The 2007 Indianapolis 500

It looks like race car driver Dan Wheldon really wants to get back to the winner’s circle at the Brickyard. Wheldon won the Indianapolis 500 back in 2005 and looked to be on his way to a repeat win last year before car trouble dropped him to a fourth-place finish. Wheldon had led 148 of the 200 laps of last year’s Indy 500 race but the only one that matters is the last lap, which Sam Hornish Jr. led by 0.0635 seconds over rookie Marco Andretti. The 2007 Indy 500 may still be just over two weeks away, but Wheldon is already tearing up the practice sessions. In a rain-shortened second day of practice on Wednesday, Wheldon became the first driver this month to break the 226-mph mark at Indy. Wheldon took only seven laps to post a fastest lap of 226.391 mph (39.7543 seconds), which topped his leading time posted on the first practice day. Wheldon isn’t in the clear yet though, as the rest of the field still has time to reach the crucial 226-mph mark and steal the $100,000 pole award away from him. Two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves was the closest challenger to Wheldon on Wednesday after posting a sizzling 225.820 mph (39.8548 seconds). No other driver was able to crack 225 mph, with Wheldon’s Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon posting the next-best time at 224.902 mph (40.0175 seconds). Marco Andretti, looking to break the Andretti jinx at Indianapolis and improve on his second-place finish from a year ago, was next in line at 224.745 mph (40.0454 seconds) and he was followed by veteran Tony Kanaan at 224.112 mph (40.1585 seconds). Last year’s Indy 500 champ, Hornish Jr., is still looking for his top speed after posting the sixth-best time of the day at 224.054 mph (40.1688). The driver with the most eyes on her at all times, Danica Patrick, will need to find a way to boost her speed by the time raceday rolls around if she finally hopes to make it to the winner’s circle. Patrick’s AGR teammate Dario Franchitti came seventh on Wednesday after posting a time of 223.844 (40.2065 seconds), which was two places better than Patrick’s time. Patrick was ninth best on the day with a top time of 223.476 mph (40.2728 seconds). A 0.418-second differential may not seem like much, but it can actually be an eternity in car racing. Marco Andretti would have loved to be an extra 0.418 seconds below his Indy 500 time in last year’s race, considering only 0.0635 seconds separated him from a place alongside his famous grandfather Mario as an Indy 500 champion. Betting sites:  Bodog Sportsbook,  Betcris Sportsbook,  Intertops Sportsbook Complete List: Online Sport Betting Reviews