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Indy 500 by FOSA USA's Clint and FOSA Canada's Marilyn Yokley
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One For The History Books
Everyone who follows Motorsports knew the 2005 Indianapolis 500 was going to be big, but few realized that it would forever change open wheel racing. On that day a calm yet daring young rookie, female, attractive, eyes of steel and a handshake to match gave the rest of the boys all they could handle and then some. 23 year old Danica Patrick won the hearts of millions worldwide. People who had never followed racing before became race fans. Cell phones were ringing around the globe with 10 to go. A woman was about to win at Indy they said! Ultimately she didn't win, Dan Wheldon won the 2005 Indy 500 and his likeness goes on the Borg Warner Trophy. Danica Patrick's likeness however is embedded into the minds of the world. Rahal-Letterman and Danica Patrick changed racing forever. Now the question is; can she do it again?
Dan Wheldon, in his Jim Beam/Klein Tools sponsored Andretti-Green Racing Honda became the first British born driver to take the checkered flag at the greatest spectacle in racing since Graham Hill won in 1966. He took the lead for the final time with 6 laps remaining after the Argent Honda of Danica Patrick had to slow with fuel pressure issues. "This has been a dream come true for me," Wheldon said. "I've loved the Indianapolis 500 ever since I was a little kid in England. And you can see what a race it is." Wheldon's win gave team owner Michael Andretti the one thing he never achieved during his career, a win at Indianapolis. "The curse is finally over" said a jubilant Andretti on the victory podium. The Indy 500 has dogged the Andretti family for decades, with Mario winning once and both he and Michael falling out too many times to count due to crashes and mechanical failures. For Michael to beat Rahal, Penske and Ganassi, the drink of milk was indeed sweet.
The month of May saw the Rahal-Letterman team have more ups and downs than a lap of the old Nurburgring long course. Reigning Indy 500 champion Buddy Rice is side lined due to a mid month crash during practice; Kenny Brack whom Rice replaced last year, comes back from his own disastrous crash in 2003 to replace Rice. Rahal's goldmine rookie phenom Danica clicks off the fastest lap of the entire month during practice; makes a few rookie mistakes in the race that take out a few cars; stalls in the pits; and still almost wins her first 500. She led the race 3 times for a total of 19 laps before nearly running out of fuel. Vitor Meira finished second to Dan Wheldon in the 500; however he seemed to be lost in Danica-mania. Vitor's entire month of May flew under the radar as Rice, Patrick and Brack held the media interest. Surely it must have seemed disappointing to Meira. No matter what he did all month long, a pat on the back and a 'Good job Vitor' was his reward from the press. During the race he was hit in the hand by a piece of flying debris as he dodged a crash. He finished the race basically driving with one hand due to the pain. When he removed his glove after finishing second his hand was covered in blood. Meira remained humble in his post race quotes, simply stating; 'I don't know if we had anything for Dan, but we had that yellow ... but that's OK. We'll take it. Second place today is due to the crew. Every time I came in, I gained two or three spots. They were perfect today." If there was ever a prime example of a true team player, then Vitor Meira is it.
Danica Patrick has rocketed into the limelight as the darling of the IRL this year whether she wanted to or not. She's become the idol of millions of women around the world. (and men who will admit it) Some reporters see Patrick as a gimmick in Tony Georges IRL. Anyone with this train of thought need only watch her on the track. She paid her dues in Europe racing against current F1 drivers in feeder series. This woman shows up to win! Unlike many of her female predecessors Danica has a team that can give her a winning car on any given day. She will win races in the IRL, and soon. Danica's biggest challenge is to not get overwhelmed by the media. She made 27 TV appearances in one whirlwind day in New York City. Her participation in the Indy 500 netted ABC a 40% increase in ratings this year (6.6 rating with a 17 share). The Indy 500 ratings soundly beat the NASCAR crash fest in Charlotte NC (4.8 rating) for the first time in 10 years. Want to bet the NASCAR offers will be coming Danica's way? You know they will. Bobby Rahal saw this young diamond several years ago and signed her. If he's smart he'll keep her under contract for life no matter what the cost. Rahal-Letterman can now name their ticket to whatever series in the world they wish to race in. They must also keep the IRL PR people off her back and let the kid do her primary job, race the car.
