IndyCar - Franchitti Takes Third Indy Win

Indianapolis, May 27, 2012: Dario Franchitti slipped the wreath over his head and took a healthy sip of cool milk in Victory Circle in the 91-degree mid-afternoon heat at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. First, however, he donned a pair of white cardboard sunglasses -- a tribute to longtime friend, teammate, competitor and fellow Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon.

Franchitti became the seventh member of the three-time Indianapolis 500 winners club, holding off charges from Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato and Tony Kanaan over the final five laps.

Franchitti, the reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion, won under caution as Sato's No. 15 Rahal Letterman Racing car made contact with the left side Franchitti's No. 50 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car while running side-by-side for the lead on the white flag lap. The contact shot Sato's car up the track and into the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier.

"Thank you to all the fans for saluting our buddy Dan today," said Franchitti, who previously won in 2010 and 2007 (also under caution). What a race. DW would be proud of that one. That last lap, running side-by-side with Takuma, I went down to give him room but we hit and I just managed to keep it out of trouble."

Dixon finished second and Kanaan was third. Oriol Servia jumped from the 27th starting spot to finish fourth and pole sitter Ryan Briscoe was fifth.

There were a record 35 lead changes among 10 drivers. Seventeen cars finished on the lead lap. Five Honda and five Chevrolet cars were in the top 10. Rubens Barrichello was the highest finishing rookie in 11th.