Force Tries to Recapture Magic at Raceway Park

force tries to recapture magic at raceway park

 ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, site of this week’s 42nd annual NHRA SuperNationals, is not the venue at which one would expect drag racing icon John Force and his Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustang to end a victory drought that has extended through the season’s first seven races.

 

 After all, the 2008 inductee into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America hasn’t reached the winners’ circle at the New Jersey track since 1999.  That’s the longest he’s gone without a win anywhere in the NHRA Full Throttle Series. 

 

 Moreover, it’s not just exclusion from the winners’ circle that has plagued him.  In addition, he has started from the No. 1 qualifying position just three times 29 appearances. 

 

 The last time he started from the front at the Northeast’s biggest drag race was 1994.  That, too, is unprecedented, especially for a driver who this year has four No. 1s to his credit, a performance that enabled him to tie Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson for most career No. 1 starts with 138.

 

 Nevertheless, Force has not always struggled at Raceway Park, which is why rivals are casting a wary eye in the direction of the 15-time champion this week as the tour moves to the halfway point in determining the 10 drivers who will compete for the Full Throttle Championship in the NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs.

 

 In fact, the 62-year-old icon, winner of a tour record 132 events, has a memorable history at the track that first hosted an NHRA national event in 1971 (a year after the race that became the SuperNationals debuted in York, Pa.).

 

 The late Vinnie Napp, whose family still operates the facility, saw in a young and unpolished Force something others did not and, in the 1970s, was one of the first track operators to pay the champion-to-be to “match race” against other contracted opponents at feature shows on Wednesday and Saturday nights.     
 
 Napp’s willingness to invest in Force’s future not only helped pay the overhead for a team racing on dreams, fumes and, as Force recalled, “green bologna sandwiches,” it also provided the encouragement that helped keep the aspiring champion focused on the possibilities, even during the worst of times.

 

 His familiarity with the track helped the 15-time Auto Racing All-America selection reach the final round of what originally was the NHRA Summernationals in his very first appearance (1979).  He lost in the money round to Raymond Beadle, who would go on to the championship that year at the wheel of the already legendary “Blue Max.” 

 

 Although budget constraints kept him on the West Coast the next three years, Force returned to Raceway Park in 1983 and lost to Mark Oswald, again in the Summernationals’ final.  Three years later, he lost in the final to Kenny Bernstein.

 

 When he finally did win in 1993, it sent him on a blitz that included a 1996 victory followed by four consecutive trips to the finals from 1998 through 2001.

 

 His 1998 win included a national record-setting speed of 323.89 miles per hour that from May 17 through Oct. 30 was the fastest speed ever achieved – not only in the Funny Car division but in Top Fuel, as well.

 

 Those are Force’s memories of Raceway Park: racing against world champions in his first three final rounds, Vinnie Napp’s friendship and outrunning the dragsters.

 

 “I always look forward (to the SuperNationals) because of the history and the memories,” Force said. “Until Vinnie Napp took a chance on me, I’d never raced east of Phoenix.  That started it for me.  That was back in the days of ‘Jungle Jim’ (Liberman), the ‘Chi-Town Hustler’ (of John Farkonas, Austin Coil and Pat Minick), ‘the Snake’ (Don Prudhomme) and ‘the Mongoose’ (Tom McEwen).”

 

 Although Force hasn’t advanced out of the second round thus far this season, he shakes his head at those who wonder what is wrong. 

 

 “I’ve got a good hot rod, two good crew chiefs (in Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli and Ron Douglas) and a team of young guys that I love,” he said.  “And I’m driving my baby, Ashley’s, car (the Ford in which Ashley Force Hood won the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in both 2009 and 2010).  What could be better?  It’s a long season.  I ain’t worried (about not winning).”

 

 There’s no doubt, though, that if he could pick a place and time to turn things around, he’d choose this weekend at Raceway Park. 

