By
indy500.com
Sunday, May 24, 2009
DAY 13 - SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2009
Good morning.
Anton H. (Tony) George, chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Joie Chitwood, president and chief operating officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, members of the Hulman-George family, and the entire Speedway and Indy Racing League staff welcome you to the World's Greatest Race Course and the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
***
RACE DAY ORDER OF THE DAY
|
6 a.m. |
Public Gates Open |
|
8 a.m. |
Spectacle of Bands Begins |
|
10:30 a.m. |
Cars Begin Entering Pit Lane |
|
11:15 a.m. |
"On the Banks of the Wabash" - Purdue University All American Marching Band |
|
11:40 a.m. |
Celebrity/VIP Laps |
|
11:50 a.m. |
Engine warm-up begins |
|
12:09 p.m. |
Military/Wounded Warriors Recognition Lap and March |
|
12:18 p.m. |
Recognition and Interview with Tuskegee Airmen |
|
12:31 p.m. |
Driver Introductions, Yard of Bricks |
|
12:43 p.m. |
"America the Beautiful" performed by Miss America 2009 Katie Stam, Victory Podium |
|
12:45 p.m. |
Speech from General Craig McKinley, USAF, Chief, National Guard Bureau, Victory Podium |
|
12:47 p.m. |
"God Bless America" performed by Florence Henderson, Victory Podium |
|
12:54 p.m. |
National Anthem performed by Major Lisa Kopczynski, Indiana National Guard, Victory Podium |
|
12:56 p.m. |
Flyover by two vintage B-25 Mitchell bombers, named Special Delivery and Take Off Time |
|
12:56 p.m. |
"Drivers to Your Cars" Announcement |
|
12:57 p.m. |
Invocation given by Rev. Daniel Buechlein, Archbishop of Indianapolis, Victory Podium |
|
1:01 p.m. |
Three-Volley Salute |
|
1:02 p.m. |
"Taps" performed by Sgt. Joseph Young, National Guard, Victory Podium |
|
1:03 p.m. |
"Back Home Again in Indiana" performed by Jim Nabors, Victory Podium |
|
1:03 p.m. |
Balloon Spectacle |
|
1:05 p.m. |
Command to Start Engines - Mari Hulman George, Victory Podium |
|
1:06 p.m. |
Parade Lap and Pace Laps -- 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, Pace Car Driver Josh Duhamel |
|
1:12 p.m. |
Green flag, start of 2009 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race |
|
6 p.m. |
Track Closes |
***
Chuck Gurney Jr. won the 64th TourHendricksCounty.com Night Before the 500 presented by Fatheadz USAC Mopar National Midget Championship race Saturday night at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.
Gurney took the lead from Cole Whitt on Lap 13 of the 50-lap feature and never trailed thereafter.
***
Dave Steele won the 61st Pay Less Little 500 USAC Sprint Car special event Saturday night at Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Ind.
Steele took the lead for good from Eric Gordon on Lap 468 of the 500-lap feature.
***
Allen Sirkin, chief operating officer of Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH), will serve as the honorary starter of the 2009 Indianapolis 500.
PVH's IZOD brand is the official apparel of the IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Firestone Indy Lights.
***
The five Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year candidates participated in a public press conference Saturday on the Coke Zero Stage before the Public Drivers' Meeting.
ALEX TAGLIANI: "I was so excited to drive that I didn't really understand what I was missing by not being in the Indianapolis 500 race. Everything came along last year. Obviously, the two series merged, we have now just one open-wheel series. I finished the season with Conquest. That got me to run with them this year. When we arrived here in Indy, I definitely didn't realize how big this race was."
NELSON PHILIPPE: It's been a long month, a very stressful month for me. I was a bit scared, to say the least, when qualifying came about. On Bump Day, I was on the bump on the third day of qualifying, and I knew my time wasn't going to hold up. I was really stressed out for Bump Day. Got running in the morning, it wasn't as quick as I thought it was going to be. It was quick enough to get in the field, and that's the most important thing. A lot of the drivers talked about making the show in Indy. They don't realize how hard it is. I think Ryan (Hunter-Reay) will probably talk about it. Ryan talked about it last night and said, 'I never realized how hard it was.' When you start in the last row, you kind of realize how special this is. When you just make it, you know how special this is. I'm very proud to be here. Just like Alex, I raced Champ Car for a long time. This was always the event that we wanted to come to. I'm really happy that I'm here. Look at all the fans. There's not even any race action today and look at all the fans. It's awesome."
MIKE CONWAY: "It's been an up-and-down month, obviously, with the crash. That really put us on the back focus, because we lost it in qualifying. We had to come in on the third day. We weren't really sure what the car was doing. Strength to get back in the car and to be quick straight away; it's hard to mentally get over it and to make sure the car's comfortable again. Once we did that, the car felt OK. The first qualifying run that we did actually felt the best. I was pretty happy that we got that time in. Come the next day, Bump Day, we had to run again. That was good, good to get a run in. Once we did it, we knew we were in. As Nelson said, you really appreciate what Bump Day means to get into the race. You think it's going to be easy to get into the race to begin with. It's tough. There's some really good drivers out there, really good teams. The field is so close, one of the closest it's been in history. It's tough, tough to get in. Thanks to everybody here, the crowd. It's been a great month so far, busier and busier, and I've really enjoyed it."
ROBERT DOORNBOS: "Thanks for coming out everybody, so many fans. It's great to see so many fans. I was here with Formula One a couple of years ago. We didn't have so many fans; we weren't that lucky. It's definitely more special to be here with IndyCar. Kansas was great. To qualify in the front row for your first oval and to be leading it was a good feeling. But this is a whole different animal. This is so much faster. I'm getting tips from Arie Luyendyk, we all know, as an ex-winner. He's definitely helpful. Like Mike, I had a big valet park in Turn 2. That set us back a little bit. You have to come over it, and we did. Now we're in the field, and we know we have a strong car. We just have to make our way to the front."
RAPHAEL MATOS: (On the month leading up to the Indy 500): "The month for us has been quite smooth. We had plenty of speed to qualify. Obviously, we're very proud being the fastest rookie and the fastest car on the second day and seventh fastest overall. The Air Force Luczo Dragon car ran flawless all month long. I just have to thank my whole crew. They did an amazing job. I'm very proud to be here. I would like to take the time, and since we carry the Air Force logo on our car, I would like to thank all the servicemen and women, especially the ones serving Air Force and Marines. The Luczo Dragon team and myself, we are very proud to carry the Air Force logo on our car, and hopefully I will be able to cross the finish line and give them a good result."
***
Entry List update: The car name for the No. 21 Vision Racing entry driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay has been changed to "21 IZOD/WilliamRast/Vision Racing."
***
Dennis Weaks has done almost everything but drive race cars in the IndyCar community during his 29 years in the business. He has probably driven several times the number of miles as any of today's current drivers as a transporter driver for teams throughout the years. In addition, he has been a mechanic, a tire changer, a fueler.
But for the last nine years, he has had the ultimate job, driving private motor coaches for the IndyCar Series and others, And for the past 1½ years, he has handled the motor coach for IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon.
DENNIS WEAKS: "It seems like I'm retiring on top. It's a perfect world. I'm driving for Scott now, and I keep it (motorhome) clean and stocked up for him. I worked for A.J., Menard, Ganassi, Hayhoe, Hemelgarn. I'd do any racing deal. I fueled and did tires for 20 years, and the last nine I've driven coaches. As a kid, I used to spot for ABC with Dan Laycock. I've had a great time. My dad was taking me in '62 or '63. That got me hooked. When I come in here, I still have goose bumps. It's hallowed ground."
***
Petty Motorsports/Dreyer & Reinbold chief mechanic David Janquart was named as the recipient of the Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award. Janquart is the chief mechanic for the No. 43 Window World entry driven by veteran John Andretti.
Presented annually since 1987 by the Clint Brawner Foundation and underwritten by Firestone Racing, the award recognizes an Indy 500 chief mechanic who "exemplifies the mechanical and scientific creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, dedication, enthusiasm and expertise" of its legendary namesake. Clint Brawner was the chief mechanic on winning cars in 51 AAA- and USAC-sanctioned national championship races, and six season champions.
Janquart received a $5,000 check and plaque to commemorate the honor. Presenting the awards were Carl Gehlhausen of the Clint Brawner Foundation and Page Mader, Firestone Racing's general manager of race tire development. Janquart's name also will be inscribed on a permanent trophy housed inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.
