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2006 Indianapolis 500
90th running of the Indianapolis 500 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 90th Indianapolis 500 was an IndyCar Series motor race held on Sunday, May 28, 2006, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was the premier event and fourth round of the 2006 IndyCar Series season. The race was won by Sam Hornish Jr., who earned his first and only win at Indianapolis. Hornish, a two-time Indy Racing League champion (2001, 2002) had never finished in the top ten at Indy in six previous starts. The win marked the record-extending fourteenth Indianapolis 500 victory for Marlboro Team Penske. Hornish Jr. would later win the 2006 IndyCar Series championship (his third overall), becoming the second driver in a row to win the Indianapolis 500 and season championship in the same season.
The track opened for practice on May 9, thus beginning the Month of May festivities. Time trials were scheduled to be held on May 13–14 and May 20–21, however, the first two days were rained out. Pole qualifying was rescheduled to May 20, and Bump Day was held on May 21. Carb Day, the traditional final day of practice, was held on May 26, alongside the Pit Stop Challenge and the Freedom 100. Hornish Jr. was one of the favorites to win throughout the month, setting the fastest laps of multiple practice sessions and winning the pole position.
In one of the most dramatic finishes in Indianapolis 500 history, 19-year old rookie Marco Andretti took the lead with three laps to go, after passing his father Michael Andretti on the outside of turn one. Marco Andretti battled Sam Hornish Jr. over the final two laps, holding off the challenge until the final straightaway. On the final lap, Hornish passed Marco Andretti about 450 feet from the finish line to take the win. It was the first time in the 90-year history of the event that a driver would successfully make a pass for the lead on the final lap en route to victory. Despite Andretti's loss, he was unanimously named Rookie of the Year.
The margin of victory was 0.0635 seconds – just over one car-length – which was the second-closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history at the time (as of 2025, it is the third-closest finish). Defending race winner Dan Wheldon dominated much of the race, leading a race-high 148 laps. However, a small tire puncture forced him to make his final pit stop earlier than planned, which coupled with an untimely caution period, saw him slip to fourth place at the finish.
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Race background
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The Indianapolis 500, commonly shortened to the Indy 500, is an annual race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a four-turn, 2.5 mi (4.0 km) asphalt oval circuit, in Speedway, Indiana, United States.[1] The event is contested by "Indy cars", a formula of professional-level, single-seat, open cockpit, open-wheel, purpose-built race cars. Since its inaugural running in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has become a staple of Memorial Day weekend and one of, if not the, most prestigious races in motorsports.[2] Dan Wheldon was the defending race winner.[3]
Chevrolet and Toyota both announced their withdrawals from the IndyCar Series after the 2005 season, leaving Honda as the sole engine provider for all teams for 2006 and beyond.[4][5] IndyCar's single-engine program allowed costs to be reduced for teams who were looking to buy or lease an engine.[6] It marked the first time since 1960 that every entry in the Indianapolis 500 would be fielded with the same engine.[7]
A new series initiative introduced the use of ethanol fuel. As part of a two-year roll-out, all entries for 2006 were required to utilize a 10% ethanol and 90% methanol fuel blend (E10).[8][9] While this was the first time all entries in the Indianapolis 500 utilized ethanol fuel, it was not the first time that ethanol was used during the race.[10] Leon Duray's Miller car was fueled by ethyl alcohols in 1927, and Art Sparks claimed to have used ethanol in his cars in 1937–1939.[3]
The final hour of each practice and qualifying session for the Indianapolis 500 was known as "Happy Hour" because the cooler track temperatures, caused by the sun setting behind the front-stretch grandstands, produced significantly faster speeds. As a result, many teams would scramble to put down the fastest lap of the session before time expired.[11] However, a month prior to the 2006 Indianapolis 500, Indiana began using daylight saving time for the first time in over 30 years, inadvertently ending the "Happy Hour" tradition.[12]
2006 IndyCar Series
The Indianapolis 500 was the fourth round of the 2006 IndyCar Series season.[13] Marlboro Team Penske driver Hélio Castroneves entered the event with the Drivers' Championship lead, having earned 146 points and two wins in the first three races of the season.[14] Wheldon trailed Castroneves by 42 points.[15] Sam Hornish Jr. earned 94 points and placed third in the standings.[16] Scott Dixon, with 92 points, and Tony Kanaan, with 89 points, took the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.[15]
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Race schedule
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Entry list
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The official entry list for the 2006 Indianapolis 500 was released on April 13, 2006.[18] Entry invitations were mailed to eligible race teams on February 22, and the deadline was set on April 5.[19] Sixty-six cars for 38 entries were featured on the entry list, with 26 drivers being named to the entries.[20] By May 7, the entry list had been updated, with 31 car-driver combinations being announced.[21] Among the drivers entered were six former winners of the race and three race rookies.[20][22] Each car used Honda Indy V8 engines and Firestone tires. Dallara and Panoz were the chassis providers.[3]
Team and driver changes
The biggest storyline heading into the Indianapolis 500 revolved around Wheldon, who opted to drive for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2006, despite winning the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar championship with Andretti Green Racing the previous season.[23] Replacing him in the No. 26 entry would be third-generation driver Marco Andretti, who was one of the three race rookies.[24] Andretti's father, Michael Andretti, announced his comeback from retirement to compete in the Indianapolis 500 alongside his son, driving the one-off No. 1 entry for Andretti Green Racing.[25][26]
Similarly, 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever made his return to the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 2002.[27] During his hiatus, Cheever exclusively focused his efforts on his ownership role at Cheever Racing.[28] Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. also came out of retirement and returned to the Indianapolis 500.[29] He was teamed with 1996 winner Buddy Lazier in the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-prepared No. 31 car.[30]
On March 23, Rahal Letterman Racing filed three entries for the Indianapolis 500, which were to be driven by 2004 race winner Buddy Rice, 2005 Rookie of the Year driver Danica Patrick, and series rookie Paul Dana.[31] However, after Dana was killed in a practice crash at Homestead–Miami Speedway on March 26, team co-owner Bobby Rahal selected seven-time Indy Pro Series winner Jeff Simmons to drive Dana's No. 17 entry for the remainder of the season, including the Indianapolis 500.[32]
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Testing and Rookie Orientation
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The Rookie Orientation and Refresher Programs, the latter of which were for drivers who didn't race in the previous Indianapolis 500, took place at Indianapolis on May 7 and May 8, with ten drivers partaking in the test sessions.[17][33] Rookie Orientation consists of four phases; the first phase features speeds between 195 and 200 mph (314 and 322 km/h), the second phase features speeds between 200 and 205 mph (322 and 330 km/h), the third phase features speeds between 205 and 210 mph (330 and 338 km/h), and the fourth phase features speeds above 215 mph (346 km/h). The rookie drivers had to pass all four phases in order to be eligible to race in the Indianapolis 500.[34]
Testing – October 2005
On October 6 and October 7, 2005, a test was conducted at Indianapolis to evaluate Firestone tires. Castroneves, Wheldon, and Rice, all of whom were past Indianapolis 500 winners, were the lone participants.[35] No incidents were reported, and all three drivers were happy with the test.[36][37]
Open test – Wednesday April 5
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An open testing session was held on April 5, 2006, in order to assess the efficiency of the Honda engines.[38] Seventeen drivers participated in this open test session, which started 42 minutes late due to cool track temperatures.[39] As a result of the late start, the session was extended by an hour and finished at 5:00 PM (UTC−04:00).[36] Dixon was fastest in the session with a speed of 226.012 mph (363.731 km/h).[40] A total of 1,404 laps were completed by the seventeen drivers without incident.[41] Lazier and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing were scheduled to take part in this testing session, but withdrew after one of their cars suffered an electrical fire at Homestead.[39]
Opening Day and Rookie Orientation – Sunday May 7
May 7, the opening day for the Indianapolis 500, began with a celebration of the Andretti family. Mario, Michael, and Marco Andretti completed a three-wide ceremonial lap around Indianapolis, with Mario driving the same car with which he won the pole position for the 1967 Indianapolis 500.[43] At 12:10 PM local time, Marco Andretti became the first driver to complete a lap on opening day, and passed the Rookie Orientation along with P. J. Chesson.[33][44] Michael Andretti, Unser Jr., Arie Luyendyk Jr., and Townsend Bell participated on the first day of refresher testing, with Andretti setting the fastest lap of the day at a speed of 220.999 mph (355.663 km/h) and easily passing his test.[45] Four caution flags were thrown during the session, three of which were for debris and one for a mechanical issue involving Bell, who stopped his car at the entrance of pit lane.[34]
Rookie Orientation – Monday May 8
On May 8, the second day of Rookie Orientation, eight drivers took to the track under sunny conditions.[47] Bell set the fastest lap of the five-hour, incident-free session with a lap of 221.381 mph (356.278 km/h).[34] He and Thiago Medeiros passed the rookie test, while Luyendyk Jr., Larry Foyt, and Unser Jr. all passed the refresher test.[48] With an hour remaining in the session, Michael Andretti lent his son his No. 1 Honda for a handful of laps around the circuit because of complaints that Marco had about his own No. 26 Honda regarding grip.[47]
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Practice – Week 1
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Tuesday May 9
The day began with a parade lap featuring all six previous winners of the Indianapolis 500 (Wheldon, Rice, Castroneves, Cheever, Lazier, and Unser Jr.) who were competing in the event. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears waved the green flag to begin the lap.[49] The track was later opened to all entries at 12:14 PM local time, with Wheldon and Kosuke Matsuura being the first drivers to go on track.[50] Eleven minutes into the session, Dario Franchitti brushed the wall in the chute between the third and fourth turns, bringing out the first caution.[34] After three cautions for debris and track inspection, Cheever's car lost power in turn three and was towed to pit road, causing the fifth caution of the day.[51]
Weather conditions throughout the day were slightly warm but cloudy, and rain fell on the track with fifty minutes remaining, thus prematurely ending the session.[52] Hornish Jr. set the fastest lap of the day within the first hour of the session, at a speed of 224.811 mph (361.798 km/h). He and his teammate Castroneves, who was second-quickest with a speed of 224.106 mph (360.664 km/h), were driving their back-up cars when they put down their quickest laps.[53] They later drove with their primary cars and set the fifth and sixth-fastest laps of the day.[52]
Wednesday May 10
Professional pool player Jeanette Lee was given the honors to wave the green flag to signal the start of the session at noon.[55] Only three minutes into the session, Simmons lost control of his car exiting the first corner and spun to the inside of the track, making slight contact with the retaining wall.[34] Simmons' car was repaired and he rejoined the track less than an hour later.[56] Overcast conditions persisted at Indianapolis, and the session was stopped twice due to rainfall.[57] Ultimately, rain forced the track to close at 3:57 PM local time.[34] Hornish Jr. was again the fastest driver of the day, with a top speed of 226.056 mph (363.802 km/h).[57]
Thursday May 11
For the third consecutive day, rain limited track activity. The session was scheduled to begin at noon, but rain forced the session to be postponed and instead start at 1:54 PM local time.[59] Rice experienced a violent crash when his car oversteered as he entered the second turn and slammed into the outside SAFER barrier. The crash was eerily similar to a crash that Rice suffered at the same spot in 2005, which kept him out of that year's Indianapolis 500.[34] Rice suffered contusions to both knees and was initially uncleared to race,[60] but was medically revised and permitted to race the next day.[61] He and Marty Roth, who spun on the front straightaway almost an hour later and suffered no damage, caused the only incidents of the day.[62] The session was cut short by moist track conditions with 22 minutes remaining.[59] Once again, Hornish Jr. topped the speed charts at 226.789 mph (364.982 km/h).[63]
Fast Friday – Friday May 12
Indiana Fever players Tamika Catchings and Tamika Whitmore were set to wave the green flag at noon to begin "Fast Friday".[65] However, intermittent rainfall dampened the speedway, forcing IndyCar to cancel all track activity for the day.[66] A random draw was held that same day to determine the order of time trials the next day, and Jeff Bucknum drew first in line.[67]
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Time trials – Weekend 1
Pole Day – Saturday May 13
Under the race's qualification procedure, nicknamed "11-11-11" and introduced in 2005, the first eleven positions were to be filled on Saturday, with bumping occurring for these positions until 6:00 PM in order to determine the pole winner and the top eleven starters of the Indianapolis 500.[68][69] However, for the second day in a row, all track activity was cancelled due to inclement conditions.[70]
