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JR Hildebrand with the Chase Rookie of the Year Award. He's the second Indy 500 driver from Panther Racing to earn the award. Tim Richmond was the other.

A few nights before the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500, former teammates -- still bonded by friendship and respect -- Dan Wheldon, Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan broke bread and shared memories and laughs.

On May 30 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, they gathered again to share a few laughs and memories of their exploits on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a day earlier, and, of course, to share in the spoils of the purse of $13,509,485.

Wheldon, the winner, picked up a check for $2,567,255.

"This is definitely more than I receive in unemployment," said Wheldon, who was competing in his first race of the season.

Wheldon’s No. 98 William Rast-CURB/Big Machine car for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian passed JR Hildebrand’s No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car on the final straightaway of the race after Hildebrand drifted high to avoid traffic in Turn 4 and hit the SAFER Barrier.

It was the only lap of the race that Wheldon led, breaking the record for the fewest laps led by a winner (two) set by Joe Dawson in 1912.

Car No. 98 has been in Victory Circle three times at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – all with an association with the Agajanian family. It won the Indy 500 in 1952, when 22-year-old Troy Ruttman became the youngest winner of the race in the Agajanian Kuzma/Offy, and 1963 when Parnelli Jones triumphed in the Agajanian Willard Battery Watson/Offy (aka the “Ol’ Calhoun” Watson roadster).

Herta, who was introduced to the Agajanian family while racing karts at Ascot Park in California during his formative driving years, dialed up Wheldon over the winter to inquire about his plans for the 500 Mile Race.

"All I ask from you is a fast race car," Wheldon said of Herta, who had three top-10 finishes in five starts in the '500.' "Bryan's a great friend. He's helped me develop as a race car driver back when I was at Andretti Green, and he's helped me develop as a person."

Wheldon became the 10th two-time winner of the race. In 2005, he became the first Englishman since Graham Hill in 1966 to stand in Victory Circle. He was the race runner-up in 2009 and 2010 with Panther Racing.

"Early on, nobody believed it more than Dan Wheldon," Herta said. "He believed in it so strongly and he believed in us so strongly that he made us believe it, too. It's because of that, I think, that we were able to rise to the challenge." 

Hildebrand, who started 12th, crossed the start-finish line on three wheels to place second, earning $1,064,895. He also won the Chase Rookie of the Year Award, which includes a $25,000 bonus.

"It's a huge honor to be here, but to have the month that we did and be in position we were in is just special," he said.

Graham Rahal, who climbed from the 29th starting spot to finish third in the No. 38 Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing car, earned $646,945 for his career-best Indianapolis finish.

Tony Kanaan earned $438,745 for charging from 22nd to fourth in the No. 82 GEICO KV Racing Technology-Lotus entry. It was the fourth top-five finish at Indianapolis for 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion.

Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner who started in the middle of the front row and led a race-high 73 laps in his No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry, earned $519,345 for finishing fifth. It was the fourth top-five finish at Indianapolis for the two-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion.

PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone winner Alex Tagliani placed 28th after an accident on Lap 148 in his No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry but still earned $492,245.

The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IZOD IndyCar Series awards, plus other designated and special awards. Purse awards were announced and presented at the Centennial Victory Awards Celebration at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis.

The 96th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 27, 2012.