By Will Graves
The Associated Press
SPARTA, Ky. —
Helio Castroneves crossed the finish line in front.
This time it counted.
The IndyCar star won the Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night, driving the final 53 laps on one tank of fuel around the 1.5-mile oval and taking advantage when the leaders were forced to make last-second pit stops to fill up.
Pole-sitter Ed Carpenter was second, followed by Dan Wheldon, Tony Kannan and Dario Franchitti. Series points leader Will Power led 82 laps but slipped to eighth after a late-race slip.
Power’s bobble allowed Franchitti to draw within 17 points with two races to go in the season.
The victory was the first for Castroneves since taking the checkered flag in Alabama in April.
The three-time Indy 500 winner was fined $60,000 following a postrace outburst in Edmonton in July, where he was penalized for blocking late in the race.
Officials ordered Castroneves to the back after the ruling. He stayed in front instead, crossing the finish line first even as the flagman withheld the checkers until Scott Dixon crossed moments later.
The normally ebullient Castroneves lost his cool in the aftermath, striking a security official.
On Saturday, Castroneves and the same official hugged after Castroneves collected the 24th victory of his IndyCar career.
It was also sweet redemption for Castroneves, who ran out of fuel yards from the finish at Kentucky two years ago.
He received a fist bump from Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens in Victory Lane, then gave all credit to race strategist and Team Penske president Tim Cindric, who told Castroneves to sip fuel after pitting on Lap 147.
Castroneves made it hold up, running 6-7 mph slower than the leaders while he stayed off the throttle.
The strategy paid off handsomely, and Castroneves had enough fuel left to do a mini-burnout at the end.
