By Peter M. De Lorenzo
Detroit. It was a spectacular day of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday and in a stirring finish, Ryan Hunter-Reay willed his way past Helio Castroneves and held him off by 0.06 seconds - the second closest finish in history - to win the biggest race of his life in the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500.
It was a fast race, with no cautions until Lap 150, and then as the laps wound down the excitement of a great finish gripped The Speedway, with the tension mounting as only the "500" seems to be able to do. Hunter-Reay, Castroneves and Marco Andretti were vying for the lead and the win, with Carlos Munoz and Juan Pablo Montoya within striking distance, but in reality it was a duel between Castroneves and Hunter-Reay, with those two drivers - and their racing machines - clearly just a bit better than the rest of the field.
But just as the race was reaching a crescendo, Townsend Bell - who had hung tough and run well all day - wrecked in a big way on Lap 191, leaving a debris field coming out of Turn 2 that caused the officials to wisely throw a red flag, stopping the race for a clean-up. And even though it broke the rythym of the race, as Castroneves pointed out afterward, it set up a great finish.
The move of the race came when Hunter-Reay caught Castroneves by a surprise with an inside move - clipping the grass at 220 mph, no less - going into Turn 3 after the re-start. And even though Helio recovered to get back by with a gritty outside pass in Turn 1, Hunter-Reay's guts and determination would not be denied on his greatest day as a racing driver, as he re-passed Castroneves for the win with a similar move on Lap 199. "That was the move of the race," commented team owner Michael Andretti on Hunter-Reay's inside move going into Turn 3. "I think that caught Helio completely off guard and threw off his plan for the rest of the race," the leader of Andretti Autosport continued. "I think that was the move that did it."
It may not have been quite as momentous as the heroic duel between Rick Mears and Michael Andretti back in 1991 but it was a scintillating finish nonetheless, with Hunter-Reay becoming the first American driver to win The Greatest Spectacle in Racing since Sam Hornish Jr. did it back in 2006. "I was always trying to get here," Hunter-Reay said. "To even have a shot at it is unbelievable. When you look at the NASCAR side of racing, it's all Americans. Open-wheel is a very international sport. The best talent from around the world is here doing battle in every type of discipline — ovals, street circuits, road courses, short ovals. It's the only championship in the world like that. It's a true drivers' championship."
Indeed. Hunter-Reay's jubilation was understandable. People may have forgotten this but it wasn't too long ago that Hunter-Reay was scrambling for a ride, knocking on doors and wandering the garages looking for something, anything to keep his driving dream alive. He has had to claw and scrape and fight his way to where he is today, and it makes it all the more sweeter for him.
The Indianapolis 500 is the one race in the world that every driver wants to win, no matter where they're from. It's the stuff driver's dreams are made of and on Sunday, Ryan Hunter-Reay got to experience his dream firsthand.
Congratulations to Ryan Hunter-Reay, Michael Andretti, Honda and the entire Andretti Autosport organization for a superb effort.
(Editor's Note: See more coverage of the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 in "The Line" - WG)
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Jubilation! Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner of the 2014 Indianapolis 500.
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Ryan Hunter-Reay, wife Beccy Gordon (with son Ryden), Michael Andretti and the Andretti Autosport DHL team celebrate in Victory Lane on Sunday.
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Ryan Hunter-Reay, wife Beccy Gordon and son Ryden at the traditional winner's morning after photo shoot at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
(Photo By Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
With the famous Borg Warner Trophy.
(Photo by Jim Haines/IMS)
Michael Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay bask in the glow of a great win - and the warm Indiana sunshine.
Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD
(Photo courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, Tuesday, June 1, 1965. The Morning After: Jim Clark, Colin Chapman and Team Lotus celebrate Clark's dominant victory in that year's Indianapolis 500.
Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD