2012 Indianapolis 500
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| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
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| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | IndyCar | ||||
| Season | 2012 IndyCar season | ||||
| Date | May 27, 2012 | ||||
| Winner |
 Dario Franchitti
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| Winning team | Chip Ganassi Racing | ||||
| Average speed | 167.734 mph (269.942 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position |
 Ryan Briscoe
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| Pole speed | 226.484 mph (364.491 km/h) | ||||
| Fastest qualifier |
Ryan Briscoe
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| Rookie of the Year |
 Rubens Barrichello
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| Most laps led |
 Marco Andretti (59) |
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| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | Martina McBride | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Jim Nabors (video) | ||||
| Starting Command | Mari Hulman George | ||||
| Pace car | Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 | ||||
| Pace car driver | Guy Fieri | ||||
| Honorary starter | Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels | ||||
| Attendance | 300,000 + (est.) | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC | ||||
| Announcers | Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, and Eddie Cheever | ||||
| Nielsen Ratings | 4.34 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
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The 96th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 27, 2012. It was the premier event of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season. For the first time since 1996 all entries featured turbocharged engines, and all entries were brand new model-year chassis, as part of the ICONIC Project. This was the first time since 2003, and only the fourth time since 1985, that all cars were a new model-year chassis.
The track opened for practice on Saturday May 12. Time trials were held May 19–20. Ryan Briscoe of Penske Racing qualified for the pole position. The final practice, traditionally dubbed "Carb Day," was held Friday May 25.
Dario Franchitti, who previously won the race in 2007 and 2010, won the event, becoming a three-time Indy 500 champion. On the final lap, second place Takuma Sato challenged Franchitti for the lead in turn one, but Franchitti pushed Sato's car down too low, causing Sato to lose control. As the two cars were side by side, Franchitti closed Sato's space to pass, resulting in his car clipping Sato's. Sato then spun and crashed into the outside wall. Sato finished in 17th, while Franchitti went on to take the victory. Franchitti's teammate Scott Dixon finished second, sweeping a 1-2 finish for Chip Ganassi Racing. The race set an all-time record with 34 lead changes. Franchitti's win represented the ninth consecutive Indy victory for Honda, despite the presence of multiple engine manufacturers for the first time since 2005.
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