Castroneves Wins Third Indy 500

(Photo by Darrell Ingham/Getty Images)

Brazilian-born Helio Castroneves won today’s running of the Indianapolis 500 after starting from the pole position. In only his third race after being acquitted on federal tax evasion charges, the Team Penske mainstay led twice for 66 laps, including the final 59.

During a hellish legal process that began in October, the last thing on Castroneves’ mind was racing; instead, his goal was to acquit himself, his sister and business manager—Katucia, and his agent—Alan Miller, of all charges.

He lost a considerable amount of weight during the six-month legal proceedings and was replaced on an interim basis by Australian driver Will Power.

Upon his acquittal, he returned to the car at Long Beach after only missing the season opener at St. Petersburg. He finished the Long Beach race in seventh place and the following race at Kansas in second.

At Indianapolis this month, he and his team dominated all of the pre-race proceedings, winning the pole in dominating fashion, setting the fastest times in final practice, and winning the annual pit stop competition.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing on race day for the popular driver, however.

The first start attempt was waved off after he hit the accelerator too early and broke up the traditional starting formation. The second attempt, although similar in formation, was given the green flag and Castroneves led the field into turn one.

The race didn’t even last one lap before an accident occurred.

In the short chute between turns one and two, Mario Moraes and Marco Andretti made contact, ending the race for the former and limiting the capacity of the latter’s car. Moraes held the view that Andretti checked down on him, while Andretti believed that Moraes drifted up the track and squeezed him into the wall.

Both drivers expressed their frustration to the TV crews, with Andretti calling Moraes "clueless.” Moraes was credited with the 33rd and last finishing position with zero laps completed. Andretti returned to the track on lap 61 and ran until the team realized they could gain no more points, finishing 30th.

On the restart, Dario Franchitti passed Castroneves for the lead, which he would not relinquish for 47 laps. Castroneves’ car began to slide back in the field, falling as far as fifth.

These were the first of 123 laps led by Chip Ganassi Racing cars on the day.

Ryan Hunter-Reay had the day’s second accident, which occurred on lap 20. He hit the wall and his car slid into the pit lane. This capped a brutal month of May for the Vision Racing driver, in which his car never seemed to get up to speed, and he barely even made the 500 field.

Hunter-Reay, like Castroneves, finished where he started; unlike Castroneves’ position, Hunter-Reay’s 32nd wasn’t a desirable finish.

Franchitti lost the lead to Castroneves’ teammate, Ryan Briscoe, on lap 53, but he only held it for 11 laps. Defending race champion and IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, Franchitti’s teammate, then claimed the lead and continued Ganassi’s mid-race dominance.

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