Pagenaud scores first IZOD IndyCar series win at Belle Isle Park
Simon Pagenaud became the sixth different winner in seven IZOD IndyCar Series races when he drove the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports car to 5.6-second victory in the second race of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans.
It was the initial win in the series for the native of France and for the team co-owned by former IndyCar drivers Sam Schmidt and Davey Hamilton. It also was the 100th victory for Honda with Indy car engine manufacturer competition.
"It's unbelievable. I don't know how we did it," said Pagenaud, who started sixth in the 70-lap race on the 2.346-mile, 13-turn street course. "It's a great feeling. One I hope of more to come. I started karting when I was 8 so it's been 21 years of hard work to finally win an IndyCar race."
James Jakes, who started second, finished a career-best second in the No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing by holding off Race 1 winner Mike Conway by .4342 of a second. Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti were next to cross the start-finish line.
Helio Castroneves overtook Graham Rahal on the final laps for eighth place, gaining the extra point to retain the championship points lead. He's tied at 206 with Marco Andretti, who finished sixth, heading to the Firestone 550 on June 8 at Texas Motor Speedway.
In Race 1 on June 1, Conway overtook Ryan Hunter-Reay for the lead on Lap 44, built a 20-second gap leading into the final round of pit stops and went on to easily claim his second series victory. Because Conway missed sweeping the inaugural IZOD IndyCar Series doubleheader, the prize fund for the SONAX Perfect Finish Award jumps to $100,000 at the Honda Toronto Indy in mid-July.
DAY 3 NOTEBOOK:
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES WARMUP:
At 9:30 a.m., the ambient temperature was 68 degrees with a relative humidity of 74 percent. Skies were mostly cloudy. The track temperature was 75 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
9:30 a.m. - GREEN.
9:42 a.m. - RED FLAG. #11 Kanaan has made contact with the tire barrier in Turn 6.
9:46 a.m. - GREEN.
10 a.m. - CHECKERED.
The following cars: #12 Power, #77 Pagenaud, #4 Briscoe, #25 Andretti, #15 Rahal, #10 Franchitti, #78 De Silvestro, #11 Kanaan, #14 Sato, #7 Bourdais, #67 Newgarden and #98 Tagliani will start on the alternate red tires. All cars must use a new set of alternate red tires for two green flag laps in today's race, unless rain tires are used due to weather.
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CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT #2 RACE SPECIFICS:
The race is 70 laps, 164.2 miles on the 13-turn, 2.35-mile street course.
The race will become a timed race of two hours if there are wet conditions.
The pit road speed limit is 50 mph.
Pole sitter E.J. Viso will grid drivers' right.
The green flag to start the race will be show the second time by the start-finish line.
Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America, will drive the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Pace Car to start the race. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford will drive the Safety Car during the race
The race leader will accelerate at his discretion to determine the restarts.
There will be no tow-ins or returns from the garage within 10 minutes of the checkered flag.
Lapped cars will be moved to the back in the final 10 laps.
CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT #2 PRE-RACE:
At 3:30 p.m., the ambient temperature was 73 degrees with a relative humidity of 56 percent. Skies were mostly cloudy. The track temperature was 88 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
3:43 p.m. - Dan Akerson, the chairman and CEO of General Motors and the race's grand marshall, gave the command "Drivers, start your engines." All 25 cars have started and are rolling on the grid.
CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT #2 RACE RUNNING:
Lap 1: GREEN. #18 Conway leads the field into Turn 1. Behind, #2 Allmendinger makes contact with the right-side contact with wall at the exit in Turn 2. FULL COURSE YELLOW. Pits are open. Leaders under caution is #12 Power. #67 Newgarden and #20 Carpenter on pit road for fuel only.
Lap 2: #98 Tagliani on pit road for four tires and fuel.
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#12 Power has now led five times in seven starts this season.
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Lap 4: GREEN. #12 Power leads the field into Turn 1.
Lap 5: #18 Conway makes pass for the lead entering Turn 1.
Lap 7: #18 Conway leads #12 Power by 2.1501 seconds.
Lap 9: #78 De Silvestro makes contact with the wall in Turn 8. FULL COURSE YELLOW. Pits are open #10 Franchitti and #11 Kanaan #7 Bourdais #14 Sato and #55 Vautier on pit road for four tires and fuel. Leader under caution is #18 Conway, #12 Power, #77 Pagenaud.
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Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona De Silvestro has been checked and released from the infield care center. She is cleared to drive.
SIMONA DE SILVESTRO (No. 78 Nuclear Entergy Areva KVRT Chevrolet): I'm alright. It was definitely hard because there were no tires there, not really sure what happened. I went to turn a corner and it just wouldn't turn, and we hit into the wall straight ahead. The tire just locked up into the turn and it wouldn't turn, and we just kind of went into the wall. It was frustrating because I think we were moving forward, we had an okay car, the Nuclear Clean Energy car was okay, so yeah it's really frustrating because we're not quite sure what happened. It was the beginning of the race, so it's really annoying when you're out so early."
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Lap 13: GREEN. #18 Conway leads field into Turn 1.
Lap 14: #98 Tagliani is off course in Turn 3 after contact on course. #67 Newgarden has pulled off course in Turn 6. FULL COURSE YELLOW. Pits are open. #98 Tagliani has continued on course with front-wing damage.
Lap 15: #20 Carpenter on pit road to replace nosecone. #98 Tagliani on pit road for new nosecone. GREEN. #18 Conway leads the field into Turn 1.
Lap 16: #5 Viso on pit road for four tires and fuel and replace damaged nosecone.
Lap 17: #1 Hunter-Reay makes contact with the wall in Turn 8. #18 Conway leads #12 Power by 2.7308 seconds.
Lap 19: #18 Conway leads #12 Power by 7.2175 seconds.
Lap 20: FULL COURSE YELLOW. Debris between Turns 2 and 3. Pits are open #12 Power, #77 Pagenaud, #27 Hinchcliffe, #3 Castroneves, #4 Briscoe and #25 Andretti on pit lane for four tires and fuel.
Lap 23: GREEN. #18 Conway leads the field into Turn 1.
Lap 24: #14 Sato makes contact with the tires in Turn 3. FULL COURSE YELLOW. Pits are open. #83 Kimball, #19 Wilson and #6 Saavedra on pit road for four tires and fuel. #19 Wilson takes red tires.
Lap 27: GREEN. #18 Conway leads the field into Turn 1.
Lap 28: Multi-car accident in Turn 1. Cars involved are: #4 Briscoe, #5 Viso, #19 Wilson, #20 Carpenter, #3 Castroneves, #7 Bourdais, #12 Power, #27 Hinchcliffe, #98 Tagliani and #15 Rahal. FULL COURSE YELLOW. #12 Power and #7 Bourdais make contact, spinning the #12 Power. #27 Hinchcliffe make contacts with #12 Power.
Lap 29: Leaders #18 Conway and #9 Dixon on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #11 Kanaan.
Lap 31: #1 Hunter-Reay has rejoined the race, 11 laps down. #3 Castroneves on pit road for repairs of rear wing.
Lap 32: #16 Jakes on pit road for four tires and fuel. #3 Castroneves is back on pit road for more repairs.
Lap 34: Running order under caution: #11 Kanaan, #55 Vautier, #10 Franchitti, #7 Bourdais, #25 Andretti, #83 Kimball, #9 Dixon, #18 Conway, #77 Pagenaud, #67 Newgarden (not on lead lap), #15 Rahal, #4 Briscoe (not on lead lap), #6 Saavedra, #1 Hunter-Reay (not on lead lap),#16 Jakes, #3 Castroneves and #20 Carpenter (Not on lead lap).
Lap 37: GREEN. #11 Kanaan leads the field into Turn 1.
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IZOD IndyCar Series officials have given #7 Bourdais a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact with #12 Power.
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Lap 39: #55 Vautier passes #11 Kanaan for the lead in Turn 3. It is his first laps led in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Lap 40: Leader #55 Vautier on pit road. New leader is #18 Conway.
Lap 42: #11 Kanaan on pit road for four tires and fuel. #18 Conway leads #83 Kimball by 4.4270 seconds.
Lap 44: #18 Conway leads #83 Kimball by 1.3228 seconds. #10 Franchitti on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 46: #83 Kimball passes #18 Conway for the lead in Turn 6. #15 Rahal on pit road for four tires and fuel.
Lap 47: #18 Conway #9 Dixon and #6 Saavedra on pit road for four tires and fuel. #83 Kimball leads #77 Pagenaud by .8707 of a second.
Lap 49: #83 Kimball on pit lane for four tires and fuel. New leader is #77 Pagenaud.
Lap 51: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 2.7705 seconds.
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Simon Pagenaud is leading his first laps of 2013. He last led at Baltimore, 2012 (14 laps)
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Lap 53: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 3.7121 seconds.
Lap 55: Leader #77 Pagenaud on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #16 Jakes.
Lap 56: #16 Jakes leads #77 Pagenaud by 21.7166 seconds.
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Today is the first Laps Led on a Street/Road Course for James Jakes
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Lap 58: Leader #16 Jakes on pit road for four tires and fuel. New leader is #77 Pagenaud.
Lap 60: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 3.1626 seconds.
Lap 62: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 2.2885 seconds.
Lap 64: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 2.8840 Local yellow in Turn 3 for contact between #7 Bourdais and #55 Vautier. #7 Bourdais continued. #55 Vautier is assisted by Holmatro Safety Team and continues.
Lap 66: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 4.9330 seconds.
Lap 68: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 5.6146 seconds.
Lap 69: WHITE: #77 Pagenaud leads #16 Jakes by 5.6323 seconds.
Lap 70: CHECKERED: #77 Simon Pagenaud wins the Chevrolet Indy Dual at Detroit #2 by 5.6274 seconds.
CHEVROLET INDY DUAL IN DETROIT #2 POST-RACE NOTES:
This is the first IZOD IndyCar Series victory for Simon Pagenaud. His previous-best finish was 2nd at Long Beach in 2012.
Pagenaud is the sixth different winner in seven races this season (Hinchcliffe, Hunter-Reay, Sato, Kanaan, Conway, Pagenaud).
Pagenaud is the third first-time winner this season (Pagenaud, Hinchcliffe, Sato)
This is the first IZOD IndyCar Series victory for Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports. Team co-owners Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson are the winningest car-owner in Firestone Indy Lights with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
Today's second place finish is a career best for James Jakes. His previous best finish was eighth at Toronto in 2012.
Mike Conway finished third, his second podium finish this season. Conway scored the win in Dual 1 on Saturday.
Scott Dixon recorded his fourth top-five finish of the season after previously finishing in the top five at St. Pete, Barber, Belle Isle 1. It is his fourth consecutive top-five finish at Belle Isle.
The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Firestone 550 on June 8 at Texas Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live at 8:30 p.m. (ET) by ABC. The IMS Radio Network will also carry the race live on Sirius and XM channels 211. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Milwaukee 100 on June 15 . It will be telecast live by NBC Sports Network at 3 p.m. on June 15.
