TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

'Iceman' Finishes Hot

ADVERTISEMENT

By TONY FABRIZIO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 26, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS - An Indianapolis 500 that elicited heartbreak and furor was won by a driver who usually doesn't show much emotion.

Scott Dixon, an Australian-born New Zealander nicknamed the Iceman, took the lead with a fast pit stop with 19 laps remaining and beat sleeper-pick Vitor Meira by 1.75 seconds in Sunday's 92nd 500.

The 2003 Indy Racing League champion did pump his fist a few times on his cool-down lap, but when he pulled into Victory Lane he looked dazed.

"It's almost like you're in a dreamland," said Dixon, 27. "You sort of expect somebody to maybe pinch you and you wake up and you're sleeping in your bed back home."

Less reserved was team owner Chip Ganassi, who also won the 2000 Indy 500 with fast rookie Juan Montoya.

Ganassi, who is having a terrible season with his NASCAR team but has won three of the first five IRL races, delayed Dixon's traditional drink of milk by taking a few swigs himself.

During the commotion, Ganassi got a congratulatory call from Montoya and 2007 Indy winner Dario Franchitti, who drive for him in NASCAR.

"They said, 'Hey, great job,' and they asked me why I was drinking the milk before the winner was," Ganassi related with a chuckle.

The day's most dramatic incident involved Danica Patrick, who was the biggest story going into the race because she won last month at Japan and was given a serious chance of winning the biggest race of them all.

After running in the top 10 all day but never challenging the leaders, Patrick was leaving her pit stall with 29 laps left when Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe pulled out and clipped her.

Furious at Briscoe after learning that the contact had broken a suspension part and ended her day, Patrick, still wearing her helmet, marched purposely down pit road toward Briscoe's pit stall.

She was intercepted by Charles Burns, the IRL's burly director of security. At that point, Patrick climbed over pit wall, stormed past a gaggle of cameramen and disappeared.

"It's probably best I didn't get down there, isn't it," Patrick said later.

Briscoe, who has had a crashed-filled IRL career, said he watched a replay of the incident and didn't think it was his fault.

"There was still plenty of room on the right side for her to get around," he said.

Marco Andretti finished third, two-time winner Helio Castroneves fourth and surprisingly strong Ed Carpenter finished fifth.

Dixon, after finishing second in last year's 500 and losing the championship to Franchitti on the final turn of the last race when he ran out of fuel, wouldn't be denied this day. He started from the pole and led seven times for 115 of the 200 laps

His most serious challengers were his teammate, St. Petersburg's Dan Wheldon, and perennial contender Tony Kanaan. Wheldon led 30 laps but fell off the pace and finished 12th with a possible broken shock. Kanaan's day ended in devastating disappointment.

A perennial contender and one of open-wheel racing's most popular drivers, Kanaan spun out and was struck by Sarah Fisher after Andretti passed him going into Turn 3.

Kanaan had passed Wheldon for the lead just before the halfway point of the race and was leading on Lap 105 when he when he got caught behind lapped traffic. Dixon went by cleanly, but when Andretti passed him, Kanaan got caught in the "marbles" high on the track and lost grip.

"It was a stupid move," Kanaan said of Andretti's pass. "I think teammates shouldn't do that to teammates. ... Halfway through the race with a bunch of traffic, why are you going to drive into me like that?"

Andretti said his car was pushing because his team hadn't been able to complete an adjustment on the previous pit stop, meaning he couldn't stay as low on the track as he needed to.

"I had a huge run and I went for it," he said. "Obviously, if a little bit of that is my fault, I feel absolutely horrible."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT