2000 Indianapolis 500
 | |||||
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | Indy Racing League | ||||
| Season | 2000 IRL season | ||||
| Date | May 28, 2000 | ||||
| Winner |  Juan Pablo Montoya | ||||
| Winning team | Chip Ganassi Racing | ||||
| Average speed | 167.607 mph (269.737 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position |  Greg Ray | ||||
| Pole speed | 223.471 mph (359.642 km/h) | ||||
| Fastest qualifier | Greg Ray | ||||
| Rookie of the Year | Juan Pablo Montoya | ||||
| Most laps led | Juan Pablo Montoya(167) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | Jessica Andrews | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Jim Nabors | ||||
| Starting command | Mari George | ||||
| Pace car | Oldsmobile Aurora | ||||
| Pace car driver | Anthony Edwards | ||||
| Starter | Bryan Howard | ||||
| Honorary starter | Howard Katz (ABC Sports) | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 250,000 (estimated) | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC | ||||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins,Tom Sneva,Arie Luyendyk | ||||
| Nielsen ratings | 5.5 / 15 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
The84th Indianapolis 500was held at theIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayinSpeedway, Indianaon Sunday, May 28, 2000. The race was sanctioned by theIndy Racing League,and was part of the2000 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series season.After four years of an ongoing organizational dispute and "split"inIndy car racing,[1]Chip Ganassi Racingbecame the first majorCART-based team to compete at the race since1995.[2]The Ganassi team ofJimmy VasserandJuan Pablo Montoyacompeted as a one-off entry, and were well received by fans and fellow competitors.[1]Both drivers were quickly up to speed with theIRLregulars, and were expected to be favorites in both qualifying and on race day. Also making a heralded return to Indianapolis was two-time winnerAl Unser Jr.[1]who had switched full-time to the IRL in 2000.
During qualifying,defendingIRLchampionGreg Raytook thepole position.However, on race day,reigningCARTchampionJuan Pablo Montoyadominated the race.[2]Montoya led 167 laps, and cruised to victory, becoming the first rookie winner sinceGraham Hillin1966.[3][4]It was the first of two Indy victories for Montoya (2000,2015).Buddy Lazier,the1996winner, and eventualseason champion,finished second, his second runner-up finish at Indy, and fifth consecutive top ten.
The 2000 race was the first to feature two female starters in the field,Lyn St. JamesandSarah Fisher.The start of the race was delayed over three hours due to rain. The green flag dropped at 2:10 p.m.EST,and the race was completed shortly after 5 p.m. Seven minutes after the checkered flag, the rain returned, and doused the victory lane celebration.
The first 65 laps of the race were run caution-free, a new Indy 500 record at the time. Montoya became only the fourth winner to complete the race in under three hours, and at 167.607 mph, it was the fastest Indy 500 since1991.At the end of the season, Montoya promptly departed Indy car racing forFormula One,then went toNASCAR.He would not return for his second Indy start until2014.[5]
Race schedule[edit]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rule changes[edit]
During a yellow flag caution period, when the field is one lap away from going back to green flag conditions, the pace car would now drop off the track in turn one, and the race leader would pace the field back to the green flag and the ensuing restart. This was an effort to prevent any chance of the leader(s) accidentally passing the pace car on a restart (which happened toScott Goodyearin the1995 race).
A year later, this would be combined with the "wave around"rule.
Time trials[edit]
Time trials were scheduled for two days in 2000, May 20–21. During practice,IRLregulars generally topped the speed charts, with different names leading nearly each day.Jimmy VasserandJuan Pablo Montoyawere quickly up to speed in the IRL machines, and each managed to lead one day of practice. Both were considered contenders for the front row.Greg Ray(223.948 mph) set the fastest lap of the week on "Fast Friday".
Pole day - Saturday May 20[edit]
Pole qualifying began at 11 a.m. The weather was cool and cloudy.Al Unser Jr.(220.293 mph) was the first car in the field. At 12:07 p.m.,Eliseo Salazartook over the top spot with a run of 223.231 mph. Salazar remained on top for over an hour, as most cars waved off, awaiting better conditions.
At 1:19 p.m.,Juan Pablo Montoyatook to the track. His run of 223.372 mph took over the provisional pole position.Greg Raypulled his car out of line due to handling issues, andTeam Menardannounced they would go out later.Jimmy Vasserwent out next, and at 221.976 mph, he was not able to join hisGanassiteammate on the front row.
Later in the day, conditions improved slightly, and several cars returned to the track. At 3:49 p.m.,Greg Raycompleted his run at 223.471 mph, and secured the pole position. The front row ofRay,Montoya,andSalazarwas separated by only 0.173 second, the closest such margin in Indy history. The front row shaped up such that the reigning champions ofIRL(Ray) andCART(Montoya) would line up 1st-2nd.
A total of 23 cars qualified for the field.Lyn St. Jameswrecked on her first attempt, flipping the car up on its side in the south chute. Also into the wall wereJimmy Kite,Scott Harrington,rookieMemo Gidleyand veteranHideshi Matsuda.None of the drivers were injured.
Sarah Fisher(220.237 mph) qualified 19th, becoming the third female driver in Indy history.
Bump day - Sunday May 21[edit]
The second and final day of time trials opened with ten spots remaining.Raul Boeselwas the first car out, and at 222.113 mph, he would be the fastest driver of the afternoon. After two wave-offs on Saturday,Billy Boatwrecked on his first attempt on Sunday. He would be forced to find a backup car.
The field was filled to 33 cars by 5:30 p.m.. Among the drivers who completed attempts wereJimmy Kite,Davey Hamilton,and popularhometownrookieAndy Hillenburg.Independent driver and co-owner Hillenburg was fielding a "throwback"entry named the Sumar Special, a gesture to the car driven byPat O'Connorwhich won the pole position in1957.
Billy Boatsecured a backup car with theFoyt team,but the car (#41, previously driven byRoberto Guerrero) only had one attempt left. After stalling three times trying to pull away, Boat's first two laps were fair. The car stalled on the third lap,[6]and his speed dropped to 150 mph. It picked up for the final lap, and he ran it at 198 mph. His four lap average was 192.105 mph, by far the slowest car in the field, and he was the first car on the bubble.
Lyn St. JamesandDick Simon Racingreorganized after Saturday's crash, and she qualified comfortably. She bumped Boat with 25 minutes left in the day. With less than a minute until the 6 o'clock gun,Billy Boatclimbed into another Foyt backup, (#11) a car that had not been driven all week. Boat managed a run of 218.872 mph out of the unproven machine. He shockingly bumped his way into the field as time expired.
Davy Jonesattempted a comeback after breaking his neck in 1997, but he was bumped.[6]
Starting grid[edit]
| Fila | Inside | Middle | Outside |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-Greg Ray Team Conseco/Quaker State/Menards Team Menard Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 223.471 mph |
9-Juan Pablo MontoyaR Target Chip Ganassi Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 223.372 mph |
 11-Eliseo SalazarRio A. J. Foyt Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 223.231 mph |
| 2 | 32-Robby Gordon Turtle Wax/Burger King/Moen/Johns Manville/Menards Team Menard Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 222.885 mph |
8-Scott Sharp Delphi Automotive Systems/MCI Worldcom Kelley Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 222.810 mph |
14-Jeff Ward Harrah's A. J. Foyt Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 222.639 mph |
| 3 | 10-Jimmy Vasser Target Chip Ganassi Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 221.976 mph |
92-Stan Wattles Metro Racing Hemelgarn Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 221.508 mph |
24-Robbie Buhl Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 221.357 mph |
| 4 | 51-Eddie Cheever Jr.W #51 Excite@Home Indy Race Car Team Cheever Dallara-Infiniti 221.270 mph |
28-Mark Dismore On Star/GM BuyPower/Bryant Heating & Cooling Kelley Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.970 mph |
5-Robby McGehee Meijer / Energizer Advanced Formula Treadway Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.611 mph |
| 5 |  4-Scott GoodyearPennzoil Panther Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.496 mph |
18-Sam Hornish Jr.R Hornish Trucking / Advantage Powder Coating PDM Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.496 mph |
98-Donnie Beechler Cahill Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.482 mph |
| 6 | 91-Buddy LazierW Delta Faucet/Coors Light/Tae -Bo Hemelgarn Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.482 mph |
50-Jason LefflerR United Auto Group Special Treadway Racing G-Force Oldsmobile 220.417 mph |
3-Al Unser Jr.W ECR / RacingTickets.com Galles Racing G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora 220.293 mph |
| 7 | 15-Sarah FisherR Cummins Walker Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.237 mph |
 7-Stéphan GrégoireMexmil/Tokheim/Viking Air Tools Dick Simon Racing G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora 219.970 mph |
 88-Airton DaréRUSACredit.com Team Xtreme G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 219.970 mph |
| 8 | 12-Buzz Calkins Bradley Motorsports / Team CAN Bradley Motorsports Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 219.862 mph |
75-Richie Hearn NetZero Pagan Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 219.816 mph |
55-Raul Boesel EPSON Treadway Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 222.113 mph |
| 9 | 27-Jimmy Kite Big Daddy's BBQ/Founders Bank Blueprint Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.718 mph |
33-Jaques LazierR Miles of Hope Truscelli Team Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 220.675 mph |
23-Steve Knapp Dreyer & Reinbold Racing G-Force-Nissan Infiniti 220.290 mph |
| 10 | 16-Davey Hamilton FreeInternet.com Team Xtreme G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 219.878 mph |
6-Jeret Schroeder Kroger Tri Star Motorsports Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 219.322 mph |
22-Johnny Unser Delco-Remy/Microdigicom/Homier Tools Indy Regency Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 219.066 mph |
| 11 | 41-Billy Boat Harrah's A. J. Foyt Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 218.872 mph |
90-Lyn St. James Yellow Freight System Dick Simon Racing G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora 218.826 mph |
48-Andy HillenburgR The Sumar Special By Irwindale Speedway Fast Track Racing Dallara-Oldsmobile Aurora 218.285 mph |
Alternates[edit]
- First alternate:Dr. Jack Miller(#21) - Bumped
- Second alternate:Scott Harrington(#17) - Bumped
Failed to qualify[edit]
- Davy Jones(#40) - Bumped
- Robby Unser(#30) - Bumped
- Dan DrinanR(#48) - Waved off
- Roberto Guerrero(#41/20T) - Waved off
- Doug DideroR(#43) - Wrecked qualifying
- Memo GidleyR(#82) - Wrecked qualifying
Hideshi Matsuda(#20) - Wrecked qualifying & practice- Ross CheeverR(#52) - Entered and tested but did not attempt a qualifying lap
Race recap[edit]
Pre-race and rain delay[edit]
On Saturday May 27, the day before the Indy 500,Juan Pablo MontoyaandJimmy Vasserparticipated in theCARTBosch Spark Plug Grand PrixatNazareth Speedway.The race had been scheduled for April 11, but snow postponed it until the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Montoya finished 4th, and Vasser 7th.
Jason Leffler,who qualified 17th at Indy, traveled toCharlotteon Saturday to participate in theNASCARBusch SeriesCarquest Auto Parts 300.Leffler finished 21st at Charlotte. Also in Charlotte for part of the week wasRobby Gordon,who was preparing to attempt the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600"Double Duty".Gordon required a provisional starting position for Charlotte, and he would line up 42nd.P. J. Joneswas scheduled to stand by for Gordon at Charlotte if he could not make it in time for the start.
On race day, Sunday May 28, the morning dawned warm and sunny, but rain was in the forecast. At 10:07 a.m., rain started to fall, and the start of the race was delayed. After three brief periods of showers, at approximately 12:40 p.m., the rain stopped and held off just long enough to complete the race. Track-drying efforts began, and at 2:01 p.m. EST,Mari Hulman Georgegave the command to start engines, and the field pulled away.
First half[edit]
At the start, polesitterGreg Raytook the lead.Juan Pablo Montoyasettled into second, andRobby Gordonthird. A fast pace over the first 20 laps saw Ray dominate, withMontoyaaggressively dicing through traffic, holding a close second place.
On lap 27, the leaders went four-wide through traffic, andMontoyatook the lead for the first time. There would only be 6 laps that he would not be in front for the rest of the race. A few laps later, all the leaders were into the pits for the first round of green flag pit stops. On lap 33Montoyaemerged with the lead, and began to flex some strength. His lead grew from 11.9 seconds on lap 34 to over 21 seconds on lap 55.
A blistering pace over the first 60 laps saw thus far zero yellow flags. The average speed at lap 60 (150 miles) was an all-time record 207.101 mph. Montoya held a 30-second lead over second placeJimmy Vasser.On lap 66, however,Greg Raybecame caught up in a wind gust, and his carpushedinto the outside wall exiting turn two. This resulted in the first caution of the day, setting a new modern era Indy record (66 laps) before the first yellow.Al Unser Jr.hit a piece of debris from Ray's crash and punctured his car'sradiator,causing him to drop out 22 laps later.
Montoyanow ledRobby GordonandBuddy Lazier.After the restart, however,Lyn St. Jamescrashed into the outside wall in turn 1.Sarah Fisherwas collected in the incident, and also crashed.
At the halfway point,Montoyastill led.Vasserwas second, about 5 seconds behind.
Second half[edit]
In the second halfJuan Pablo Montoyacontinued to dominate. His teammateJimmy Vasser,however, started to drop down the top ten.Buddy LazierandJeff Wardwere now in the top three, all chasing Montoya.
On lap 143,Greg Rayreturned to the track after lengthy repairs. His return did not last long, as he smacked the outside wall in turn two - close to the same place he crashed earlier - and he was finally out of the race. Ray became the fourth polesitter (Woodbury,Carter,andGuerrero) to finish last.
The green came back out on lap 150, withMontoyafirst andLazierclose behind in second. RookieSam Hornish Jr.crashed on lap 158, but most of the leaders did not pit. On the restart on lap 162,Laziermade a run for the lead in turn one, butMontoyaheld him off.
Finish[edit]
Stan Wattlesbrought out the final yellow flag on lap 174 for a blown engine.MontoyaandLazierpitted, which allowedJimmy Vasserto take over the lead. The green came out with 23 laps to go.
Vasser'slead did not last long, asMontoyagot by him on lap 180.Laziercaught up toVasserand passed him for second. Lazier set the fastest lap of the race (218.494 mph) on lap 198, but Montoya was too far ahead. Montoya pulled away and won the Indianapolis 500 in his first start by 7.1839 seconds over1996 winnerBuddy Lazier.
Box score[edit]
WFormer Indianapolis 500 winner
RIndianapolis 500 Rookie
All entrants utilizedFirestonetires.
Race statistics[edit]
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Legacy[edit]
After the2000 CART season,Juan Pablo Montoyasigned withthe Williams Formula One team,and thus did not return to defend his Indianapolis 500 championship in 2001. Later, Montoya switched to theNASCARCup Series,and did not race again in the Indianapolis 500 until2014.He has also raced in theU.S. Grand Prix,Brickyard 400,andBrickyard Grand Prix,all held atIMS.He won the 99th edition of theIndianapolis 500in 2015.
The 2000 Indy 500 marked a turning point in the ongoing, five-year "split" betweenIRLandCART.While neither side was prepared to make concessions towards a unification or buyout, it became evident that sponsors in theCARTseries desired to have their teams participate in the Indianapolis 500 to benefit from the increased exposure.Ganassi'sarrival, and subsequent domination of the event led other CART-based teams to follow suit.Penske Racingconsidered an entry for 2000, but decided against it due to lack of preparation time. Furthermore, at the time, they only ownedRiley & Scottchassis, which were deemed uncompetitive.[7]Instead,Roger PenskeandTim Cindriclent support toJason Leffler's car atTreadway Racing.Thefollowing yearadditional teams (namelyPenskeandTeam Green) returned to Indianapolis with competitive efforts. By2004,nearly all of the major teams from CART/Champ Car had either entered singly at Indy, or defected completely to the Indy Racing League. Despite these moves, a formal unification would not take place until2008.
CART-basedWalker Racingalso "crossed picket lines" to enter the 2000 race, but received little publicity for doing so. Noticeably neither of the team's full-time CART drivers (Bryan HertaandShinji Nakano), were part of the effort. The attention for Walker was instead focused on their new driver, rookieSarah Fisher,[1]who would become a popular fixture in theIRLin the years to come.
Statistics[edit]
Juan Pablo Montoyawon the race from the 2nd starting position. It was the first time a driver had won from the middle of the front row sinceMario Andrettiin1969.From 1911 to 1969, the second starting position statistically produced the most race winners (ten total), more so than even the pole position (which had produced only seven winners at that time), a reflection of theAndretti curse.Montoya broke a thirty-year streak of losses by the second starting position, including many years where the no. 2 starter failed to even finish the race. As of 2022 the second starting position has not produced any additional race winners, a win–loss record of 1–52.
Second place finisherBuddy Lazier(the1996winner) was the only car towards the end of the race that was in striking distance ofMontoya,but a combination of slower pit stops[2][8]and difficulties in traffic,[2]thwarted any chance of victory. It was Lazier's second runner-up finish in three years, and fifth straight finish in the top 7. Lazier, however, would go on to win the2000 IRL championship.
Greg Ray(67 laps) fell just seven laps short of breakingBill Homeier's record of 74 laps for the last place finisher.
WithGoodyearannouncing in October 1999 that it was leaving the sport of open wheel racing indefinitely, the Speedway lost one of its fixtures in 2000. TheGoodyear Blimphad flown over the Indy 500 in most years from 1925 to 1999, but was absent in 2000, in what was believed to be the first time in decades.
Broadcasting[edit]
Radio[edit]
The race was carried live on theIndy Racing Radio Network.Mike Kingserved as chief announcer. The broadcast was moved into a brand new studio on the 9th floor of the newly completed Pagoda control tower. The race was heard on 549 affiliates. Due to the rain delay, the broadcast came on-air for one hour, then signed off to wait out the delay. Hourly updates were aired, then the broadcast came back to cover the pre-race ceremonies and race in its entirety.
Several minor changes were made to the crew. Ken Double worked his final 500 on the network. Mark Jaynes moved from the pits to take over the turn three location vacated by one-year member Kevin O'Neal.Larry Riceand Mike Lewis joined the crew as pit reporters. This would be Rice's only year on the network. Vince Welch, formerly a pit reporter, left the crew and eventually would join ABC television. This was the last year of the Statistician position. Starting on 2001 there were no more full field rundowns every 25 laps.
Bob Lameywho joined the crew in 1988, and had become a fixture in turn 4, would be on the crew for the final time in 2000. Guests interviewed in the broadcast booth includedSecretary of DefenseWilliam Cohen,John F. Fielder (BorgWarner), David Seuss (Northern Light), Kevin Forbes (IMS), Mark Miller (Nokia), and Ira Kisver (Pennzoil).
| Indy Racing Radio Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth Announcers | Turn Reporters | Pit/garage reporters |
|
Chief Announcer:Mike King |
Turn 1:Jerry Baker |
Mike Lewis (north pits) Chris Denari (center pits) Larry Rice(south pits) Chuck Marlowe (garages) |
Television[edit]
The race was carried live flag-to-flag coverage in the United States onABC Sports.Al Michaelsreturned as host, withBob Jenkinsas announcer.Arie Luyendyk,who had announced his first retirement, joined the broadcast as analyst, alongsideTom Sneva.
After a one-year absence,Jack Arutereturned as a pit reporter, andLeslie Gudelwas added as a fourth pit reporter. Back in the ABC studios,Robin Robertshad a small role asWide World of Sportsstudio host.
| ABCTelevision | |
|---|---|
| Booth Announcers | Pit/garage reporters |
|
Host:Al Michaels |
Jack Arute Dr. Jerry Punch Vince Welch Leslie Gudel |
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abcd"Shot in the arm: Ganassi, Unser providing old excitement at Indy".Sports Illustrated.2000-05-28.Retrieved2012-03-05.
- ^abcd"CART's revenge: Montoya pulls away from Lazier for Indy 500 win".Sports Illustrated.2000-05-29.Retrieved2012-03-05.
- ^Robbins, Liz (2000-05-29)."AUTO RACING; Montoya's Got Milk And Victory In Indy 500".The New York Times.Retrieved2009-10-19.
- ^Harris, Mike (2000-05-30)."Montoya makes it look easy".The Independent.London. Archived fromthe originalon 2022-05-01.Retrieved2009-10-19.[dead link]
- ^"Juan Pablo Montoya joins Penske".ESPN. 2013-09-17.Retrieved2013-09-17.
- ^abGlick, Shav (2000-05-22)."Qualifying Turns Into a Boat Race".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2012-03-05.
- ^Pruett, Marshall (August 22, 2020)."The most important Indy 500 Penske missed wasn't in 1995".Racer.com.RetrievedAugust 26,2020.
- ^Callahan, Terry (2000-05-30)."Quick work in the pits pivotal in Montoya's victory".The Auto Channel.Retrieved2012-04-06.
Works cited[edit]
- 2000 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report for the Media
- Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats- Official Site
- 2000 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast,Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network