson passed
away this morning at age 90. To visit a bio and
photos, go here: Remembering AJ Watson
It was around 80 degrees today and windy with a little
rain.
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed
Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “We had a couple of
issues today that kept us off the track for some time.
But that is what is great about having a teammate here.
JR Hildebrand was able to put some good laps and
test some things that I didn’t. Hopefully it is dry for
some time on Tuesday. The weather forecast doesn’t
look good though. That’s why you want as much track
time as you can get. The conditions today were tough
with the warmth, the humidity and the wind. It was a
lot like Race Day can be in a few weeks. I think JR
had some good runs today that can help our team. That
is what working together can mean to a multi-car
effort.”
JACQUES VILLENEUVE (No. 5 Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports Honda): “I’m quite happy with how much
the team has improved the feeling of the car from
yesterday. We didn’t get to run in the big group of cars
at the very end of the day, but I did get to run with my
teammates a bit. Ticking off laps on this track by
yourself is one thing, but it’s a whole different animal
when you’re out there racing others. Tomorrow we’ll
concentrate more on running with the pack.”
away this morning at age 90. To visit a bio and
photos, go here: Remembering AJ Watson
It was around 80 degrees today and windy with a little
rain.
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed
Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “We had a couple of
issues today that kept us off the track for some time.
But that is what is great about having a teammate here.
JR Hildebrand was able to put some good laps and
test some things that I didn’t. Hopefully it is dry for
some time on Tuesday. The weather forecast doesn’t
look good though. That’s why you want as much track
time as you can get. The conditions today were tough
with the warmth, the humidity and the wind. It was a
lot like Race Day can be in a few weeks. I think JR
had some good runs today that can help our team. That
is what working together can mean to a multi-car
effort.”
JACQUES VILLENEUVE (No. 5 Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports Honda): “I’m quite happy with how much
the team has improved the feeling of the car from
yesterday. We didn’t get to run in the big group of cars
at the very end of the day, but I did get to run with my
teammates a bit. Ticking off laps on this track by
yourself is one thing, but it’s a whole different animal
when you’re out there racing others. Tomorrow we’ll
concentrate more on running with the pack.”
| Tony Kanaan turned 131 laps today, most of any driver. |
| JR Hildebrand and Ed Carpenter |
| Jacques Villeneuve |
| <<<<< DAY 3 - PRACTICE >>>>>>> |
May 13 - Sebastian Saavedra pulled on his helmet
and stepped into the No. 17 KV AFS Racing car May
13 just like he had dozens of times. He logged only
seven laps in the red and yellow car before the
Indianapolis 500 practice session was curtailed by rain
with three hours left, but it was significant.
The pole sitter for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, who
was uninjured after being involved in a multi-car
incident on the standing start of the 82-lap race on the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, made his
debut on the 2.5-mile oval during practice for the 98th
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Saavedra, who qualified for his first Indy 500 in 2010
at age 19, said he’s “back in business.”
“It feels like somebody has given me a kidney punch
and I’m stiff but OK,” said Saavedra, of Colombia. “I
just wanted to get out there. Kudos to all my boys who
had a couple of long days to put it together. She’s
looking amazing.
E.J. Viso, filling in for James Hinchcliffe in the No. 27
United Fiber & Data car for the third consecutive day,
topped the speed chart at 224.488 mph (40.0912
seconds). Andretti Autosport teammate Kurt Busch,
seeking to contest both the Indianapolis 500 and stock
car race in Concord, N.C., on May 25, posted his
fastest lap of the month (224.159 mph) in the No. 26
Suretone car.
and stepped into the No. 17 KV AFS Racing car May
13 just like he had dozens of times. He logged only
seven laps in the red and yellow car before the
Indianapolis 500 practice session was curtailed by rain
with three hours left, but it was significant.
The pole sitter for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, who
was uninjured after being involved in a multi-car
incident on the standing start of the 82-lap race on the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, made his
debut on the 2.5-mile oval during practice for the 98th
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Saavedra, who qualified for his first Indy 500 in 2010
at age 19, said he’s “back in business.”
“It feels like somebody has given me a kidney punch
and I’m stiff but OK,” said Saavedra, of Colombia. “I
just wanted to get out there. Kudos to all my boys who
had a couple of long days to put it together. She’s
looking amazing.
E.J. Viso, filling in for James Hinchcliffe in the No. 27
United Fiber & Data car for the third consecutive day,
topped the speed chart at 224.488 mph (40.0912
seconds). Andretti Autosport teammate Kurt Busch,
seeking to contest both the Indianapolis 500 and stock
car race in Concord, N.C., on May 25, posted his
fastest lap of the month (224.159 mph) in the No. 26
Suretone car.
| Sebastian Saavedra's First Practice Day |
| Ed Carpenter fans: Butler University Mascot and 500 Princesses |
| <<<<< DAY 4 - PRACTICE >>>>>>> |
May 14 - Due to rain, no one got to practice until 5
p.m.
Jack Hawksworth did a half spin and made hard
contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 3. The car
had moderate damage to the left-side. Hawksworth
was checked out at the infield hospital and released to
drive.
Juan Pablo Montoya turned 61 laps today, most of
any driver. There were three cautions for a total of 33
minutes and 1 second today.
p.m.
Jack Hawksworth did a half spin and made hard
contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 3. The car
had moderate damage to the left-side. Hawksworth
was checked out at the infield hospital and released to
drive.
Juan Pablo Montoya turned 61 laps today, most of
any driver. There were three cautions for a total of 33
minutes and 1 second today.
| Jack Hawksworth |
| <<<<< DAY 5 - PRACTICE >>>>>>> |
May 15 - Today was 50 degrees Farenheit. There
was a slight delay to practice due to moisture.
The cars of EJ Viso and Mikhail Aleshin caught fire
today.
ORIOL SERVIA (No. 16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Racing Honda): “I’m still not as happy as I would like
to be at this point. Obviously tomorrow we are all
going to the super-boost, super speeds preparing for
qualifying. At the end there I finally got the balance I
want for the car although I still think we need to find
grip. And that’s what we’re going to have to do.”
Takuma Sato turned 150 laps today, most of any
driver.
was a slight delay to practice due to moisture.
The cars of EJ Viso and Mikhail Aleshin caught fire
today.
ORIOL SERVIA (No. 16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Racing Honda): “I’m still not as happy as I would like
to be at this point. Obviously tomorrow we are all
going to the super-boost, super speeds preparing for
qualifying. At the end there I finally got the balance I
want for the car although I still think we need to find
grip. And that’s what we’re going to have to do.”
Takuma Sato turned 150 laps today, most of any
driver.
| Oriol Servia |
| <<<<< DAY 6 - FAST FRIDAY >>>>>>> |
May 16 - The boost level will be increased from 130
kPa to 140 kPa for “Fast Friday” practice today and
qualifications this weekend. The change in pressure
adds about a 40-horsepower boost to the engines.
