The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 29

MONDAY, MAY 28, 2001 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSTAR.COM INDIANAPOLIS BACE DAY REPORT 4 -4 4 WILE -Jlil mm Pos. Name Car 2. Robby Gordon (41) DallaraAurora 3. Gil de Ferran (1 1) DallaraAurora 4. Mark Dismore (28) DallaraAurora 5.

Jeff Ward (35) ForceAurora Driver Scott Sharp (foreground) slides 2 through turn 2 one at the beginning of the 2001 Indy; 500. 100 1. Greg Ray (2) DallaraAurora through 40 Recapping laps 1 Most laps in lead: Robby Gordon, 22 Laps under caution: 1 8 Cars out of race: 4 was the second consecutive year the pole sitter has finished last. Team owner Tom Kelley blamed cold tires. On the eighth lap, Sarah Fisher did a half-spin while exiting turn two.

Her car hit the outside retaining wall and the sliding car collected Scott Goodyear's car. Fisher said there wasn't any grip on the track. On the restart on lap 17, Sam Hornish Jr. spun but didn't hit anything. Al Unser Jr.

made contact with the wall trying to avoid him. Hornish was able to continue after pitting. Greg Ray blew by leader Robby Gordon on the lap 23 restart. Ray maintained that lead at the 100-mile mark. Gordon remained second with Gii de Ferran in third after 40 laps.

Gordon, who started third, led the opening 22 laps. Three crashes marred the first 1 6 laps, knocking out four drivers. Pole sitter Scott Sharp went from first to worst when he hit the wall at the exit of turn one. The left wheels of Sharp's car went below the white line and he lost traction and slid up toward the wall. The car struck the outside retaining wall between turns one and two.

It Photo Randy Baughn Car Pos. Name ffili iim i ILE DallaraAurora DallaraAurora ForceAurora DallaraAurora 2. Michael Andretti (39) 3. Mark Dismore (28) 4. Tony Stewart (33) 5.

Gil de Ferran (66) DallaraAurora Greg Ray (2) -rr; pro, rt Recapping laps 41 through 80 -I t. dUd and keep the tires warm. Most laps in lead: Mark Dismore, 22 Laps under caution: 0 Cars out of race: 0 Ray lost the lead when he pitted for four tires and fuel on lap 45. But he regained it on lap 75. The first 100 miles took 49 minutes and 47 seconds.

The second 100 took just under 2912 minutes because there were no caution periods. The drivers were able to find a rhythm Mark Dismore led 22 laps of the 40-lap segment. It was the first time he has led a lap at the Indy 500. Michael Andretti led five laps, and Arie Luyendyk and Tony Stewart each led a lap. Felipe Giaffone, who started last, had moved up to eighth after 200 miles.

Photo Tom Russo Mark Dismore makes his second pit stop on lap 73. Car Pos. Name DallaraAurora DallaraAurora ForceAurora DallaraAurora 2. Helio Castroneves (68) 3. Michael Andretti (39) 4.

Tony Stewart (33) 5. Robby Gordon (41) in Lci-V r-- A DallaraAurora Gil de Ferran (66) mn mm a Team owner John Menard shows his frustration after his driver Greg Ray started slowing down while dueling with Michael Andretti in the race. Recapping laps 81 through 120 1 Most laps in lead: Ray, Michael Andretti, de Ferran, each with 1 1 Laps under caution: 1 8 Cars out of race: 2 suspension. The yellow came out on lap 107 when rain was reported on some portions of the track. At the same time, Jon Herb crashed.

Dismore's car had electrical problems, causing him to drop well behind the leaders. Eddie Cheever the 1 998 500 winner, dropped out after 108 laps with electrical problems. De Ferran was the leader at the 300-mile mark. De Ferran had taken the lead on lap 110 when Andretti pitted during a caution. With threatening skies, Ray and Andretti battled at the halfway point.

Ray held a narrow lead after 100 laps. There were seven cars on the lead lap at that juncture. Andretti took the lead on lap 103 after Ray slowed following a light brush with the wall. Ray later spent near five minutes in the pits while his crew worked on the Staff Photo Mike Fender 63 Unto. Pos.

Name Car 2. Robbie Buhl (24) Forcelnfiniti 3. Gil de Ferran (66) DallaraAurora 4. Jimmy Vasser (44) ForceAurora 5. Tony Stewart (33) ForceAurora 400 1.

y. Helio Castroneves (68) DallaraAurora Recapping laps 121 through 160 Most laps in lead: Gil de Ferran, 16 Laps under caution: 16 Cars out of race: 3 148 when Donnie Beechler's car began smoking. There was a light rain reported on the following lap. During the rain break, Stewart visited his trainer to relieve a cramping right foot. After a delay of 16-plus minutes, the cars returned under yellow.

Helio Castroneves held off a pass attempt by Robbie Buhl to be in front at the 400-mile mark. Buhl attempted to go by Castroneves on lap 159, one lap after a restart. Castroneves took the lead for good when Stewart pitted under caution on lap 148. The red flag came out to suspend the race after 155 laps because of rain. A caution had already been out on lap Staff Photo Robert Scheer, Rob Heyer (left), medical consultant for Tony Stewart, talks with" Stewart's trainer, who is advising Heyer about how best to treat a cramped right foot that Stewart is dealing with in the third quarter of the race.

In middle is Stewart's girlfriend, Krista Dwyer, and at right, family friend Kirsten Kinder. Pos. Name Car DallaraAurora DallaraAurora ForceAurora ForceAurora 2. Gil de Ferran (66) 3. Michael Andretti (39) 4.

Jimmy Vasser (44) 5. Bruno Junqueira (50) 1. Helio Castroneves (68) DallaraAurora Recapping laps 161 through 200 b1 Helio Castroneves hugs his prize trophy as he celebrates his victory with teammates and fans in victory lane after winning the 2001 Indianapolis 500. rw ifr Most laps in lead: Helio Castroneves, 40 Laps under caution: 5 Cars out of race: 1 Castroneves and de Ferran were 1-2 on the lap 171 restart. Castroneves faced one more serious challenge when de Ferran went high to race side by side on lap 172.

Castroneves resisted that pass and kept the lead for good. Andretti finished third, 5.7359 seconds behind the winner. Castroneves dominated the final 100 miles, winning by 1.7373 seconds over Penske teammate de Ferran. The Brazilian became the eighth rookie to win the 500. On lap 166, Buhl was running second when his car spun and tapped the inside retaining wall in turn two.

Buhl was able to return after a long pit stop during the caution. He finished 15th. Staff Photo Matt Detrlch v..