SB Nation Cleveland - Indy 500 2012: Dario Franchitti Outlasts Field To Win 3rd Title

2012 Indy 500: IndyCar Hopes To Grow Viewership Off Momentum Of This Year's Event

2012-05-28T22:54:50Z

Following the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, IndyCar is more than happy with the high drama of the day that saw Dario Franchitti win his third Indy 500 championship. With a record number of lead changes, beautiful weather and a long dash for the championship at the end, it's safe to say IndyCar hit a homerun with the event and the guys who run the show are certainly happy with the result.

Courtesy of the Seattle Times:

"What a tremendous race. We couldn't have asked for anything better for our marquee event," IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said Monday. "It had the right the mix of competition and entertainment as we showcased our sport on an international stage. Hopefully, people liked what they saw, learned what we already know and will come back for more this season."

Continued viewership is exactly what every one involved with IndyCar is hoping to produce. Despite an average television rating of 4.1 for this year's race, the organization is hopeful that there is enough buzz around the sport to build into increased growth in the future.

"I hope people watch the other races and see what we do week in and week out," said Dario Franchitti, who picked up his third Indianapolis 500 victory on Sunday. "The crowds have been good, and obviously we need to keep working on the TV thing, keep pushing on that. But we've had some cracking races this year. I think they've all been pretty good."

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Indianapolis 500 Race Results And Finishing Order: Franchitti, Dixon, Kanaan Round Out Top 3

2012-05-27T22:57:35Z

It came down to a wildly entertaining final few laps to decide Sunday's Indianapolis 500, as four neck-and-neck racers, including two teammates, battled it out heading into the final 2.5 mile stretch.

The leader for much of the final 100 miles, two-time winner Dario Franchitti held a narrow lead on Japanese driver Takumo Sato, who himself was in a coveted No. 2 position well within striking distance. But as Sato's patience waned, he opted to make a risky maneuver on turn No. 2 that ended up costing both him and the rest of the field a chance at glory as he spun out and crashed into the wall. Sato's crash defaulted the victory to Franchitti, despite being a very well earned result for the now three-time champ.

Cleveland native Graham Rahal, who began the race in the No. 12 spot and rose to fifth place down the stretch, ended up finishing in a rather disappointing 13th place after the many restarts ruined his momentum late. Fan favorite Tony Kanaan, still in search of his first Indy title, held a brief lead in the final ten laps before falling back into the pack to claim third place.

Here is the final finishing order:

1. Dario Franchitti
2. Scott Dixon
3. Tony Kanaan
4. Oriol Servia
5. Ryan Briscoe
6. James Hinchcliffe
7. Justin Wilson
8. Charlie Kimball
9. Townsend Bell
10. Helio Castroneves
11. Rubens Barrichello
12. Alex Tagliani
13. Graham Rahal
14. JR Hildebrand
15. James Jakes
16. Simon Pagenaud
17. Takuma Sato
18. E.J. Viso
19. Michel Jourdain Jr.
20. Sebastien Bourdais
21. Ed Carpenter
22. Katherine Legge
23. Ana Beatriz
24. Marco Andretti
25. Josef Newgarden
26. Sebastian Saavedra
27. Ryan Hunter-Reay
28. Will Power
29. Mike Conway
30. Bryan Clauson
31. Wade Cunningham
32. Simona De Silvestro
33. Jean Alesi

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2012 Indy 500 Winner: Dario Franchitti Takes Third Career Title

2012-05-27T19:35:59Z

In one of the most enthralling 10-lap stretches in recent years, Dario Franchitti won his third career Indy 500 title on Sunday with a strong showing despite numerous caution flags.

The race was especially notable for hitting a caution with just seven laps remaining, which set the table for a showdown between Honda drivers Takuma Sato and Franchitti heading into the final lap. As Sato began to make his move a bit too early, his car spun out on turn No. 2 and he proceeded to smash into the wall and signal the end of the race as yet another caution flag was brought out. Even though he was in a prime position to slide by Franchitti on one of the final turns, Sato's eagerness ultimately cost him a viable shot at glory in Sunday's historic event.

Winner of three Indianapolis 500 titles over the course of his career, Franchitti has now won with a yellow caution flag flying high above him as he approached the finish line on all three occasions, and benefited from a risky move by Sato to take the crown in today's race.

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Indy 500 Live: Graham Rahal In 6th Place With 70 Laps To Go

2012-05-27T18:13:22Z

In a wide open Indianapolis 500 that has seen as many as 19 lead changes, Cleveland native Graham Rahal is sitting in fifth place with 70 laps remaining and is in prime striking distance.

Rahal opened the race in the No. 12 position after posting a 223.959 time, and has slowly crept up towards the front of the pack throughout the day. Fellow Honda drivers Takumo Sato and Scott Dixon each hold first and third place respectively, as Rahal will attempt to make up ground in the final third of the historic race with the checkered flag in his sights.

After starting the day in the pole position, Ryan Briscoe has fallen back to No. 14 after a series of slower-than-expected laps. Briscoe appeared to be having gear issues as he struggled to maintain his speed from earlier in the day, and looks to have fallen well off the pace.

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Indy 500 Live Streaming 2012: Live Streaming Options Show Race, Onboard Cameras

2012-05-27T14:52:20Z

The 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 will start at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday as the drivers all try to navigate the hot track and traffic to win the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

Television coverage of the race will be shown on ABC around the country, and on tape-delay in the Indianapolis area, but there are legal online viewing options to keep track of the action through a high-speed Internet connection. To keep an eye on how several cars are making their way through the traffic on the track, ESPN3 will be streaming ABC's race coverage along with dedicated onboard cameras for several drivers to offer a different perspective on the race.

