2013 Indianapolis 500

97th Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	INDYCAR
Season	2013 IndyCar season
Date	May 26, 2013
Winner	Tony Kanaan
Winning team	KV Racing Technology
Average speed	187.433 mph (301.644 km/h)
Pole position	Ed Carpenter
Pole speed	228.762 mph (368.157 km/h)
Fastest qualifier	Will Power
Rookie of the Year	Carlos Muñoz
Most laps led	Ed Carpenter (37)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem	Sandi Patty
"Back Home Again in Indiana"	Jim Nabors
Starting command	Mari Hulman George
Pace car	2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Pace car driver	Jim Harbaugh
Starter	Paul Blevin
Honorary starter	Michael Peña
Estimated attendance	TBD
TV in the United States
Network	ABC
Announcers	Marty Reid Scott Goodyear Eddie Cheever
Nielsen ratings	3.7[1]
Chronology
Previous Next 2012 2014

The 97th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 26, 2013. It was the premier event of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Tony Kanaan, a native of Brazil, was victorious on a record-setting day. Kanaan became the fourth Brazilian driver to win the Indianapolis 500 joined by Emerson Fittipaldi, Helio Castroneves, and Gil de Ferran.

The track opened for practice on Saturday, May 11. Time trials were held May 18–19, and the final practice, traditionally dubbed "Carb Day", was Friday, May 24. A support race, the Freedom 100 for the Indy Lights series was also held on Carb Day. In time trials, owner/driver Ed Carpenter of Indianapolis won the pole position, the first American-born pole-sitter since 2006, and the first owner/driver to sit on the pole since 1975.

For the first time since 1987, two drivers in the field entered the race attempting to win a fourth Indianapolis 500.^[2] Three-time winners Hélio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009) and Dario Franchitti (2007, 2010, 2012) attempted to tie A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears for the most Indy 500 victories. Neither driver was victorious this day, through Castroneves would achieve the feat in 2021. Unknown at the time, the 2013 race would be Franchitti's last; he retired after suffering severe injuries in a crash at Houston about five months later.^[3]

After eleven previous attempts, Tony Kanaan, racing for KV Racing Technology, won the race. On a restart with three laps remaining, Kanaan overtook leader Ryan Hunter-Reay in the first turn. Three-time champion Dario Franchitti got loose and crashed into the outside wall bringing out the final caution of the race. Kanaan led Rookie of the Year Carlos Muñoz and Hunter-Reay across the line. The average speed of the race – 187.433 mph (301.644 km/h) – was the fastest Indianapolis 500, breaking the record set in 1990 by Arie Luyendyk. The record would stand until 2021. The 68 lead changes, and 14 different leaders, set during the race are also new records. Other records set (each of which have since been broken) included most cars running at the finish in a race that completed 200 laps (26), fewest caution laps (21), most laps completed by the field (5,863), as well as a 133-lap caution-free segment from lap 61 through 193.

Chevrolet swept the top four finishing positions, and took its first Indianapolis 500 win since 2002, breaking Honda's streak of nine consecutive Indy 500 wins. Chassis manufacturer Dallara won its 8th straight Indy 500, and 13th overall since joining the series in 1997.