INDIANAPOLIS -- He'll be back.

Sure, Michael Andretti claims that this was his last race, his last Indy 500.

	Andretti lasted 94 laps on Sunday.

If he would have finally won? Great. If not? It wasn't meant to be.

Either way, Andretti maintained that he's ready to walk away from driving and focus on ownership.

Retiring while he's still got -- pardon the pun -- plenty of gas left in the tank.

Sound like another guy named Michael who has had his share of unretirements?

That other Michael, however, left after winning championships. This Michael leaves after finishing 27th in a 33-car field.

Not a spectacular finish, especially for someone who knows he's got a little more to give.

"I was going to try and drive maybe a year or two more, but after dealing with a responsibility of ownership, I just feel like I can't give my driving the 100 percent focus that I need to be competitive, race in and race out," said Andretti. "So, I chose to retire and I want to do it here in Indianapolis because I (wanted) to have one last, good shot at winning."

And for so many of these drivers, it really is about taking that good shot at Indy. Doesn't even matter whether you've won it or not -- just ask Arie Luyendyk. After two Indy 500 wins, Arie hasn't been able to stay away -- one year in the booth was one too many outside the car here. And only an injury kept Luyendyk, 49, out of the field.

Like Luyendyk, the 40-year-old Andretti has a legacy. With 42 CART wins and a series championship -- plus all of the laps led at Indy -- Andretti is certainly considered one of the best drivers of his era, if not any. And if focusing on ownership is the main reason for his "premature" retirement, well, it's not a stretch to say he'll still be a good driver next May and the May after that.

"I just want to be remembered as a guy that could win any race I was in. It didn't matter where I started, or what type of race track it was, or whatever. I just want to be remembered as, 'You know what? Don't count him out!"

And if Michael did come back next year or the year after? Well, he wouldn't be counted out. After all, he's not exactly thrilled with his Indy legacy.

"Most laps led (426) by a non-winner. That's what I didn't want to retire as, but that's what it's going to be."

Despite that, Andretti says he won't be back -- and many believe him. After all, while many athletes do come back when they realize -- or hope, at least -- that they've still got talent, still got ability, Andretti will have other outlets for his efforts and energy.

"About coming back -- everyone's asking me that. I'll never say 'never' because you can't say that. But, I wouldn't put any money on it. The odds are highly, highly against it. I'm very motivated to start putting all of my focus into the team.

"Most drivers when they retire, most athletes when they retire, don't have a backup plan when they get out. Three or four months later they are like, 'Well what am I going to do? I'm bored.' I'm not going to have that. I'm going to very busy, I'm going to have something to satisfy my competitive urges, still, with the team. I'm still going to get the old adrenaline up with the team. And, so, I really don't see it happening."

He says that now. But after Sunday's bitter disappointment?

He led 28 more laps this Indy Sunday, adding to his record total of laps led without the win.

28 laps. One of the best cars in the field. Great chance to win in his 14th start. Only to be undone by his car. Only to finish his last race in 27th-place.

That's got to just burn him.

"The car lost power, I don't really know what happened," Andretti said after his race ended. "I had a good car, it just wasn't meant to be.

"It's been an incredible month and I'm just thankful to everyone for making this month go so well."

It wasn't the result Andretti was looking for, but apparently it's one in which he finds some satisfaction.

"I wanted to retire knowing I could win that last race and I had myself in position to win that last race. So from that standpoint, I'm happy."

Teammate Tony Kanaan was right there at the end, finishing third behind race-winner Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves. And Dan Wheldon and Robby Gordon were strong until late incidents -- a spectacular crash and mechanical problems, respectively -- took them out. So it's clear that Andretti had the team on Sunday. Andretti had the car.

	“	I wanted to retire knowing I could win that last race and I had myself in position to win that last race. So from that standpoint, I'm happy. ”
		— Michael Andretti

Andretti thought Kanaan had a shot at winning, but he just couldn't get the track position. Still, Andretti seemed comfortable in the ownership role after the race.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge (of ownership), for sure," Andretti said after the checkers flew and the book was closed on the 2003 Indy 500 -- and the first chapter of his Indy ownership book had been written.

"I have no regrets about anything. My new legacy is to win 20 of these things as an owner."

And an Indy win as a team owner would be almost as sweet. Tony Kanaan knows this.

"I'll get it for you," Kanaan said.

Fast forward to May, 2004. Andretti is preparing his team for the 88th Greatest Spectacle. He begins to get the itch.

Maybe he ignores it, maybe he doesn't. Another year goes by -- the itch returns. That's your bubble year, folks -- 2005. If he can fight the urge and stay away for two years, chances are he'll stay away for good.

But almost as likely is Andretti saying, "Well, why not?"

Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 have been about near misses and recurring disappointments for Andretti. Even years away from the track (see Split, CART-IRL) irk him.

"They really could have been my five best years of chances of winning the race because we were running with a team that was very strong on ovals in those years. It's a shame. I think that I'm one of the victims that got caught in the middle of the political struggle. It's tough. But then again, that's life; it's just the way it is. I couldn't control it. If you can't control it, then that's just the way it is."

But Indy hasn't been all bad, has it?

"The first year here was definitely a highlight -- one of the biggest highlights. Another one that pops in is the family thing in '91. We were all very proud that there were four of us out there. What are the odds of four family members being in the same race like that? Those are years that you will just remember for life."

But heading into Indy, Andretti was hoping those memories would be near the top, not at it.

Said Andretti before Sunday's race: "I hope I'm still waiting for the best one."

Which begs the question -- How long will Andretti wait?

Same time, next year?

Jonathan Baum is an RPM editor at ESPN.com.