|
Sunday, 03 October 2010 04:00 |
|
Page 1 of 2  In a perfect night for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Scott Dixon won the Cafes do Brasil Indy 300, while Dario Franchitti claimed his record tying third IZOD IndyCar Series crown with an eighth place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
 Having already securing the bonus point for winning the PEAK Performance Pole Award, Franchitti needed to lead the most laps and outpace Will Power in the 200 lap event.
One was achieved on Lap 118 of 200 when he clinched two points for leading the most laps, and he was on pace to win the race.
That would seal the deal no matter where Power finished.
That became moot when Power's #12 Verizon Team Penske car brushed the Turn 4 wall on Lap 135 while running fourth, which bent the right rear wishbone.
The crew wheeled the car behind the wall and made the parts change in 5 minutes, 6 seconds, after testing the patch for a few laps under caution, he brought the car into the pit stall and climbed out of the cockpit.
Power, who posted five victories in his first full season with Team Penske, suffered his first DNF of the season in the biggest race of his career.
Franchitti, who entered the race 11 points arrears, earned the title by five points with an eighth place finish.
 Dixon, who started on the front row, held off Andretti Autosport team-mates Danica Patrick, who tied her season high of second, and Tony Kanaan to win his third race of the season.
Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe finished fourth and team-mate Helio Castroneves was fifth. Alex Lloyd of Dale Coyne Racing clinched the Rookie of the Year award.
In the Firestone Indy Lights championship on October 2, Brandon Wagner out-duelled James Hinchcliffe to win the Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka 100 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The USAC Midget Series veteran beat James Hinchcliffe of Team Moore Racing by 0.7006 of a second for his first victory and first for Davey Hamilton Racing.
Wade Cunningham, who won the Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May in his only other start this season, finished third in the #77 IZOD Sam Schmidt Motorsports car. Adrian Campos Jr. was fourth and pole sitter Pippa Mann fifth.
J.K. Vernay finished 15th to clinch the Firestone Indy Lights championship. The Frenchman wrapped up the title when he took the green flag for the 67 lap race.
 Anthony Hamilton, the father of 2008 Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, visited the Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 today as a guest of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and driver Mike Conway, a long time competitor and friend of Lewis Hamilton.
"I've always been an IRL fan. To be honest, I've always watched American motor racing. But I figured if you're going to be a part of the American scene, you have to come and watch IRL in the States. I've come over with English driver Michael Conway, who had an accident a little bit ago, and I thought he was going to race this weekend. But today's nice. Good to see Dario up front. Good to see Will Power up front, as well. Down to the wire yet again. It's real exciting racing," enthused Hamilton
IZOD IndyCar Series veteran Paul Tracy was in the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing pits today saying: "I'm disappointed we're not in the race but pretty happy with where we are for next year. We've been working on the program for next year, and I've got some of my key sponsors back. Honda of Canada, Motegi Racing Wheels and GEICO are going to be back with me. So we're looking forward to a full season next year, which would be great."
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver Mike Conway, who suffered season ending injuries in a crash during the Indianapolis 500 in May, visited the team's pit today.
"It's good to be back. It's been too long since I've been here in the pit lane. It's been a long four months, and I can't wait to get back in the car. So maybe another month or so, we'll be back in," said Conway.
CAFES DO BRASIL INDY 300 POST RACE NOTES:
• Dario Franchitti earned his third IZOD IndyCar Series championship. He also won in 2007 and 2009.
• Dario Franchitti became just the second driver to win three IZOD IndyCar Series championships, joining Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002, 2006).
• Dario Franchitti became just the second driver to win consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series championships, joining Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002).
• Dario Franchitti has won the IZOD IndyCar Series championship in the last three seasons in which he has competed in the series. He raced in NASCAR in 2008.
• This is the fourth IZOD IndyCar Series championship for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, a series record. Dario Franchitti won in 2009 and 2010, Scott Dixon in 2003 and 2008. TCGR and Andretti Green Racing were tied with three titles entering this event.
• This is the third consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series championship for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, as Dario Franchitti won in 2009 and 2010 and Scott Dixon in 2008. It's the first time a team has won three straight titles in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
• This is the fifth time in the last six years that the Indianapolis 500 winner also has won the IZOD IndyCar Series championship in the same year. "Double" winners since 2005: Dan Wheldon (2005), Sam Hornish Jr. (2006), Dario Franchitti (2007), Scott Dixon (2008), Franchitti (2010). Helio Castroneves earned his third Indianapolis 500 victory in 2009 but didn't win the title last year.
• Dario Franchitti won the IZOD IndyCar Series championship by five points over Will Power. It's the second closest margin of victory in series history. Scott Sharp and Buzz Calkins tied for the championship with 246 points in the three race inaugural season in 1996. Sam Hornish Jr. won the title on a tiebreaker, the most victories, over Dan Wheldon when both finished with 475 points in 2006.
• Dario Franchitti scored 307 points on road courses and 295 on ovals this season. Will Power scored 412 points on road courses and 185 on ovals.
• Alex Lloyd won the IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Award, the first driver from Dale Coyne Racing to earn that honour.
• Scott Dixon earned his third victory of the season. He also won on the oval at Kansas and on the airport course at Edmonton.
• Scott Dixon earned his 24th career IZOD IndyCar Series victory, extending his series record.
• Target Chip Ganassi Racing earned its sixth victory of the season between drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti. Penske Racing, a three car team, won nine races this season to lead the series. Andretti Autosport won two races.
• Danica Patrick finished second, tying her season best set at Texas.
• There were 18 lead changes tonight, an event record. The previous record was 15 in 2004.
• Vitor Meira finished sixth, his best result on an oval this season. He finished third in the season opener on the street course at Sao Paulo.
CAFES DO BRASIL INDY 300 RACE RESULTS:
| Pos. |
Started |
Driver |
Car |
Laps |
Status |
| 1. |
2 |
Scott Dixon |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 2. |
11 |
Danica Patrick |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 3. |
8 |
Tony Kanaan |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 4. |
4 |
Ryan Briscoe |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 5. |
10 |
Helio Castroneves |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 6. |
21 |
Vitor Meira |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 7. |
16 |
Marco Andretti |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 8. |
1 |
Dario Franchitti |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 9. |
5 |
Dan Wheldon |
Dallara-Honda |
200 |
Running |
| 10. |
18 |
Graham Rahal |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 11. |
20 |
Ryan Hunter-Reay |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 12. |
22 |
Alex Lloyd |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 13. |
7 |
Ed Carpenter |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 14. |
19 |
Alex Tagliani |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 15. |
14 |
Bertrand Baguette |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 16. |
24 |
Sebastian Saavedra |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 17. |
23 |
Raphael Matos |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 18. |
9 |
Takuma Sato |
Dallara-Honda |
199 |
Running |
| 19. |
12 |
EJ Viso |
Dallara-Honda |
198 |
Running |
| 20. |
26 |
Hideki Mutoh |
Dallara-Honda |
198 |
Running |
| 21. |
6 |
Justin Wilson |
Dallara-Honda |
198 |
Running |
| 22. |
17 |
Sarah Fisher |
Dallara-Honda |
197 |
Running |
| 23. |
25 |
Simona de Silvestro |
Dallara-Honda |
197 |
Running |
| 24. |
27 |
Milka Duno |
Dallara-Honda |
170 |
Contact |
| 25. |
3 |
Will Power |
Dallara-Honda |
143 |
Contact |
| 26. |
15 |
Ana Beatriz |
Dallara-Honda |
42 |
Contact |
| 27. |
13 |
Mario Moraes |
Dallara-Honda |
25 |
Mechanical |
CAFES DO BRASIL INDY 300 RACE STATISTICS:
Winners average speed: 158.905
Time of Race: 1h52'08.5580
Margin of victory: 2.7587 seconds
Cautions: Five for 39 laps
Lead changes: 18 among 7 drivers
Lap Leaders: Franchitti 1-42, Briscoe 43, Franchitti 44-52, Briscoe 53, Franchitti 54-55, Briscoe 56, Franchitti 57, Briscoe 58-61, Dixon 62-68, Kanaan 69-72, Franchitti 73-95, Dixon 96-97, Tagliani 98-100, Franchitti 101-151, Dixon 152-157, Andretti 158-167, Dixon 168-172, Castroneves 173, Dixon 174-200.
Point Standings: Franchitti 602, Power 597, Dixon 547, Castroneves 531, Briscoe 482, Kanaan 453, Hunter-Reay 445, Andretti 392, Wheldon 388, Patrick 367.
|
|
NEWS by SERIES 
Please show support
