After points shake up, tight points race heads to Infineon RacewayIndy Grand Prix of Sonoma Race Broadcast Sunday, Aug. 23 Track Infineon Raceway Distance 75 laps / 175 miles Radio IMS Radio Network / XM 145 / Sirius 211 Qualifying Broadcast Saturday, Aug. 22 6 p.m. (EDT) VERSUS 2008 Winner Helio Castroneves

Championship points leader shake-up heads to Infineon

Scott Dixon might have entertained a thought that he’d gain some traction in the IndyCar Series championship race with the commanding victory Aug. 9 at Mid-Ohio. But that doesn't follow the season’s script. Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe was right behind (figuratively if not by a close distance) and Dixon’s Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Dario Franchitti, finished third in the 85-lap race on the 2.258-mile circuit.

For the 12th time in the 13 races the points lead has changed hands - not allowing any of the three to build momentum or a sizable gap heading into the final four events. Eight lead exchanges had been the most through the 16-race season in 2003.

Will the points shake-up continue at Infineon or will Dixon be able to hold the top spot for another week?

Montagny Makes IndyCar Series Debut with Andretti Green Racing Road racing ace Franck Montagny will make his IndyCar Series debut in a fifth entry for Andretti Green Racing at Infineon. The 31-year-old Frenchman, who has competed in the American Le Mans Series with AGR, Formula One with Super Aguri and A1GP with France, was runner-up in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

 The last time AGR fielded five entries was the 2007 Indianapolis 500. While this will be Montagny’s first race, he can rely on the experience of teammates Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti, both former winner at Infineon. Can Montagny get acclimated quickly to the IndyCar Series equipment and challenge for the lead at Infineon?

Castroneves looks to cut points deficit at Infineon

Defending race winner Helio Castroneves currently sits fourth in the championship standings, 101 points behind leader Scott Dixon. In 2008, Castroneves headed to Infineon second in the standings, 78 points behind Dixon with only three races remaining to make up the differential. After winning the pole, Castroneves dominated the race, secured bonus points for most laps lead and was able to shave 35 points from his deficit to Dixon. Can Castroneves put on a repeat performance and make his way back up the championship points standings?

Hunter-Reay hopes to capitalize on Mid-Ohio performance After a bumpy start to their partnership, Ryan Hunter-Reay and A.J. FoytRacing are starting to find their groove. After joining the team in Iowa, Hunter-Reay endured a string of events with contact at the start of the race, diminishing his hopes for a solid finish. On Aug. 9 at Mid-Ohio, Hunter-Reay qualified seventh and finished fourth, the best finish for the team since Watkins Glen last season. Can Hunter-Reay and Foyt build on their momentum from Mid-Ohio as they head to another natural-terrain road course this weekend?

Dale Coyne Racing continues to surprise with road course performances Justin Wilson’s strong road/street performances with Dale Coyne Racing continue to be the sleeper story of the summer. After a podium finish at St. Pete, Wilson gave Dale Coyne Racing its first IndyCar Series win at Watkins Glen. On Aug. 9 at Mid-Ohio, Wilson secured his third front-row starting spot of the season. After passing Ryan Briscoe for the lead on Lap 6, it looked as if Dale Coyne Racing was on its way to Victory Lane again, until trouble in the pits relinquished Wilson to a 13th-place finish. Wilson has lead 129 laps this season, all coming on road/street circuits. Can Wilson continue his streak at Infineon?

Race Notes: The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be the fifth IndyCar Series event conducted at Infineon Raceway. Previous race winners entered are: Helio Castroneves (2008), Scott Dixon (2007), Marco Andretti (2006) and Tony Kanaan (2005). Previous polesitters entered are: Helio Castroneves (2008), Dario Franchitti (2007), Scott Dixon (2006) and Ryan Briscoe (2005). Seventeen drivers entered in the event have competed in previous IndyCar Series races at Infineon. Eight of those drivers have led laps: Dario Franchitti (62), Scott Dixon (55), Helio Castroneves (51), Ryan Briscoe (35), Tony Kanaan (35), Marco Andretti (32), Dan Wheldon (11) and E.J. Viso (9). Six drivers will make their first IndyCar Series start at Infineon: Richard Antinucci, Mike Conway, Robert Doornbos, Raphael Matos, Franck Montagny and Nelson Philippe.

