Daily Trackside Report - Sunday May 25
May 25, 2014 | By Verizon IndyCar Series
Good morning. Welcome to Race Day for the 98th Indianapolis 500, the fifth race of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Mike Kitchel, director of communications for INDYCAR, Jeremy Riffle, director of communications for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and their staffs are here to assist you. Please direct your questions and requests to anyone in the Media Center.
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TODAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):
5:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Public Gates Open
8:30 a.m. Spectacle of Bands Begins
9:30 a.m. Cars Enter Pit Lane, Celebrity Red Carpet Begins
10:15 a.m. “On the Banks of the Wabash,” Purdue University Band
10:35 a.m. Andrew Luck and friends deliver the green flag.
10:40 a.m. All Cars in Place on Grid
10:50 a.m. Vintage Car Lap
11:10 a.m. Military Parade Lap
11:35 a.m. Driver Introductions
11:41 a.m. Military March on Front Straightaway
11:47 a.m. “America the Beautiful,” Martina McBride
11:51 a.m. Remarks, Gen. Frank J. Grass, U.S. Army
11:53 a.m. “God Bless America,” Florence Henderson
11:55 a.m. Invocation, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, Apostolic Administrator, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
11:57 a.m. Rifle Volley
11:58 a.m. “Taps”
11:59 a.m. National Anthem, Leeann Rimes
Noon Flyover (Black Diamond Jet Team)
12:02 p.m. “Drivers To Your Cars” Command
12:09 p.m. “(Back Home Again in) Indiana,” Jim Nabors (video)
12:12 p.m. Command to Start Engines, Mari Hulman George, IMS Chairman of the Board
12:13 p.m. Parade Lap
12:15 p.m. Pace Laps
12:17 p.m. Green Flag, Start of 96th Indianapolis 500
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Canadian Garrett Grist won the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires “Night Before the 500” race Saturday night at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis. It was Grist’s first victory.
Scott Hargrove and Spencer Pigot finished second and third, respectively.
The Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires is one of the rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy development system for INDYCAR.
American Aaron Telitz won the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda “Night Before the 500” race Saturday night at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda is one of the rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy development system for INDYCAR.
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Jacob Wilson won the Pay Less Little 500 on Saturday night at Anderson Speedway to earn his second straightvictory in the 500-lap race.
JIM NABORS: “There’s a time in life when you have to move on. I’ll be 84 this year and I just figured it was time. It’s kind of hard to travel and there’s just a bunch of reasons. This is really the highlight of my year (is to come here). It’s very sad for me but there’s something inside me that tells me when to go.” (About his run singing at Indianapolis): “It’s been a good one, man. I’ve really had a good time. When it started, I would have never dreamed I’d still be doing this 42 years later. I didn’t even know I’d do it the first time. As you all have probably heard, I thought I was going to sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ Whenever I got over there to meet the conductor, I said, ‘What key are you guys doing this in?’ He looked at me and said, ‘We only have one key.’ I said, ‘No, The Star-Spangled Banner has two keys.’ He said, ‘Well, you’re not singing that.’ I said, ‘What the hell am I singing?’ It was only five minutes before race time. I’d never seen that many people before in my life, and so, I said, ‘What am I singing?’ He said, ‘You’re singing the traditional song that opens the race (Back Home Again in Indiana). I looked at him kind of funny and I said, ‘I’m from Alabama. Do you still want me to do it?’ “I had no idea that it’d be all these years later and I’d still be doing this. I feel very grateful and I’ve been totally blessed in my life with getting to do things like this, and getting to know all the people that I’ve known and become friends with. It’s been an amazing trip. Right after singing ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’ for the first time, I became a total Hoosier – I really did. It’s been a great run for me.”
MARK CUBAN (Honorary Starter; Owner, Dallas Mavericks and ABC’s Shark Tank): "It's great to be back. I love Indiana, and it's an exciting day. I'm super excited. (Andrew Luck) is handing me the flag. He's helicoptering in with some kids. It's going to be a unique experience. (On what a good Shark Tank idea would be for the Indy 500): "Zero calorie alcohol." (As owner of the Dallas Mavericks are you liking the Pacers?): "Hey, beat the Heat, baby. Beat the Heat."
ERIC VALDEZ (General Hospital): “I’ve wearing this cap (National Guard). I’m a buddy with Graham Rahal so I’m giving them a little bit of support – so go, National Guard team, I’ve got faith in you buddy. This is my first time at the 500 ever, which is strange being a huge car guy; I’m a huge car nut. I had 35 at one time but it’s down to three now. It’s a bit of an addiction. I’ve raced Formula Fords, sports cars and instructed at the Bondurant School.”
DREW FEUSTEL (Astronaut): "On earth the Indy cars are 220, 230 miles per hour. That's pretty fast. But in space, we go 17,500 miles per hour orbiting the earth. It's a great opportunity to be here. One of our missions is to talk about what's happening in the space program, where we're going as humans. We're excited about the commercial space flight program, and private industry is getting involved to get us to space and back, and NASA's developing a long duration, heavy-lift rocket to get us back to the moon, possibly. It's important for us."
DARIO FRANCHITTI (Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner; Pace Car driver): “It’s a little weird to be here and not be stressed out, focused and ready to get in the race. I was back at the Target trucks with Tony (Kanaan), Scott (Dixon), Ryan (Briscoe), and Charlie (Kimball) and they are really focused and I was sitting there quite relaxed. It’s very bittersweet. It’s lovely to be here and experience what the fans experience. It’s amazing. It’s not the same as driving – but it is amazing.”
98th INDIANAPOLIS 500 CELEBRITY RED CARPET QUOTES: (Cont.)