 

Points Leader Neff Finds Dual Role ‘Exhausting’

points leader neff finds dual role ‘exhausting’

 ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – If things go as anticipated this week at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Funny Car points leader Mike Neff won’t be in actual competition for more than 16 or 17 seconds.

 

 During that time, his Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang will cover slightly more than three-quarters of a mile of straight-line real estate and yet, at the Sunday conclusion of the 42nd annual NHRA SuperNationals, he likely will be both physically and mentally exhausted.

 

 Such has been the case since the 44-year-old native Californian took on the dual responsibilities of driver AND crew chief this sason on the 8,000 horsepower hybrid that last year carried John Force to his 15th NHRA Funny Car championship.  Neff was crew chief then.  He’s much more now.

 

 “Trying to do both (jobs), it just wears you out,” said the man who, before moving over to John Force Racing in 2008, directed Gary Scelzii to the 2005 championship.  “I’m working on trying to get myself to be able to go the distance all year long, both mentally and physically.   My goal is to feel as good on the last run on Sunday as I do on the first one.”

 

 To this point, though, that hasn’t been the case.  Even though he won the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla., and has been runner-up in each of the last three Full Throttle tour events, Neff admits that it’s been a struggle.

 

 “At the end of Gainesville, I was just mentally drained,” he said.  “Even though it was the best day of racing I’ve ever had, I was exhausted.  To go to a final round as either driver or crew chief is, in itself, a mentally draining deal.  Just about anybody will tell you that they’re worn out at the end of the day.  

 

 “Doing both jobs just puts more pressure on you,” said the former motocross rider.  “I’m more tired at the end of the day.  When I was just the crew chief, I was busy, but I had down time where I could just chill out. 

 

 “Same thing as a driver,” he continued.  “You’ve got nothing but down time when all you do is drive.  Drivers can sit around in the air conditioning before a run, listen to their ITunes, suck on their oxygen or whatever else they gotta do to get themselves ready before the run.

 

 “Well, I can’t do that,” Neff emphasized.  “I’m running up there looking at the track.  I’m trying to figure out the set up, I’m trying to tell everybody what they need to do and then, at the last minute, I’ve got to throw on my crap and get in the car.”

 

 Still, he wouldn’t have it any other way.  
 
 “I’m very pleased with the way things have gone so far,” he said.  “We’ve been to the last three final rounds, the car’s running good and my team is great.  That’s what’s making this even possible. They’re so good at what they do (that) I don’t even have to worry about the car and the maintenance or anything like that. 

 

 “My goal at the beggining of the year was to make the Countdown,” Neff said. “That’s the first priority.  Now, if I could go into the Countdown in the Top 3, I would be thrilled with that.”

 

 The 2008 NHRA Rookie of the Year, Neff won what he thought might be the last race he ever drove – the 2009 Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif.  After earning that breakthrough first victory, he climbed out of the cockpit to take over crew chief responsibilities on the Mustang driven by his boss, John Force.

 

 He responded by sending Force to his 15th NHRA title and now, he’s tuning and driving virtually the same car, a hybrid Mustang that has appeared in 15 of the 30 Funny Car finals contested over the last 15 months with seven wins.

 

 Force, meanwhile, has moved over one pit spot to drive the Castrol Mustang vacated by his daughter, Ashley Force Hood, is expecting her first child in August.

 

 “I just want to be a contender and have a chance,” Neff said.  “Right now, I’m rooting for my teammates, especially Force, to get rolling because it’s going to take all three of us thumping for one of us to win the championship.

JEGS NHRA Super Nationals

Team JEGS / Pre-race Notes
NHRA Super Nationals
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
Englishtown, N.J.
June 2-5

 

The NHRA Super Nationals in Englishtown will mark the halfway point in the ten-event 2011 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. Troy Coughlin will once again be in action with his turbocharged JEGS.com Pontiac GTO.

 At the most recent event, at Atlanta Dragway, Troy turned in his best performance of the season reaching the semifinal round after posting wins against Donald Martin and Melanie Troxel.

 In Atlanta, Troy recorded an elapsed time of 5.95 seconds, one of the quickest runs ever recorded by a small block powered Pro Mod entry.

 Troy finished fourth in the 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. He is currently ranked 10th after his impressive showing in Atlanta.

 In his last trip to Englishtown for the 2010 Super Nationals, Troy turned in one of his best qualifying performances with a 5.92 that was good for the No. 4 spot. In eliminations, he lost a first round battle against eventual series champion Von Smith.

 In 2010, Troy was the only driver to qualify for all ten events in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. He also qualified in the top half of the field four times and his average qualifying position was No. 9.

 Troy’s first Pro Mod victory came at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park as he drove his supercharged Mustang to the victory at the 2005 Super Nationals, defeating Zack Barkledge in the final round.

 In addition to Troy’s Pro Mod win in 2005, the rest of the JEGS Mail Order team has enjoyed considerable success at Old Bridge Townships Raceway Park. Jeg Coughlin Jr. won three Pro Stock titles in Englishtown in 1998, 2000 and 2009 and claimed the Super Gas win in 1997. Mike Coughlin also claimed his first national event title at Englishtown in 1999 when he earned the Pro Stock Truck title.

 Troy will once again be racing a Pontiac GTO in Gainesville that is owned by Team JEGS crew chief Jake Hairston and his family. The car is powered by a 396-cid turbocharged engine and has already run speeds of nearly 250-mph. Troy is currently awaiting completion of his own Chevy Camaro that will also feature a turbocharged engine combination.

 During his Pro Stock career, Troy made ten appearances in Englishtown. He qualified seven times including a best of No. 4 in 1998.

 While racing in the NHRA Pro Stock class, Troy recorded two wins in 12 final round appearances. He also won the 2000 NHRA Winston Showdown in Bristol, Tenn., as special $50,000 to win non-points event.

 Troy has won NHRA national event titles in three classes; Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Super Gas. His first title came in Super Gas at the 1991 U.S. Nationals.

 Troy is a former National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Pro Street champion. While racing his Pro Street car, he also won the $50,000 Big Dog event at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C.

 In 2007, Troy became the first NHRA Pro Mod racer to win a round of competition with a turbocharged race car when he stopped Doug Palmer in Bristol, Tenn.

 The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr, and TJ has combined for 91 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in 9 different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster.

 

Team JEGS – By the Numbers
NHRA Super Nationals

 4 – Troy Coughlin’s finish in the 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series

 6 – National event victories by the Coughlin family in Englishtown (Three in Pro Stock, one in Pro Mod, one in Pro Stock Truck and one in Super Gas)

 9 – Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory

 12 – Final rounds for Troy Coughlin during his NHRA Pro Stock career

Sides Outlasts Meyers for I-96 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Victory

Sides Outlasts Meyers for I-96 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Victory

 Tennessean holds off Meyers, Dollansky for 3rd win of ’11 at wild Michigan event

 

LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — May 30, 2011 — Jason Sides was determined to win something with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at I-96 Speedway on Monday night. The driver from Bartlett, Tenn., had purchased a body’s length of 50-50 tickets for the night’s draw and came up just short in his bid to win the $900 pot. Instead, Sides pocketed $10,000 as he took the checkered flag for the third time this season after outlasting the field on a night of attrition.

“We had to endure a lot tonight,” said an exhausted Sides, after holding off Jason Meyers to finally win on the fourth attempt at a green-white-checkered finish. “We lost some water out of the radiator during one of the red flag periods so that worried us. Bill Rose also got a good jump on us but we were able to track him back down.”Rose, racing for his first World of Outlaws victory, appeared to be playing the role of the spoiler on the night. The rookie from Plainfield, Ind., started the night’s main event on the pole and didn’t even make it all the way down the backstretch when the first red flag flew. An eight-car incident on the front straightaway halted the race and had serious implications on the points battle as 20-time champion Steve Kinser went end-over-end in a violent wreck that also involved Kerry Madsen, Lucas Wolfe and more. Kinser eventually emerged from the wreckage and walked back to the pit area under his own power. Madsen also was unharmed and helped track officials clean up the mess.