The boost level will return to 130 kPa for final practice
on Carb Day and the 500-mile race Sunday, May 25.
It was cold in the 50s and rain cause nearly a 3-hour
delay. In less than 20 minutes, it began to rain again.
Scott Dixon and Carlos Munoz each turned 11 laps
today, most of any driver.
JACQUES VILLENEUVE (No. 5 Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports Honda): “We have no idea what to expect
for tomorrow. We were on old tires in the few laps we
got on Fast Friday and we hadn’t trimmed the car out
yet. I also had a little bit of a tow on those laps. We
haven’t even done a practice qualification run yet.
We’re not under any stress though because we’re not
in the points championship. Qualifying is almost
meaningless for us, so there’s no point in us taking a
risk with anything. What matters for us is the race.”
Note: Drivers can gain a lot of points toward the
championship by running fast and qualifying well at
Indy. Refer to New Qualifying Rules.
kPa to 140 kPa for “Fast Friday” practice today and
qualifications this weekend. The change in pressure
adds about a 40-horsepower boost to the engines.
The boost level will return to 130 kPa for final practice
on Carb Day and the 500-mile race Sunday, May 25.
It was cold in the 50s and rain cause nearly a 3-hour
delay. In less than 20 minutes, it began to rain again.
Scott Dixon and Carlos Munoz each turned 11 laps
today, most of any driver.
JACQUES VILLENEUVE (No. 5 Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports Honda): “We have no idea what to expect
for tomorrow. We were on old tires in the few laps we
got on Fast Friday and we hadn’t trimmed the car out
yet. I also had a little bit of a tow on those laps. We
haven’t even done a practice qualification run yet.
We’re not under any stress though because we’re not
in the points championship. Qualifying is almost
meaningless for us, so there’s no point in us taking a
risk with anything. What matters for us is the race.”
Note: Drivers can gain a lot of points toward the
championship by running fast and qualifying well at
Indy. Refer to New Qualifying Rules.
| Scott Dixon |
| Like most drivers, Tony Kanaan's and Ryan Brisoce's boredom with the rain was apparent. |
| <<< DAY 7 - 1st DAY OF QUALIFYING >>> |
May 17 - Cool temperatures in the low 50s.
Marco Andretti recorded a lap speed of 232.522
during practice this morning! That's the fastest
practice lap at the speedway since Scott Dixon ran
233 back in 2003.
James Hinchcliffe was cleared to race and he stepped
into the car today after missing the whole past week of
practice and was 4th fastest!
After more than 8,400 laps of practice over seven
sessions and one round of qualifications on the 2.5-mile
Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, nine Verizon
IndyCar Series drivers have one shot at the pole for the
98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Little separated the Fast Nine - all qualified at 230 mph!
"I think we have a good chance for the pole but the
field is very tight this year," said Carpenter, who
earned the 2013 Pole Position with a four-lap average
of 228.762 mph in the No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium
Vodka car. "It will come down on who gets it right on
the day for the pole. It really comes down to being
perfect for four laps."
THE FAST NINE:
1. Ed Carpenter
2. Carlos Munoz
3. Helio Castroneves
4. James Hinchcliffe
5. Will Power
6. Marco Andretti
7. Simon Pagenaud
8. Josef Newgarden
9. JR Hildebrand
Marco Andretti recorded a lap speed of 232.522
during practice this morning! That's the fastest
practice lap at the speedway since Scott Dixon ran
233 back in 2003.
James Hinchcliffe was cleared to race and he stepped
into the car today after missing the whole past week of
practice and was 4th fastest!
After more than 8,400 laps of practice over seven
sessions and one round of qualifications on the 2.5-mile
Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, nine Verizon
IndyCar Series drivers have one shot at the pole for the
98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Little separated the Fast Nine - all qualified at 230 mph!
"I think we have a good chance for the pole but the
field is very tight this year," said Carpenter, who
earned the 2013 Pole Position with a four-lap average
of 228.762 mph in the No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium
Vodka car. "It will come down on who gets it right on
the day for the pole. It really comes down to being
perfect for four laps."
THE FAST NINE:
1. Ed Carpenter
2. Carlos Munoz
3. Helio Castroneves
4. James Hinchcliffe
5. Will Power
6. Marco Andretti
7. Simon Pagenaud
8. Josef Newgarden
9. JR Hildebrand
| Marco Andretti |
| Ed Carpenter and Scott Dixon |
| Rookie Martin Plowman |
| <<< DAY 8 - 2nd DAY OF QUALIFYING >>> |
May 18 - It was a very nice windless day.
Qualifying for Group 1 [the slowest 22 drivers from
yesterday] began at 11 a.m. and ran until 12:50pm
Juan Montoya was the fastest so he will start in 10th
position on race day. Kurt Busch was the fastest
rookie of the group.
Verizon IndyCar Series and Indy Lights team owner
Sam Schmidt is paralyzed below the neck. For the
last nine months he has had a program that was
developing a Corvette that could be driven by himself.
Today he drove it around the speedway, getting up to
100 mile per hour. He turned the car by moving his
head, he accelerated by moving his head backward and
he braked by pressing down on something with his
mouth. Amazing! Schmidt has a foundation dedicated
to curing spinal cord injuries. It has it's biggest fun
raiser in Indianapolis in May each year. He said that if
he could get enough money, he could have a cure
within 10 years.
Fast Nine qualifying began at 2 pm. It was very
exciting, particularly the last run by Ed Carpenter, who
captured the pole on the last two corners of the last lap!
Carpenter is an owner of a 1-car team and a driver.
He is also a local guy who grew up in Indianapolis. It
was amazing seeing him beat the big names and big
teams. He also won the pole last year.
The difference in time between fastest qualifier, Ed
Carpenter (231.067 mph) and slowest qualifier, Buddy
Lazier is 2.1509 seconds. This is the closest field by
time in the history of the Indianapolis 500.
The field average speed for the 33 cars is 229.382
mph. This is the fastest field in Indianapolis 500
history. The previous fastest field was in 2002 with an
average speed of 228.648 mph.
Qualifying for Group 1 [the slowest 22 drivers from
yesterday] began at 11 a.m. and ran until 12:50pm
Juan Montoya was the fastest so he will start in 10th
position on race day. Kurt Busch was the fastest
rookie of the group.
Verizon IndyCar Series and Indy Lights team owner
Sam Schmidt is paralyzed below the neck. For the
last nine months he has had a program that was
developing a Corvette that could be driven by himself.
Today he drove it around the speedway, getting up to
100 mile per hour. He turned the car by moving his
head, he accelerated by moving his head backward and
he braked by pressing down on something with his
mouth. Amazing! Schmidt has a foundation dedicated
to curing spinal cord injuries. It has it's biggest fun
raiser in Indianapolis in May each year. He said that if
he could get enough money, he could have a cure
within 10 years.
Fast Nine qualifying began at 2 pm. It was very
exciting, particularly the last run by Ed Carpenter, who
captured the pole on the last two corners of the last lap!