May in Indianapolis is a festive time for drivers, crew, and fans. It begins with the ROP (rookie orientation program) designed to test new drivers who wish to race at IMS. Drivers must pass through 4 carefully monitored stages of increasing speeds. Veteran drivers and IMS staff study the rookies lines through turns and give a pass or fail grade. If Johnny Rutherford aka 'Lone Star JR', Al Unser Sr. aka 'Big Al' and Rick Mears aka 'Rocket Rick' say you don't have the right stuff, well, you pack your bags and go home. It's as simple as that. Then comes several days of practice leading up to pole day. Drivers say the run for the pole at Indy is perhaps the scariest thing they will ever do. Four laps totaling 10 miles, trimmed out for the fastest speed possible is a white knuckle seat of the pants run. Tony Kanaan took the pole for this years 500, but only because rookie phenom Danica Patrick had a brief wiggle in turn one of her first lap at around 235mph.
There were numerous qualifying and schedule changes this year for the Indy 500. Qualifying was set up to grid the field of 33 over three days, locking 11 positions on each qualifying day. Rain washed out the first day so the IRL locked 22 positions on the second day. The third and final qualifying day, called Bump Day saw just one car bumped. Rookie Arie Luyendyk Jr was bumped by veteran Felipe Giaffone for the 33rd and final spot on the grid. This was probably a blessing in disguise for the rest of the field as young Arie had all of a day and a half in the car prior to his qual run. The Indy 500 is no place for a driver to run his first ever race at over 200mph.
Carburetion (Carb) Day was moved from its traditional Thursday slot to the Friday before the race this year. Carb Day must be seen to be believed. It's very much like an outdoor Rolling Stones concert with a Woodstock feel. Carb day is really not the place to bring small children. Scantily clad women and men in various states of inebriation abound on Carb Day. Some call it a frat party of 70,000. The final hour long pre-race practice for the IRL teams takes place, the 100 mile Infinity Pro Series race and a pit stop competition for cash and team bragging rights. It's a fun day, albeit a bit on the rowdy side. One reporter said to me, 'These are not the race fans that will be here Sunday. These people are here to party!' The Black Crowes performed an infield concert for Carb Day this year. Moving Carb Day to Friday was a huge success for the speedway.
People often ask about the cool camera shots that the world feed transmits on race day at Indy. There were 51 cameras covering the 500 this year, not including the on-board car mounted cameras. The majority of track level camera work is shot with robotic panning cameras mounted on the tracks outer walls. It's simply far too dangerous to have a man standing there so 100K robotics rigs are the current state of the art in race coverage. Dan Belue of Robovision Inc showed us their infield compound along with a tour of the world feed master control truck. ABC has their own master control truck to handle pit reporting and their graphics. ABC mixes their shots and graphics with the world feeds on-track master. Hundreds of miles of coax, triax, and fiber optic cable are used to broadcast the Indy 500.
The slicing and dicing began at the drop of the green flag, with Kanaan, Hornish and Franchitti swapping the lead several times during the early laps. History was made on lap 56, when Danica Patrick became the first female to lead the 500. The race was run at a frantic pace under a warm sun. Most of the green flag racing saw lap speeds in the 225-226mph (qualifying) range, which is rare at Indy. The usual scenario will see speeds drop back 5-7mph during the race. The flat out racing this year was likely due to the newly resurfaced track that afforded substantially more grip than in recent years. There were several crashes however, which resulted in several spinal injuries after contact with the SAFER barrier. Veteran drivers Kenny Brack and Jeff Ward had the sense to park their ill handling cars rather than be in the way of the leaders. Others such as Marty Roth and Jimmy Kite had to be black flagged by race control to pull behind the wall. Penske Racings Sam Hornish Jr's bad luck continued at Indy. In six starts, he has yet to complete all 200 laps. Former F1 driver, Tomas Enge was running in the top 10 when he spun during a late race incident. When the checkers waved, there were a total of 27 lead changes, just 2 shy of the all time record.
The Usual Suspects: No column on any IRL race would be complete without a bit about the Foyt team being too slow and in the way for those drivers racing for the win. As painful as it is to say, the Foyt team does not belong on the track. The team does not have the staff capable of setting up a car to run a safe race speed. It's sad actually that a man of AJ Foyt's historic past is unable to land a sponsor willing to step up and spend the money to be competitive. Next up is Scott Sharp. This guy is possibly the most dangerous driver to ever climb into an open wheel car. He routinely drives others right down into the grass with hazardous blocking moves and was black flagged for dangerous driving during the 500. Scott Sharp has been dangerous for years. Some things never change.