“It was a whole bunch of guys going for the same real estate and there wasn’t much to be had,” said Madsen, the Australian driver of the #92 P.I.H.A KPC. “I honestly could see what all was going on but it was extremely unfortunate that our night had to end before it ever really got started.”Throughout the first third of the race, Sides and Rose traded the top spot with Rose using a great restart to run away from Sides. Eventually, Sides moved back in front and held on throughout the end of the race. As the laps began to wind down, two-time I-96 Speedway winner Meyers charged through the field in his #14 Allstar Performance/DDNI/GLR Investments KPC and appeared to be closing in on Sides as Rose ran out of fuel with only a handful of laps to go.

“I wanted the three-peat here at I-96 (Speedway) but to come from 10^th to second tonight was still a great run,” said Meyers, the 2010 World of Outlaws champion. “It’s something we are really proud of and we can get rolling now. We can’t wait to be back at the track.”Another hard charger was Craig Dollansky in the #7 Big Game Treestands Maxim. Dollansky used the outside line to pick off his competitors as the laps wore down.“We were pretty good as the laps clicked by,” said Dollanksy, of Elk River, Minn. “We ran a little bit harder tire than some of the other teams and it really brought out the best in our car towards the end.”

Meyers and Dollansky each got one chance as the final red flag period of the night saw Paul McMahan flip in nearly the same spot as Kinser and Madsen at the beginning of the race. McMahan climbed from his battered machine and walked away from the scene. Using an impressive jump at the end, Sides drove off from the field with Meyers second, Dollansky third, Donny Schatz fourth and the night’s fastest qualifier, Chad Kemenah, rounding out the Top 5.

Further back in the pack, points leader Joey Saldana was involved in two separate accidents but still managed a Top-10 finish to wind up extending his lead to 12 points over second place which is now held by Schatz. Kinser dropped to third with Meyers and Sides completing the top 5 that’s only separated by 69 points.The Outlaws now head for the heartland with visits to the Bellville (Kan.) Highbanks on Friday, June 3, and Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. on Saturday, June 4.

I-96 SPEEDWAY NOTEBOOK    QUICK TIME – Chad Kemenah was the night’s fastest qualifier with a lap around the four-tenths mile oval in 15.989 seconds, earning five championship points. Donny Schatz, Jason Sides, Bill Rose and Kerry Madsen also earned qualifying points. It marked Kemenah’s second Quick Time of the season.

 

Makenna Brown lands first Junior Dragster win of season

Makenna Brown lands first Junior Dragster win of season

HEBRON, Ohio (May 30) – Rain finally stayed away from National Trail Raceway over the weekend, which was all Makenna Brown needed to drive her JEGS.com Junior Dragster 2 to a win and a runner-up result at the two races contested at the Columbus-area facility.

Saturday was supposed to be the sixth race of the year, but thanks to persistent rain that seems to have followed the tour around this season, it was only the second to be fully completed. Brown took advantage of the situation and claimed low qualifier honors before powering through the field and beating Nicholas Altenbach in the final to score her first win of 2011.

Seven Junior Dragster 2 cars entered the race, so Brown’s No. 1 qualifying effort was worth a bye-run in the first round. In the semifinals, Brown cut a .082 second light and made a 9.057 second pass at 70.57 mph on an 8.98 second dial-in, which resulted in an easy victory.

Brown’s win against Altenbach was sealed at the starting line when he red-lighted by -.042 seconds. Brown was a model of consistency with a .056 second light followed by a pass of 8.977 at 73.73 mph on an 8.99 second dial-in.

An eight-car field lined up on Sunday with Brown easing through to the finals once again with two consistent winning runs: a 9.046 at 70.19 mph on an 8.98 dial-in and a 9.047 at 71.41 mph on an 8.99 dial-in. In the final, Brown jumped the light by -.032 seconds and fouled out.

