VIDEO: Rookie J.R. Hildebrand loses Indy 500 on final turn

J.R. Hildebrand was only seconds away from a historic win at the Indy 500. With Dan Wheldon several seconds behind him, all Hildebrand had to do was cruise into the finish line to take the checkered flag. But that fourth and final turn proved costly as he crashed into the wall trying to take the outside lane on a slower car.

Regardless of your thoughts on the “sport” of racing, it was one of those those times where you just feel awful for a guy. Arguably one of the biggest choke jobs in professional competition.

The consensus among the experts is that Hildebrand took a bad line in the race track when passing Charlie Kimball. Instead of perhaps throttling down, he chose to pass on the outside and his tires simply gave out on him. It was part “unlucky” and part “rookie mistake”. Unfortunate situation all around, and one he’ll probably learn from next time around.

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