INDIANAPOLIS — As Paul Tracy swept into the lead on the next-to-last lap of the Indianapolis 500, he saw the yellow lights go on.
Tracy began screaming into his radio, believing he was about to win at the Brickyard for the first time Sunday. Then, he got the dreaded word from one of his crew members: "I think we've got a problem."
The Indy Racing League ruled that Tracy had not completed his pass before the caution period began, giving Helio Castroneves his second straight Indy 500 victory and providing one of the wackiest finishes in race history. Tracy was forced to drop back into second place as the Brazilian took the checkered flag.
"I think I'm the winner," said Tracy, who was racing at Indy for the first time since 1995. "It's a little bit frustrating, to say the least."
IRL officials waited more than 5 1/2 hours before posting the official results, using that time to review videotapes and electronic data. They met twice with car owner Barry Green to discuss the decision, but the runner-up team still decided to file a protest.
The IRL scheduled a hearing for Monday.
"I saw the footage on ABC. I saw the timing and the film from the track," Tracy said. "I'm convinced I'm still the winner."
The ending rekindled memories of other disputed finishes at Indy.
In 1981, Bobby Unser took the checkered flag, only to be stripped of the victory the next morning because he passed a line of cars coming out of the pits. Unser's victory was restored four months later, though he was fined $40,000. Seven years ago, Scott Goodyear crossed the line first but was black-flagged for passing the pace car during a restart. Jacques Villeneuve, who had finished second, was declared the winner.
In a touch of symmetry, Villeneuve drove for Barry Green, whose three-car team now includes Tracy.
"We had time to rectify that one," Green said, referring to the '95 race. "But I've got no complaints. The speedway has been good to me over the years."
The 33-year-old Tracy stayed away from the Brickyard the past six years, a victim of CART's feud with the Indy Racing League. Not that he ever cared for the place all that much, finishing no higher than 20th in his four previous 500s. He never even finished a race at Indy until Sunday, going out three times with mechanical problems and crashing in another race.
Tracy struggled just to qualify this year, starting 29th in the 33-car field. Once the green flag waved, he started picking off cars one by one, winding up right behind Castroneves.
"We were steadily making passes," Tracy said. "I don't think we had the fastest car on the track, but we were the most consistent."
Then, as Tracy set up the defending race champion for a possible pass, Buddy Lazier and Laurent Redon crashed behind them coming out of turn two. IRL officials said Tracy didn't get by Castroneves before the yellow flag came out — a view backed up by the winner.
"The only reason he passed me was because the yellow came on and I backed off," Castroneves said. "There's no way he could have passed me on the outside in turn three."
Tracy was one of sport's hottest young drivers when he joined CART in 1991. Fiery, daring and not the least bit shy about expressing his opinion, he landed a prized spot with Roger Penske's team but wound up getting fired for criticizing the Captain's operation.
On Sunday, Tracy had a chance for revenge, only to wind up behind one of Penske's red-and-white cars.
"Sure, I want to beat him," Tracy said. "I feel I did beat him."
While Tracy has won 18 races in his career, he hasn't been to victory lane since 2000. A year ago, he placed 14th in the season standings, the worst finish since his rookie year.
He restored a little luster with his brilliant drive Sunday, but it wasn't quite enough to end his winless streak. He openly wondered if his position as a CART stalwart would affect the IRL's decision about who won the race.
"There's always going to be politics in auto racing," Tracy said. "I worry a little bit because I'm not in the IRL. I've always been a CART supporter."
Even so, he couldn't resist a chance to laugh about another controversial turn in his career.
"I'm always neck-deep in some sort of problem," Tracy said, grinning.