2009 IRL Rd. 9--Camping World Indy Grand Prix

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It is said that there are two venues within the United States that exemplify the different forms of open-wheel racing.......Indianapolis for the ovals, and Watkins Glen for the road courses. With its' rich motorsports history, not just in Indycars but also in Formula 1, the Glen exudes racing through its' pores.......and for the third consecutive year, the stars of the series will visit the Finger Lakes region during 4th of July weekend.


Past Pole & Race Winners, Watkins Glen..........................
~~1979: Al Unser, Sr., Bobby Unser
~~1980: Al Unser, Sr., Bobby Unser
~~1981: Mario Andretti, Rick Mears
~~2005: Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon
~~2006: Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon
~~2007: Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon
~~2008: Ryan Briscoe, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Event Weekend...........................
~~Rookie Practice, 10-10:30am, 4 July 2009
~~Practice Session 1, 10:30-11:30am, 4 July 2009
~~Knockout Qualifying, 3-4:30pm, 4 July 2009
~~Practice Session 2, 9-10am, 5 July 2009
~~Camping World Indy Grand Prix, 1pm, 5 July 2009, ABC Sports

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Camping World Indy Grand Prix Entry List


(R)Raphael Matos, #2 United States Marine Corps
Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske
Dan Wheldon, #4 National Guard
Ryan Briscoe, #6 Team Penske
Danica Patrick, #7 Boost Mobile
Scott Dixon, #9 Target
Dario Franchitti, #10 Polaroid
Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11
E.J. Viso, #13 PDVSA
Ryan Hunter-Reay, #14 ABC Supply Co.
Paul Tracy, #15 GEICO
Justin Wilson, #18 Z-Line Designs
Ed Carpenter, #20 Menards
Milka Duno, #23 CITGO
(R)Mike Conway, #24 Dad's Root Beer
Marco Andretti, #26 Venom Energy
Hideki Mutoh, #27 Formula Dream
Alex Tagliani, #34 Rexall Edmonton Indy
Richard Antinucci, #98 CURB Records
Graham Rahal, #02 McDonald's
(R)Robert Doornbos, #06 McDonald's

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Ryan Hunter-Reay never did catch up with the police officers when he left Watkins Glen International last July. Maybe he'll have the opportunity to thank them this weekend. "I got pulled over on Friday by state troopers who said they'd let me out of a (speeding) ticket if I won," he said.

Of course, Hunter-Reay did, securing his first IndyCar Series victory in the fourth Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen. No points added to his driver's license, but plenty to his season total. Hunter-Reay followed with five top-10 finishes in the final seven events to wind up eighth in the standings.

"It was a great weekend overall because IZOD planned this big kickoff to their (IndyCar Series) deal and my personal sponsorship," said Hunter-Reay, who will be looking for similar fireworks this weekend in the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. entry for A.J. Foyt Racing. "We had a good Saturday, qualified third and then Sunday I had a good start and just ran really well."

Hunter-Reay benefited from a Lap 49 incident under caution involving Scott Dixon, who was seeking a series-record fourth consecutive victory at The Glen, and the car of polesitter Ryan Briscoe. They were running second and third to Darren Manning when Dixon's No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car spun in Turn 10 as he was warming up the tires and was struck in the rear by Briscoe's No. 6 Team Penske car.

"It was tough to stay with Briscoe and Dixon, who were getting really good fuel mileage, but we were hanging in there," Hunter-Reay said. "Three quarters of the way through the race they got into each other. (Tony) Kanaan and I almost got collected up in it. I couldn't see where I was going; it was just avoiding what came up out of the dust. I got through it and from there Darren was in front of me and I knew I had to make it happen, and if it was going to happen it was going to happen in the first corner."

Hunter-Reay overtook Manning, the leader in the same ABC Supply Co. car he'll be driving this weekend, in Turn 1 after a Lap 51 restart and hung on the remaining nine laps that included another restart. "On cold tires, I got a good restart and stuck it down on the inside of him in Turn 1," he said. "Then I got to the top of the hill, Darren popped to the outside so I stuck to the inside and we held on to it from there."

Hunter-Reay, who competed in Skip Barber and Formula Dodge as a teenager at The Glen, is looking forward to the return engagement on the Independence Day holiday weekend.

"Up unto the Bus Stop you can make a move," he said. "Usually the better place to make a move is the Bus Stop chicane, but it's easier to defend there, too. On restarts, you can definitely get a jump on somebody and take advantage of them.

"It's a beautiful place and then you have the history of the track. It's an amazing racetrack in itself -- all the ascents and descents and the changes in corners, the big, long, flowing corners to short tight 90-degree corners. It has everything you need. It's just an awesome racetrack to drive an IndyCar around. There could be nobody in the stands just me out there in an IndyCar and I'd have a blast."

