Highlights of 40 memorable years at Indy
Here are some of the favorite races, by year, in Associated Press writer Mike Harris' four decades covering the Indianapolis 500:1970: My first 500 and my first interview with Indy icon A.J. Foyt, worried that one of my questions would set off the enigmatic "Mr. Indy." It was the first of hundreds of interviews with the first four-time Indy winner.
1972: Roger Penske and his clean-cut "college kids," wearing spiffy dry cleaned uniforms and constantly sweeping the floor of their speedway garage, were the butt of jokes from the Indy old-timers until Mark Donohue gave Penske the first of his record 14 Indy victories in only his fourth try.
1977: Foyt's fourth 500 win and the only one I got to cover. And the driver who finished 29th that day was Janet Guthrie, the first woman to race at Indianapolis.
1991: Possibly my favorite Indy 500 because of the late-race battle between Rick Mears and Michael Andretti, two of the best here. Andretti, who led more laps (431) than any other non-winning driver at Indy, led Mears by 15 seconds when a yellow flag came out 19 laps from the end. Andretti pitted under the yellow, and Mears took the lead. On the restart, Andretti made a daring outside pass in the first turn. The determined Mears then passed Andretti in the same spot the next time around the 2.5-mile oval and went on to win his fourth 500.
1992: Perhaps the wildest, most eventful race in my four decades here. A cold, windy day made the track particularly treacherous and led to numerous crashes, eliminating 13 of the 33 starters. In the end, Al Unser Jr. held off runner-up Scott Goodyear by a record 0.043 seconds, the closest finish in Indy history.
2001: Helio Castroneves became the second rookie to win in as many years, holding off teammate Gil de Ferran as Roger Penske got his first 1-2 finish ever. Castroneves thrilled the fans and earned the nickname "Spiderman" when he celebrated the win by climbing the fence on the front straightaway.
2006: Michael Andretti came out of retirement to race at Indy with his 19-year-old son and Indy rookie Marco, and the family almost pulled off a stunner. Penske driver Sam Hornish Jr., running third, charged past a desperately blocking Michael Andretti and chased down Marco, making the pass for the win on the final straightaway. It was also the first time in Indy history the leader on lap 199 did not win the race.
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