They call it the greatest spectacle in racing – in a good year, 400,000 spectators can make the Indianapolis 500 the world’s biggest one-day sporting event.
This year, five British drivers were among the 33 that streamed past actor Jack Nicholson as he waved the green flag to start the race – and, by the end of the 200 laps, all of them had woven their names into the fabric of the race.
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Dario Franchitti, of course, led for three quarters of the way and took the chequered flag to win it – but he wasn’t far ahead of Dan Wheldon, who was able to finish faster thanks to better fuel consumption and took the runner-up spot for the second year in a row.
Alex Lloyd crossed the line third to give Dale Coyne Racing a thoroughly unlikely celebration, though the shine was taken off somewhat when the Boy Scouts of America car was demoted to fourth after race officials decided Marco Andretti had a better claim to the place.
Justin Wilson led late in the race, and in so doing became the 200th driver in the history of the Indianapolis 500 to lead laps.
And his team-mate Mike Conway preceded him as the 199th – before wrecking at the end in a truly horrifying crash that left him in hospital with a fractured leg and back.
Here are highlights from the day’s action, from sunrise to race end, through the lenses of the IndyCar Series’ team of photographers.
Early arrivals as the gate opens
May 30th dawns over the IMS pagoda
Fans at the campsite
The scoring pylon, incorrectly showing Kanaan starting 32nd
Helio Castroneves was on pole, but didn’t lead a lap
Ah, the old ‘chequered flag chest hair’ trick, eh?
Kim Kardashian was in Graham Rahal’s corner
Beer. Say no more.
The Boy Scouts saw Alex Lloyd take their car to fourth place
Actor Mark Wahlberg took to the track in a two-seater IndyCar
The cars are towed to the track
Gasoline Alley at the IMS
The 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the air
IMS chairman Mari Hulman George
The field of 33, lined up and ready to roll
Balloons – you gotta have balloons
Starting three-abreast – in theory, at least
Jack Nicholson waved the green flag for the start
Castroneves leads the field into the first corner
Conway and Scheckter make moves to the outside
Tony Kanaan begins his charge from last to second
Davey Hamilton was the first to fall
Bruno Junqueira was the second retirement
Ed Carpenter in the pits
Danica Patrick gets back under way
Conway and Wilson are called into the pits
It all goes wrong for Raphael Matos
Ryan Briscoe was one of the pre-race favourites
Mike Conway’s terrifying crash
Conway’s shattered car was reduced to little more than the cockpit
Dario Franchitti holds off Dan Wheldon for the win
Wheldon congratulates Franchitti as Ashley Judd runs up