2011 Indianapolis 500 Explained

Race Name:	95th Indianapolis 500
Race Logo:	INDIANAPOLIS 500 LOGO 2011.png
Sanction:	INDYCAR
Season:	2011 IndyCar season
Team:	Bryan Herta Autosport
Date:	May 29, 2011
Winner:	Dan Wheldon^[1]
Mph:	170.265mi/h
Pole:	Alex Tagliani
Fast Time:	Alex Tagliani
Rookie:	J. R. Hildebrand
Leader:	Scott Dixon (73)
Anthem:	Seal, Kelly Clarkson, and David Foster
Back Home:	Jim Nabors^[2]
Start Engines:	Mari Hulman George
Pace Car:	Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible
Pace Driver:	A. J. Foyt^[3]
Starter:	Bryan Howard
Honorary Start:	Bruce P. Crandall^[4]
Attendance:	Est. 300,000+
Url:	–
Network:	ABC
Announcers:	Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever
Rating:	4.0^[5]
Previous:	2010
Next:	2012

The 95th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 29, 2011. The race was part of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The track opened for practice on May 14 and time trials were held from May 21 to 22. Alex Tagliani won the pole position, and the race was won by Dan Wheldon. It was his second Indy 500 win after the 2005 race, and the last win of his racing career. It was the first of two Indy victories for car owner Bryan Herta.

Differing strategies from the frontrunners led to one of the wildest finishes in race history. American rookie J. R. Hildebrand of Panther Racing took the lead with two laps to go. As the leaders were cycling through pit stops, Hildebrand was nursing a car very low on fuel. He was attempting to stretch his tank to the finish line and hold on for an unexpected victory. It would have been the first Indy 500 win for Panther Racing, after three consecutive runner-up finishes, and two series championships. On the final turn of the final lap, Hildebrand went high to pass the slow car of Charlie Kimball. He drifted wide and crashed into the outside wall. As his wrecked car coasted down the front straight, Wheldon slipped by in the final 1,000 feet to take the victory. Hildebrand slid across the finish line to finish second. It was the second Indianapolis 500 that ended in a last lap pass after the 2006 race, and the only time to date that the race winner led only the final lap. Four months later, Wheldon was killed in a crash in the IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, driving the car Tagliani had qualified on the pole in.^[6]

The race was the culmination of the three-year-long Centennial era, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909) and the 100th anniversary of the inaugural race in 1911. Throughout May, the race was advertised as the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and the Centennial Indianapolis 500. Since the race was suspended during World War I and World War II, the 100th running of the 500 would not be held until 2016.

Event news

• On February 21, the Speedway announced the start time for the race would be 12 noon EDT (UTC−04), one hour earlier that it had been scheduled from 2006 to 2010.^[7]
• The 100th anniversary Indy 500 Celebration of Automobiles was held the weekend of opening day. It was a classic/antique car show and contest featuring automobiles linked to race and to the city of Indianapolis from 1911 to 1961.^[8]
• Staind headlined the annual Carb Day concert on Friday May 27, with special guest Papa Roach.^[9]
• On April 5, Donald Trump^[10] was named the driver of the Chevrolet Camaro SS pace car.^[11] However, after mounting criticism of Trump, and a Facebook campaign to oust him from the position,^[12] he announced he was stepping down from the honor due to business and time constraints.^[13] He was replaced by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt.^[3]
• On the morning of the race, a special auto stunt was performed in the infield. For "IZOD Presents Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500", a mystery stunt driver (later to be revealed as Tanner Foust) from Team Hot Wheels sped down a 90-foot ramp, suspended on a 10-story high door and jumped across the track's infield inside the fourth turn.^[14]
• The national anthem was performed by Seal and Kelly Clarkson, accompanied by David Foster on piano.^[15]
• All of the 269 living Indy 500 veteran drivers were invited to attend the race. At least 161 attended during race weekend (including the 28 veteran drivers that qualified for the race)^[16] and upwards of 175 attended throughout the entire month of May.^[17] A total of 21 of the 27 living winners of the Indianapolis 500 attended the race. Those in attendance included:
  • Dario Franchitti, Hélio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, and Buddy Rice who drove in the race
  • A. J. Foyt, Bobby Rahal, Rick Mears, Arie Luyendyk, and Mario Andretti who were team owners or had team-related duties
  • Johnny Rutherford and Al Unser Jr. who worked as officials
  • Eddie Cheever and Kenny Brack who worked in broadcasting
  • Gil de Ferran, Buddy Lazier, Emerson Fittipaldi, Tom Sneva, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, and Parnelli Jones also attended, taking part in various special pre-race activities.
  • Danny Sullivan made an appearance at the track during May but had to leave prior to race day due to a previous commitment.^[18]
  • Those not attending included Juan Pablo Montoya, who was at Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600, Sam Hornish Jr., who was also in Charlotte for the Nationwide Series race; Jim Rathmann, who was in poor health and could not travel; Gordon Johncock and Jacques Villeneuve.
• In the days leading up to the race, a special list entitled The Greatest 33 was compiled from a panel of experts and fan voting, to establish the best drivers of the first century of the event.

Rule changes

• For the first time, double-file restarts were used. At the conclusion of yellow caution periods, the pace car would pull off in turn one, and the field would align in rows of two down the backstretch. The race leader paced the restart, and the entrance to turn four was the designated restart zone. Passing prior to the start/finish line was allowed if the green flag was waving, except on the first lap.^[19]
• The Honda overtake assist system ("Push-to-pass") was utilized. Each car was permitted 15 presses (18 seconds in duration) with a 10-second recharge time.^[19]

Notes and References

1. News: Wheldon Earns $2.56 Million For 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Victory. Tom. Surber. May 30, 2011. May 31, 2011. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS Group.
2. News: Jim Nabors will sing Back Home Again in Indiana at the 2011 Indianapolis 500. 2011-05-06. JimNabors.com. 2018-01-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20180113100224/http://www.jimnabors.com/. dead.
3. News: Legend Foyt To Drive 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Pace Car. Paul. Kelly. May 6, 2011. May 6, 2011. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS Group.
4. News: Medal Of Honor Winner Crandall To Serve As Honorary Starter. 2011-05-19. 2011-05-19. Tom. Surber. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS Group.
5. News: IIndianapolis 500 Hits Three-Year Viewership High. Sports Media Watch. Sports Media Watch. June 3, 2011. June 3, 2011. March 11, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120311090911/http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/indianapolis_500_hits_three_year_viewership_high/4854985x. dead.
6. News: Dan Wheldon dies after IndyCar crash. ESPN.com. 2011-10-17. 2011-10-17.
7. News: 2011 Indy 500 start time moved to noon. IndyStar.com. 2011-02-21. 2011-02-22.
8. News: 100th Anniversary Indy 500 Celebration of Automobiles. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. 2010-10-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20101015094004/http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/eventinfo/39708-Celebration-of-Automobiles/. 2010-10-15. dead.
9. News: Staind To Headline Miller Lite Carb Day Concert With Special Guest Papa Roach May 27 At IMS. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Kelley. Paul. 2011-04-01. 2011-04-04.
10. News: Global Icon Trump To Drive 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Pace Car. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Kelley. Paul. 2011-04-05. 2011-04-06.
11. News: Winning Bidder Will Drive 2011 Indy 500 Pace Car On Parade Lap. Indy500.com. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Paul. Kelly. 2011-01-20. 2011-01-21.
12. News: Protest aims to bump Trump from Indy 500 pace car. Forbes.com. 2011-05-04. 2011-05-06.
13. News: Donald Trump steps down as Indianapolis 500 pace car driver. WISHTV.com. WISH. 2011-05-05. 2011-05-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20110508013130/http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/sports/auto_racing/indycar/speedway-considers-bumping-donald-trump. 2011-05-08. dead.
14. News: New Ticket Package Provides Great View Of Hot Wheels Stunt. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Kelley. Paul. 2011-04-12. 2011-04-06.
15. News: Seal, Kelly Clarkson to sing national anthem for Indy 500. IndyStar.com. Kightlinger . Cathy . 2011-05-11. 2011-05-11.
16. "The Talk of Gasoline Alley" - May 3, 2012
17. "The Talk of Gasoline Alley" - May 5, 2012
18. The Talk of Gasoline Alley. The Talk of Gasoline Alley. Donald Davidson (historian)#The Talk of Gasoline Alley. Donald Davidson. WFNI. Speedway, Indiana. 2011-05-07.
19. News: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Reports and Daily News Articles. IZOD IndyCar Series. Pages 109 & 112. June 1, 2020.
20. News: Four Winners, 42 Entries In 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Field. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Kelley. "Paul. 2011-04-14. 2010-04-15.
21. News: Speed, Tung get in pre-Indy oval testing. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-05-09. 2011-05-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20110527234757/http://indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/42696-speed-tung-get-in-pre-indy-oval-testing/. 2011-05-27. dead.
22. News: First step to qualifying: On-track program. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-05-05. 2011-05-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20110507113901/http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/42641-first-step-to-qualifying-on-track-program/. 2011-05-07. dead.
23. News: Indy only the first step for Mann. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-05-12. 2011-05-12.
24. News: Quick start to 100th anniversary Indy 500. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-05-14. 2011-05-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20110517050544/http://indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/42788-quick-start-to-100th-anniversary-indy-500/. 2011-05-17. dead.
25. News: Passing the time on a rainy Sunday. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-05-15. 2011-05-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20110517134254/http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/42812-passing-the-time-on-a-rainy-sunday/. 2011-05-17. dead.
26. News: Tagliani Jumps To Top Of Speed Chart At 225.8. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-05-16. 2011-05-16.
27. News: Cold temperatures delay start of Indy 500 practice. IndyStar.com. Steve. Ballard. 2011-05-17. 2011-05-17.
28. News: Simona de Silvestro burned in crash at Indy Motor Speedway. USA Today. Gary. Graves. 2011-05-19. 2011-05-19.
29. News: Power Puts Penske On Top At 227.7 As Speeds Climb. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-05-19. 2011-05-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20110520213141/http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/42919-laps-speeds-increase-in-pole-day-prep/. 2011-05-20. dead.
30. News: Speed denies rift with Indy 500 team. FoxSports.com. Lee. Spencer. 2011-05-20. 2011-05-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20110524162024/http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Ex-NASCAR-racer-Scott-Speed-denies-he-quit-on-Indianapolis-500-team. 2011-05-24. dead.
31. News: Cavin. Curt. Ryan Hunter-Reay back in Indy 500 at expense of Bruno Junqueira. The Indianapolis Star. 2011-05-23. 2011-05-23.
32. Web site: 2021 - IRL Indy Car Results - ESPN.
33. Web site: Indianapolis 500: J.R. Hildebrand Contends Yellow Flag Came out Before Wreck | Bleacher Report . . 2011-06-01 . 2011-06-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110603084600/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/716284-indianapolis-500-maria-sharapova-lebron-james-and-sundays-sports-news/entry/88849-indianapolis-500-jr-hildebrand-contends-yellow-flag-came-out-before-wreck . dead .
34. News: Wheldon's Memory, '500' Win Honored In 'Baby Borg' Presentation. IMS.com. News/Blogs. Paul. Kelly. 2012-01-11. 2012-01-12.
35. News: ABC, IMS Extend Indianapolis 500 Partnership Through 2012. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. 2008-08-07. 2011-05-06.
36. News: Indianapolis 500 ratings increase over 2010. IndyCar.com. 2011-06-01. 2011-06-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20110603085657/http://indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/43181-indianapolis-500-ratings-increase-over-2010/. 2011-06-03. dead.
37. News: Indy 500 Overnight Up Slightly. Sports Media Watch. 2011-05-31. 2011-06-02.
38. News: Milwaukee among the top markets for Indy 500 ratings. JS Online. 2011-06-01. 2011-06-02.
39. News: Indianapolis 500 Hits Three-Year Viewership High. Sports Media Watch. 2011-06-03. 2011-06-04.
40. News: ABC telecasts bookend 17-event schedule. IndyCar.com. Dave. Lewandowski. 2011-02-22. 2011-05-06.
41. News: VERSUS Announces Lineup. Pressdog.com. 2011-03-21. 2011-05-06.
42. News: May 12: On streaming this month at Indy. IndyStar.com. Curt. Cavin. 2011-05-12. 2011-05-18. 2011-05-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20110516163104/http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/2011/05/12/may-12-on-streaming-this-month-at-indy/. dead.