By Julian Linden
INDIANAPOLIS, May 27 (Reuters) – The 96th Indianapolis 500
blasted into action on Sunday on a steaming hot day in America’s
Midwest after an emotional tribute to last year’s winner Dan
Wheldon.
A massive crowd, estimated at around a quarter of a million,
let out a mighty roar when the green flag was dropped and the 33
cars sped away for the first of 200 laps on the sprawling oval
track.
Australian Ryan Briscoe started from pole position after
setting the fastest time in qualifying and was joined on the
front row of the grid by Canada’s James Hinchcliffe and American
Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Marco Andretti, bidding to end his family’s apparent curse
in the race, was on the second row alongside Australia’s Will
Power, the current IndyCar series leader, and three-time Indy
500 winner Helio Castroneves of Brazil.
The field included eight rookies, three women and two
ex-Formula One drivers, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Jean
Alesi of France, and drivers from 11 different countries, the
United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico,
France, Spain, Venezuela, Brazil and Switzerland.
There were three former champions in Castroneves, bidding to
become just the fourth four-time winner, Briton Dario Franchitti
and New Zealand’s Scott Dixon.
This year’s race is one of the most open and unpredictable
in years and was shaping up as grueling test for both the
drivers and their cars with temperatures forecast to reach 95
degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).
Part of the race’s enduring appeal is that it is steeped in
tradition and once again the race was preceded by the singing of
“Back Home in Indiana Again” and the eventual winner was
expected to follow custom by kissing the bricks and slugging
milk.
Before Sunday’s race, the sport paused to remember Wheldon,
the popular Englishman who was killed in a horrific crash in Las
Vegas in October.
His tragic death continues to cast a dark pall over the
sport and has added a somber sense to this year’s race.
The car he won in 12 months ago, was driven on a lap of
honour, serving both as a tribute to him and a stark reminder of
the dangers the drivers face when hurtling around the track at
speeds of 220 mph (350 km/h).
(Editing by Gene Cherry)
