2008 Indianapolis 500

92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 February 2025 92nd Indianapolis 500 2008 Indianapolis 500.svg Indy Racing League 2008 IndyCar season Chip Ganassi Racing May 25, 2008 NZL Scott Dixon Ricky Davis2011 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Official Media Guide Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation/IMS Public Relations 2011 Statistics 176 English https://doctorindy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2011-Indy-500-Media-Guide.pdf 3:28:57.6792 143.567 mph 0 on NZL Scott Dixon 226.366 mph 0 on NZL Scott Dixon USA Ryan Hunter-Reay NZL Scott Dixon (115) Julianne Houghhttp://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=10708 Julianne Hough to sing at 500 IndyStar.com 2008-04-08 2008-04-08 2008-04-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20080402000858/http://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=10708 dead Jim Nabors Mari Hulman George Chevrolet Corvette Emerson Fittipaldihttp://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=10009 Fittipaldi to drive pace car at '08 Indy 500 IndyStar.com 2007-12-20 2007-12-21 2007-10-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20071011131224/http://indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=10009 dead Bryan Howard Kristi Yamaguchihttp://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=10708 Top Boxer Mayweather To Serve As Honorary Starter Of 92nd Indy 500 Indy500.com 2008-04-24 2008-04-24 2008-04-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20080402000858/http://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=10708 dead 400,000+http://www.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/10837847 2008 Indianapolis 500 facts and figures CBS Sports 2008-05-25 2008-05-25 2008-06-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20080626080548/http://www.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/10837847 dead ESPN on ABC 1:00 PM EDT Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever 4.5http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/SPORTS0107/80528044/1004/SPORTS Final 500 numbers in Indianapolis Star 2008-05-28 2008-05-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20080531172411/http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080528%2FSPORTS0107%2F80528044%2F1004%2FSPORTS 2008-05-31 dead TBD 2007 2009 The 92nd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 25, 2008. It was the fifth round of the 2008 IndyCar Series in DIRECTV HD season. Scott Dixon of New Zealand won the race from the pole position. It marked the first Indy 500 victory for Chip Ganassi Racing since 2000. Dixon led 115 laps (of 200), taking the lead for the final time during a sequence of yellow-flag pit stops on lap 172. Dixon held off Vítor Meira and Marco Andretti over the final 24 laps to secure the win. The 2008 Indy 500 took place just three months after the "Open-wheel Unification" took place. An organizational "Split" had lasted from 1996 to 2007, fracturing the sport, dividing participants, and imbittering fans. For the first time since 1978, the sport of Indy Car racing was unified under one sanctioning body. The 2008 field featured a full complement of IndyCar Series regulars, as well as several teams and drivers from the now-shuttered Champ Car World Series. Following the organizational merger, the 2008 running was expected to be one of the most competitive in many years.https://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=txmergereaction&prov=st&type=lgns https://archive.today/20130210041616/http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=txmergereaction&prov=st&type=lgns dead February 10, 2013 Reaction positive for IRL-Champ Car merge Yahoo.com 2008-02-23 2008-03-21 However, most of the former Champ Car teams struggled a bit to adapt to the new equipment. The transitioning Champ Car teams were provided a fleet of IRL chassis for the season, but many were used having been sold off by defunct teams. IRL/IndyCar Series-based teams swept the top ten finishing positions, with the best former Champ Car team finishing 11th. It was the first Indy 500 where all 33 qualifiers utilized the Dallara IR-03/IR-05 chassis, which first saw competition in the 2003 season. Phil Giebler failed to qualify with the Panoz chassis (formerly known as the G-Force GF09), the final appearance at Indy for the brand. Panoz had already ceased supporting their chassis program in 2006, effectively ushering in a four-year "spec" era. In addition, all full-time entries began utilizing semi-automatic paddle shifters in 2008. Paddle shifters for part-time Indy 500-only entries were optional due to cost reasons.http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070907/FREE/70907002/1553/FREE Indy-Car Upgrades Planned For 2008, '09 AutoWeek.com 2007-09-07 2007-09-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20080212091557/http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070907%2FFREE%2F70907002%2F1553%2FFREE 2008-02-12 dead IndyCar Series practice began May 4. Time trials took place over the two weekends prior to the race (May 10–11 and May 17–18). The final practice was held Friday May 23. Schedule + Race schedule — May 2008SunMonTueWedThuFriSat         1  2  3Mini-Marathon 4ROP 5ROP 6Practice 7Practice 8Practice 9Practice10Pole Day11Time Trials12 13 14Practice15Practice16Practice17Time Trials18Bump Day19 20 21Comm. Day22Lights Practice 23Carb Day Freedom 10024Parade Freedom 10025Indy 50026Memorial Day27 28 29 30 31  Color Notes Green Practice Dark Blue Time trials Silver Race day Red Rained out* Blank No track activity * Includes days where track activitywas significantly limited due to rain ROP — denotes Rookie Orientation Program Comm. Day — denotes 500 Festival Community Day Entry list 2008 IndyCar Series#Confirmed entries The official entry list was released April 11.http://www.indy500.com/news/2008/2008_entrylist.pdf Official entry list Indy500.com 2008-04-11 2008-04-13 2008-05-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20080528080347/http://www.indy500.com/news/2008/2008_entrylist.pdf dead The initial list featured 39 cars and 32 drivers. Additional drivers were announced during practice and qualifying. Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2007 IndyCar Series rookie of the year was eligible to compete for the Rookie of the Year award, under race rules. Even though he was an established IndyCar driver, he had not yet made a start at Indianapolis. Several other former Champ Car drivers were individually evaluated and some were only required to take a "refresher" level test in lieu of the traditional four-phase rookie test. Practice (week 1) Sunday May 4 - Rookie Orientation and Veteran Refreshers Weather: Sunny, blue skies, 63 °F 0 Practice summary: Indianapolis Star Opening Day presents the Unsers started on-track activities for the month. The first day of rookie orientation opened with thirteen drivers eligible to participate. Each first-time starter must pass a four-phase rookie test before being allowed to practice with veterans and qualify. Graham Rahal, Oriol Servià, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alex Lloyd, Hideki Mutoh, Will Power, Justin Wilson, Jaime Camara, E. J. Viso, and Jay Howard passed all four phases of the rookie test. Veteran Max Papis took part in a refresher test. Enrique Bernoldi completed 3 phases of his rookie test and Mario Moraes took to the track at the end of the day to shake his car down. The thirteen drivers turned 661 laps without incident. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed18AUS Will PowerKV Racing220.694 mph 0 on233VEN E. J. VisoHVM Racing220.445 mph 0 on35ESP Oriol ServiàKV Racing220.102 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Monday May 5 - Rookie Orientation and Veteran Refreshers Weather: Sunny, 69 °F 0 Practice summary: The second day of orientation saw more cars on track and a significant increase in speeds. Enrique Bernoldi completed the fourth and final phase of his rookie test, bringing the total to 11 drivers who have done so. Davey Hamilton and Bruno Junqueira returned to the cockpit for a refresher session. Around 1 p.m., Jamie Camara did a half spin and crashed in turn one. Mario Domínguez and Mario Moraes completed the first three phases of their rookie tests and will be allowed to complete the fourth phase during open practice. Alex Lloyd set the fastest lap of the day late in the session at just over 223 mi/h km/h on, a speed that would put him tenth in the 2007 field in only his second day of practice. The sixteen cars on the track turned 655 laps. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed116GBR Alex LloydRahal Letterman Racing w/ CGR223.033 mph 0 on227JPN Hideki MutohAndretti Green Racing222.600 mph 0 on38AUS Will PowerKV Racing222.267 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Tuesday May 6 - Practice Weather: Mostly cloudy, 82 °F 0 Practice summary: The first day of veteran practice saw 33 car/driver combinations take to the Speedway. AGR teammates Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan led the speed charts, with Ganassi and Penske entries also filling out the top ten. 2004 winner Buddy Rice put the Dreyer & Reinbold team back near the top of the speed chart for the first time in several years. No major incidents occurred. Early in the afternoon, Graham Rahal slid loose in the southchute, but maintained control and did not hit the wall. With rain in the forecast over the next two days, the participants logged 1,385 laps. Senator Hillary Clinton, in the Indianapolis area campaigning for the Indiana primary, visited the track as a guest of Sarah Fisher. Fisher went on to take her first laps on the track in the final hour of the session. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed126USA Marco AndrettiAndretti Green Racing226.599 mph 0 on211BRA Tony KanaanAndretti Green Racing225.269 mph 0 on39NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing225.011 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORT Wednesday May 7 - Practice Weather: Rain, windy, 65 °F 0 Practice summary: Practice was scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m., but rain delayed the start. Twice the track was nearly dry and preparing to open, but both times rain returned. At 3:20 p.m., the track was closed for the day. Thursday May 8 - Practice Weather: Rain, windy, 61 °F 0 Practice summary: The rain from the previous day continued through the night and the day's on-track activities were canceled at approximately 1:45 p.m., when it was clear that the rain would not cease and the track could not be dried. Friday May 9 - Fast Friday practice Weather: Cloudy, windy, 56 °F 0 Practice summary: After two days of rainouts practice resumed. Despite cool temperatures, the final day of practice before pole qualifying saw intense action. About 90 minutes into the session, Mario Domínguez spun exiting the pits, and hit the inside wall, suffering suspension damage. At 1:40 p.m., Alex Lloyd crashed hard in turn one, spinning and hitting the wall again in turn two. Around 2:00 p.m. in the pit area, Danica Patrick's car struck a member from Mario Moraes' pit crew, Chuck Buckman, who suffered a concussion.http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/SPORTS0107/80509042/1217&GID=pUvVoBjqubqIqDUDX4WdEu/4H7Bs8/zxW029zm7WkFQ%3D Danica Patrick's car hits crew member IndyStar.com 2008-05-09 2008-05-09 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120319205150/http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080509%2FSPORTS0107%2F80509042%2F1217&GID=pUvVoBjqubqIqDUDX4WdEu%2F4H7Bs8%2FzxW029zm7WkFQ%3D March 19, 2012 At 3:15 p.m., the session was halted by rain, with Scott Dixon posting the fastest lap of the day to that point. At 4:00 p.m., the track was officially closed for the day. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed19NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing226.968 mph 0 on226USA Marco AndrettiAndretti Green Racing226.710 mph 0 on311BRA Tony KanaanAndretti Green Racing226.688 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Time trials (weekend 1) Saturday May 10 - Pole Day thumb|Scott Dixon makes his pole-winning qualification run. thumb|Scoring pylon at the close of pole day qualifications. Weather: Sunny, Blue skies, 64 °F 0 Practice summary Morning practice was delayed 45 minutes due to a slightly damp track from overnight rain. All of the cars were broken into two groups for practice. Marco Andretti set the fastest lap of the first session, and the fastest lap of the month at 228.318 mph. No incidents were reported. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed126USA Marco AndrettiAndretti Green Racing228.318 mph 0 on210UK Dan WheldonChip Ganassi Racing227.223 mph 0 on36AUS Ryan BriscoePenske Racing227.163 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORT Qualifications summary Ryan Briscoe was the first driver to make an attempt, turning a speed of 224.883 mph, which suggested that speeds would be lower than those which had been achieved in the morning practice by drafting. Danica Patrick later took over the provisional pole with a run over 225 mph. Hélio Castroneves then pulled out of line in favor of going out later in the day. Spins involving A. J. Foyt IV and Bruno Junqueira did not cause any damage. After 11 positions were filled, bumping began. Dan Wheldon took to the track, and knocked Patrick from the provisional pole. In the mid-afternoon, Hideki Mutoh failed post-qualifying inspection when it was discovered that the housing for an on-board camera lacked the required ballast, and his previous qualification was disallowed.Dave Kallmann Ganassi duo in high gear; Team rolls in qualifying http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749353 https://archive.today/20130127031649/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749353 dead 2013-01-27 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 2008-05-10 2008-05-12 Around 3 p.m., Hélio Castroneves had been practicing faster than Wheldon. He went out for his first attempt, but fell short of taking over the pole position. He did not rule out another attempt later in the day. At 3:34 p.m. Ryan Briscoe became the first driver to withdraw his earlier speed, and attempt to re-qualify. He knocked Wheldon from the top spot, only to be knocked down to second moments later by Scott Dixon. The final hour concentrated largely on teams trying to bump their way into the top 11. Hideki Mutoh was successful, but Ryan Hunter-Reay crashed hard in turn 3. Former Champ Car entries Graham Rahal, Will Power and Justin Wilson all fell short of the top 11. Meanwhile, the AGR and Penske entries gave up on their efforts to secure the pole position, and pulled their cars out of line for the day. Dan Wheldon was the final driver to withdraw his speed and make a run for the pole. After two fast laps, his second two dropped off, and he settled for second position. When the gun sounded to close the track at 6:00 p.m., Scott Dixon won his first Indianapolis 500 pole position, and Chip Ganassi Racing secured their third Indy pole. + Pole Day Qualifying Results Rank CarNo. Driver Team Qual.Speed19NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing226.366 mph 0 on210UK Dan WheldonChip Ganassi Racing226.110 mph 0 on36AUS Ryan BriscoePenske Racing226.080 mph 0 on43BRA Hélio CastronevesPenske Racing225.733 mph 0 on57USA Danica PatrickAndretti Green Racing225.197 mph 0 on611BRA Tony KanaanAndretti Green Racing224.794 mph 0 on726USA Marco AndrettiAndretti Green Racing224.417 mph 0 on84BRA Vítor MeiraPanther Racing224.346 mph 0 on927JPN Hideki MutohAndretti Green Racing223.887 mph 0 on1020USA Ed CarpenterVision Racing223.835 mph 0 on1112RSA Tomas ScheckterLuczo-Dragon Racing223.496 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORT Sunday May 11 - Second Day Weather: Rain, 51 °F 0 Qualifications summary: Rain cancelled all track activity for the day. Around 12:25 p.m., with continuing rain in the forecast, the track was officially closed. Starting positions 12-33 will be filled during the third day of qualifying, Saturday May 17. Practice (week 2) Wednesday May 14 - Practice Weather: Fog & mist, 61 °F 0 Practice summary: The start of practice was delayed 4 hours, 56 minutes due to persistent misty drizzle at the track following overnight rainstorms. In the short session, 29 drivers turned 390 laps, led by Scott Dixon at 222.834 mph 0 on who turned 17 laps while working with full fuel tanks on his race setup. Jeff Simmons and Roger Yasukawa turned their first laps of the month, making 16 and 15 circuits respectively. John Andretti turned the fastest lap among drivers not yet in the field with a speed of 221.386 mph 0 on. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed19NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing222.834 mph 0 on210GBR Dan WheldonChip Ganassi Racing222.810 mph 0 on326USA Marco AndrettiAndretti Green Racing222.801 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORT Thursday May 15 - Practice Weather: Cloudy, 63 °F 0 Practice summary: With rain in the forecast for most of the afternoon, 35 cars took to the track anxiously, completing 2,628 laps, the most of any single practice day all month. The rain, however, held off nearly all day, and began falling only 18 minutes before the track was scheduled to close. Most cars concentrated on race set-ups, while some of the non-qualified entries simulated time trial runs. No incidents were reported. Among drivers who had not yet qualified, the fastest lap was driven by Will Power, at 222.657 mph 0 on. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed16AUS Ryan BriscoePenske Racing223.708 mph 0 on23BRA Hélio CastronevesPenske Racing223.284 mph 0 on39NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing223.192 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Friday May 16 - Practice Weather: Partly cloudy, 63 °F 0 Practice summary: The final full day of practice saw heavy action. Pole winner Scott Dixon led the overall speed chart for the second time in two days. Of the non-qualified cars Will Power was the quickest. 1996 winner Buddy Lazier took his first laps of the month, while another second-week driver, Phil Giebler, was unable to make an on-track appearance. Three crashes, involving Ryan Briscoe, Will Power, and a less-serious one by E. J. Viso, brought the total of practice crashes to six for the month. Briscoe's crash occurred in his back-up car, while Power's must be repaired before qualifying. A total of 37 drivers and 40 cars took practice laps to date during the month. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed19NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing223.713 mph 0 on23BRA Hélio CastronevesPenske Racing223.411 mph 0 on36AUS Ryan BriscoePenske Racing223.372 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Time trials (weekend 2) Saturday May 17 - Third Day Weather: tba Practice summary The morning practice session was marred by two crashes late in the session. Mario Domínguez wrecked in the first turn, his second crash of the month. Minutes later, Max Papis crashed hard in turn three. John Andretti led the speed chart at 224.027 mph. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed124USA John AndrettiRoth Racing224.027 mph 0 on218BRA Bruno JunqueiraDale Coyne Racing223.683 mph 0 on322USA Davey HamiltonVision Racing223.638 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Qualifications summary The third day of qualifications saw the field filled to 33 cars with Townsend Bell fastest of the day at 222.529 mph. Two additional crashes, along with mechanical problems, however, altered the field of non-qualified cars. Seventeen minutes into the qualifying session, after four cars had completed runs, a light rain shower halted track activity for 15 minutes. Oriol Servia, who was on the track when the rain fell, was allowed to re-attempt without penalty. Several former Champ Car drivers including Graham Rahal, Justin Wilson, and Will Power all qualified safely. For the second time in Indy history, three female drivers made the field, after Milka Duno and Sarah Fisher completed runs. A break in the qualifying line occurred around 2 p.m., with former champion Buddy Lazier the slowest in the field, and only one spot remaining. Just before 4 p.m., Hideki Mutoh crashed his already-qualified car. On the exit of turn two, his car went high in the groove, and brushed along the wall part way down the backstretch. About 25 minutes later, Phil Giebler, in his first significant on-track laps, crashed hard in turn one. He was taken to Methodist Hospital. With less than 15 minutes left in the day, A. J. Foyt IV and Marty Roth looked to make their way into the field. Foyt suffered a gearbox failure during his warm-up lap, and returned to the pits. Roth immediately went out and filled the final qualifying spot, albeit as the slowest overall in the field. Foyt's Vision crew scrambled to put the gearbox back together, in hopes of bumping into the field before the 6 o'clock gun. The team ran out of time, however, and was forced to wait until Sunday to make a qualifying attempt. + Third Day Qualifying Results Rank CarNo. Driver Team Qual.Speed1299USA Townsend BellDreyer & Reinbold Racing222.539 mph 0 on1306 USA Graham RahalNewman/Haas/Lanigan Racing222.531 mph 0 on1414UK Darren ManningA. J. Foyt Enterprises222.430 mph 0 on1518BRA Bruno JunqueiraDale Coyne Racing222.330 mph 0 on1602 UK Justin WilsonNewman/Haas/Lanigan Racing222.267 mph 0 on1715USA Buddy RiceDreyer & Reinbold Racing222.101 mph 0 on1822USA Davey HamiltonVision Racing222.017 mph 0 on1916GBR Alex LloydRahal Letterman Racing w/ CGR221.788 mph 0 on2017USA Ryan Hunter-ReayRahal Letterman Racing221.579 mph 0 on2124USA John AndrettiRoth Racing221.550 mph 0 on2267USA Sarah FisherSarah Fisher Racing221.246 mph 0 on238AUS Will PowerKV Racing221.136 mph 0 on2441USA Jeff SimmonsA. J. Foyt Enterprises221.103 mph 0 on255ESP Oriol ServiàKV Racing220.767 mph 0 on2633VEN E. J. VisoHVM Racing220.356 mph 0 on2723VEN Milka DunoDreyer & Reinbold Racing220.305 mph 0 on2819 BRA Mario MoraesDale Coyne Racing219.716 mph 0 on2936BRA Enrique BernoldiConquest Racing219.422 mph 0 on3034BRA Jaime CamaraConquest Racing219.345 mph 0 on3198USA Roger YasukawaCURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports218.010 mph 0 on3291USA Buddy LazierHemelgarn Racing217.939 mph 0 on3325CAN Marty RothRoth Racing215.506 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Sunday May 18 - Bump Day Weather: tba Practice summary A. J. Foyt IV, still unqualified for the field, led morning practice at 219.184 mph 0 on. Also spending time on the track were Marty Roth, Buddy Lazier, Mario Domínguez, and Davey Hamilton who blew a motor late in the session. + Top Practice Speeds Rank CarNo. Driver Team BestSpeed19NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi Racing221.514 mph 0 on210GBR Dan WheldonChip Ganassi Racing220.653 mph 0 on306USA Graham RahalNewman/Haas/Lanigan Racing220.627 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Qualifications summary Shortly after the track opened for time trials, A. J. Foyt IV easily bumped his way into the field, bumping Marty Roth in the process. Later in the afternoon, Roth was able to secure a spot by bumping Buddy Lazier. After qualifying, A. J. Foyt IV took his car out for practice. The fuel buckeye cover broke off after he exited the pits, and in turn three, a fire started on the side of the car, causing him to spin and crash into the wall. The car was heavily damaged. With Roger Yasukawa on the bubble, Mario Domínguez made his first attempt to qualify, but was too slow. In the final half hour, the unqualified cars made their final attempts. Buddy Lazier's first attempt was too slow, and his team waved off after three laps. Mario Domínguez made his second attempt, and was able to bump