People will remember the 2005 Indianapolis 500 for a variety of reasons: The rookie phenom; the third British born driver to win; the new qualifying format; the party atmosphere; the injuries; the broken curse; etc. One thing is certain; this year's race has sparked a renewed interest in open wheel racing in America, and that why we will remember it.
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Results Sunday of the 89th Indianapolis 500 IRL IndyCar Series event at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (16) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
2. (7) Vitor Meira, Panoz-Honda, 200, Running
3. (18) Bryan Herta, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
4. (4) Danica Patrick, Panoz-Honda, 200, Running
5. (9) Buddy Lazier, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running
6. (6) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
7. (3) Scott Sharp, Panoz-Honda, 200, Running
8. (1) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
9. (5) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Toyota, 200, Running
10. (24) Ryan Briscoe, Panoz-Toyota, 199, Running
11. (26) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Toyota, 199, Running
12. (15) Sebastien Bourdais, Panoz-Honda, 198, Accident
13. (22) Alex Barron, Dallara-Toyota, 197, Running
14. (14) Adrian Fernandez, Panoz-Honda, 197, Running
15. (33) Felipe Giaffone, Panoz-Toyota, 194, Running
16. (27) Jaques Lazier, Panoz-Toyota, 189, Running
17. (8) Kosuke Matsuura, Panoz-Honda, 186, Accident
18. (17) Roger Yasukawa, Dallara-Honda, 167, Garage
19. (10) Tomas Enge, Dallara-Chevrolet, 155, Accident
20. (11) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Chevrolet, 154, Accident
21. (25) Patrick Carpentier, Dallara-Toyota, 153, Mechanical
22. (21) Jeff Bucknum, Dallara-Honda, 150, Accident
23. (2) Sam Hornish Jr., Dallara-Toyota, 146, Accident
24. (13) Scott Dixon, Panoz-Toyota, 113, Accident
25. (20) Richie Hearn, Panoz-Chevrolet, 112, Accident
26. (23) Kenny Brack, Panoz-Honda, 92, Mechanical
27. (31) Jeff Ward, Dallara-Toyota, 92, Handling
28. (28) A.J. Foyt IV, Dallara-Toyota, 84, Handling
29. (19) Darren Manning, Panoz-Toyota, 82, Mechanical
30. (12) Bruno Junqueira, Panoz-Honda, 76, Accident
<31. (29) Marty Roth, Dallara-Chevrolet, 47, Handling
32. (32) Jimmy Kite, Dallara-Toyota, 47, Handling
33. (30) Larry Foyt, Dallara-Toyota, 14, Accident
Race Statistics
Winner's average speed: 157.603 mph
Time of race: 3:10:21.0769
Margin of victory: Under caution
Cautions: 8 for 46 laps
Lead changes: 27 among 7 drivers
Lap leaders: Hornish 1-2, Kanaan 3, Hornish 4-7, Kanaan 8-25, Franchitti 26, Kanaan 27-37 Kanaan, Hornish 38-54, Franchitti 55, Patrick 56, Junqueira 57-58, Hornish 59-97, Kanaan 98-100, Hornish 101-111, Kanaan 112-115, Hornish 116-119, Kanaan 120-122, Franchitti 123, Kanaan 124-135, Franchitti 136-143, Kanaan 144-145, Franchitti 146-149, Wheldon 150-161, Meira 162-164, Wheldon 165-171, Patrick 172-185, Wheldon 186-189, Patrick 190-193, Wheldon 194-200.
89th Indy 500 Winners Transcript
Dan Wheldon, Michael Andretti, Kim Green, Kevin Savoree
Sunday, May 29, 2005
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: Thank you very much. I tell you, it just feels unbelievable. I've got to thank Dan. He just drove a hell of a race. Very smart from the drop of the green flag. Very aggressive but didn't take too many chances when he didn't need to. Just drove very smart.
And the crew and team did a great job, as well. Good, clean pit stops, every one of them, and good strategy there in the end. They made a good adjustment on his car and they took on tires when a lot of the others didn't. Gave up a little track position, but they knew that that was going to pay off in the end. And I think that was the difference. But, you know, for me personally, it just feels so good. You know, this place has been tough on me personally. But I just always had a feeling that one day it was going to - I would have some good memories here, and it's finally happened. Hopefully this is the first of a lot more.