JEFF ROSS (Comedian): “This is my first time at the “500”.’ It’s cool.” (Explain your job.) “I’m on the Comedy Central Roasts. We only roast people we love. It comes from a place of affection.” (Have you ever made anyone mad?) “Marco Andretti tried to run me over with a car. (Laughs) He’s a good buddy of ours. He offered my girlfriend Virginia and I to come check out the race. We’re cheering him on. He’s due. This is his ninth Indy. We’re rooting for him to win today.”
JAKE SHORT (Actor, Disney Channel’s A.N.T Farm): “I’m from Fishers, but this is my first 500; I don’t understand why it’s my first one. I’m really looking forward to it. (About his current project): “I’m being picked up for a new series Mighty Med.”
MARTINA McBRIDE (Country music artist): "It's so exciting. I got up really early this morning and did a sound-check. Once I get that out of the way it puts your nerves at ease a little bit to go through it once. And just seeing all the fans, it's amazing. I've been able to sing the National Anthem many times. I'm always so honored to do that. And "America the Beautiful" is such a beautiful song. The melody is so pretty. I've been doing it at my shows over the years here and there. I get so emotional when I sing it."
GRACIE GOLD (2014 Olympic bronze medalist, figure skating): “It’s so much fun; I’ve never been able to come to the Indy 500. It’s such a big event. The parade (downtown) was so cool. I met Sage (Karam) so I’m going to root for him.” (About IMS): “It’s a big track, two and one-half miles around.”
NANCY BRINKER (Founder and chair, global strategy, Susan G. Komen): "My sister died in 1980 at the age of 36, and she asked me to create the organization, a fight against breast cancer, so that other families wouldn't lose their mothers or wives; people who are so important in the lives. Then to have Pippa (Mann), who is just a few years younger than my sister was when she died, take on this with such authenticity and leadership. She's an outstanding young woman. We're excited to have this race car today. We're going to work all over the world to end this race against breast cancer."
NICK GOEPPER (Olympics bronze medalist from Lawrenceburg, Ind.): “This is my first time at the Indianapolis 500. I grew up in southeastern Indiana, so this is going to be an awesome day, just to be here. I can’t wait for the race to start. I brought my medal. The (Olympic) Games were awesome. I have more fun there (southern Indiana) skiing than anywhere else. I love skiing in Indiana, I grew up down there: I’m a hometown boy.”
BRANTLEY GILBERT (Country music artist): “(About being on Sage Karam's car): "He's hungry and he's a champ, you know. If he wins, I may be in the Snake Pit, I may be at Disneyland. My face is on the car. I was a little bit nervous about that until I figured out he was going to be running 220 miles an hour. I ain't real worried about blemishes." (On doing the double duty like Kurt Busch and going to Charlotte later today): "We are in competition right now, and I am ahead."
STEVE LANGTON (U.S. Olympic bobsledder): “This is my first 500. This is the Olympics of car racing. It’s incredible. There’s going to be 300,000 people in these stands, two and one-half miles around, and going 230 miles per hour. I’m excited just to be a part of it – this is pretty cool.”
COLE HAUSER (Actor): “This is my first Indy race period. (Saturday) was kind of exciting. I felt like Miss America. I tried that wave they do and I’m not very good at it. I just got here and it’s unbelievable how many people are here. (About who he is cheering for): “Honestly, I don’t know any of the drivers, but I’m looking forward to getting to know some of them.”
DWAYNE ALLEN (Indianapolis Colts tight end): “I’ve been out here before and it’s always a great scene. I’ve got a few drivers I like and I’m looking forward to a great race. And I’m looking forward to knocking head in the NFL this year.” (Asked about his hardest hit) It was from (teammate) La’Ron Landry in practice. The guy is an animal, even if it’s just a walk-through.
CHAD TAYLOR (Lead Guitarist, LIVE): “I’ve been a 500 fan for years, but I’ve only been to the race three times. We’ve always listened to it on the radio and then on TV.”
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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. I didn’t know if we had what it took but I’ve got the best team behind me. Nobody can stand on their own without a good team behind them.” (Beccy said last night you were very confident?): “I knew we had a good race car. We didn’t qualify well but we (did) bring it to the front. This is just a dream come true. I’ve watched this race since I was in diapers sitting on the floor in front of the TV. My son did it today. He watched me here. I’m thrilled. This is an American tradition, our auto industry is based on it…” (What will you cherish most about winning the Indy 500) “Having my family here with me and being with this bunch. This is my fifth year in Andretti Auto Sport. I have such a great team. They were behind me every step of the way and you know what? It went green the whole way and I love that. Winning it under green like that with just a fantastic finish, we all raced each other clean but really hard. I think that was a fantastic race. I hope the fans loved it because I was on the edge of my seat that’s for sure.”
BECCY HUNTER-REAY (Wife of Ryan Hunter-Reay): “Oh my god when lap 199 came I was like no, no, no, no you just gotta get this! We just won the Indy 500. He deserves it so much. I can’t wait to get my little guy down there.” (Q: he had one of the most aggressive moves of the race. What was going through your mind?”) “I knew he was going to do whatever it took to win this one. I’ve got to go drink milk.”
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 Snapple Honda): "Yeah, I mean, close but we never really dominated. You could say that Ryan and Helio did. The only way we had a shot is if those two got together. They were putting so many blocks on me that there was nothing I could do. Every time we got to the front, we got shuffled back. I think we did what we could, but congrats to Ryan, he almost took me out in Turn 3 -- I almost crashed. I think if it wasn't for the Indy 500, I was going to be pretty mad at Ryan, but it is for the Indy 500 and he's up there and I'm not. This is as competitive as IndyCar has ever been. I don't care what anyone has to say. We were close, but we never really dominated. Every time we got to the front we got shuffled back. I think we did what we could, but congrats to Ryan (Hunter-Reay). He almost took me out in Turn 3. I almost crashed.” (On the intensity of the battles on the track): “I think if it wasn’t for the Indy 500, I would be pretty mad at Ryan. But it is for the Indy 500. He’s up there and I’m not, so what are you going to say? I think this is as competitive as IndyCar has ever been, I don’t care what anybody has to say.”
