Thriller ; IRL drivers record the closest finish in league history.(car racing)(Brief Article)

Scott Sharp was leading Saturday's Chevy 500, the Indy Racing League's season-ending race at Texas Motor Speedway, on the last lap when he realized he had a problem. Second-place Sam Hornish Jr. was flanking his right side only a half-car back. And because Sharp couldn't see third-place Robbie Buhl lurking just a tick behind, he couldn't predict which of the three would make the last-second sprint to the finish line the fastest. ``My [spotter] couldn't tell me everything [going on] that fast,'' said Sharp. What occurred in the final few hundred yards was unique even for the IRL: Hornish slipped alongside Sharp entering Turn Four and Buhl darted into the limited space between Hornish and the outside wall. How they didn't crash is unclear. They finished in a 1-2-3 blanket that almost required a photo inspection.

At the wire, Hornish had an arm's-length win over Sharp. The official spread was 0.0188 second, milliseconds at 220 mph, and easily the closest finish in series history. Saturday's race was so close, Buhl finished only 0.0468 second back in third place. The spectacular finish concluded a record-setting day for the IRL, which was founded in 1996. There were a series-high 32 lead changes among six drivers. Hornish led 114 of 200 laps, but at least a third of those were with another contender at his side. In one early stretch, he and Jaques Lazier raced side by side for 12 consecutive ...