Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

Filed under: Crew Chiefs, IRL

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) -- Helio Castroneves held off Scott Dixon to win the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, coasting to the finish line after coming off caution with two laps to go.

The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner took over in the stretch run when Marco Andretti headed to pit road with seven laps to go. He treated the new IndyCar venue to his trademark "Spiderman" move, climbing a chain link fence in front of the grandstands and pumping his fists to the fans.

Castroneves won by just over half a second over Dixon and nobody else was closer than 7 seconds to the lead, making it a two-man chase at the end. He didn't offer any opening for Dixon to get by him on a narrow track that offers few easy spots to pass.

---

---

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) -- Will Power will start the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama up front, the same place he's been finishing lately.

Power has won the first two IndyCar Series races this season. He grabbed the pole on Saturday with a speed of 118.057 mph (189.99 kph). Penske Racing teammate Helio Castroneves (117.186 mph; 188.58 kph) was third, behind Mike Conway (117.197 mph; 188.6 kph).

Power understands how difficult it is to win a race, but he's making it look easy. He will start on the pole for the second straight race in Sunday's inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

The Australian is trying to become the first driver to win the opening three IndyCar races. Power also has a chance to join Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Kenny Brack as the only IndyCar drivers to win three in a row.

He topped both Friday practice rounds and turned in the fastest lap time in the final round of qualifying.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

Filed under: IRL

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A polite smile and a quiet, 'thank you' for the congratulations. That's about all the emotion IZOD IndyCar Series, season-opening superstar Will Power could muster Monday.

The 29-year old Australian became the second driver in series history -- and first in nine years -- to win the first two races of the year, taking the victory in the weather-delayed Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He led every practice, won the race from the pole and answered his season-opening victory on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil two weeks ago.

He holds a 44-point advantage atop the point standings with, guess what, two more road course races coming up before the series holds its marquee, Indianapolis 500.

Overconfident, overjoyed, overwhelmed? Power appears to be none of those.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

Filed under: IRL

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Will Power held off Justin Wilson and his Team Penske teammate, Ryan Briscoe, to win Monday's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and extend what's been a near perfect IZOD IndyCar Series season for the 29-year old Australian.

Power led every practice session during the weekend, won the pole position and then ran a steady and smart race in the No. 12 Verizon-sponsored Honda to answer his season-opening win in Brazil two weeks ago and become the series' first back-to-back winner since 2008.

He's the first driver since Sam Hornish (2001) to win the first two races of the season.

There were sunny skies and a respectable crowd considering the race was delayed a day because of severe thunderstorms and frequent lightning on Sunday. And the show didn't disappoint.

The race had a record number of leaders (10) and the closing laps featured a passing display rarely seen on tight street courses like this 1.8-mile circuit along the St. Petersburg waterfront.

Power nearly gave up the lead when he brushed the wall with 5 laps remaining, but Wilson still crossed the finish line .8 seconds behind.

Reigning series champion Dario Franchitti had a great drive. He spun on the opening lap and fought his way back to a fifth-place finish. Danica Patrick finished seventh after starting way back in the pack.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

Filed under: IRL

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Fastest in every practice session this weekend, Australian Will Power backed it up by winning the pole position for Sunday's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the stateside opener for the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Power's No. 12 Verizon-sponsored Honda blazed a lap of 105.190 mph around the 1.8-mile street circuit along the St. Pete waterfront -- earning the Aussie his third career IndyCar Series pole and Team Penske's 184th.

Brazilian Tony Kanaan was only two-tenths off the pace and will start his Andretti Autosport Honda alongside Power -- the first front row starting position for the 2004 series champ in more than a year. Scott Dixon, Justin Wilson, two-time race winner Helio Castroneves and Marco Andretti rounded out the top six qualifiers.

Reigning series champion Dario Franchitti will start 13th -- marking the first time in his IndyCar Series career he did not make the Firestone Fast Six qualifying format.

Defending race winner Ryan Briscoe will roll off 19th -- the worst starting position on a road course or street circuit in his IndyCar career. And Danica Patrick, whose team has struggled to find speed all weekend, will start 21st on the 24-car grid.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

Filed under: IRL

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The IZOD IndyCar Series is making its stateside season debut this weekend in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where there's been nearly as much news made off the track as on it.

As for the racing, Australian Will Power picked up where he left off two weeks ago -- P1 (Position One) -- leading the first day of practice on the 1.8-mile street circuit along the downtown St. Pete waterfront.

Power, who is driving a third car for Team Penske, won the season's first race in Sao Paulo, Brazil, two weeks ago and his No. 12 Verizon-sponsored Honda Dallara topped the speed chart in both practices Friday.

"It's the first time I've felt I had the car exactly how I like it (here),'' said Power, acknowledging, "It's certainly been a very good start to the season, but I realize it's only a very small percentage of what lies ahead.''

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

Filed under: IRL

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Will Power made a late overtaking move to take the lead from Ryan Hunter-Reay to win the rain-shortened IndyCar season-opener on the streets of Sao Paulo.

The Australian passed the American with three laps to go, clinching the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 for his second career victory.

Power crossed the line 1.858 seconds ahead of Hunter-Reay when the race ended at the two-hour time-limit with only 61 of the 75 scheduled laps completed.

The race had to be red-flagged near its halfway point after heavy rains made track conditions unsafe, marking another setback for the track which was initially being hailed as one of the highlights of the season but faced problems throughout the weekend.

Home-crowd favorite Vitor Meira was third, followed by compatriot Raphael Matos at the 2.6-mile (4.2-kilometer), 11-turn Anhembi temporary circuit in South America's biggest city.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments