2003 Indianapolis 500

87th running of the Indianapolis 500 February 2025 87th Indianapolis 500 Indy500winningcar2003.JPG Indy Racing League 2003 IndyCar season Penske Racing May 25, 2003 BRA Gil de Ferran Matt Jonsson2011 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 3:11:56.9891 156.291 mph BRA Hélio Castroneves 231.725 mph BRA Hélio Castroneves JAP Tora Takagi SA Tomas Scheckter (63) Daniel Rodriguez Jim Nabors Mari Hulman George Chevrolet SSR Herb Fishel Bryan Howard 300,000 (estimated) ABC Paul Page, Scott Goodyear 4.6 14 2002 2004 The 87th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 25, 2003. Two-time defending champion Hélio Castroneves won the pole position and was trying to become the first driver in Indy history to win three in a row. With 31 laps to go, however, Castroneves was passed by his Team Penske teammate Gil de Ferran. The duo finished 1st–2nd, with de Ferran winning his first and only Indy 500. It was Penske's second 1–2 finish (after 2001). The race was sanctioned by the Indy Racing League and was part of the 2003 IndyCar Series season. For the 2003 season, the series adopted a new chassis package and saw the introduction of Toyota and Honda to the field. It was Honda's third period of involvement at Indy. They partnered with the Judd program in the 1987 race, and was an engine provider in CART in 1990s, entering at Indy in 1994–1995. Their return in 2003 started a more than two-decade period of involvement, which is still continuous as of 2026. Honda's third-place finish (with Tony Kanaan) was their best-ever Indy result at the time, a precursor to their first Indy victory, which would come in a year later. Toyota, previously an engine provider in CART, was making their first-ever attempt at Indy. They won in their first outing and recorded the first Indy 500 win for a Japanese engine manufacturer. But it would prove to be Toyota's only Indy 500 victory – they would depart IndyCar after 2005 and instead allocate their efforts towards NASCAR. Due to cost issues, and a shortage of engines and drivers, there was considerable concern going into the month of May that the field might fall short of the traditional 33 starters.https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/14/sports/auto-racing-rising-costs-threaten-field-at-indy.html Rising Costs Threaten Field at Indy The New York Times Dave Caldwell 2003-05-14 2012-02-01 On the final day of qualifying, the field was filled, avoiding a PR "black eye".http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/2003/indy500/news/2003/05/18/bump_day_ap/ https://web.archive.org/web/20030819125245/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/2003/indy500/news/2003/05/18/bump_day_ap/ dead August 19, 2003 Lineup complete – No bumping needed as field of 33 set for Indy 500 Sports Illustrated 2003-05-18 2012-02-01https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GvMaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6736,2244441&q=2003+fill+day+indianapolis+33+cars&hl=en No bumping needed as field of 33 set for Indy 500 Daily News AP Dan Gelston 2003-05-19 2012-02-01 No cars were bumped from the field for the first time since 1947. Former presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton were in attendance, the first time in Indy history that two former presidents were at the race.2003 Indianapolis 500 – Daily Trackside Report It was the elder Bush's second visit to the Speedway; he previously presided over the opening ceremonies of the 1987 Pan American Games, which was held at the track. Rookie A. J. Foyt IV, racing on his 19th birthday, became the youngest driver ever to compete in the race. For the first time since the 1970s,Fox Jack C. The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 Carl Hungness Publishing Fourth 1994 445 0-915088-05-3 the race was not announced as a sell-out.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/news/2003/05/09/indy_notebook_ap/ https://archive.today/20130119112916/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/news/2003/05/09/indy_notebook_ap/ dead January 19, 2013 Indy 500 not yet a sellout, doesn't have a full field Sports Illustrated 2003-05-09 2012-02-08 Since 1985, the race was usually sold out by July of the previous year. Background thumb|right|175px|The Indiana design of the 50 State Quarters program depicting an IndyCar was released the previous summer on August 8, 2002. The biggest interest story going into the race was the impending retirement of popular veteran Michael Andretti. Andretti announced that the 2003 Indy 500 would be his final race, and that he would retire from driving immediately after, to focus on team ownership.https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/02/sports/plus-auto-racing-michael-andretti-to-retire-in-may.html Michael Andretti To Retire in May The New York Times 2003-02-02 2012-02-02 (Note that Andretti came out of retirement and returned to drive at Indy in 2006–2007.) The open wheel "Split" continued into what was now its eighth year. However, nearly all of the top teams and drivers from CART entered at Indy for 2003. It was the fourth consecutive year that CART-based teams entered the Indy 500, and each successive year had seen an increased number of participants "crossing over". The 2003 season was a turning point in the "Split", as several teams, including Penske, Andretti Green, Ganassi, and Rahal pulled out of CART and defected permanently to the Indy Racing League full-time. One of the few holdouts in 2003 was Newman/Haas Racing. Paul Tracy, a key fixture in the controversial 2002 race (who was driving for Forsythe), also did not enter. During the spring Dario Franchitti of Andretti Green Racing was injured in a motorcycle accident, which sidelined him for most of the season. Scot Dario becomes an American idol BBC Sport http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/6700913.stm 2009-07-15 29 May 2007Franchitti injured in bike crash Scotsman http://sport.scotsman.com/motorbikes/Franchitti-injured-in-bike-crash.2417267.jp 2009-07-15 Robby Gordon replaced him in the car at Indy, and Gordon planned to attempt the Indy-Charlotte "Double Duty". After changes in the rules, Greg Ray entered and qualified a car carrying the number 13. It was the first time #13 appeared on a car at the Indy 500 since George Mason in 1914. From 1926 to 2002, usage of #13 was not permitted, and throughout the entire history of the race, was generally avoided by competitors due to superstitions.Best By Number Sporting News 2006 13 And Indy 500 Are Like Oil And Water 61 0-89204-848-4 https://archive.org/details/bestbynumberwhow0000unse/page/61 For the first time ever, a support race was scheduled for the month of May at Indy. The Menards Infiniti Pro Series arrived at the Speedway for the inaugural Freedom 100. The race was scheduled for the Saturday of Bump Day weekend. Mario Andretti crash Andretti-Green Racing driver, Tony Kanaan, suffered a radial fracture of his arm on April 15 in a crash at Motegi. On April 23, the 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti took over Kanaan's car for a test session.http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=1246622 At 63, Mario not slowing down WRTV 2003-04-26 2012-04-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20150620135137/http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=1246622 2015-06-20 dead Andretti retired in 1994, and this was the first time in nine years he had driven a major open-wheel car. If Kanaan was not cleared to drive in enough time, tentative plans were being prepared for Andretti to qualify the car for him. He would then turn the car over to Kanaan on race day. No firm plans had yet been made though for Andretti to actually drive in the race.https://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/irl/indy500/2003-04-22-mario-andretti_x.htm Mario Andretti back behind wheel for Indy test USA Today Curt Cavin 2003-04-23 2012-04-26 During Andretti's test session, it was noted by many observers that despite his lack of experience in modern Indy cars (which had changed substantially since his retirement in 1994) and his advanced age (63), he quickly reached competitive speed. During the morning session, he turned a lap of 212.509 mph, and looked "as if he had never been away." Later in the day, he upped his speed to over 223 mph. The success of the test created a stir, and speculation grew during the afternoon that Andretti may even attempt to qualify for the race. With only two minutes left in the session, Kenny Bräck crashed in turn one, and the yellow light came on. Andretti entered turn one at full speed, and struck debris on the track from Bräck's crash. The object, identified by some as the rear wing, or possibly a piece of foam from the impacted SAFER barrier, pitched the nose of Andretti's car upward, and the car became airborne. The car then went into a rapid double-reverse somersault flip at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour.https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/24/sports/plus-auto-racing-mario-andretti-crashes-at-indy.html Mario Andretti Crashes at Indy The New York Times 2003-04-24 2012-04-26 Television footage from the WTHR helicopter-cam showed that the car clipped the top of the debris fence, and was nearly high enough to go over it. The car fell back to the racing surface, slowed by its mid-air tumble, and slid to a stop upright. Andretti walked away from the crash with very minor injuries.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g6kaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6576,3288140&dq=mario+andretti+2003&hl=en Mario Andretti would do it again Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Motorsports Dave Kallmann 2003-04-25 2012-04-26June 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes Andretti initially shrugged off the accident, and still contemplated returning to qualify the car in May. A day later, however, he reconsidered.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=E6hbAAAAIBAJ&pg=6074,4230460&dq=mario+andretti&hl=en Andretti changes mind, won't drive at Indy The Post and Courier 2003-04-25 2012-04-26June 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes Race schedule Race schedule — April/May, 2003SunMonTueWedThuFriSat20 21ROP22Testing23Testing24 25 26 27 28 29 30  1  2  3Mini-Marathon 4Opening Day 5Practice 6Practice 7Practice 8Practice 9Practice10Pole Day11Pole Day12 13 14Practice15Practice16Practice17Practice18Time Trials19 20 21 22Carb Day23 24Parade25Indy 50026Memorial Day27 28 29 20 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 Practice and time trials Practice opened on Sunday May 4, with roughly 29 car/driver combinations named to the field. That was short of the traditional 33 starters for the race, and there was ongoing speculation around the garage area on who would potentially fill the four open spots. At the onset, drivers were flirting with the 230 mph barrier. On Tuesday May 6, rookie Dan Wheldon (231.108 mph) became the first driver to break the 230 mph barrier. A day later, Kenny Bräck (231.039 mph) also broke 231 mph. Wheldon set the fastest lap of the month on Thursday May 8 at 232.202 mph, the fastest lap run at the Speedway since 1996. On "Fast Friday" May 9, Arie Luyendyk spun exiting turn one, and hit the outside wall with the back end of the car. The car slid down the track, and hit the outside wall in turn 2 also. Luyendyk suffered a back injury, and soreness in his neck and shoulders. Ultimately, Luyendyk decided to sit out the race, and retired from driving permanently. Pole qualifying was originally scheduled for Saturday May 10. During the morning practice session Billy Boat spun coming out of turn four, and made heavy contact with the safety attenuator at the north end of the pit wall. The car hit with the back end, flew up into the air momentarily, and came to rest against the outside wall on the mainstretch. The energy-absorbing barrier was demolished, but officials stated that the barrier withstood the impact, and worked effectively. Boat was transferred to Methodist Hospital for observation, but was eventually released and cleared to drive. Before the track crews could replace the damaged barrier, rain began to fall. A violent thunderstorm swept through the area, and washed out qualifying for the afternoon. Pole Day Pole qualifying was rescheduled for Sunday May 11. The weather was cool and windy. Robbie Buhl was the first car to make an attempt, and he put his car the field with a safe run of 224.369 mph. At 12:30 p.m., rookie Scott Dixon (230.099 mph) was the first car over 230 mph. At 12:45 p.m., Robby Gordon (230.205 mph) took over the provisional pole position. At 12:55 p.m., rookie A. J. Foyt IV was attempting to become the youngest driver ever to qualify for the Indy 500. On his first lap, he spun exiting turn 2, did not hit the wall, and slid backwards down nearly the entire length of the backstretch. He was uninjured. The first trip through the qualifying line was completed at about 1:45 p.m. Several drivers had pulled out of line, waiting for better conditions. At 2:41 p.m., Tony Kanaan took over the top spot with a run of 231.006 mph. At 4:36 p.m., two-time defending race winner Hélio Castroneves (231.725 mph) secured the pole position. Tony Kanaan was bumped to the middle of the front row, and Robby Gordon held on to the outside of the front row. The day ended with A. J. Foyt IV completing a run, and Gil de Ferran, the last car with a realistic shot of the front row, turning in a somewhat-disappointing 228.633 mph, good enough only for 10th starting position. Bump Day The track closed for two days and practice resumed on Wednesday May 14. The final day of time trials was scheduled for Sunday May 18. Alex Barron was named to replace Arie Luyendyk at Mo Nunn Racing. Only 32 car/driver combinations had materialized, leaving concerns about the prospects of filling the field to the traditional 33 starters. Airton Daré and Vítor Meira were named to rides on Sunday morning, meaning there were now nine cars preparing to qualify. Among the fastest drivers who had yet to qualify were Jimmy Vasser (228.275 mph) and Alex Barron (227.714 mph). Vasser missed the first weekend of time trials due to his participation in the Champ Car German 500. Qualifying opened with nine spots open in the field. Time trials opened at 12:30 p.m., with Jimmy Kite the first car out. After two fast laps, however, the car stalled with an electrical problem. In the first half-hour, three cars qualified, led by Jimmy Vasser, and the field was up to 27 cars. Jimmy Kite returned to the track, this time qualifying without incident. Airton Daré stalled several times trying to leave the pits, but after repairs, he qualified to fill the field to 29 cars. Just before 2 p.m., Alex Barron and Richie Hearn completed runs, and the field was up to 31 cars. Hearn's team acquired a Penske back-up car, and he was safely in the field. At 3 p.m., there were two spots left in the field. Only two cars remained on the sidelines, Robby McGehee and Vítor Meira. No other teams were planning on qualifying, although a rumor circulated around the garage area that Ganassi was considering on wheeling out a backup car for Jeff Ward. McGehee (224.493 mph) completed his qualifying attempt at 3:30 p.m., leaving only one spot open in the grid. At 4:05 p.m., Meira (227.158 mph) filled the field to 33 cars. At that point, the track was opened for practice, and the track officially closed at 6 o'clock without any other qualifiers. The series avoided the embarrassmentJuly 2012 of not filling the field to the traditional 33 cars. The race had not failed to do so since 1947, when several drivers that were members of ASPAR (the American Society of Professional Auto Racing) threatened to boycott the race over the purse size.http://www.racer.com/indianapolis-500-centenary-countdown-not-33-times-3/article/180996/ Indianapolis 500 Centenary Countdown: Not 33 (times 3) Racer magazine 2010-10-14 2012-02-01 October 18, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101018024948/http://www.racer.com/indianapolis-500-centenary-countdown-not-33-times-3/article/180996/ dead Nonetheless, some members of the media chastised the effort, later nicknaming the afternoon "Fill Day" rather than the traditional Bump Day. During the television coverage, Bob Jenkins and Jack Arute passionately defended the event from its detractors.http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2003/05/Snore-Of-The-Engines.aspx https://archive.today/20130130214102/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2003/05/Snore-Of-The-Engines.aspx dead 2013-01-30 Snore of the Engines MRN 2003-05-20 2012-02-01 Despite pointing out the lack of drama on the final day