INDIANAPOLIS - Tony Kanaan realized a dream that began decades earlier that took him from Brazil to Europe to America.

In a race that featured an astonishing 68 race-record lead changes among a race-record 14 drivers, the popular Brazilian earned the victory in the 97th Indianapolis 500 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His average speed of 187.433 was the fastest Indianapolis 500.

Kanaan, cruised to the checkered flag under caution when three-time champion Dario Franchitti's No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car made contract with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier on a Lap 197 restart. He found himself in front after he and rookie Carlos Munoz overtook race leader Ryan Hunter-Reay entering Turn 1 on the restart for a Lap 194 on-track incident involving Graham Rahal.

As he circulated under caution, Kanaan wiped tears from his eyes as he guided the Chevrolet-powered No. 11 Hydroxycut KV Racing Technology/SH Racing car to the waiting Borg-Warner Trophy.

Three Andretti Autosport drivers -- Munoz, Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti -- finished second through fourth. Justin Wilson advanced nine positions to finish fifth in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing car. Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves was sixth and Team Penske teammate and first-time Indy 500 competitor AJ Allmendinger placed seventh.

Andretti, who started third in the No. 25 RC Cola car and led 31 laps, wrestled the points lead from Takuma Sato after five of 19 races. He leads Sato, 168-157, heading into the inaugural Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans on the Belle Isle circuit June 1-2.  

POST_RACE QUOTES
TONY KANAAN (Winner): "I got a little bit of luck today. It's for the fans. It's for my dad that's not here. But mainly for all of you guys. I was looking at the stands, and it was unbelievable. I'm speechless. This is it, man. I made it. Finally they're going to put my ugly face on this trophy. We were known for not winning, and now we are winning. I don't know what to say." (What did you think after the fial caution?): "I couldn't believe it. How many laps to go? Two to go. I guess that's it. The last lap was the longest lap of my life. I wanted the Pace Car to hurry up. I enjoyed it. We did it."

LAUREN KANAAN (Tony Kanaan's wife): "Tony is so humble. So grateful for this day. It was a huge team victory."

JIMMY VASSER (Co-owner, KV Racing Technology, #11 Kanaan): "He's just awesome in those (restart) situations. He was just great all day. Alex Zanardi gave us some luck today. He gave us his gold medal from London and told us, 'Rub this all over the car.' Tony took the medal to his motorhome with him for an hour."

CARLOS MUNOZ (Second place): "I should be happy. But I thought I should win this thing. The car was so great from the first lap to the last lap. I have to be good. Let's see what my future will bring. Maybe next year I will win it. I was more sad because I had a shot t overtake and fight for the win. I couldn't do anything to win. All respect to Juan Pablo. I know how it is to do 500 now. This race is so difficult."

ALEX ZANARDI: (About using his 2012 London Olympics gold medal as good-luck charm): "I tell you, I'm starting to think it really works, it's profitable. I might put it up for sale." (About friend Tony Kanaan's victory): "It's fantastic. It's a dream come true to see Tony win, to see Jimmy Vasser win, my dear friend. We couldn't believe it. I'm so happy. I'm so happy."

HELIO CASTRONEVES: "I'm very happy (for Kanaan). Well-deserved for him. Well-deserved for his team. Hell of a job. I'm happy for you."

97th INDIANAPOLIS 500 POST-RACE QUICK FACTS:

2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan has won the race for the first time in 12 career starts, tying an event record for earning a victory latest in a driver's Indy 500 career. The other driver to win the race for the first time in his 12th career start was Sam Hanks in 1957. Hanks qualified for 13 Indianapolis 500 Mile Races but only made 12 starts before winning in 1957. He did not race in 1941 after suffering injuries in a crash before the race. Hanks was credited with 33rd place even though he didn't start.

This was the ninth race that Tony Kanaan has led in his Indianapolis 500 career, the most times that a driver had led the race before winning his first Indianapolis 500.

Tony Kanaan set a new record winning speed at 187.433 mph, breaking the previous mark of 185.981 set by Arie Luyendyk in 1990. Luyendyk held the record winning speed for the longest period in race history, 23 years.