MIKHAIL ALESHIN (No. 7 SMP Racing Honda): “I was very upset that we had a mechanical issue, because our car had a great pace. We were racing (Sebastien) Bourdais and (Justin) Wilson early on, and I was very competitive with them. They finished in the top-10, so I’m very disappointed I wasn’t able to race them at the end. Being off of the lead lap ruined our day, but I still gained valuable experience since this was my first oval race. The crowd was so much larger than I expected, but it would have been nicer to get a result that reflected our true ability in front of them.”
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Chevrolet): "All of a sudden, it just started to slide mid-pack (mid-apex). I tried to catch it and there was no catching it. I feel really bad for the guys. We had a pretty strong car all day. I think Ed really looked like the one to be beat. He crashed too, so it could be anybody. I'm just bummed for Team Target, Chip, and everybody on the team." (About the cautions happening after so many laps) "It's what's going to happen, so hopefully everybody stays safe out there and everyone enjoys the race." (Asked if he's fine after crash) "Yeah, just slapped my hand a little bit. Nothing too much."
TONY KANAAN (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Chevrolet): “It’s tough really. Our day was pretty much over before it started with the issues we had on pit lane. When you go that many laps down you simply cannot recover. I always say this place chooses the winner and unfortunately today she didn’t choose us.”
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."
JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 67 Hartman Oil/Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda): “We had a good day going until lap 130 or so. Just had some issues with communication and then ran out of fuel and then we couldn’t get the engine fired back over. It just died. Then we lost laps and we got punted under a yellow so just a horrible day for all our boys that worked hard. We had a good car so we’ll try to go to Detroit and be better.”
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.”
JR HILDEBRAND (No. 21 Preferred Freezer/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “Any day that you are not sitting in victory lane and drinking the milk, it’s a disappointment. For us, the Preferred Freezer Service Chevy team, it’s frustrating because we had a really good car. We had an issue with a tire that got us out of the pit sequence. The car got bad with the tire issue. I had to pit or I was going to crash. But the car was fast. We passed a ton of guys today including in the end. It was nice earlier when we jumped from ninth to third and I was running with Ed. I’m happy for Ryan (Hunter-Reay) and it’s a bummer for Ed. We had really good cars today. It was fun to drive the ECR car. In those first few stints, the car was just a pleasure to drive. I’m happy the car is in one piece and I think we showed we had some speed today. We had the pace of the leaders and I ran with all of those guys at one time today. As the track got hotter, the other guys were sliding around so much. So I felt without that early pit stop, we would have been right there too. We got caught out a little by the late yellow flag. I had to come back and pass a lot of cars. To run up front, you need a great equipment and level head on your shoulders. Frankly, I’m disappointed with tenth. We had a stronger car. It was fun to race with the ECR guys. I would love to get into a full-time deal with this team. This team is very good.”
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda): “(Townsend Bell) hits the wall and it's right at that point that he's coming back across so at that point I had to dive the other way and it was just a complete debris field. And you can't change directions so I hit the engine cover and it broke the front wing and the mirror. Right before the cockpit opening so I'm pretty lucky. We were right behind (Sebastien) Bourdais in eighth and we were struggling, but that would have been another top-10 finish at Indy but we ended up 22nd which is so disappointing. What can you do?” (About the initial green flag run). “I thought it was never going to go yellow. There was a few times when I was pushing and loose. The car was a handful at times. I got on the radio and said 'I hope someone crashes before I do because it's not going to be long!' It was frustrating. I think we just missed it today.”
CARLOS HUERTAS (No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda): "The race was pretty good for me. I ran the maximum I could and finished the race 17th. I would have loved to have a better result but that is what I had today and that is what it is. The race played out how I expected it to but I didn't expect so many stints during green flag running. The end got a bit crazy but I managed to stay out of the crashes. Everything was a bit strange to me because oval racing is new to me so I am learning all the time and l am listening to what the other drivers have to say and learning from that."
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 17 KV AFS Racing Chevrolet): "15th place is very welcomed after a very long day out there. I am very proud of my KV AFS Racing boys because they never gave up. We didn’t have the best car, but we kept fighting and even with a broken wing at the end we still never gave up. We were able to pick up some great points today, which will help us towards the championship. We will come back stronger next year but from where we started in 32nd, survive and finish 15th was a huge accomplishment.”
CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 34 Cinsay AndrettiTV.com HVM Honda): “I think we were missing a little bit of speed. I tried to give everything down on the track. I pushed hard. I’m really happy for the team. They won the 500 – first, third, and fourth. It’s a great result for the team. Congratulations to Ryan (Hunter-Reay). “I’m really happy for the team. They won the 500 – first, third, and fourth. It’s a great result for the team. Congratulations to Ryan (Hunter-Reay). I’ve been second and fourth. You know, I’ve been second and fourth. Hopefully, next year, I’ll have another show to do it.”
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!”-
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): “Unfortunately I made a mistake on one of the pit stops when I was resetting the fuel. I pressed the wrong button. We got a penalty for that but we came back. I was proud of the way we fought. I don’t think we had anything for the (Ryan) Hunter-Reay or Helio (Castroneves). But I was happy with the Verizon Chevy and it was good to be back in Indy. It was cool to watch them swap the lead back and forth of the final laps. I had a good seat for it. I just wish we were in the middle of it, but we just had too much understeer at the end. We didn’t have anything for the guys up front; we just had too much understeer in traffic. But, I’m happy for the Verizon car. It’s good to be back here in Indy and it was an exciting race. It was a fun race. That battle at the end was cool to watch. I would have liked to be a part of that more, but we had a little too much understeer there at the end.”
