By Julian Linden
INDIANAPOLIS, May 27 (Reuters) – New Zealand’s Scott Dixon
was unconsolable after finishing runner-up in Sunday’s
Indianapolis 500, believing he would have won the race if
Japan’s Takuma Sato did not crash on the last lap.
Dixon had to settle for second place behind his Scottish
team mate Dario Franchitti after the 200-lap race ended under a
yellow flag.
Dixon, who led 53 laps of the race, was perfectly placed to
make a last-gasp ditch to win but was prevented from overtaking
once the yellow flag was unfurled.
“I’m super gutted,” he said. “It’s tough when you get so
close to have it ripped away from you. We were so close, we
definitely had the car.”
Dixon’s hopes of overtaking his Ganassi Racing team mate
were dashed when Sato, who was in second place in the mad
scramble to the finish, tried to pass Franchitti on the first
turn but spun out of control and hit the wall, forcing the
yellow flag.
Dixon, who won the Indy 500 from pole position in 2008, said
he was surprised Sato made his move when he did and was lucky
not to take out Franchitti.
“I wasn’t expecting Sato to dive in there,” said Dixon.
“I thought we were going to get really lucky because they
touched and I thought they were going to end up in the fence.
“But credit to Dario, he had a bad start to the day and came
through the field.”
(Editing by Gene Cherry)
