Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s (TCGR) Dan Wheldon celebrated his birthday in victory lane Sunday by winning his second race of the season at Iowa Speedway in the Iowa Corn Indy 250. Teammate and polesitter Scott Dixon finished fourth in the No.9 Commit Honda Dallara to extend his lead in the IndyCar Series championship race from 35 to 48 over Helio Castroneves.
Wheldon started third on championship points after qualifying was rained out and took the lead out of a caution flag with 60 laps to go after his team made the decision not to pit. The move paid off, as Wheldon held off Andretti Green Racing drivers Hideki Mutoh and Marco Andretti down the stretch.
“What a great day for Target Chip Ganassi Racing," Wheldon said, "and a great birthday present. My wife and I drove from Chicago to Iowa earlier this week and we saw the flooding and it was just heartbreaking. Scott and I are glad we could help out as best we could this weekend. I hope the race today put a smile on the faces of the people of Iowa and took their minds off the challenges and most difficult times they are facing.”
Thanks to the rain, Brian (Barnhart) has decided to line 'em up by entrant points - giving Helio Castroneves the first starting position for the third year in a row. The question we got now: Can Helio (Castroneves) bring it home first like he did in 2006, or will he fade (to seventh) like 2007?
Castroneves didn't have to do anything (this week) to earn the pole for the Indy Japan 300. That was taken care of during the first two IndyCar Series races of the season.
"I'm sitting in the right spot in the championship to be in this situation and I'll take it," said Castroneves, who has won nine of the 30 races in which he's started from the pole. "We feel we have a consistent car. In the last few years we were very fast here, and I feel we can continue."
Scott Dixon, who won the season opener on the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval, will be making his third front-row start at Twin Ring Motegi. He was on the pole in 2003, led 45 laps, but finished 15th because of a crash. Andretti Green Racing teammates Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti will share Row 2, while Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick will be on Row 3.
After second-place finishes at TRM in each of the last two seasons, Wheldon will attempt to return to Victory Lane - the place he called home in both 2004 and 2005. In five starts at Motegi, Wheldon has led 354 of 1,000 laps (35.4%). Can he become the series first three-time winner at the track?
At the Opening IndyCar Practice Sessions At Motegi reigning champion Tony Kanaan grabbed the top spot with a quick lap of 27.2453 seconds (200.842 mph) in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car for Andretti Green Racing. Scott Dixon had a quick lap of 200.390 mph (27.3067) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, while two-time Motegi winner Dan Wheldon (200.250; 27.3259) was third.
DAN WHELDON (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone, third-fastest of the day): "It was a relatively good day. Unfortunately, we didn't quite get our second set of tires on in that second session. I think what you can see is we've let the car (be) on edge a little more. With that, it's probably good that we did save that set."
Wheldon captured his first IRL win at Motegi in 2004. He repeated the feat in 2005.
Dario Franchitti became the third driver in IndyCar Series history to capture the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship in the same season as he drove the Canadian Club car to victory at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday. The victory was Franchitti's fourth of the 2007 season and the first career championship for the winningest British driver in American open-wheel racing history.
In Turn 3 on the final lap of the 200-lap event, Scott Dixon, who was still leading, began to run out of fuel. Franchitti went around the 2003 IndyCar Series champion and crossed the finish line in first place, clinching Andretti Green Racing's third IndyCar Series championship in four seasons.
"We came down that backstretch and I was drafting him trying to get a slingshot. Just as I pulled out I saw him slow down and I almost hit the back of him as I was just going out," Franchitti said.
"Infineon is a track that I enjoy going to. We had a good car here last year finishing second behind Marco. This race is going to be very important for us in the championship with only three races left.
Dario Franchitti Facts
· Franchitti finished second in the 2006 event at Infineon Raceway behind teammate Marco Andretti.
· This will be Franchitti's third start at Infineon Raceway. He has top-10 finishes in both of his starts.
· Franchitti led 52 laps on his way to his 13th top-10 finish of the season at Kentucky Speedway.
· He leads the IndyCar Series championship by eight points over Scott Dixon and 52 over teammate Tony Kanaan.
· Franchitti recorded back-to-back wins at Iowa Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.
Most Interesting Blog, June 16, 2008 (unofficially ) and six other occasions (probably if they still did this). Lisa awarded him Best "breaking news" blogger March 31, 2008. Blog of The Day, Christmas Day, 2007. edhardiman wrote, "Falco's tribute to Rocket Richard reminds us all the stars of today stand on the shoulders of giants..." October 23, 2007. Three Golden Swirrly p00p Awards (Hockey, NASCAR and Use of Graphics), FlyingPig, July 18, 2007. 2007 Memorial Day Weekend Trifecta sponsored by williamwilman . Featured on WFORacingFans April, 2007. "Stylin'" award, Dusty, February 07. "One of ten new bloggers to watch" Dudski, January 2007.