MODERATOR: Kim, during the course of not only this year but last year, there were times when Dan Wheldon came out on top and it seemed he didn't have the fastest car. But today you had quite a bit of your team up front today. That had to feel gratifying?
KIM GREEN: Well, I think at one point all four drivers were in contention and running up near the front. That was really pleasing. I thought that gave us some pretty good odds. But Dan is very mature for his experience in IndyCar racing. We certainly talked about being patient at the start of the race and making sure that you work your way to the front, but there's plenty of time. I thought there were some pretty aggressive driving out there, and he got his nose chopped off several times into turn one that I noticed. He did a great job hanging on. Great pit work. Especially the last couple of pit stops that really counted, he really hit his marks well. And just hats off to all of the team, especially that crew that obviously executed very, very well all day. And Dan for doing what he had to do when he had the opportunity.
MODERATOR: Kevin, your team has employed at times different kinds of pit strategy with your various drivers to try to get results. Today we saw one of your drivers who has worked very hard at developing your car and your team in Bryan Herta also come up with an excellent performance. I know that everyone feels good for Bryan to get that kind of quality result.
KEVIN SAVOREE: Yeah. I mean, obviously a couple years ago when Dario managed to hurt himself and we hired Bryan to fill in, he told Mike and Kim and I, "I'm going to make it so you won't get rid of me, you'll have to hire me." You know, I'm so proud of the way that guy drove today. You know, he's very skilled. You know, people don't think about him being aggressive, but if you saw him driving out there today, he is plenty aggressive when he needs to be. He just did a great job.
Again, the pit crew executed really well there. You know, so proud of this whole race team. You know, we've all talked about it, when it's going to be your day, it's your day. For Andretti Green, it was.
MODERATOR: Questions.
Q: Mike, it looked like it might happen to you again when Danica passed Dan there toward the end. What were you thinking about at that point?
ANDRETTI: Well, I knew, you know, in restarts you're basically a sitting duck. And there was a little I guess bit of a problem. Everybody was saying, "Well, maybe Dan didn't pass her when that yellow came out." I was like, "Good, let it be that way." I would have rather had Dan second on that restart. We pretty much knew he was going to get passed. We also knew that Danica had older tires than Dan. And I think we knew that if there was no more yellows, you know, we were going to get stronger as the race went on there in the end. That's pretty much what happened. So hats off to Jim Beam Klein Tools team for that strategy because that's really what did it.
Q: Michael, can you talk about, were there some anxious moments at the end?
ANDRETTI: Oh, yeah. Didn't know what the heck was going to happen. You know, the other thing that I was very worried about, because Meira had a strong car, as well. I was a little worried about him. And then when I saw that he had a little bit of problem getting by Danica, that gave Dan the little bit of gap, then I felt a little bit easier. Then we started watching Bryan go all over Meira and actually almost pass him. So that was good. I think Bryan doing that helped slow Meira down a little bit, as well, which helped Dan get a little bit of a gap.
Q: Was there a moment that you thought: Here I'm getting close again?
ANDRETTI: Well, I mean, you know, I knew we were going to get passed. We pretty much knew we were. But we also knew Dan had a pretty strong car. And, like I said, we knew that Danica's tires were older. So, you know, but you say you know that... Until it actually happens, you know, you hold your breath, yeah.
Q: Michael, in the press conference earlier Bryan said that Dan still will be treated as a little brother on the team. What does it take for him to get any respect?
ANDRETTI: Problem is, he's just the youngest guy out there. It's always going to be that way. He's always going to be the one with the least amount of experience. Believe me, he's got the respect of those drivers. You kidding? They have a lot of respect for him. And you saw how happy they were for him. You know, this is a team. When one wins, we all win. And that's the way those guys felt.
Q: When you guys hired Dan, what did you see in him? Can you comment? Not only did he win today, but now he's won four out of five races this year.
ANDRETTI: Me personally, what's impressed me with Dan the most is first he was always very quick and just never put a wheel wrong, never made any real mistakes. Number two is, when he had a weak area, he would fix it and work it out and fix it. And that to me shows that he's very smart. And also I'm very impressed the way he races. He just knows how to get to the front and knows how to win the races.
Kim is the guy that really gets the credit. He's the one that really followed Dan in the lower ranks of racing. He's the guy that said, "We got to give this guy a try."
GREEN: Obviously, Dan made me look pretty good, if I was the one that pushed pretty hard to get him on the team. We talked about it a lot as a team ownership, the three of us. You know, Dan did a good job of making himself known to me when he was racing in Atlantic and Indy Lights. I also knew some of the mechanics that worked with him in those classes, and had also worked with other drivers that I had a lot of respect for, as well. They felt he was better. I kept an eye on him. When there was an opportunity to do a test program when Honda announced it was going to go into the Indy Racing League, we talked into Honda into giving Dan a chance, having a look and doing it. He did about 2,000 miles without putting a foot wrong and did a great job. I think that gave him the credibility with all the partners. You know, we talked to Klein Tools and Jim Beam about Dan as a young guy that I think they would enjoy. He does a brilliant job off the track, which the sponsors love. To me it's more important what he does on the racetrack. He certainly really has shown true over the last few years. I think he's going to win more of these and hopefully he can win a championship, too.
Q: Michael, after seeing all the torment your father kind of went through at this place, then all the times that you had the dominant car and didn't win, now it's over. Talk a little bit about how much it means that it finally is over for you.
ANDRETTI: No more talk of this stupid curse. That's dead. You know, it's going to be nice coming back here next year and not having to talk about that. You know, it gets old, I'll tell you. You know, it just feels good.
GREEN: Do you want to run next year?
ANDRETTI: Maybe now that the curse is broken, maybe I will. Never thought about that (laughter). Well, you know, I just felt that one day this place would repay me with some happy moments, like I said when I opened the statement. And it has. And hopefully this isn't the only good moment we're going to have here. Hopefully there's many more to come.
Q: Kim, three years ago you left here pretty upset. Thought you had won the race. In a lot of ways you were still convinced you did win in 2002. Now to be able to be up here celebrating a victory that nobody can dispute.
GREEN: It's still up there, yup. No, great job, and really satisfying. Was here with Villeneuve in '95. To have to wait this long for another one, very pleasing.
You know, I want to make a comment about Kanaan, as well. I think that perhaps he had a very, very quick car, and a change I made to the car with a couple of stops to go was probably the wrong one. But I feel for him. But he's a great team player. He came on the radio and said, "I'm not good enough to win, but I'm going to help my teammates win." That was awesome.
Q: Do you count this as win number one or two or three?
GREEN: Obviously, this place is very, very special. There's been a lot of very, very close races over the years, maybe some controversial situations over the years. I'm satisfied with two. It's been a long time. But, you know, this place is magic. It's just magic to be a part of it. You know, the Hulman-George family, all the staff here have over the years been just so pleasant to work with. Today I think must be one of the most exciting races I've ever been involved with.
MODERATOR: Let's welcome the 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner, Dan Wheldon.
Last time we talked to you here in this conference room was after qualifying, and you were an unhappy guy. You talked a lot about what the Indianapolis 500 meant. Of course, Jim Clark and Graham Hill came here and won back in 1965, 1966. Now you're the next in that line. Tell us about your race.
DAN WHELDON: Well, I mean, first of all I'd like to thank the Hulman-George family for putting on this race. It really is that special to me. I think everybody could see that from just my reaction after qualifying so bad. It's one of those races where not only does winning the race mean anything, but getting the pole is a big part of that, too. But the race itself, I've got to say, is certainly since I've been doing it, was the most competitive. I think it just shows you the direction the series is going with the amount of leaders and the amount of leaders from different teams. Although, you know, it was good to see Andretti Green Racing running one-two-three at one point. I'd like to say about my teammates, I think they've developed me - they've been a big part of the development curve of me of getting me into this victory circle. I mean, they're very talented individuals. They've helped, along with these guys, get me where I am. So I'm proud of that. But the race was just difficult because there were so many good cars out there. And the depth of talent was amazing. I thought starting 16th I'd be able to come through perhaps a little quicker than I did. So that soon brought me back down to earth. It was, because people were so close. But it's just such a proud moment. It's the proudest moment of my life, and I'm sure it will be, to win my first Indianapolis 500. So it was fantastic.
Q: Dan, could you reflect on your first ride around here, how you wound up on your head, as you said, back on Thursday, to finally wind up drinking the milk and experiencing all that it is to win the Indianapolis 500?
WHELDON: I think certainly within the organization, you know, you get a lot of support, even when you drive like an idiot, which I did that day. So, you know, it's being able to learn from your mistakes and having the people in the team tell you exactly what your mistakes were and how you can improve, but telling you in such a way that you want to improve.
