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2018 Indy 500 countdown: 10 years ago – 2008 Indianapolis 500

ByAsher Fair|
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Dan Wheldon driver of #10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda leads his teammate Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves during the IRL IndyCar Series 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Dan Wheldon driver of #10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda leads his teammate Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves during the IRL IndyCar Series 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

With just 10 days to go until the 2018 Indianapolis 500, let’s take a look back at the 2008 Indy 500, which took place 10 years ago.

Scott Dixon qualified on the pole for the first time in his IndyCar career ahead of the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana back in 2008. Dixon entered the race having never won it before.

Dixon changed that by winning the race from the pole position after dominating it and leading 115 of the its 200 laps around the four-turn, 2.5-mile oval track.

In the last 11 Indy 500 races, Dixon is one of only two Indy 500 winners, or any drivers in the Indy 500 for that matter, who led more than half of the race thanks to the fact that he led those 115 laps from the pole position en route to the race victory.

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Dixon held off Vitor Meira in second place by 1.750 seconds, as Meira was forced to settle for second for the second time in his Indy 500 career. He managed to lead 12 laps of the race.

Aside of Dixon and Meira, seven other drivers combined to lead the other 73 laps of the race. Those drivers were Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Buddy Rice, Dan Wheldon, Mario Moraes, Bruno Junqueira and Tony Kanaan.

The race featured a total of 18 lead changes among those nine different leaders, and it featured a total of eight caution flag periods for 69 laps. A total of 21 of the 33 drivers who entered the race were able to finish it. Of those 21 drivers, 15 finished on the lead lap.

Buddy Lazier advanced a field-high 15 positions over the course of the race. He finished in 17th place after starting all the way back in 32nd in the middle of the 11th and final row on the starting grid.

Here is the full broadcast of the 2008 Indianapolis 500.

Next: Top 10 IndyCar drivers of all-time

Tune in to Beyond the Flag tomorrow at 10:00 am ET for a recap of the Indianapolis 500 race that was held nine years ago in 2009 since there will be just nine days to go until this year’s running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at that time. This year’s running of the race is set to be broadcast live on ABC starting at 11:00 am ET on Sunday, May 27, at that time.