JR Hildebrand came within spitting distance of winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2011, only to crash from the lead in the last lap. He's struggled to find a full-time ride in the years since, but he'll be back again at the Brickyard this year.
For those who don't recall, Hildebrand was a promising talent before making it into the big leagues. He won the Indy Lights title in 2009 and contested a couple of IndyCar Series races the following season, but had yet to win a top-tier race when he took the lead at Indy in 2011.
With just three laps to go, race leader Bertrand Baguette pitted for fuel, handing the lead to rookie Hildebrand who held on to it for the ensuing laps until he crashed into the outside wall in the final turn of the final lap. He dragged his car across the finish line, but not before Dan Wheldon overtook him to claim the checkered flag. It was one of the closest and most dramatic finishes in Indy history, but though Hildebrand was named Rookie of the Year, he didn't get to sip the milk.
Hildebrand kept driving for Panther Racing for another season and a bit, but split after the headline race in 2013 having failed to win a single race or even get back on the podium in the years since. He finished tenth at Indy last year for Ed Carpenter Racing. Now that the team has merged with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, and Hildebrand will be back at the Brickyard with the ensuing CFH Racing team to drive its third car; not only in the headline 500 but also in the infield Grand Prix of Indianapolis as well. We'll be watching to see how he does.
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For those who don't recall, Hildebrand was a promising talent before making it into the big leagues. He won the Indy Lights title in 2009 and contested a couple of IndyCar Series races the following season, but had yet to win a top-tier race when he took the lead at Indy in 2011.
With just three laps to go, race leader Bertrand Baguette pitted for fuel, handing the lead to rookie Hildebrand who held on to it for the ensuing laps until he crashed into the outside wall in the final turn of the final lap. He dragged his car across the finish line, but not before Dan Wheldon overtook him to claim the checkered flag. It was one of the closest and most dramatic finishes in Indy history, but though Hildebrand was named Rookie of the Year, he didn't get to sip the milk.
Hildebrand kept driving for Panther Racing for another season and a bit, but split after the headline race in 2013 having failed to win a single race or even get back on the podium in the years since. He finished tenth at Indy last year for Ed Carpenter Racing. Now that the team has merged with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, and Hildebrand will be back at the Brickyard with the ensuing CFH Racing team to drive its third car; not only in the headline 500 but also in the infield Grand Prix of Indianapolis as well. We'll be watching to see how he does.
Related Video:
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