The 12 drivers with cameras showing their view of the race includes Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Ryan Briscoe, Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Rubens Barrichello, Dario Franchitti, Graham Rahal, James Hinchcliffe, Charlie Kimball and J.R. Hildebrand.

The official Indy 500 website willalso begin streaming coverage of the race at 11:30 a.m. ET. Here is the link for that online viewing option: Live streaming Indy 500

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Indianapolis 500 Race Lineup 2012: Borg-Warner Trophy Up For Grabs In Crowded Field

2012-05-27T14:10:08Z

The crowded field among the serious contenders to win the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 almost ensures various factors throughout the grueling 500 mile race will determine the winner. Pit stops, timely cautions and lady luck will all have their say in guiding the winner to Victory lane.

There are favorites among the 33-car field though, including the first two rows of cars with drivers from Penskey Racing and Andretti Autosport, all powered by Chevrolet. Other Chevy drivers deeper in the field planning to be a factor include fan favorite Tony Kanaan starting in the middle of row three. Kanaan has been close in the past and can certainly attest to how much luck plays a role for the winner.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon figure to lead the charge for the Honda powered entries, along with Sarah Fisher Racing's Josef Newgarden.

No doubt the spirit of last year's winner Dan Wheldon will be riding shotgun with all 33 drivers, as the two-time champ will be celebrated throughout the event on Sunday.

Here is th full field of 33:

1	Ryan Briscoe	Chevrolet	2	226.484 mph
2	James Hinchcliffe	Chevrolet	27	226.481 mph
3	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Chevrolet	28	226.240 mph
4	Marco Andretti	Chevrolet	26	225.456 mph
5	Will Power	Chevrolet	12	225.422 mph
6	Helio Castroneves	Chevrolet	3	225.172 mph
7	Josef Newgarden	Honda	67	224.677 mph
8	Tony Kanaan	Chevrolet	11	224.431 mph
9	E.J. Viso	Chevrolet	5	224.422 mph
10	Rubens Barrichello	Chevrolet	8	224.264 mph
11	Alex Tagliani	Honda	98	224.000 mph
12	Graham Rahal	Honda	38	223.959 mph
13	Ana Beatriz	Chevrolet	25	223.920 mph
14	Charlie Kimball	Honda	83	223.868 mph
15	Scott Dixon	Honda	9	223.684 mph
16	Dario Franchitti	Honda	50	223.582 mph
17	James Jakes	Honda	19	223.482 mph
18	JR Hildebrand	Chevrolet	4	223.422 mph
19	Takuma Sato	Honda	15	223.392 mph
20	Townsend Bell	Honda	99	223.134 mph
21	Justin Wilson	Honda	18	222.929 mph
22	Michel Jourdain Jr.	Honda	30	222.893 mph
23	Simon Pagenaud	Honda	77	222.891 mph
24	Sebastian Saavedra	Chevrolet	17	222.811 mph
25	Sebastien Bourdais	Chevrolet	7	223.760 mph
26	Wade Cunningham	Honda	41	223.258 mph
27	Oriol Servia	Chevrolet	22	222.393 mph
28	Ed Carpenter	Chevrolet	20	222.324 mph
29	Mike Conway	Honda	14	222.319 mph
30	Katherine Legge	Chevrolet	6	221.624 mph
31	Bryan Clauson	Honda	39	214.455 mph
32	Simona De Silvestro	Lotus	78	214.393 mph
33	Jean Alesi	Lotus	64	210.094 mph

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Indy 500 2012: Time, Starting Grid, TV Schedule, Results And More

2012-05-27T12:41:03Z

The 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 is ready to run on a hot Sunday afternoon at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Chevrolet has made a strong return to the Brickyard this year, supplying engines for all of the cars in the first two rows, including pole sitter Ryan Briscoe who will lead the field of 33 cars across the bricks around noon local time. Then the top cars will see if those engines can hold up for all 500 miles in a race that demands skill, endurance and luck from the winning driver. Target Chip Ganassi Racing cars driven by Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon are powered by Honda and showed on Carb Day that they will be a factor when all of the cars are dialed in for the race.

Soon we will find out which car and drive can best manage the 500 miles to make an appearance on Victory Lane for the swig of milk.

What: 96th Indianapolis 500

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

When: Race starts at 12:00 p.m. EDT

TV: ABC (coverage starts at 11;00 a.m. EDT

Radio: Affiliates outside of Indy

Online: Live Streaming Link

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Indy 500 2012 Weather: Mid-90's Temperatures Expected In Afternoon

2012-05-27T12:00:38Z

The biggest day in racing has arrived, and it looks like the weather in Indianapolis will be quite warm for the 96th running of the Indy 500. The National Weather Service already issued a heat advisory for Central Indiana for the entire weekend that lasts until 8:00 pm EDT Sunday, and warns that record-breaking heat could be on the horizon on race day.

The hottest Indy 500 in history was a 92-degree afternoon back in 1937, so a mid 90's projection with the potential to hit triple digits is rather significant. While fans in the stands will likely be avoiding the sun at all costs as they down their alcoholic beverages, the drivers on the track will have to deal with temperatures in the 140-degree range.

As far as what the heat could impact during the race, overheated tires tend to leave more rubber on the track, which will only stand to make the it slicker and a bit more dangerous from a control standpoint. Many former drivers have mentioned how they blame the sweltering temperatures alone for their failings on race day, so it will be interesting to see what type of impact the intense heat will have on the grueling 500-lap race.

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