Strong Andretti cars fail to break drought

INDIANAPOLIS - Michael Andretti watched three of his cars dominate the first half of the Indianapolis 500. And by the end of Sunday's race, they were no factor at all. Again.

"I don't believe in curses, but I don't know what it is," Andretti said after losing yet another opportunity to win the 500. "It's very frustrating."

Three Andretti cars, belonging to James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti, had qualified in the top four spots for the race.

Throughout the first 100 laps, all three were packed tightly together, running consistently among the top five.

But just before the midway point of the race, things suddenly started going wrong for Andretti Five.

The most galling mishap came on lap 188 when Oriol Servia and Marco Andretti were running close together. Andretti dipped toward the white line and spun, hitting the outside wall in the first turn and forcing the Andrettis to wait one more year since their last drive into Victory Lane, when Mario Andretti won the 500 in 1969.

Afterward, Marco Andretti was disappointed.

Another miss for Power Roger Penske's team won each of the first four IndyCar races this season and won the pole at Indianapolis, too.

By Sunday, they looked like just another race team.

Points leader Will Power finished 28th after being involved in the first crash of the day, hitting Mike Conway, who spun right in front of the Australian. A bouncing wheel from that crash hit the right front tire of Helio Castroneves' car, and he immediately started losing positions.

Castroneves placed 10th.

Lotus gets parked The long, bad month for Lotus ended quickly Sunday.

Simona de Silvestro's car was running 14 miles per hour slower than the race leaders, while France's Jean Alesi was running laps 15 slower. Both failed to complete laps within the so-called 105 percent time limit of the leaders as mandated by Indy Car rules.