Second Day – Sunday May 14
Due to the cancellation of Pole Day, the second day of time trials permitted the first 22 positions to be filled.[34] A pre-qualifying practice session was scheduled to be held at 9:30 AM, but was instead postponed to 1:21 PM due to track drying.[71] The session was also split into two groups, and cut short at 2:15 PM after a moist track surface was reported in the first and second turns.[34] Wheldon lapped the fastest speed of the month of May during the session at 228.663 mph (367.997 km/h).[72] Qualifying was postponed to the following weekend because of the continuous rainfall, marking the first time since 1983 that the first two days of qualifying were rained out.[73]
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Practice – Week 2
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Wednesday May 17
Eddie Gill of the Indiana Pacers waved the green flag to commence the practice session. He later rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater car.[74] The track was exclusively opened at 11:45 AM for race rookies and veterans who hadn't participated in the previous Indianapolis 500; the track was opened to all entries after 30 minutes.[34] For the seventh time throughout the month of May, rain brought an early end to the session at 4:38 PM.[75] Hornish Jr., with a top speed of 224.381 mph (361.106 km/h), was the fastest driver of the session, which went without any incidents.[76]
Thursday May 18
The practice session, which was planned to begin with country artist Blaine Larsen waving the green flag, was delayed by over three and a half hours due to rainfall, marking the eighth consecutive day that track activity was hindered by poor weather.[78] Only ten minutes into the session, Luyendyk Jr.'s car crashed into the SAFER barrier exiting turn one, causing the first caution of the day.[79] The second stoppage occurred with about fifteen minutes remaining, when Medeiros' car also backed into the SAFER barrier at the same spot. Neither driver was injured.[80] The brief session was called off at 5:42 PM, when even more rain drenched the track surface.[34] With a fastest lap speed of 224.951 mph (362.024 km/h), Hornish Jr. topped the charts yet again.[78]
Friday May 19
Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Jack Keefer from Lawrence North High School set about the final full-practice day leading up to the Indianapolis 500.[82] Weather conditions were initially clear of any clouds; however, by 2:00 PM, skies had become partly cloudy, and rain briefly returned yet again at 5:30 PM, though it quickly cleared off.[34] At 2:37 PM, Roth experienced his second incident of the month when he spun while exiting the third turn, making no contact with the barrier.[82] Almost three hours later, Simmons slammed the outside wall in turn one just seconds after putting down his fastest lap of the day. He was uninjured and cleared to drive for time trials the following day.[83] For the sixth time throughout May, Hornish Jr. lapped the quickest speed at 227.925 mph (366.810 km/h).[84]
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Time trials – Weekend 2
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Pole Day – Saturday May 20
Pre-qualifying practice
The preluding practice session leading up to time trials began at 9:30 AM.[34] Unlike the other practice sessions, this session was divided into two groups, with each group receiving thirty minutes of track time. From 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM, practice would be open for all entries.[86] Hornish Jr. turned a lap at 229.996 mph (370.143 km/h) during the session, which was the fastest lap of the month.[87]
Qualifying
This is the best day of my life at the Speedway. Hopefully we can be in this same position next Sunday, too.
Sam Hornish Jr., following time trials on Saturday.[88]
Qualifying began at 12:00 PM local time, and was held under sunny and fairly windy conditions, with air temperatures reaching 64 °F (18 °C).[88] Because the first two days of time trials were rained out, all 33 positions were available to be filled on Saturday, including the pole position.[86] Hornish Jr. continued his sheer dominance of the month of May by earning the pole position with a fastest four-lap average speed of 228.985 mph (368.516 km/h); this marked his tenth career pole position in IndyCar and his first in the Indianapolis 500; it was also the record-extending thirteenth race pole for Team Penske.[89][90] Castroneves, Hornish Jr.'s teammate, earned the second position at 228.008 mph (366.943 km/h), and Wheldon took third at 227.338 mph (365.865 km/h).[91] The only incident of the day occurred when Roth spun exiting the first turn during an hour-long practice session in between qualifications.[88]
During Franchitti's first qualification attempt, he experienced engine trouble after three laps and was waved off the track. Franchitti's team changed his engine and he was able to ensure a spot in the Indianapolis 500 three hours later.[88] Bell was the lone driver to withdraw his first qualifying attempt, and improved his starting position from 16th to 15th as a result of his second attempt.[92] Thirty-two drivers secured positions in the Indianapolis 500, and leading into Bump Day, the battle for the 33rd and final position would be decided between Roth and Medeiros, neither of whom made a qualifying attempt on Saturday.[93]
- W - Former Indianapolis 500 winner
- R - Indianapolis 500 rookie
Bump Day – Sunday May 21
Pre-qualifying practice
Rock artist Scott Stapp waved the green flag at 10:15 AM local time to open the track for an hour-long practice session.[95] Jaques Lazier was the fastest driver of the morning session, at 218.576 mph (351.764 km/h).[96]
Last Chance Qualifying
The qualifying session on Bump Day, which ran for six hours beginning at noon local time, was held in conjunction with a practice session for drivers who had already qualified for the race.[97] Weather conditions during the session were again warm, with air temperatures reaching 70 °F (21 °C), though skies were mostly cloudy.[95] Hornish Jr., driving his back-up car, led the speed charts with a fastest lap of 226.256 mph (364.124 km/h); however, not long after posting the fastest lap, Hornish Jr. crashed into the SAFER barrier exiting turn one.[98]
At 5:08 PM local time, Medeiros, driving a car leased from Fernández Racing, took to the track for the first time since his crash on Thursday and completed his qualifying attempt with a four-lap average speed of 215.729 mph (347.182 km/h).[99] The battle for the final spot in the Indianapolis 500 was seemingly about to intensify when driver Ryan Briscoe planned to make a qualifying attempt in the No. 48 car, prepared by A. J. Foyt Racing.[95] However, with 23 minutes remaining, Roth slid into the outside SAFER barrier in turn one while making a practice run, ending his hopes of "bumping" his way into the Indianapolis 500.[100] The resultant caution period also denied a chance for Briscoe to drive on the track and ultimately kept him out of the Indianapolis 500 as well.[101] Roth and Briscoe's misfortunes ensured Medeiros the 33rd and final starting position of the race.[98]
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Post-qualifying practice
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Carb Day – Friday May 26
Carb Day was the final day of practice before the Indianapolis 500. The hour-long session began at 11:00 AM local time.[103] Hornish Jr. drove a lap at 220.698 mph (355.179 km/h), becoming the fastest driver of the day.[104]
Pit Stop Challenge
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The 30th annual Checkers/Rally's Pit Stop Challenge was held on Friday, May 26, after the completion of the Freedom 100.[103] The ten participating teams were announced three days prior, along with a new format for the event.[106] All ten teams would complete a simulated pit stop during the qualification round; the two fastest teams would automatically advance to the semifinals round, the third- through sixth-fastest teams would advance to the quarterfinals, and the slowest four teams would be eliminated.[107] The fastest two teams in the quarterfinals would then advance to the semifinals, where they would face off against the two fastest teams from qualifying. Finally, the top two teams from the semifinals would advance to the finals to determine the winner.[106]
Castroneves was the fastest driver in qualifying; he and Franchitti, Hornish Jr., Rice, Dixon, and Kanaan advanced to the event, while Andretti, Wheldon, Bryan Herta, and Patrick were eliminated.[103] With a final-round pit stop of 8.0852 seconds, Castroneves and Team Penske went on to win the Pit Stop Challenge and the $50,000 winner's purse, marking his second win in the event.[108] Castroneves' semifinals pit stop, which timed in at 7.7365 seconds, was the fastest pit stop in the history of the Pit Stop Challenge.[109]
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | |||||||||
| Hélio Castroneves (Team Penske) | 7.7365 | ||||||||||
| Buddy Rice (Rahal Letterman Racing) | 9.7450 | Buddy Rice (Rahal Letterman Racing) | 9.2871 | ||||||||
| Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) | 12.2402 | Hélio Castroneves (Team Penske) | 8.0852 | ||||||||
| Dario Franchitti (Andretti Green Racing) | 8.4428 | ||||||||||
| Dario Franchitti (Andretti Green Racing) | 8.4471 | ||||||||||
| Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green Racing) | 8.6719 | Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green Racing) | 11.7395 | ||||||||
| Sam Hornish Jr. (Team Penske) | 8.6923 | ||||||||||
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Starting grid
- W - Former Indianapolis 500 winner
- R - Indianapolis 500 rookie
- Failed to qualify
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Race report
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After a considerable amount of rain throughout the month of May, race day for the Indianapolis 500 was sunny and quite hot. Ambient temperatures topped out at 89 °F (32 °C), making this the fourth-hottest running of the event on record (at the time).[111] It was later reported that 225 fans sought relief from first-aid stations during the race due to heat exhaustion.[112] Track temperatures were also measured in between 120 and 126 °F (49 and 52 °C).[113] The race began at 1:11 PM local time;[34] Lance Armstrong drove the pace car,[114] while Sugar Ray Leonard was given the honors of being the honorary starter and waved the green flag to begin the Indianapolis 500.[115]
First half
All 33 drivers began the race in rows of three, and Castroneves pulled ahead of pole sitter Hornish Jr. entering the first turn. Hornish Jr. would eventually fall to the third position behind Wheldon, who was 0.1285 seconds behind Castroneves by the end of the opening lap.[116] The first yellow flag of the race was issued on the second lap, when Bucknum lost control of his car in turn two and spun, unintentionally collecting his teammate Chesson in the process. Both drivers slammed the outside wall and retired from the race, though neither driver was injured.[117] Castroneves continued to lead the race during the first rolling restart on lap 7, though he was overtaken by Wheldon three laps later.[118] As Castroneves was relegated outside the top five positions, Wheldon led 25 consecutive laps.[119]
On lap 23, Medeiros and P. J. Jones entered pit road, marking the beginning of green-flag pit stops.[117] A lap later, Medeiros became the third retiree of the race, suffering from electrical issues.[120] Wheldon elected to stay out until lap 35, giving up the lead to Hornish Jr. for three laps and Kanaan for one lap before regaining the lead on lap 39.[113] After pit stops ended, a long period of green-flag racing ensued; Wheldon used this period to his advantage, lengthening his lead over Dixon (who passed Hornish Jr. for the second position on lap 65) to 20.6733 seconds.[116] Foyt, Stéphan Grégoire, and Luyendyk Jr., all of whom struggled with handling issues,[121] retired from the race on the 43rd, 49th, and 54th laps, respectively.[113] The yellow flag wouldn't fly again until lap 67, when Tomas Scheckter's car broke loose exiting the fourth turn and backed into the outside SAFER barrier. Scheckter then slammed into the attenuator on pit lane.[122] Moments after the crash, Jaques Lazier ran over Scheckter's rear wing and sent it high in the air and into the grandstands behind pit lane. Five fans were injured in the incident, though none received serious injuries.[120] Racing resumed on lap 76, and Wheldon preserved his lead after he and many other drivers entered pit road for four tires and fuel.[117]
Second half
Race leader Wheldon was again one of the last drivers to pit during the second round of green-flag pit stops, which commenced on lap 91.[34] Wheldon finally pitted on the 108th lap; Dixon inherited the lead for the next three laps before Wheldon utilized his slipstream to overtake him on lap 111.[117] The second caution was necessitated that same lap, when Castroneves collided with Rice in the third turn, sending both drivers hard into the SAFER barrier.[123] While neither driver was injured, Castroneves' retirement marked the first time in his career that he would fail to finish the Indianapolis 500.[120] Two laps after the restart on lap 123, Dixon moved past Wheldon for the race lead in the first turn. Wheldon briefly fell back to third before fighting his way back and passing Dixon in turn three on lap 128.[113] Wheldon only led two laps before Hornish Jr. made his way up to the lead in turn one.[116] With Wheldon in hot pursuit, Hornish Jr. held onto the lead for the next 15 laps before Wheldon finally got by him in turn three.[113]
On lap 149, Unser Jr. precipitated the fourth caution period of the race after spinning down the back-stretch and crashing in the third turn.[123] During the caution, problems arose for a handful of teams. Simmons left his pit stall with the fuel hose nozzle still attached. The hose tore, and Simmons' car dropped the nozzle out on the track in turn three.[117] Hornish Jr. also attempted to exit his pit stall with his fuel hose attached, only he struck a crew member in the process; as a result, he was issued a drive-through penalty.[124] Meanwhile, Simmons, driving with cold tires,[123] had only worsened his day as he crashed into the SAFER barrier in the third and fourth corners on lap 155, ending his race. The caution period was prolonged as a result of Simmons' wreck.[113] Five laps later, Hornish Jr. and Michael Andretti ducked into pit road for their final fueling of the race as part of their strategy to be in position to win by the end.[125]
As Wheldon led the drivers back to green-flag racing on the 162nd lap, Hornish Jr. assessed his penalty, though his left-rear tire was hit from behind by Bell, who was penalized for the same reason as Hornish Jr.. Bell also hit a cone and received damage to his suspension, forcing him to retire,[122] while Hornish Jr. rejoined the track nearly thirty seconds behind Wheldon.[126] Wheldon's teammate Dixon was also handed a drive-through penalty on lap 175 for what officials deemed to be an "aggressive" block on Kanaan, who passed him for the second position. The penalty shunned Dixon out of contention for the win.[127] In the meantime, the battle for the lead had intensified with twenty laps to go, as Kanaan diminished his gap behind Wheldon by a significant amount. On lap 183, Wheldon approached on the lapped car of Matsuura and was momentarily blocked, giving Kanaan the opportunity to dart to the lead on the inside line.[128] Wheldon made an effort to take back the lead in the third turn, but as he and Kanaan got by the slower car of Max Papis, he slid up into the marbles in turn four and punctured a tire.[129] A lap later, Wheldon made an unscheduled pit stop to alleviate his tire issues.[118]
Many of the highest-running drivers, including second-place Marco Andretti, came into pit road for their final stop as the laps wound down.[34] Felipe Giaffone, who had been struggling with his car the entire race, drove up the track in the second turn to avoid colliding with race leader Kanaan. However, Giaffone drifted into the marbles and made contact with the outside SAFER barrier, damaging his right-front and rear suspensions; he became the thirteenth retiree of the race and permitted the yellow flag on lap 190.[121] Once pit road was reopened on lap 193, teammates Kanaan and Franchitti surrendered their first and second positions, respectively, for a final load of fuel,[130] which gave Michael Andretti the race lead.[125] His son Marco legally slipped by the pace car exiting pit road, and was shifted up to the second position.[131] Dixon was lined up third, and Hornish Jr. climbed up to fourth.[132]
Finish
The green flag waved again with four laps to go,[133] and Hornish Jr. promptly passed Dixon in the first turn for third. Michael Andretti only led a single lap under green-flag conditions before Marco drove to the outside lane and pulled ahead of his father in turn one on lap 198.[134] With Herta running behind the Andretti duo, he was placed with the responsibility of blocking Hornish Jr.; however, Herta was no match for the hard-charging Hornish Jr., who easily breezed by him on the front-stretch as Marco made his pass on his father.[126] Exiting turn two, Michael tried to block Hornish Jr. and protect his son's lead, though to no avail.[34]
Marco led Hornish Jr. by just over half a second on lap 199.[113] Hornish Jr. was able to cut down Marco's gap by catching his slipstream down the backstretch. He made a move to the inside line entering turn three, but was forced to back off after Marco blocked him and nearly sent him off the racing surface.[126] Marco took the white flag with a seemingly insurmountable 0.9454-second gap over Hornish Jr..[117] Marco continued holding his lead down the back-stretch, but by the time the two leaders reached turn four, Hornish Jr. began to reel him in.[126] Marco made a last-ditch effort to preserve his lead by blocking Hornish Jr. on the outside lane.[132] Hornish Jr. then charged to the inside and executed a slingshot pass in the final 450 feet (140 metres).[135] He beat Marco Andretti to the finish line by 0.0635 seconds, the equivalent of about 15 feet (4.6 metres), to earn his first Indianapolis 500 victory.[136] The gap between Hornish Jr. and Marco Andretti was the second-closest margin of victory in Indianapolis 500 history (at the time).[137] It was also the first time in race history that a driver completed a pass for the lead on the final lap to win the race.[138]
Michael Andretti, in his fifteenth attempt to win the Indianapolis 500, finished third in what was his second-best finish in the race.[125] Wheldon, who led a race-high 148 laps, failed to defend his victory in 2005, though he finished a respectable fourth.[129] Kanaan passed two competitors on the final restart to take a fifth-place finish.[128] Dixon, Franchitti, Patrick, Sharp, and Vítor Meira rounded out the top ten.[133] Ed Carpenter, Buddy Lazier, Cheever, Papis, Matsuura, Roger Yasukawa, Jaques Lazier, Airton Daré, Jones, and Herta were the final classified finishers.[119] Five caution periods slowed the race for 44 laps,[119] and the lead was traded fourteen times amongst seven different drivers.[139]
Post-race
Hornish Jr. celebrated his win with his team in victory lane; he earned the Borg-Warner Trophy and collected winnings of $1,744,855 from a record purse of $10,518,565.[140] Hornish Jr. reflected on the challenges he faced during the race and how he overcame them: "It's been a long month, and not everything went our way as we saw today. But we stuck together as a team. We had a good plan, and we were fast when we needed. I thank God for giving me a lot of talent, not so much the fact for what I can do driving but the fact that I didn't want to give up. And then He also put me with such a great team and gave me great parents and a great wife to support me very much."[136] During a subsequent press conference Hornish Jr. explained that his sudden surge in speed while approaching the finish likely came from his heavy usage of fuel on the final lap.[141] Team owner Roger Penske, who earned his fourteenth Indianapolis 500 win, compared Hornish Jr. to four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and admitted he was at fault for Hornish Jr.'s miscue on pit road.[142] On July 18, Hornish Jr. and Penske were invited to the White House by president George W. Bush, who congratulated Hornish Jr. for the win and praised IndyCar's usage of ethanol fuel.[143]
Second-place finisher Marco Andretti was proud of what he accomplished, but disappointed in the final result: "Like I said, it does feel awesome and, you know, I can't complain, I almost won the Indy 500 my first year in it. It's just the way as a competitor, I don't want to finish second. I don't want to wait until next year. I know I have a lot of shots at it, but I wish it was this year. Got to take advantage of every shot."[144] Michael Andretti was also somewhat dejected, but praised his son for his performance during the race: "I felt so I felt so bad for Marco, but I'm so proud. He drove a hell of a race. I drove with him a hell of a lot in that race. He drove like a champion. He drove like he's been out there 10 years."[145] Marco's grandfather Mario was equally as laudatory of his finish: "He matured so tremendously throughout the month. This is one event where you have time (to prepare) and Marco took full advantage to learn something new. He did his job. It was a very steep learning curve for him."[134] Marco was named Rookie of the Year for the 2006 Indianapolis 500,[146] though his close loss reminded journalists, such as Jim Litke of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[147] and Mike Harris of Eugene Register-Guard,[148] of the supposed Andretti curse.
None of the 33 cars in the race, which were all powered by Honda, encountered engine issues; it is believed to be the first time in Indianapolis 500 history that this has occurred.[149] Robert Clarke, president of Honda Performance Development, commented on this feat: "It's an amazing accomplishment for everyone at Honda Performance Development and our technical partner at Ilmor. I'm both extremely proud of the result and grateful for the incredible effort put forth by all of our associates leading up to today's race. Congratulations to Sam [Hornish] and Roger [Penske] for a great ‘500'. Their team fought back from adversity and gave us a thrilling finish today."[149] This was also the final Indianapolis 500 for public address announcer Tom Carnegie, who had commentated every edition of the event since 1946.[150] Carnegie cited health issues, particularly related to his legs, as the reason for his retirement, which he announced on June 9.[151]
The finishing order of the race shrunk Castroneves' Drivers' Championship lead to 12 points behind Hornish Jr., while Wheldon fell from second to third in the championship standings.[127] Dixon and Kanaan maintained their fourth and fifth positions, respectively.[128]
Box score
Summarize
Perspective
W Former Indianapolis 500 winner
R Indianapolis 500 Rookie
All entrants utilized Firestone tires.
- ^1 — Includes three bonus points for leading the most laps.
Race statistics
Broadcasting
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Perspective
Television
The race was televised live in the United States on ABC Sports, except in Indianapolis on WRTV, where it was tape-delayed to primetime because the seats were not sold out.[154] Veteran announcer Marty Reid served as the play-by-play commentator for the first time, while Scott Goodyear returned as driver analyst. Joining them in the booth was 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Rusty Wallace, who served as co-analyst with Goodyear.[155] Brent Musburger took the role of hosting the race broadcast.[155] Jack Arute, Vince Welch, Jerry Punch, and Jamie Little served as pit reporters.[3]
Viewership for the event declined by 23.1% compared to the previous year's broadcast, with a 5.0 rating and a 14 share.[156]
Radio
The race was carried live on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.[157] Mike King was the race's chief announcer. Davey Hamilton served as the race analyst, while Dave Wilson, Donald Davidson, and Chris Economaki served as color commentators.[3]
References
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