By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

INDIANAPOLIS - It was only fitting that a rainstorm brought an early end to the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday.

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After all, it was the weather that delayed the start of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by more than an hour and then caused another delay of almost two hours shortly after the race began.

So there was no surprise when yet another downpour halted the race for a final time after the 180th lap with pole-sitter Buddy Rice in the lead. Because the 200-lap race was more than half complete, Rice earned the win, his first Indy 500 title in his second start at the Brickyard. The victory also gave co-owners Bobby Rahal and late-night talk-show host David Letterman their first Indy 500 title as owners.

Rice became the first driver to win the race from the pole position since Arie Luyendyk won in 1997 and is the first American to win since Eddie Cheever Jr. in 1998.

"It's pretty crazy," Rice said. "This is everything you work for. It's the biggest race in the world, so to be able to come here and sit on the pole and win it, leading most of the laps, I think it's pretty cool."

Rice led 91 laps but took control of the race on the 152nd lap when he passed Tony Kanaan entering the first turn as drivers aggressively jockeyed for the lead. First place took on added importance with rain threatening to end the race at any moment.

Rice maintained the lead until he had to pit stop on the 167th lap, which set in motion a series of lead changes that left Adrian Fernandez in front on lap 169. Rice retook first-place, however, a three laps later, when Fernandez had to refuel.

Overcast skies turned to a light sprinkle and eventually steady rain that forced out a yellow flag on the next lap.

Officials dropped the white flag, signaling one more lap, when the rain picked up after lap 179 with the field still under yellow caution.

That's when Rice was all but guaranteed his win, needing to just complete the final caution lap without crashing, five hours and two minutes after the race began.

"We made the right call on fuel," Rice said. "We knew the skies were coming, but if we stayed out front and charged, we were going to be fine."

Rahal won the race as a driver in 1986, but he described a different emotion watching Rice drive the No. 15 car to the rain-shortened win.

"It's been a long time," Rahal said, "and I think this is a little bit sweeter frankly."

Letterman, who has been involved with the team since the mid-90s, wasn't sure if Rice would win after he faded to 16th-place following a pit-stop miscue on lap 97.

Rice quickly regained a top-10 position, however, and was poised to make a move for first when clouds grew ominous.

"I thought it would be one of those things, where you're happy with a top 5 or a top 3," Letterman said. "But Buddy would not stop. He was eating everybody alive."

For team owner Michael Andretti, of Andretti Green Racing, the race ended just short of spectacular. Andretti's drivers, Kanaan, Dan Wheldon and Bryan Herta finished second through fourth, and each led multiple times. Herta was in first place on lap 168, but had to refuel.

Kanaan stalked Rice from the second position at the end of the race, but did not get an opportunity to challenge him because the rain forced a premature ending.

"In my point of view, this race needs to be won by the best car and the best driver," Kanaan said. "I think that happened. I don't think the result would have changed if it wasn't raining."

Rahal and Letterman echoed those sentiments, suggesting that by leading more than half the race, Rice's car dominated the field. It was a feat that left Letterman overjoyed.

"I haven't had anything to drink in 30 years," Letterman said, "and I feel like I'm drunk right now."

Top finishers

(Start position parentheses)

1. (1) Buddy Rice, G Force-Honda, 180 laps.

2. (5) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 180 laps.

3. (2) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 180 laps.

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com