94th Indianapolis 500 5/30/10

Dario Franchitti wins his second Indianapolis 500 crown Sunday!

photo credit: Ron McQueeney

“This tastes just as good second time,” Franchitti said after leading an incredible 155 of the 200 laps.

The win wasn’t entirely easy for the Target Chip Ganassi driver. Running low on fuel over the closing laps, Franchitti had to slow his pace down and hold off a fast charging Dan Wheldon. Mike Conway collided with Ryan Hunter-Reay which caused an explosive accident as the leaders were coming to the finish.

“Up until 10 laps to go, I was pretty relaxed. Then all hell broke loose with fuel savings and all,” Franchitti said. “To come back after going away for a year, win a championship and win the Indy 500. Thank you. Thank you to everyone on Team Target.”

By the way, Franchitti had 1.6 gallons left when he drove to his car to victory circle.

Franchitti became the 17th driver with more than one Indianapolis 500 wins. His 2007 Indianapolis 500 victory came after the race was cancelled 34 laps short of the full 200-lap distance due to rain. Franchitti’s second Indianapolis 500 win ties him with such greats as Al Unser Jr, Emerson Fittipaldi, Tommy Milton, Bill Vukovich, Rodger Ward, Gordon Johncock and Arie Luyendyk.

“I’m just a driver,” Franchitti said. “Those guys are legends. I’m so lucky to be drive for Chip and Team Target, getting in good cars, especially having gone away after we won in ’07. To be invited back was pretty cool. To have won a championship and an Indy 500, I didn’t expect any of this.”

It was an important day for team owner Chip Ganassi. He becomes the first car owner to win both, the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 in the same year. NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray won his first Daytona 500 in February. Ganassi Racing could make history tonight if one of his drivers wins the Sprint Cup Series event tonight at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (update: Kurt Busch, driving for Penske Racing, won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday night)

“I’ll think about that later,” Ganassi said. “I want to congratulate Dario. I want to thank everybody who put together this team. It was a little dicey there at the end, on fuel at the end. He saved fuel when he had to.”

“We’re here to win. All he wants to do is win,” Franchitti said about his car owner, Ganassi. “If you’re not interested in that, or if you take your eye off the ball, he lets you know. That’s all he cares about, and that’s cool.”

2005 Indianapolis 500 winner, Dan Wheldon held on for a runner-up finish. “I can tell you that if I have to race until I’m 86 years old, I’m going to race until I’ve won another Indianapolis 500,” Wheldon said.  (The Indy 500) “is such a great race, and it’s just disappointing not to win.”

Polesitter Helio Castroneves was the pick to win the race. Castroneves was in the lead with 9 laps remaining, but made a trip to pit road on lap 192. He stalled his race car exiting the pits.

“Well, we always say the one that makes the fewest mistakes wins the race and I made one that put us too far back,” Castroneves said after his 9th place finish. “We were fighting understeer and oversteer all day but we were still there fighting at the end and we still managed a top-10 result. Congratulations to Dario. Those guys were on it today and they deserve to be Indy 500 champions.”

After starting last, Tony Kanaan worked his way up as high as second. He made a final stop for fuel with 4 laps to go. Kanaan finished 11th.  Still, he picked up 22 positions.

Danica Patrick battled an ill-handling car every since her team unloaded the car at the race track. She battled from a 23rd starting position to a 6th place finish. She’s scored five top-10 finishes in six Indianapolis 500 starts.

Danica Patrick was initially credited with a 5th place finish. Upon video review of the finish, IndyCar officials changed the finishing order based on several drivers making passes while the race ended under caution.

For the complete finishing order, click here (indycar.com)

Mike Conway was airlifted to a local hospital. It’s being reported that he was alert and awake and will be treated for left leg injuries. Two male fans seated in the grandstands were also treated at a nearby hospital for injuries from flying debris from the crash.

Replay of the last lap accident: