 | |||||
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | Indy Racing League | ||||
| Season | 2005 IndyCar season | ||||
| Date | May 29, 2005 | ||||
| Winner |  Dan Wheldon | ||||
| Winning team | Andretti-Green Racing | ||||
| Average speed | 157.603 mph (253.637 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position |  Tony Kanaan | ||||
| Pole speed | 227.566 mph (366.232 km/h) | ||||
| Fastest qualifier |  Kenny Bräck at 227.598 mph (366.283 km/h) | ||||
| Rookie of the Year |  Danica Patrick | ||||
| Most laps led | Sam Hornish Jr. (77) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | Members of United States Armed Forces | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Jim Nabors | ||||
| Starting command | Mari Hulman George | ||||
| Pace car | Chevrolet Corvette | ||||
| Pace car driver | Colin Powell | ||||
| Starter | Bryan Howard | ||||
| Honorary starter | Reggie Miller | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 250,000 (estimated) | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC | ||||
| Announcers | Todd Harris, Scott Goodyear | ||||
| Nielsen ratings | 6.5 (9.7 million viewers) / 18 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race, his first of two Indy victories (2005 and 2011).[1] Wheldon became the first British-born winner since Graham Hill in 1966.[2] It was the second consecutive Indy victory for Honda, and the first victory for the Dallara chassis since 2002. It was also the long-awaited first Indianapolis 500 victory for car owner Michael Andretti of Andretti-Green Racing. After many years of failing to win the race as a driver (contributing to the perception of the so-called Andretti Curse), Andretti finally achieved victory at Indianapolis as an owner.
Rookie Danica Patrick, who qualified and finished 4th, became the first female driver in Indy history to lead laps during the race. She led three times for a total of 19 laps and won the Rookie of the Year award.[3] Considerable media hype and attention were focused on the race and on Patrick in particular during the month,[4][5] giving birth to the term "Danica Mania".[6][7][8] Her 4th place starting position broke the record set by Lyn St. James (6th in 1994) and her 4th place finishing position broke the record set by Janet Guthrie (9th in 1978).
The increased attention going into the race helped register a 6.5 Nielsen rating, the highest since 1996.[9] Also making headlines during the month of May was the return of 1999 winner Kenny Bräck. After suffering a violent crash in Texas in October 2003, Bräck sat out the 2004 season, recovering from serious injuries. In what would be his final IndyCar race, he drove in substitution for Buddy Rice. Rice, the 2004 winner suffered a concussion in a practice crash on May 11, and was forced to sit out the event. Bräck was the overall fastest qualifier during time trials but dropped out of the race near the halfway point due to mechanical problems.
- ^ "Wheldon Wins 89th Indianapolis 500". Indy500.com. 2005-05-28. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ Caldwell, Dave (2005-05-30). "Dan Wheldon Wins Indy 500; Patrick Finishes in 4th Place". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "Wheldon Earns $1.5 Million From Record Purse; Patrick Top Rookie". Indy500.com. 2005-05-30. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "At Indy, Danica won race for media buzz". CNNMoney.com. 2005-05-30. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "Danica Patrick Aims to Make Indy 500 History". NPR. 2005-05-27. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "'Danica Mania' Drives Brisk Merchandise Sales At Indy". Indy500.com. 2005-06-07. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "'Danica mania' stole Wheldon's thunder". ESPN.com. 2005-10-20. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "Top 10 Autos stories of 2005". St. Petersburg Times. 2005-11-26. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "Indianapolis 500 TV Broadcast Scores In Major U.S. Markets". Indy500.com. 2005-07-14. Archived from the original on 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2009-04-22.