With the victory and runner-up result, Brown is now third in the season standings, 22 points off the pace.

BIG CROWDS, EXCITEMENT GREET JFR AT INDY 500 WEEKEND

BIG CROWDS, EXCITEMENT GREET JFR AT INDY 500 WEEKEND

BROWNSBURG, IN (May 30, 2011) — The inaugural trip to the Indy 500 was a whirlwind of fans, drivers, media and overall excitement for the drivers of John Force Racing. Over the course of three days John Force, Robert Hight, Mike Neff and Courtney Force signed autographs and mingled with fans on three different occasions at the John Force Road Show at the corner of 16^th Avenue and Georgetown located just outside the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. JFR also hosted thousands of fans on Saturday before the 500 at their Brownsburg shop during the 5^th annual Brownsburg Motorsports Network event.

“I just want to thank all the fans that came to our shop on Saturday. It was a busy day and we had people coming and going for over hour solid. I want to especially thank all my people for working all day to make sure everything went well. That means a lot to me and to the Brownsburg community,” said John Force.

On Friday Force as well as Hight, Courtney and Neff signed autographs at the John Force Road Show. A constantly growing crowd was impressed with all six of the Funny Cars on display and they enjoyed the videos highlighting NHRA Full Throttle Racing as well as information about other motorsports series. After the autograph session the group moved inside The Speedway for the first time. Joined by NHRA President Tom Compton, the JFR group explored pit road and the famed Indy garage area. Throughout the afternoon fans and crewman stopped the group and asked for autographs or to pose for photos. John

Force took a few minutes to talk with Indy legend AJ Foyt. Force was impressed with the size of The Speedway especially the sprawling press room where he and Compton met with a number of national media members to talk about the 2011 NHRA season, his first impressions of Indy and his young drivers.

“It was an honor to meet AJ Foyt. He is a real Texas gentleman. We walked and walked all over that place. They offered me a golf cart but I wanted to be out there with the fans. We got to spend some time with Chip Ganassi and we just missed seeing Snake,” said the 15-time world champ.  “I can’t thank the folks at the Indy 500 enough they rolled out the red carpet for us, probably because we had Tom Compton with us. I can’t thank him enough for taking extra time out of his schedule to go with us. We got to spread the gospel for three days and on Sunday our Road Show was packed. I was worn out at the end but that is what we do. I can’t wait to get to Englishtown.”

 On Saturday morning Force attended the AARWBA Indy breakfast where he again talked about how special attending his first Indy 500 was and what it meant to be talking about the NHRA to a new crowd of fans.

“I want to thank the Hulman-George family for inviting me to watch the race from their family’s suite. That is something this ole truck driver from California never thought would happen. It was an unbelievable weekend,” concluded Force.

On Sunday morning Force wrapped up his media obligations with a pre-race sit-down interview with WISH-TV. Force watched the race as a guest of the Hulman-George family and was blown away by the overall crowd and atmosphere.

 

WHELDON WINS 100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500

WHELDON WINS 100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500 AS HILDEBRAND CRASHES ON FINAL LAP

INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 29, 2011) – JR Hildebrand stood beside A crumpled car and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to discern just what transpired on the final lap of the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500.

The 23-year-old Californian was a few hundred yards from being the first rookie to win the race since Helio Castroneves in 2001 and creating a storyline that would follow him into the record books. But, as all veterans will say, nothing is for certain in 200 laps of racing on the 2.5-mile strip of asphalt.

Hildebrand’s No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car drifted up the track exiting Turn 4 and smacked the SAFER Barrier. Dan Wheldon, the 2005 race and IZOD IndyCar Series champion, was Danny on the spot for the victory.

