Indy 500 Blog: Race Breakdown

Race Breakdown

4:23 p.m. - Lap 193

Helio Castroneves is still in the top spot followed by Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick.

4:05 p.m. - Lap 173

Raphael Motos tried to pass Vitor Meira while going into the high side of turn one. Both cars locked wheels and Meira took a hard head-on hit. The crash sent Meira's car into the wall on it's side for quite a distance after the crash.

Meira, the runner-up last year, was taken off the track on a stretcher. Track officials said he was alert but feeling pain. Matos walked away from the car with help from track personnel.

24-Hour News 8's Chris Wilson is at the infield medical center. He reports Meira was taken to Methodist Hospital with back pain.

3:53 p.m. - Lap 161

The yellow flag is out after Justin Wilson crashed into the wall at Turn 1.

3:40 p.m. - Lap 144

Pole winner Helio Castroneves manuevers himself into the top spot, passing Scott Dixon.

3:30 p.m. - Lap 135

Vitor Meira came in for a pit stop and at some point a there was fuel spill. Moments later his car was engulfed in flames. His crew was able to quickly put out the fire and he took off to rejoin the race.

3:11 p.m.- Lap 114

Scott Dixon is still in the top spot. Dario Franchitti isn't far behind in the number two spot. He's followed by Will Power, Helio Castroneves, and Raphael Motos. Danica Patrick has moved back to the #10.

2:47 p.m. - Lap 99

Tony Kanaan was running 3rd in Sunday's race when his car hit the wall hard coming out of the third turn on the 98th lap. It appeared Kannan's car malfunctioned causing him to smash into the wall. Kanaan was taken to the infield medical center to be checked out. A 24-Hour News 8 crew observed Kanaan limping out of the medical center.

"The car broke big time and...I just went for a wide right. I've got to thank the safety team for the great effort and, this car has been so safe. I mean, hitting the wall at 190 mph and I'm here standing...so I gotta be thankful," said Kanaan.

This was Kanaan's 8th start in the Indy 500. He's lead every race at least one lap except for this race. And, he was the pole winner in 2005. His best finish was second to Buddy Rice in 2004.

2:32 p.m. - Lap 84

Davey Hamilton crashed in lap 84. It's the 4th crash in the race so far. Hamilton didn't appear to be injured.

2:22 p.m. - Lap 75

Scott Dixon is at the head of the pack now. He's followed by Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Raphael Motos and Danica Patrick isn't that far behind in 5th place.

2:07 p.m. - Lap 56

AP - Graham Rahal crashed in the 56th lap of the Indy 500. The son of former Indy winner Bobby Rahal started 4th and was running 5th when his car went high coming out of the 4th turn and hit the wall. He was not injured. It's the second year in a row Rahal has been sidelined by a crash. Last year, as a 19-year-old rookie, he crashed on the 37th lap, also in the 4th turn.

"It's so disappointing," Rahal said. It's frustrating for me...feels like deja vu from last year."

Rahal didn't pass up the chance to criticize Milka Duno, who he was driving behind just before the crash.

"This is the stuff that happens when you have people that drive like that," Rahal said of Duno's slow speed.

1:50 p.m. - Lap 35

Dario Franchitti isn't letting go of the lead. And, Helio Castroneves has drifted back to 4th place.

1:35 p.m. - Lap 21

Ryan Hunter-Reay hit the outside wall during Lap 21. Hunter-Reay in car #21 is out the race and will finish 31st.

"It was completely my fault," Hunter-Reay said. "I think A.J. (Foyt IV) was having some handling problems. I slowed down too much, and I was just following too close. Once I got into his wake, I was just a passenger."

1:32 p.m. - Lap 18

Dario Franchitti is leading the pack right now. Both Andretti and Moraes were able to walk away from their wrecks uninjured.

AP - "The kid doesn't get it, and he never will," Andretti said, blaming Moraes for the crash. "He's just clueless out there."

When a TV crew told Moraes what Andretti had to say, Moraes was visibly upset.

"I know that he hit me," he said. "I was in the front, I was holding my line and he hit me."

And with that, Moraes said he was off to pit road to talk to Andretti himself.

1:14 p.m. - Lap 1

Before the first lap was completed, Mario Moraes and Marco Andretti crashed into each other. Both are reportedly done for the day.

24-Hour News 8 talked to Moreas after the race. He said, "He was in my back, I don't know I'm going to ask him because he was in my back so he knows what happened."