Barnes: Indy only race that means anything

John Barnes

Three straight runner-up finishes in the Indy 500 could be viewed as the ultimate in consistent excellence or the ultimate in frustration. Panther Racing primary owner John Barnes prefers the former.

"It's not frustrating to me at all," said Barnes, whose team finished second with Dan Wheldon each of the past two years and with Vitor Meira in 2008. "To finish second here three years in a row, I don't think that's ever been done before."

Still, it pales in comparison to what one win would mean.

"It's just such an incredible honor to race at this facility," Barnes said. "We run 17 races a year, but this is the only one that means anything to me." Indy Star