DAVID JANQUART: "To put my name on a plaque next to all those people, I get a chill when I think about it. It's unbelievable to think I was even considered for the award. It's an awesome achievement that I didn't even expect. I was just out there doing my job as best as I could."
***
Three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Didier Theys arrived to the track this weekend on only his second trip back to the Speedway since running in the 1994 editiion of the race. He is entertaining executives of the Lista Co., on the first trip to the "500," among them Fredy Lienhard, his co-driver in sports car racing.
DIDIER THEYS: "I was here for the first Formula One race, but that's it. I raced for 32 years, I'm 52 years old, and my last race was in a Porsche Spyder at Silverstone last September. I'm pretty pleased with sports car racing. It was a good car and a good team to be with. What I miss in Indy car racing is a good ride for the season."
***
KV Racing Technology has added FORDAHL-FOQ Group as an associate sponsor for the 2009 Indianapolis 500. FORDAHL-FOQ Group, one of the leading global players in the industry of time components for telecommunications systems, will be an associate sponsor on the No. 15 GEICO-KV Racing Technology machine driven by Paul Tracy.
KEVIN KALKHOVEN (Co-owner, KV Racing Technology): "We are pleased to welcome back FORDAHL-FOQ Group as a sponsor of KV Racing Technology for this year's Indy 500. "FORDAHL-FOQ Group is an outstanding company and a leader in the industry. This is a particularly welcome announcement since FORDAHL-FOQ previously was a sponsor of KVRT in 2007, so it is like teaming up with an old friend."
NILS ENGDAHL (President, FORDAHL-FOQ Group): "We are proud to support KV Racing Technology and Paul Tracy in this year's effort for the Indianapolis 500. As Kevin (Kalkhoven) said, we are old friends teaming up again. This is a great opportunity for our group to re-assess our presence on the North American market, and we are also very happy to see a great driver like Paul back on the track."
***
HVM Racing is officially fit to be in the pit. The pit crew members dropped 107 pounds in a two-month weight-loss challenge - seven pounds beyond their goal of 100.
The HVM team kicked off the "Gotta Be Fit to Be in the Pit" challenge at the IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg on April 5. Driver E.J. Viso and Dr. Luigi Gratton of Herbalife, a sponsor of HVM and Viso, encouraged the crew members to lose weight for their own well-being and to ensure strong performance in the pit.
Gratton offered medical guidance and Herbalife nutritional products throughout the challenge to help the team meet its goal. Herbalife is rewarding the trimmed-down crew members this week with new race uniforms.
KEITH WIGGINS: (Owner, HVM Racing): "Herbalife has been a great partner to work with, and this weight-loss challenge has been a good thing for everyone involved. How many team sponsors do you know that actually help improve the fitness of the team members?"
MICHAEL O. JOHNSON (Chairman and CEO, Herbalife): "We're proud of the team for meeting their goal and look forward to seeing them in their new uniforms. We'll continue to support the team to live a healthy, active lifestyle."
***
The 2010 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is scheduled for Sunday, May 30, 2010. Ticket information can be found in a foldout page between pages 32-33 of the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Official Program. Ticket information also can be obtained by calling the Speedway's ticket office, (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY, or by logging on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
***
Brian Barnhart, an Indianapolis native, is the president of the competition and operation division of the Indy Racing League, sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series. He is the chief official of the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
***
Of the 33 cars starting this year's Indianapolis 500, 13 have car numbers that have never won the race. Car numbers 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 21, 41, 43, 44, 67, 00, 02 and 06 have never been on a winning car in the Indianapolis 500. Car number 3 leads with the most wins at 10.
***
NASCAR legend Richard Petty is at the Speedway today to watch his Richard Petty Motorsports/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing No. 43 Window World car driven by John Andretti. It's Petty's first year of ownership at the Indianapolis 500.
RICHARD PETTY: "We want to run all day and not have any trouble, and we'll do pretty good. I don't think he's going to run up there and pass everybody, but if everything follows the way we want, he can run in the top 10 with no trouble. We had a struggle last weekend to get John involved in the race. We finally made it on a last deal, and we were all excited about that. He's had all week now to settle down and get ready for the race. We talked about it getting the car in after the first day of qualifying. We knew he wasn't fast enough then and went out to try to get better and crashed the car. So the crew spent all that time getting back to where he was at. They had a tough time doing it, but they got it in, and now we're ready to go. We're all excited and ready for the big deal."
***
Actor Josh Duhamel will drive the Chevrolet Camaro Official Pace Car leading the field to the start of the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. During caution periods in the race, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, from Fort Worth, Texas, will be the driver. Jim Haynes, from Phoenix, will serve as observer from the Pace Car. Under the caution, cars will close up behind the Pace Car.
JOSH DUHAMEL: (On driving the Pace Car so far): "I feel better. I feel better than the first day, just getting used to that speed coming around that fourth turn. But after working with Johnny Rutherford, I call him Coach Rutherford now because he's been my mentor the last few days, I feel good. I feel like I trust the car. It holds in that corner, which took me a little bit getting used to. I think it's a natural sort of instinct to want to slow down when going into a turn, but not here, not at Indy. You've got to press the accelerator going into the fourth turn here." (On what he said and how he felt when he was asked to drive the car): "Yes. Absolutely. Sign me up. When do you want me there?" (On enjoying racing): "Oh yeah, especially the Indy stuff. I was a big dirt track fan growing up. We have what they call the Nodak Speedway (in his native North Dakota). My Dad would take me out pretty much every weekend in the summer. So ever since then I followed it."
***
In the 13 Indianapolis 500 Mile Races since the inception of the IndyCar Series, only two drivers who led at Lap 100 have won the race (15.4 percent), and only six drivers who led at Lap 190 in the races that have gone the distance have won the race (54.5 percent). In the last five seasons, when the same basic car and formula have been used, there has been at least one lead change in the final 10 laps three times.
|
Year |
Leader Lap 100 |
Leader Lap 190 |
Winner |
|
2008 |
Tony Kanaan |
Scott Dixon |
Scott Dixon |
|
2007 |
Tony Kanaan |
--- Rain shortened race to 166 laps |
Dario Franchitti |
|
2006 |
Dan Wheldon |
Tony Kanaan |
Sam Hornish Jr. |
|
2005 |
Tony Kanaan |
Danica Patrick |
Dan Wheldon |
|
2004 |
Dan Wheldon |
--- Rain shortened race to 180 laps |
Buddy Rice |
|
2003 |
Jimmy Vasser |
Gil de Ferran |
Gil de Ferran |
|
2002 |
Tomas Scheckter |
Helio Castroneves |
Helio Castroneves |
|
2001 |
Greg Ray |
Helio Castroneves |
Helio Castroneves |
|
2000 |
Juan Pablo Montoya |
Juan Pablo Montoya |
Juan Pablo Montoya |
|
1999 |
Arie Luyendyk |
Robby Gordon |
Kenny Brack |
|
1998 |
John Paul Jr. |
Eddie Cheever Jr. |
Eddie Cheever Jr. |
|
1997 |
Arie Luyendyk |
Jeff Ward |
Arie Luyendyk |
|
1996 |
Davy Jones |
Davy Jones |
Buddy Lazier |
***
Artist Thomas Kinkade met with the media this morning. Kinkade, known as The Painter of Light™, is the featured artist for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Centennial Era. He painted a special portrait for the Centennial Era Gala on Feb. 27 and also painted the portrait that appears on the covers of the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Official Program and Indianapolis 500 Media Guide.
THOMAS KINKADE (On the passion and work that went into the painting): "The passion I have is to capture memories, to evoke the emotional connection we have to an experience. I came out here and stood up on the bleachers and looked around, and I saw all the elements of the track. It was empty at the time. But I saw the stadium, how the track laid out, the horizon, the skyline of Indianapolis and the Pagoda. I saw it all in my imagination. I began thinking, 'I want to get this energy - what I call the excitement of the moment- into this painting.' As I began working on it, I thought, 'Well you have this big piece of asphalt, the huge spectator stands; I've got to do something to get some movement.' So I just started throwing flags into it. It gives it kind of a patriotic excitement." (On some of the fine details in the painting): "I just love the idea of the diversity of the crowd. I like having characters in the crowd. I started hiding people in it. I put Norman Rockwell in there. As far as I know he never went to the track, but he did now. Because he's one of my heroes in the race world, I put a portrait of Dale Earnhardt. I tried to represent the different generations. I view this painting as a piece of history. I will tell you, of the best events of my artistic career doing sporting events, number two would have been when I did the farewell portrait for Yankee Stadium. But the greatest event was taking this painting down through downtown Indianapolis during the parade (Saturday). That was fabulous."