Personally, I still feel there's a lot more to come from me because this is still only my second full season. But that's what having great teammates does for you. And having a boss that's driven before, you can really soak in the knowledge that they give you. And, you know, certainly Dario made some comments after the race that made me feel very, very proud because he's somebody that I respect very, very much. You know, his comments were nice. I'm getting emotional now.
Q: Dan, it almost seemed like speaking with you before the race, I know you were frustrated with your starting position, but it seemed like you had this sly confidence that it was going to be all right. Is that kind of true? Did you feel that at all going in?
WHELDON: I think Bryan Herta just told me that about 15 or 20 times every day. You know, you kind of think it. But I'm certainly confident in - I don't want too sound cheesy or anything, but I'm certainly confident in the equipment I get given. I think, you know, these guys give you good cars and they constantly are developing the cars to keep with the likes of the other teams out there. I mean, like I say, some very competitive teams out there that are certainly desperate to beat Andretti Green Racing. You know, I mean, you've got a Honda, so you've got to expect to be quick. You certainly don't want to be the one tagging at the back. We worked on the race car. After I think I calmed down from qualifying, we just continually worked on the race car. It worked very well in traffic. Certainly leading into the race, I didn't think I had a car that - and I said to Michael a lot of the time, we kind of agreed to disagree, but I had a car that was excellent through traffic, but perhaps not the quickest on my own. Come the race, it actually seemed pretty quick on my own, too. So it was still pretty good in --
ANDRETTI: Had to tell you that, didn't I.
WHELDON: Boss was right.
ANDRETTI: Thank you.
Q: Dan, during the month you were kind of like the invisible man. Here you come into this race winning three of four races. All month long the attention was on Danica, Kenny Brack. Now that you've won this race, a lot of the attention is still on Danica and your boss. Maybe you're not getting quite as much attention as most of the winners here do. Does that bother you at all?
WHELDON: No. I'm certainly just satisfied in the fact that I've won the Indianapolis 500 in my career. I mean, it's a kid coming from England. I mean, you just - you know what the race is like through watching it on TV and reading about it in magazines. And then I first came over here in 1999 and watched Kenny Brack win. It just opened my eyes to the magnitude of the event and how much I wanted to be here and the fact that the whole event lasted a month. You know, people say it's like practice every day. It's funny; it's more like a qualifying session. It's a proud moment to be at the top of the time sheets at Indianapolis, even in practice. So, no, I mean, I'm just happy. The only one I did feel a little bit bad for was Tony because to do the four qualifying laps that he did that early in the morning and then have everybody else have not just one chance, but they could have up to three chances to try to beat his time, kind of undermined that achievement. He's a supremely talented driver. So I felt a little bit bad for him.
But just from my standpoint, I'm just - I feel just very proud of the fact I've been able to win this race. I'm proud and certainly lucky to be here.
Q: Dan, what specifically - it seemed like your speed - you lost it and then you found it. What were you able to do to the car between qualifying and today? Also if you could tick off those last 10 laps as you were passing those final cars.
WHELDON: Well, I just remember, you know, it's funny, Bryan is a great guy, he really is. You know, when I was racing him, he's just - he defines pretty much I think one of the perfect or what it is to be a perfect race driver because he's very aggressive but, you know, if the corner's yours, he'll give it to you, but he never gives it to you easy. He really makes you work all the time. I think hence the improvement over the years from me. But I was able to just get a good run. I don't think he actually had gotten new tires on, so I knew I had to make the most of certainly that point of my tire. Was able to get a good run and passed him right at the end of the straight going into Turn 3. And then, you know, was able to catch Danica and, again, got a good run going down the front straight. But the moment I overtook her it went yellow. Unfortunately, you're a sitting duck when you start the restarts in the lead here. And she was able to get back by. I knew I could pass her, but it was just a case of timing. And having done it once, she was obviously aware of where I was good and where I was not. So she made it a little bit more difficult. But certainly the guys in my car gave me a car that was at its best right at the end of the race, and I needed every bit of that to win this race.
Q: Dan, I know he was gone long before you really came around, but as a young lad, I'm sure you were very familiar with Graham Hill's accomplishments. You probably followed Damon Hill more than Graham. To become the first Englishman to win the Indy 500 since Graham Hill, kind of put that in a bit of historical perspective?