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Team owners share their thoughts about the U.S. Armed Forces


The pre-race ceremony for the July 5 Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen will pay tribute to America's independence with the help of several branches of the armed forces. Starting at 12:45 p.m. (EDT), the ceremony will feature a fly-over by "Fat Albert" and a jump by the Elk Creek Skydivers. Fat Albert is a USMC C-130T Hercules that is part of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team. The Elk Creek Skydivers are a three-man jump team that will feature a checkered flag and smoke machines.

Performing the national anthem will be Prime Time Brass, a 15-member band consisting of brass players and drummers. Color guards will be provided by the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the U. S. Army National Guard from Syracuse N.Y., and the Niagara Falls Air Force Honor Guard, which will present our nation's colors.

In addition to the Corning 100 Firestone Indy Lights race and IndyCar Series qualifying on July 4, Watkins Glen International will host an Independence Day celebration, featuring an IndyCar Series driver autograph session (5:15 p.m., Turn 10 hospitality village), a concert by The Presidents of the United States (7:30 p.m.) and a fireworks display and more.

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With a mix of superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and natural-terrain road courses, the IndyCar Series offers more diversity in racetracks than any other form of racing. In a three-week period, the series has a schedule that includes Richmond International Raceway, a bullring measuring 0.75-mile; Watkins Glen International, one of America's most enduring and beloved road courses; and the street circuit just a short cable car ride from downtown Toronto.

The same kind of diversity is a hallmark for the places that host IndyCar Series races. Richmond, Va., is a mid-sized city bursting with American history. Watkins Glen, N.Y., is a quaint lakeside village. Toronto is a cosmopolitan city that serves as the economic center of Canada.

With a population of 2,000 - compared to 200,000 (Richmond) or 2.5 million (Toronto) -- you might surmise there isn't much to do in Watkins Glen for race fans. That's definitely not the case.

Dedicated enthusiasts will want to check out the International Motor Racing Research Center. The purpose-built 5,000-square-foot structure just south of downtown houses one of the world's best collections of racing-related books, periodicals, videos and memorabilia. There are also often classic racing cars on display, including the current centerpiece, a McLaren M19 Formula 1 car driven by Peter Revson.

It would be just as easy to spend a whole day at Watkins Glen State Park. A series of gorge paths wind their way around and under 19 different waterfalls, through 400 feet of elevation changes that includes two 200-foot cliffs. Seneca Lake offers opportunities to indulge in water sports.

Another interesting activity is to follow the route of the original 6.6-mile race course used from 1948-52 that's comprised of public roads. Starting from downtown, the track wound up and around the state park, with the start-finish line on Franklin Street directly outside the courthouse.

Lunch is best enjoyed at one of Watkins Glen's racing landmarks -- The Glen Motor Inn or the Seneca Lodge. From the 1960s to 1980, when Watkins Glen International hosted the F1 United States Grand Prix, most of the drivers and teams stayed at these privately-owned motels. At the Motor Inn, you can survey a plethora of vintage photos and reminisce with the Franzese family about the famous faces who have stayed there or dined at the Montage restaurant.

Meanwhile, the walls of the Seneca Lodge are lined by the garland wreaths that Watkins Glen open-wheel race winners traditionally receive.

At the end of the day, you'll want to take a walk through the village and enjoy dinner at a diverse selection of establishments with names like Captain Bill's Seneca Lake, Mr. Chicken or Savard's Family Restaurant.

The Watkins Glen village also features a number of small shops that might have that 30-year-old race program or poster you've been searching for. But keep your eyes open as you stroll; you might just bump into Ashley Judd coming out of Mr. Chicken or the Glen Dairy Bar.

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Vitor Meira isn't exceptionally flexible at the moment, so "I'm just not going to be very good changing tires and fueling." But the veteran IndyCar Series driver will attend the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen weekend to support the A.J. Foyt Racing team and driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. It will be the first race Meira has attended since suffering two broken lower vertebrae during the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, but his thoughts have been with the team while recuperating and rehabilitating.

"They've been giving me a lot of support since the accident and most of all they're all my friends and I want to be with them," said Meira, who's wearing a torso brace in lieu of surgery. "Second of all, to be at the racetrack, that's where I always want to be and that's where I love to be. I don't want to be at home if I can be at the racetrack. I'll probably go around the track and watch some cars with a stopwatch and take some times and take notes on some different lines so I can keep Ryan updated on what people are doing out there."

Hunter-Reay, the defending race champion, will be driving the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. car for the third race. The sight of someone else driving his race car will be "very weird," according to Meira.

"Well, it's not my race car, I'm just driving A.J.'s race car but it was planned for me to be there. But it is different. It makes you appreciate a little more the opportunities you have."

Meira, who had a high finish of ninth in the season opener in his first year with A.J. Foyt Racing, returned this week from a 10-day trip to his native Brazil, where he was visiting his family and checking in with his personal physician.

"I had some business things there to sort out that I didn't have to do, but it would be good to do since I had the time," Meira said. "And I saw my family and my family doctor to keep everybody abreast."

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Over the course of his coaching career, Turner Gill has issued numerous commands on the football field. He'll give another at Watkins Glen International on July 5 -- "Drivers … start your engines!" The University of Buffalo coach will be the grand marshal for the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen.

"It will be an opportunity for me to see what IndyCar racing is all about up close, and to touch base with fans of both racing and UB football," Gill said.

A special ticket package available until July 1 will help support the Buffalo/Niagara YMCA. It includes a general admission ticket for the race, a meet and greet with Gill and pre-race pit access for only $39. For each ticket purchased as part of this offer, $6.25 will be donated to the Buffalo/Niagara YMCA. To take advantage of this ticket offer fans should call (607) 535-2486 ext. 351 and ask to speak with Mike Evranian.

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Watkins Glen Combined Practice Times


1. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:29.772 135.143
2. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:29.942 0.170 0.170 134.886
3. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:30.089 0.147 0.317 134.667
4. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:30.250 0.161 0.478 134.426
5. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:30.302 0.052 0.530 134.349
6. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:30.416 0.114 0.644 134.180
7. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:30.434 0.018 0.662 134.153
8. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:30.495 0.061 0.723 134.063
9. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:30.557 0.062 0.785 133.971
10. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:30.598 0.041 0.826 133.910
11. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:30.658 0.060 0.886 133.822
12. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:30.801 0.143 1.029 133.610
13. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:30.839 0.038 1.067 133.555
14. 06 Robert Doornbos* Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:31.172 0.333 1.400 133.067
15. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:31.681 0.509 1.909 132.329
16. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:31.780 0.099 2.008 132.185
17. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:32.030 0.250 2.258 131.826
18. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:32.309 0.279 2.537 131.428
19. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:32.335 0.026 2.563 131.390
20. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:32.894 0.559 3.122 130.600
21. 23 Milka Duno Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:34.482 1.588 4.710 128.406
* Series rookie
L-R: position, car #, driver, team, fastest time, gap to next positon/gap to 1st, speed

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Ryan Briscoe shattered the track record at the historic Watkins Glen International on Saturday afternoon, zooming around the 3.4-mile road course at a speed of 136.935 miles per hour.

Teammate Helio Castroneves set the previous standard of 136.021 two years ago.

The Australian driver earned his second pole of the IndyCar Series season and second consecutive at The Glen. Also, the pole was his sixth career achievement. This weekend's fast-qualifying run was accomplished during an abbreviated Fast Six qualifying segment, which was cut in half when Dario Franchitti crashed hard in the final turn.

For Briscoe's Team Penske, the powerhouse team has won the pole position at The Glen every year the event has been held.

"It is an awesome feeling to know I have the track record on one most special circuits that we run on," Briscoe said, who turned his fast lap early in the last round of qualifications. "I had hot tires, and I wasn't sure how long they would last. The (special) red tires were awesome, and I had a lot of fun qualifying with them."

Justin Wilson leaped for joy with the second fastest time, 135.841 mph, in the Z- Line Designs car of Dale Coyne Racing. "I was hopeful of putting on a new set of tires on (for the final minutes), but fortunately we didn't get the opportunity to use them," he noted. "I am pleased to be on the front row and great for Dale Coyne Racing. It has been a good day for us."

Wilson is the only driver among the fastest six qualifiers that will have two sets of red tires available during the race.

Three-time Watkins Glen victor Scott Dixon clocked the third fastest time of 135.209 mph in the Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry. "My car was up and down, and I was over-driving it a bit in a lot of sections," he said. "But I think we found a good combination toward the end. We typically qualify a lot worse than we race."

Mario Moraes pushed hard to gain the fourth starting position at 135.100 mph. He drove the KV Racing Technology entry. "I intended to use my second set of red tires, but I am happy with fourth place. Our results came about from the test here, and the result was very good, as (Ryan) Briscoe was very fast today."

Fifth in the qualifying order was young Graham Rahal in the McDonald's car at 134.871 mph. "The car felt good, and we were working very hard," he said. "We pushed very hard and had to use a set of reds in the first outing, but in the last outing, we didn't have any more. We threw on a used set of red tires, but they still felt good. I am happy to be in the front for the race.

