2014 Indy 500: Ryan Hunter-Reay wins at Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS -- All Helio Castroneves could do was slam his steering wheel in frustration following a runner-up finish in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. He wasn’t mad at himself nor was he angry with winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, who overtook Castroneves with a pair of breathtaking passes in the final laps.

No, Castroneves was just mad in general. Understandable, considering the Brazilian was within footsteps of history only to be denied in the second-closest finish in the 98-year history of the Indy 500 -- 0.0600 seconds.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Entering the Indianapolis 500, Kurt Busch hoped to finish on the lead lap and somewhere towards the front of the field.

Not an unreasonable expectation for a driver of his caliber, until you consider that Busch had never driven an open-wheel car in race conditions before and for the first time would be facing the challenging task of navigating a three-wide start, running in heavy traffic and live pit stops.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A last lap pass of Helio Castroneves gave Ryan Hunter-Reay the victory at this year’s Indianapolis 500, capping a dramatic conclusion to the race Sunday afternoon.

Entering the final lap Hunter-Reay was second, but in a power move dove underneath Castroneves entering Turn 1 to complete the deciding pass. Castroneves attempted to re-pass Hunter-Reay but could not rally with his momentum broken and came up just short, finishing 0.600 seconds behind.

The Indy 500 story arc tends to build slowly, only reaching a crescendo as time is running out and racers are getting frantic. Such was the case on Sunday, when Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay battled it out in back-and-forth fashion following the final caution (a caution that came with a red flag, allowing the race to finish under green).

How crazy did the last few laps at Indy get? Just watch the final three passes of the race, in a single GIF:

Far be it from us to tell anyone how to enjoy their Memorial Day weekend, but maybe think about putting on a little sunscreen next time. Just a thought.

The tank-top burn pattern is impressive enough, but look at the color of this dude’s skin! It’s the exact same color as those cheap red hot dogs you find in the bargain section of the grocery store. That’s going to hurt so much in the morning.

FULL RESULTS: Ryan Hunter-Reay takes the checkered flag

Leading midway through this year’s edition, Helio Castroneves continues his pursuit to join A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears as the only drivers to win four Indianapolis 500s.

The Indianapolis 500 continues under green flag conditions on Lap 85 of 200 with Helio Castroneves having assumed the lead following the second pit stops of the afternoon.

Castroneves, a three-time Indy 500 winner, took the top position after then-leader Marco Andretti was slower off of pit road. Andretti, the grandson of 1969 winner Mario Andretti, has shown to have the fastest car as the race nears the halfway point.

FULL RESULTS: Ryan Hunter-Reay takes the checkered flag

Under sunny, clear skies and a packed grandstand the green flag dropped on the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The Indy 500 appear to be trying to attract a new kind of fan by the looks of the pre-race promotion: fetishists. Tapping into the BDSM market has been difficult for events looking for an appropriate segue but when your sport features drenching people in milk it kind of sells itself.

It’s amazing that in 2014 something like a gimp regurgitating milk into a bathtub can not only appear on day time TV, but can be rubber-stamped by a number of executives during pre-race checks and balances. We’re not complaining, because weird random things are totally great. That said, it caused an awkward moment for one of the most recognizable drivers in the world.

Ryan Hunter-Reay is participating in the Indy 500 today and wanted to make sure his baby was a part of the show.

We don’t know who makes firesuits for babies or why, but this could be the gateway we’ve been looking for to make infant motorsports a thing. Fine, it doesn’t need to be in big scary adult-sized cars, we’d totally watch toddlers cruise around in electric Fisher Price cars along a track that’s nothing but memory foam and pillows.

I have forecasted and experienced almost every type of weather imaginable for the Indianapolis 500. I sat through chilly temperatures to watch what many consider the best Indianapolis 500 back in 1992, where Al Unser Jr. narrowly beat out Scott Goodyear in the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history.

I have watched the 500 finish out on a Tuesday thanks to rain washing out both Sunday and Monday. In 2004, I got caught in one of the tornadoes that touched down in central Indiana just south of Indianapolis as I was coming home from the Indianapolis 500. And just two years ago, temperatures were so hot that you thought you were watching the Brickyard 400 in August instead of the Indy 500 in May thanks to high temperatures in the 90s.

FULL RESULTS: Ryan Hunter-Reay takes the checkered flag

ABC will be the television home of the Indianapolis 500 for the 50th time when race coverage begins on Sunday, a fact that makes ESPN vice president of motorsports production Rich Feinberg say “wow.”

INDIANAPOLIS -- With his family as much a part of the history of the Indianapolis 500 as the bricks laid across the start/finish line, Marco Andretti knows the questions are inevitable.

This doesn’t mean he’s comfortable responding, though he does so reluctantly. The same applies to Marco’s grandfather, Mario Andretti, who dismisses any notion that some sort of supposed curse haunts his family.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A relaxed Ed Carpenter was sitting in an office adjacent to the garage for the team he owns Saturday morning when his phone rings. His ringtone: “Eye of the Tiger,” the iconic song from “Rocky III.”

With a smile, the pole-sitter for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 explained his affinity for the Rocky series. It’s fitting, because though he’s not quite the underdog he once was -- that illusion tends to fade after you win the pole in consecutive years for the biggest open-wheel in America -- some similarities between Carpenter and Rocky Balboa do exist.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The last time Juan Pablo Montoya turned a lap in competition around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, his day ended with a celebration in Victory Lane following a dominating performance.

You would think this would make Montoya one of the prohibitive favorites to win Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. There is a catch, though: That victory came 14 years ago, and in the time since, Montoya has run almost extensively in Formula One and NASCAR, only returning to IndyCar at the beginning of this season.