Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen

Four-time winner?

Scott Dixon will attempt to win his fourth consecutive race at Watkins Glen. If he wins, Dixon will become the first IndyCar Series driver to win four consecutive races at one track. Dan Wheldon entered the 2008 season as the only other driver to win three consecutive races at one track (Homestead-Miami). Wheldon finished third in his bid to four-peat earlier this season. Dixon has won after starting fourth twice and second once. Can Dixon make history with a fourth consecutive win at The Glen?

Fourth pole for Helio?

Helio Castroneves has won the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award for the three previous races at The Glen. Despite the prime starting position and leading 49 laps, Castroneves has finished 12th, seventh and 18th. Can the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ champion improve his fortune?

Level playing field

Drivers and teams new to the IndyCar Series proved in St. Petersburg that they could compete on road and street courses. Graham Rahal won the race in St. Pete and five other drivers new to the series finished in the top 10. For eleven of the entered drivers, it will be their first trip to the historic 3.4-mile road course. Can another new driver take the checkered flag?

Added drama in qualifying

Single-car qualifying has been eliminated on road and street courses in 2008. Drivers are now randomly assigned to two groups that receive 20 minutes of qualifying time each. The top six from each group advance to a second 15-minute session, and then the fastest six from that session advance to the Firestone Fast Six to determine the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award winner. How will the drivers fight their way to the top in each group to earn a starting position at the front?

First-time winner at The Glen?

With 10 rookies in the IndyCar Series field and several other drivers competing in at Watkins Glen for the first time, a driver could win his or her first IndyCar Series race at Watkins Glen. Already this season, Graham Rahal, Danica Patrick and Ryan Briscoe have won their first career races.

Race Notes:

The Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen will be the fourth IndyCar Series event conducted at Watkins Glen International. Scott Dixon has won all three previous races.

Helio Castroneves has won all three PEAK Motor Oil Pole Awards at Watkins Glen.

Twelve drivers entered in the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen have competed in previous IndyCar Series events at the track. Seven of those drivers led laps (Scott Dixon 57, Helio Castroneves 49, Dan Wheldon 20, Tony Kanaan 11, Marco Andretti 9, Vitor Meira 8 and Buddy Rice 5).

Seven entered drivers have finished in the top-five in previous IndyCar Series events at the track. (Marco Andretti, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Vitor Meira, Buddy Rice and Dan Wheldon).  Only Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan have recorded multiple top-five finishes (Dixon 3 and Kanaan 2).

While Jay Howard, Hideki Mutoh and Jamie Camara are making their first IndyCar Series start at Watkins Glen all three have Firestone Indy Lights experience at the track. Mutoh has recorded the best finish of the trio, second in 2007.

Milestones & Records:

Helio Castroneves will attempt to make his 107th career IndyCar Series start. It would also be his 105th consecutive start. Helio Castroneves can establish an IndyCar Series record for most consecutive seasons with at least one win should he win the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen. Castroneves is tied with Scott Sharp with victories in seven consecutive seasons. Helio Castroneves can extend his IndyCar Series record for consecutive seasons with a pole to seven if he can win the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award at Watkins Glen.

Scott Dixon needs to lead 85 more laps to become the fifth driver to lead 2,000 laps in his career. The others to lead at least 2,000 laps are Sam Hornish Jr. (3,428), Helio Castroneves (2,774), Dan Wheldon (2,735) and Tony Kanaan (2,419). Scott Dixon has led 633 laps this season. The record for most laps led in a season is 899 by Tony Kanaan in 2004. Vitor Meira has gone 85 starts without a victory in the IndyCar Series, the longest drought of any IndyCar Series driver.


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