Brazillian Tony Kanaan won the 2013 Indianapolis 500 under a caution flag Sunday. Kanaan took the lead from Ryan Hunter-Reay following a restart, with only three laps left in the race. A crash involving Dario Franchitti seconds later led to the flag that froze the racers in position and led to Kanaan’s win.

Kanaan shed a streak of bad luck since his 2002 debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He led the Indy 500 for seven laps in 2012, but was passed with only six laps left in the so-called Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Tony Kanaan-2013 Indy 500 Winner-May 26, 2013
Driver Tony Kanaan of Brazil lies on the start/finish line after he won the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis Sunday. Reuters

“I got a little bit of luck today,” Kanaan said in a post-race interview, according to multiple media outlets. He explained the win was in honor of his fans and his late father, “but mainly for all of you guys. I want to thank everybody ... This is it, man. I made it. I’m finally going to put my name on that trophy.” The win is Kanaan’s first. He noted while receiving the first-place award that his team was previously known for not winning: “Now we are known for winning. I don’t know what to say.”

His official website is filled with headlines about previous races that read, “Disappointing end at Long Beach” and “Fuel issue ruins chances at Sao Paulo.” The site will likely soon feature information regarding his success at the Indy 500.

A tweet was sent from a member of his staff on his Twitter account at the finish of the race:

According to his Twitter feed, he is a father and a hardcore “Star Trek” fan.

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