The Race That Took 76 Days: The Wild 2016 Firestone 600 at Texas

The 2016 Firestone 600 was supposed to be a routine Summer stop on the IndyCar calendar. Instead, it became one of the most unusual races in open-wheel history. Originally scheduled for June 11th, 2016 at Texas Motor Speedway, the event was halted after just 71 laps due to relentless rain and a track drainage issue known as “weepers.” What followed was a 76-day pause before the race finally concluded on August 27th in front of a dramatically different championship landscape.

Rain plagued the entire June weekend. After Saturday night’s start was called off, officials attempted to run the race Sunday afternoon. Even then, drainage problems and persistent moisture delayed the green flag. The race finally began at 1:49 p.m., but chaos struck early. Josef Newgarden and Conor Daly crashed on lap 42, triggering a lengthy caution while the SAFER barrier was repaired. Newgarden suffered a fractured clavicle and wrist in the accident, ending his day. Then, on lap 71, heavy rain returned. The red flag came out at 2:42 p.m., and because the race had not reached the halfway point required to be official, it could not be called complete.

With some drivers scheduled to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans the following weekend and no clear weather window, IndyCar made a decision: the 2016 Firestone 600 would resume nearly ten weeks later, on August 27th. The race would restart from lap 71, with James Hinchcliffe leading. Only drivers still entered in capable cars at the time of suspension were allowed to return.

When the field returned to Texas in late August, the atmosphere was completely different. The championship fight was in a different place and momentum had shifted. Two short practice sessions were held before the green flag to reacclimate drivers to the track. Then finally the race resumed.

Ryan Hunter-Reay immediately challenged Hinchcliffe on the restart, but Hinchcliffe soon regained control. Hélio Castroneves emerged as his primary challenger, while strategy and tire wear began showing its hand in the race. Pit cycles between laps 100 and 120 shuffled the order briefly, but Hinchcliffe reasserted himself at the front.

The race turned chaotic in the closing stages. On lap 213, Scott Dixon attempted to unlap himself and made contact with Ed Carpenter, triggering a caution that changed strategy across the field. Several drivers pitted for fresh tires, gambling on track position. Then, on lap 224, Carpenter’s left rear tire failed, sending him spinning and collecting Castroneves. Another caution set up a sprint to the finish.

With eight laps remaining, the 2016 Firestone 600 transformed into a shootout. The only cars on the lead lap were James Hinchcliffe, Tony Kanaan, Graham Rahal, Hélio Castroneves, and Simon Pagenaud. Some pitted for fresh tires. Others stayed out.

The final restart came on lap 240.

Hinchcliffe held the lead as the laps wound down, but Rahal was closing. On the final lap, Rahal dove to the inside entering Turn 3. The two ran side-by-side through Turn 4 and onto the frontstretch after a short 4 wide moment. At the line, Graham Rahal edged Hinchcliffe by just 0.0080 seconds. It was the closest finish in Texas Motor Speedway history and the fifth-closest in IndyCar history.

Rahal’s victory marked his fourth career win and Honda’s first triumph since the Indianapolis 500 earlier that season. Hinchcliffe, who had led 188 laps across both race dates, finished second in heartbreaking fashion. Tony Kanaan completed the podium, with Pagenaud fourth and Castroneves fifth.

However, the story did not end there. Post-race inspection revealed that Hinchcliffe’s car violated skid wear regulations. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports was fined $20,000, and 25 championship points were deducted from both the owner and driver totals.

Beyond the dramatic finish, the 2016 Firestone 600 exposed a larger issue. Texas Motor Speedway’s persistent “weeper” drainage problems had now disrupted both IndyCar and NASCAR events. In response, the track installed a new French drain system in 2017 to prevent future moisture seepage from the racing surface.