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Saturday, May 28, 2016

{allcanada} A brief history of Canadians at the Indy 500

 

Nearly as many men have walked on the moon as have represented Canada at the Indianapolis 500. Just a lucky 14 drivers have strapped in for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" with a maple leaf adorned to their car.

Among them are near-winners, spectacular retirees, and a young man who needed 505 miles to cement his place in motorsport lore.

The first ever Canadian to take part in the event was Billy Foster in 1965. At the time Foster was one of just two non-American drivers in the field. The other being Jim Clark, the two-time Formula 1 champion who would go on to win that year's running of the race.

Through the '70s and '80s Canadians struggled to gain a foothold in Indianapolis, without a top-15 finish until Eldon Rasmussen drove to 13th in 1997. Rasmussen built his own chassis from scratch, named the "Rascar," obviously.

It wasn't until the early '90s that Canada brought real speed down south. Toronto's Scott Goodyear managed a 10th place finish in 1990 after maneuvering up from 21st on the grid, a pre-cursor for things to come. Two years later in 1992, in one of the greatest drives in Indy memory, Goodyear finished second after starting dead last in 33rd. It was as impressive as it was heartbreaking. His second place went down as the closest finish in history, 0.043 behind winner Al Unser Jr.

Goodyear would go on to finish second again in 1997, and still holds the record for starts by a Canadian at the Indy with 11. Goodyear would have a major moment to play during Canada's greatest moment in Indianapolis, by arguably the country's most prolific ever driver.

The 1995 race will live long in every canuck's mind for the high-tension drama at the very end. Just 10 laps remained, and with a Canadian 1-2 finish on the cards, Goodyear illegally passed the pace car.

Chasing him down was Jacques Villeneuve, son of Gilles, whom the circuit is named after in Montréal.

Fascinatingly enough Villeneuve endured the same penalty when the 24-year-old passed the pace car on lap 38, and had to drive an extra two laps for punishment. Villeneuve fought his way back through the field and took full advantage of Goodyear's misfortune, grabbing the checkered flag in what would go down as the "Indianapolis 505" due to the five extra miles he drove that day.

Goodyear's penalty didn't come without controversy, as it was mere seconds of confusion that led to the passing of the pace car. Goodyear didn't pull over to serve his punishment, and eventually the official scorers simply stopped scoring his car.

"I didn't agree with it back then," he told the Indy Star last year. "I don't agree with it today."

Scott Goodyear and his wife, Leslie, fight back tears after Goodyear was penalized for passing the pace car. (Michael Conroy/AP) 

In 1995 it was all about Villeneuve. The race's youngest winner since Troy Ruttman in 1952, his face is engraved on the Borg-Warner trophy thanks to a brilliant drive, and a little bit of luck. Villeneuve reached the pinnacle of the motorsport world just two years later, winning the Formula 1 championship with Williams racing.

A milk-soaked Villeneuve was the last image fans had of him at the speedway until he returned to the race two years ago, finishing 14th.

Taking the mantle of Canadian expectation — in polarizing fashion that only he could — Paul Tracy emerged as a threat from north of the border to kiss the brickyard. Tracy qualified inside the top 20 on four separate occasions but it was his worst starting position that yielded his best 500 miles.

In 2002, 10 years removed from Goodyear's second-place finish, Tracy was runner-up. The "Thrill from West Hill" slalomed through the pack and with just two laps to go he went to overtake Helio Castroneves but due to a yellow flag being waved just seconds before the pass, the race ended under caution: Castroneves the champion, Tracy furious.

To this day Tracy is adamant he's the deserving champion of the race in 2002, and it wasn't until months of appeals and deliberations that Castroneves was officially named the winner.

Canadians endured a lack of red and white in Indianapolis during the mid 2000s, but the maple leaf returned with a bang in 2011. Alex Tagliani captured the first ever pole position by a Canadian, and just one of 15 non-Americans to ever do so.

Tagliani's day didn't go to plan as he made contact with the wall and eventually retired from the race, but it was a momentous achievement regardless.

Fast-forward five years and once more a Canadian is the pole-sitter come Sunday at the Indy 500. James Hinchcliffe, whose terrifying wreck almost took his life a year ago, snatched pole from Josef Newgarden with a spectacular four laps.

Hinchcliffe's triumph in qualifying is outstanding, especially considering the circumstances of his return to the sport, but the story is only half written for him. This year marks the 100th running of the race and once again a Canadian is in prime position to etch their name into racing history. All those who have come before him, and all those who will come again can look to Hinchcliffe if it's he who gets drenched in milk after 500 miles.

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