Published May 25, 2008 04:22 pm - INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Scott Dixon beat Vitor Meira out of the pits on the last stop for fuel and stayed in front the final 29 laps to win the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
4:51 p.m. UPDATE: Scott Dixon wins Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A capsule look at the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on Sunday:
AT 500 MILES
Scott Dixon beat Vitor Meira out of the pits on the last stop for fuel and stayed in front the final 29 laps to win the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. It was the first win at Indy for Dixon, who started on the pole and led most of the race despite an early challenge by teammate Dan Wheldon and a late pass by Meira. Marco Andretti was third, and two-time winner Helio Castroneves was fourth. Meira had passed Dixon for the lead after a crash by rookie Alex Lloyd, but the leaders made their final pit stops after a spin by Milka Duno, and Dixon’s quicker time in the pits gave him the lead again. The green came out with just over 20 laps to go, and Dixon held off a late challenge and beat Meira to the checkered flag by 1.75 seconds.
Top 10—1, Scott Dixon; 2, Vitor Meira; 3, Marco Andretti; 4, Helio Castroneves; 5, Ed Carpenter; 6, Ryan Hunter-Reay; 7, Hideki Mutoh; 8, Buddy Rice; 9, Darren Manning; 10, Townsend Bell.
Out of race—Graham Rahal, Marty Roth, Jaime Camara, Sarah Fisher, Tony Kanaan, Jeff Simmons, Justin Wilson, Alex Lloyd, Tomas Scheckter, Ryan Briscoe, Danica Patrick.
———
AT 400 MILES
Vitor Meira blew past pole-starter Scott Dixon and held a tenth-of-a-second lead after 400 miles in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. Ed Carpenter was in front after the leaders made pit stops during a yellow flag for a crash by rookie Alex Lloyd. But Dixon quickly passed Carpenter, and Meira then passed Dixon. Two-time winner Helio Castroneves was up to third, and Marco Andretti was running fourth. Andretti, the runner-up as a rookie two years ago, had taken the lead shortly after 300 miles and was still in front before a flurry of pit stops by the leaders after rookie Justin Wilson crashed. That gave the lead temporarily to 19-year-old rookie Mario Moraes, the second-youngest starter, who didn’t make a pit stop. His lead didn’t last long, though, and Andretti and Dixon passed him immediately after the green flag came out again on the 140th lap. Shortly after that, Dixon passed Andretti again and regained the lead he had held for most of the race. Dan Wheldon, Dixon’s teammate and a front-row starter, led 30 laps earlier in the race but fell steadily to 17th. Seven of the race’s 11 rookies were still running, led by Ryan Hunter-Reay in sixth.
Top 10—1,Vitor Meira; 2,Scott Dixon; 3,Helio Castroneves; 4,Marco Andretti; 5,Ed Carpenter; 6,Ryan Hunter-Reay; 7,Danica Patrick; 8,Ryan Briscoe; 9,Buddy Rice; 10,Oriol Servia.
Out of race—Graham Rahal, Marty Roth, Jaime Camara, Sarah Fisher, Tony Kanaan, Jeff Simmons, Justin Wilson, Alex Lloyd, Tomas Scheckter.
———
AT 300 MILES
Pole-starter Scott Dixon regained the lead after a crash by Tony Kanaan and held a 0.3-second advantage over Marco Andretti after 300 miles in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. Kanaan passed Dixon and Dan Wheldon just before the midpoint of the race, but he hit the wall on the 106th lap and spun across the track into the path of Sarah Fisher, eliminating both cars. Dixon and Wheldon, teammates with Ganassi Racing, traded leads earlier in the race, and Wheldon passed Dixon to go in front on the 91st lap. The top three were separated by about a half-second at that point, but Kanaan passed Dixon for second place on the 93rd lap and took the lead from Wheldon the next time around. Kanaan now has led at least one lap in each of his first seven races at Indy, a feat no other driver has ever accomplished. Ryan Hunter-Reay, the highest among 11 rookies, was running seventh. Danica Patrick, who started fifth but dropped out of the top 10 with a rear wing problem, moved back up to eighth.
Top 10—1,Scott Dixon; 2,Marco Andretti; 3,Dan Wheldon; 4,Tomas Scheckter; 5,Ed Carpenter; 6,Vitor Meira; 7,Ryan Hunter-Reay; 8,Danica Patrick; 9,Helio Castroneves; 10,Oriol Servia.
Out of race—Graham Rahal, Marty Roth, Jaime Camara, Sarah Fisher, Tony Kanaan, Jeff Simmons.