Carpenter is an owner of a 1-car team and a driver.
He is also a local guy who grew up in Indianapolis. It
was amazing seeing him beat the big names and big
teams. He also won the pole last year.
The difference in time between fastest qualifier, Ed
Carpenter (231.067 mph) and slowest qualifier, Buddy
Lazier is 2.1509 seconds. This is the closest field by
time in the history of the Indianapolis 500.
The field average speed for the 33 cars is 229.382
mph. This is the fastest field in Indianapolis 500
history. The previous fastest field was in 2002 with an
average speed of 228.648 mph.
| Juan Montoya |
| Ed Carpenter will start the 98th Indy 500 on Pole |
| <<<<<< DAY 9 - PRACTICE >>>>>> |
May 19 - All 33 starters turned laps for a total of
2,329 in the five-hour practice. Josef Newgarden
was fastest with a lap of 227.105 mph (39.6292
seconds). Juan Montoya was second at 226.532
mph.
Drivers will have a 60-minute race tune-up May
23rd.
An incident involving Kurt Busch brought out a
yellow flag 95 minutes into the session when his car
made right-side contact with the Turn 2 SAFER
Barrier. Busch was checked at the IU Health Infield
Medical Center at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and cleared to drive.
“I was starting to feel comfortable,” said Busch, who
had just completed a lap of 223.433 mph (his 56th).
“That’s when I made the mistake of just letting my
guard down or settling into that long run-type
mentality whereas with an Indy car you have to be
on edge. I was trying to find that rhythm and pace
myself as I would on Race Day and I just got behind
on the adjustments on the car.”
2,329 in the five-hour practice. Josef Newgarden
was fastest with a lap of 227.105 mph (39.6292
seconds). Juan Montoya was second at 226.532
mph.
Drivers will have a 60-minute race tune-up May
23rd.
An incident involving Kurt Busch brought out a
yellow flag 95 minutes into the session when his car
made right-side contact with the Turn 2 SAFER
Barrier. Busch was checked at the IU Health Infield
Medical Center at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and cleared to drive.
“I was starting to feel comfortable,” said Busch, who
had just completed a lap of 223.433 mph (his 56th).
“That’s when I made the mistake of just letting my
guard down or settling into that long run-type
mentality whereas with an Indy car you have to be
on edge. I was trying to find that rhythm and pace
myself as I would on Race Day and I just got behind
on the adjustments on the car.”
| FRONT ROW Will Power, James Hinchcliffe, Ed Carpenter |
| Takuma Sato and Pippa Mann (the only female in the field) |
Surprise Race Announced
May 22, 2014 - Stadium Trucks will race in the
speedway on Friday - Carb Day tomorrow.
The Stadium Super Trucks will race on a modified
course on the front straight of the famed 2.5-mile oval
and a portion of the infield road course.
Practice at 3:15 p.m.
Race begins at 4:40 p.m.
The Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas series
features identically prepared trucks, which are made to
resemble their scaled-down TRAXXAS
radio-control-car counterparts. Like their TRAXXAS
namesake, the trucks are designed to take flight and
withstand aggressive driving, however, unlike RC
trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds
greater than 130 miles per hour.
May 22, 2014 - Stadium Trucks will race in the
speedway on Friday - Carb Day tomorrow.
The Stadium Super Trucks will race on a modified
course on the front straight of the famed 2.5-mile oval
and a portion of the infield road course.
Practice at 3:15 p.m.
Race begins at 4:40 p.m.
The Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas series
features identically prepared trucks, which are made to
resemble their scaled-down TRAXXAS
radio-control-car counterparts. Like their TRAXXAS
namesake, the trucks are designed to take flight and
withstand aggressive driving, however, unlike RC
trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds
greater than 130 miles per hour.
The Stadium Super Trucks will hit man-made ramps at
more than 100 mph at multiple locations throughout the
circuit hurling drivers nearly 20 feet in the air and 150
feet down course. The series was created to bring the
excitement of Baja-style desert racing to large crowds
of race fans.
more than 100 mph at multiple locations throughout the
circuit hurling drivers nearly 20 feet in the air and 150
feet down course. The series was created to bring the
excitement of Baja-style desert racing to large crowds
of race fans.
500 FASTEST DRIVER OF THE DAY
223.057 mph
225.025 mph
224.488 mph
226.122 mph
227.166 mph
230.522 mph
230.661 mph
232.239 mph
232.917 mph
227.838 mph
225.025 mph
224.488 mph
226.122 mph
227.166 mph
230.522 mph
230.661 mph
232.239 mph
232.917 mph
227.838 mph
Will Power
Ryan Hunter-Reay
EJ Viso
Simon Pagenaud
Helio Castroneves
Ed Carpenter
Ed Carpenter
Marco Andretti
Mikhail Aleshin
Tony Kanaan
Ryan Hunter-Reay
EJ Viso
Simon Pagenaud
Helio Castroneves
Ed Carpenter
Ed Carpenter
Marco Andretti
Mikhail Aleshin
Tony Kanaan
May 11
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 19
May 23
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 19
May 23
| INDY CRASHES THIS MAY (not including grand prix) |
May 14
May 19
May 23
May 19
May 23
Jack Hawksworth
Kurt Busch
Sage Karam
Kurt Busch
Sage Karam
Hard contact in T3
Hard contact in T2
Slight scrape in T4
Hard contact in T2
Slight scrape in T4
He's ok
He's ok
He's ok
He's ok
He's ok
| <<< DAY 10 - CARBURATION DAY >>> |
May 23 - Perfect weather greeted Indianapolis today.
Some vintage Indy race cars did some laps early this
morning.
The track opened for a 1 hour final practice at 11 a.m.
for the IndyCars.
Sage Karam's car got loose and he slightly scraped
the Turn 4 wall. He made it back to the pits. Tony
Kanaan was fastest today with a speed of 227.838
mph.
FREEDOM 100 INDY LIGHTS RACE
Gabby Chaves has taken the Indy Lights Presented by
Cooper Tires Freedom 100 victory by just 0.005 of a
second with a last-second, last-turn, last-lap outside
pass for the win.
A year ago, he lost by 0.0026 of a second to Peter
Dempsey, then driving for Belardi Auto Racing. Now
Chaves, driving for Belardi, made the move on
Matthew Brabham as they exited Turn 4 of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Brabham dominated most of the race, leading 28 laps,
but was unable to hold off the final run from Chaves
The race had one significant accident as Chase Austin
lost control of his car exiting Turn 1 and crashed head-
on into a tire barrier of the IMS road course.
Austin was diagnosed with a fractured left wrist and
transported to Methodist Hospital. But, he was
reported awake and alert.
PIT STOP COMPETITION
For the second time in three years, Target Chip
Ganassi Racing and Scott Dixon have won the Tag
Heuer Pit Stop Challenge, which determines the fastest
pit crew in the Indianapolis 500.
