Indy 500: Dario wins again
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
Most of the talk heading into Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 was about the new.
New engines, new designs, new drivers.
In the end, it was all familiar. Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time. He dedicated the win to Dan Wheldon, last year’s Indy 500 winner who died last season after a crash in Las Vegas.
To be on this trophy on either side of Dan, that means more than anything, Franchitti said.
Franchitti dropped as low as 29th after he was rear-ended by E.J. Viso during lap 15.
What a great race today, to be able to come from the back of the grid after being in the pit lane and being spun, he said.
The month provided numerous storylines. No Danica. Nine U.S. drivers in the field, many of whom were solid all month. Rookies like youngsters Josef Newgarden, Bryan Clauson and Katherine Legge and veterans Rubens Barrichello, Simon Pagenaud and Jean Alesi, who proved themselves in other series before giving Indy a shot.
Instead of the new and exciting, fans were again treated to Mrs. Franchitti, also known as Ashley Judd, running around and waving happily to the crowd.
Nothing wrong with that, of course. It’s just that there was so much potential for change.
Franchitti should never be counted out, and this writer will never make that mistake again. He has proven himself to be one of the best drivers ever at Indianapolis. Still, it may be the first time that such an accomplished driver’s victory was considered a surprise.
There were plenty of valid reasons to overlook Franchitti, though. He qualified 16th. The Ganassi team had four qualifiers, none higher than 12th. Franchitti was the lowest of those four.
Even in the final practice, Franchitti’s fast lap was just eighth.
Plus, his car had a Honda engine. Chevrolet had dominated the month and had the top six qualifiers, all with the Penske and Andretti Autosport teams.
Boy, did Ganassi and Honda have a surprise waiting for everyone.
Franchitti’s win didn’t come without controversy. An unhappy Takuma Sato felt that Franchitti didn’t give him enough space to maneuver in the final lap. Franchitti felt the Japanese driver made a good move but didn’t fully execute it.
I moved over, and I saw he was coming, Franchitti said. I came back over and I moved up the track. He kind of got loose underneath me.”
Sato was proud that he moved up the field, but disappointed that he didn’t close the deal.
On the very last lap, I had a good tow from Dario, Sato said. I thought I had the job done. But he kept pushing and didn’t give me enough room, so that I was well below the white line.
Dixon, who saw the Franchitti-Sato showdown, thought he might catch a break.
Sato was definitely a guy throwing it in there all day, and he tried to do the same thing to Dario, he said. I thought we were going to get really lucky because they touched, and I thought they both were going to end up in the fence. Credit to Dario. He had a bad start to the day and came through the field.
Sato fell to 17th.
Tony Kanaan finished third. When he moved up the field on a restart, he drew one of the loudest cheers of the day. He led from lap 187 to 193.
The first thing I did when I passed the five cars on the restart, I looked at the grandstands because I wanted to see the people,” he said. “They were all up and cheering for me. During the yellow flag, I can see it. People were screaming. It’s awesome. I love this place.
Kanaan is still chasing his first Indy win, but he took the result in stride.
To lose the race this way, battling to the end it’s not a loss, he said. I had a lot of fun.
Franchitti joined Helio Castroneves as a three-time winner. Castroneves, who drives for Penske Racing, gave Franchitti and the Ganassi team its due.
Congrats to Ganassi, one and two, Castroneves said. Dario is a three-time winner now, so he joined the club. I’m happy for them.