***
Scott Dixon was expecting this weekend to take possession of the Halberg Award statue that he won in February as New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year. But the 2008 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion was surprised to learn that he's been inducted into the MotorSport New Zealand Wall of Fame.
The MotorSport Wall of Fame was established in 1994 and located in MotorSport House as a permanent reminder of the achievements of past and present members who, through their endeavors, have been instrumental in bringing motorsport achievements to the world at large. The Halberg Awards are the country's premier sporting awards, which recognize teams and individuals.
Dixon joins other famous Kiwi drivers, including Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme, who have made indelible marks on motorsport at the national or international level. The last person inducted was Dave McMillan in 2006.
Dixon, who started racing at age 13, won three championships in New Zealand before going to Australia in 1997, where he won the Australian Drivers Championship. Since moving to the United States in 1999, he has won the IndyCar Series title in 2003 and '08 and the 500 Mile Race. He was awarded MotorSport New Zealand's prestigious Jim Clark Trophy in 1999, 2001 and 2004.
SCOTT DIXON: "I'm still pretty young at 28, and to be alongside a lot of the greats that have come from there is pretty special. I'm kind of overwhelmed between getting this honor and winning the Sportsman of the Year award. They are two of the biggest prizes as far as motor racing and sports in New Zealand. I'm truly humbled."
STEVEN KENNEDY (President, MotorSport New Zealand): "It is a tough road from New Zealand because drivers have to overcome the challenges of distance and funding. But with talent like Scott's and the backing of New Zealanders passionate about the sport, it just goes to show what can be achieved by young drivers from this country. Scott Dixon is an elite athlete at the very top of his sport and one we can all be proud of."
***
Air Force Gen. Thomas Stafford, commander of the Apollo 10 mission that in May 1969 included a test of the lunar module in lunar orbit, says that Luczo Dragon Racing driver Raphael Matos would "make a good astronaut candidate." Stafford is attending the race as a guest of the team.
Stafford was cited in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for highest speed ever attained by man - on the Apollo 10 re-entry (24,791 statute mph, which would be the equivalent of a lap around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway in about three-tenths of a second).
Stafford logged his fourth space flight as commander of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission in July 1975, culminating in the first meeting in space between American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts. He was the one who shook hands with the Russian cosmonaut.
GEN. THOMAS STAFFORD: "I was here in 1964 and have watched it every year since on TV, but it's great to be back at this great race and historic track. It's great to see a lot of the space technology from our programs developed into these race cars. I'm very proud that the Luczo Dragon race team would recognize the Air Force and the men and women who serve and have served."
***
Actor and entertainer Jim Nabors will sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" for the 31st time today in the pre-Indianapolis 500 festivities.
JIM NABORS: "It's the biggest day of the year. I always look forward to it more than anything. It's sort of a tradition for me. I never expected to be part of the tradition, but I'm just thrilled to be part of it." (On how he feels each year when is at the track): "I get pretty nervous. You look out at that crowd, you kidding? It's pretty wild. There's nothing like it." (On how his day progresses here at the Speedway): "I'm just kind of standing up there with Mari (Hulman George), and we kind of do our thing, our duet. I sing, and she says, 'Start your engines.' It's a really indescribable feeling." (On singing "Back Home Again in Indiana" for the first time at the Speedway, in 1972): "The first time I ever sang it I knew the song. I'd heard it all my life, but I wanted to be sure. I didn't know I was going to sing it, first of all. I wrote the lyrics on my hand. I didn't even know what the intro was going to be or if it was in my key or whatever, you know? You never know. They can really get you there. It was pretty exciting, and I really enjoyed it." (On being part of the festivities for so many years): "I feel very blessed and very rewarded that the people of Indiana kind of accepted me as one of theirs. I really do, and I'm very grateful."
***
Indianapolis 500 veteran and ABC IndyCar Series analyst Scott Goodyear recently became the national spokesperson for the Tire Rack Street Survival driver education program, designed to help young drivers learn the skills and gain the experience needed to stay alive behind the wheel.
In the Tire Rack Street Survival program, teens learn from experienced, knowledgeable driving coaches how to control a vehicle, rather than just operate one. They are taught how their actions govern a car's responses, what the vehicles limitations are and how to avoid accidents. Students use their personal car or family's car so new skills can be translated to their daily driving experiences.
One-day Tire Track Street Survival classes typically take place on weekends and are open to permitted and licensed drivers ages 16-21. The cost is $60 per student, and some insurance companies offer premium discounts to graduates. To find a program, visit www.streetsurvival.org or call (864) 329-1919.
Goodyear's son participated in a Tire Rack Street Survival program near their hometown of Carmel, Ind., which inspired him to become a national spokesperson.
SCOTT GOODYEAR: "I firmly believe Tire Rack Street Survival is the best in giving young drivers valuable experience behind the wheel."
***
Among the guests attending the race today are Florida Panthers goalie Craig Anderson and his father, and recording artist Richard Marx.
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 RACE SPECIFICS:
· The race is 500 miles, 200 laps on the 2.5-mile oval.
· The race becomes official after 101 laps.
· The pit-road speed is 60 mph.
· The green flag to start the race will be shown on the third time past the flag stand.
· At the start of the race, no passing is allowed until the start/finish line.
· The restart zone is located between Turns 3 and 4. The lead car may accelerate at any time after that cone. Cars may pass as soon as the green flag waves.
· There will be no tow-ins or returns from the garage within 20 laps of the end of the race.
· Only two tires may cross the blend line at the exit of pit lane. Crossing the line with all four tires may result in a penalty.
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRE-RACE:
At 1 p.m., the ambient temperature was 86 degrees with a relative humidity of 40 percent and winds from the east at 6 mph. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 106 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
At 1:05 p.m., Mari Hulman George gave the command, "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines." All cars started and rolling.
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 RACE RUNNING:
1:12 p.m. - No start. Cars were not lined up properly in 11 rows of three.
Lap 1: GREEN. #3 Castroneves leads the field into Turn 1. #10 Franchitti passes #6 Briscoe for second heading into Turn 1. YELLOW. #26 M. Andretti and #5 Moraes touch wheels between Turns 1 and 2. #5 Moraes makes contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 and continues along the wall down the backstretch. He climbs from the car without assistance from the Delphi Safety Team. #26 M. Andretti continues to pit lane. The car has damage to the front of the car. #26 M. Andretti climbs from the car and the car is wheeled back to the garage. Leaders under caution are: #3 Castroneves, #10 Franchitti, #6 Briscoe, #9 Dixon and #11 Kanaan.
Lap 4: #13 Viso, #23 Duno and #36 Tagliani to pit lane for fuel only. Seven seconds for each.
Lap 6: GREEN. #99 Lloyd to pit lane to repair a loose rain light. # Castroneves leads #10 Franchitti by .0342 of a second at the line.
Lap 7: #10 Franchitti underneath #3 Castroneves heading into Turn 1 and passes for the lead. #10 Franchitti leads #3 Castroneves by .3928 of a second.
Lap 10: #10 Franchitti leads #3 Castroneves by .3029 of a second.
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, medical director for the Indy Racing League: #5 Mario Moraes has been checked and released at the Clarian Emergency Medical Center. He is cleared to drive.
MARIO MORAES (No. 5 Azul Tequila-Votorantim-KV Racing): "I know the 26 hit me, OK? I was in front. I was holding my line, and he just hit me. I don't know from where."
***
•The last time there was a yellow flag on the first lap was the 2001 Indianapolis 500 when pole sitter Scott Sharp crashed in Turn 1.
•When #3 Helio Castroneves led the first lap, it was the third time he has led the opening lap of the Indianapolis 500. The other two years were 2003 when his teammate, Gil de Ferran, won the race and in 2006 when his teammate, Sam Hornish Jr., won the race.
***
Lap 15: #10 Franchitti leads #3 Castroneves by .4270 of a second. #8 Bell running 12th after starting 24th.
Lap 20: #10 Franchitti leads #3 Castroneves by .5616 of a second.
