The Championship Auto Racing Teams were back at the Indianapolis 500 with a vengeance on Sunday, sweeping the top six positions.

The CART regulars have not competed at Indy since speedway owner Tony George founded his own series, the Indy Racing League, in 1996. Chip Ganassi crossed over last year with CART champions Juan Montoya and Jimmy Vasser. Montoya went on to win the race.

This year marked the return of legendary Team Penske to the speedway with drivers Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran. Veteran driver Michael Andretti also returned this year.

Andretti holds the record of having led the most laps – 398 – including 12 laps led Sunday without a victory. In addition, Ganassi returned with Vasser; CART rookies, Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian; and NASCAR regular, Tony Stewart, who was pulling double duty, flying to Charlotte following the Indy to compete in NASCAR’S Coca Cola 600.

Sunday’s 85th running of the 500 was won by Indy rookie Castroneves. Team Penkse swept the first two spots, followed by Andretti, Vasser, Junqueira and Stewart. The victory marked the 11th for Penske. The team failed to qualify two cars in the 1995 race and has not been back since.

Owners and drivers downplayed the significance of their final positions.

“We came over here with the same equipment that everybody has and tried to make the best job that we can,” Castroneves said. “When I was here I was an Indy 500 driver. This is a race that basically everybody is unique, and everybody’s on the same level.”

“I don’t think we need to look at statistics here to say that it was a CART win versus IRL. I think that it was unfortunate some of the best runners had problems,” Penske said. “There is a number of fellows out there that could drive one of our cars. It was the Indy 500. We came here to run it, and that’s what we did.”

“I think from where I was sitting certainly the race was very competitive with a number of different drivers,” de Ferran said.

Andretti sites bad luck as being against the IRL drivers Sunday. Many contenders had trouble, and all of them were mixing it up with both IRL and CART drivers throughout the race.

There is also a rekindled hope of joining the two series in the future. “I hope that this helps us get back together. I think that’s also important to me. We need to have one open-wheel series. That way, we can take open-wheel car racing in this country where it needs to be. Right now I think we need to move it up a little bit,” Penske said.

This year’s performance might bring more CART teams to the track next year.

“I’m not sure it’s the success of the CART guys,” Andretti said. “I think the sponsors from the other guys that aren’t here are going to start putting pressure and all that. I see more of this happening.”