|
Indy 500 Delivers Two for the Price of One |
|
|
|
The 91st running of the Indy 500 commemorated A. J. Foyt’s 50th anniversary at The Brickyard. The race program contained a feature story on A. J. and a color fold-out of the young Super Tex, who was the first driver to become a 4-time winner of the 500.
And since then he added a number 5 as a team owner in 1999. A. J. delivered number 4 exactly 30 years ago. On that day he asked Speedway owner Tony Hulman to go on the victory ride around the track with him. It was the first time Mr. Hulman ever did that, and he died before the following year‘s race. So for his 50th, it was only fitting that A.J. asked Tony George to ride around the track with him before the race started. A. J. was the only big name owner to stay with Tony when he created the Indy Racing League.
For A.J., the race was special because it was the first year that his son, Larry Foyt, was his team manager, and that his grandson, A. J. Foyt IV, drove the 500 for someone other than A.J. [Vision Racing]. As it turned out both of the Foyt team cars were running at the end of the race, [driven by Al Unser Jr. and Darren Manning] as was A.J. IV’s.
Given that the Associated Press’s Driver of the Century award was given jointly to both A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti, it was only right for it to be the Andretti’s day also – just part of the 2 for the price of 1 celebration.
Andretti Green Racing’s Tony Kanaan won the first race, when the race was red flagged after they skies opened on lap 113 and stopped the race. Enough laps had been run so that Brian Barnhart could have called the race, but after three hours, at 6:00 p.m., the track was dried and the race was restarted, and Tony’s 500 win evaporated.
Marco had been running second to Tony when the first race was called, and had his turn at leading the 500 for his second year in a row. Dario Franchitti also had a turn in the lead also, as did Michael Andretti. And, yes, there was another Andretti in the race, Mario’s nephew John.
In the second race, with more rain on the way, everyone was racing flat out not knowing when the red flag would drop. Dario Franchitti ended up in the lead when the skies opened up again with a monsoon type of deluge that stopped the race for good at 166 laps. The ever popular Dario became the first Scotsman to win the 500 since his hero Jimmy Clark in 1965.
Michael Andretti won the 500 for the second time as a team owner, and suggested that maybe he would just give up his dream of winning the 500 as a driver and go for breaking Roger Panske’s record of 14 owner 500 victories.
As for Mario Andretti’s day, he held his breath, as did everyone else, when Marco’s car flipped on the back straight on lap 163 and slid across the crowded track upside down at about 220 mph, and then flipped right side up in the grassy infield before stopping. When Marco walked away from the accident, his grandfather and everyone else, started breathing again, and Mario could start smiling.
It was a day when Andretti Green won two races, Tony the first [with Marco behind him] and Dario the second. Danica Patrick finished 8th for the team, Kanaan 12th and Michael 13th. Marco recorded a 24th finish. During the race, four members of the team had led the race and Danica’s highest position was 2nd.
As for the Pro Series Grads, it was not exactly a great day. You know about Marco, who did lead the races on three occasions before his accident. Jon Herb went out on lap 52 when he hit the wall in Turn 1. Then Phil Giebler hit the Turn 1 wall on lap 108. The good news for Giebler, however, was that rookie Milka Duno hit the Turn 1 wall on lap 66, and thus Phil ended up as the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, making it two Pro Grads who have won this prestigious award.
Next it was Marty Roth’s turn to hit the Turn 1 wall on lap 151. And lastly, Ed Carpenter spun on lap 163 to avoid Marco’s car, and he was out of the race.
That left Pro Grads A. J. Foyt IV and Jeff Simmons as the only two of the seven starters still running when the checkered flag came out. IV had his highest finish with a 14th. Jeff drove a great race, finished 11th, and led the 500 on lap 101, to become the second Pro Grad to lead the Indy 500.
All-in-all it was a great day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a thrilling race that all of us there will remember forever. Excuse us, two thrilling races that all of us will remember forever. And two famous names that made the day memorable. Foyt and Andretti. |
Number of comments (0) - Add your comments to this article: |
IPS Archive