of time trials, Robin Miller was among those who suggested that the 2003 field was the deepest talent-wise since the open-wheel "split". Carb Day The final practice was scheduled for Thursday May 22. A total of 32 of the 33 cars took laps. Robby McGehee did not participate as the crew was working on mechanical problems. The green flag came out at 11 a.m. On his first lap out of the pits, Buddy Rice suffered a brake lock-up, which caused him to spin in turn four. The car was not damaged, and he was able to return to the track about ten minutes later. Shinji Nakano stalled on the track out of fuel, and Sam Hornish Jr. suffered a minor engine fire. Kenny Bräck (228.707 mph) was the fastest of the day. Robby Gordon, who was attempting Double Duty, stayed for the first half hour. He turned a lap of 227.850 mph, which proved to be the second fastest of the day. Then at approximately 11:30 a.m., he got out of the car and departed for Charlotte. Pit Stop Challenge The 27th annual Checkers and Rally's Pit Stop Challenge was held Thursday May 22. Twelve teams competed in a single-elimination bracket. Seven participants were named to the event based on their pit stop performance at IRL/IndyCar Series races since the previous year's Indy 500 and three spots were filled by entrant points. The final two berths were up for grabs during a last-chance qualifying session on May 14. Tony Kanaan and Michael Andretti (both of Andretti Green) along with Scott Dixon (Ganassi) got in based on points. Robbie Buhl (Dreyer & Reinbold) and Tomas Scheckter (Ganassi) earned the final two spots during the last-chance qualifying session. The bracket was determined by a blind draw. Four teams received byes for the first round. During the quarterfinal matches, Michael Andretti suffered a throttle problem, and forfeited, allowing Buddy Rice to win the heat without posting a time. Sam Hornish Jr. was penalized 5 seconds for a loose lug nut, but Al Unser Jr. still would have won the heat anyway. The finals pitted Penske (Hélio Castroneves) versus Red Bull Cheever Racing (Buddy Rice). The crew of Rice won, the first victory in the event for Cheever, and first of back-to-back wins individually for Rice. First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals 52 Buddy Rice(Cheever Racing) 9.9075 24 Robbie Buhl(Dreyer & Reinbold) 10.3599 31 Al Unser Jr.(Kelley Racing) 9.2636 9 Scott Dixon(Chip Ganassi Racing) 10.1317 15 Kenny Bräck(Team Rahal) 9.8247 8 Scott Sharp(Kelley Racing) 11.4298 10 Tomas Scheckter(Chip Ganassi Racing) 10.2038 21 Felipe Giaffone(Mo Nunn Racing) 10.6056 52 Buddy Rice(Cheever Racing) N/A 26 Michael Andretti(Andretti Green) forfeit 31 Al Unser Jr.(Kelley Racing) 8.8858 4 Sam Hornish Jr.(Panther Racing) 15.1301 3 Hélio Castroneves(Team Penske) 8.6893 15 Kenny Bräck(Team Rahal) 10.4043 7 Tony Kanaan(Andretti Green) 9.7886 10 Tomas Scheckter(Chip Ganassi Racing) 10.1070 52 Buddy Rice(Cheever Racing) 8.9962 31 Al Unser Jr.(Kelley Racing) 9.4110 3 Hélio Castroneves(Team Penske) 9.3280 11 Tony Kanaan(Andretti Green) 12.6693 52 Buddy Rice(Cheever Racing) 8.8401 3 Hélio Castroneves(Team Penske) 9.1341 Starting grid RowInsideMiddleOutside1 3BRA Hélio Castroneves (W) 11BRA Tony Kanaan 27USA Robby Gordon2 9NZL Scott Dixon (R) 26GBR Dan Wheldon (R) 15SWE Kenny Bräck (W)3 12JPN Tora Takagi (R) 32USA Tony Renna (R) 8USA Scott Sharp4 6BRA Gil de Ferran 55USA Roger Yasukawa (R) 10RSA Tomas Scheckter5 7USA Michael Andretti 13USA Greg Ray 54JPN Shinji Nakano (R)6 21BRA Felipe Giaffone 31USA Al Unser Jr. (W) 4USA Sam Hornish Jr.7 52USA Buddy Rice (R) 2USA Jaques Lazier 91USA Buddy Lazier (W)8 24USA Robbie Buhl 14USA A. J. Foyt IV (R) 23USA Sarah Fisher9 20USA Alex Barron 22BRA Vítor Meira (R) 19USA Jimmy Vasser10 99USA Richie Hearn 98USA Billy Boat 5JPN Shigeaki Hattori11 44USA Robby McGehee 18USA Jimmy Kite 41BRA Airton Daré Failed to qualify USA Scott Mayer (R) (#18) – Failed rookie orientation (replaced by Jimmy Kite) NED Arie Luyendyk (W) (#20) – Injured in practice crash (replaced by Alex Barron) Race summary Start The controversy of filling the field the previous weekend fizzled as race day arrived. Mari Hulman George gave the command to start engines at 10:47 a.m. EST, and all 33 cars pulled away from the starting grid. It would be the final time that the race would begin at the traditional 11 a.m. EST start time. Polesitter Hélio Castroneves took the lead at the start, and led for the first 16 laps. The first yellow came out on lap 9 when Billy Boat stalled in turn two. After the restart on lap 15, Sarah Fisher spun in turn three, hitting the outside wall. After pit stops, Scott Dixon took the lead on lap 17. First half Michael Andretti led 28 laps in the first half, but during a pit stop on lap 98, the car quit with the broken throttle linkage. On lap 61, Richie Hearn got up in the "marbles" in turn two, hitting the outside wall. Jaques Lazier spun to avoid the crash and came to rest on the inside of the track. Both drivers were uninjured. The lead changed several times in the first half, with Tomas Scheckter, Tony Kanaan, and Jimmy Vasser each taking turns in the lead. Hélio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran were running in the top 5 most of the way. Second half Tomas Scheckter led from laps 101–128, with Hélio Castroneves close behind in second. On lap 127, Airton Dare crashed in turn 2, bringing out the caution, and the leaders all made pit stops. Castroneves beat Scheckter out of the pits and took the lead. Gil de Ferran was in third. On lap 135 restart, de Ferran passed Scheckter for second place. At lap 150, Penske teammates Castroneves and de Ferran were still running 1st–2nd. Castroneves was looking to put himself in position to win his third "500" in a row. The leaders made their final pit stops on laps 165–168. After the sequence of green flag stops, Castroneves and de Ferran were again running 1st–2nd. On lap 169, leader Castroneves was hung up behind the lapped car of A. J. Foyt IV down the backstretch. While it was not captured by TV cameras, earlier in the race Foyt had come down and made contact with Castroneves while being lapped in turn 2. This perhaps led to Castroneves following Foyt through the 2nd turn allowing de Ferran to make the pass for the lead going into turn 3. On lap 172, Robby Gordon stopped on the track with a broken gearbox. The yellow came out, but none of the leaders pitted. Gordon immediately departed the grounds, and flew to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. With 25 laps to go, the green came back out with de Ferran leading, and Castroneves in second. Finish On lap 182, Scott Sharp brushed the wall in turn 4, then crashed in turn 1. After the cleanup, the green came back out on lap 186. One lap later, however, Dan Wheldon spun in turn three, hit the outside wall, then the car flipped over and landed upside-down. Wheldon was not injured. During the caution for the Wheldon crash, Scott Dixon, who was running in the top ten, was weaving back and forth on the mainstretch to warm up his tires. He began to do it too vigorously, and brushed the inside wall. The car was too damaged to continue. The green came out with six laps to go. Gil de Ferran held off Hélio Castroneves by 0.2290 seconds to win his first Indianapolis 500. After the race, Castroneves coaxed de Ferran to climb the catch fence on the mainstretch, mimicking his own traditional post-race victory celebration. de Ferran ended up retiring at season's end, becoming the fourth Indy 500 winner to retire as a reigning "500" champion. The "curse of the Indy three-peat" prevailed again as Castroneves failed to achieve victory. His three-race career record of 1st–1st–2nd, however, established an Indy record for a driver's first three starts. Castroneves' second place tied Al Unser's 1970–1971–1972 effort of 1st–1st–2nd. Box score FinishStartNoNameQualChassisEngineLapsStatusEntrant1106BRA Gil de Ferran228.633Panoz G-ForceToyota200 156.291 mphTeam Penske213BRA Hélio Castroneves gold W silver231.725Dallara IR-03Toyota200 +0.2990Team Penske3211BRA Tony Kanaan231.006Dallara IR-03Honda200 +1.2475Andretti Green Racing41210RSA Tomas Scheckter227.768Panoz G-ForceToyota200 +1.6845Chip Ganassi Racing5712JPN Tora Takagi orange R silver229.358Panoz G-ForceToyota200 +1.9606Mo Nunn Racing62520USA Alex Barron227.274Panoz G-ForceToyota200 +6.0037Mo Nunn Racing7832USA Tony Renna orange R