Indianapolis 500

2006

INDIANAPOLIS (KRT)- It might go into the record books as the lap that shook Indy and helped restore the shine to the Indianapolis 500.

On Sunday, Marlboro Team Penske's Sam Hornish Jr. drove maybe the most amazing, and soul-stirring, final 2.5 miles in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to win the hallowed race.

Despite a drive-through penalty for a fueling gaff on Lap 150, when he left the pits with the fuel nozzle still attached to his No. 6 Dallara/Honda, Hornish beat baby-faced rookie Marco Andretti (Andretti Green Racing) in a drag race to the checkered flag, in the second-closest finish ever, with the margin just .0635 of a second.

The victory was team owner Roger Penske's 14th in the Indy 500. It was Hornish's first.

Marco's father, Michael Andretti, in his first start at Indianapolis since 2003, finished a gallant third. Last year's race winner Dan Wheldon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing) finished fourth, while Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green Racing) was fifth.

With temperatures hovering near 90 degrees, the race was run at an average speed of 157.085 m.p.h. There were 14 lead changes and five caution periods.

After making an unsuccessful move on Marco Andretti in Turn 3 on Lap 198, Hornish, who had never finished better than 14th in six previous tries, fell back five or six car lengths.

Andretti, 19, started ninth and appeared to be headed for a second Andretti victory at the Brickyard – his grandfather, Mario, won the 1969 race. Entering Lap 200, Andretti still had a commanding lead down the back straight on pole-sitter Hornish, who most thought would settle for second place.

But, as Andretti set sail into Turn 3, Hornish aimed his car at the winner's circle, closing in on Andretti in Turn 4 and ducking around the teenager on the main straightaway as they flew to the finish line (video).

"I love it," said Hornish on finally swigging the victor's milk-at Indy. "Nothing better right now. I thank God for giving me a lot of talent, not so much the fact for what I can do driving, but the fact I didn't want to give up!"

A lap down after the refueling incident, Hornish caught a caution and fought back relentlessly. Still, he didn't know if he could overtake Andretti in the run to the stripe.

"I thought it was over when I didn't get him (Andretti) going into three there," said Hornish, a native of Defiance, Ohio. "But we dug in, put her back in there and took off."

With splashed milk and tears in his eyes, Hornish, who lost his grandmother recently, was a proud but humble winner on Sunday, the biggest day in his career.

"I wouldn't trade it for anything," he said of the victory. "I've had a lot of friends and family pass away over the last couple of years, and they rooted us on today. I want to thank Marlboro Team Penske. They did a heck of a job. It may not always go the way you want it to, but it makes it a lot sweeter."

Marco and Michael, however, almost made it a fairy tale finish for the Andretti family, which has had its share of heartbreak at Indy.

"I almost won this thing," said Marco. "I don't want to wait until next year. I wish it were today. I knew I had a shot at it, I really did. I don't like to go into a race thinking I don't have a shot at it. That's what I wanted, on the last lap. I don't know where Penske (Hornish) came from, but I guess they were saving it. It's a bummer."

Michael Andretti, who retired after the 2003 Indy 500 to concentrate on running his IRL team, led the race on Lap 196 following a late restart. Marco passed his dad in Turn 1 on Lap 197 and Michael's hopes of a first 500 victory disappeared.

"I thought maybe, you know, but I just didn't have enough laps under the caution," said Michael of his attempt to win from 13th position at age 43. "If we had two more (laps under caution), I think we may have had enough to get it done. Man, Marco had a run on me, and I tried not to mess him up because I knew he was quicker than me. I just wish I could have held Hornish off one more lap, and he (Marco) would probably have won.

"I enjoyed a heck of a race. All day we were together, and I was so impressed with Marco."

Mario, who watched the finish unfold in the pits, was overcome with emotion. "I'm just so proud," said the family patriarch. "I think this race lasted three days. It was just so awesome to watch these guys. We (the family) just love to drive. We love race cars. We just love to do it. We were born to do it, I think."

Wheldon led 148 laps on Sunday, by far the most. By contrast, Hornish led just 19, but did so when they mattered the most

Danica Patrick (Rahal Letterman Racing) fought hard all day, moving into the top five at one point. She finished eighth, after a fourth place performance in 2005 won her rookie of the race honors and a national following.

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