Ryan Hunter-Reay in his 2014 Indianapolis 500 winning car next to the Borg-Warner Trophy. [Russ Lake Photo]
Indianapolis, Ind. – On Sunday, Ryan Hunter-Reay flashed to victory in front of an estimated crowd of 240,000 fans. A day later, he returned to the Speedway for the traditional winner’s photo shoot and media availability with only a few dozen people in attendance. Sporting a non-stop smile, the 500 winner was aglow throughout the lengthy proceedings, accepting congratulations, handshakes and gifts from supporters, sponsors and others.
As the day progressed, his smile broadened even more as he accepted a winner’s check for $2,491,194 from a total purse of $14,231,760. Second-place driver Helio Castroneves earned $785,194 for the day while finishing a mere 6/100ths of a second behind.
Meeting with reporters at mid-day, Hunter-Reay said, “The magnitude of the whole thing is starting to set in.” the 500 winner said.
Ryan Hunter-Reay poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy after winning the 2014 Indianapolis 500. [Russ Lake Photo]
Asked to describe his pass for the win, the 32-year old driver said, “What happened in turn 3 and going for the win was the same move I did at Long Beach (and wrecked), I went in there and surprised Helio, put it almost in the grass on the white line. He did a great job as we were racing hard but clean, and we made it through there. It was amazing how it worked out. I knew Helio had the fastest car, and it took a while to set him up. We were inches apart for laps on end with the biggest race in the world on the line. It was great going toe-to-toe with him.
“I am aggressive and the guy who will always go for it. When I was growing up, I loved watching drivers that were like that. Of course, I am married to Beccy (sister of Robby Gordon) and Robby was the guy you wanted to watch, as he was coming through one way or the other. Now, we have a championship to go out and win this year, and I will still be going 110 per cent, being aggressive and not letting up. I am just a hard-charging American.”
On the cool-down lap and the subsequent winner’s convertible ride around the track,
Hunter-Reay was thrilled with the outpouring attention from the large crowd. “I couldn’t
believe how many fans were still here; they were true fans to stay-around to greet the winner,” he said. “It was fantastic and when they started chanting ‘USA! USA!’ it sent chills down my back. It was so cool to be a part of. It was surreal to be in that position. This place is so massive, and you don’t realize how big it is until you do a victory lap. I felt like we were running through 35 packed basketball stadiums.”
While Hunter-Reay basked in the spotlight, he had to share the billing on Monday with his 16-month old son, Ryden, who sported a matching uniform. As the youngster raced around through the throng, he may well have been photographed more than his dad.
Beccy Hunter-Reay was equally thrilled to be part of the victory salute and said the substance of the victory was just starting to sink in. “When I woke up this morning, I said to Ryan, ‘I think it actually happened.’ It is amazing. He’s the Indianapolis 500 champion.
Since the race ended, Ryan and Beccy have participated in dozens of interviews, which they have thoroughly enjoyed doing. Said Beccy about being at the Speedway, “I am enjoying every minute of it, and I don’t think they are going to get me out of here. I might just stay inside the Speedway until next year. This is unreal.”
During the closing laps, Beccy’s every move was caught by the TV cameras but that didn’t slow her emotions. “It was so surreal; I have never felt my heart pound that much in my chest before. It was unbelievable,” she added.
Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti also was on hand to share in the spoils of victory. “Yesterday was a dream day for us for not only winning the race but placing four of our cars in the top six,” he said after completing the photo shoot with his team and supporters. “You hope going into the race that you can win it, but you never know whether it can become a reality, and it is awesome when it happens.”
Andretti called the shots for Hunter-Reay and during the red-flag period, the two talked about the final laps. “I was a little bit upset by the red-flag, being that it was the first time in 98 years that it happened and with us in the lead at that,” he commented. “In the end, I think it was the right call, and I did talk with Ryan about the last time it happened we won the championship.
“On the last lap, I felt we were in a good position. When I watched them going into turn 3, I didn’t think Helio (Castroneves) was close enough to get the job done, so I felt pretty confident at that point.”
Regarding an American winning the race, Michael stated, “I think what is great about it is that we have an international field. If you can beat the best in the world, it feels so good. It is better than having all Americans out there, and it means something when an American does win, which is awesome.”
As far as ranking the three victories by his team¸ Andretti said they are all equally important with no one being better than the other.
Hunter-Reay, Andretti, the Andretti Autosport team, sponsors, supporters and family members were the star attractions during the victory banquet. On Tuesday, Hunter-Reay headed to New York City for a round of winner’s interviews, then on to Dallas and other places, ending up in Detroit next weekend for the Verizon IndyCar double-header.