Wheldon wins Indy; Patrick just short in historic bid
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Andretti jinx is over at the Indianapolis 500. Danica Patrick's reign is just beginning.
Dan Wheldon won it -- his fourth victory in five tries this year -- ending 35 years of frustration and failure for the Andrettis at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Patrick's electrifying run fell short with a nearly empty fuel tank.
"I've finally won the Indy 500!" Michael Andretti, Wheldon's team owner, beamed in Victory Lane. "No more curse!"
The Andrettis had been plagued by bad luck at Indy since Michael's father, Mario, won in 1969, and it appeared they might lose out again when Patrick surged to the lead with 28 laps to go after surviving a stalled engine and a crash that tore off her left front wing and nose cone.
Patrick became the first woman to lead at Indy, getting out front three separate times for a total of 19 laps. Still, the 23-year-old rookie shrugged off the notion that her showing was a victory for women in racing.
"I made a helluva point for anybody," she said.
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| Dan Wheldon gives himself a milk bath in Victory Lane. (AP) |
But Wheldon passed her with just seven of the 200 laps to go and easily held on to become the first Englishman to win Indy since Graham Hill in 1966.
"It feels as good as if I won myself," said Michael Andretti, who led more laps at Indy than any other nonwinner before retiring from the cockpit after the 2003 race. Andretti even stole a swig of winner's milk from Wheldon, who chugged nearly half the bottle himself.
"That was the sweetest milk I ever drank," Andretti said.
But Andretti gave all the credit for the win to the 26-year-old driver with the movie star good looks, who is off to the best start in the Indy Racing League history.
"I'm just so happy for him," Michael said. "I think this is the first of many for him."
Wheldon, who said after winning the season-opener at Homestead, Fla., that his major goal in racing was to win the 500, was in tears after getting out of his car.