Today’s contest at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
featured 12 teams in four rounds of action. Each team
was timed while performing a pit stop that required
crews to change four tires and execute a simulated fuel
hookup during each round of competition. Teams went
head-to-head with the faster time advancing to the next
round. Crews had to be careful however, as penalty
time was added for various infractions, such as loose
wheel nuts or running over air hoses.
Dixon and the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi crew took
first place and earned a $50,000 payday after defeating
Indianapolis 500 rookie Sage Karam and his Dryer &
Reinbold-Kingdom Racing crew by over half a second
(Dixon’s crew recorded a time of 11.658 seconds;
Karam’s registered a time of 12.163 seconds).
TRUCK RACE
Apdaly Lopez of Tecate, B.C. Mexico entered racing’
s history books Friday at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway by capturing the win in the second of two
Menards at the Brickyard by TRAXXAS races and
securing the overall win with the highest average finish
in the two races. It marked the first time in the 105-
year history of the famed Brickyard that trucks raced
on the property.
CONCERT
A new huge stage and location greeted fans to this
year's Carb Day Concert. It was held in the 4th Turn
infield. Some fans used the viewing hills to watch
from. Suite owners had their own stands erected near
the stage and to the side. Everyone else was standing.
The first act was Sublime. Sammy Hagar performed
afterwards. Great show - Great weather!
Some vintage Indy race cars did some laps early this
morning.
The track opened for a 1 hour final practice at 11 a.m.
for the IndyCars.
Sage Karam's car got loose and he slightly scraped
the Turn 4 wall. He made it back to the pits. Tony
Kanaan was fastest today with a speed of 227.838
mph.
FREEDOM 100 INDY LIGHTS RACE
Gabby Chaves has taken the Indy Lights Presented by
Cooper Tires Freedom 100 victory by just 0.005 of a
second with a last-second, last-turn, last-lap outside
pass for the win.
A year ago, he lost by 0.0026 of a second to Peter
Dempsey, then driving for Belardi Auto Racing. Now
Chaves, driving for Belardi, made the move on
Matthew Brabham as they exited Turn 4 of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Brabham dominated most of the race, leading 28 laps,
but was unable to hold off the final run from Chaves
The race had one significant accident as Chase Austin
lost control of his car exiting Turn 1 and crashed head-
on into a tire barrier of the IMS road course.
Austin was diagnosed with a fractured left wrist and
transported to Methodist Hospital. But, he was
reported awake and alert.
PIT STOP COMPETITION
For the second time in three years, Target Chip
Ganassi Racing and Scott Dixon have won the Tag
Heuer Pit Stop Challenge, which determines the fastest
pit crew in the Indianapolis 500.
Today’s contest at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
featured 12 teams in four rounds of action. Each team
was timed while performing a pit stop that required
crews to change four tires and execute a simulated fuel
hookup during each round of competition. Teams went
head-to-head with the faster time advancing to the next
round. Crews had to be careful however, as penalty
time was added for various infractions, such as loose
wheel nuts or running over air hoses.
Dixon and the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi crew took
first place and earned a $50,000 payday after defeating
Indianapolis 500 rookie Sage Karam and his Dryer &
Reinbold-Kingdom Racing crew by over half a second
(Dixon’s crew recorded a time of 11.658 seconds;
Karam’s registered a time of 12.163 seconds).
TRUCK RACE
Apdaly Lopez of Tecate, B.C. Mexico entered racing’
s history books Friday at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway by capturing the win in the second of two
Menards at the Brickyard by TRAXXAS races and
securing the overall win with the highest average finish
in the two races. It marked the first time in the 105-
year history of the famed Brickyard that trucks raced
on the property.
CONCERT
A new huge stage and location greeted fans to this
year's Carb Day Concert. It was held in the 4th Turn
infield. Some fans used the viewing hills to watch
from. Suite owners had their own stands erected near
the stage and to the side. Everyone else was standing.
The first act was Sublime. Sammy Hagar performed
afterwards. Great show - Great weather!
| Vintage Indy Cars |
| Many Fans Gathered for the Rock Concert |
| Truck Race |
| Gabby Chaves Won the Indy Lights Race |
| Pit Stop Competition |
| Indy Lights Race Photo Finish |
| <<<<<< DAY 11 - INDY 500 >>>>>> |
DRIVER QUOTES:
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 DHL Honda): “It’s a
dream come true man. I can’t even believe it. I don’t
know. This is just the most fantastic team for what
they’ve given me. My dream has come true today and
I’m a proud American boy, that’s for sure. (Tell us
about passing and repassing Helio): There was no
practice for it. We never really ran those lines at all the
whole month and that was all new. Everything
everybody was doing at the end was all new.
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 Snapple Honda):This is
as competitive as IndyCar has ever been. I don't care
what anyone has to say.
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 United Fiber & Data
Honda): "You know, it could have been the last restart
and you have to go for it. Ed gave me the room
initially. I honestly don't think Townsend (Bell) knew
we were three-wide. I haven't seen the replay yet, but
from what I saw Townsend came down into Ed, who
came down into me. I was the last guy there, so I have
to take a portion of the blame for sure. I feel bad for
Ed. I knew Townsend had popped out, but I honestly
didn't think he'd hold the outside. You just can't do
that here. Partially my fault. Partially Townsend's fault.
100 percent not Ed's fault."
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed
Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “Hinch (James
Hinchcliffe) tried to make three wide in Turn1 with 25
laps to go. Not a smart move. It wrecked both of our
races. I told him if he didn’t have a concussion last
week that I would have punched him in the face. It
wasn’t a green-white-checkered situation. Of all of the
guys out there, I wouldn’t have thought it would be
Hinch. I am pretty good friends with him and those
guys at Andretti. I think he just didn’t use his head
right then. I totally believe we were right in the mix
with Ryan (Hunter-Reay), Helio (Castroneves) and
Marco (Andretti). I was running with Ryan right then
and we had swapped the lead a few times. We got a
little fortunate in the middle of the race when we
blistered a right rear tire and had to pit earlier than we
wanted. We were able to hold off the leaders then
when the yellow came out. I was back up front and the
car felt good. We were just trying to figure out how to
set a guy up for the last lap of the race. It just stinks.”
TOWNSEND BELL (No. 6 Robert Graham KV
Technology Chevy): "I got hit in that three-wide on the
restart in the left rear and earlier in the race with
(Tony) Kanaan when I was inside of him and he was
squeezing me, I clipped the wall with the left rear. It
just knocked it too much out of toe. It was loose all
race and then in the end, I was just trying to go for it to
see if we could get to the front. You don't get those
chances very often, but unfortunately the left rear just
took too much pounding during the day to make it
work and it got away from me. I hate to end that way.
