The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 23

C2 MONDAY, MAY 29, 2000 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR Til 11 RACE DAY REPORT BREAKING DOWN THE RACE The top five at The top five at The top five at The top Ave at MILE I MILE MILE mfO nn Juan Montoya Juan Montoya Juan Montoya Juan Montoya MQliXw mi a Pos. Name 1. Juan Montoya (9) 2. Buddy 4. Eliseo Salazar (11) 5.

"Robby Gordon (32)" Most laps in lead: Juan Laps under caution: 8 Cars out of race: Airton Car G-ForceAurora DallaraAurora G-ForceAurora G-ForceAurora DallaraAurora Montoya, 50 Dare (lap 126) Pos. Name Car 1. Juan Montoya (9) G-ForceAurora 2. Robby Gordon (32) DallaraAurora 3. Eliseo Salazar "(1 i G-ForceAurora 4.

Eddie Cheever (51) Dallaralnfiniti 5." Jeff" Ward (14)" G-ForceAurora Most laps in lead: Greg Ray, 26 Laps under caution: 0 Cars out of race: 0 Following more than a three-hour rain delay, pace car driver Anthony Edwards, a television star on the popular series ER, led the 33 drivers on the pace lap. The start was clean, and the first 125 miles were marked by aggressive yet safe maneuvering. On lap 27, Juan Montoya passed pole-sitter Greg Ray with an inside move on the front straightaway, but Ray took the lead right back with a pass on the next lap. Eddie Cheever added to the excitement by hot-footing it from the 10th starting position to third in the first 45 laps. Pos.

Name Car 1. Juan Montoya (9) 2. Buddy Lazier (91) Eliseo Safazarjj 1 4 Jeff 4) G-F prceAurora 5. Eddie Cheever (51) Dallaralnfiniti Most laps in lead: Juan Montoya, 46 Laps under caution: 8 Cars out of race: Sam Hornish (lap 153), StanWattles(lap172) Juan Montoya led 46 of the final 50 laps to become the first rookie driver to win the Indy 500 since Graham Hill in 1966. Montoya averted trouble all day, including a pair of caution periods over the final 125 miles.

Rookie Sam Hornish did a 180-degree turn and slammed the turn two wall to bring out the first yellow on lap 153. Stan Wattles brought out another caution on lap 172 when his car began smoking on the back straightaway. Montoya's teammate, Jimmy Vasser, stayed on the track while the leaders pitted, assuming the lead from laps 176 through 179. But Montoya roared from the pits, slid past Vasser at the entrance of turn three and sailed to victory. Pos.

Name Car 1. Juan Montoya (9) G-ForceAurora 2. Robby McGehee (32)G-ForceAurora 3. Jimmy Vasser (10) G-ForceAurora 4. Eliseo Saiazar (11) G-ForceAurora 5." Jeff Ward" (1 4) G-ForceAurora Most laps in lead: Juan Montoya, 50 Laps under caution: 16 Cars out of race: Lyn St.

James (lap 69), Sarah Fisher (lap 71), Jimmy Kite (lap 74), Andy Hillenburg (lap 91 Richie Hearn (lap 97), Robbie Buhl (lap 99) As safely as the first 125 miles came off, the next 1 25 made up for it with three lengthy caution periods. Greg Ray's car suffered a broken front-right-wheel assembly, causing him to hit the outside wall in turn two. The debris from Ray's crash made contact with Al Unser car, which ultimately caused Unser to drop from the field. The next yellow, on lap 74, went out when Lyn St. James slammed the outside wall in turn one.

The collision also ended the race for Sarah Fisher and Jimmy Kite. The third yellow flag waved when Robbie Buhl's car started smoking and debris was spotted on the track. Al Unser Jr. pulled his car out of the race just after the halfway point. "I wasn't racing anybody.

The car just wasn't working," Unser complained. Rookie Airton Dare was rendered helpless when his engine blew up and his car chugged to a halt on lap 126. On lap 143, the yellow came out when Greg Ray, who had reentered the race after his earlier mishap, rammed the outside wall in turn 1 siSt two. The pole-sitter wound up dead last, completing only 67 laps. The green flag waved again on lap 148, and Juan Montoya, Buddy Lazier and Jeff Ward were 1-2-3.

NUMBERS INDY 500 OFFICIAL RESULTS 5 CHASSIS ENGINE LAPS REASON OUT FINISH START DRIVER (NO.) Top finish for an Infiniti engine, driven by Eddie Cheever. 31 ROOKIE WINNERS of the INDY 500 Rookie sensation Juan Montoya dominated the competition Sunday, leading 167 of 200 laps to win the Indianapolis 500. Montoya becomes the first rookie since Graham Hill (1966) to win the 500. Years since the second-place starter won the race (Mario Andretti in 1969). IT mm.

