Dixon rides win into Texas
Reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon became the first two-time winner of 2009 with his win at Milwaukee. He holds a four-point advantage in the championship battle over Ryan Briscoe and Dario Franchitti, and he comes to Texas as the defending winner. Are the cards stacked in Dixon’s favor to repeat at Texas?
Patrick on hot streak
Danica Patrick leads all drivers with four top-five finishes in 2009. Coming in the last four races, Patrick has put the streak to together on a temporary street circuit (fourth at Long Beach), speedway (fifth at Kansas), superspeedway (third at Indianapolis) and a short oval (third at Milwaukee). Is this the weekend the series’ hottest driver earns her first win of the season?
Panther, Wheldon eye Victory Lane
Panther Racing has won more races at Texas Motor Speedway than any other IndyCar Series team. Tomas Scheckter (2005), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001-02) and Scott Goodyear (1999-2000) all drove a Panther car to Victory Lane at Texas. This year, 2005 series champion Dan Wheldon is behind the wheel of the No. 4 car. Wheldon has led 246 laps in nine starts at Texas and is riding a string of four consecutive top-10 finishes in 2009. Can Panther Racing claim its sixth victory at Texas?
Rahal starting strong
The learning curve is over for second-year driver Graham Rahal. The 20-year-old has started in the top 10 in all five races this season, including poles at St. Petersburg and the 1.5- mile oval at Kansas, and a front row start on the 1-mile oval at Milwaukee. Rahal started 18th and moved up seven positions in his Texas debut last year. He gained more experience on the 1.5-mile oval during an offseason test. Can he claim his first victory on an oval at Texas?
Aiming for redemption
Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay will be aiming for redemption at Texas. The duo were running second and third, respectively, last year when their cars touched wheels five laps before the checkered flag. The end result was 19th- and 20th-place finishes. Will Andretti and Hunter-Reay get a top finish this time around?
Close racing a hallmark of racing at TexasIn the 19 previous races at Texas, 13 have finished with a margin of victory of less than one second, and seven races have been decided by less than one-tenth of a second. Although last year’s side-by-side battle ended under caution, the 2007 race was decided by .0786 of a second. Will there be another photo finish at Texas?
Race Notes:
The Bombardier Learjet 550k will be the 20th IndyCar Series event at Texas Motor Speedway, the most of any track. Past winners Scott Dixon (2008), Helio Castroneves (2004, 2006), and Tony Kanaan (2004) are entered in the event.
Nineteen drivers entered in the event have competed in previous races at Texas. Nine of those drivers have led laps: Helio Castroneves (301), Tony Kanaan (266), Dan Wheldon (246), Scott Dixon (121), Jaques Lazier (32), Dario Franchitti (30), Marco Andretti (25), Ryan Briscoe (12) and Danica Patrick (2).
Team Penske has won four times at Texas, including three of the last five races. Helio Castroneves won in 2004 and 2006, and Sam Hornish Jr. won in 2007.
Helio Castroneves has six top-five finishes in 10 starts at Texas.
Tony Kanaan has six top-five finishes in eight starts at Texas.
Danica Patrick has two consecutive top-10 finishes at Texas.
Dan Wheldon has three third-place finishes at Texas.
Season-to-Date:Twenty-two drivers have recorded top-10 finishes.
Twelve drivers have recorded top-five finishes.The top 10 drivers in points come from six teams.Ryan Briscoe earned his third career victory and Team Penske’s 30th IndyCar Series victory in the season opener at St. Petersburg.Dario Franchitti earned his ninth career victory and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 25th IndyCar Series victory in the race at Long Beach.Ryan Hunter-Reay gave Vision Racing its best-ever finish with a second at St. Petersburg.Justin Wilson gave Dale Coyne Racing its best-ever IndyCar Series finish with a third at St. Petersburg.Andretti Green Racing placed all four drivers in the top 10 at Kansas for the first time since Milwaukee 2006.Helio Castroneves became the ninth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 three times or more.
The win gave Castroneves at least one victory in a record nine seasons and a victory from the pole in a record eight consecutive seasons.Scott Dixon’s win at Milwaukee gives him two or more victories in three consecutive seasons.Team Penske has had at least one of its cars finish in the top two of every race.Ryan Briscoe is the only driver to be running at the finish of all five races and the only driver who has completed all 810 laps. Briscoe also leads all drivers with 264 laps led.
Danica Patrick leads all drivers with four top-five finishes. She recorded the finishes on a temporary street circuit, speedway, superspeedway and a short oval.Tony Kanaan recorded back-to-back DNF’s at Indianapolis and Milwaukee for the first time in 103 IndyCar Series starts.E.J. Viso is the only full-time driver who has not been running at the finish in 2009.For the second consecutive season, four different drivers won the season’s first four races.
Milestones & Records:Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 103rd consecutive start, the active leader among IndyCar Series drivers.Scott Dixon ranks second with 18 career victories.
Sam Hornish Jr. holds the record with 19.Andretti Green Racing’s next victory will be its 35th. The team ranks first in the IndyCar Series.Team Penske has 31 IndyCar Series victories.Target Chip Ganassi Racing has 27 IndyCar Series victories.A victory in 2009 will give Tony Kanaan a victory in seven consecutive seasons, becoming the fourth driver to do so.Tony Kanaan has 69 career top-five finishes, the most in IndyCar Series history.Helio Castroneves has 91 top-10 finishes, the most in IndyCar Series history.Helio Castroneves has led 74 races, the most in IndyCar Series history.Helio Castroneves has at least one race victory in each of the last nine seasons, an IndyCar Series record.Helio Castroneves has at least one victory from the pole in each of the last eight seasons, an IndyCar Series record. His eight career wins from the pole is also a record.Helio Castroneves has 27 career poles, the most in IndyCar Series history.Helio Castroneves ranks second all-time with 102 races running at the finish. Scott Sharp holds the record with 111.Helio Castroneves ranks second all-time with 3,129 laps led. Sam Hornish Jr. holds the record with 3,428.
Schedule (all times local):Thursday, June 47:45-9:15 p.m. – IndyCar Series practice
Friday, June 52-3 p.m. – IndyCar Series practice5:30 p.m. – PEAK Performance Pole Qualifying
Saturday, June 67:10 p.m. – Bombardier Learjet 550k pre-race8:40 p.m. – Bombardier Learjet 550k (228 laps/342 miles)
