Once again Helio Castroneves came up short in his bid to win a fourth Indianapolis 500, the Penske driver finishing second to Takuma Sato, who gave Andretti Autosport its third victory in five years. Always quick, if sometimes a little too brave for his own good, Sato is popular in IndyCar, as he was in Formula 1, and his win was very well received.
Undoubtedly, though, the story of the weekend - of the event - was Fernando Alonso, who created a huge impression, both on the track and off, in what was for him a totally unfamiliar environment.
Newspapers talked about 'Alonso Mania', and it took hold to the point that race fans were tracking his flights. When Fernando's private jet landed back in Indianapolis, after a race publicity trip to New York on the Tuesday, he found a horde of them waiting at the airport. As Eddie Cheever said, "Suddenly America has a new favourite Formula 1 driver - wait to see the reception he gets at Austin in the fall..."