100th Anniversary - More Indy 500 - Danica Patrick at Her Best - Dan Wheldon Deserves A Ride

INDIANAPOLIS It had all the ingredients to be a historic day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As the Indy 500 celebrated its centennial, another dramatic chapter in its rich history was added as Dan Wheldon , who led for just the final 1,000 feet of the race, took the checkers and shocked the crowd of over 300,000 that witnessed the annual Memorial Day race.

Galley: Best photos from the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500

Heading into the closing laps, it appeared that rookie driver Helio Castroneves in 2001 to win the Indy 500. But Hildebrand crashed into the Turn 4 wall with the checkered flag in sight, paving the way for Wheldon's victory.

But Wheldon's thrilling win wasn't the only exciting storyline fans walked away with Sunday afternoon. Let's take a look at the Five Things We Learned from the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.

1. This truly is a special sporting event

It's not just a race, it's an event. That is why 350,000 spectators from around the world converge on Indiana's capital every Memorial Day weekend for the Indy 500. It's an annual pilgrimage to witness the speed, history and tradition that makes this one of the world's most recognized sporting events. While the Indianapolis 500 has many traditions that seem antiquated, from the aerial bombs that explode in the pre-dawn darkness signaling the opening of the gates to the various marching bands from across the United States that make their way the frontstretch, this is a slice of Americana at its best.

The Indianapolis 500 has also been about blazing speed and racing technology and that is on display every year as race cars zoom down the frontstretch at nearly 230 mph before taking a hard, left-hander into Turn 1. To watch this from the grandstands it is amazing that humans strap themselves into such machines to do something so dangerous. But that is part of the lure of this sport to see men and a few women do something that ordinary people cannot do.

That it was the 100th anniversary made this event even more special. Every living driver who has competed in this race was invited back for the Centennial and many of them attended.

There was a living link to the very first Indianapolis 500. Dick Harroun, the 96-year-old son of Ray Harroun attended Sunday's 100th Anniversary . Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

The unexpected outcome made this an Indy 500 worth remembering. From the Purdue University band playing On the Banks of the Wabash while the cars were lined up on the grid to Jim Nabors singing Back Home Again in Indiana,the ambiance of Indy got your emotions going. The call of "Gentlemen, start your engines" and the rush of the first lap of the race, made the hair on your arms stand up and shot a tingle down your spine.

This isn't just a race it's the Indianapolis 500. And that is something that stands the test of time.

2. Dan Wheldon deserves a full-time return to the IndyCar Series