Wheldon’s No. 98 William Rast-CURB/Big Machine car for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian overtook Hildebrand’s sliding car and crossed the start/finish line under yellow. Chief steward Brian Barnhart said there’s no requirement for cars not involved in an accident to stay behind those involved/disabled.

“It’s a fantastic achievement everybody at Bryan Herta Autosport,” said Wheldon, his voice choking with emotion. “I love everything about Indianapolis – the tradition, the fans, the history.”

A Panther Racing car has been the Indy 500 runner-up the past four years (including 2009 and ’10 driven by Wheldon).

Wheldon, who started sixth, said his surprise of seeing Hildebrand car make heavy right-side contact with the SAFER Barrier turned to “relief.” Wheldon was running fifth with 10 laps remaining, but jumped into contention when race leader Bertrand Baguette pitted for a splash on Lap 197 and he overtook Scott Dixon a lap later.

“I was just trying to go as hard as I could,” continued Wheldon, who was competing in his first race of the season. “I knew it was the last lap and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel (he pitted on Lap 177). I’ve been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Hildebrand, who inherited the lead when Baguette pitted, said he was trying to conserve fuel (he last pitted on Lap 164) on the white flag lap.

“I knew we were really tight on fuel coming to the end, and the spotters were in my ear saying, ‘The guys are coming and they’re coming hard,’ ” said Hildebrand, who qualified 12th (the fastest rookie). “We had to conserve a little fuel and the tires were coming to the end of their stint. I was hanging a little on to get the thing around.

“I made a judgment call catching up on the 83 (the lapped car driven by fellow rookie Charlie Kimball) and I thought I don’t really want to slow down behind him and pull out on the straightaway, and I’ve been able to make this move on the outside before and so I went to the high side and because it was at the end of the stint I got up in the marbles and that was it.

“I’m OK, but this is not really about me at this point. You always show up to try to win. My disappointment is for the team and for National Guard as a sponsor. It’s one of the those things, as a driver, you never really know what you’re going to expect. We knew we had a fast race car. We knew if the race came to us, we may be in a position to sort of finish top three, top five.”

Graham Rahal, who started 29th, finished third for his second consecutive podium, and Tony Kanaan charged from 22nd to finish fourth. Dixon, who started in the middle of the front row and led a field-high 73 laps, faded to fifth, and Oriol Servia, who started on the front row, was sixth.

Franchitti, the 2010 race winner, led 51 laps and was running second on Lap 195. But he had to pit for a splash of fuel on Lap 199 and finished 12th.

Tomas Scheckter advanced 13 positions to finish eighth and Marco Andretti picked up 18 spots to finish ninth. Andretti Autosport teammate Danica Patrick was 10th.

There were 23 lead changes among 10 drivers and seven cautions for 40 laps. Patrick led 10 laps late in the No. 7 Team GoDaddy car, but had to pit with 10 laps left.

Cody Coughlin turns in season-best finish in Columbus

Cody Coughlin turns in season-best finish in Columbus

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 29) – Late Model Stock Car racer Cody Coughlin used some home cooking at Columbus Motor Speedway to bring home his season-best finish at the Coughlin Cars 100 on Saturday night.

 

“It was great to wake up in my own house and not be rushed to get to the track,” said Coughlin, who lives in nearby Delaware, Ohio. “I was a little nervous for the race but I was excited.”

 

Coughlin put the JEGS.com Chevy No. 11 on the starting grid, completed all 100 laps of the race, and brought the car home in 12th place in the second race of the 2011 JEGS/CRA Allstars Series schedule.

 

“I was nervous about qualifying because that’s been a weak point of mine,” said Coughlin, whose best qualifying lap time was 14.153 seconds. “We qualified 11th and that was great. We started the race and I could hear the fans cheering when they announced my name. That was special.”

 

Coughlin said it was a typical rough-and-tumble short track race on the one-third mile track, but he kept his cool and advanced as high as seventh in the field before crossing the finish line in 12th position. The official results have yet to be posted and Coughlin might have made it into the top-10.