Lap 21: YELLOW. #21 Hunter-Reay runs high in Turn 4 and brushes the SAFER Barrier with the right front. The car does a three-quarter spin across the track and makes contact with the inside wall with the left rear of the car and slides to a stop in pit lane. #21 Hunter-Reay climbs from the car without assistance from the Delphi Safety Team. Leaders under caution are: #10 Franchitti, #3 Castroneves, #6 Briscoe, #9 Dixon and #11 Kanaan.
Lap 23: All cars to pit lane for four tires and fuel. #10 Franchitti wins the race off of pit lane. Leaders under caution are #10 Franchitti, #6 Briscoe, #3 Castroneves, #9 Dixon and #02 Rahal.
Lap 23 pit report: Four tires and fuel: #3 Castroneves, 7 seconds; #10 Franchitti, 8 seconds; #02 Rahal, 9 seconds; #2 Matos, 10 seconds; #9 Dixon, 10 seconds; #11 Kanaan, 9 seconds; #15 Tracy, 8 seconds; #41 Foyt, 11 seconds; #67 Fisher, 12 seconds; #23 Duno, 16 seconds; #7 Patrick, 18 seconds; #99 Lloyd, 16 seconds. Four tires, fuel, front wing adjustment: #17 Servia, ; #20 Carpenter, 16 seconds; #12 Power, 11 seconds;#4 Wheldon, 18 seconds. Four tires and fuel, tire pressure adjustment: #16 Sharp, 19 seconds; #6 Briscoe, 7 seconds. Four tires, fuel, front wing adjustment, tire pressure adjustment: #18 Wilson, #14 Meira, 11 seconds.
***
Actor Josh Duhamel slapped hands with three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Johnny Rutherford upon exiting the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car.
JOSH DUHAMEL: "Wow! What a rush. I loved that. I expected (the field) to be closer, but I just kept on the gas."
***
•When #5 Mario Moraes crashed before completing a lap of the 2009 Indianapolis 500, it marked the third time that a car starting in the seventh position crashed before completing a lap. Tom Sneva (1986) and Scott Brayton (1988) were the other two occurrences.
•In 2008, the youngest driver in the field, Graham Rahal, crashed and finished 33rd. In 2009, the second-youngest driver in the field, #5 Mario Moraes crashed and finished 33rd.
***
•The 45,000 mile mark in Indianapolis 500 race history was reached at the completion of the 27th lap.
***
Lap 28: GREEN. #10 Franchitti leads #6 Briscoe by .1686 of a second. #9 Dixon passes #3 Castroneves for third.
Lap 29: #10 Franchitti leads #6 Briscoe by .5956 of a second.
Lap 30: #10 Franchitti leads #6 Briscoe by .4290 of a second.
Lap 35: #10 Franchitti leads #6 Briscoe by .5362 of a second.
Lap 38: #13 Viso to pit lane for four tires and fuel. The team has problems with the right rear air gun.
Lap 40: #10 Franchitti leads #6 Briscoe by .2812 of a second.
Lap 41: #13 Viso returns to pit lane. The team reports a problem with the right rear.
Lap 45: #10 Franchitti leads #6 Briscoe by .6826 of a second.
Lap 50: #10 Franchitti leads #6 Briscoe by .8261 of a second. #44 Hamilton to pit lane.
Lap 51: #06 Doornbos does a heavy white-wall exiting Turn 4.
Lap 52: #06 Doornbos to pit lane.
Lap 53: #44 Hamilton returns to pit lane. #6 Briscoe passes #10 Franchitti for the lead.
Lap 54: #6 Briscoe leads #10 Franchitti by 1.0122 seconds. #16 Sharp to pits, four tires and fuel, 10 seconds.
Lap 55: #6 Briscoe leads #10 Franchitti by .3484 of a second. #99 Lloyd to pits, four tires and fuel, 12 seconds.
Lap 56: YELLOW. #02 Rahal makes heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier with the right side of the car exiting Turn 4. The car comes to a stop on the front stretch. #02 Rahal climbs from the car without assistance from the Delphi Safety Team. #23 Duno to pits, four tires and fuel, 26 seconds. Leaders under caution are: #6 Briscoe, #10 Franchitti, #9 Dixon, #3 Castroneves and #11 Kanaan.
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, medical director for the Indy Racing League: #21 Ryan Hunter-Reay was checked and released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center. He is cleared to drive.
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 21 IZOD/WilliamRast/Vision Racing): "A.J. Foyt IV was really loose and checked up in Turn 3 and 4. I followed him in there too closely, and that's my fault. I got a big aero wash, and I was a passenger from there on. That put me in the grey and into the wall. The Vision 21 IZOD crew fought so hard all month, and we were finally in a position that we were going to have a race where the positions were going to come to us with some patience. They already were. It's a shame to have to have that happen trying to get around a car that's almost disabled, but I guess that's Indy."
***
Lap 59: All cars to pit lane except #13 Viso, #99 Lloyd, #24 Conway and #16 Sharp. #18 Wilson does a half-spin entering his pit and stops in pit lane. The crew of #18 Wilson uses the quick-jack to maneuver the car into the pit stall after traffic has passed.
Lap 59 pit stop report: Four tires and fuel: #00 Philippe, 12 seconds; #23 Duno, 13 seconds; #67 Fisher, 12 seconds; #10 Franchitti, 7 seconds; #6 Briscoe, 8 seconds; #3 Castroneves, 7 seconds; #9 Dixon, 10 seconds; #2 Matos, 11 seconds; #14 Meira, 12 seconds; #12 Power, 13 seconds; #15 Tracy, 11 seconds. Four tires, fuel, front wing adjustment: #7 Patrick, 9 seconds; #11 Kanaan, 9 seconds; #8 Bell, #20 Carpenter, 13 seconds; #4 Wheldon, 14 seconds. Four tires, fuel, tire pressure adjustment: #41 Foyt, 15 seconds. Four tires, fuel, front wing and tire pressure adjustment: #18 Wilson.
Lap 60: Leaders under caution are: #6 Briscoe, #9 Dixon, #10 Franchitti, #11 Kanaan and #3 Castroneves.
***
•#6 Ryan Briscoe took the lead for the first time in his Indianapolis 500 career on Lap 53. This is Briscoe's fourth Indianapolis 500 start.
***
Lap 63: GREEN. #6 Briscoe leads #9 Dixon by .0058 of a second at the line.
Lap 64: #9 Dixon and #10 Franchitti pass #6 Briscoe for the lead entering Turn 1. #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .8262 of a second. #6 Briscoe falls to ninth. The driver reports a lack of grip.
Lap 65: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .6429 of a second. #6 Briscoe to pit lane for four tires.
Lap 67: Rookie #2 Matos is running fourth. #7 Patrick is running fifth. #4 Wheldon is running eighth after starting 18th.
Lap 69: #26 M. Andretti returns to the race.
Lap 70: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .4991 of a second.
Lap 72: #6 Briscoe is running 24th.
Lap 76: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .9269 of a second.
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, medical director for the Indy Racing League: #02 Graham Rahal was checked and released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center. He is cleared to drive.
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 02 McDonald's Racing Team): "We all caught traffic, basically. Milka (Duno) got in front of me, and she was absolutely clueless. She would go low like she was going to let everybody by, but then she'd go fast enough where you can't get by her. She come out on track and run you real tight. I tried to go half a car width up in (Turn) 4, and it just went straight. Same thing I had last year. I'm really upset and disappointed. The McDonald's car was feeling good. We had the pace to stay with the leaders. We couldn't get close enough to pass, but still it's disappointing."
***
Lap 80: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .2945 of a second.
Lap 83: YELLOW. #44 Hamilton makes contact with the SAFER Barrier at the exit of Turn 4 with the right side of the car. Hamilton climbs from the car without assistance from the Delphi Safety Team. #26 M. Andretti to pits, four tires and fuel, 8 seconds. Leaders under caution are: #9 Dixon, #10 Franchitti, #11 Kanaan, #2 Matos and #3 Castroneves.
Lap 85: All cars to pit lane except #13 Viso, #6 Briscoe and #26 M. Andretti. #10 Franchitti wins the race off pit lane.
Lap 85 pit stop report: Four tires and fuel: #12 Power, 11 seconds; #14 Meira, 10 seconds; #41 Foyt, 11 seconds; #15 Tracy, 8 seconds; #10 Franchitti, 8 seconds; #3 Castroneves, 8 seconds; #9 Dixon, 9 seconds; #20 Carpenter, 8 seconds; #7 Patrick, 10 seconds; #99 Lloyd, 10 seconds; #16 Sharp, 11 seconds; #8 Bell, 14 seconds; #23 Duno, 13 seconds; #43 J. Andretti, 10 seconds; #24 Conway, 12 seconds; #67 Fisher, 12 seconds. Four tires, fuel, front wing adjustment: #11 Kanaan, 9 seconds. Four tires, fuel, tire pressure adjustment: #2 Matos, 8 seconds; #4 Wheldon, 9 seconds.
Lap 86: Leaders under caution are: #10 Franchitti, #9 Dixon, #11 Kanaan, #3 Castroneves and #2 Matos. #4 Wheldon is running eighth. #24 Bell is running ninth. #25 Servia is running 11th after starting 25th. #36 Tagliani is running 13th after starting 33rd.
Lap 90: GREEN. #10 Franchitti leads #9 Dixon by .0192 of a second at the line.
Lap 91: #9 Dixon underneath #10 Franchitti for the lead in Turn 1. #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .7306 of a second.
Lap 95: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .6150 of a second. #06 Doornbos returns to the track after repairing the right rear upper and lower wishbone in the garage.
Lap 98: YELLOW. #11 Kanaan veers into the wall on the backstretch with the right front of the car. The car continues and makes heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 3 with the front of the car and makes tertiary contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 4 with the front of the car. The car comes to a stop in Turn 4. #11 Kanaan climbs from the car without assistance from the Delphi Safety Team. #17 Servia to pit lane reporting a fuel pressure problem. Leaders under caution are: #9 Dixon, #10 Franchitti, #3 Castroneves, #2 Matos and #12 Power.
Lap 100: All cars to pit lane except #99 Lloyd, #06 Doornbos, #00 Philippe, #13 Viso and #26 M. Andretti.
Lap 100 pit stop report: Four tires and fuel: #41 Foyt, 12 seconds; #12 Power, 6 seconds; #15 Tracy, 17 seconds; #10 Franchitti, 9 seconds; #3 Castroneves, 10 seconds; #2 Matos, 8 seconds; #24 Conway, 10 seconds; #8 Bell, 12 seconds; #23 Duno, 14 seconds; #43 J. Andretti, 10 seconds; #16 Sharp 11 seconds; #99 Lloyd, 11 seconds, #7 Patrick, 10 seconds. Patrick overshot pit, which delayed stop; #9 Dixon, 7 seconds. Target Chip Ganassi Racing team noticed debris embedded in Dixon's used right rear tire after changing it. Four tires, fuel, tire pressure adjustment: #67 Fisher, 10 seconds; #4 Wheldon, 13 seconds. Four tires, fuel, front wing adjustment: #14 Meira, 9 seconds; #6 Briscoe, 9 seconds. Four tires, fuel, rear wing adjustment: #20 Carpenter, 12 seconds.
Lap 101: Leaders under caution are: #9 Dixon, #10 Franchitti, #12 Power, #2 Matos and #3 Castroneves.
***
ORIOL SERVIA (No. 17 The Rahal Letterman DAFCA Special): "We were having the best race ever. The engine completely shut off on the backstretch. I have explanation. I had a lot of fun while it lasted."
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, medical director for the Indy Racing League: #44 Davey Hamilton was checked and released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center. He is cleared to drive.
DAVEY HAMILTON (No. 44 Hewlett Packard): "We were good for a while. Then the back end kept stepping out. We were running too much downforce and got up in the marbles. The balance of the car was getting a bit loose getting in. We were making some adjustments, and I was just taking my time getting my pace back. I got loose getting into (Turn) 3. I had to chase it back up, got in the marbles, and that was it. As soon as you get out of the groove, you're done."
***
Lap 108: #18 Wilson to pit lane for fuel only.
Lap 109: GREEN. #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .1772 of a second at the line.
Lap 110: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .1605 of a second.
Lap 115: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .3670 of a second.
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, medical director for the Indy Racing League: #11 Tony Kanaan was checked and released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center. He is cleared to drive.
TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Team 7-Eleven): "I don't know. Something broke in the middle of the straightaway. I hit head-on on the wall. I don't think the cameras caught that on the first hit, and then I went for a wild ride. I rested my head on the headrest and closed my eyes. I knew it was going to be a big one. I'm pretty much beat up. I have to thank my guys and the (St. Vincent's) people who have kept me in shape. And thank you to the safety team. I hit the wall at 190 mph, and I'm standing here talking to you. I'm a little sore, and I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Something broke in the rear suspension at 190 miles an hour, and I have to thank the safety crew that I can walk back to my motorhome."
***
•When #11 Tony Kanaan crashed on Lap 98, it ended his Indianapolis 500-record streak of leading seven consecutive races (2002-08). The 2009 event is the only Indianapolis 500 he never led.
***
Lap 119: #26 M. Andretti to pit lane. He climbs from the car.
Lap 121: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .8542 of a second.
Lap 126: #06 Doornbos white-walls at the exit of Turn 2. #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .8029 of a second. #99 Lloyd to pit lane for four tires and fuel.
Lap 130: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .6371 of a second.
Lap 132: YELLOW. #00 Philippe has a heavy white-wall with the SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 4. He continues to pit lane and climbs from the car. Leaders under caution are: #9 Dixon, #10 Franchitti, #12 Power, #3 Castroneves and #2 Matos.
Lap 134: All cars to pit lane except #99 Lloyd.
Lap 134 pit stop report: Four tires and fuel: #3 Castroneves, 9 seconds; #6 Briscoe, 9 seconds; #9 Dixon, 8 seconds; #12 Power, 8 seconds; #15 Tracy, 8 seconds; #41 Foyt, 14 seconds. #20 Carpenter, 14 seconds; #7 Patrick, 14 seconds; #99 Lloyd, 13 seconds; #36 Tagliani, 12 seconds; #8 Bell, 13 seconds, #23 Duno, 12 seconds; #43 J. Andretti, 15 seconds; #2 Matos, 39 seconds, stop delayed due to wheel nut stuck in air gun. #10 Franchitti, 12 seconds. Stop delayed due to fuel hose stuck in buckeye. #14 Meira, 95 seconds. Car caught on fire during refueling. Fire extinguished, Meira returned to track. Four tires, fuel, front wing adjustment: #67 Fisher, 14 seconds. Four tires, fuel, tire pressure adjustment: #16 Sharp, 13 seconds; #4 Wheldon, 14 seconds.
Lap 135: Leaders under caution are: #9 Dixon, #3 Castroneves, #12 Power, #15 Tracy and #4 Wheldon. #8 Bell is running sixth. #20 Carpenter is running seventh after starting 17th.
Lap 139: #2 Matos back on pit lane to top off. 4 seconds.
Lap 141: GREEN. #9 Dixon leads #3 Castroneves by .0930 of a second at the line.
Lap 142: #3 Castroneves underneath #9 Dixon for the lead entering Turn 1. #3 Castroneves leads #9 Dixon by .7509 of a second. #4 Wheldon up to fourth and #8 Bell up to fifth.
Lap 145: #3 Castroneves leads #9 Dixon by .4653 of a second.
***
•When #3 Helio Castroneves took the lead on Lap 142, it represented the 1,000th lead change in Indianapolis 500 history.
***
ROBERT DOORNBOS (No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing): "It's been a very tough day for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. We were looking really good, but then unfortunately Tomas Scheckter was just too excited going into Turn 1. He passed me really late and left me nowhere to go. On the marbles, we just brushed the wall and bent the wishbone. So we had to go back to the garage, but we got out again. Something else bent again on the right rear, so we'll call it a day."
NELSON PHILIPPE (No. 00 i drive green HVM Racing): "It's just a shame. I thought we had a good race. I tried giving too much room. It was a light hit, but it was enough."
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom Energy): "It's totally disappointing. I should have been smarter than that. That kid (Moraes) is in way over his head with where he is now. I'm sitting next to him, and he just drives up into me. There was no one in sight of him. I should have known better."
***
Lap 150: #3 Castroneves leads #9 Dixon by .6667 of a second.
Lap 155: #3 Castroneves leads #9 Dixon by .5629 of a second.
Lap 157: #12 Power passes #9 Dixon for second in Turn 1. #3 Castroneves leads #12 Power by .8378 of a second.
Lap 160: #3 Castroneves leads #12 Power by .1903 of a second.
