I waited for this year’s Indy 500 to be run before adding new trivia “artifacts.” With 11 rookies in the field, this was a big “turnover” year. With 46 starts among them, Al Unser, Jr., Michael Andretti, Scott Sharp and Sam Hornish, Jr., drove in last year’s race, but did not compete this year.
Additionally, defending winner Dario Franchitti, Alex Barron, Kosuke Matsuura, Roger Yasukawa, Richie Hearn, Jaques Lazier, Phil Giebler, Jon Herb and Roberto Moreno were not in the lineup.
Moreno has run three 500s, all in different decades.
In 1958, the last seven winners did not take the green flag. Johnnie Parsons, the 1950 victor, was the only former winner in that lineup.
Scott Dixon became the 12th driver to win after finishing second the previous year. Dixon, Helio Castroneves and Vitor Meira were the only top 10 finishers from last year to repeat. This was Meira’s fourth-consecutive top-10 at Indianapolis. Castroneves has only missed the top 10 once in eight starts.
Tony Kanaan has yet to win, but has lead in all of his seven tries.
Safety has greatly improved at IMS. It was 35 years ago when Swede Savage was the last fatality in the race. There have been four pre-race deaths since then. In the 1950s, seven drivers perished in crashes.
This was the first time since 1997 that there was no Unser family member in the race. From 1963 until 1994, there was at least one every year.
The Andretti family’s string ended in 1996. It started in 1965. Michael Andretti is the only one to race in the 500 against his father and his son. He also competed with his brother and his cousin. John Andretti came back last year after a 13-year absence. The record is 17 years held by Roland Free and Cy Marshall, who filled the field of the 1947 race due to the ASPAR strike.
The famed Maserati that Wilbur Shaw won with in 1939-40 is the oldest car ever to lead the race. It was 10 years old when Lee Wallard drove it to the front in 1949. It also was the oldest car to win the pole in 1947. In addition to its two wins, the car had three other top fours and twice dropped out while leading.
This was the fourth time the No. 9 won the race. The last was with Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000. Owner Chip Ganassi might keep that number since it rode on both his wins, eight years apart.
J.C. Agajanian won his two 500s within an 11-year spread.
The fabled No. 1, which hasn’t won since 1971, wasn’t in the lineup. No. 2 has been shut out since 1978. No. 3 with 10 wins has the most.
Jim Rathmann, the 1960 winner, is currently the longest surviving winner. Louis Meyer lived 67 years after his 1928 win.
Often the most dominant driver doesn’t win the Indy 500, but Dixon did this year. He was well rewarded with nearly three million dollars. That is $1.2 million more than the previous high won by Buddy Rice four years ago.
I thought this year’s race lacked the great dicing seen a year  ago. Too many caution laps might have been the reason.
Kudos to Vitor Meira on a splendid race driving for a single-entry team. Likewise to Ed Carpenter, who continues to improve, on his strong fifth-place finish. It is great the see the maturity in Tomas Scheckter. He, like Meira, sparkled with a lower budget team.
Spending my tax rebate on a fill-up at 25 Emerson Place Valley Stream, N.Y. 11580. E-mail to Racewri771@AOL.com.