The 5 closest finishes in Indianapolis 500 history
As we count down to Sunday’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, we’re taking a look back at some of the biggest memories from the historic race.
We continue our series by looking at the five closest finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Thursday’s edition featured five drivers who dominated the Indianapolis 500 and won. It was a happy change from our five disappointments on Wednesday.
Gordon Johncock beats Rick Mears by 0.16 seconds, 1982: Johncock and Mears were the only two cars on the lead lap and they couldn’t separate themselves from each other.
Mears led 77 laps while Johncock led 57. Mears was able to close over the final lap and get a good draft off turn 4 but wasn’t able to get close enough to make a run at the finish line.
Had Mears won the race, he would be the only five-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and Roger Penske would have a paltry 17 Indy 500 victories.
Juan Pablo Montoya beats Will Power by 0.1045 seconds, 2015: Yes, the fourth-closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history happened last year. Montoya passed his teammate with three laps to go and Power was unable to make a move back.
Much like Mears in 1982, Power had a draft down the frontstretch on the final lap but he wasn’t close enough to do anything.
Sam Hornish Jr. beats Marco Andretti by 0.0635 seconds, 2006: Here’s a close finish that involved a successful pass.
Andretti looked poised to do something his father hadn’t done in visiting victory lane in the Indianapolis 500. But Hornish, perhaps with knowledge of how late moves had previously failed in this race, made his move as the two cars exited turn 4.
Perhaps more amazing than Hornish’s pass on the final lap is the block Andretti threw on him in turn 3 with two laps to go. Hornish thought he had the inside line but Andretti chopped him off. Had Hornish not quickly burped the throttle, both drivers would have crashed.
Ryan Hunter-Reay beats Helio Castroneves by 0.06 seconds, 2014: Castroneves could not get a fourth Indy 500 in 2014.
Hunter-Reay, the first American to win the Indianapolis 500 since Hornish, passed Castroneves for good with four laps to go. The battle between the two IndyCar champions was one of the most spirited late-race fights in race history as they had five lead changes between them in the final 19 laps of the race.
Al Unser Jr. beats Scott Goodyear by .043 seconds, 1992: This is the race that made the author of this post a race fan as a little kid. I distinctly remember Michael Andretti’s fuel pump failure and standing right in front of the TV as Unser Jr. held off Goodyear in what was then a record-finish.
Believe it or not, Goodyear never led a lap in the race despite hounding Unser over the race’s final laps. The 1992 race was also chosen by Indy 500 drivers this week as the best race among the previous 99.
And can you believe the camera shot on the final lap? That flagstand camera didn’t show a thing and it missed the finish. We trust ABC won’t do that on Sunday if the finish is a thriller.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
