Englishman Wins 89th Indy 500

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Andretti jinx is over at the Indianapolis 500. Danica Patrick's reign is just beginning.

Dan Wheldon won it -- his fourth victory in five tries this year -- ending 35 years of frustration and failure for the Andretti at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Patrick's electrifying run fell short with a nearly empty fuel tank.

"I've finally won the Indy 500!" Michael Andretti, Wheldon's team owner, beamed in Victory Lane. "No more curse!"

The Andrettis had been plagued by bad luck at Indy since Michael's father, Mario, won in 1969, and it appeared they might lose out again when Patrick surged to the lead with 28 laps to go after surviving a stalled engine and a crash that tore off her left front wing and nose cone.

Patrick became the first woman to lead at Indy, getting out front three separate times for a total of 19 laps. Still, the 23-year-old rookie shrugged off the notion that her showing was a victory for women in racing.

But Wheldon passed her with just seven of the 200 laps to go and easily held on to become the first Englishman to win Indy since Graham Hill in 1966.

source:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/raci...ex.html?cnn=yes