DPR Sports & Racing News

From Elation to Frustration, Hildebrand Crashes in final turn to give race win to Wheldon

Wheldon only led about a thousand feet.. but it was the last thousand 

ABC’s Wild World of Sports coined a phrase back in the day.. “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of defeat.”

Today, the thrill and agony was viewed by more than 300,000 fans and countless viewers around the racing world.

Despite the heavy damage, the National Guard machine rolled past the Yard of Bricks in second position behind race winner and former Panther driver , Wheldon.

Panther Racing rookie driver JR Hildebrand led the historic 100^th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 on three different occasions and came within a few hundred yards of winning what was billed as “The most important race in history” Hildebrand had taken the lead from second year driver Bertrand Bequette on lap 198 and was heading for sure victory until his National Guard drifted high into the marbles in turn four while trying to pass the lapped car of Charlie Kimball and hit the wall hard.

Hildebrand leads in the short chute between turns three and four..on the final lap

"I was just trying to go as hard as I could," continued Wheldon, who was competing in his first race of the season. "I knew it was the last lap and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel (he pitted on Lap 177). I've been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up. It's an incredible feeling."

Hildebrand, who inherited the lead when Baguette pitted, said he was trying to conserve fuel (he last pitted on Lap 164) on the white flag lap.

"I knew we were really tight on fuel coming to the end, and the spotters were in my ear saying, 'The guys are coming and they're coming hard,' '' said Hildebrand, who qualified 12th (the fastest rookie). "We had to conserve a little fuel and the tires were coming to the end of their stint. I was hanging a little on to get the thing around.

"I made a judgment call catching up on the 83 (the lapped car driven by fellow rookie Charlie Kimball) and I thought I don't really want to slow down behind him and pull out on the straightaway, and I've been able to make this move on the outside before and so I went to the high side and because it was at the end of the stint I got up in the marbles and that was it.



"I'm OK, but this is not really about me at this point. You always show up to try to win. My disappointment is for the team and for National Guard as a sponsor. It's one of the those things, as a driver, you never really know what you're going to expect. We knew we had a fast race car. We knew if the race came to us, we may be in a position to sort of finish top three, top five."

Wheldon’s No. 98 William Rast-CURB/Big Machine car passed Hildebrand just before the yellow light was displayed, winning the race.

"It's a fantastic achievement everybody at Bryan Herta Autosport," said Wheldon, his voice choking with emotion. "I love everything about Indianapolis - the tradition, the fans, the history."

“I was just trying to go as hard as I could," said Wheldon, who was competing in his first race of the season. "I knew it was the last lap and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel (he pitted on Lap 177). I've been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up. It's an incredible feeling."

England native Wheldon, started the race sixth and became just the 18^th driver to win the Indianapolis 500 race at least twice. Wheldon won the 2005 race driving for Andretti Racing and also captured the 2005 IndyCar Series title. He has an impressive record at the Brickyard with six top-four finishes in nine career starts, including second, second and first in the last three years, respectively.

Hildebrand, who started 12^th, crossed the famous "Yard of Bricks" start-finish line on three wheels to place second, earning $1,064,895. He also won the prestigious Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Award, which includes a $25,000 bonus and the Chase Rookie of the Year Trophy.

Graham Rahal climbed from the 29^th starting spot to finish third in the No. 38 Service Central car fielded by Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing, the best position advancement of any driver in this year's race. He earned $646,945 for his career-best Indianapolis finish.

Tony Kanaan earned $438,745 for charging from 22^nd to fourth in his #82 GEICO KV Racing Technology-Lotus. It was the fourth top-five finish at Indianapolis for 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Kanaan.

2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon, who started in the middle of the front row and led a race-high 73 laps in his No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry, earned $519,345 for finishing fifth. It was the fourth top-five finish at Indianapolis for two-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dixon.

2011 marks the fourth consecutive runner-up finish for Panther Racing in the Indianapolis 500 with three different drivers: Vitor Meira in 2008, Dan Wheldon in 2009-2010 and now in 2011 with Hildebrand. The second place finish vaulted Hildebrand eight places in the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series Points standings to eighth overall and put some separation in the 2011 Rookie of the Year battle with James Hinchcliffe. Hildebrand now leads the chase by 33 points.

Wheldon earned $2,567,255 from an overall purse of $13,509,485 for his victory Sunday, May 29 in the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

It was the only lap of the race that Wheldon led, breaking the record for the fewest laps led by a winner, two, set by Joe Dawson in 1912.

