2009 Indianapolis 500

93rd Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyIndy Racing League
Season2009 IndyCar season
DateMay 24, 2009
WinnerBrazil Hélio Castroneves
Winning teamPenske Racing
Average speed150.318 mph
Pole positionBrazil Hélio Castroneves
Pole speed224.864 mph (362 km/h)
Fastest qualifierBrazil Hélio Castroneves
Rookie of the YearCanada Alex Tagliani
Most laps ledNew Zealand Scott Dixon (73)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthemIndiana National Guard
"Back Home Again in Indiana"Jim Nabors[1]
Starting commandMari Hulman George[1]
Pace carChevrolet Camaro[2]
Pace car driverJosh Duhamel[3]
StarterBryan Howard
Honorary starterAllen Sirkin, COO of Phillips-Van Heusen[4]
Estimated attendance250,000+[5]
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
AnnouncersMarty Reid
Scott Goodyear
Eddie Cheever, Jr.
Nielsen ratings4.0 / 11
Chronology
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2008 2010

The 93rd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 24, 2009. It was the 14th Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and the premier event of the 2009 IndyCar Series season.

Hélio Castroneves, a native of Brazil, won the race from the pole position, his third of four Indy 500 victories. He became the first foreign-born three-time winner of the race, and tied a record by winning the race three times in the same decade (2001, 2002, 2009). The win was car owner Roger Penske's 15th Indy 500 triumph, extending his team's own record. Former winner Dan Wheldon of England came second, with Danica Patrick third, the best finish ever by a female driver. There were eight crashes, with Vítor Meira and Tony Kanaan both suffering non-permanent injuries.

The 2009 Indianapolis 500 began a three-year Centennial Era celebration which marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 2011 marked the 100th anniversary of the first Indy 500.

The victory by Castroneves marked the milestone 60th Indianapolis 500 victory for Firestone. It came less than two months after Castroneves was acquitted of federal charges of tax evasion and conspiracy. The IRS filed the charges against Castroneves in the fall of 2008, and the trial was held in March 2009 at the U.S. District Court in Miami. A guilty verdict in the trial would have likely sent Castroneves to prison, and ended his driving career.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference 3 volley was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Camaro was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Josh D was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Daily Trackside Report – Indianapolis 500 Race Day". Indy500.com. 2009-05-24. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  5. ^ "Castroneves wins Indy 500". IndyStar.com. 2009-05-25. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-19.