In a race down to the pits, No. 9 Target Driver Scott Dixon with Chip Ganassi Racing sped past Vitor Meira during the final pit stop during a yellow to take the win at the Brickyard. Reporters commented on the look of shock on Scott’s face at winners circle and Scott confirmed that he was a bit shocked.
“It’s almost like you’re in a dreamland,” Scott said. “It was quite crazy. You know it’s something where you expect somebody to pinch you and you wake up and you’re just sort of asleep in your bed back at home. It still hasn’t sunk in yet.”
Scott’s win is the first Indy 500 win to come after the reunification of the IndyCar Series and the Champ Series. The series split 12 years ago in 1995 and finally merged again this year. Scott said the reunification certainly means the talent pool for this year’s race was a bit deeper, but he says the real competition will come next year when the former Champ Series teams will have had a year to make adjustments.
Scott said his day started off right with his a good night’s rest and his wife’s pancakes for breakfast. He did admit he was a bit anxious going into the race. Scott said the entire month went pointedly smooth with his car and his crew and he didn’t want to see something like a poor pit stop slow his momentum. Scott, who won the IndyCar Series Championship in 2003, said this was his biggest IndyCar win to date.
“This is much more sweeter because it comes, you know, you work three weeks solidly and it comes down to one day to get it and have everything fall into place. It’s quite special,” Scott said.
Scott averaged a speed of 143.567 mph during the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 and led for the last 29 laps of the race, the longest racing stretch all day.
The race was marked with eight yellow flags and that meant drivers didn’t pit once during a green. That took the pit pressure off the runner-up Vitor Miera. Vitor, who drives the N. 4 car for Panther racing finished second with an average lap speed of 143.547.
Marco Andretti, who drives the the No. 26 car for Andretti Green Racing, finished third with an average lap time of 143.541.
Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay called it before the race. In a speech before EPIC members Saturday night he said the Ganassi cars would be the biggest competitors out on the track at the Brickyard. Ryan was just shy of a top five finish and came in 6th at the Indianapolis 500. Ryan was the top finishing rookie at the race and the 6th place finish marks Team Ethanol’s best Indy 500 finish to date.
When asked about Scott’s win, Ryan said “It’s nice to see the fastest car out there win.”
You can listen to audio from the press conference with Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi and Target Team Managing Director Mike Hull here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/epic/indy-08-dixon.mp3]
We’re well into the final quarter of the 2008 Indy 500. There’s been more than a handful of crashes. But, Ryan Hunter-Reay has been holding a top 10 position for much of the race and is just shy of a top 5 spot. He now holds the 6th position after starting 20th.
Members of the 
Ethanol isn’t just out on the track, but also in parking lots and parked in the infield at the Brickyard in Indianapolis, IN. And that’s something 
Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay started the 92nd Indianapolis 500 in position 20, but the race rookie has already moved up to 11th. The drivers are cruising on a yellow flag right now. Keep checking back to see if Ryan can snag a top 10 spot.
Olympian figure skater Kristy Yamaguchi is the latest star to win the “Dancing with the Stars” competition. She’s also the latest star to signal that the race is on. Kristy flashed the green ethanol flag and the 33 competitors in the 92nd Indy 500 took off for their 200 lap run around the Brickyard. Just thirty-seven laps into the race, Graham Rahal got too high around turn 4 and smashed into the outer wall.
The Ethanol tent and mobile unit display at the 92nd Indianapolis 500 is a big hit with race fans. When I dropped by there was a large crowd lined up to sign up their email address and consumer information with ethanol. Those that stopped by could also jump in the seat of a Team Ethanol IndyCar replica, play some racing videogames and pick up a tiny replica of the No. 17 car.
He was named rookie of the year for the 2007 IRL season. Ryan is also in the running to be the Rookie of the Year for the 2008 Indy 500.
But, he was quick to point out that when the car’s dialed in and everything is running smoothly, “It actually does feel like you’re flying low… it’s amazing those cars can do that really. Cause you don’t believe in it. Until you’re actually in the corner with 4 Gs loaded up and you get out of it.”
Everybody Loves Raymond fans had an exciting morning at the IPL Festival Parade today. Patricia Heaton was one of more than a dozen celebrities that appeared before parade-goers. Jenna Elfman of Dharma and Greg also starred in the parade as did Dancing with the Stars‘ Julianne Hough, 98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey, soap-opera star Alison Sweeney, Indiana Pacers players Jeff Foster and Danny Granger, Indiana Fever players Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas, Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Corporal Tibor Rubin and Retired Lt. Col. Bruce P. Crandall, and more. Even SLASH from Guns n’ Roses rode past.
But, of course ethanol fans were most excited to see Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. Ryan rode with his girlfriend in a 2008 Indy Pace Car corvette signed by racing legend Emerson Fittipaldi. He is starting 20th in tomorrow’s race.
The green ethanol flags were a hit with the crowd at the 2008 IPL Festival Parade, especially with the kids. Spectators could spot “e” flags waving at Monument Circle and along the parade route. Some kids were using the flags as drumsticks, beating in time to the college and high school bands that marched past. Well, keeping time in their heads at least. But, the kids weren’t the only ones eager to get there hands on one. Just as one of the brand ambassadors handed out the last flag, a woman came up demanding one for herself. She wasn’t too happy to find out there were none left!