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Notebook Brazilians get two of top three finishing spotsPosted: Sunday May 26, 2002 8:47 PMINDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- After Helio Castroneves climbed the fence to celebrate a second consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory, the Brazilian flags began appearing again near the finish line. They weren't just saluting Castroneves; it was another strong performance by the Brazilians. Two weeks after posting four of the five fastest speeds in qualifying, the Brazilians were atop the racing world again. Castroneves was in Victory Circle for the second consecutive year. Countryman Felipe Giaffone, last year's IRL rookie of the year, was third. Castroneves' teammate, Gil de Ferran, was 10th even though he lost the left rear tire following a pit stop -- costing him time. "I was a little bit disappointed to be honest," Giaffone said. "But, I mean, we finished third. We'll get them next time." The Brazilians have been doing well all month, and Sunday proved no exception. Of the 23 drivers still running at the end, five were from Brazil. Brazilians also accounted for five of the nine race leaders and 11 of the 20 lead changes. The best day, aside from Castroneves and Giaffone, may have belonged to Airton Dare, who started 30th. He finished 14th. Other drivers had problems, though. Raul Boesel, the most experienced of the seven Brazilians in the 33-car field, started third and finished 22nd. Tony Kanaan, who contended for the lead on the first 80 laps, crashed and wound up 28th. Pole-sitter Bruno Junqueira, who finished fifth in 2001, was the third car out of the race after 87 laps. Then there was de Ferran, who contended for the lead much of the day -- until his left rear tire fell off on the way out of the pits. That miscue allowed Castroneves to move to the lead.
Gordon's crew escapes injuryJohnny Kaiser had a close call in Robby Gordon's pit. The methanol fuel for the cars touched a hot piece of metal and began blazing - except that the flame is invisible. Kaiser, who changes the left rear tire on Gordon's car, felt it just before he was doused with water and foam. "They were on it. We had the foam and the water, got the car out of the way. It couldn't have gone any better," Kaiser said. No one was hurt in the fire. Methanol flashes at a mere 112.2 degrees, and each pit has a fire crew. Gordon was revving his car when the fire seemed to snake up the vent hose from the fuel line. He popped the clutch, but stalled. His crew grabbed the starter from the pit next door - also owned by the Menard team - and Gordon was on his way.
Rahal, Letterman join the militaryTeam co-owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman decided to celebrate Memorial Day weekend with about 100 military people at the track. The soldiers represented all five branches of the military and included about 50 who fought in Afghanistan. "It definitely makes you appreciate this country," said Marine Sgt. Mark Ulsh, who is from South Carolina. For Ulsh, who grew up watching the race with his father, it was his first trip to the track. "It's very different," he said. "Being here, you get a real taste for it." Army specialist Doug Sharp of Jefffersonville, Ind., was among the group of 100. Sharp won a bronze medal at the Salt Lake Olympics.
Family gathers to support MackBefore the race began, George Mack's garage was filled with well-wishers, which included both the famous and not-so-famous. Mack's mother, father, sister and one of his brothers all made the trip to Indianapolis for race day to watch as he became the second black driver to start an Indianapolis 500. He finished 17th. "It's been a little overwhelming," said his father, Lloyd. "We view it as a great, great opportunity." He wore a black T-shirt that read "Daddy Mack" on the front and "We Love George Mack" on the back. Mack's mother's shirt said "Momma Mack." Mack's family was only part of the contingent, which also included an interview with rap star Ice T. for his show Beyond Tough, which is expected to be shown in September on The Learning Channel.
Time flies when you're ...Robby Gordon had a few extra tickets for his two races Sunday. So Gordon, who owns a plane, sold 44 tickets at $1,000 each. Those who bought tickets flew from Charlotte, N.C., to Indianapolis on Sunday morning, then back to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. One problem: Although fans arrived at the airport on time, the plane wasn't there, worrying some that they wouldn't make the first race. After a few phone calls, it was explained to those in Charlotte that the plane was late because Indianapolis was an hour behind Eastern Daylight Time.
Pit stopsFor the first time in three years, the pole-winner was not the first driver out of the race. Scott Sharp crashed on the first turn of the 2001 race and Greg Ray crashed early in 2000. ... The only driver to defend his title from a starting position worse than Castroneves' 13th spot was Billy Vukovich, who won from the 19th spot in 1954. ... The 23 laps led by Castroneves was the fewest by a race winner since Jacques Villeneuve in 1995. ... Non-Americans have won the last four Indy 500s and six of the last eight. ... There were five caution flags in the race.
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