- News>
- Motorsports
Gil De Ferran thwarts Castroneves` historic bid to win Indy 500
Indianapolis, May 26: Gil de Ferran spoiled Penske Racing teammate Helio Castroneves` shot at history by just beating the two-time defending champion in the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Indianapolis, May 26: Gil de Ferran spoiled Penske Racing teammate Helio Castroneves' shot at history by just beating the two-time defending champion in the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Castroneves on Sunday (May 25) attempted to become the first driver in history to win the race three years in a row, but de Ferran beat his fellow Brazilian by 0.2990 seconds. The victory pushed team owner Roger Penske's record for wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to 13.
Tony Kanaan made it a Brazilian sweep of the top three spots. Tomas Scheckter of South Africa and rookie Tora Takagi of Japan rounded out the top five and Alex Barron of the United States was sixth.
There was no storybook ending to Michael Andretti's final Indy, only a familiar one. Instead of finishing his illustrious driving career in a blaze of glory clutching the Indy 500 triumph that has eluded him, Andretti's 14th visit to the Brickyard ended like all the others -- in disappointment and hair-pulling frustration.
The 40-year-old American's dreams were crushed by a broken throttle cable, his Dallara/Honda coasting to a stop as the race reached the midway point.
A dramatic crash involving British rookie Dan Wheldon on lap 187 set up the race to the checquered flag. It started when Sam Hornish Jr. made a run on Wheldon down the backstretch. Wheldon's car blocked Hornish, sending him toward the grass.
As Wheldon went into Turn 3, his entry was too low and that sent the rookie slamming into the outside wall. The car flipped while airborne and landed upside-down before skidding to a stop in Turn 4. Safety crews turned the car right-side up and Wheldon was able to climb out.
De Ferran and Castroneves continued their duel through the 196 laps when the Chevrolet engine in Sam Hornish's car blew. The two-time defending IRL champion was able to pull off the track without causing a caution.
From there, it was smooth sailing for de Ferran, who scored the biggest victory of his career in front of a crowd approaching 400,000 fans. The yellow flag waved with de Ferran in front of Castroneves, Kanaan, Scheckter, Takagi and Hornish.
Bureau Report
A dramatic crash involving British rookie Dan Wheldon on lap 187 set up the race to the checquered flag. It started when Sam Hornish Jr. made a run on Wheldon down the backstretch. Wheldon's car blocked Hornish, sending him toward the grass.
As Wheldon went into Turn 3, his entry was too low and that sent the rookie slamming into the outside wall. The car flipped while airborne and landed upside-down before skidding to a stop in Turn 4. Safety crews turned the car right-side up and Wheldon was able to climb out.
De Ferran and Castroneves continued their duel through the 196 laps when the Chevrolet engine in Sam Hornish's car blew. The two-time defending IRL champion was able to pull off the track without causing a caution.
From there, it was smooth sailing for de Ferran, who scored the biggest victory of his career in front of a crowd approaching 400,000 fans. The yellow flag waved with de Ferran in front of Castroneves, Kanaan, Scheckter, Takagi and Hornish.
Bureau Report