Carlos Munoz finished second with an average speed of 187.431 mph, the fastest average speed in Indianapolis 500 by a race rookie. The previous rookie record holder was JR Hildebrand, when he finished second in 2011 with an average speed of 170.232 mph.

Tony Kanaan is the fourth Brazilian driver to win the Indianapolis 500. The other three are Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989, 1993), and Gil de Ferran (2003).

This is the first time car number 11 has won the Indianapolis 500.

Tony Kanaan was the second driver to win starting from the 12th starting position. The other was Al Unser Jr. in 1992.

Helio Castroneves completed the full 500-mile distance without relief driver help for a record ninth time in his Indianapolis 500 career. Ted Horn and A.J. Foyt are the only other drivers to complete the full 500 distance eight times without relief help. Relief drivers were common in the Indianapolis 500 before World War II.

Scott Dixon extended his Indianapolis 500 record to 1,566 consecutive laps completed.

Scott Dixon (2008-13) ties Wilbur Shaw (1935-40) and Rodger Ward (1959-64) for completing the full 500-mile distance six consecutive times.

There were a record 14 lap leaders in this race. The previous record was 12 in 1993.

Six drivers led the race for the first time in their Indianapolis 500 career: Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Jakes, E.J. Viso, Carlos Munoz, AJ Allmendinger and Townsend Bell.

There were two rookie lap leaders in today's race: Carlos Munoz and AJ Allmendinger.

The 2013 Indianapolis 500 ended with 26 cars running at the finish. This ties the record set in the inaugural race in 1911 for most cars running at the finish for a race that went the full 500-mile distance. The rain-shortened event in 1976 (255 miles) had 27 cars running at the finish. The 1911 field had 40 starters, while the 1976 and 2013 events had 33 starters.

The 2013 race had 19 cars finish on the lead lap, tying the event record set in 2009.

The 2013 Indianapolis 500 had a record 68 lead changes, doubling the record of 34 set in 2012.

2013 race winner Tony Kanaan led the race 15 times. This is the most times a driver has led an Indianapolis 500 event in a winning effort. The previous record holder for a race winner was Tommy Milton (1923), who led that year's race 13 times.

Marco Andretti led 15 times today, the most ever by an Indianapolis 500 driver who didn't win the race. The previous record was 10 times by second-place finisher Rodger Ward in 1960. Ryan Hunter-Reay also broke the record today, leading 13 times.

The top lap leader in today's race was 10th-place finisher Ed Carpenter with 37 laps led, the fewest laps led by the overall lap leader in an Indianapolis 500. The previous record holder was fifth-place finisher Roberto Guerrero, who led a race high 47 laps in 1996.

There were 133 consecutive green-flag laps today from Lap 61 through Lap 193, the longest green-flag period in Indianapolis 500 history since caution-flag laps were recorded beginning in 1976.

There were 21 caution-flag laps, the fewest in an Indianapolis 500 that went the full distance since caution-flag laps were recorded beginning in 1976. The 1976 race also had just 21 caution-flag laps, but that race ended after 102 laps due to rain.

Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti each took the lead from seven different drivers today, an event record. The previous record was by Mario Andretti in 1993.The record for taking the lead from the

Three-time "500" winner Dario Franchitti was not running at the finish of the race for the first time in 10 career starts. He completed 197 laps, only the second time in his career that he did not finish on the lead lap. The other year was his rookie year in 2002, when he also completed 197 laps.

AJ Allmendinger became the fifth driver to lead laps in the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 at IMS. The other drivers: Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, John Andretti and Robby Gordon.

Official top 10 in IZOD IndyCar Series point standings after 97th Indianapolis 500: Marco Andretti 168, Takuma Sato 157, Helio Castroneves 152, Ryan Hunter-Reay 138, James Hinchcliffe 128, Justin Wilson 125, Tony Kanaan 124, Scott Dixon 122, Oriol Servia 112, Simon Pagenaud 108.

Photos: Honda & GM