ByJared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, leads the field into the first turn at the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)
ByJared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
INDIANAPOLIS — Helio Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 for the fourth time on Sunday in front of 135,000 fans, the largest crowd at a sporting event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Castroneves last won the Indianapolis 500 in 2009. He joins A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and his former mentor Rick Mears as the only drivers to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” four times.
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Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Fans fill the stands as Colton Herta leads the field in the early laps of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. About 135,000 spectators, about 40% of the speedway’s capacity, were admitted to the track for the largest sports event since the start of the pandemic. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Fans fill the stands during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. About 135,000 spectators are admitted to the track, for the largest sports event since the start of the pandemic. It's about 40% of attendance and leaves 100,000 empty seats in the permanent grandstands. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 A fan holds his face mask as he sings "Back Home Again In Indiana" before the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 30, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) (Darron Cummings/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 E.J. Falk, of Detroit, wears a face covering at the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, leads the field into the first turn at the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Fans take a photo before the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) (Darron Cummings/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Fans fill the stands before the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. About 135,000 spectators, about 40% of the speedway’s capacity, were admitted to the track for the largest sports event since the start of the pandemic. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) (Michael Conroy/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 A fan waves during ceremonies before the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) (Darron Cummings/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Ed Carpenter talks with fans through the fence before the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) (Michael Conroy/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Fans picnic behind the stands before the start the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) (Darron Cummings/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Fans fill the stands during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. About 135,000 spectators are admitted to the track, for the largest sports event since the start of the pandemic. It's about 40% of attendance and leaves 100,000 empty seats in the permanent grandstands. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)
Photos: 135,000 fans flock to Indianapolis 500 Veronica Pfister, R.N., administers a Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine to race fan Joshua Knight, of Noblesville, Ind., at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)
The win came before 135,000 fans, about 40% of the speedway’s capacity. Last year, no fans were allowed at the race.
