Any race that is 103 years old and has been run 97 previous times is deeply rooted in history. That is why the Indianapolis 500 has stood the test of time.
There are some Indy 500s that stand above the rest and any attempt to choose the Top Five Indianapolis 500s in history can be an arduous task that is completely subjective. To those who attend the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, that race may be their favorite because it is the first time they experience this grand spectacle of a sporting event. For others, it’s when their favorite driver wins the race.
There are some races that missed the cut as the top-five because the criteria were to choose the “best races,” not so much the finish of the race. That is why the 1992 Indianapolis 500 did not make the top five, because it was a brutal race that sent many of the biggest names in the sport to the hospital after crashes on what remains the coldest Indianapolis 500 in history. Michael Andretti was using the new Ford engine and dominated the race, leading by as many as two laps before an engine belt broke on his car just 11 laps from the finish.
The closing laps of that race produced a duel between Al Unser, Jr. and Scott Goodyear and the result was the closest finish in Indy 500 history as Unser won by just 0.043 seconds.
That race did not make the cut.
Also narrowly missing the list was 75th Indianapolis 500 in 1991, when Rick Mears and Michael Andretti staged an outstanding battle including two bold passes on the outside of Turn 1 in the closing stages of the race. Mears would go on to become the third four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He would retire the following year.
Danica Patrick made history in the 2005 Indy 500, as the then-rookie driver became the first female driver ever to lead laps in the race. She was in the lead as late as seven laps to go before eventual winner Dan Wheldon passed her. Although that moment was historic, it also didn’t make the Top Five.
So with that setup, the 2011 Indianapolis 500 comes in at No. 5 in a “One Man’s Opinion” and here’s why.
The 95th Indianapolis 500 was set against the backdrop of the 100th Anniversary of the race. All of the 269 living Indy 500 veteran drivers were invited to attend the race. At least 161 attended during race weekend (including the 28 veteran drivers that qualified for the race) and upwards of 175 attended throughout the entire month of May. The only winning drivers still living that were unable to attend were 1960 winner Jim Rathmann because of poor health and 2000 winner Juan Pablo Montoya, who was competing in NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 that night.
The massive grandstands of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were packed on a warm and sunny day.
Dick Harroun, the son of 1911 Indianapolis 500 winner Ray Harroun, was among those in attendance to witness this grand legacy that began with his father’s victory in the Marmon Wasp 100 years ago.
As the field rolled out to begin the first Parade Lap, 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones drove the Marmon Wasp down the frontstretch to provide a bone-chilling moment of history to those who witnessed it. Jones, one of the hardest racers that ever raced at Indianapolis, stood on the accelerator and ironically, blew up the engine on the Marmon Wasp as it pulled into the Turn 1 apron.
The “Grand Champion of the Indianapolis 500” drove the Pace Car as A.J. Foyt pulled off the main straight onto pit road and the field of 33 hit the accelerator of their cars to begin the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
It would be a fast and competitive race that would end in with a stunning finish.
Rookie J.R. Hildebrand was in position to become the first rookie winner of the Indy 500 since Helio Castroneves in 2001. All he had to do was get through the fourth turn on the final lap and he could cruise to the checkered flag.
He never made it.
His Dallara/Honda slammed into the Turn 4 wall with the checkered glad in site. As his mangled racer slid down the frontstretch, Hildebrand was still in the lead in a chaotic scene. But just a few hundred yards before the checkered flag, the No. 98 Dallara/Honda, driven by 2005 winner Dan Wheldon, flashed by to give the driver from Emberton, England his second Indy 500 win.
"In the corner of my eye I saw him hit the fence and just carried on by," Wheldon said. "As [team owner] Bryan Herta said, 'You have to make it to the bricks with a car that can go forward on all four wheels.' At that point I knew it was mine."
Wheldon drove a car owned by Bryan Herta to victory in what was to have been the team's only IndyCar race this season.
"I think my contract expires at midnight tonight," Wheldon said. “With a Cinderella story we took on the might of Roger Penske's organization and Chip Ganassi. We've had a very quick car all month. I don't think I saw a Penske in front of me the entire race. So that is a testament to the team.
"This is obviously a special race because it is the 100th Anniversary. I'm honored to be the winner of this particular race."
Wheldon led the Indy 500 for the shortest distance in history, as those final few hundred yards were the only time he was in front.
As Wheldon celebrated the unexpected victory, Hildebrand tried to explain the heartbreaking result as he attempted to pass fellow rookie driver Charlie Kimball, who was laps down and out of fuel.
"With the tires as worn as they were, the run being as long, there was a bunch of marbles [worn tire rubber] on the outside," Hildebrand said. "Once I got up there, there wasn't a lot I could do. There were a few choice words going through my head at that moment, really fast and frequently until I hit the wall. They were still going through my head now."
The rookie driver from Sausalito, Calif. was able to speak calmly about the biggest disappointment of his young racing career. It was almost as if it hadn't sunk in yet.
"This is not really about me at this point," Hildebrand said afterwards. "You always show up to try to win. But for me the disappointment is for the team and the sponsor. It's one of those things as a driver you never really know what you're going to expect. We knew if the race came to us we may be in a position to finish top-3 or top-5. But, as a driver, I'm smart enough as a rookie to not expect to come to the Indianapolis 500 my first year and be in a position to win the race.
"We were in a position that we should have won the race. It's not so much that I'm [ticked] off or disappointed that my face isn't going to go on the Borg-Warner Trophy. This team has finished second three years in a row including 2009 and 2010 with Wheldon. I felt like we had a real opportunity to get on the big stage."
Wheldon drove with extreme focus and determination in the final laps, unaware of what was in front of him.
"Right up until the point where I passed J.R. I didn't have any emotions," Wheldon admitted. "I was so focused. It was one of those races where it was so competitive that you had to be on your game. And the wind seemed to be getting under the front of my car. I was catching Ana Beatriz; I wasn't focused on what had gone on in the front. When I saw him crash, I knew it wasn't serious.
"There was a little smile on my face."
It would be the final win of Wheldon’s IndyCar career. The extremely popular driver would compete in just two more IndyCar races and was killed in the horrific 15-car pileup on Lap 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16, 2011.
