The winner of the 96th Indianapolis 500 was Dario Franchitti. It was his third Indy 500 win. He was followed by teammate Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Oriol Servia and pole sitter Ryan Briscoe.
The IZOD IndyCar series race was held at Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway on May 27, 2012. The track temperature ranged from 121 degrees Fahrenheit to 134 degrees F.; the ambient temperature ranged from 90 to 93 degrees F.
Firestone Racing brought a new tire specification to Indianapolis that received wide-spread praise throughout the month. The combination of the new car, new engines and a new tire spec lent itself to an incredibly exciting race with a record number of lead changes.
From race winner Dario Franchitti, #50 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "The performance today from Firestone was exceptional. We're used to a certain high standard and the tires even exceeded that. We actually ran them in practice almost double the distance we would normally do in a race and they were consistent to the end. In the race there were no problems, no problems at all. A great performance, another fantastic performance by Firestone."
From winning car owner Chip Ganassi, Target Chip Ganassi Racing: "Our guys get into that car knowing they can go into those corners at 220-plus miles per hour, and they know they have the right tires on the car. I want you to know how much it means to us that Firestone hung in the series with us. We really appreciate it and I'm looking forward to being back here next year with my Firestones on."
From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: "What a fantastic day for everyone involved. There were 31 lead changes, the ambient temperature reached 93 degrees and we added the 63rd driver to roll into Victory Circle on Firestone tires - all records for the Indianapolis 500. We're particularly pleased that with the hot conditions, the tires performed as well if not better than many people had thought. And the widespread positive feedback from drivers and car owners is an outstanding testament to the job that the entire Firestone Racing team does. Congratulations to everyone involved in today's race, especially Dario Franchitti and Target Chip Ganassi Racing. They had us on the edge of our seats and prevailed over everyone else. We don't know if it is possible, but we'll be back again to try and top this year's performance in 2013."
