Indy 500 2012: Dario Franchitti's Win Is Tainted

Dario Franchitti won his third Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, but the win came under caution, making it incredibly anticlimactic.

Franchitti sailed across the finish line the way he had in his two previous wins: with the yellow flag waiving. It's time for IndyCar to look at how they govern the finish of races, as winning under yellow taints what could have been a really exciting finish.

Takuma Sato was running second and went for the lead entering the first turn on the race's final lap. He pulled even with Franchitti but got too low and lost control, hitting the wall and barely missing taking out Franchitti's car in the process. Scott Dixon finished second and Tony Kanaan finished third.

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing finished with a whimper after what had looked to be an incredible finish. Franchitti coasted across the line knowing no one could challenge him. He became the 10th driver to win at least three Indy 500s. But the final result of an incredibly exciting day of racing left much to be desired.

Franchitti came away with an historic win, but for the third time it came under caution. That's a shame, because Ashley Judd's Scottish husband had a phenomenal run to get in front. He started 16th and was able to methodically work his way to the front throughout the day.

It was truly an outstanding achievement that was marred by the fact that he rolled across the finish line under yellow.

Sunday's Indianapolis 500 was a thrilling race fitting of the event's grandeur. But as long as IndyCar insists on allowing finishes under caution, fans will continue to be robbed of exciting final-lap action. I realize that the 500 is always 200 laps, but exceptions should be made to make the event more fan-friendly.

Here's hoping the race never finishes under caution again.