Marco easily overtook his dad, and set sail. Hornish made it by Michael on the
same lap, and then tried Marco with a lap to go. Marco closed the door - soundly - and Hornish dropped back. Many thought he was too far back for another run at the younger Andretti, but he clawed his way back to Andretti's rear wing coming off the final turn. Personally, I think nerves got to Marco and he lifted in turns three and four, thinking he was safe. He wasn't. Hornish had the run, and just like Little' Al and Scott Goodyear in 1992, Hornish eked by to take the win.
Marco was second, Michael was third, Dan Wheldon fourth and Tony Kanaan
fifth. Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti were the last of the lead lap cars. Danica Patrick, Scott Sharp and Vitor Meira rounded out the top 10. The Indy 500 needed a finish like this to bring back some of the excitement that has been missing in years' past.
"We were fast when we needed it," an emotional Hornish said after climbing from the car. "I have to thank God for giving me this talent. It's not just that I can drive fast, but I stayed with it and never gave up. It's a great feeling. I wouldn't trade it away for the world. It might not go just the way you want it to, but it was much sweeter this way."
Indianapolis Motor Speedway :: Sun, 28 May 2006
Pos. Driver/Car No C/E/T S Qual Speed Laps XL LL Status Earnings Pts
1 Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Team Penske 6 D/H/F 1 228.985 200 3 19 Running $0 50
2 Marco Andretti NYSE Group 26 D/H/F 9 224.918 200 1 2 Running $0 40
3 Michael Andretti Jim Beam/Vonage 1 D/H/F 13 224.508 200 1 4 Running $0 35
4 Dan Wheldon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 10 D/H/F 3 227.338 200 5 148 Running $0 35
5 Tony Kanaan Team 7-Eleven 11 D/H/F 5 226.776 200 2 12 Running $0 30
6 Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 9 D/H/F 4 226.921 200 2 6 Running $0 28
7 Dario Franchitti Klein Tools/Canadian Club 27 D/H/F 17 223.345 200 0 0 Running $0 26
8 Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent 16 P/H/F 10 224.674 200 0 0 Running $0 24
9 Scott Sharp Delphi 8 D/H/F 8 225.321 200 0 0 Running $0 22
10 Vitor Meira Panther 4 D/H/F 6 226.156 200 0 0 Running $0 20
11 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 20 D/H/F 12 224.548 199 0 0 Running $0 19
12 Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 5 D/H/F 25 220.922 199 0 0 Running $0 18
13 Eddie Cheever Jr. Cheever Racing 51 D/H/F 19 222.028 198 0 0 Running $0 17
14 Max Papis Cheever Racing 52 D/H/F 18 222.058 197 0 0 Running $0 16
15 Kosuke Matsuura Panasonic ARTA 55 D/H/F 7 225.530 196 0 0 Running $0 15
16 Roger Yasukawa Playa Del Racing 12 P/H/F 28 218.793 194 0 0 Running $0 14
17 Jaques Lazier Playa Del Racing 21 P/H/F 24 221.151 193 0 0 Running $0 13
18 Airton Dare OCTANE Motors/Sanitec/SSM 88 P/H/F 29 218.170 193 0 0 Running $0 12
19 P.J. Jones CURB Records 98 P/H/F 32 215.816 189 0 0 Running $0 12
20 Bryan Herta XM Satellite Radio 7 D/H/F 16 224.179 188 0 0 Running $0 12
21 Felipe Giaffone ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing 14 D/H/F 21 221.542 177 0 0 Accident $0 12
22 Townsend Bell Vision Racing 90 D/H/F 15 224.374 161 0 0 Suspension $0 12
23 Jeff Simmons Rahal Letterman Racing Team Ethanol 17 P/H/F 26 220.347 152 0 0 Accident $0 12
24 Al Unser Jr. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 31 D/H/F 27 219.388 145 0 0 Accident $0 12
25 Helio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske 3 D/H/F 2 228.008 109 1 9 Accident $0 10
26 Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent 15 P/H/F 14 224.393 108 0 0 Accident $0 10
27 Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing 2 D/H/F 11 224.659 65 0 0 Accident $0 10
28 Arie Luyendyk Jr.Luyendyk Racing 61 P/H/F 31 216.352 54 0 0 Handling $0 10
29 Stephan Gregoire Effen Vodka Team Leader Special 97 P/H/F 30 217.428 49 0 0 Handling $0 10
30 Larry Foyt AJ Foyt Racing 41 D/H/F 23 221.332 43 0 0 Handling $0 10
31 Thiago Medeiros PDM Racing 18 P/H/F 33 215.729 24 0 0 Electrical $0 10
32 Jeff Bucknum Life Fitness 92 D/H/F 22 221.461 1 0 0 Accident $0 10
33 P.J. Chesson Carmelo Hemelgarn Racing 91 D/H/F 20 221.576 1 0 0 Accident $0 10
Key: No: Car Number C/E/T: Chassis/Engine/Tire
S: Starting Position F: Finishing Position
XL: Times Led LL: Laps Led
Pts: Points
 |
| Hornish celebrating in the winner's circle. (Photo: Chris Jones, IRL) |
Marco was second, Michael was third, Dan Wheldon fourth and Tony Kanaan
 |
| American motorsport royalty, Roger Penske looks on as his team and lead driver take the win. (Photo: Chris Jones, IRL) |
"We were fast when we needed it," an emotional Hornish said after climbing from the car. "I have to thank God for giving me this talent. It's not just that I can drive fast, but I stayed with it and never gave up. It's a great feeling. I wouldn't trade it away for the world. It might not go just the way you want it to, but it was much sweeter this way."