Roger Yasukawa from the field. Yasukawa was the next to go out, and missed bumping his way back into the field by 0.046 seconds. Max Papis lined up to make an attempt, but lingering clutch problems prevented him from pulling out of the pits. With about 13 minutes remaining, Lazier returned to the track after some adjustments, and found enough speed to bump Dominguez. Dominguez made one final attempt to make the field, taking the green flag just before the 6 o'clock gun. After one lap that was fast enough to bump Marty Roth, he lost control and crashed in turn one. Roth and Lazier held on to make the field, while Papis was left waiting in line. + Bump Day Qualifying Results Rank CarNo. Driver Team Qual.Speed312USA A. J. Foyt IVVision Racing219.184 mph 0 on3291USA Buddy LazierHemelgarn Racing219.015 mph 0 on3325CAN Marty RothRoth Racing218.965 mph 0 onOFFICIAL REPORTSeptember 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Carb Day Practice - Friday May 23 Weather: Rain, 60° Practice summary: Practice was cancelled after only eleven minutes due to a drenching rain. 32 drivers had taken practice laps, with Dan Wheldon fastest at 223.934 mi/h km/h on. Ryan Briscoe was the only car not to take any laps, and seven drivers managed only warm-up laps. The 32nd annual McDonald's Pit Stop Challenge was to follow the final practice. However, due to the rain, the event was cancelled for the first time ever. The Firestone Freedom 100 was rescheduled for Saturday, while the Stone Temple Pilots concert went on as planned. Starting grid RowInsideMiddleOutside19NZL Scott Dixon10UK Dan Wheldon gold W silver6AUS Ryan Briscoe23BRA Hélio Castroneves gold W silver7USA Danica Patrick11BRA Tony Kanaan326USA Marco Andretti4BRA Vítor Meira27JPN Hideki Mutoh orange R silver420USA Ed Carpenter12RSA Tomas Scheckter99USA Townsend Bell506 USA Graham Rahal orange R silver14UK Darren Manning18BRA Bruno Junqueira602 UK Justin Wilson orange R silver15USA Buddy Rice gold W silver22USA Davey Hamilton716UK Alex Lloyd orange R silver17USA Ryan Hunter-Reay orange R silver24USA John Andretti867USA Sarah Fisher8AUS Will Power orange R silver41USA Jeff Simmons95ESP Oriol Servià orange R silver33VEN E. J. Viso orange R silver23VEN Milka Duno1019 BRA Mario Moraes orange R silver36BRA Enrique Bernoldi orange R silver34BRA Jaime Camara orange R silver112USA A. J. Foyt IV91USA Buddy Lazier gold W silver25CAN Marty RothOFFICIAL REPORT https://web.archive.org/web/20090518095248/http://www.indy500.com/grid 2009-05-18 gold W silver = Former Indianapolis 500 winner orange R silver = Indianapolis 500 rookie Failed to qualify No. Car NumberDriverTeamReason44ITA Max PapisRubicon Race TeamClutch problems during qualifying.88USA Phil GieblerAmerican Dream MotorsportsPractice crash. Team could not secure a back-up car.96MEX Mario Domínguez orange R silverPacific Coast MotorsportsBumped. Wrecked on final qualifying attempt.98USA Roger YasukawaBeck MotorsportsToo slow on day 4. Bumped from the field. Race summary thumb|150px|right|The field entering turn 4, aligned for the start.thumb|150px|right|Marty Roth (in black) after exiting his damaged car.thumb|150px|right|Tony Kanaan drives his damaged car (green and white) through the warm-up lane while Sarah Fisher rests against the inside wall.thumb|150px|right|Scott Dixon (#9), takes a victory lap after winning the 2008 Indianapolis 500. thumb|150px|Video sample from race Start At 1:03 p.m., Mari Hulman George gave the command to start engines. http://www.indycar.com/news/index.php?story_id=11528 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report - May 25, 2008 Indy500.com 2008-05-25 2008-06-03September 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes All cars except Sarah Fisher pulled away, but Fisher quickly caught up to the field. Emerson Fittipaldi was booed during the parade laps due to his incident where he drank orange juice instead of milk after winning in 1993. He pulled the pace car off the track after the third pace lap, and a well-aligned field took the green flag. Polesitter Scott Dixon took the lead into turn one, and led the first two laps. His teammate Dan Wheldon took the lead on lap three. On the 8th lap, Bruno Junqueira lost a mirror, and the first of many caution periods slowed the field. First half Nearly the entire field pitted on the first caution, with Buddy Rice staying out to lead. Sarah Fisher also stayed out, and moved to third. Moments later, she spun in the north chute while warming her tires, and lost 3 laps. When the green resumed, Dan Wheldon quickly regained the lead. He held it until lap 36, when Dixon passed him. At the same time, rookie Graham Rahal drifted high and hit the wall exiting turn four. Marty Roth and Jaime Camara each brought out the yellow in the first half, suffering single-car crashes. Wheldon and Dixon continued to trade the lead. On lap 94, Tony Kanaan charged into the lead. He set a new all-time record by leading a lap in seven consecutive Indy 500 races. He broke Rick Mears' record of six straight races led (1979–1984). His continuing bad luck at Indy returned however 11 laps later. Scott Dixon took the lead back on lap 105. Marco Andretti, Kanaan's AGR teammate, dove low in turn three to overtake, which was followed by Kanaan going high and into the marbles. Kanaan lost control of his car, brushing the wall, then collecting the lapped car of Sarah Fisher. Both cars were heavily damaged. The caution was then extended when Jeff Simmons car suddenly veered and hit the inside wall on the frontstretch. Second half Marco Andretti gained the lead on lap 122. Dixon ran second, while Wheldon began to slip deep in the standings with handling problems. Justin Wilson brought out the yellow in turn 2 on lap 133 with yet another single-car crash. His crash was followed 20 laps later by Alex Lloyd, who brushed the wall in turn 4, and spun wildly into the pit area. Tomas Scheckter, who had been running amongst the leaders all afternoon, dropped out with a broken driveshaft. On the lap 159 restart, Vítor Meira went three-wide and stormed into the lead. With Dixon second and Andretti third, the stage was set to decide the race between those three drivers. Other contenders, Hélio Castroneves, Ed Carpenter, Danica Patrick, Ryan Briscoe, Oriol Servia and rookie Ryan Hunter-Reay, were battling for the balance of the top ten. On lap 169, Milka Duno dove below Buddy Lazier in turn three. The two cars touched slightly, and Duno spun to the warm-up lane. She suffered a flat tire, but was able to continue. The leaders all headed to the pits on lap 171 for what would be the final sequence of pit stops. At pit exit, Ryan Briscoe swung wide and clipped the right rear of Danica Patrick's car.http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080531/SPORTS0107/805310435/1052/SPORTS01 No regrets, no apologies for Patrick IndyStar.com 2008-05-31 2008-06-03 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080603001748/http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080531%2FSPORTS0107%2F805310435%2F1052%2FSPORTS01 June 3, 2008 Patrick spun around, and Briscoe hit the pit wall. Both cars were eliminated. Patrick climbed out of the car, and started walking down towards the Team Penske pits, presumably to confront Briscoe.http://www.indy500.com/news/11521/Leads_115_Laps_For_First_Indianapolis_500_Victory Leads 115 Laps For First Indianapolis 500 Victory Indy500.com 2008-05-25 2008-06-03 2008-05-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20080528222904/http://www.indy500.com/news/11521/Leads_115_Laps_For_First_Indianapolis_500_Victory dead A security guard intervened, and she later walked back to her pit stall. Patrick and Briscoe were called to the Indycar hauler after the race. Patrick and Briscoe were fined $100,000 and were placed on probation until the end of the 2008 season for an aggressive pit incident.http://www.indycar.com/news/index.php?story_id=11528 Perfect day: Scott Dixon starts, finishes first at Indy 500 IndyStar.com 2008-05-25 2008-06-03September 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Finish While most of the attention in the moment was focused on the Briscoe/Patrick incident, Scott Dixon took over the lead. His crew completed a 7-second pit stop, and beat Vitor Meira out of the pits. With 24 laps to go, the green came out with Dixon first, Meira second, and Marco Andretti third. The race went green the remainder of the distance, and Dixon held on by 1.7498 seconds to win his first Indianapolis 500. He became the 19th pole winner to win the race, and the first winner from New Zealand. Box score Finish No. Driver Team Chassis Engine Laps Status Grid Points19NZL Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda200 143.567 mph15324BRA Vítor MeiraPanther RacingDallaraHonda200 +1.7498840326US Marco AndrettiAndretti Green RacingDallaraHonda200 +2.312773543BRA Hélio Castroneves gold W silverTeam PenskeDallaraHonda200 +6.2619432520US Ed CarpenterVision RacingDallaraHonda200 +6.55051030617US Ryan Hunter-Reay orange R silverRahal Letterman RacingDallaraHonda200 +6.98942028727JPN Hideki Mutoh orange R silverAndretti Green RacingDallaraHonda200 +7.8768926815US Buddy Rice gold W silverDreyer & Reinbold RacingDallaraHonda200 +8.87981724914UK Darren ManningA. J. Foyt EnterprisesDallaraHonda200 +9.201914221099US Townsend BellDreyer & Reinbold RacingDallaraHonda200 +9.45671220115ESP Oriol Servià orange R silverKV RacingDallaraHonda200 +22.496625191210UK Dan Wheldon gold W silverChip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda200 +30.7090218138AUS Will Power orange R silverKV RacingDallaraHonda200 +31.666623171422US Davey HamiltonVision RacingDallaraHonda200 +32.008418161536BRA Enrique Bernoldi orange R silverConquest RacingDallaraHonda200 +32.107529151624US John AndrettiRoth RacingDallaraHonda199 -1 Lap21141791US Buddy Lazier gold W silverHemelgarn RacingDallaraHonda195 -5 Laps32131819BRA Mario Moraes orange R silverDale Coyne RacingDallaraHonda194 -6 Laps28121923VEN Milka DunoDreyer & Reinbold RacingDallaraHonda185 -15 Laps27122018BRA Bruno JunqueiraDale Coyne RacingDallaraHonda184 -16 Laps1512212US A. J. Foyt IVVision RacingDallaraHonda180 -20 Laps3112227US Danica PatrickAndretti Green RacingDallaraHonda171 Collision512236AUS Ryan BriscoeTeam PenskeDallaraHonda171 Collision3122412RSA Tomas ScheckterLuczo-Dragon RacingDallaraHonda156 Mechanical11122516UK Alex Lloyd orange R silverRahal Letterman Racing w/Chip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda151 Accident19102633VEN E. J. Viso orange R silverHVM RacingDallaraHonda139 Mechanical26102702UK Justin Wilson orange R silverNewman/Haas/Lanigan RacingDallaraHonda132 Accident16102841USA Jeff SimmonsA.J. Foyt RacingDallaraHonda112 Accident24102911BRA Tony KanaanAndretti Green RacingDallaraHonda105 Collision6103067USA Sarah FisherSarah Fisher RacingDallaraHonda103 Collision22103134BRA Jaime Camara orange R silverConquest RacingDallaraHonda79 Accident30103225CAN Marty RothRoth RacingDallaraHonda59 Accident33103306USA Graham Rahal orange R silverNewman/Haas/Lanigan RacingDallaraHonda36 Accident1310 gold W silver Former Indianapolis 500 winner orange R silver Indianapolis 500 Rookie All entrants utilized Firestone tires. Race statistics Lap Leaders Laps Leader1–2 Scott Dixon3–9 Dan Wheldon10–11 Bruno Junqueira12–19 Buddy Rice20–35 Dan Wheldon36–74 Scott Dixon75–79 Dan Wheldon80–91 Scott Dixon92–93 Dan Wheldon94–105 Tony Kanaan106–121 Scott Dixon122–136 Marco Andretti137–138 Mario Moraes139 Marco Andretti140–155 Scott Dixon156–158 Ed Carpenter159 Scott Dixon160–171 Vítor Meira172–200 Scott Dixon Total laps led Driver LapsScott Dixon 115Dan Wheldon 30Marco Andretti 15Vítor Meira 12Tony Kanaan 12Buddy Rice 8Mario Moraes 3Ed Carpenter 3Bruno Junqueira 2 Cautions: 8 for 69 lapsLapsReason8–16 Debris37–44 Graham Rahal crash in turn 461–71 Marty Roth crash in turn 480–90 Jaime Camara crash in turn 1106–116 Tony Kanaan, Sarah Fisher crash in turn 3133–138 Justin Wilson crash southchute153–158 Alex Lloyd crash at pit entrance169–175 Milka Duno spin in turn 3 Broadcasting Television The race was televised in high definition in the United States on ABC, the 44th consecutive year on that network. Time trials were shown live in high definition on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 at various timeslots and was available via broadband at MediaZone.com. 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever joined the announcing crew for the first time. For the first time, two hours of pre-race was aired, one hour on ESPN2, followed by one hour on ABC. For the third year in a row, the telecast utilized the Side-by-Side format for commercial breaks. + ABC TelevisionBooth AnnouncersPit/garage reportersHost: Brent Musburger Announcer: Marty Reid Color: Scott Goodyear Color: Eddie CheeverJack AruteVince WelchBrienne PedigoJamie Little Radio The race was broadcast on radio by the IMS Radio Network for the 56th consecutive year. Mike King served as anchor. For the second year in a row, Davey Hamilton offered live in-car reporting during caution periods. Chris Economaki offered pre-race and post-race commentary for the final time. This was also the last time that former 'voice' of the 500 Bob Jenkins served as a turn announcer. For the fourth year in a row, Kevin Olson conducted his annual pre-race interview with David Letterman. + Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network Booth AnnouncersTurn ReportersPit/garage reportersChief Announcer: Mike King Driver expert: Johnny Parsons Color: Dave Wilson Historian: Donald Davidson Live in-car reports: Davey Hamilton Commentary: Chris EconomakiTurn 1: Jerry Baker Turn 2: Bob Jenkins Turn 3: Mark Jaynes Turn 4: Chris DenariJake Query (north pits)Kevin Olson (north-center pits)Dave Argabright (south-center pits)Kevin Lee (south pits) Gallery See also List of Indianapolis 500 winners Indianapolis 500 year by year Indy Racing League 2008 IndyCar Series season References External links Indy500.com - Official site https://web.archive.org/web/20120204113005/http://www.indy500.com/ February 4, 2012 Indycar.com - Official site Indianapolis Star coverage 2007 Dario Franchitti 2008 Scott Dixon 2009 Hélio Castroneves 2008 RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 IRL IndyCar Seriesround 5 2008 2008 ABC Supply Company A.J. 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