INDIANAPOLIS -- Vitor Meira sat in the post-race press conference Sunday twiddling his thumbs.
He was sharing the stage with Danica Patrick, and he went as long as five minutes before being asked a question after finishing second to Dan Wheldon in the 89th Indianapolis 500.
When he was finally asked a question, he raised his hands in the air in mock celebration. His teammate, Patrick, chimed in.
"Come on, the guy just finished second, everybody," she said.
Meira, who has been the Speedway's silent favorite all month, finally showed. He came up just a bit short of getting Rahal Letterman Racing -- which is co-owned by Ball State alumnus David Letterman -- its second consecutive 500 championship.
"[It] doesn't happen very often, being second in the biggest race in the world," Meira said. "I'm thrilled. I'm happy, but I want to do better. That's going to be up to us next year."
Although Meira was the least-recognized Andretti Green driver while Kenny Brack, Buddy Rice and Patrick dominated the media before the race, he doesn't feel forgotten.
"Everybody's talked about me in the shadows the whole month," Meira said, "but they kept talking about it."
Patrick, meanwhile, had a historic race, in which she broke and set many records. By the end of the event, Patrick became the highest-finishing female in 500 history, the first female to lead a lap and the first female to finish on the lead lap, despite having to recover from two separate rookie mistakes.
"I made a hell of a point for anybody, are you kidding me?" Patrick said. "I came from the back twice. It sucks back there. It's hard. I was so more content running up front; it was much easier.
"I think what might have showed the most today is that I was able to pass, and I was able to learn how to set someone up better. Yeah, I definitely got a lot of experience in different situations."
Indianapolis will have to wait for its first female champion, though, as Patrick finished fourth and ran out of gas as the checkered flag waved. However, she has established herself as a viable threat on the Indianapolis track after her Sunday performance, including a lead in the closing laps.
"I just wanted to sit in the yellow flag for 18 laps and just ride it out," Patrick half-joked.
DAN WHELDON
Victory Lane at Indianapolis has been a place that Michael Andretti has tried and failed to get to for many years. Finally, after many late-race crashes, inexplicable mechanical failures and other bad luck, Andretti has won a championship at Indianapolis -- but as the owner of a car driven by Dan Wheldon, rather than as a driver.
"I never tasted milk so good," Andretti announced, after sipping the traditional milk offered to the winners. "It's awesome. What a day! Dan drove a hell of a race.
"I finally won the Indy 500. Oh yeah! No more curse!"
And this year's winner of the Indianapolis 500, Wheldon, has been no stranger to Victory Lane in the IndyCar series, with this being his fourth win of the season.
On Sunday, Wheldon took the lead for the first time in lap 150, after starting 16th in the race, then he traded the lead with Meira and Patrick for several laps. Wheldon was able to pass Patrick at lap 186 when she was on a different fuel strategy. Moments later, the caution came out when Kosuke Matsuura hit the wall on turn one.
"Unfortunately, you're a sitting duck when you start the restarts in the lead here," Wheldon said. "But certainly, the guys gave me a car that was at its best right at the end of the race, and I needed every bit of that to win this race."
Patrick was able to retake the lead on the caution flag at lap 190, but four laps later, Wheldon came back and retook Patrick. As Meira closed in on Wheldon with only two laps remaining, Indianapolis rookie Sebastien Bourdais hit the wall after turn three and the caution came out, giving Wheldon the win.
"I feel just very proud of the fact that I've been able to win this race. I'm proud -- and certainly lucky -- to be here."
Wheldon's Andretti Green teammates weren't far behind, with Bryan Herta finishing third, Dario Franchitti placing sixth and Tony Kanaan coming in eighth.
Honda cars again dominated the field, holding the first four positions and seven of the first eight.
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