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.”
ORIOL SERVIA (No. 16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda): “We ran the best at the end of the race but I honestly still feel that we lack some grip. I couldn’t get close to people and if you can’t get close to people, you cannot pass them. We had a good race overall but I was really hoping that the track officials would decide to sweep the marbles like they should because we had around three quarters of the race under green so there were a lot of marbles and pieces of debris out there and that’s why you couldn’t pass anybody which is a shame because you can’t go side-by-side. I don’t know why they decided not to clean the track. I could have been a much better race.”
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.”
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."
SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Racing Honda): “We struggled today. We had a lot of inconsistency in terms of balance between different sets of tires. One of the tires blistered in the second half of the race, and we lost a lap when we pitted early to change it. I’m quite pleased with 12th in the end when you consider how difficult our day was. We were able to gain several spots on the last restart, but on normal running we weren’t where we needed to be today. This sport is interesting. In our last Verizon IndyCar Series race, the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, we were the class of the field and won. Today that wasn’t the case, but congratulations to Honda on winning the Indianapolis 500. I’m so proud to be part of the development of their engines, and a Honda win for any driver here is special. They work so hard, and it’s nice to see them rewarded.”
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 11 Hydroxycut/Mistic KVSH Racing): “Not a great day, but a good day. I am really happy for the Hydroxycut/Mistic E-Cigs crew. We struggled a bit with the car the whole month, but we stuck with it and got the best out of it today. We didn’t start in the front so it was a challenge to get there. Overall it was a strong performance, a good result and we got double points. Now we move on to Detroit.”
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 68 SFHR/RW Motorsports): We had a good start, made up six or seven spots at the start. We settled in there and then all of the sudden we got loose with the car. I really didn't know if it was our tire balance or the aero dynamics, but we started with a lot of aero and the car was a bit slow in the straightaways. We were expecting some yellow flag stops so we could take some wing out, it takes a lot of time to take wing out, but for 150 laps there was no yellow. So we kept coming in on the green and those pit stops are crucial so we couldn't really trim the car that much, so we weren't quick enough. We had one stop where we decided to trim the car and the car came alive but by trimming the car we also lost the rear of it. The tire pressure over shot the rear so we were getting understeer in traffic and we were loose at the end of the stint, but we looked at our tire pressure during the run and understand what happened. We were just missing a little bit on tire pressure and aero to be better in traffic. We kept trimming the car until finally the car was balanced and quick enough to follow. We made some passes on re starts and had some good pit stops to make up some time. We were the only one who got penalized. Sage Karam was behind us and he didn't get penalized. That black flag penalty hurt us. Then had another good re start and got tangled with Hawksworth and was dropped into the grass. The last re-start I picked up 7 spots and finished 13th. As a secondary effort, the team did a good job. We need another race to really know what we need to be spot on.It's been a really interesting month and a lot of fun to see the way Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing operates. Until you work with a team you don't know what it's like, but it's a team I'd like to drive with on a full time base for sure. Hopefully it's a team that will become a 2-car program and I'll be right there when that happens. It's definitely a team with potential and if one day they do it, with what they showed me this month, it's definitely something I'd be interested in looking at.
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske): First of all, I want to thank Shell-Pennzoil for a great way to start and launch a new product. I appreciate that. I want to thank again Roger and Team Penske with all the sponsors. Great race. Second place, it's interesting when second place kind of sucks. But certainly taking the positive out of this, it was a great race. I think you guys had a good time. Second thing, congrats to Andretti Autosport. Ryan Hunter-Reay, great race. He did everything he could. I did everything I could obviously to try to stop. Definitely unbelievable. The reason that I was down there, I didn't know you were watching, to be honest, I was just trying to collect my thoughts and make sure I say the right things (laughter). I'm glad I did that because, as I said, it's frustrating to be so close to something that only a few guys did. But I do not take for granted. I'm extremely happy with the result. The car worked really well during the race. The team did a great job during the pit stops. It was the first time having Roger on the radio. It was kind of awesome. We dodged, avoided a few issues out there, incidents, were able to put ourselves in a great position to win. Unfortunately, as I said, it wasn't our day. It was great to see an American driver winning.
MARTIN PLOWMAN (No. 41 ABC Supply/ A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): "It feels good to be able to finish my first 500. Many times, rookies crash out in their first one. We had a lot thrown at us today but we came through relatively unscathed. We were really battling the balance of the car. During the run, we developed a pretty severe vibration and oversteer. We tried to make some pit stop adjustments but we couldn't really cure the oversteer." Comparison to Le Mans? "The Indy 500 is a lot more mentally draining in one hit. Physically I felt okay except toward the middle of the race, I felt myself tense up in my left shoulder, as I was trying to hang on to the car which caused my left shoulder to cramp up." Pageantry of the 500? "It was very hard to not get too excited with everything going on. The buildup is so emotional and overwhelming that you have to work hard to keep yourself even-keel and not get caught up in the moment."
TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): “It was a good smooth start, I felt out the car and it was working reasonably well. I was able to move up in the first stint. It was very encouraging to get to the top 12 in the first 30 laps. We tried to adjust the car to make it better for traffic but maybe it was too greedy. The car reacted the opposite of what we wanted and got too loose and we lost positions in the next two stints. But halfway through the race we went back to where we started and we tried again. We gained back our speed and moved back to the top 12. By the way, those were the longest green flag stints I ever had in the 500. But unfortunately on Dixon’s accident, I collected a big piece of carbon fiber debris [in the leading edge of the right side underwing]. When I restarted fifth, I thought the next 20 laps were going to be quick but I lost a lot of downforce and speed so we had to pit to fix the car. We just ran out of time. It was a disappointing result but the boys did a great job in the pits all day and I think we gained a great experience as a team. It was a tough day but a good day.”
CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet): “(The broken left front spindle) happened in the incident when I brushed the wall. The thing just rotated. I think we were having a fairly decent race. We just kept digging for it, trying to make the car a little better. We might have gotten a little too aggressive as the track progressively heated up. It was too bad for Chip Ganassi Racing. I feel bad for the guys; they did a really good job, gave me good stops and we were moving forward. I think we were around the top 15 and doing everything we could to get a top 10 out of it. The safety team thought it might just have been a bent front wing, but it was worse than that, so we parked it.”
JACK HAWKSWORTH (No. 98 Charter/Castrol Edge Honda): "It was a pretty eventful race. The Integrity Energee Drink car felt pretty good at some points but we struggled at others. It wasn't the result that we were hoping for, but on to Detroit now and we'll try to make up for it there."
JAMES DAVISON (No. 33 KVRT/Always Evolving Racing Chevrolet): “I feel okay with the result. We had a solid race and we finished, so it was mission accomplished today. I feel we deserved a 12th-place result, based on who we were sitting behind prior to the last restart. But I got jammed up there into turn one and three cars went by me. That’s the way it goes. Sometimes it works for you, sometimes it works against you. The KV Racing/Always Evolving team did a great job for me this month of May. We were the shortest program out there (in track time for the month) and maximized what we could with what time we had. We progressively trimmed the downforce out of the car today and added front center of pressure, which made me a little racier. I’m just very thankful to be here for the Indianapolis 500, hopefully the first of many for me.”
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.”
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): “It was unbelievable that it went green for that long. We just screwed ourselves. A bloody speeding in pit lane penalty just ruined our day. Otherwise, we would have been in great shape. We had dropped back a little bit further than we wanted but it wasn’t bad. I could see the guys in the front dicing back and forth, as I thought it would be.”
KURT BUSCH (No. 26 Suretone Honda): “What an unbelievable experience. It is a dream come true to have an Andretti Autosport car to drive at Indy. I’m sure the car was a top five car. I was on edge those two restarts, making adjustments, trying to find air. I had to lift a little bit in turn two all day. All in all, I’m very pleased. I can’t believe the execution of this team. It’s a team effort, not just an individual. To be able to post a sixth-place finish was beyond my wildest expectations.”
“We settled in and ran laps and tried to pace ourselves. I just tried to feel the car all race long. My throat’s real dry because I was smiling the whole time and fresh air was coming in my mouth.”
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98th 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 fourth time past the flag stand. The pace speed on the parade laps will be approximately 115-120 mph.
All restarts will be single file.
Each team will have 130 gallons of E85 fuel per car for the race.
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98th INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRE-RACE:
At noon, the ambient temperature was 77 degrees with a relative humidity of 3 percent and northwest winds at 7 mph. Skies were sunny. The track temperature was 109 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
At 12:12 p.m., Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chairman of the Board Mari Hulman George and Jim Nabors gave the command, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.” All cars have started and rolling on the pace laps.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti is driving the Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Pace Car during the pace laps. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford will drive the Pace Car during caution periods.
98th INDIANAPOLIS 500 RACE RUNNING:
Lap 1: GREEN. #27 Hinchcliffe leads into Turn 1 from the middle of row 1 and leads #20 Carpenter by .1758 of a second at the line. #8 Briscoe is slow on course after contact on course in Turn2.
` Lap 2: #8 Briscoe on pit lane with flat left rear tire. Team changes four tires and re-fuels the car.
Lap 5: #27 Hinchcliffe leads #20 Carpenter by .1962 of a second.
Lap 8: #27 Hinchcliffe leads #20 Carpenter by .1920 of a second. #26 Busch is running 15th after starting 12th. #28 Hunter-Reay is 11th after starting 19th.
Lap 10: Lead change, #20 Carpenter passes #27 Hinchcliffe for lead in Turn 1. He leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .4111 of a second at the line.
` Lap 13: #20 Carpenter leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .2351 of a second. #21 Hildebrand now running fifth after starting ninth.
Lap 15: #20 Carpenter leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .2675 of a second.
Lap 18: #20 Carpenter leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .2563 of a second.
Lap 20: #20 Carpenter leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .2189 of a second.
Lap 23: #20 Carpenter leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .3217 of a second. Cars on the move are #28 Hunter-Reay, now ninth after starting 19th and #6 Bell now 13th after starting 25th.
Lap 25: #20 Carpenter leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .3068 of a second.
Lap 28: #22 Servia and #41 Plowman on pit road for four tires and fuel. #20 Carpenter leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .2991 of a second.
Lap 29: #68 Tagliani on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 30: Leader, #20 Carpenter, on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #27 Hinchcliffe. Pit Report: #21 Hildebrand, 11 seconds; #77 Pagenaud 12 seconds, #67 Newgarden 11 seconds; #25 Andretti 11 seconds; #26 Busch 11 seconds.
Lap 31: Leader, #27 Hinchcliffe, and others on pit lane for four tires and fuel. Leader is #12 Power. Pit Report: #28 Hunter-Reay, 12 seconds. #19 Wilson 10 seconds; #9 Dixon 10 seconds; #98 Hawksworth 11 seconds, #34 Munoz 12 seconds; #27 Hinchcliffe 13 seconds.
Lap 32: Leader #12 Power, among those on pit lane for four tires and fuel. New leader is #10 Kanaan.
Lap 33: Leader #10 Kanaan on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #7 Aleshin who is also on pit road.
Lap 34: Green flag stops complete, leader is #27 Hinchcliffe, who leads #20 Carpenter by .2755 of a second.
Lap 37: #27 Hinchcliffe leads #12 Power by .4830 of a second.
