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Indy 500: On this date in 2012 – Dario Franchitti rallies, Takuma Sato crashes

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 27: Dario Franchitti of Scotland, driver of the #50 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, pours the victory milk over his head in victory lane in celebration of winning the IZOD IndyCar Series 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 27: Dario Franchitti of Scotland, driver of the #50 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, pours the victory milk over his head in victory lane in celebration of winning the IZOD IndyCar Series 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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Dario Franchitti rallied from an early accident in the pits to earn his third and final Indy 500 victory in the 96th running of the race back on Sunday May 27, 2012.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti, who had earned two Indianapolis 500 victories in seven previous starts in IndyCar‘s biggest race heading into the 2012 season, did not have a particularly strong couple of weeks leading up to the 2012 Indy 500.

In fact, none of the Honda drivers had been particularly strong. The only Honda driver who qualified for the race in the top 11 was Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing rookie Josef Newgarden, who qualified in seventh place in his #67 Honda.

Franchitti qualified for the 96th running of the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana in 16th place in his #50 Honda.

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Things got worse for Franchitti, who fell to the back of the field after E.J. Viso hit him and spun him out during his first pit stop, to which Franchitti responded on the radio by saying, “Viso, what a clown”. He was reminded that there was still a long race ahead.

His pit crew repaired the damage to his front wing, which took place when he was spun out by Viso and made contact with one of the tires that was laid out for Panther Racing’s J.R. Hildebrand.

But Franchitti managed to work his way to the front of the field along with teammate Scott Dixon and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato. Dixon and Sato started the race in 15th and 19th place in their #9 Honda and #15 Honda, respectively.

Following the race’s final restart with only six laps remaining, Sato had worked his way up to third place behind Franchitti and Dixon in first and second, respectively. Franchitti and Dixon exchanged the late several times over the next few laps.

Dixon led the race with two laps to go, but heading into turn one, Franchitti passed him for the lead once again. But Dixon also fell to third place, as Sato followed Franchitti through turn one to take second.

After taking the white flag behind Franchitti, Sato tried to make a pass on his inside heading into turn one. Franchitti defended his position, and Sato could not maintain control of his car, causing him to spin out and hit the turn one wall.

The caution flag flew, and Franchitti earned his third victory in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the last six years and in his last five attempts ahead of Dixon in second place and KV Racing Technology’s Tony Kanaan, who was the leader on the race’s final restart, in third.

Franchitti led 23 laps of the race, a race that set the new all-time Indy 500 record for lead changes. A total of 10 drivers exchanged the lead 34 times over the course of the race’s 200 laps.

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This Indianapolis 500 victory ended up being the final victory of Dario Franchitti’s IndyCar career, as he retired the following year after a horrifying crash at the end of the second race on the streets of Houston, Texas.