Dario Franchitti prevailed in a wild duel as Takuma Sato crashed while attempting to pass Franchitti on the final lap of the 96th Indianapolis 500.
It was the third victory for Franchitti at the brick yard. An achievement specially marked by devastating heat and the record number of lead changes. Japanese speedster, Sato, attempted to pass Franchitti by going low into Turn 1 in the final lap when Takuma's car spun on the track. He finished in 17th place.
"It looks like he didn't give me enough room to go there," Sato told reporters after the race. "I was well below the white line. And right now, I'm very disappointed."
It is for the second consecutive year in Indy 500 where the last lap decided the winner.Franchitti's car missed the Sato's car and by the time when the caution light came on, he'd already set his position in the No. 1 spot.
"I moved over and saw him coming. I moved over again and he got loose underneath me," Franchitti said. "I was like Emerson (Fittipaldi) and Little Al (Al Unser Jr.) There at the end. My spotter was like, 'Keep Going, keep going, keep going,"
Franchitti's Chip Ganassi teammate, Scott Dixon, finished second and Tony Kanaan finished in the third .
Before the start of the race, last year's champion Dan Weldon, who died in a car crash last year, was honored by a moment of silence as his white car did a single lap around the track. Franchitti, Dixson and Kanaan where each close freinds of Weldon.
"After Sato crashed, I was looking up at the pole," Franchitti said. "I didn't know who was going to win it but everybody up there was a friend of Dan. To be on the trophy beside Dan, on either side, is more important than anything."
Weldon's wife, Susie, rode along with Franchitti and his wife, Ashley Judd, during their victory lap.
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