Lap 161: YELLOW. #18 Wilson does a full spin entering Turn 1 and makes moderate contact with the SAFER Barrier with the right side of the car. Wilson climbs from the car without assistance from the Delphi Safety Team. Leaders under caution are: #3 Castroneves, #12 Power, #9 Dixon, #4 Wheldon and #8 Bell.
Lap 163: All cars to pit lane. #3 Castroneves wins the race off pit lane. #6 Briscoe picks up six spots and is second. Leaders under caution are: #3 Castroneves, #6 Briscoe, #4 Wheldon, #7 Patrick and #8 Bell.
Lap 163 pit stop report: Four tires and fuel: #41 Foyt, 12 seconds; #15 Tracy, 10 seconds; #3 Castroneves, 10 seconds; #6 Briscoe, 8 seconds; #10 Franchitti, 10 seconds; #2 Matos, 12 seconds; #24 Conway, 10 seconds;#43 J. Andretti, 13 seconds; #23 Duno, 11 seconds; #8 Bell, 14 seconds; #36 Tagliani, 16 seconds; #20 Carpenter, 9 seconds; #7 Patrick, 8 seconds; #99 Lloyd, 8 seconds; #9 Dixon, 10 seconds. Dixon's stop delayed by problem putting right rear wheel on hub. Four tires, fuel, tire pressure adjustment: #4 Wheldon, 9 seconds. Four tires, fuel, front wing adjustment: #67 Fisher, 11 seconds; #14 Meira, 10 seconds. Four tires, fuel, tire pressure, front wing adjustments: #16 Sharp, 8 seconds. Four tires, fuel, rear wing adjustment: #12 Power, 11 seconds.
Lap 167: #2 Matos to pit lane for fuel only. GREEN. #3 Castroneves leads #6 Briscoe by .2406 of a second at the line.
Lap 168: #3 Castroneves leads #6 Briscoe by .6978 of a second.
Lap 170: #3 Castroneves leads #6 Briscoe by .3059 of a second.
***
E.J. VISO (No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing):"The rear tire came loose twice. That's why we had to pit. I could not get the car up to speed. It was too shaky."
***
Lap 174: YELLOW. #2 Matos and #14 Meira lock wheels entering Turn 1. #14 Meira makes heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 with the front of the car. The car goes onto its right side and slides through the turn along the wall before landing on its wheels and coming to a rest at the entrance of Turn 2. #2 Matos makes contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 with the right side of the car and comes to rest mid-track. Both drivers are assisted from their cars by the Delphi Safety Team. Leaders under caution are: #3 Castroneves, #6 Briscoe, #4 Wheldon, #7 Patrick and #12 Power.
Lap 180: #6 Briscoe to pit lane for fuel only, 3.8 seconds. Four tires and fuel: #24 Conway, 11 seconds; #23 Duno, 10 seconds; #43 J. Andretti, 16 seconds; #67 Fisher, 10 seconds.
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, medical director for the Indy Racing League: #2 Matos was checked and released at the Clarian Emergency Medical Center. He suffered a bruised right knee and is cleared to drive. #14 Meira was transported via ground to Methodist Hospital. He is awake and alert and is complaining of lower back pain.
***
Lap 183: GREEN. #3 Castroneves leads #7 Patrick by .2661 of a second as #7 Patrick and #4 Wheldon go side-by-side down the front stretch.
Lap 184: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.4042 seconds.
Lap 185: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.5524 seconds.
Lap 190: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.3818 seconds.
Lap 191: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.3145 seconds.
Lap 192: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.4799 seconds.
Lap 193: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.6447 seconds.
Lap 194: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.9053 seconds.
Lap 195: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 1.9987 seconds.
Lap 196: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 2.1276 seconds.
Lap 197: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 2.3148 seconds.
Lap 198: #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 2.3637 seconds.
Lap 199: WHITE. #3 Castroneves leads #4 Wheldon by 2.2149 seconds.
Lap 200: CHECKERED. #3 Castroneves wins the 2009 Indianapolis 500 by 1.9819 seconds over #4 Wheldon.
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 POST-RACE NOTES:
· Helio Castroneves wins his third Indianapolis 500, becoming the ninth driver to win the race at least three times. Castroneves also won in 2001 and 2002. Other three-time winners include: Louis Meyer (1928, 33, 36), Wilbur Shaw (1937, 39-40), Mauri Rose (1941, 47-48), Johnny Rutherford (1974, 76, 80) and Bobby Unser (1968, 75, 81). Four-time winners include: A.J. Foyt (1961, 64, 67, 77), Al Unser (1970-71, 78, 87) and Rick Mears (1979, 84, 88, 91).
· Castroneves became a three-time winner in his ninth Indianapolis 500 start. No other driver has become a three-time winner in fewer races. Louis Meyer became a three-time winner in 1936 in his 10th Indianapolis 500 race (nine as a starter and one as a relief driver for Wilbur Shaw in 1927.) A.J. Foyt Jr. also became a three-time winner in his 10th Indianapolis 500 start, in 1967.
· Castroneves is the 20th driver to win the "500" from the pole, the most of any starting position. The pole sitter has won the last two "500s" and four of the last six.
· Castroneves is the first driver to win the pole, Pit Stop Competition and the race since Buddy Rice in 2004.
· This is the second consecutive year the winner led both the first and last lap of the Indianapolis 500.
· Castroneves won a race from the pole for the eighth consecutive season, extending his series record.
· This is the 15th Indianapolis 500 win for Roger Penske, the most of any entrant. No other entrant has more than five.
· Team Penske has won five of the last nine Indianapolis 500s.
· This is the seventh time a Penske-owned car has won the Indianapolis 500 starting from the pole position. The other pole winning years for Penske were 1979 (Rick Mears), 1981 (Bobby Unser), 1988 (Rick Mears), 1991 (Rick Mears), 1994 (Al Unser Jr.) and 2006 (Sam Hornish Jr.).
· This is the 31st IndyCar Series victory for Team Penske, second among all teams. Andretti Green Racing has 35 victories.
· This is Castroneves' 15th career victory in the IndyCar Series, tying Dan Wheldon for third all-time. Sam Hornish Jr. has 19 wins, and Scott Dixon has 17. Castroneves' last victory came in the 2008 season finale at Chicagoland Speedway.
· Castroneves has 91 top-10 finishes, most in IndyCar Series history.
· Castroneves has led 74 races, most in IndyCar Series history.
· Castroneves has finished in the top 10 in eight of his nine Indianapolis 500s.
· Dan Wheldon finished second, his fourth top-four finish at Indianapolis in seven starts. The last time past winners finished first and second was in 1993 when Emerson Fittipaldi and Arie Luyendyk finished 1-2.
· This is Wheldon's second top-five finish of the season and his best finish since second at Nashville last July.
· Danica Patrick finished third, her best career finish at Indianapolis and the best-ever finish for a woman. She finished fourth as a rookie in 2005. Patrick has four top-10 finishes at Indianapolis in five starts.
· Patrick and Tony Kanaan are the only drivers with three top-five finishes to start the 2009 season.
· Townsend Bell finished fourth, improving 20 positions during the race to record a career-best finish. His previous best finish in the "500" was 10th in 2008. His previous best IndyCar Series finish was fifth at Nashville in 2004.
· Will Power finished fifth in his second "500." Last year, he finished 13th.
· Power has finished sixth or better in all three of his starts this season.
· Dario Franchitti finished seventh in his first start in the Indianapolis 500 since winning the race in 2007. He has finished seventh or better in four consecutive "500s."
· Franchitti led 50 laps and has led 84 laps in his last two "500s."
· Ed Carpenter finished eighth, his second consecutive top-10 finish in the Indianapolis 500. Last year, he finished fifth.
· This is Carpenter's second consecutive top-10 finish of the season.
· Paul Tracy finished ninth, his second consecutive top-10 finish in the Indianapolis 500. He finished second in 2002.
· Hideki Mutoh finished 10th, his second consecutive top-10 finish in the Indianapolis 500. He finished seventh as a rookie last year.
· Alex Tagliani was the highest-finishing rookie in the field, finishing 11th after starting 33rd.
· A record 19 cars finished on the lead lap in the 2009 Indianapolis 500. The previous record for most cars finishing on the lead lap is 16 in 1959.
· The 2009 and 2000 Indianapolis 500 races had only six lead changes, which is the fewest number of lead changes for the full 500 mile distance since 1965. The rain-shortened (133 lap) 1973 Indianapolis 500 race had four lead changes. The record for the fewest lead changes in the Indianapolis 500 race is 1 in 1930.