Lap 38: Lead change, #12 Power passes #27 Hinchcliffe for the lead in Turn 3. He leads at the line by .4222 of a second.
Lap 40: #12 Power leads #27 Hinchcliffe by .4014 of a second.
Lap 41: #15 Rahal slows on course. He moves to pit lane under his own power. #20 Carpenter passes #27 Hinchcliffe for second place.
Lap 45: #12 Power leads #20 Carpenter by .2665 of a second.
Lap 48: #12 Power leads #20 Carpenter by .3034 of a second.
Lap 50: #12 Power leads #20 Carpenter by .2558 of a second.
Lap 53: #12 Power leads #20 Carpenter by .3234 of a second.
Lap 55: #12 Power leads #20 Carpenter by .3297 of a second.
Lap 58: Lead change, #25 Andretti takes the lead in Turn 3 from #12 Power. #77 Pagenaud, #22 Karam and #68 Tagliani on pit road for four tires and fuel.
At 50 laps, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 race set a record for leader average speed at 212.848. The previous 50- lap record of 207.027 occurred in the 2000 Indianapolis 500 when it was led by Juan Pablo Montoya.
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Lap 60: #25 Andretti leads #12 Power by .5329 of a second.
Lap 62: #25 Andretti and #12 Power on pit road for tires and fuel. New leader #3 Castroneves.
Lap 63: #3 Castroneves on pit road for four tire and fuel. New leader is #9 Dixon.
Lap 64: #9 Dixon on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #2 Montoya. #10 Kanaan remains on pit road with issue with gearbox.
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#2 Juan Pablo Montoya took the lead on Lap 64. The last time he led the race was when he won the Indianapolis 500 in 2000. The 14-year gap between races led is the longest in Indianapolis 500 history. The previous record was a 12-year gap by Ralph Hepburn who led the race in 1925 and did not lead the race again until 1937.
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Lap 66: Leader #2 Montoya on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #3 Castroneves.
Lap 67: Green flag pit stops complete, leader is now #3 Castroneves, who leads #25 Andretti by .2511 of a second.
Lap 70: #3 Castroneves leads #25 Andretti by .3402 of a second.
Lap 73: #3 Castroneves leads #25 Andretti by .3082 of a second.
Lap 76: #3 Castroneves leads #25 Andretti by .2957 of a second.
Lap 78: #20 Carpenter passes #25 Andretti for second on the outside of Turn 1.
Lap 80: #3 Castroneves leads #20 Carpenter by .3016 of a second.
Lap 83: #3 Castroneves leads #20 Carpenter by .3737 of a second.
Lap 84: #77 Pagenaud on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 85: #3 Castroneves leads #20 Carpenter by .3265 of a second.
Lap 88: #3 Castroneves leads #20 Carpenter by .4004 of a second. #22 Karam on pit lane after running eighth.
Lap 90: #3 Castroneves leads #20 Carpenter by .2944 of a second.
Lap 92: Leader #3 Castroneves on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #20 Carpenter.
Lap 93: Leader #20 Carpenter on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #28 Hunter-Reay.
Lap 94: Leader #28 Hunter-Reay on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #9 Dixon.
Lap 95: Leader #9 Dixon on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #2 Montoya.
Lap 97: #2 Montoya, who has yet to pit, leads #28 Hunter-Reay by 35.9280 seconds.
Lap 99: #2 Montoya on pit lane for four tires and fuel. New leader is: #28 Hunter-Reay.
Lap 100: Halfway: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by .3139 of a second.
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At 100 laps, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 race set a record for average speed at 211.871. The previous 100-lap record of 177.687 occurred in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 when it was led at that point by AJ Allmendinger.
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 National Guard Honda): “The engine just keeps shutting off. We ran back out a couple of times trying to fix it and we don’t see it. There is no where in the data that shows it but the engine just shuts off all the time so you can’t go racing like that. It’s tough. My first race with the National Gaurad here on Memorial Day weekend. We wanted to make them proud. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to succeed today. There’s just nothing we can do. The last four years has been brutal and I don’t kniw what we have to do to turn it around. This team is made up of champions and everybody’s here trying very very hard and trying to improve and make all the National Guard men and women out there proud, but today’s just not our day. I don’t know what else to say.”
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Lap 105: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by .1515 of a second.
Lap 108: Lead change, #3 Castroneves passes #28 Hunter-Reay for the lead in Turn 1.
Lap 111: #3 Castroneves leads #28 Hunter-Reay by .1990 of a second.
Lap 115: #3 Castroneves leads #28 Hunter-Reay by .2910 of a second. #20 Carpenter on pit road for four tires and fuel. Crew reports the tires were blistered.
Lap 118: Lead change, #28 Hunter-Reay takes lead from #3 Castroneves in Turn 3. He leads at the line by .6726 of a second. #22 Karam on pit lane for four tires and fuel.
Lap 120: #19 Wilson on pit road for four tires and fuel. #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by 1.9602 seconds.
Lap 122: #3 Castroneves on pit road for four tires and fuel and front wing adjustment.
Lap 123: #25 Andretti on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 124: Leader, #28 Hunter-Reay, on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #9 Dixon. #27 Hinchcliffe also on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 125: Leader, #9 Dixon, on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #2 Montoya.
Lap 127: #12 Power on pit road for four tire and fuel.
Lap 128: #2 Montoya leads #28 Hunter-Reay by 35.2413 seconds.
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Verizon IndyCar Series officials have penalized #12 Power with a drive-through for a pit speed violation on his last pit stop.
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Lap 130: #2 Montoya leads #28 Hunter-Reay by 35.1284 seconds.
Lap 131: Leader, #2 Montoya, on pit road for four tires and fuel and rear wing adjustment. He went 32 laps on his last run.
Lap 133: Green flag pit cycle complete, #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by .4121 of a second.