WHELDON: Well, I'm certainly a big fan. And that's what makes this race for me, certainly a large part of it, is the history and tradition here, the fact that some of the same things have been happening for a very long, long time. Even the milk I smell of now, but milk's never tasted so good. But just to achieve - not just Graham Hill and Jim Clark, but you look at the faces on that Borg-Warner Trophy, there's some supremely, supremely talented people. And you look at the people that haven't won it. I mean, this guy's as talented as anybody in the world and was probably more talented than everybody out there in your time, right?
ANDRETTI: Brownie points, right?
WHELDON: So, no, I'm proud of that. It is very, very special. But it hasn't quite sunk in yet.
Q: Dan, you did upset some of the main story lines that were coming in. It looked as though one of them was coming to pass until about seven laps to go. I'm sure you don't mind creating a new story line yourself.
WHELDON: Don't care one bit.
Q: Along those same lines, when Danica took the lead late in the race, they said on TV there were fans standing and yelling all around the track. Did you have a sense when you did pass her you were going to be remembered as spoiling the party? When you talked on Thursday, the question was raised to you about being patient. You said you're not a patient driver. It looked like you were today.
WHELDON: Well, I just obviously wanted to get to the front as quick as possible, and I tried. It was certainly much, much harder than expected with the dirty air out there. And, like I say, the people starting in front of you, they're all very good. But, you know, I think you have to be very careful when you make statements like that about spoiling the party because you're undermining some of the talent out there. I think, you know, certainly just my three teammates, and I talk about them a lot, and I'm not kissing their butts, but they are seriously good individuals. You look at the two people driving the Penske cars, you look at Adrian Fernandez, you look at Buddy Rice, Vitor Meira. When you make comments like that, I just think you certainly undermine some of that talent.
I'm not saying Danica is not as talented as them, but just remember how good those people are because they are very, very good.
Q: Dan, the pass you made on Danica on the yellow flag where she slowed down too much and you took the lead, when she regained the lead from you, was that a gentlemanly give back or did she really earn it?
WHELDON: That wasn't a gentlemanly give back. You don't do that at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was just one of those things with the configurations of the cars, you punch a pretty big hole in the air for people behind you, so she was able to get a run and got by. Because I'd led before and got overtaken, too. I just wanted to make sure I could talk in behind her. And I hoped to get back by her by turn three.
But she was very quick, to be fair. You know, I just had to then time my run without understeering towards the exit of the corner and was just able to do that.
Q: Dan, winner's circle, you said you dreamed about this. What was your first memory of the Indy 500 back home? When before '99 did you think this was a possibility to run here?
WHELDON: I think actually my first memory was seeing some highlights of Jim Clark. But I can't exactly remember when that was, to tell you the truth. I mean, sound like I'm getting old now. But it's been - it's certainly a long time ago. But, like I say, the real big deal for me was actually being here in person. I mean, you can see it on TV, but when you're actually here in person, it's just unbelievable.
Q: What was it like to go up to Mario afterward and say, "Dad, we did it"?
ANDRETTI: Today, you mean?
Q: Yes.
ANDRETTI: He actually hollered to me to come over to him. He was in the back of the car in Victory Lane. He was very happy for me. He knows how tough the place has been for me. He's at least experienced it once, and I never did. And to finally experience it, Dan giving it to me, it was just a really good feeling. Like I said, that milk was very sweet. I never tasted such sweet milk.
Q: Did either of you get emotional?
ANDRETTI: No, we're not too much like that. But we were pretty happy for each other. He was happy for me, and I felt that. It was nice.
Q: Dan, winning Indianapolis can be a life-changing experience. How do you see your life changing now?
WHELDON: Well, Mr. Green is pretty much the one responsible for bringing me to this team. He's, you know, somebody that I think, you know, knows my personality and knows kind of what makes me tick, and when I should be brought in line, he'll bring me in line, when he kind of wants me to do something.
So I think he'll keep me in line, I'm pretty sure. So you best ask him what he's going to do.
ANDRETTI: We'll just have to keep this thing down a little bit (laughter).
WHELDON: That's one thing you certainly can't have in the team because, like I say, you've got people around you that keep your feet on the ground. You can't get like that, you know, because Dario's going to beat your butt or Tony or Bryan. I mean, there's three individuals there that can win races day in and day out. You've got to be focused and just carry on.
MODERATOR: 2004 conclusion of the race, Tony Kanaan made a statement that the best driver and team on that day deserves to win. The best driver and team on this day did win the race. Congratulations.
ANDRETTI: Thank you.
WHELDON: Thank you.
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This edition created by Tayo Zorbas
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