2008 Indianapolis 500

Infobox Indy500
race_name = 92nd Indianapolis 500
race_
location = Indianapolis Motor Speedway
date = May 25, 2008
winner = flagicon|NZL Scott Dixon
mph = convert|143.567|mph|0|abbr=on
pole = flagicon|NZL Scott Dixon
pole_speed = convert|226.366|mph|0|abbr=on
fast_time = flagicon|NZL Scott Dixon
rookie = flagicon|USA Ryan Hunter-Reay
leader = flagicon|NZL Scott Dixon (115)
anthem = Julianne Hough
back_home = Jim Nabors
start_engines = Mari Hulman George
pace_car = Chevrolet Corvette
pace_driver = Emerson Fittipaldi
honorary_start = Kristi Yamaguchi
attendance = 400,000+cite news| url =http://www.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/10837847 | title =2008 Indianapolis 500 facts and figures | publisher =CBSSports.com | date = 2008-05-25 | accessdate = 2008-05-25]
network = ESPN on ABC
race start = 1:00 PM EDT
announcers = Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever, Jr.
rating = 4.5 [cite news| url =http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/SPORTS0107/80528044/1004/SPORTS | title =Final 500 numbers in| publisher =Indianapolis Star | date = 2008-05-28 | accessdate = 2008-05-28]
share = TBD
previous = 2007
next = 2009The 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was run on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, USA. Scott Dixon of New Zealand won the race from the pole position. It was the thirteenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and served as the showcase event of the 2008 IndyCar Series in DIRECTV HD season. It was the sixth round of the 2008 IndyCar Series season, after the 2008 RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 and before the 2008 ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225.

IndyCar Series practice began May 4. Time trials took place over the two weekends prior to the race (May 10–11 and 17–18). The final practice was held Friday, May 23.

chedule

Tuesday May 6, 2008 - IndyCar Series practice

*Weather: Mostly cloudy, convert|82|°F|0
*Practice summary: The first day of veteran practice saw 33 car/driver combinations take to the Speedway. AGR teammates Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan led the speed charts, with Ganassi and Penske entries also filling out the top ten. 2004 winner Buddy Rice put the Dreyer & Reinbold team back near the top of the speed chart for the first time in several years. No major incidents occurred. Early in the afternoon, Graham Rahal slid loose in the southchute, but maintained control and did not hit the wall. With rain in the forecast over the next two days, the participants logged 1,385 laps. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the Indianapolis area campaigning for the Indiana primary, visited the track as a guest of Sarah Fisher. Fisher went on to take her first laps on the track in the final hour of the session.

Friday May 16, 2008 - IndyCar Series practice

*Weather: Parly cloudy, convert|63|°F|0
*Practice summary: The final full day of practice saw heavy action. Pole winner Scott Dixon led the overall speed chart for the second time in two days. Of the non-qualified cars Will Power was the quickest. 1996 winner Buddy Lazier took his first laps of the month, while another second-week driver, Phil Giebler, was unable to make an on-track appearance. Three crashes, involving Ryan Briscoe, Will Power, and a less-serious one by E. J. Viso, brought the total of practice crashes to six for the month. Briscoe's crash occurred in his back-up car, while Power's must be repaired before qualifying. A total of 37 drivers and 40 cars took practice laps to date during the month.

unday May 18, 2008 - Bump Day time trials

*Weather: tba
*Practice summary:A. J. Foyt IV, still unqualified for the field, led morning practice at convert|219.184|mph|0|abbr=on. Also spending time on the track were Marty Roth, Buddy Lazier, Mario Dominguez, and Davey Hamilton who blew a motor late in the session.
*Qualifications summary:Shortly after the track opened for time trials, A. J. Foyt IV easily bumped his way into the field, bumping Marty Roth in the process. Later in the afternoon, Roth was able to secure a spot by bumping Buddy Lazier.

:After qualifying, A. J. Foyt IV took his car out for practice. The fuel buckeye cover broke off after he exited the pits, and in turn three, a fire started on the side of the car, causing him to spin and crash into the wall. The car was heavily damaged. With Roger Yasukawa on the bubble, Mario Dominguez made his first attempt to qualify, but was too slow.

:In the final half hour, the unqualified cars made their final attempts. Buddy Lazier's first attempt was too slow, and his team waved off after three laps. Mario Dominguez made his second attempt, and was able to bump Roger Yasukawa from the field. Yasakawa was the next to go out, and missed bumping his way back into the field by 0.046 seconds. Max Papis lined up to make an attempt, but lingering clutch problems prevented him from pulling out of the pits. With about 13 minutes remaining, Lazier returned to the track after some adjustments, and found enough speed to bump Dominguez. Dominguez made one final attempt to make the field, taking the green flag just before the 6 o'clock gun. After one lap that was fast enough to bump Marty Roth, he lost control and crashed in turn one. Roth and Lazier held on to make the field, while Papis was left waiting in line.

*(W) = Former Indianapolis 500 winner
*(R) = Indianapolis 500 rookie

Failed to Qualify:
#44 flagicon|ITA Max Papis
#88 flagicon|USA Phil Giebler
#96 flagicon|MEX Mario Domínguez
#98 flagicon|USA Roger Yasukawa

Race summary

Start

At 1:03 p.m., Mari Hulman George gave the command to start engines.cite news
url =http://www.indycar.com/news/index.php?story_id=11528
title =Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report - May 25, 2008
publisher =Indy500.com
date = 2008-05-25
accessdate = 2008-06-03] All cars except Sarah Fisher pulled away, but Fisher quickly caught up to the field. Emerson Fittipaldi pulled the pace car off the track after the third pace lap, and a well-aligned field took the green flag. Polesitter Scott Dixon took the lead into turn one, and led the first two laps. His teammate Dan Wheldon took the lead on lap three. On the 8th lap, Bruno Junqueira lost a mirror, and the first of many caution periods slowed the field.

Early segments

Nearly the entire field pitted on the first caution, with Buddy Rice staying out to lead. Sarah Fisher also stayed out, and moved to third. Moments later, she spun in the northchute while warming her tires, and lost 3 laps. When the green resumed, Dan Wheldon quickly regained the lead. He held it until lap 36, when Dixon passed him. At the same time, rookie Graham Rahal drifted high and hit the wall exiting turn four.

Marty Roth and Jamie Camara each brought out the yellow in the first half, suffering single-car crashes. Wheldon and Dixon continued to trade the lead.

On lap 94, Tony Kanaan charged into the lead. He set a new all-time record by leading a lap in seven consecutive Indy 500 races. He broke Rick Mears' record of six straight races led (1979-1984). His continuing bad luck at Indy returned however 11 laps later. Scott Dixon took the lead back on lap 105. Marco Andretti, Kanaan's AGR teammate, dove low in turn three to overtake, which was followed by Kanaan going high and into the marbles. Kanaan lost control of his car, brushing the wall, then collecting the lap car of Sarah Fisher. Both cars were heavily damaged. The caution was then extended when Jeff Simmons car suddenly veered and hit the inside wall on the frontstrech.

Second half

Marco Andretti gained the lead on lap 122. Dixon ran second, while Wheldon began to slip deep in the standings with handling problems. Justin Wilson brought out the yellow in turn 2 on lap 133 with yet another single-car crash. His crash was followed 20 laps later by Alex Lloyd, who brushed the wall in turn 4, and spun wildly into the pit area. Tomas Scheckter, who had been running amongst the leaders all afternoon, dropped out with a broken driveshaft.

On the lap 159 restart, Vitor Meira went three-wide and stormed into the lead. With Dixon second and Andretti third, the stage was set to decide the race between those three drivers. Other contenders, Helio Castroneves, Ed Carpenter, Danica Patrick, Ryan Briscoe, Oriol Servia and rookie Ryan Hunter-Reay, were battling for the balance of the top ten.

Patrick/Briscoe pit incident

On lap 169, Milka Duno dove below Buddy Lazier in turn three. The two cars touched slightly, and Duno spun to the warm-up lane. She suffered a flat tire, but was able to continue. The leaders all headed to the pits on lap 171 for what would be the final sequence of pit stops. At pit exit, Ryan Briscoe swung wide and clipped the right rear of Danica Patrick's car.cite news
url =http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080531/SPORTS0107/805310435/1052/SPORTS01
title =No regrets, no apologies for Patrick
publisher =IndyStar.com
date = 2008-05-31
accessdate = 2008-06-03] Patrick spun around, and Briscoe hit the pit wall. Both cars were eliminated. Patrick climbed out of the car, and started walking down towards the Team Penske pits, presumably to confront Briscoe.cite news
url =http://www.indy500.com/news/11521/Leads_115_Laps_For_First_Indianapolis_500_Victory
title =Leads 115 Laps For First Indianapolis 500 Victory
publisher =Indy500.com
date = 2008-05-25
accessdate = 2008-06-03] A security guard intervened, and she later walked back to her pit stall.cite news
url =http://www.indycar.com/news/index.php?story_id=11528
title =Perfect day: Scott Dixon starts, finishes first at Indy 500
publisher =IndyStar.com
date = 2008-05-25
accessdate = 2008-06-03]

Finish

With 24 laps to go, Scott Dixon led the field back to green. Vitor Meira ran second, and Marco Andretti third. The race went green the remainder of the distance, and Dixon held on by 1.7498 seconds to win his first Indianapolis 500. He became the 19th pole winner to win the race, and the first winner from New Zealand.

Full race results

Notes

Pole Position: Scott DixonFastest Race L
Marco Andretti

ee also

*List of Indianapolis 500 winners
*Indianapolis 500 year by year
*Indy Racing League
*2008 IndyCar Series season

References

External links

* [http://www.indy500.com Indy500.com - Official site]
* [http://www.indycar.com Indycar.com - Official site]
* [http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS0107 Indianapolis Star coverage]