 

“I was able to save it all of those times (there was contact),” Coughlin said. “I missed a ton of wrecks so that was exciting. We got seat time, finished on the lead lap, and learned a bunch so I am very happy with it considering all the action.

 

“When I got out of the car I was really tired but it was nice seeing my mom, dad, sister, and crew. It was a great night and I’m thankful to all the JEGS associates that were here for their support.”

 

The 15-year old Coughlin will jump right back in to the car on June 4 for the next stop on the JEGS/CRA Allstars Series in Anderson, Ind.

 

INDY 500 RESULTS

Pos	Start	No.	Driver	Sponsor	Pts	Status	Laps	Make
1	6	98	Dan Wheldon	William Rast	59	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
2	12	4	J.R. Hildebrand	National Guard	44	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
3	29	38	Graham Rahal	Service Central	38	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
4	22	82	Tony Kanaan	GEICO	36	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
5	3	2	Oriol Servia	Telemundo	45	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
6	2	9	Scott Dixon	Target	42	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
7	14	30	Bertrand Baguette	RACB	30	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
8	21	07	Tomas Scheckter	Redline Xtreme-Circle K	28	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
9	27	26	Marco Andretti	Venom Energy	25	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
10	25	7	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy.com	23	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
11	8	67	Ed Carpenter	Dollar General	26	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
12	9	10	Dario Franchitti	Target	24	Running	200	Dallara-Honda
13	28	83	Charlie Kimball	Levemir	20	Running	199	Dallara-Honda
14	5	12	Will Power	Verizon	26	Running	199	Dallara-Honda
15	11	14	Vitor Meira	ABC Supply	19	Running	199	Dallara-Honda
16	19	22	Justin Wilson	Z-line Designs	18	Running	199	Dallara-Honda
17	16	3	Helio Castroneves	Shell/Pennzoil	17	Running	199	Dallara-Honda
18	7	44	Buddy Rice	Unsponsored	20	Running	198	Dallara-Honda
19	30	19	Alex Lloyd	Boy Scouts	15	Running	198	Dallara-Honda
20	31	36	Pippa Mann	Conquest Racing	15	Running	198	Dallara-Honda
21	32	24	Ana Beatriz	Ipiranga	15	Running	197	Dallara-Honda
22	17	43	John Andretti	Window World	16	Running	197	Dallara-Honda
23	33	41	Ryan Hunter-Reay	DHL	16	Running	197	Dallara-Honda
24	15	11	Davey Hamilton	HP	16	Running	193	Dallara-Honda
25	24	23	Paul Tracy	Wix Filters	13	Running	175	Dallara-Honda
26	4	99	Townsend Bell	Herbalife	21	Accident	157	Dallara-Honda
27	26	6	Ryan Briscoe	IZOD	13	Accident	157	Dallara-Honda
28	1	77	Alex Tagliani	Bower & Wilkins	25	Accident	147	Dallara-Honda
29	13	06	James Hinchcliffe	Sprott	14	Accident	99	Dallara-Honda
30	20	88	Jay Howard	Service Central	14	Accident	60	Dallara-Honda
31	23	78	Simona De Silvestro	Nuclear Clean Air	14	Mechanical	44	Dallara-Honda
32	18	59	E.J. Viso	PDVSA	14	Accident	27	Dallara-Honda
33	10	5	Takuma Sato	KV Racing	14	Accident	20	Dallara-Honda

Dan Wheldon won Sunday’s 100th anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500

Dan Wheldon won Sunday’s 100th anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500 after leader J.R. Hildebrand crashed on the final turn of the last lap.

Wheldon, who also won the 2005 Indy 500, was runner-up the past two years and appeared destined for another second-place showing until Hildebrand, a 23-year-old rookie driver, slammed into the outer wall.

Wheldon crossed the finish line first. Hildebrand skidded across second in his wrecked car with American Graham Rahal third, Brazil’s Tony Kanaan fourth and Spain’s Oriol Servia fifth.