Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the Indy 500

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Ryan Hunter-Reay takes the trip from the asphalt at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the Media Center. Hunter-Reay has made this trip many times, but this time was different.

This time, Hunter-Reay makes the walk as an Indianapolis 500 champion, becoming the first American driver to accomplish the feat since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006.
Hunter-Reay nearly accomplished the feat last year, but he finished second to Tony Kanaan.

The victory didn’t come without a flurry of lead changes at the end.

Following a red flag caused by a Townsend Bell wreck, Hunter-Reay and three-time winner Helio Castroneves exchanged the lead multiple times, which concluded with a Hunter-Reay low pass that nearly sent him into the grass on lap 198.

“We started running low out of the corner coming out of (turns) two and four,” Hunter-Reay said. “I thought when Helio got by that I made a mistake. I faked to the top and cut a little grass for IMS.”

Castroneves said he just didn't have enough to defeat Hunter-Reay.

“Coming down the front straightaway, he was able to have a very good run,” Castroneves said. “I was trying everything. I tried to take his air out. I did everything I could. It’s very difficult to keep the guy behind.”

Marco Andretti, Hunter-Reay’s teammate who finished third, said he was disappointed after falling just short of his first Indy 500 victory.

“One pit stop hurt us,” Andretti said. “We lost track position and could never get it back. Every time we’d get a run, something would happen. I came up short at the end.”

Hunter-Reay said he knew he was going to have to go head to head with one of his teammates if he wanted to come out on top.

“It was close racing,” Hunter-Reay said. “I knew last night before I went to bed that I was going to have to battle one of my teammates to win this. We had one of the strongest cars out there.”

Andretti was one of nine drivers to have the lead during the race.

With a track temperature around 113 to start the race, James Hinchcliffe took quick lead on the first lap from pole sitter and Indianapolis native Ed Carpenter.

Hinchcliffe’s lead would last just nine laps before Carpenter regained the lead.
This wouldn’t be the last time these two crossed paths.

During the restart on lap 175 following a Scott Dixon wreck, Carpenter and Hinchcliffe, after spending most of their days in the top 10, collided after going three-wide into Turn One with Townsend Bell.

Hinchcliffe said that he deserves most of the blame for the collision with Carpenter.

“Ed gave me the room initially,” Hinchcliffe said.  “I don’t know if Townsend knew we were three wide. I was the last guy there, so I take a portion of the blame. It’s 100 percent not Ed’s fault. I feel bad for him. He’s had a great month.”

When asked about the wreck, Carpenter didn’t have many kind words to say about Hinchcliffe.

“Let’s just say it’s a good thing he already had a concussion last week,” Carpenter said.

The wreck brought out the third caution flag of the day.

The first occurred on lap 150, when Charlie Kimball spun out exiting Turn 2. The 149 laps spent with a green flag was the longest time without a caution since 1976, when 133 laps passed by without going yellow.

Castroneves said that the first caution couldn’t have come at a better time.

“It was perfect because we only had a few gallons left,” Castroneves said. “It worked out perfect.”

Kurt Busch, a NASCAR regular making his Indy Car debut, finished sixth. Following the race, Busch entered a helicopter to make the trip to Charlotte, N.C., to compete in the Coca Cola 600.

He is the first driver since Robby Gordon in 2004 to complete the 1,100 miles of racing.

Last year’s winner, Tony Kanaan, started the race in the 16th position but fell behind around the 64th lap because of an issue with the car.

Kanaan would go on to finish 26th.

Hunter-Reay, who now has the lead in the points race by 40 points more than Will Power, said his victory still hasn’t completely sunk in.

“It started to sink in when I looked up after kissing the bricks,” he said. “You work so long for it. When it happens, it takes awhile to set in because you’ve worked so hard for it.”