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Franchitti in the money after Indy 500 win

Dario Franchitti collected more in race winnings from his Indianapolis 500 victory than he had from any other full season of his career.

Franchitti's victory in Sunday's race, which was shortened by rain to 415 of 500 miles (668 of 800km), was worth US$1,645,233 from a record purse of nearly US$10.7 million. The prize package was announced on Monday night at the annual victory dinner. The previous record was US$10.5 million last year.

Franchitti, a 34-year-old native of Scotland, had finished seventh and sixth in the two previous years at Indy and had his best-previous earnings year in 1998 with US$1.4 million when he won three races on the CART circuit, now called Champ Car.

Sunday's race was interrupted by rain for three hours shortly after the midway point with Tony Kanaan, Franchitti's best friend and Andretti Green Racing teammate, in the lead. Kanaan led a race-high 83 laps but he and several other contenders chose to pit for fuel and tires just laps ahead of the race-ending rainstorm.

Kanaan, who finished 12th, earned the fourth most from the purse with US$414,319, behind second-place finisher Scott Dixon's US$719,067 and third-place finisher Helio Castroneves' US$646,303.

Kanaan also received the annual Scott Brayton Award, the driver best exemplifying the character and racing spirit of Scott Brayton — the driver who was killed in practice after winning the pole in 1996.

Phil Giebler, one of just two first-time drivers in Sunday's race, won the rookie of the year award after finishing 29th, two spots ahead of Venezuelan Milka Duno.
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