Indianapolis Motor Speedway :: Sun, 28 May 2006
Pos. Driver/Car No C/E/T S Qual Speed Laps XL LL Status Earnings Pts
1 Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Team Penske 6 D/H/F 1 228.985 200 3 19 Running $0 50
2 Marco Andretti NYSE Group 26 D/H/F 9 224.918 200 1 2 Running $0 40
3 Michael Andretti Jim Beam/Vonage 1 D/H/F 13 224.508 200 1 4 Running $0 35
4 Dan Wheldon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 10 D/H/F 3 227.338 200 5 148 Running $0 35
5 Tony Kanaan Team 7-Eleven 11 D/H/F 5 226.776 200 2 12 Running $0 30
6 Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 9 D/H/F 4 226.921 200 2 6 Running $0 28
7 Dario Franchitti Klein Tools/Canadian Club 27 D/H/F 17 223.345 200 0 0 Running $0 26
8 Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent 16 P/H/F 10 224.674 200 0 0 Running $0 24
9 Scott Sharp Delphi 8 D/H/F 8 225.321 200 0 0 Running $0 22
10 Vitor Meira Panther 4 D/H/F 6 226.156 200 0 0 Running $0 20
11 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 20 D/H/F 12 224.548 199 0 0 Running $0 19
12 Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 5 D/H/F 25 220.922 199 0 0 Running $0 18
13 Eddie Cheever Jr. Cheever Racing 51 D/H/F 19 222.028 198 0 0 Running $0 17
14 Max Papis Cheever Racing 52 D/H/F 18 222.058 197 0 0 Running $0 16
15 Kosuke Matsuura Panasonic ARTA 55 D/H/F 7 225.530 196 0 0 Running $0 15
16 Roger Yasukawa Playa Del Racing 12 P/H/F 28 218.793 194 0 0 Running $0 14
17 Jaques Lazier Playa Del Racing 21 P/H/F 24 221.151 193 0 0 Running $0 13
18 Airton Dare OCTANE Motors/Sanitec/SSM 88 P/H/F 29 218.170 193 0 0 Running $0 12
19 P.J. Jones CURB Records 98 P/H/F 32 215.816 189 0 0 Running $0 12
20 Bryan Herta XM Satellite Radio 7 D/H/F 16 224.179 188 0 0 Running $0 12
21 Felipe Giaffone ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing 14 D/H/F 21 221.542 177 0 0 Accident $0 12
22 Townsend Bell Vision Racing 90 D/H/F 15 224.374 161 0 0 Suspension $0 12
23 Jeff Simmons Rahal Letterman Racing Team Ethanol 17 P/H/F 26 220.347 152 0 0 Accident $0 12
24 Al Unser Jr. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 31 D/H/F 27 219.388 145 0 0 Accident $0 12
25 Helio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske 3 D/H/F 2 228.008 109 1 9 Accident $0 10
26 Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent 15 P/H/F 14 224.393 108 0 0 Accident $0 10
27 Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing 2 D/H/F 11 224.659 65 0 0 Accident $0 10
28 Arie Luyendyk Jr.Luyendyk Racing 61 P/H/F 31 216.352 54 0 0 Handling $0 10
29 Stephan Gregoire Effen Vodka Team Leader Special 97 P/H/F 30 217.428 49 0 0 Handling $0 10
30 Larry Foyt AJ Foyt Racing 41 D/H/F 23 221.332 43 0 0 Handling $0 10
31 Thiago Medeiros PDM Racing 18 P/H/F 33 215.729 24 0 0 Electrical $0 10
32 Jeff Bucknum Life Fitness 92 D/H/F 22 221.461 1 0 0 Accident $0 10
33 P.J. Chesson Carmelo Hemelgarn Racing 91 D/H/F 20 221.576 1 0 0 Accident $0 10
Key: No: Car Number C/E/T: Chassis/Engine/Tire
S: Starting Position F: Finishing Position
XL: Times Led LL: Laps Led
Pts: Points