The 2011 Indianapolis 500 featured one of the most stunning finishes in recent memory as Dan Wheldon escaped with a last second victory following a crash by Sausalito's J.R. Hildebrand. After the jump we've got video of the stunning last turn crash that opened the door for Wheldon's victory. Hildebrand was making his first ever Indy 500 run and held the lead heading into the final turn of the race.
The lead changed hands numerous times but poor fuel strategy cost many of the front runners. Danica Patrick had a late lead but had to pit with nine laps to go. Bertrand Baguette took over the lead from Patrick but also had to pit with fuel issues. That opened the door for the Bay Area native Hildebrand to have a shot at a stunning victory. However, as the video shows, Hildebrand saw his chance come crashing down when he tried to pass one of his lapped competitors. He made the clean pass but then hit the wall.
The finish remains under review because Wheldon would not have been able to pass HIldebrand after the yellow flag came out. It was a fairly bang-bang finish, so we'll continue to wait for official official word. At this point, it looks like Hildebrand will have to settle for a disappointing second place finish.