 Championship Notes: Scott Dixon leads the IndyCar Series championship after 13 races for the second consecutive season. There have been four different point leaders (Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan) and 12 lead changes in 13 races. Scott Dixon leads Ryan Briscoe by three points. It’s the 11th time in 13 races that the margin between first and second has been 10 points or fewer.

The margin from first (Scott Dixon) to third (Dario Franchitti) is 20 points, the third-closest gap with four races to go since 2001. In 2002 and 2003, the margin from first to third was 12 points.

 The winning driver at Infineon Raceway has never gone on to win the championship, but three of the four winners (Tony Kanaan, 2005, Scott Dixon, 2007, and Helio Castroneves, 2008, finished second in the championship that same year. In 12 seasons, two drivers have won the 14th race of the season and also won the championship. Sam Hornish Jr. won at Chicagoland in 2002 and Scott Dixon won at Kentucky in 2008. Season-to-Date:

Twenty-five drivers have recorded top-10 finishes. Fourteen drivers have recorded top-five finishes. The top 10 drivers in points come from six teams. Thirteen different drivers have podium finishes this season. Scott Dixon’s victory at Mid-Ohio set an IndyCar Series record for career wins (20). Ryan Briscoe has finished second in six of the past nine races, including Mid-Ohio. Ryan Hunter-Reay finished fourth at Mid-Ohio, his best finish since joining A.J. Foyt Racing at Iowa. It was the team’s best finish since Watkins Glen 2008. Hideki Mutoh finished fifth at Mid-Ohio, his third top-five finish of the season. Ryan Briscoe’s win at Kentucky was the 11th closest finish in IndyCar Series history (0.0162 of a second).

 The win also was Team Penske/Penske Racing’s 34th in the IndyCar Series, tying for most wins with Andretti Green Racing. Ed Carpenter earned a career-best finish of second at Kentucky. Will Power earned his first IndyCar Series victory at Edmonton. His previous best finish was second at Long Beach earlier this season. Dario Franchitti earned his 11th career IndyCar Series victory and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 30th IndyCar Series victory in the race at Toronto. Justin Wilson gave Dale Coyne Racing its first career open-wheel win at Watkins Glen. It was the first victory for a team other than Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing since Wilson won Aug. 31, 2008, at Belle Isle in a Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing car, a streak of 10 points races and one non-points race. Scott Dixon’s win at Richmond gave him two or more victories in three consecutive seasons. With his pole at St. Petersburg this season, Graham Rahal became the youngest polesitter in IndyCar Series history at the age of 20 years, 90 days.

Milestones & Records:  Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 111th consecutive start, the active leader among IndyCar Series drivers. Scott Dixon has 28 consecutive top-10 starts. Ryan Briscoe’s 11th-place start at Toronto ended his series of 17 consecutive top-10 starts. Sam Hornish Jr. holds the record with 32. A victory in 2009 will give Tony Kanaan a victory in seven consecutive seasons, becoming the fourth driver to do so. Helio Castroneves has 72 career top-five finishes, the most in IndyCar Series history. Helio Castroneves has 96 top-10 finishes, the most in IndyCar Series history. Helio Castroneves has led 77 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 108 races running at the finish. Scott Sharp holds the record with 111. Helio Castroneves ranks second all-time with 3,206 laps led. Sam Hornish Jr. holds the record with 3,428.

At-Track Schedule (all times local):

Saturday, Aug. 22 10-11:30 a.m. – IndyCar Series practice 2:30-4 p.m. – PEAK Performance Pole Qualifying

Sunday, Aug. 23 10:15-10:45 a.m. – IndyCar Series practice 2 p.m. – IndyCar Series pre-race 2:50 p.m. – Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma (75 laps / 172.725 miles)