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Verizon IndyCar Series officials have penalized #2 Montoya with a drive-through for a pit speed violation on his last pit stop.
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Lap 135: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by .3533 of a second.
Lap 138: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #25 Andretti by .0080 of a second.
Lap 139: Lead change, #25 Andretti completes the pass for the lead entering Turn 1. He leads at the line by .1401 of a second.
Lap 140: #25 Andretti leads #28 Hunter-Reay by .1506 of a second.
Lap 142: #25 Andretti leads #28 Hunter-Reay by .1590 of a second.
Lap 145: #25 Andretti leads #28 Hunter-Reay by .1267 of a second. #20 Carpenter on pit road for four tires and fuel.
BUDDY LAZIER (No. 91 Wynn Institute for Vision Research Chevrolet): “The Wynn Vision Research car was really good. We had to make some adjustments like everybody. It seemed like at the end of a run, when tires got worn out, the car came back to us. I was really strong at the end of runs. We were making just slight adjustments that were making the car very happy. On our first stop, I couldn’t engage the clutch, which also made it tough coming through the gears coming in to the pit. It would stick in each gear. It was eventually the clutch line that put us out. What was really impressive though, back up to speed, the car was strong. We were really able to suck up to the pack ahead of us. So, it hurts that much more when you know the car had potential, and the Wynn Vision Research car had potential.”
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Lap 147: #21 Hildebrand on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 148: #25 Andretti leads #28 Hunter-Reay by .2365 of a second.
Lap 150: YELLOW. #83 Kimball does a half-spin to the left at the exit of Turn 2 and makes light left-front contact with the outside retaining wall. Car does another half spin to the right and comes to rest on the apron. Leaders under caution are: #25 Andretti, #28 Hunter-Reay, #3 Castroneves, #9 Dixon and #27 Hinchcliffe.
Lap 153: Pits are open, leaders on pit lane for four tires and fuel. #20 Carpenter does not stop and assumes the lead of the race. #28 Hunter-Reay wins the race off pit road followed by #25 Andretti, #9 Dixon, #3 Castroneves, #27 Hinchcliffe.
Lap 158: GREEN. #20 Carpenter leads the field into Turn 1. Lead change, #28 Hunter-Reay passes #20 Carpenter for the lead in Turn 1.
Lap 159: Lead change, #20 Carpenter takes lead into Turn 1.
Lap 160: Lead change, #28 Hunter-Reay takes lead from #20 Carpenter entering Turn 1.
Lap 162: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #20 Carpenter by .0446 of second. #68 Tagliani on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 163: Lead change, #20 Carpenter takes lead from #28 Hunter-Reay in Turn 1
Lap 164: Lead change, #28 Hunter-Reay takes lead back from #20 Carpenter in Turn 1. He leads at the line by .4126 of a second.
Lap 168: YELLOW. #9 Dixon spins in Turn 4 and makes hard left-side contact with the SAFER Barrier. Car comes off the wall and makes secondary contact with the inside retaining wall. Dixon climbs from the car without assistance from the Holmatro Safety Team. After the accident in Turn 4, #67 Newgarden is spun by #41 Plowman and comes to rest in Turn 2. Leaders under caution are: #28 Hunter-Reay, #20 Carpenter, #25 Andretti, #3 Castroneves and #27 Hinchcliffe.
Lap 170: Leaders on pit road for four tires and fuel. #68 Tagliani does not pit and assumes the lead of the race. #28 Hunter-Reay wins race off of pit road followed by #20 Carpenter, #6 Bell, #27 Hinchcliffe and #3 Castroneves.
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The race went green from Lap 1 through Lap 149. The longest green flag period prior to today’s race dating back to 1976 was the 133 consecutive laps from Lap 61 through 193 in the 2013 race.
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Lap 174: Leader #68 Tagliani on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #28 Hunter-Reay.
Lap 175: GREEN. #28 Hunter-Reay leads the field into Turn 1.
Lap 176: YELLOW. #27 Hinchcliffe and #20 Carpenter make contact in Turn 1. Both cars make contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1. Both drivers climb from their cars without assistance from the Holmatro Safety Team. Leaders under caution are: #28 Hunter-Reay, #6 Bell, #3 Castroneves, #25 Andretti and #14 Sato.
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Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR Medical Director: Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Ed Carpenter and James Hinchcliffe have been checked and released from the infield care center. All are cleared to drive.
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Lap 180: GREEN. #28 Hunter-Reay leads the field into Turn 1.
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Verizon IndyCar Series officials have penalized #41 Power with a drive-through for contact with #67 Newgarden on Lap 168.
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Lap 181: #25 Andretti takes second going into Turn 1.
Lap 182: Lead change, #25 Andretti passes #28 Hunter-Reay for the lead in Turn 3. He leads at the line by .1381 of a second.
Lap 183: Lead change, #28 Hunter-Reay passes #25 Andretti in the short chute between Turns 3 and 4. He leads at the line by .4192 of a second.
Lap 185: Lead change: #3 Castroneves passes #28 Hunter-Reay for the lead in Turn 1.
Lap 186: Lead change: #28 Hunter-Reay takes lead from #3 Castroneves on the outside of Turn 1. #28 Hunter-Reay leads by .4510 of a second.
Lap 188: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by .4678 of a second.
Lap 190: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by .4678 of a second.
Lap 191: YELLOW. Debris in Turn 2. After the caution comes out #6 Bell makes hard contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2. Car comes to rest at the exit of the corner
Lap 193: RED FLAG. Race is stopped for track repair and to clear the accident scene.
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3:09 p.m. -- Engine have been restarted after a delay of 10 minutes and 27 seconds. Restart will be second time by the flag stand. #19 Wilson remains on pit lane to repair his left side mirror
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Lap 195: GREEN. #28 Hunter-Reay leads the field into Turn 1. He leads at the line by .0367 of a second.