The 100^th running of the race was going along at a typical pace until the last quarter of the race when race teams made critical race changing decisions. The last 25 laps kept both fans and teams on their feet as the lead was swapped several times in the closing ten laps. The outcome became historic gave the racing world what has to be one of the most exciting races in recent years if not in history.

Next Year will bring some of the biggest changes in IndyCar history: New engines, chassis and body design. It looks like IndyCar is back and better than ever.

100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500

INDIANAPOLIS - Results Sunday  of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1.  (6) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
2.  (12) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
3.  (29) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
4.  (22) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
5.  (2) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
6.  (3) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
7.  (14) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
8.  (21) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
9.  (27) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
10.  (25) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
11.  (8) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
12.  (9) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
13.  (28) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
14.  (5) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
15.  (11) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
16.  (19) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
17.  (16) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
18.  (7) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running
19.  (30) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running
20.  (31) Pippa Mann, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running
21.  (32) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
22.  (17) John Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
23.  (33) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
24.  (15) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 193, Running
25.  (24) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 175, Running
26.  (4) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, 157, Contact
27.  (26) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 157, Contact
28.  (1) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 147, Contact
29.  (13) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 99, Contact
30.  (20) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 60, Contact
31.  (23) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 44, Handling
32.  (18) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 27, Contact
33.  (10) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 20, Contact

Race Statistics
Winners average speed:  170.265
Time of Race: 2:56:11.7267
Margin of victory: Under Caution
Cautions: 7 for 40
Lead changes: 23 among 10 drivers
Lap Leaders: Dixon 1-7, Tagliani 8-26, Dixon 27-33, Tagliani 34, Dixon 35-60, Franchitti 61, Carpenter 62-64, Franchitti 65-72, Dixon 73-98, Franchitti 99, Hildebrand 100-103, Franchitti 104-112, Servia 113-128, Franchitti 129-137, Hildebrand 138, Baguette 139-140, Franchitti 141-163, Servia 164-165, Rahal 166-171, Dixon 172-178, Patrick 179-188, Baguette 189-197, Hildebrand 198-199, Wheldon 200.
Point Standings: Power 194, Franchitti 178, Servia 150, Kanaan 135, Dixon 129, Rahal 120, Briscoe 117, Hildebrand 113, Tagliani 110, Mike Conway 102.



Ryan Hunter Ray finished a dismal 23rd

Danica's Crew Mulls over some last minute adjustments on race morning

Paul Tracy has another bad day at the Brickyard

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Pre Race at the Indy 500

The morning group of former drivers featured all 33 drivers in the starting field of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 plus most of the 27 living winners of the "500," including Unser and Rutherford.

Many other veteran drivers were the stars in the afternoon group, including "roadster" standouts Don Edmunds, Paul Goldsmith, Bob Harkey, Chuck Hulse, Art Malone and Chuck Weyant.

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BASKETBALL LEGEND BIRD PRESENTS '500' WINNER'S RING TO FRANCHITTI

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, March 18, 2011 - Two of the biggest sporting passions in Indiana - basketball and auto racing - blended for a special ceremony March 18 when NBA legend Larry Bird presented Dario Franchitti with his Herff Jones Champion of Champions ring as the winner of the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

Photo From Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indiana native Bird made the presentation to two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Franchitti at the IMS Pavilion at Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Bird is the president of basketball operations for the Pacers.

The ceremony united two great champions in their respective sports.

Bird won three championships, three league Most Valuable Player awards and was a 12-time All-Star during his 13-season career with the Boston Celtics. He also led Indiana State to the NCAA championship game as a senior in 1979 and won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 1992.

Franchitti, a native of Scotland, earned his second Indianapolis 500 victory last year in a Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry, also winning in 2007 for Andretti Green Racing. He also has won three IZOD IndyCar Series championships since 2007, including last season.

"It's a real honor to meet Larry," Franchitti said. "I'm not a massive basketball fan, but it's like guys who are not big racing fans, they know who Mario Andretti is. Same thing, I know who Larry Bird is.

"This is a great honor to receive this ring. Fingers crossed this year we can try to catch up with Larry with the three rings. Three of these beautiful rings would be lovely. It's a big year for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the Indianapolis 500. It's already the biggest race in the world, but being the Centennial celebration, it adds that extra spice to it."

