Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Indianapolis 500, May 26

With three laps of its 200 left to run, the 2002 Indianapolis 500 is poised on a knife edge

Helio Castroneves leads, but the Penske driver is attempting to drag 42 laps out of his final tank of fuel and is coming under increasing pressure from Felipe Giaffone and CART star Paul Tracy.

Castroneves, the defending race champion, assumed the lead after long-term leader Tomas Scheckter crashed out at Turn 4 with 23 laps remaining. Unlike the rest of the frontrunners the Brazilian opted to stay out rather than pit for fuel, but now it seems the daring strategy is about to be undone.

Giaffone is the first to make his bid for the lead but the Brazilian finds his path blocked by Tracy's Team Green team-mate Dario Franchitti, much to his annoyance. Giaffone's momentary drop in momentum costs him dear and in a flash he's demoted to third by Tracy.

A lap later Tracy's sizes up Castroneves and makes what promises to be a decisive move as he drives around the outside of the red and white car through Turn 3 and accelerates into the lead. But no sooner has the Canadian made his move than the cars are slowed by a full course yellow.

Back in Turn 2 Laurent Redon and Buddy Lazier collide and take each other into the wall. With just a single lap remaining the race will finish behind the Pace Car so whomever was leading at the time the yellow was thrown would be the winner.

Confusion reigns at first, with the timing screens showing Tracy as the leader, but by the time the flag is shown Castroneves is elevated to P1 and it's the Brazilian who's handed the milk on the podium to become the first back-to-back winner in 31 years.

Tracy and his team are convinced they inched ahead before the yellow fell, but Indianapolis officials side with Castroneves despite Green's appeals and protestations.

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Rockingham 500, September 14
Next article DTM - Norisring, June

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe