Wednesday, May 28, 2003
The winningest active driver in American open-wheel history will retire.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Helio Castroneves doesn't even try to be coy.
He knows what's at stake today when he goes for his third straight Indianapolis 500 win.
"I have a chance to make some history," he said. "Not many people get this kind of chance. This place if full of great drivers and heroes for many years, and maybe I can become part of that."
Castroneves is only the fifth driver to get the chance at three in a row at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he knows how difficult it's likely to be.
Contenders
The Brazilian is the favorite after winning the pole, but the 33-car field is loaded with contenders.
"Man, I was looking at the lineup the other day and I kept saying, 'He could win it. He could win it.' I got up to about 12 guys and stopped. I didn't want to scare myself," Castroneves said, laughing.
As popular as a Castroneves victory would be, the sentimental favorite at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be Michael Andretti.
The winningest active driver in American open-wheel history will retire after today's 200-lap race. After the checkered flag falls, he will focus on running Andretti Green Racing, the team he bought last fall.
Grand finale
After coming up short in 13 previous tries here, the 40-year-old Andretti would love to end his racing career with his 43rd career victory, joining his father, 1969 winner Mario Andretti, on the speedway's Borg Warner Trophy.
"As far as I'm concerned in my mind right now, this is not my last race," Michael said. "I'm just focused right and not even thinking about that.
"But, once the race is over Sunday, I'm looking forward to a new challenge," he said. Michael is retiring 14 years earlier than his father.
Two-time Indy winner Al Unser Jr., who will start 17th, is Andretti's longtime friend and rival.
"My career and Michael's have really been parallel right from the start," Unser said. "But this is where it stops, I guess. Mikey is doing what he feels is right for him and I'm six months older, but I'm going to still be racing for a long time."
The oldest driver in the field at 41, Unser is appearing in his first Indy 500 since his battle with alcoholism became public last summer.
Team's chances
Andretti, whose family's hard luck at Indy has become almost legendary, actually has four chances to win today, with Tony Kanaan, Robby Gordon and rookie Dan Wheldon also representing Andretti Green in the race.
"I'd be over the moon if I win it, but I'll be just as happy if one of them wins it," Andretti said. "Whichever car wins, we all win."
Kanaan and Gordon will join Castroneves in starting from the first of 11 three-car rows.
Kanaan, who gave Andretti his first win as a car-owner earlier this season in Phoenix, was leading the 500 after 89 laps a year ago as a rookie but slid through oil on the track and crashed.
Gordon has five top-10 finishes in eight starts here, including a fourth in 1999 when he had the bitter disappointment of having to pit for fuel while leading a lap from the end.
The NASCAR Winston Cup regular faces a difficult tough task today, racing in the 500 and in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C.
It's the fourth time Gordon has tried to run all 1,100 miles on the same day, although the first attempt in 1997 was washed away by rain that postponed the 500 until Monday.
Two years ago, the former open-wheel star ran in both races, but a rain delay caused him to miss the start of the NASCAR event.
Last year, it all came together as Gordon finished eighth at Indy despite a pit fire, then flew to North Carolina in time for the start and wound up 16th, a lap down.
The only other drivers to do "The Double" are John Andretti (1994) and Tony Stewart (1999, 2001). Defending Winston Cup champion Stewart, who is not racing at Indy this year, is the only one to finish all 1,100 miles.
"People keep asking me if I'm worn out yet," Gordon said Thursday after the final Indy practice. "Yeah, it's been very busy this month, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It has been so much fun for me to go back and forth between the Indy car and the Chevy on the Cup side.
"I want to win both races and we know we can do it. I've got the right people and equipment lined up," added Gordon, who is filling in for the injured Dario Franchitti.
Among the other race favorites are 1999 winner Kenny Brack, Indy Racing League points leader Scott Sharp, Castroneves' Team Penske teammate Gil de Ferran; and Jimmy Vasser, the only driver from the rival CART series in the Indy lineup this year.
Bruno Junqueira and Paul Tracy, CART stars who raced here last May, did not try to qualify this year.