93rd Indianapolis 500 Notes & Quotes

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 93rd running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing lived up to the billing on Sunday with wild action (eight caution periods), a historic finish (Danica Patrick's third place) and a popular victory (Helio Castroneves' third Indy win).

Here's a look at some other storylines from Sunday's Indianapolis 500:

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• Less than a lap into the race, Marco Andretti and Mario Moraes crashed, setting the tone for a high impact day. Both Andretti and Moraes were fine -- Andretti even returned to the race -- but driver Vitor Meira, whose accident brought out the last caution of the race, wasn't so lucky.

Meira, has been admitted to Indianapolis' Methodist Hospital and is being treated for fractures to the L1 and L2 vertebrae in his lower back. Indy Racing League Medical Director, Dr. Michael Olinger, said there weren't plans to operate and will fit him with a back brace.

Meira was involved in a frightening collision on lap 174 when the wheels of his and Raphael Matos' cars entangled entering Turn 1. The impact slammed Meira's car hard into the wall and then onto its two right-side tires and it slid that way about 300 yards (think three football fields long) before coming to rest.

Matos was treated for a bruised knee and released from the infield medical center.

• Will Power's stellar fifth-place run in a third Team Penske car will be rewarded. Team owner Roger Penske said following the race that they will put Power in the car again this season. The number of races is yet to be determined, but Penske doubted it would be at Milwaukee next week.

Power drove Castroneves' car in preseason tests and in the season-opening race in St. Petersburg while Castroneves was standing trial for tax evasion. Because Power did so well -- sixth in St. Pete and runner-up in a third car at Long Beach, when Castroneves returned after his acquittal -- Penske again fielded a third car for Power at Indy.

Castroneves was so impressed with Power -- who at one point late in the race was challenging Castroneves for the lead -- that he joked with Penske after the race, "Hey, what's up with that?''

"I didn't know who it was until I looked at the Pagoda [scoreboard] and saw the No. 12 coming and it was like, he's coming here and they're telling me to save fuel,'' Castroneves said smiling. "Tell him to save fuel.'

"He definitely showed he's very strong and has potential here.''

Indianapolis 500 Photos

INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: Helio Castroneves, drivers of the # 3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, and Dario Franchitti driver of the # 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda battle for the lead during the IRL Indy Car Series 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by: Rick Dole/Getty Images). (Photo by Rick Dole/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves;Dario Franchitti

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Graphic shows winner and top-ten finishers of the Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: Dario Franchitti, driver of the # 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda, Ryan Briscoe, driver of the # 6 Team Penske Dallara Honda, and Helio Castroneves, driver of the # 3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, greet the fans during driver introductions during the IRL Indy Car Series 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by: Rick Dole/Getty Images). *** Local Caption *** Dario Franchitt;Ryan Briscoe;Helio Castroneves

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INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, leads the field during the IRL Indy Car Series 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by: Rick Dole/Getty Images). (Photo by Rick Dole/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves

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INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, takes the green flag and leads the field during the IRL Indy Car Series 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by: Rick Dole/Getty Images). *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves

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INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: Helio Castroneves, driver of the # 3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, celebrates his victory during the IRL Indy Car Series 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by: Rick Dole/Getty Images). *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves

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INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: The pre race grid as seen during the IRL Indy Car Series 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by: Rick Dole/Getty Images).

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INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, celebrates winning the Indianapolis 500 by climbing the fence on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Darrell Ingham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves

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Helio Castroneves of Brazil climbs the fence after he won the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 24, 2009. REUTERS/Geoff Miller (UNITED STATES SPORT MOTOR RACING)

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INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 24: (R-L) Team owner Roger Penske, president of Penske Racing, Tim Cimdric, Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, engineer Ron Ruzewski, crew chief Rick Rinaman, celebrate in victory lane after winning the IRL IndyCar Series 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Darrell Ingham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves;Roger Penske;Tim Cimdric

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• The three women in the race -- Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher and Milka Duno -- combined to finish 599 of the 600 possible laps. Patrick's third place is the best ever for a woman in the Indianapolis 500. Fisher ended up 17th and Duno was 20th, one lap down.

• More interesting trivia about Castroneves' magical May. ... He scored his third win in only his ninth Indy 500 start, the quickest any driver has accomplished the feat. It's the eighth consecutive season Castroneves has won a race from the pole position. The pole sitter has won the last two Indy 500s and four of the last six. ... This is Castroneves' 15th IndyCar Series win, third all-time since the league was formed in 1996. ... This is the 11th time the No. 3 has won Indy, the most of any car number. ... Team Penske has won five of the last nine Indy 500s.

• Did you know? The six lead changes Sunday was the fewest since the 1965 Indianapolis 500. ... A.J. Foyt IV and John Andretti both completed the full 500-mile distance, amazingly marking the first time both legendary racing families have done that in the same race. This is the first time a Foyt has finished on the lead lap in the 500 since his grandfather A.J. Foyt finished runner-up in 1979.