That was a pretty good hit. I'll be pretty sore." (On the
three-wide restart with Ed Carpenter and James
Hinchcliffe that damaged his car): "I thought I was side-
by-side with just Ed in turn one. I didn't realize
someone else, I think it was Hinch maybe, had forced
three-wide, which is pretty optimistic. I haven't seen a
replay but I would guess Ed didn't have anywhere to
go. I was giving him room for one car, I didn't know
there was a third one that had ducked in. Nonetheless,
I thought we would just hang on there in the top five.
We didn't really have anything to charge to the front,
given the way the toe was knocked out." (What's it like
watching the end of the race from the medical center?)
"It just sucks. Should be out there racing with those
guys."
JACQUES VILLENEUVE (No. 5 Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports Honda): “Today went according to plan. I
started toward the back, so I took a very easy start and
didn’t go for broke on the first lap. Early on I wasn’t
very happy with the car, so I hung back and focused
on not losing a lap. During the pit stops we steadily
improved the car, and luckily we got our lap back
somehow. At the end of the race I felt that my car was
really starting to catch its stride, and I drove more
aggressively. I was amazed at how many laps we did
without a yellow flag. Normally this race feels like a
marathon, but today I felt like it was flying by. It was
almost like nothing was going on. Everyone was just
minding their own business turning laps. I definitely
want to come back, because 14th isn’t good enough.
After being away for 19 years I was happy to be
running quickly at the end, though. We ended on the
lead lap and stayed away from the wall, so I think that’
s an acceptable result for being away for so long!”-
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 National Guard Honda):
“This is our luck; I don’t know what to say. We had an
engine electronic problem and the engine kept shutting
off. I didn’t think it was running quite right to start and
all of a sudden the engine just kept shutting off. We
pitted to try to find out what the problem was then
went out for a couple of laps and it just kept shutting
off so it was unsafe to continue. I’m sorry for all the
National Guard folks that are here. Unfortunately in a
case like this, there is not much you can do. It is some
gremlin. It was our first race with the National Guard
on Memorial Day weekend and we wanted to make
them proud. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to
succeed today. Today is just not our day.”
SAGE KARAM (No. 22 Comfort Revolution/Brantley
Gilbert Chevrolet): “Hats off to my team. They did an
awesome job. The Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom boys
gave me an awesome car. It was stable all day and I
was able to come from the back and get a top 10 - I
will take it! 150 laps straight of green-flag racing takes
a toll on you. My foot even hurts from the vibrations
of keeping it flat for so long. Now I know why they
say this is the hardest race to win in the world. We
were looking good, we were running in eighth when a
yellow flag came out right when I pitted. We ended up
going a lap down and had to get the wave around and
go to the back of the filed. It messed up our strategy, if
we were out for another lap or so I believe we could
have been in the top five. They team did awesome. I
had so much fun out there. I am so grateful and
blessed to have just run in the Indy 500.”
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 8 NTT DATA Chevrolet): “I’
m just really upset with the finish. I got a run on (Will)
Power. And he just completely drove me to the grass
and chopped me and broke my front wing, It was
dangerous driving, and I just can’t believe he didn’t get
a penalty or anything. It was just absolutely stupid
driving on his part and ruined our race after we did
such a good job. We went a lap down early. We just
waited for that Yellow. Finally, we got it. I got on the
lead lap and basically pass all of these cars again. We
had such a good car. We got it right up there to eighth
at the end there on the final restart. Then Power; a
dumb move killed our race. It’s disappointing, a top ten
(finish) would have been good for the boys today.”
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 DHL Honda): “It’s a
dream come true man. I can’t even believe it. I don’t
know. This is just the most fantastic team for what
they’ve given me. My dream has come true today and
I’m a proud American boy, that’s for sure. (Tell us
about passing and repassing Helio): There was no
practice for it. We never really ran those lines at all the
whole month and that was all new. Everything
everybody was doing at the end was all new.
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 Snapple Honda):This is
as competitive as IndyCar has ever been. I don't care
what anyone has to say.
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 United Fiber & Data
Honda): "You know, it could have been the last restart
and you have to go for it. Ed gave me the room
initially. I honestly don't think Townsend (Bell) knew
we were three-wide. I haven't seen the replay yet, but
from what I saw Townsend came down into Ed, who
came down into me. I was the last guy there, so I have
to take a portion of the blame for sure. I feel bad for
Ed. I knew Townsend had popped out, but I honestly
didn't think he'd hold the outside. You just can't do
that here. Partially my fault. Partially Townsend's fault.
100 percent not Ed's fault."
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed
Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “Hinch (James
Hinchcliffe) tried to make three wide in Turn1 with 25
laps to go. Not a smart move. It wrecked both of our
races. I told him if he didn’t have a concussion last
week that I would have punched him in the face. It
wasn’t a green-white-checkered situation. Of all of the
guys out there, I wouldn’t have thought it would be
Hinch. I am pretty good friends with him and those
guys at Andretti. I think he just didn’t use his head
right then. I totally believe we were right in the mix
with Ryan (Hunter-Reay), Helio (Castroneves) and
Marco (Andretti). I was running with Ryan right then
and we had swapped the lead a few times. We got a
little fortunate in the middle of the race when we
blistered a right rear tire and had to pit earlier than we
wanted. We were able to hold off the leaders then
when the yellow came out. I was back up front and the
car felt good. We were just trying to figure out how to
set a guy up for the last lap of the race. It just stinks.”
TOWNSEND BELL (No. 6 Robert Graham KV
Technology Chevy): "I got hit in that three-wide on the
restart in the left rear and earlier in the race with
(Tony) Kanaan when I was inside of him and he was
squeezing me, I clipped the wall with the left rear. It
just knocked it too much out of toe. It was loose all
race and then in the end, I was just trying to go for it to
see if we could get to the front. You don't get those
chances very often, but unfortunately the left rear just
took too much pounding during the day to make it
work and it got away from me. I hate to end that way.
That was a pretty good hit. I'll be pretty sore." (On the
three-wide restart with Ed Carpenter and James
Hinchcliffe that damaged his car): "I thought I was side-
by-side with just Ed in turn one. I didn't realize
someone else, I think it was Hinch maybe, had forced
three-wide, which is pretty optimistic. I haven't seen a
replay but I would guess Ed didn't have anywhere to
go. I was giving him room for one car, I didn't know
there was a third one that had ducked in. Nonetheless,
I thought we would just hang on there in the top five.
We didn't really have anything to charge to the front,
given the way the toe was knocked out." (What's it like
watching the end of the race from the medical center?)
"It just sucks. Should be out there racing with those
guys."
JACQUES VILLENEUVE (No. 5 Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports Honda): “Today went according to plan. I
started toward the back, so I took a very easy start and
didn’t go for broke on the first lap. Early on I wasn’t
very happy with the car, so I hung back and focused
on not losing a lap. During the pit stops we steadily
improved the car, and luckily we got our lap back
somehow. At the end of the race I felt that my car was
really starting to catch its stride, and I drove more
aggressively. I was amazed at how many laps we did
without a yellow flag. Normally this race feels like a
marathon, but today I felt like it was flying by. It was
almost like nothing was going on. Everyone was just
minding their own business turning laps. I definitely
want to come back, because 14th isn’t good enough.
