After Heartbreak, Tony Kanaan Finally Wins Indy 500

Ended 12 years of frustration today
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 26, 2013 3:49 PM CDT
After Heartbreak, Tony Kanaan Finally Wins Indy 500
Teams, including those of Australia's Will Power (12) and Brazil's Helio Castroneves (3), pit during a yellow flag on lap 58 of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 26, 2013.    (AJ Mast)

Popular Brazilian Tony Kanaan ended 12 years of heartbreak and frustration and won the Indianapolis 500 today on a day that saw a record 68 lead changes and a record average speed of 187.433mph. It was also the coolest day in a decade at the speedway, but it didn't keep Kanaan from celebrating with the traditional celebration of milk after his victory. Even the losers were pleased with the outcome, evidenced by a scene similar to rivals lining up to congratulate Dale Earnhardt when he finally won the Daytona 500 on his 20th try.

Dario Franchitti, whose crash brought out the race-ending caution, stood grinning by his crumpled car, two thumbs up as Kanaan passed under yellow. "When I saw who was leading, it cheered me up a little bit," said Franchitti, last year's winner. "He's a very, very deserving winner." In all, Kanaan went into today's race with 221 laps led at Indy (more than any non-winner except Michael Andretti and Rex Mays) but his second-place finish to Buddy Rice in 2004 was the closest he had come to victory. Carlos Munoz, a 21-year-old Colombian making his first IndyCar start, finished second, and defending IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was third. Click to read about Kanaan's past failed chances at victory. (More Indy 500 stories.)

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