Chevrolet powers 4 of top 6 finishers in Indy 500

Tony Kanaan Finishes 3rd to Pace Team Chevy

Tony Kanaan, KV Racing Technology Chevrolet

Photo by: Michael C. Johnson

INDIANAPOLIS (May 27, 2012) – Tony Kanaan’s third-place finish led four Team Chevy drivers in the top six of the Indianapolis 500.

“To lose the race this way, battling until the end… it’s not a loss,” said Kanaan, who held the lead with just six laps remaining before being passed by eventual race winner Dario Franchitti almost immediately following the race’s final re-start. “I had a lot of fun. I mean the first thing I did when I passed the five cars on the restart I looked at the grandstands because I wanted to see the people. They were all up and cheering for me. During the yellow flag I can see it. People were screaming. It’s awesome. I love this place.”

Oriol Servia started 27th and finished fourth, followed by pole-sitter Ryan Briscoe (fifth) and James Hinchcliffe (sixth).

The four drivers represent four different teams: Kanaan (No. 11 GEICO/MOUSER Electronics KV Racing Technology Chevrolet), Servia (No. 22 Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet), Briscoe (No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet) and Hinchcliffe (No. 27 Team GoDaddy.com Andretti Autosport Chevrolet).

"We are very proud of the effort put forth by our Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 teams today in the Indianapolis 500,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “Tony Kanaan drove a fantastic race, and we congratulate him and KV Racing on their podium finish. Although we didn't get the ultimate result we had hoped for, we congratulate Dario Franchitti and the Ganassi Team on the win. Team Chevy gained tremendous knowledge throughout the month of May that will be beneficial as we move to the other oval tracks on the schedule.”

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Shell V- Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske Chevrolet, finished 10th to give Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 power five in the top 10.

Rubens Barrichello, No. 8 BMC/Embrase KV Racing Technology Chevrolet, making his first start on an oval, finished 11th, and 2011 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet, ended up 14th.

EJ Viso, No. 5 CITGO/PDVSA KV Racing Technology Chevrolet, (14th) and Sebastian Bourdais, No. 7 Dragon Racing Chevrolet, (20th, one lap down) also finished in the top 20 for Team Chevy.

Ed Carpenter, No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet was running fourth when he spun with 19 laps remaining. He lost a lap and finished 21st, followed by Katherine Legge, No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing Chevrolet, (22nd), Ana Beatriz, No. 25 Team Ipiranga Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, (23rd) and Marco Andretti, No. 26 Team RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, (24th), who led a race-high 59 laps, before making contact with the wall with 13 laps remaining.

Sebastian Saavedra, No. 17 Team AFS Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, finished 26th, Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Chevrolet, was 27th, and Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, who had won the previous three series races, ended up 28th after he got caught up in a wreck on lap 79.

There were a record 34 lead changes among 10 drivers. In addition to Andretti, Briscoe (15) Kanaan (7), Hinchcliffe (5) and Barrichello (2) led laps for Chevrolet.