silver228.765Dallara IR-03Toyota200 +7.4882Kelley Racing81413USA Greg Ray227.288Panoz G-ForceHonda200 +11.5666Access Motorsports91731USA Al Unser Jr. gold W silver226.285Dallara IR-03Toyota200 +17.4161Kelley Racing101155USA Roger Yasukawa orange R silver228.577Dallara IR-03Honda199 -1 LapSuper Aguri Fernandez Racing111952USA Buddy Rice orange R silver226.213Dallara IR-03Chevrolet199 -1 LapTeam Cheever122622BRA Vítor Meira orange R silver227.158Dallara IR-03Chevrolet199 -1 LapTeam Menard133218USA Jimmy Kite224.195Dallara IR-03Chevrolet197 -3 LapsPDM Racing141554JPN Shinji Nakano orange R silver227.222Dallara IR-03Honda196 -4 LapsBeck Motorsports15184USA Sam Hornish Jr.226.225Dallara IR-03Chevrolet195EnginePanther Racing16615SWE Kenny Bräck gold W silver229.509Dallara IR-03Honda195 -5 LapsTeam Rahal1749NZL Scott Dixon orange R silver230.099Panoz G-ForceToyota191AccidentChip Ganassi Racing182314USA A. J. Foyt IV orange R silver224.177Dallara IR-03Toyota189RunningA. J. Foyt Enterprises19526GBR Dan Wheldon orange R silver229.958Dallara IR-03Honda186AccidentAndretti Green Racing2098USA Scott Sharp228.756Dallara IR-03Toyota181AccidentKelley Racing212191USA Buddy Lazier gold W silver224.910Dallara IR-03Chevrolet171EngineHemelgarn Racing22327USA Robby Gordon230.205Dallara IR-03Honda169GearboxAndretti Green Racing232224USA Robbie Buhl224.369Dallara IR-03Chevrolet147EngineDreyer & Reinbold Racing243341BRA Airton Daré223.609Panoz G-ForceToyota125AccidentA. J. Foyt Enterprises253144USA Robby McGehee224.493Dallara IR-03Chevrolet125SteeringPanther Racing262719USA Jimmy Vasser226.872Dallara IR-03Honda102GearboxTeam Rahal27137USA Michael Andretti227.739Dallara IR-03Honda94Throttle LinkageAndretti Green Racing282899USA Richie Hearn225.864Panoz G-ForceToyota61AccidentSam Schmidt Motorsports29202USA Jaques Lazier225.975Dallara IR-03Chevrolet61AccidentTeam Menard30305JPN Shigeaki Hattori224.589Dallara IR-03Toyota19Fuel SystemA. J. Foyt Enterprises312423USA Sarah Fisher224.170Dallara IR-03Chevrolet14EngineDreyer & Reinbold Racing322998USA Billy Boat225.598Dallara IR-03Chevrolet7EnginePanther Racing331621BRA Felipe Giaffone227.210Panoz G-ForceToyota6ElectricalMo Nunn Racing gold W silver Former Indianapolis 500 winner orange R silver Indianapolis 500 Rookie All entrants utilized Firestone tires. Race statistics Lap Leaders Laps Leader1–16 Hélio Castroneves17–31 Scott Dixon32–49 Michael Andretti50 Tony Kanaan51–57 Tomas Scheckter58–67 Michael Andretti68–94 Tomas Scheckter95–99 Hélio Castroneves100 Jimmy Vasser101–128 Tomas Scheckter129–165 Hélio Castroneves166 Tomas Scheckter167 Tony Kanaan168–169 Tora Takagi170–200 Gil de Ferran Total laps led Driver LapsTomas Scheckter 63Hélio Castroneves 58Gil de Ferran 31Michael Andretti 28Scott Dixon 15Tony Kanaan 2Tora Takagi 1Jimmy Vasser 1 Cautions: 9 for 49 lapsLapsReason9–13 Billy Boat blown engine16–21 Sarah Fisher crash in turn 353–60 Robbie Buhl spin at pit exit62–65 Richie Hearn, Jaques Lazier crash in turn 2104–108 Jimmy Vasser smoking on backstretch127–133 Airton Daré crash in turn 2172–174 Robby Gordon stalled on track182–185 Scott Sharp crash in turn 1187–193 Dan Wheldon crash in turn 4 Broadcasting Radio The race was carried live on the Indy Racing Radio Network. Mike King served as chief announcer. The booth crew had a new look for 2003. Longtime driver expert Johnny Rutherford left the crew to take over the position of pace car driver during caution periods. Joining King in the booth were two newcomers, Dave Wilson who served as color commentator, and new "driver expert" Davey Hamilton. Hamilton was on a hiatus from driving after his serious crash at Texas in 2001. The broadcast was heard on 555 affiliates. The 2003 race saw all four turn reporters return to their assigned posts from the previous year. The three pit reporters remained the same, although they swapped their locations along pit road. The 2003 race would be the final 500 on the radio for longtime members Howdy Bell and Chuck Marlowe. Bell once again had the limited role of reporting from the track hospital, while Marlowe covered the garage area as he had since 1989. Sponsor guests interviewed in the booth included Tim Manganello (BorgWarner), Keith Sirios (Checkers and Rally's), and Chevrolet pace car driver Herb Fishel. Other guests interviewed in the pits included Jim Campbell (Chevrolet) and Wynonna Judd. Indy Racing Radio Network Booth AnnouncersTurn ReportersPit/garage reportersChief Announcer: Mike King Driver expert: Davey Hamilton Color commentator: Dave Wilson Historian: Donald Davidson Commentary: Chris EconomakiTurn 1: Jerry Baker Turn 2: Kevin Lee Turn 3: Mark Jaynes Turn 4: Chris DenariJim Murphy (north pits)Kim Morris (center pits)Adam Alexander (south pits)Chuck Marlowe (garages)Howdy Bell (hospital) Television The race was carried live flag-to-flag coverage in the United States on ABC Sports. The on-air crew remained the same from the previous year, with Bob Jenkins returning as host, and Paul Page handling the play-by-play duties. It would ultimately be the final 500 on television for Bob Jenkins. For the first time, the race broadcast featured a presenting sponsor. The race was billed as the "Indianapolis 500 Presented by 7-Eleven". The crew called the race for the final time from the booth on top of the Paddock grandstand, for starting in 2004, they would move to the newer television studio inside the Pagoda. ABC TelevisionBooth AnnouncersPit/garage reportersHost: Bob Jenkins Announcer: Paul Page Color: Scott GoodyearJack AruteVince WelchDr. Jerry PunchGary Gerould Controversy On Sunday May 18, the final day of time trials, when there was some question of whether the field would be filled to the traditional 33 cars, television reporters Bob Jenkins and Jack Arute passionately defended the event from its detractors on air. Afterwards, Jenkins received criticism, mostly for a lack of journalistic professionalism and objectivity. His statements were considered biased in favor of the IRL/IMS, and that he allowed his personal opinions enter his reporting. During ABC coverage of time trials, Vítor Meira filled the field to 33 cars. Arute opened his interview with Meira at 5:17 p.m. EDT by stating:2003 Indianapolis 500 Bump Day telecast ABC 2003-05-18 And to all the naysayers who predicted that there would NOT be 33 cars in the field of this year's Indy 500, allow me to introduce you to Vítor Meira. A minute later, Jenkins replied with: The naysayers have been proven wrong, there is a 33-car field set for the 500. As the day was coming to a close, the television coverage switched to ESPN for the final hour. Jenkins closed the broadcast with the following commentary at 6:56 p.m. EDT:2003 Indianapolis 500 Bump Day telecast ESPN 2003-05-18 I want to again say how disappointed I am in some of the journalists in this city and in other cities who have questioned the 33-car starting lineup this year. I think they forgot one thing. And this is really what they've been trying to put down all this time. This is the Indianapolis 500. It was 50 years ago, it is today, and it will be next year and in years to come. A minute later, Arute followed: I want to echo what Bob Jenkins said. From the beginning of the month of May here at Indianapolis, misguided people have said that this race wasn't going to have a field of 33. Hello! Not only are the field of 33 full but it's also going to be the most competitive Indy 500 in most recent memory. I want to go back to the thoughts of one Jim Mora (local NFL coach) who once said to misguided media, ya think ya know, but ya just don't know. Jenkins was released from ABC/ESPN at the end of the 2003 season. After a very brief stint covering CART on Spike TV in 2004, and after a single race at ESPN in 2008, he joined Versus (now known as the NBC Sports Network) in 2009. It was never announced if the on-air comments were a factor in his release, and Jenkins contends he was never informed if that was the case. Following the 2012 season, Jenkins reduced his schedule to a reserve role that includes Carb Day coverage. Notes References Works cited 2003 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report for the Media Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats – Official Site 2002 Hélio Castroneves 2003 Gil de Ferran 2004 Buddy Rice Category:Indianapolis 500 races Category:2003 in IndyCar Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis 500