· This is the 11th time car number #3 has won the Indianapolis 500, the most times ever for an individual car number.
· A.J. Foyt IV finished 16th and completed the full 500-mile distance. This is the first time a Foyt finished on the lead lap since 1979 when his grandfather, four-time winner A.J. Foyt Jr., finished on the lead lap in second place.
· The top lap leader in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 was defending winner Scott Dixon, who led 73 laps and finished sixth. He also was the top lap leader (115 laps) in the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
· The three female drivers in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 field completed 599 laps out of a possible 600. Danica Patrick finished 200 laps, Sarah Fisher 200 laps and Milka Duno 199 laps.
· 19th-place finisher John Andretti completed the full 500-mile distance as did 16th-place finisher #41 A.J. Foyt IV. This is the only time a Foyt and an Andretti completed the full 500-mile distance in the same race. The Foyt family was first represented in the 1958 Indianapolis 500, and the Andretti family was first represented in 1965.
INDIANAPOLIS 500 POST-RACE QUOTES:
RICHARD PETTY (On his emotions watching pre-race festivites): "Well, seeing all these people and all these servicemen go by here and everybody standing and cheering them, it just makes your heart feel good. All these people appreciate what these guys and gals are doing to protect us, so that we can come out and do stuff like this. That's a big part of this."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske): "This is incredible. I think my tears speak for everything. What a great team. I just have to thank, first of all, the Lord for giving me this opportunity, to be strong, to have a family that I have. I have to think Roger (Penske), Tim (Cindric), my guys, Phillip Morris, all the associates (sponsors), Verizon, everybody because they gave my life back. I'm here today because of those guys. And obviously the fans. You guys don't understand. You guys kept me strong. You guys are the best. I'm honored to have fans like you. Thank you so much. Let's celebrate now. We were having all sorts of problems with the radio since the beginning of the race. And then, we had a little issue with the gearbox on the pit stops. I was getting neutral. I had to change for a mechanical. Finally, toward the end, we were just feeling the car. I didn't touch anything on the car at all. Basically, it was a long race. We were just taking it easy. It was good, actually, because behind I knew what I needed to do. But once I got in the front, it was never look back. What a day. This place is magical. It was beginning of the season, but things are starting to fall into place. This is the best month of May ever. Wow. Three. I can't believe it." (More Castroneves to come in transcript)
DAN WHELDON (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): "I'm incredibly excited. Unfortunately we didn't have quite enough for Helio (Castroneves) and the whole Penske organization. They should be very proud. I have to say, there's not many races that I've done in my career where I can honestly say that the team executed 100 percent. And I have to say they did today. The National Guard Panther Racing pit crew were phenomenal. They made my job incredibly easy all day because they made me spot after spot in the pits. It's one of those days where we just didn't have quite enough for Helio (Castroneves), but I think everyone on the team should be incredibly proud. We've had a difficult month, but the soldiers I've met here and even the stories I've heard from the soldiers overseas have that never-say-die attitude. And that was fully in force this month with the race team. I think we got the best out of everything, so they should be very proud. Honda gave us a good engine, as always. It's so competitive now with everybody having the same engines and the same tires. Firestone did a good job. It would be more frustrating if I had something for Helio (Castroneves), but I have to say I don't think we did. But it's not for a lack of effort." (More Wheldon to come in transcript)
RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 2 US Air Force Luczo Dragon Racing): ""I feel OK. I hope Vitor is OK. It was just an unfortunate incident. We had a good car, and the team had worked so hard. It was just unfortunate to end like that. It's disappointing and frustrating. We just need to regroup and get ready for Milwaukee."
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Team Penske): "It was really hard today. I just got a bad set of tires. After we got the lead, under the yellow, we put a new set of tires on. After the restart, I just had nothing there. I had no grip in the front. I thought a tire was going flat. We had to pit, and we went a lap down. From there, it was just catch-up. And at the end, I was really excited again. We had gotten up to the top 10. I guess we short-fueled. Roger got me up to second, behind Helio, and the car felt awesome. I really thought I had a car to win with, but we just didn't have enough fuel. What a story Helio is. It's just incredible. It's just unbelievable for him. I'm so happy for Helio. It's just a Cinderella story. He's like a newborn kid and on top of the world."
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing): "It's a top 10, but after finishing here fifth last year, nothing less than that would really be satisfying because you always want more. It was a tough day because it was pretty slick out there and my car wasn't great to start the day, but we worked on the No.20 Menards car all day, added some downforce and got to where I was happy with the way it was handling. But the problem was were just weren't quite fast enough to get up front and challenge. We battled our way to eighth, but I was just hoping for a little more coming into the day after a great run here last year, but it just wasn't meant to be We really didn't have the car to win today. The handling wasn't all that great, and we had to put a bunch of downforce on it during the race to get it to handle better. That slowed my pace down, and I was limited on how racy I could get. The month will end of a high note, however, with a new baby coming into our lives in the next couple of days. Until I win the Indy 500, bringing a child into the world will still be the best thing to ever happen to me."
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 36 All Sport Conquest Racing): "It's unbelievable. The guys did an awesome job in the pits. The guys gave me a great car. We were pretty stuck on downforce, and it would show on restarts with every fuel load. I wish I had a little less downforce, but the car was so good on old tires. I was catching up, and everybody was coming toward me on the long runs. The whole team worked well. The engineers made some changes between Carb Day and the race. What great teamwork. I'm very happy for ALL SPORT, Big Red, Rexall Edmonton Indy, King Tut and everybody that helped us this month. To finish this month in front of all of these people is what it's all about. To the sponsors, Eric (Bachelart) and the team, it's a very big deal. The day started when I walked into Gasoline Alley and saw the grandstands. It was my first time here on Race Day, and it was quite unbelievable. I'm very, very happy that I had a chance to participate in this race. For the team, they did a fantastic job. Obviously from where we started, we pretty much had no choice but to go for a little more downforce on the car, and I think that's why at the end of some runs some guys were struggling with their tires and they were coming back to us, which allowed us to make up some ground. We were able to save a lot of fuel on every pit stop. The guys did really, really good, and slowly but surely we made our way to the front. In the end when we got into the pack with the top-10 runners, it was a lot easier to stay flat all around for our runs because I was really stuck and it made it hard for guys to pass us. Our day was pretty simple: We just tried to make no mistakes and stay out of trouble and continue to make up ground toward the front. We also tried not to make any mistakes in the pits, and that's exactly what we did. We kept leapfrogging other guys and girls, so we got ourselves into P11. It was a really great job and a team effort." (More Tagliani to come in transcript)
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 18 Z-Line Designs): "(On the collision with the wall that finished his day): "Obviously it's very disappointing. I thought the Z-Line car was working well. After that last pit stop, we weren't moving forward, so it was frustrating. I had a couple of cars go around me, and I just lost all of my downforce so I'm turning. The car just started turning straight away, so I knew I was in trouble. I tried to back it down and just couldn't save it. I'm just disappointed. Everyone at Dale Coyne Racing has worked so hard all month. I thought we were on for a reasonable finish today. It's just how it goes."
A.J. FOYT IV (No. 41 ABC Supply/Foyt-Greer Racing): "It's hard to say you're really happy with a 16th-place finish but just coming in for the one race here, I was pretty happy with the car. We worked on it a little bit throughout the day and got it good there at the end. We really never could get any track position to show how good the car was until there at the very end. That's when we ran our quickest laps . Back there with the slower cars, I myself was probably a little rusty. I couldn't get my timing down to make some passes that I should have been able to make on the restarts, but we finished all 200 laps and we held our own against whoever we were racing against, so we've got to be a little bit happy that we brought the car home in one piece. I just hope Vitor is OK."
SCOTT SHARP (No. 16 Tequila Patron Panther Racing): "We had some pretty high expectations moving over to really close to Dan (Wheldon)'s setup. And it seems like early in the race neither of us was great, but I was able to keep pace with Dan. It sounds like he had a bit of the same problem as I had, which was pretty much understeer behind people. We were a little loose coming off the corners, particularly turning the car. It got better at times. We certainly had a better last run. I was basically flat-ut the last 15 laps but just could never get the front to work well in traffic." (On fuel strategy): "We lost a little pace turning (the fuel) down a little bit. But it was enough to get us to the end, and Briscoe couldn't do anything with us, so that was fine." (On being back at Indy): "It's a great race. There's so much about this race. You get so pumped up. Then to come out and not really run as good as you hoped, it's a little bit depressing. We put a crew together that really never worked together before, and they gave me some great stops. We beat people out of the pits, and we made it to the end. It would have been nice to be about 10 spots higher."
