Indy 500 Race & Results: Ryan Hunter-Reay Wins the 2014 Indianapolis 500 in Dynamic Fashion
Ryan Hunter-Reay has been racing for years. He's had wins, disappointing losses, points titles, but he just wasn't able to win the Indianapolis 500. The Indy 500 is looked at by many as the biggest race of the year in America, and that was the biggest gap on Reay's portfolio.
Reay was able to change that on Sunday with a dramatic victory late in the race.
It looked as if Brazilian driver Hélio Castroneves was going to win his fourth Indianapolis 500. His other wins came in 2001, 2002, and 2009. The two were neck and neck for the final stretch of the race, but Reay took the checkered flag by 0.06 seconds ahead of Castroneves to win his first ever Indy 500.
Racing has always been a very popular sport, internationally. Not as big as soccer, but the rivalries on the race track can get ugly at times. The victory by Reay on Sunday snapped a drought for American racing. Reay became the first American born driver to win the Indy 500 since 2006, when Sam Hornish Jr. won it.
Another theme that has been present at the Indianapolis 500 is the dominance of Honda.
With Reay's win, a racer driving a Honda racecar has now won the annual event 10 of the last 11 years.
The 2014 Indianapolis 500 was pretty clean with few caution flags, and weather did not play a factor. Most importantly nobody was hurt bad. Even though Hélio Castroneves finished in second place, his legacy continues to grow. This is the fifth time that Castroneves has finished in second place or better at the Indy 500 and he will be back next year.
As for Reay, this is his third time finishing in the top 10. In 2008, he finished sixth overall and last year he placed third. He's no stranger when it comes to the Indianapolis 500 as he has raced in eight of them. After winning, he participated in the long time tradition of drinking milk after the race. This tradition of chugging milk on the race track after a win, dates back to the 30s.
Ryan Hunter-Reay and Hélio Castroneves are two very good drivers in the Indy Car Series, so fans have a lot to look forward to. It's no coincidence that they both finished in the top two.
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