2005 Indianapolis 500

Infobox Indy500
race_name = 89th Indianapolis 500
race_
location = Indianapolis Motor Speedway
date = May 29, 2005
winner = Dan Wheldon
mph = 157.603 mph
pole = Tony Kanaan
pole_speed = 227.566 mph
fast_time = Kenny Bräck (227.598 mph)
rookie = Danica Patrick
leader = Sam Hornish, Jr. (77)
anthem = Members of U.S. Armed Forces
back_home = Jim Nabors
start_engines = Mari Hulman George
pace_car = Chevrolet Corvette
pace_driver = Colin Powell
honorary_start = Reggie Miller
attendance = 250,000 (estimated)
network = ABC
announcers = Todd Harris, Scott Goodyear
rating = 6.5
share = 18
previous = 2004
next = 2006The 2005 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 29, 2005. Dan Wheldon won the race under a yellow flag.

Rookie Danica Patrick, who qualified fourth and finished fourth, became the first female driver to lead laps during the race and won the Rookie of the Year award. Patrick led three separate times for a total of 19 laps, even after spinning and recovering between the third and fourth turns on a restart. She was the fourth driver in history to do so. However, she slipped back from the lead to fourth place during the last seven laps, with Dan Wheldon winning to become the first English victor since Graham Hill in the 1966 race.

tarting Grid

cite web |title=Starting Grid for the 2005 Indianapolis 500|url=http://www.indy500.com/stats/grids.php?raceyear=2005 |date=2005 |accessdate=2007-05-10 ]

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valign="top"

Caution periods

There were 8 caution periods during the race, with a total of forty-six laps run under yellow, including the race's final lap.

ABC's television coverage controversy

ABC Sports and in particular first-time lead IRL announcer Todd Harris (having taken over for veteran announcer Paul Page) were widely criticized by sportswriters after the race for their alleged bias in coverage. Harris, from "World's Strongest Man" was largely inexperienced calling live auto racing, and used to pre-recorded, highlight-style reporting.

One of the most significant stories of the race was that female racer Danica Patrick, who started 4th and finished 4th, became the first woman ever to lead the race (leading 19 laps total). Even when Patrick was running mid-pack, as she had through the middle portion of the race, ABC and Harris focused significant attention on her. This angered several columnists, who thought the front-runners deserved more coverage than they received.

When Patrick took the race lead for the first time on lap 59, during a sequence of pit stops by the leaders, Harris said, "50 years from now, you will remember where you were." "Orlando Sentinel" sportswriter Jerry Greene disputed this, writing the next day, "I seriously doubt it, Todd." Greene also wrote that Harris "said many stupid things Sunday because of Ms. Patrick's efforts."

"Houston Chronicle" writer David Barron said during the pre-race show and the race's first 90 minutes, he "counted an average of one Patrick reference every five minutes, and each reference went on for some time."

"Toronto Star" writer Richard Sandomir wrote that Harris and his analyst, former two-time Indy 500 runner-up Scott Goodyear, failed to note that Wheldon had overtaken Patrick on lap 193, seven from the finish, until 20 seconds after it happened. Sandomir also wrote that it took Harris thirty seconds to note Patrick had drifted back to fourth place, behind Vitor Meira and Bryan Herta.

Jerry Lundquist of the "Richmond Times-Dispatch" mentioned Page in his review, saying, "Viewers lose. [Page's] professionalism was missed. Harris' enthusiasm for the event was over the edge." Lundquist also wrote, "Either [Harris] was told to or took it on himself to become Patrick's personal flack."

"Newsday" writer Steve Zipay said that in the final laps, Harris "raised the volume in what seemed suspiciously like rooting for Patrick." Two days later, on May 31, Zipay appeared on sportscaster Tim Brando's radio show on "The Sporting News"' radio network, and wondered if ABC seemed like too much of a cheerleader for Patrick.

The television broadcast of the race concluded with The Finn Brothers song "Luckiest Man Alive" being played during the credits. It is not known whether ABC Sports would have chosen a different song had Patrick had won the race.

References

Indy 500 Walker
Previous_race = 2004
Previous_winner = Buddy Rice
This_race = 2005
This_winner = Dan Wheldon
Next_race = 2006
Next_winner = Sam Hornish, Jr.