Gearbox heartbreak for leader Dismore.

Kelley Racing's 2001 Indianapolis 500 went from bad to worse when its' second driver, Mark Dismore, went out of the race lead shortly before half distance with a gearbox problem.

Mark Dismore added to Kelley Racing's woes at the Indianapolis 500 this year when he suffered a gearbox failure just shy of half distance after leading many laps in the early going thanks to some superb pit-work from the Kelley crew during the first round of stops.

As if losing pole-sitter Scott Sharp on the opening lap wasn't enough punishment for the Kelley Racing organisation, they also had to suffer the anguish of watching Mark Dismore in the No.28 Dallara-Aurora lose fifth and sixth gears whilst leading the race on lap 75.

Somehow Dismore managed to maintain his advantage at the head of the field over early race leader Greg Ray despite only having first, second, third and fourth gears but when the field were brought under their fourth caution of the day for debris on the race-track, Dismore suddenly stopped and was towed back to the pits.

Undeterred, the Kelley crew changed the necessary components even though their chances of victory had gone well and truly out of the window and Dismore lost only five laps before returning to action behind the leading battle between Greg Ray and an out-of-pit-sequence Michael Andretti.