The 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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2011 Indianapolis 500 Camaro Pace Car

Camaro Pace Car Photos By Dan Peters

WINNING BIDDER WILL DRIVE 2011 INDY 500 PACE CAR ON PARADE LAP

Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible featured Jan. 22 at Barrett-Jackson auction on SPEED

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011 - A thrill of a lifetime awaits the winning bidder of the Barrett-Jackson auction Saturday, Jan. 22 for the special-edition Chevrolet Camaro Convertible that will serve as the Official Pace Car for the 2011 Indianapolis 500.

The top bidder will have the opportunity to drive the car during a parade lap in front of the field of 33 starters shortly before the green flag flies at "The Most Important Race In History" on Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

SPEED will televise the auction live between 9-11 p.m. (ET) Jan. 22, with Indianapolis 500 winners and speed milestone holders Arie Luyendyk and Tom Sneva scheduled to drive the Camaro Convertible Pace Car onto the auction stage in Scottsdale, Ariz. Luyendyk and officials from IMS and Chevrolet unveiled the car Thursday, Jan. 20 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale.

The 2011 Camaro Convertible is the 22^nd Chevrolet and the seventh Camaro chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500. This year is the 100^th anniversary of the race and also the centennial year of Chevrolet.

 "The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Chevrolet name have long been associated with one another beginning with Arthur, Louis and Gaston Chevrolet's participation as competitors in the Indianapolis 500," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "It's fitting in this 100^th year for IMS and Chevy that we reinforce our longtime relationship through this year's Camaro Pace Car.

"We're also thrilled that the car will be one of the featured vehicles in the world-famous Barrett-Jackson auction, with a superb incentive for the winning bidder and a vital charity involved."

Chevrolet will donate full proceeds of the auction to the David Foster Foundation (http://www.davidfosterfoundation.org), a charity devoted to supporting families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. David Foster, the 15-time Grammy-winning music producer and songwriter, founded the organization in his native Canada. His cousin Billy Foster participated as a driver in the 1965 and 1966 Indianapolis 500.

A bidder will have the opportunity to purchase the car Saturday, Jan. 22, live on SPEED. This auctioned vehicle will not be that actual Pace Car, nor will the high bidder be the traditional celebrity Pace Car driver. The celebrity driver will be announced at a later date.

The commemorative-edition Pace Car to be auctioned Jan. 22 is one of the 50 Indianapolis 500 Festival Committee Cars. It carries lot number 1284, and bids can be submitted at the auction in person or online by clicking the following link for a 2011 absentee bidder registration packet:

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/bid/AbsenteeBidder_Agree_Form_SD2011.pdf

This year's Pace Car and matching Festival cars feature a Summit White exterior accented with orange stripes and door graphics. The interior is trimmed in orange leather, including front seat headrests embossed with the Indy 500 logo, along with white door panels and instrument panel trim. The instrument panel trim features extensions of the orange exterior stripes.

The color combination is similar to the design used on 1969 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replicas - cars which have become among the most popular Camaros in the collector world.

"It's an honor for Chevrolet to pace the 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, especially during this landmark year," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. "This is also a great opportunity for us to build on Camaro's strong momentum, while supporting an important charity."

Equipped with a 400-horsepower V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission, the actual Pace Car for the race requires no performance modifications to perform its duty in front of the 33-car racing field. All 50 of the Festival Committees cars - including the car auctioned Jan. 22 - will be SS convertible models fitted with the 2SS equipment package and RS package.

2011 Indy 500 tickets:

Tickets are on sale for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Race Day ticket prices start at just $20. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16^th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.

100^th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500 Photo Gallery

Photos By Dan Peters

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2011 INDIANAPOLIS 500 PACE CAR REPLICAS TO BE OFFERED TO CUSTOMERS

• New Camaro SS Convertible in white with orange stripes and orange leather-trimmed interior evokes classic 1969 Camaro pace car model
• Five hundred replicas will be built this spring
• 2011 is the 100th anniversary of Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500

 Photo By Dan Peters

CHICAGO – A special-edition Chevrolet Camaro Convertible will be the official pace car of the 2011 Indianapolis 500. Chevrolet will produce 500 matching replicas of this special Indianapolis 500 Pace Car so that enthusiasts can purchase their own piece of history. 

The 2011 Camaro Convertible is the 22nd Chevrolet and the seventh Camaro chosen to pace what is known as “the greatest spectacle in racing.” Adding to that rich heritage is the fact that 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of both Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500.

“It's an honor for Chevrolet to pace the Indianapolis 500, especially during this landmark year,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “This is also a great opportunity for us to build on Camaro’s strong momentum, pay tribute to its history and celebrate the ongoing launch of the new Camaro Convertible.”