Lap 196: #3 Castroneves takes the lead in Turn 1. #25 Andretti bids for second and cant get it done. #3 leads by .1544 of a second.
Lap 197: #28 Hunter-Reay passes for the lead on the inside of Turn 3 he leads #3 Castroneves by .1703 of a second.
Lap 198: #28 Hunter-Reay leads #3 Castroneves by .0196 of a second. #3 Castroneves makes a pass for the lead in Turn 1.
Lap 199: WHITE: #28 Hunter-Reay makes a move for the lead off Turn 4. He passes #3 Castroneves just before the line and leads by .0235 of a second.
Lap 200: CHECKERED. #3 Castroneves makes a move for the lead off Turn 4. He can’t get the pass completed. #28 Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the 98th Indianapolis 500 by .0600 of a second.
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR Medical Director: Townsend Bell has been checked and released from the infield care center. He is cleared to drive.
INDIANAPOLIS 500 POST-RACE QUICK QUOTES:
RYAN HUNTER-REAY: “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.” (About battle with Helio Castroneves): “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. I didn’t know if we had what it took but I’ve got the best team behind me. Nobody can stand on their own without a good team behind them.” (Your wife, Beccy said last night you were very confident?): “I knew we had a good race car. We didn’t qualify well but we (did) bring it to the front. This is just a dream come true. I’ve watched this race since I was in diapers sitting on the floor in front of the TV. My son did it today. He watched me here. I’m thrilled. This is an American tradition. Our auto industry is based on it…” (What will you cherish most about winning the Indy 500): “Having my family here with me and being with this bunch. This is my fifth year in Andretti Auto Sport. I have such a great team. They were behind me every step of the way and you know what? It went green the whole way and I love that. Winning it under green like that with just a fantastic finish, we all raced each other clean but really hard. I think that was a fantastic race. I hope the fans loved it because I was on the edge of my seat that’s for sure.”
HELIO CASTRONEVES: "Well, certainly, the (red flag) kind of broke the rhythm, but first of all congrats to Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay. They did an outstanding job. I want to thank Roger and my team. I'm so proud of the Shell Pennzoil boys. Obviously, AAA, Hitachi guys, Verizon, I want to thank everyone because it was close. It's a shame it was so close, but today it's Ryan Hunter-Reay's day." (His thoughts after the race): “Obviously, the blood is still flowing. You want to make sure when you say something, you say the right things. Right now, it certainly doesn't take away the performance that we had. It's a shame, I wanted to give this to Roger so bad. It was a great fight. I'll tell you what, it was great TV. I was having a great time."(About second place finish): “It's good when second sucks."
UNOFFICIAL VERIZON INDYCAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ryan Hunter-Reay 274
2. Will Power 234
3. Helio Castroneves 220
4. Simon Pagenaud 211
5. Marco Andretti 192
6. Carlos Munoz (R) 160
7. Juan Pablo Montoya 151
8. Sebastien Bourdais 143
9. Scott Dixon 132
10. Justin Wilson 125
98th INDIANAPOLIS 500 HISTORICAL NOTES:
2014 Indianapolis 500 had the second-closest margin of victory at 0.6000 of a second. The closest margin of victory in race history was 0.043 seconds when Al Unser, Jr edged Scott Goodyear in 1992.
This is the third Indianapolis 500 victory for car owner Michael Andretti. An Andretti owned car won previously in 2005 (Dan Wheldon) and 2007 (Dario Franchitti).
This is the first time the No. 28 was the winning car number.
Ryan Hunter-Reay won the race starting from the 19th position. The only other driver to win from the same starting position was Bill Vukovich in 1954.
2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay is the 69th different driver to win (including co-winners in 1924 and 1941).
Race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay was the top race lap leader (56 laps). Hunter-Reay started from the 19th position. 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.
The winning average speed (186.563 mph) was the 2nd fastest in Indianapolis 500 history. The record was set by Tony Kanaan when he won the 2013 race at 187.433 mph.
A record 6,105-laps were completed by the 33-drivers in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 field. The previous record was 5,863 laps completed by the 33-car field in 2013.
A record of 20 drivers finished on the lead lap in the 2014 Indianapolis 500. The previous high was 19 drivers in the 33-car fields of 2009 and 2013.
Second place finisher Helio Castroneves completed the full 500-mile distance for a record extending 10th time.
Scott Dixon completed 167 laps today before crashing out of the race. This ended a record string of 1,733 consecutive laps completed in Indianapolis 500 competition.
There were 21 caution laps in today’s race which matches the record for the fewest yellow flag laps since 1976 when yellow flag laps were first recorded. The 2013 race also had 21 caution laps as did the 1976 race which was stopped after 255 miles due to rain.
Tony Kanaan led one lap in today’s race, marking the 10th time in his career he has led the Indianapolis 500. He tied Bobby Unser for fourth-place all time in races led.
Helio Castroneves has completed 6,625 miles in 14 starts passing Bobby Unser for 10th on the all-time mileage list. Bobby Unser completed 6,527.5 miles in 19 starts.
The youngest driver running to complete the full Indianapolis 500 distance was Marco Andretti (19 years 76 days) in 2006. Sage Karam (19 years 81 days) finished today’s race on the lead lap.
Marco Andretti has led 141 laps which is the most among active drivers to not win the Indianapolis 500. Michael Andretti led 431 laps in his Indianapolis 500 career which is the most ever for a non-winner.
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The fulle Indianapolis 500 Quote sheet will be available as a separate document.
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The next Verizon IndyCar Series race is the Chevrolet Indy Dual In Detroit on May 31 and June 1 at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park. The doubleheader races will be televised at 3:30 p.m. (ET) by ABC.
The 99th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, 2015.
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