After being away for 19 years I was happy to be
running quickly at the end, though. We ended on the
lead lap and stayed away from the wall, so I think that’
s an acceptable result for being away for so long!”-
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 National Guard Honda):
“This is our luck; I don’t know what to say. We had an
engine electronic problem and the engine kept shutting
off. I didn’t think it was running quite right to start and
all of a sudden the engine just kept shutting off. We
pitted to try to find out what the problem was then
went out for a couple of laps and it just kept shutting
off so it was unsafe to continue. I’m sorry for all the
National Guard folks that are here. Unfortunately in a
case like this, there is not much you can do. It is some
gremlin. It was our first race with the National Guard
on Memorial Day weekend and we wanted to make
them proud. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to
succeed today. Today is just not our day.”
SAGE KARAM (No. 22 Comfort Revolution/Brantley
Gilbert Chevrolet): “Hats off to my team. They did an
awesome job. The Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom boys
gave me an awesome car. It was stable all day and I
was able to come from the back and get a top 10 - I
will take it! 150 laps straight of green-flag racing takes
a toll on you. My foot even hurts from the vibrations
of keeping it flat for so long. Now I know why they
say this is the hardest race to win in the world. We
were looking good, we were running in eighth when a
yellow flag came out right when I pitted. We ended up
going a lap down and had to get the wave around and
go to the back of the filed. It messed up our strategy, if
we were out for another lap or so I believe we could
have been in the top five. They team did awesome. I
had so much fun out there. I am so grateful and
blessed to have just run in the Indy 500.”
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 8 NTT DATA Chevrolet): “I’
m just really upset with the finish. I got a run on (Will)
Power. And he just completely drove me to the grass
and chopped me and broke my front wing, It was
dangerous driving, and I just can’t believe he didn’t get
a penalty or anything. It was just absolutely stupid
driving on his part and ruined our race after we did
such a good job. We went a lap down early. We just
waited for that Yellow. Finally, we got it. I got on the
lead lap and basically pass all of these cars again. We
had such a good car. We got it right up there to eighth
at the end there on the final restart. Then Power; a
dumb move killed our race. It’s disappointing, a top ten
(finish) would have been good for the boys today.”
May 25 - Ryan Hunter-Reay peeked around Helio
Castroneves, then reversed course and dipped inside
for a daredevil pass and the lead in the Indianapolis 500.
Castroneves charged back to the front, winning a drag
race down the frontstretch at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. And then, in a stirring wheel-to-wheel battle
between a pair of bright yellow cars, Hunter-Reay
seized the lead once more Sunday as the drivers
hurtled across the Yard of Bricks with a single, 2.5-
mile lap remaining.
With nobody in front of him, Hunter-Reay used the
entire track to keep Castroneves in his rearview mirror.
He nipped him at the line by less than half a car length,
denying his Brazilian rival a chance at history Sunday
by becoming a 4-time winner. Hunter-Reay became
the first American in eight years to win the Indy 500.
"The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" had lived up to its
nickname.
"This race was ridiculously close and competitive,"
Hunter-Reay said. "Just glad I picked the right time to
go."
The finish was well worth the wait — to the fans who
watched 150 laps of caution-free racing, to the drivers
who bided their time unsure of when they should
charge to the front and to Hunter-Reay, who finally got
to drink the celebratory milk in his seventh try. He beat
Castroneves by just 0.060 seconds — only the 1992
race had a closer finish when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott
Goodyear by 0.043 seconds.
"I'm a proud American boy, that's for sure," Hunter-
Reay said in Victory Lane before he was joined by his
wife and son. "I've watched this race since I was sitting
in diapers on the floor in front of the TV. My son did it
today. He watched me here. I'm thrilled. This is
American history, this race. This is American tradition."
He was serenaded by chants of "USA! USA!" as he
made his way around the post-race celebrations. He
was joined by son Ryden, born shortly after Hunter-
Reay's 2012 IndyCar championship and wearing a
miniature version of his father's firesuit as his parents
kissed the bricks.
Castroneves, trying to become the fourth driver to win
a fourth Indianapolis 500, settled for second. He
needed several moments to compose himself, slumped
in his car, head down and helmet on. The Brazilian
said a caution with 10 laps to go broke his rhythm as
red flag came out so track workers could clean debris
and repair a track wall.
"It was a great fight," he smiled. "I tell you what, I was
having a great time. Unfortunately, second. It's good,
but second sucks, you know what I mean?"
Marco Andretti finished third and Carlos Munoz was
fourth as Andretti Autosport had three cars in the top
four, as well as the winner.
Kurt Busch, also in a Honda for Andretti, finished
sixth in his first race of the day. He left immediately for
a flight after the race and arrived about an hour later in
North Carolina for Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600,
where his attempt to become the second driver to
complete 1,100 miles in both races on the same day
ended when his car blew an engine late.
Busch ended up completing about 907 miles.
"All in all, I'm very pleased. I cannot believe the
execution of this team," Busch said before hustling
away for a helicopter ride to his waiting plane. "I tried
to enjoy it. My throat's real dry because I was smiling
the whole time and the fresh air was coming in my
mouth."
Marco Andretti appeared to have a shot at the win,
but after the final restart he never could mix it up with
Hunter-Reay and Castroneves as the two leaders
swapped position four times in the final five laps. So
certain his son would be a contender for the victory
Sunday, Michael Andretti was just as thrilled with
Hunter-Reay's win.
"Ryan's just been a huge part of our team, a great guy,
a friend," said Michael Andretti, who won for the third
time as a team owner. "He deserves it. He deserves to
have his face on that trophy. If it couldn't be Marco,
he's the next guy I wanted."
A year ago, Hunter-Reay was passed for the lead with
three laps remaining and went on to finish third as the
race finished under caution. He was leading Sunday
and had control of the race until Townsend Bell's
crash brought out the red flag. Hunter-Reay figured he
was a sitting duck as the leader, his chances over.
"I can't get a break," he lamented on his team radio.
But after swapping the lead with Castroneves three
times, including a dramatic inside move in Turn 3,
Hunter-Reay made the final and decisive pass as the
two cars took the white flag.
"At the end of the day there's stupid and bravery, and I
think we were right there on the edge, both of us,"
Castroneves said. "I'm glad we both come out in a
good way. I'm sad it did not come out the way I
wanted."
The race went a record 150 laps without a caution as
the pace zipped along and Busch at one point had no
worries at all about getting to North Carolina in time for
NASCAR's longest event of the year. Then a Charlie
Kimball spin brought out the first yellow, a crash by
Scott Dixon led to a second caution and a risky three-
wide move on the next restart caused pole-sitter Ed
Carpenter and James Hinchcliffe to wreck.
The race resumed and Hunter-Reay was in control
until the fourth and final caution, which led IndyCar to
throw a rare red flag to allow the drivers a chance to
race to the finish.
"It went green the whole way and I love that," Hunter-
Reay said. "Winning it under green like that with just a
fantastic finish — I hope the fans loved it because I
was on the edge of my seat."
Sebastien Bourdais, driving the KVSH Racing car that
won the “500” last year with Tony Kanaan, placed a
career-best seventh in the 500 Mile Race and Will
Power finished eighth. Power, who started on the
outside of Row 1 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske
car, was issued a drive-through penalty for a pit speed
violation on Lap 128 as he exited while running second
to Montoya.
With double points awarded for the three 500-mile
races this season – the Indy 500, Pocono Raceway on
July 6 and Auto Club Speedway on Aug. 30 – Hunter-
Reay took the championship lead over Power, 274-
234. Hunter-Reay entered the race trailing by one point.
Sage Karam, the 19-year-old rookie from Nazareth,
Pa., finished ninth in the No. 22 Dreyer & Reinbold-
Kingdom Racing with Chip Ganassi car. JR
Hildebrand, who was the race runner-up as a rookie
in 2011, placed 10th.
“The (car) was stable all day and I was able to come
from the back and get a top 10. I will take it,” said
Karam, whose 22 positions gained relative to his
starting spot was a field high. “150 laps straight of
green-flag racing takes a toll on you. My foot even
hurts from the vibrations of keeping it flat for so long.
Now I know why they say this is the hardest race to
win in the world.”
Castroneves, then reversed course and dipped inside
for a daredevil pass and the lead in the Indianapolis 500.
Castroneves charged back to the front, winning a drag
race down the frontstretch at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. And then, in a stirring wheel-to-wheel battle
between a pair of bright yellow cars, Hunter-Reay
seized the lead once more Sunday as the drivers
hurtled across the Yard of Bricks with a single, 2.5-
mile lap remaining.
With nobody in front of him, Hunter-Reay used the
entire track to keep Castroneves in his rearview mirror.
He nipped him at the line by less than half a car length,
denying his Brazilian rival a chance at history Sunday
by becoming a 4-time winner. Hunter-Reay became
the first American in eight years to win the Indy 500.
"The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" had lived up to its
nickname.
"This race was ridiculously close and competitive,"
Hunter-Reay said. "Just glad I picked the right time to
go."
The finish was well worth the wait — to the fans who
watched 150 laps of caution-free racing, to the drivers
who bided their time unsure of when they should
charge to the front and to Hunter-Reay, who finally got
to drink the celebratory milk in his seventh try. He beat
Castroneves by just 0.060 seconds — only the 1992
race had a closer finish when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott
Goodyear by 0.043 seconds.
"I'm a proud American boy, that's for sure," Hunter-
Reay said in Victory Lane before he was joined by his
wife and son. "I've watched this race since I was sitting
in diapers on the floor in front of the TV. My son did it
today. He watched me here. I'm thrilled. This is
American history, this race. This is American tradition."
He was serenaded by chants of "USA! USA!" as he
made his way around the post-race celebrations. He
was joined by son Ryden, born shortly after Hunter-
Reay's 2012 IndyCar championship and wearing a
miniature version of his father's firesuit as his parents
kissed the bricks.
Castroneves, trying to become the fourth driver to win
a fourth Indianapolis 500, settled for second. He
needed several moments to compose himself, slumped
in his car, head down and helmet on. The Brazilian
said a caution with 10 laps to go broke his rhythm as
red flag came out so track workers could clean debris
and repair a track wall.
"It was a great fight," he smiled. "I tell you what, I was
having a great time. Unfortunately, second. It's good,
but second sucks, you know what I mean?"
Marco Andretti finished third and Carlos Munoz was
fourth as Andretti Autosport had three cars in the top
four, as well as the winner.
Kurt Busch, also in a Honda for Andretti, finished
sixth in his first race of the day. He left immediately for
a flight after the race and arrived about an hour later in
North Carolina for Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600,
where his attempt to become the second driver to
complete 1,100 miles in both races on the same day
ended when his car blew an engine late.
Busch ended up completing about 907 miles.
"All in all, I'm very pleased. I cannot believe the
execution of this team," Busch said before hustling
away for a helicopter ride to his waiting plane. "I tried
to enjoy it. My throat's real dry because I was smiling
the whole time and the fresh air was coming in my
mouth."
Marco Andretti appeared to have a shot at the win,
but after the final restart he never could mix it up with
Hunter-Reay and Castroneves as the two leaders
swapped position four times in the final five laps. So
certain his son would be a contender for the victory
Sunday, Michael Andretti was just as thrilled with
Hunter-Reay's win.
"Ryan's just been a huge part of our team, a great guy,
a friend," said Michael Andretti, who won for the third
time as a team owner. "He deserves it. He deserves to
have his face on that trophy. If it couldn't be Marco,
he's the next guy I wanted."
A year ago, Hunter-Reay was passed for the lead with
three laps remaining and went on to finish third as the
race finished under caution. He was leading Sunday
and had control of the race until Townsend Bell's
crash brought out the red flag. Hunter-Reay figured he
was a sitting duck as the leader, his chances over.
"I can't get a break," he lamented on his team radio.
But after swapping the lead with Castroneves three
times, including a dramatic inside move in Turn 3,
Hunter-Reay made the final and decisive pass as the
two cars took the white flag.
"At the end of the day there's stupid and bravery, and I
think we were right there on the edge, both of us,"
Castroneves said. "I'm glad we both come out in a
good way. I'm sad it did not come out the way I
wanted."
The race went a record 150 laps without a caution as
the pace zipped along and Busch at one point had no
worries at all about getting to North Carolina in time for
NASCAR's longest event of the year. Then a Charlie
Kimball spin brought out the first yellow, a crash by
Scott Dixon led to a second caution and a risky three-
wide move on the next restart caused pole-sitter Ed
Carpenter and James Hinchcliffe to wreck.
The race resumed and Hunter-Reay was in control
until the fourth and final caution, which led IndyCar to
throw a rare red flag to allow the drivers a chance to
race to the finish.
"It went green the whole way and I love that," Hunter-
Reay said. "Winning it under green like that with just a
fantastic finish — I hope the fans loved it because I
was on the edge of my seat."
Sebastien Bourdais, driving the KVSH Racing car that
won the “500” last year with Tony Kanaan, placed a
career-best seventh in the 500 Mile Race and Will
Power finished eighth. Power, who started on the
outside of Row 1 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske
car, was issued a drive-through penalty for a pit speed
violation on Lap 128 as he exited while running second
to Montoya.
With double points awarded for the three 500-mile
races this season – the Indy 500, Pocono Raceway on
July 6 and Auto Club Speedway on Aug. 30 – Hunter-
Reay took the championship lead over Power, 274-
234. Hunter-Reay entered the race trailing by one point.
Sage Karam, the 19-year-old rookie from Nazareth,
Pa., finished ninth in the No. 22 Dreyer & Reinbold-
Kingdom Racing with Chip Ganassi car. JR
Hildebrand, who was the race runner-up as a rookie
in 2011, placed 10th.
