Indianapolis 500

[Ranger REG]

Congrats to British-born Dan Wheldon for winning the Indy 500. His car (#26) is owned by Michael Andretti, who never won the Indianapolis race as a driver (unlike his father Mario), but he clinched this victory as the owner.

Also, congrats to history-making rookie female driver Danica Patrick who have set a record of being a lap leader for 18 out of 200 laps. But along with the high note, I felt sad the 23-year-old finished fourth place when she was in position to take first during the last 20 laps. Her car (#16) is owned by a former Indy winner Bobby Rahal and late-night talk show host David Letterman.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/racing/more/05/29/indy.500.ap/index.html

 

[IronWolf]

Thanks for the update! I am not a huge race fan, but I was sort of hoping Danica Patrick would win. From the sound of the article you linked to it sounds like she did pretty good.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Thanks for the update! I am not a huge race fan, but I was sort of hoping Danica Patrick would win. From the sound of the article you linked to it sounds like she did pretty good.

She was lucky to finish. (She nearly ran out of gas) but since rookies rarely win at the brickyard I don’t think anyone could find too much fault in her performance.

 

[DaveStebbins]

She made a couple of rookie mistakes or she might have done even better than fourth. She stalled her car in the pits after a pit stop and dropped from top five to 16th. Then she got caught out before a restart when someone up front played the sudden slow-down game and the pack in front of her accordianed. Not sure if she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, or if she didn't pick up on it fast enough, but she spun.

On the upside, she was consistently quick and made some superb moves to get back up front. If she has the equipment, she could easily be one of the top drivers in domestic open-wheel racing within the next couple of years.

-Dave

 

[IronWolf]

She was lucky to finish. (She nearly ran out of gas)

Oh! I can just imagine the jokes that would have been heard if she had run out of gas....

 

[Ranger REG]

Thanks for the update! I am not a huge race fan, but I was sort of hoping Danica Patrick would win. From the sound of the article you linked to it sounds like she did pretty good.

Here's another link:

http://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=4737

Granted, she made a few rookie mistakes like she tried to get the jump out of her pit only to stall her engine and that cost her a loss of standing in the middle of the race (prior to that incident her standing was in 5th place; after that she dropped down to 16th). Twice she got spun out but regained her traction and continued on, one of those times she lost part of her front wing spoiler. But in the end, it was the fuel shortange that ultimately slowed her down.

 

[Ranger REG]

On the upside, she was consistently quick and made some superb moves to get back up front. If she has the equipment, she could easily be one of the top drivers in domestic open-wheel racing within the next couple of years.

Yeah, but if she only held on to that lead before the yellow caution flag came out the Lap 186. Instead she let Wheldon passed her just a couple seconds before it. That and she could have gotten more fuel in her tank for that final pit stop.

More links. This one is a timeline and lap events at Indy 500.

http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=4726

Some notes on this historic event:

1. Danica Patrick's fourth-place finish is the best record for a female driver at Indy 500. The last record was set by Janet Guthrie in 1978 and she finished ninth.

2. Dan Wheldon is the first British to win Indy 500 since Graham Hill did it in 1966.