Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon won the 2008 Indianapolis 500 on Sunday (May 25th) capping a month-long demonstration of speed that eventually overwhelmed every challenger. Dixon's win was a career first for him at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in his sixth '500' start.
"The whole month has been good," said Dixon. " A lot of people have worked hard on these cars to make them fast. It's hard work and the team has been unstoppable because of it. There were so many yellows (eight) it was hard to get a rhythm. Toward the end I didn't think anyone could pass me. The team did a fantastic job."
Dixon owns the lead in the IndyCar championship chase with a fifteen point cushion over Helio Castroneves. Dixon has 191 points, Castroneves 176 and Dan Wheldon is third, with 153 points
Team Penske's Helio Castroneves came back from serious damage to his car to finish fourth Sunday. Castroneves struck debris from a crash early in the race, but his crew repaired the No. 3 Team Penske Honda/Dallara and got him back in the race.
"Fourth place is definitely not what we expected," Castroneves said. "We tried everything we could. We had a little issue with the debris. I was trying to avoid a slow car; I slammed on the brakes instead of hitting him. I pulled away and a piece of the debris hit my front wing, so we had to stop to change that. Let me tell you, wow, what a team."
The first half of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing saw Target Chip Ganassi racing (CCGR)teammates, Dixon and Dan Wheldon alternating between first and second place. Wheldon spent time in the pits fixing handling issues with the No.10 Target machine throughout the last 100 laps after leading 30 circuits in the first half of the race.
Today, he discusses what makes Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon formidable drivers.
You never realize at the time when you're involved with race drivers the impact they have on each other. They don't realize it. We, as team members, don't realize it. It's something we look back on and say, 'Wow! That was special to be involved in.' I really feel that what we're seeing today are two race drivers who at this point in their careers have intersected very well.
Their experience level, what they're trying to achieve, what the team is able to help them achieve is blending together very well. It happens over and over again in racing when two teammates have helped each other accelerate to the front. Right now, Dan and Scott are at the right point in their careers to truly be able to help each other and the team is helping them.
It was very evident on Pole Day, but it's been evident since the beginning of the season. When a race driver of the caliber of Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon are able to have the experience that they have to utilize the resource, then you can get the most out of the car. Everybody is supposed to have the same cars, so it comes down to the team being able to tune the car for the drivers.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 10, 2008)-Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon survived the drama of Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and qualified 1-2, respectively, for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500. Dixon, who was fifth on the starting grid mid-afternoon, pulled his qualified time from his first attempt and put in another four-lap effort around the historic 2.5-mile oval. Minutes later, he had taken the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award presented by AutoZone from the grasp of Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe with a 226.366 mph average. Dixon held the $100,000 check aloft.
“It hasn't really sunk in yet,” said Dixon, who has two poles and one victory in 2008. “It means a lot. It's not just for me, though. I think a lot of it, and I think (team owner) Chip (Ganassi) and probably (team managing director) Mike (Hull) and (chief mechanic) Ricky (Davis) have touched on it already, but it's the hard work that goes into it. Indy, for our team, I think our development and working toward this race started well early in the winter. I think Chip Ganassi and Mike and all the guys in the team are adamant on putting up a strong fight for this year's 500."
Wheldon had earned the third starting position on the grid, but at 5:38 p.m., he waved it off to challenge Dixon for the pole. Although he fell short of the pole, Wheldon took second, knocking Briscoe to the outside of Row 1.
"It's a real tribute to the team," said team owner Ganassi, who celebrated his third pole start at Indianapolis (Bruno Junqueira in 2002 are Arie Luyendyk in 1993). "Every team works hard in the off-season to get better, and you're charged with making your team better than the other guys who make their team better. T his is the payoff."
Dan Wheldon recorded Target’s second win of the season through four rounds, becoming the first repeat winner at Kansas Speedway in the process. Wheldon opened up a 2.1778 second gap over Tony Kanaan and notched his 14th career victory. Wheldon’s last victory came at Kansas Speedway last season. The win is the 18th for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series, and 58th overall in open wheel racing.
Wheldon moves up from fifth to third in the Indy racing League points standings with 135 points. Next up for the team is the Indianapolis 500, May 25th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (NOON ET on ABC).
Apparently Chip Ganassi stays on Wheldon pretty hard. First there is a fuel mileage issue.
I told a few people in interviews already about this" Wheldon says, "Chip gets on my #### so much about not saving fuel. He's on me all the time. Apparently he says that I just like to lead from the front and that's lost me a lot of races. So every possible opportunity, I was saving."
Then there is the whining thing.
"Last year there were situations where I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not allowed to say too much because Chip says I sound like a spoiled brat when I complain about stuff like that."
Too bad the Englishman has a bit in his mouth. You would think a former IRL champion would be free to speak as he sees fit. I guess not. It's disappointing that a young veteran of Wheldon's stature, just hitting his stride, feels like his owner is acting like his daddy.
Dan Wheldon said his victory in the 2006 season finale was a statement of what to expect in '07 from Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Point taken, Dan, and thanks for the warning. Wheldon became the first IndyCar Series driver to win at the same racetrack three years in a row, dominating the season-opening XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 under the lights at Miami's Homestead Raceway.
The victory at Chicagoland Speedway last September allowed Wheldon to tie Sam Hornish Jr. in championship points, but Hornish claimed his third series title based on the first tiebreaker – victories (his four to Wheldon's two). There appears to be another spirited battle brewing, with two 1.5-mile ovals and a temporary street course race on the docket before teams set up shop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"It's a great way to open up the season," said Wheldon, the 2005 series champion who started from the pole for the fifth time in his career. "I think with Ganassi Racing -- this is not a sales pitch, this is the truth -- we've worked very hard over the winter to try to perfect what we started last year.
"I think I definitely underestimated how difficult the transition would be coming to a new team. And I think some of what you saw tonight is just the experience.
"Hopefully, this bodes well for the rest of the season."
Wheldon is familiar with the omen: Four times in the previous six years the driver to win the opener went on to win the league title.
Wheldon's teammate Scott Dixon was runner-up – 6.4993 seconds behind. Reigning IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr., driving the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone, finished third for the second year in a row. Delphi Panther Racing's Vitor Meira was fourth, followed by Andretti Green Racing's Tony Kanaan and Vision Racing's Ed Carpenter.
Dario Franchitti, who started third in the No. 27 Canadian Club car for Andretti Green Racing finished seventh, followed by Vision Racing's Tomas Scheckter and Team Penske's Helio Castroneves. Buddy Rice, making his first start for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, rounded out the top 10.
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.