The pace car and replicas feature a Summit White exterior accented with orange stripes and door graphics. The interior is trimmed in orange leather, with front-seat headrests embossed with the Indy 500 logo, along with white door panels and instrument panel trim. The instrument panel trim also features extensions of the orange exterior stripes.

The color combination is similar to the design used on the 1969 Camaro Indy pace car – replicas of which have become among the most popular Camaros in the collector world.

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Chevrolet name have long been associated with one another beginning with Louis and Gaston Chevrolet’s participation as competitors in the Indianapolis 500,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and CEO Jeff Belskus. “It is fitting in this 100th year for both brands that we reinforce that relationship through this year’s Camaro pace car, which resembles what many argue is the most famous pace car in IMS history, the 1969 Camaro. We are looking forward to seeing this car on the track, pacing the greatest 33 drivers in the world on May 29.”

All the Indy Pace Car convertibles will be Camaro SS models equipped with the 6.2L V-8 engine, and the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Last month at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale classic car auction, Chevrolet auctioned the opportunity to purchase the first of 50 Indianapolis 500 Festival Committee cars.. All the proceeds from the sale went to the David Foster Foundation, which supports families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. The Festival Committee car, which matches the styling of the actual pace car and the replicas that will be sold to the public, sold for $225,000.

Replica details

All 500 pace car replicas – and the Festival Committee cars – are SS convertibles fitted with the 2SS equipment package, and offer these standard features:

Four-wheel disc brakes with Brembo four-piston calipers and hydraulic assist

StabiliTrak electronic stability control

Competitive/sport mode that enhances on-track performance

Performance Launch Control (with the manual transmission) that optimizes hard-acceleration launches for quicker, more consistent performance

Twenty-inch polished aluminum wheels and performance tires

Head-up instrument display

Center console with auxiliary gauge package.

Along with the 2SS equipment, the cars feature the RS package, which includes high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps and unique taillamps.

Photo By Dan Peters

The Camaro Convertible delivers coupe-like driving dynamics with the fun of open-air driving. The Convertible model’s enhanced structure is designed to eliminate the traditional compromises of open cars, such as cowl or steering wheel shake. The goal is a convertible that drives like the coupe. All the powertrain and suspension elements of the existing Camaro Coupe carry over unchanged in the convertible. The top has a smooth, tailored fit, with acoustical foam in the headliner that helps deliver a quiet ride with the top up.

Four strategic reinforcements enhance the already-stiff body structure to eliminate cowl and steering wheel shake. They include:

• A tower-to-tower brace under the hood
• A transmission support reinforcement brace
• Underbody tunnel brace
• Front and rear underbody “V” braces.

The power-folding top retracts in about 20 seconds. It is built in partnership with the same manufacturer as the Corvette convertible top, and operates in a similar manner. It folds in a simple “Z” pattern and latches with a single, convenient handle located at the center of the windshield header. Other convertible models in this segment still offer convertible tops with dual latches, forcing drivers into two-hand operations reaching across the car. 

The regular-production versions of the 2011 Camaro Convertible begin arriving in Chevrolet dealerships this month, opening a new chapter in the Camaro’s ongoing 21^st-century rebirth. Even before the introduction of a convertible model, Camaro was the sales leader in its class in the United States in 2010 – for the first time since 1985.

Chevrolet’s pace car heritage

Louis Chevrolet, who founded the brand with William “Billy” Durant in 1911, was a racer, mechanic and pioneering engineer. He raced in the early years of the Indianapolis 500, which also started in 1911, and was a luminary of the event in the years after he retired his racing helmet. That included driving the official Indianapolis pace car, which was developed by Indy 500 founder Carl Fisher, who believed a rolling start was safer than a standing start. The first Indianapolis 500 featured a pace car driven by Fisher.

The first Chevrolet selected as the Indianapolis 500 pace car was the 1948 Fleetmaster Six. The brand would go on to lead the racing pack more than any other manufacturer. The list of Chevy pace cars includes:

• 1948 Fleetmaster Six
• 1955 Bel Air
• 1967 Camaro
• 1969 Camaro
• 1978 Corvette
• 1982 Camaro
• 1986 Corvette
• 1990 Beretta
• 1993 Camaro
• 1995 Corvette
• 1998 Corvette
• 1999 Monte Carlo
• 2002 Corvette
• 2003 SSR
• 2004 Corvette
• 2005 Corvette
• 2006 Corvette
• 2007 Corvette
• 2008 Corvette
• 2009 Camaro
• 2010 Camaro
• 2011 Camaro.