Add Category
Posted
At the end of 500 miles (805 kilometres) around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was a former Formula One driver who took the chequered flag.
He even drove for Andretti Autosport. It just wasn't Fernando Alonso.
Takuma Sato became the first Japanese winner of the Indianapolis 500 overnight when he denied Helio Castroneves a record-tying fourth victory as the two traded the lead in the closing laps.
"This is going to be mega big" in Japan, Sato said.
Dixon lucky to walk away as car destroyed
Pole-sitter Scott Dixon, already having a rough week because he was robbed at gunpoint at Taco Bell hours after turning the fastest qualifying effort in 21 years, was knocked out of the race in a terrifying crash in which his car sailed through the air and landed cockpit-first atop the inside safety fence.
Dixon's car was split in two amid sparks and flames.
The tub of the car remained intact and the 2008 champion was able to climb out on his own to a roar from the crowd.
He walked to a waiting ambulance while the race was placed under red flag and crews began to clean up debris scattered over hundreds of feet.
"Just a little beaten up there. It was definitely a rough ride," Dixon said.
Dixon had collided with Jay Howard, who blamed the incident on Ryan Hunter-Reay. He was a couple of laps down when Hunter-Reay tried to get around him and that forced him to the top of the track, where he wound up hitting the wall.
That impact sent Howard across the track and Dixon had nowhere to go.
Alonso leads for 27 laps but loses engine, Sato celebrates in style
The main issue facing Andretti Autosport was the reliability of its Honda engines. Alonso put on a thrilling show and even led for 27 laps — the third-most in the race — but he was sent to the paddock when his engine blew with 20 laps remaining.
The crowd gave the Spaniard a standing ovation as he climbed from his car.
"I felt the noise, the engine friction, I backed off and I saw the smoke and, yeah, it's a shame," Alonso said.
"It's a very nice surprise to come here with big names, big guys, the best in open-wheel racing and be competitive."
He still drank from a carton of milk to close out his experience at Indy, and did not rule out a potential return.
"The last two weeks, I came here basically to prove myself, to challenge myself," Alonso said.
"I know that I can be as quick as anyone in an F1 car.
"I didn't know if I can be as quick as anyone in an Indy car."
A joyful Sato dumped a bottle of milk over his head, received a kiss from the Indy 500 Princess and raised his finger in the air.
Michael Andretti ran down pit lane to reach Sato's crew, then rushed to hug his driver.
As for the difference between 2012, when Sato crashed in the first turn of the final lap racing Franchitti, Sato said his strategy this year was perfect.
"I was pointing in the right direction into [Turn] One," said Sato, who was congratulated in victory lane by Franchitti.
It was only the second IndyCar victory for Sato, who won driving for AJ Foyt in Long Beach in 2013 — a span of 74 races.
Reuters
Topics: indy, motor-sports, sport, united-states