Scotland's Dario Franchitti wins Indianapolis 500

Topics:  Indianapolis 500, Dario Franchitti

Wikinews
May 31, 2010

Scottish IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti won his second Indianapolis 500 in four years today after leading 155 laps, which is the fourth most in the 99-year history of the race. Franchitti, aged 37, also won a rain-shortened race in 2007, when the race was stopped after 166 laps due to the inclement weather and he was declared the winner.

The conditions at this race were far different, with the National Weather Service reporting temperatures of 88° F (31° C) at the track at race time. This temperature made the race the second hottest to the 1932 race, which reached 92° F.

After a failed attempt to race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2008, Franchitti returned to the IndyCar series to race for Chip Ganassi Racing. With this victory, owner Chip Ganassi became the first team owner in racing history to have their drivers win both the Daytona 500 of the Sprint Cup (won by Jamie McMurray) and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year.

"The milk tastes just as good the second time around here," said Franchitti, referring to the ceremonial winner's milk drink following the race. "I just needed to know what the other guys were doing with fuel. There was a gap behind them and a lot of confusion. This means so much after coming back when I went away for a year in 2008 and to come back win a championship and win the Indianapolis 500," he added in an interview in the winner's circle.

Franchitti won the race on less than a tenth of a gallon of fuel, after he and his team decided to not pit during the final laps of the race. The race ended on a caution after a massive crash between drivers Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay, when Conway's car got caught onto Hunter-Reay's left outside wheel and was sent airborne. Conway's car then hit the track's retaining wall and landed on its front side. Medics took Conway out of the car, and he was taken to the hospital with a leg injury.

Finishing behind Franchitti in second place was British driver Dan Wheldon of Partner Racing. This was Wheldon's second straight second place finish. In third place was Marco Andretti, who started in sixteenth position.

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