SATO’S LATE STEAL AS DIXON IS DENIED

Eight years ago, Takuma Sato drafted his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Dallara-Honda up behind Dario Franchitti’s Chip Ganassi Racing machine along the front straight at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and attempted to wrest the lead away from the Scot. As he dived to the inside of the already two-time Indy winner, who had pinched down but had left just enough space, Sato hit the notorious Turn 1 bump, looped into a spin and into the wall. The race finished under yellow, Franchitti won and Sato went home a beaten man, but not one who saw any reason to change his motto of “no attack, no chance”.

The US media had long warmed to him because he’s simply a charming human being, but that day he also became one of the near-miss heroes of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway faithful who pack the grandstands and grass banks in their hundreds of thousands. Thus, when he finally nailed Indy 500 glory for Andretti Autosport five years later, he was cheered to the echo, despite beating