The ‘Biggest Spectacle in Racing’ continues to dwell as much as its title up with some really astonishing finishes through the years, whereas additionally having a race in 1913 the place the margin of victory was over 13 minutes between first and second…
It is ought to come as no shock that on this more and more aggressive fashionable age with fields nearer than they’ve ever been earlier than, three of the 5 closest finishes in Indy 500 historical past have taken place within the final 12 years.
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However this 12 months marked the closest ever, besting a file that had stood for over three a long time as charged from third to first on the ultimate lap to win the Indianapolis 500.
Check out how he did it, and the opposite nail-biting finishes from IndyCar’s crown jewel occasion:
2026 — Felix Rosenqvist defeats by 0.023sFelix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Honda, David Malukas, Staff Penske Chevrolet
Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Honda, David Malukas, Staff Penske Chevrolet
. Rosenqivst restarted third behind Malukas and teammate , with Malukas rapidly taking the lead. Rosenqvist truly touched tires with Armstrong as he pulled to his outdoors, they usually spent nearly all of the lap wheel-to-wheel. Whereas that appeared to benefit Malukas, the truth that Rosenqvist had continuous clear air in that greater groove allowed him to construct up some momentum via Turns 3 and 4. He drafted off the again of Malukas, flicked the wheel to the proper, and pulled off a powerful slingshot for the closest end ever within the 115-year historical past of IndyCar’s crown jewel occasion.
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1992 — Al Unser Jr. defeats Scott Goodyear by 0.043s
This 12 months’s end dethrones a file that had stood for 34 years. ‘Little Al’ had the lead, however Goodyear was following in his tire tracks for the whole last lap. He had an enormous run out of the ultimate nook, pulling to the within simply as they reached the yard of bricks. It was the youthful Unser’s first of two Indy 500 wins, and for Goodyear, that was as shut as he ever received to racing immortality.
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2014 — defeats by 0.060sRyan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport Honda celebrates
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport Honda celebrates
Captain America vs. Spiderman within the battle of the yellow vehicles. The race went inexperienced with simply six laps to go, with Hunter-Reay practically going within the grass to take the lead from Castroneves with 4 laps to go. They continued to swap draft with Hunter-Reay taking the lead on the surface on the white flag. Castroneves spent the whole last lap build up a run, however he could not fairly get there because the checkered flag flew. Regardless of a troublesome loss in 2014, Castroneves would finally get his record-tying fourth Indy 500 win seven years later.
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2006 — Sam Hornish Jr. defeats by 0.063s
Sam Hornish Jr. takes the checkered flag forward of Marco Andretti
Sam Hornish Jr. takes the checkered flag forward of Marco Andretti
Probably the most notorious instance of the ‘Andretti Curse’ as no member of the Andretti household has gained an Indy 500 since Mario did so in 1969. In 2006, his grandson Marco was a rookie in IndyCar, and he had a giant lead within the last three laps of the Indy 500. Hornish threw it below Andretti into Flip 3 with two laps to go, however needed to raise or they each would have crashed. That gave the impression to be race over, however Hornish managed to draft his approach again as much as him, pulling beneath him just some hundred toes from the end, stealing the win from the third-generation racer. Marco began 20 Indy 500s earlier than retiring, and by no means received to style the milk.
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2023 — defeats by 0.097sJosef Newgarden wins
Josef Newgarden wins
One other one-lap sprint in 2023, with Ericsson trying to win the Indy 500 for the second consecutive 12 months. Behind him was some of the aggressive oval aces within the sport. Newgarden was charging quick, and at the same time as Ericsson swerved to the apron on the backstretch in a determined effort to interrupt the draft, it wasn’t sufficient. Newgarden shot across the outdoors and cleared him getting into Flip 3. Ericsson was coming again at it, and Newgarden wildly swerved down the monitor, disappearing behind the pit wall earlier than coming again up the monitor. He continued to serpentine all the way in which to the road, profitable the race. He denied Ericsson back-to-back Indy 500 wins, however Newgarden himself would accomplish the feat the next 12 months.
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