Consecutive years in which Buddy Lazier has finished in the top seven. 1914 Rene Thomas 34 TOTAL LAPS LED Juan Montoya, 167 Greg Ray, 26 Jimmy Vasser, 5 Robby McGehee, 2. LAP LEADERS Laps 1-26, Greg Ray 27-29, Juan Montoya 30, Jimmy Vasser 31-32, Robby McGehee 33-175, Montoya 176-179, Vasser 180-200, Montoya FASTEST LAP No. 198, Buddy Lazier 218.494 mph. CAUTIONS 7 for 39 laps IRL POINTS LEADERS Buddy Lazier, 138 Robbie Buhl, 112 Scott Goodyear, 112 Eliseo Salazar, 110 Eddie Cheever, 104 Mark Dismore, 94 Billy Boat, 91 Jeff Ward, 86 Donnie Beechler, 85 Al Unser Jr.

78 CRASHES AT THE TRACK Lap 67, Greg Ray hit wall exiting turn two. Lap 69, Lyn St. James made contact with Sarah Fisher, then hit outside wall at the start of turn one. Fisher hit outside wall in short chute between turns one and two. Lap 153, Sam Hornish spun, clipped outside wall between turns one and two.

1911 Ray Harroun 1913 Jules Goux Years since an Indy 500 rookie won the race (Graham Hill, 1966). 1. (2) r-Juan Montoya, No. 9 GA 200, running 2. (16) Buddy Lazier, No.

91 DA 200, running 3. (3) Eliseo Salazar, No. 11 GA 200, running 4. (G) Jeff Ward, No. 14 GA 200, running 5.

(10) Eddie Cheever, No. 51 01 200, running 6. (4) Robby Gordon, No. 32 DA 200, running 7. (7) Jimmy Vasser, No.

10 GA 199, running 8. (20) Stephan Gregoire, No. 7 GA 199, running 9. (13) Scott Goodyear, No. 4 DA 199, running 10.

(5) Scott Sharp, No. 8 DA 198, running 11. (11) Mark Dismore, No. 28 DA 198, running 12. (15) Donnie Beechler, No.

98 DA 198, running 13. (26) r-Jaques Lazier, No. 33 GA 198, running 14. (29) Jeret Schroeder, No. 6 DA 198, running 15.

(31) Billy Boat, No. 41 GA 198, running 16. (24) Raul Boesel, No. 55 GA 197, running 17. (17) r-Jason Leffler, No.

50 GA 197, running 18. (22) Buzz Calkins, No. 12 DA 194, running 19. (27) Steve Knapp, No. 23 Gl 193, running 20.

(28) Davey Hamilton, No. 16 GA 188, running 21. (12) Robby McGehee, No. 5 GA 187, running 22. (30) Johnny Unser, No.

22 GA 186, running 23. (8) Stan Wattles, No. 92 DA 172, engine 24. (14) r-Sam Hornish No. 18 DA 153, crash 25.

(21) r-Airton Dare, No. 88 GA 126, engine 26. (9) Robbie Buhl, No. 24 GA 99, engine 27. (23) Richie Hearn, No.

75 DA 97, electrical 28. (33) r-Andy Hillenburg, No. 48 DA 91, wheel bearing 29. (18) Al Unser No. 3 GA 89, overheating 30.

(25) Jimmy Kite, No. 27 GA 74, engine 31. (19) r-Sarah Fisher, No. 15 DA 71, crash 32. (32) Lyn St.

James, No. 90 GA 69, crash 33. (1) Greg Ray, No. 1 DA 67, crash 7.184 X1P Juan Montoya's winning margin over Lazier, in seconds. 1927 George Souders 1926 Frank Lockhart 1966 Graham Hill Cars to finish on the lead lap.

Races to go the full 500 miles and finish in less than three hours (1986, '89, '90, '91, 2000). G7 Lap 144, Ray hits outside wall exiting turn two. Laps before the first yellow light of the race appeared, on Greg Ray's first accident. TVfe I 2000 Juan Montoya I VITAL STATISTICS Time of race: 2 hours, 58 minutes, 59.431 seconds Winner's average speed: 167.607 mph Margin of victory: 7.184 seconds Most positions gained in the race, by Billy Boat, who finished 15th. Staff Graphic Greg Nichols.