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "It was a pretty uneventful day until the last 60 laps. We had great stops all day with the Target team. Toward the end there; that last stop, we fumbled. I'm not sure which tire it was. That's the problem now with the competition being so tight. You give up a few seconds here and there, and that's nearly your day. You lose six or seven spots. It's just too tough when everybody at the end is full fuel and trying to go flat out. It's too tough to pass." (On driving in traffic versus running up front): "Well, you need to be working at it. If you're going to lose some spots, you want to make sure it's early on. Toward the end, everybody's worked out what they need, and the cars are really good. It just makes it tougher to pass. At the moment, I just think we're relying too much on the downforce of the cars. We need more mechanical grip so you can get closer. At the moment, it just seems spread. Everybody kind of runs up, tags the guy in front, then you can't go behind them close enough in the corners. It's a tough day; pretty unfortunate. I was looking pretty good there for a while."
MIKE CONWAY (No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "We were having a really strong race. We weren't sure about fuel mileage, and we pitted. It might have been a bad call; I don't know. It's hard to say because we were sure that we probably couldn't finish. It's unfortunate. We could have had a really strong one there. It goes by pretty quick. It doesn't feel like 500 miles. The first 80 laps went by really quickly. After that, there was lots of drama with accidents and everything, and we just tried to avoid the debris. But it was good fun. It's a good atmosphere here. I really enjoyed the race."
TOWNSEND BELL (No. 8 Herbalife-KV Racing Technology): "We said all month we wanted to take one step at a time. I can't think this team enough. I had an awesome car. The pit stops were strong. I have to thank my sponsor Herbalife for keeping me strong all race. I'm so happy to finish in the top five for this great race team. It's a real pleasure working with these guys. I had a hundred scary moments out there." (Moving up through the field): "We knew we had to be aggressive right away to move up. We tried to walk that fine line between aggression and balance and keeping the thing in one piece. I'm just thrilled for this Herbalife race team, KV Racing, Jimmy (Vasser) and Kevin (Kalkhoven). What an opportunity for me to come here and do one race and drive a rocket ship. It was awesome. The last couple of laps everybody started to fall off, and I thought I might be able to pick of Danica (Patrick) and another car in front of me. We're just happy to have this strong a result." (More Bell to come in transcript)
SARAH FISHER (No. 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing): "It went OK. It was a tough day. The cars that did get to the end were tough cars. If you don't count the yellows, it was pretty fast paced today. In a one-groove racetrack, it's really, really difficult to pass today. You start up front and sort of get to the end there. We learned a lot. This is only our second year in the '500' as a team. We had amazing pit stops. Every time I came in, we gained spots. I'm really thankful for the guys working so hard at what they do. We're going to get a little bit better car, and we'll come back next year."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Team Verizon Wireless): "I think it was a good result. I could see the win there within our reach. That certainly would have made my situation easier. I think Roger (Penske) will be happy with a top-five. I'm not hitting the wall all month and all that stuff. I'm happy. Helio did a good job. He deserves that win. He worked very hard, and he's a good driver. It couldn't have gone to a better guy."
JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Window World): "This has been a long month. Our goal was a top 10, and we were moving toward that end, running 12th in the middle of the race. But on a restart, I got pushed out to the wall and got the car in the dirt. Then everybody behind me was able to get by. It took me a few laps to clean off the tires and get going again. I got a good restart the next time and went from 22nd to 16th. At the end, we did the opposite strategy as the leaders. We took new tires and some fuel, hoping to drive through the field. But the track was just too slippery to make a move. So we probably had a better car than our finish today. But overall, it has been a good month. It was fun to bring 'The King' (Richard Petty) as a car owner at the Indianapolis 500."
DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing):(On having an issue in the pits and losing positions): "Yeah; you know, that's what it takes to win at Indianapolis. Everybody has to be flawless, and we had problem in the pits. The Target guys are fantastic on pit lane, normally. They do a great job. But one mistake, unfortunately, is very, very costly. We'll go back, regroup and try to get ourselves a championship. The Target car was pretty bloody good today. When you get too far back in the pack like we did with that problem with the pit stop, it's tough to get back to the front again." (On racing in the Indy 500 again after missing a year): "When I managed to take the lead and was running away, I had a big smile on my face, I can assure you. That was cool. But, it was a tough deal. It was tough in traffic. When we got back in the pack, it was really difficult. But that's the Speedway. Helio did a fantastic job, and he deserves it. The Penske team deserves it. Believe me, we'll be back next year to try to take it back from them."
PAUL TRACY (No. 15 GEICO/KV Racing Technology): "The car was understeering the whole day, and I could never really get close to guys in traffic. You know, I got to thank GEICO and Monster and all the sponsors we had on board, Whipple's Superchargers, everybody, Hard Rock Hotel. You know, it's great to be back out there. Great to run with the top-10 guys all day, but you know, I just wish we did a little bit better. Yeah, it was fun. The end result was not what we wanted, but it was good to be back out there. This was a good tune-up race for me. Obviously, I had been out of the car for a year and off of an oval like this for a long time, so it's good to be back out there. You know, it's not what I wanted. I wanted to hopefully get a top five. You know, we got ourselves up there on a pit stop, but the car just wasn't good enough to stay there. It was a 10th-place car all day, and we ended up ninth. I hope I'll be back. I mean, I hope I showed everybody that I'm capable of doing this, and we've got two more races in Canada, and hopefully I get another chance at it."
DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Boost Mobile/Motorola): "The Boost Mobile/Motorola guys did a great job in the pits today, and we had great stops all day. I had a really strong car for the last few stints and would have loved to see the last 35 laps raced green. I know we would have had no issues making it to the end without stopping. I was happy to keep the #7 car up front toward the end of the day. It was a great race for the fans, and I'm happy for Helio (Castroneves); he was super fast all day." (More Patrick quotes to come in transcript)
ALEX LLOYD (No. 99 HER CGR/SSM Racing): "We ran well today, I think. Our problem was that a light fell off the back of the car, so we had to pit just after we went back to green after that first caution. That put us a lap back, and from then on we were just trying to regain our lap. The car was working really well when we were toward the head of the pack with the quick guys as we were in the first couple of stints. But as soon as we got our lap back and returned to the back of the pack, our car didn't work quite as well. We were behind so many cars, and the car seemed to have a mind of its own. But we hung in there and kept digging away and salvaged the results out of it. We had a car that was easily capable of being inside the top 10, no worries, if everything had gone right. But we just kept getting unlucky, hitting the yellows wrong. It wasn't our day, but we brought her home. We did everything right, but I guess in a way we got screwed at the beginning. If we could have done that changer at the beginning, we wouldn't have been a lap behind and would have a good shot of being tucked away in the top 10."
HIDEKI MUTOH (No. 27 Formula Dream): "I didn't expect this kind of finish after I started 16th, but the car was better than it had been all month. We had some bad timing on the cautions, and we had a bad pit stop that put us far back in the field. It was a really tough day for us."
MILKA DUNO (No. 23 CITGO/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "It was a very, very good race. It was very, very tough. It was good. I say thanks to my team, to my sponsors for giving me a good car for the race. We will work for the next one right now. It's good. I'm in Indianapolis, and I finished the race. I'm happy for that."
TOMAS SCHECKTER (No. 19 MONA-VIE): "First, I have to thank MONA-VIE for getting me in the race; just putting me in this position. The car was a great car. We struggled a little bit with track position and a little bit on the stops, although the guys gave me a good car. It's just hard to make up positions. You saw when Penske (Ryan Briscoe) went back and just couldn't get through (the field). There were some people that were just slow, and I couldn't get by them. I could do 219s-flat on my own. But you'd get up to someone who was doing a 212 or 215, and you were stuck behind them. But that's the way it goes. To make up a bunch of positions, finish the race and to do this on a second-week program, I just have to thank everybody at MONA-VIE and Dale Coyne Racing." (On why it's so hard to drive in traffic): "(The car) just doesn't suck up as good in the tow. Normally when you start getting in the tow, you get sucked up pretty good, but (the front of the car) washed away a bit."
***
Prize money and other awards will be announced at the Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration on Monday evening, May 25.
***END DAY 13***
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