Indy 500 champions choose 1992 finish as greatest race
Fearless Hinchcliffe grabs 100th Indy 500 pole
INDIANAPOLIS, May 23, (Agencies): Ryan Hunter-Reay admits to being biased when asked about the greatest race in Indianapolis 500 history. He also makes it clear that picking his own victory in 2014 is based more on merit than ego.
There was a red flag with seven laps to go. The lead changed just about every lap. Marco Andretti came oh-so-close to ending his family’s Indy 500 curse. And ultimately, Hunter-Reay held off Helio Castroneves — trying to join the club of four-time winners — in the second-closest finish in history.
“There’s no way 2014 isn’t in the top three,” Hunter-Reay said.
It wasn’t even in the top five — at least, not in a survey of past winners conducted by The Associated Press. They chose Al Unser Jr’s victory over Scott Goodyear in 1992 as the greatest race.
“That,” said 1963 winner Parnelli Jones, “was kind of outstanding.”
In the lead-up to the 100th running of the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” The Associated Press interviewed the 27 living race winners on topics ranging from the greatest driver to most memorable moment, and their answers to the greatest race in history produced five that received multiple votes:
Along with Little Al’s victory in 1992, his duel and defeat to Emerson Fittipaldi in the 1989 race; the 2006 race when Sam Hornish Jr passed Andretti within sight of the finish; the 1982 battle between Rick Mears and Gordon Johncock; and the 2011 race won by the late Dan Wheldon.
Perhaps it was Unser’s close call three years earlier, when he touched tires with Fittipaldi and crashed with a lap to go, that made the first of Little Al’s two victories such a popular one.
The crash-filled ‘92 race came down to the final 12 laps, when Michael Andretti appeared on his way to a long-awaited win. But after leading 160 laps, and building a 28-second lead, the fuel pump in his car shut down and Andretti rolled to a stop in the short chute to bring out the caution.
The race restarted with seven laps to go, and Unser and Goodyear went toe-totoe. Unser wobbled just a bit in the final corner, Goodyear weaved behind him down the straightaway, then dove inside as the two cars crossed the finish line in a blur — the margin of Unser’s victory officially 0.043 seconds.
Meanwhile, Canada’s James Hinchcliffe turned in a fearless performance on Sunday when he grabbed pole for the Indianapolis 500, one year after being critically injured in a crash during practice at the famed Brickyard.
Hinchcliffe will be joined on the front row for next Sunday’s centennial showcase by two Americans, Josef Newgarden and 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay.
“The Arrow Electronics car was an absolute smoke show out there, it was right on the edge,” Hinchcliffe told trackside reporters. “Now we’ve got the best seat in the house for the start of the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.”
Two days of qualifying at the sprawling Indianapolis Motor Speedway reached a pulsating climax when Hinchcliffe, the last car onto the track, stormed around the 2.5 mile (4.0-km) oval in a four-lap average speed of 230.760 mph (371 kph) triggering wild celebrations in the Schmidt Peterson Motorsport’s pit.
It was far different scene a year ago when Hinchcliffe was rushed to hospital fighting for his life instead of battling for pole following a spectacular crash that ended his IndyCar season.
The Canadian lost control entering turn three and careened into the wall. A piece of the car’s suspension pierced his left thigh and he lost massive amounts of blood.