“The (car) was stable all day and I was able to come
from the back and get a top 10. I will take it,” said
Karam, whose 22 positions gained relative to his
starting spot was a field high. “150 laps straight of
green-flag racing takes a toll on you. My foot even
hurts from the vibrations of keeping it flat for so long.
Now I know why they say this is the hardest race to
win in the world.”
| Ryan Hunter-Reay and Helio Castroneves with old Rutherford Pennzoil Paint Scheme |
| Mark Cuban Waved the Green Flag |
| Ed Carpenter and James Hinchcliffe tangle |
| Jim Nabors has sung "Back Home Again In Indiana" at the start of the Indy 500 for over 40 years. He says this is his final race due to his health. |
| Drivers try to relax before the start of the race. |
| Scott Dixon crash |
| Ryan Hunter-Reay's son Ryden in matching suit |
| Townsend Bell crash |
| Dario Franchitti drove the Camaro Pace Car |
| Marco Andretti and James Hinchcliffe before the start. |
| Princesses may not be enough as Indy Girls have appeared. |
| Ryan Hunter-Reay - WINNER! |
| Top Ten Finishers |
500 Rookie of the Year
May 27 - Since its inception in 1952, the Indianapolis
500 Rookie of the Year Award has been presented to an
amazing list of legendary drivers including Parnelli Jones,
Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart
and Arie Luyendyk.
Andretti Autosport driver Kurt Busch has been named
the winner of the 2014 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the
Year Award for his performance during the 98th
Running of the Indianapolis 500.
In the first IndyCar Series race of his career, Busch, in
his No. 26 Andretti Autosport Suretone Honda, was the
fastest qualifier (12th) and highest finisher (6th) among
the seven rookies in this year's Indianapolis 500.
Busch also earned a $25,000 bonus from Sunoco as
part of his total race winnings of $423,889. Busch was
presented with his award last night at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway during the Indianapolis 500 Victory
Awards Celebration.
Busch competes in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series and
has done so since 2000. He won the championship in
2004. After the Indy 500 this year, he flew to Charlotte
N.C. and competed in the Coca-Cola 600.
May 27 - Since its inception in 1952, the Indianapolis
500 Rookie of the Year Award has been presented to an
amazing list of legendary drivers including Parnelli Jones,
Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart
and Arie Luyendyk.
Andretti Autosport driver Kurt Busch has been named
the winner of the 2014 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the
Year Award for his performance during the 98th
Running of the Indianapolis 500.
In the first IndyCar Series race of his career, Busch, in
his No. 26 Andretti Autosport Suretone Honda, was the
fastest qualifier (12th) and highest finisher (6th) among
the seven rookies in this year's Indianapolis 500.
Busch also earned a $25,000 bonus from Sunoco as
part of his total race winnings of $423,889. Busch was
presented with his award last night at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway during the Indianapolis 500 Victory
Awards Celebration.
Busch competes in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series and
has done so since 2000. He won the championship in
2004. After the Indy 500 this year, he flew to Charlotte
N.C. and competed in the Coca-Cola 600.
| Kurt Busch |
Indy 500 Awards Banquet
May 27 - Ryan Hunter-Reay earned $2,491,194 from
an overall purse of $14,231,760 for his victory Sunday,
May 25 in the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500
Mile Race.
There were 34 lead changes among 11 drivers in the
fast-paced 200-lap event (186.563 mph average), with
Hunter-Reay topping all other drivers by leading nine
times for 56 laps after starting 19th in his No. 28
Andretti Autosport DHL Honda. The last time a driver
led the most laps of the race from a lower starting
position was in 1975 when Wally Dallenbach led a
race high 96 laps after starting from the 21st position.
A resident of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Hunter-Reay took
the lead for good from Helio Castroneves on Lap 199
and recorded a 220.927 mph final lap to Castroneves'
220.729 mph, keeping the Brazilian from joining A.J.
Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as the only four time
winners of the event.
Castroneves earned $785,194 in driving his No. 3
Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske Chevrolet to a
runner-up finish for the second time in his career,
matching his performance from 2003.
Hunter-Reay's Andretti Autosport teammate Marco
Andretti drove his No. 25 Snapple Honda to his third,
third-place finish in nine Indianapolis 500 starts.
Andretti led the race three times for 20 laps and
received $585,194.
Last year's Indianapolis 500 runner-up and Rookie of
the Year Carlos Munoz had another strong
performance in driving his No. 25 HVM Honda to a
fourth-place finish after starting the race seventh. He
received a check for $449,194.
Juan Montoya returned to the Indianapolis 500 for the
first time since winning his only other start in 2000, and
finished fifth in his No. 2 Verizon Team Penske
Chevrolet after starting tenth. Montoya led the race
three times for a total of 16 laps and was awarded
$441,944.
May 27 - Ryan Hunter-Reay earned $2,491,194 from
an overall purse of $14,231,760 for his victory Sunday,
May 25 in the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500
Mile Race.
There were 34 lead changes among 11 drivers in the
fast-paced 200-lap event (186.563 mph average), with
Hunter-Reay topping all other drivers by leading nine
times for 56 laps after starting 19th in his No. 28
Andretti Autosport DHL Honda. The last time a driver
led the most laps of the race from a lower starting
position was in 1975 when Wally Dallenbach led a
race high 96 laps after starting from the 21st position.
A resident of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Hunter-Reay took
the lead for good from Helio Castroneves on Lap 199
and recorded a 220.927 mph final lap to Castroneves'
220.729 mph, keeping the Brazilian from joining A.J.
Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as the only four time
winners of the event.
Castroneves earned $785,194 in driving his No. 3
Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske Chevrolet to a
runner-up finish for the second time in his career,
matching his performance from 2003.
Hunter-Reay's Andretti Autosport teammate Marco
Andretti drove his No. 25 Snapple Honda to his third,
third-place finish in nine Indianapolis 500 starts.
Andretti led the race three times for 20 laps and
received $585,194.
Last year's Indianapolis 500 runner-up and Rookie of
the Year Carlos Munoz had another strong
performance in driving his No. 25 HVM Honda to a
fourth-place finish after starting the race seventh. He
received a check for $449,194.
Juan Montoya returned to the Indianapolis 500 for the
first time since winning his only other start in 2000, and
finished fifth in his No. 2 Verizon Team Penske
Chevrolet after starting tenth. Montoya led the race
three times for a total of 16 laps and was awarded
$441,944.
| Ryan Hunter-Reay |
There, Busch's engine blew with 195 miles to go in
NASCAR's longest race.
The only driver to ever run the double and finish the
entire 1100 miles is Tony Stewart.
NASCAR's longest race.
The only driver to ever run the double and finish the
entire 1100 miles is Tony Stewart.
