Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s (TCGR) Scott Dixon started from pole, led 58 of 228 laps and claimed his third win of the season at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night. The race ended under caution after Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay made contact while battling behind Dixon for second place with five laps remaining. Dixon was a contender from the drop of the green flag in the No.9 Target car, running in the top-three for the majority of the event. Flawless pit work again was the theme for the Target team as Dixon was able to stay out front and survive eight caution periods for 52 laps. The turning point of the race came when he passed Andretti on lap 222 – just before Andretti and Hunter-Reay tangled and brought the race to its conclusion under the yellow flag.
Results from Texas
1. Scott Dixon, No.9 Target Honda Dallara 2. Helio Castroneves, No.3 Honda Dallara 3. Ryan Briscoe, No.6 Honda Dallara 4. Dan Wheldon, No.10 Target Honda Dallara
Terry Blount of ESPN thinks...the IndyCar Series needs to take a hint from NASCAR on this one and think about a green-white-checkered overtime finish.
"I was thinking about that," said Helio Castroneves, who finished second. "I definitely had the car to make something happen. But we can't compare ourselves to what NASCAR does. It would be a mess."
If ever a driver was due for luck, it was Ryan Briscoe. Over the last two weeks, he hasn't hesitated cashing in. After an early season of bad breaks, culminating at the Indianapolis 500 with his now infamous contact with Danica Patrick while exiting the pits (which knocked them both out of the race), Briscoe was in desperate need of something positive to happen. His racing fate changed June 1 at The Milwaukee Mile when he won his first-ever IndyCar Series race. Briscoe finishes third in Fort Worth.
Dixon's teammate Dan Wheldon rebounded from a practice accident in the No.10 Polaroid car, made up seven positions on a sore ankle and finished fourth. Wheldon’s weekend started with a practice crash on Friday which sent him into the turn four wall and eliminated the No.10 team’s primary car. The team rallied to prepare the backup car for qualifying and Wheldon came from the infield care center to qualify the car 11th. Wheldon had moved up to fourth by just lap 11 but had to restart near the rear of the field after Briscoe stopped in his pit stall under yellow. Briscoe would serve a penalty for the incident and Wheldon managed to rebound up through the field to finish fourth.
Dixon Not Slowing Down - Helio Not Dancing - Wheldon Crashes
Following his win at the Indianapolis 500, Scott Dixon backed up with a second place last weekend at the Milwaukee Mile and heads to the Texas Motor Speedway looking to get back to his winning ways. In finishing second at Milwaukee Dixon has now had five top-three finishes so far this season and has led 100 or more laps in four consecutive races. With stats like these, he looks good for another podium finish in Texas as he strives for his second IRL title. Dixon leads the IndyCar Series by 28 points from Helio Castroneves (206), and his Target Chip Ganassi team mate Dan Wheldon (185).
Helio Castroneves was asked about his interest in dancing with NASCAR earlier this week and responded, " I'm doing everything I can to clinch the championship and run here in open wheel. Right now we've merged and the series is in a good spot and I would say the opportunity, I don't think, is there to go to NASCAR. I would consider it in that you should always leave doors open.
Dan Wheldon had a sore right ankle after crashing during practice on Friday, but was cleared by doctors to take part in qualifying later in the day for the Bombardier Learjet 500 IndyCar race on Saturday. Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 champion, hit the outside wall coming out of the fourth turn on the high-banked Texas track. The car slid down the track, losing a rear wheel, then tumbled after bogging down in the infield grass and came to rest upside down.
“It’s tough to explain racing to the media, to the fans, to people on the outside — how important the crews and the cars and the chemistry are and having all of them at one time, how great that is,” (Jamie) McMurray said. "You get an offer from a team that has ... a winning thing going for it, and you take it." McMurray did, and in 2006, he began driving Roush Fords.
Last year, he finished 17th, got just one victory — in July at Daytona — and people began wondering. McMurray didn’t wonder, because he understands how racing goes. But that doesn’t mean he has been satisfied.
“When I got over here,” he said, “I thought that everything you need is here and I thought it (success) would just happen. But, racing’s hard.”
The current season has been another challenging one for McMurray. There have been lots of freakish happenings and lots of rumors about his future with Roush.
“There’s always pressure,” McMurray said, “but none more so than what I put on myself.”
Geoff Smith, president of Roush Fenway, said his team remains patient with McMurray.
“We have not soured on Jamie by any means,” Smith said.
Making things even tougher on McMurray this season is the quick start of his four teammates. Two are in the top 10 in points and the other two are in the top 18. McMurray, meanwhile, is 25th. Yet there was no hint of frustration in his voice as he talked about his season last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
“It’s always tough being on a multi-car team,” Smith said, “when a couple of your teammates are clicking and you’re not. I’ve seen some drivers prone to big mood swings. Jamie has the good outlook. He’s determined to make it better.”
McMurray was asked if he thinks the corner has been turned. He took a deep breath.
“We have all the tools,” he said. “We just have to use them.”
Jeff Burton burst onto the scene in 1997 when he finished fourth in the points. He finished 1998 and 1999 fifth in those respective points races. That's enough right there to rank him as the 10th best driver in the 90's.
On April 7, 1997 Jeff burton racked up his first race win in the Interstate Batteries 500 which was the inaugural Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.
On March 21, 1999 Burton won one of the zaniest races in Winston Cup history. His crumpled Ford lay in a smoking heap at Darlington raceway as rain fell. Burton had been involved in an accident on lap 163 but managed to keep the car moving and in the lead until the caution could be thrown and the rain drops began to fall. The race never restarted and Burton was awarded the win.
The Mark Martin 2007 story got even more interesting following his impressive third-place finish in Sunday's Samsung 500 Nextel Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. After taking the previous two races off as part of his limited schedule for Ginn Racing, Martin came back with another solid performance. The U.S. Army driver, who has now competed in five Cup races this season, posted his fifth straight top-10 result and fourth top five. Despite missing the two races in Bristol, Tenn. and Martinsville, Va. Martin is 11th in driver points,within the top-12 of the Chase cutoff. In Nextel Cup owner points, the 01 team jumped from sixth to fourth.
"This team is just awesome -- they are the best I've ever worked with," said Martin moments after climbing out of his No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet. "I want to be careful about bragging too much, but I have hit the lotto. To be able to drive these cars for this team is a dream come true. And to be able to step away when I want to, I just could not imagine having that kind of privilege. I just really, really love working with Ryan (Pemberton, crew chief) and the team. They are so excited and that makes it so much fun to go to work."
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.