Due to his crash, Franchitti was relegated to the sixth starting position. Said the former champion about his jarring crash, "The car was feeling very good, and we made some changes prior to the last session to get rid of some under-steer. Unfortunately, we slipped a little bit on entry to the corner and I lost the back end. It was a pretty good hit, but I think we can win the race tomorrow (from sixth)."

Rookie Mike Conway qualified seventh, and he will be joined in the fourth row by Danica Patrick. Andretti Green Racing teammates Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan make up row five.

The next six starters will be E. J. Viso, Dan Wheldon, Hideki Mutoh, Castroneves, first-time Glen participant Paul Tracy and 2008 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. The final five qualifiers were Robert Doornbos, Raphael Matos, Milka Dunno, first-time starter Richard Antinucci and Ed Carpenter. The latter's speed was 132.322 mph.

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CAMPING WORLD INDY GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID..............
1. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:28.597 136.935
2. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:29.311 135.841
3. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:29.728 135.209
4. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:29.800 135.100
5. 02 Graham Rahal** Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:29.953 134.871
6. 10 Dario Franchitti++ Chip Ganassi Racing no time no speed
7. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:29.172 136.052
8. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:29.208 135.997
9. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:29.354 135.775
10. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:29.413 135.685
11. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:29.566 135.453
12. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:29.914 134.929
13. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:29.794 135.109
14. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:29.866 135.001
15. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:30.617 133.883
16. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:30.400 134.203
17. 06 Robert Doornbos* Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:30.627 133.868
18. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:30.498 134.058
19. 23 Milka Duno Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:33.682 129.501
20. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:31.191 133.039
21. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:31.685 132.322
* Series rookie
+ Road course qualifying - top 6 shootout
++ Franchitti lost his two fastest laps for causing a full-course caution
** Rahal failed post-qualifying tech inspection and will start 15th

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Watkins Glen Final Practice Times
(from SU, 5 July 2009)

1. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:29.961 134.858
2. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:30.085 0.124 0.124 134.673
3. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:30.998 0.913 1.037 133.321
4. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:31.052 0.054 1.091 133.243
5. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:31.058 0.006 1.097 133.234
6. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:31.122 0.064 1.161 133.140
7. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:31.130 0.008 1.169 133.128
8. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:31.169 0.039 1.208 133.072
9. 06 Robert Doornbos* Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:31.422 0.253 1.461 132.703
10. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:31.485 0.063 1.524 132.612
11. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:31.530 0.045 1.569 132.547
12. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:31.619 0.089 1.658 132.418
13. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:31.678 0.059 1.717 132.333
14. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:31.837 0.159 1.876 132.104
15. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:31.839 0.002 1.878 132.100
16. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:31.891 0.052 1.930 132.026
17. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:31.976 0.085 2.015 131.904
18. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:32.225 0.249 2.264 131.547
19. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:33.236 1.011 3.275 130.122
20. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:33.907 0.671 3.946 129.191
21. 23 Milka Duno Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:35.630 1.723 5.669 126.863
* Series rookie

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It’s fair to say Justin Wilson and his Z-Line Designs Dale Coyne Racing team entered the Watkins Glen IndyCar race on a low after suffering a seemingly endless string of crashes and poor finishes after taking third at St. Pete to open the season. The next seven races would see ‘Bad a#%’ finish in 22nd, 14th, 23rd, 15th, 15th, 18th and 14th. But when it came time for redemption, Wilson drove his #18 Dallara-Honda into the distance, leading 46 laps of the 60 lap race.

After watching the Ganassi and Penske drivers win every round in 2009, being the unlikely man to break their domination (and with a privateer effort) wasn’t lost on Wilson.

“We’ve put our efforts into the road courses because we knew that’s where we could be strong. To think, at the start of the year I didn’t think I’d be driving and here I am having won a race. I was grinning from ear to ear on that last lap. We’ve been trying to tell people we’re on our way, and I think this lets them know.”

For team owner Dale Coyne, his first win in a quarter century of trying as an owner and driver wasn’t met with an overflow of emotions. The faithful entrant knew his dedication would eventually pay off, saying “It took too long” with a smile.

Runner-up Ryan Briscoe honored the efforts of Wilson and Coyne. “Big congrats to Dale Coyne and the whole team and Justin (Wilson). We got caught out by the yellow. We went a lap further than him in the first stint. That was going to get us the lead back, but unfortunately the yellow came, and we had to make two pit stops. That put us back. We had to work hard to come through the field. We had some great pit stops, and it was pretty exciting at the end with everybody on the softer compound. I had my hands full defending them.”

Watkins Glen got off to a mostly clean start, despite Ryan Hunter-Reay finding his left front wheel at odd angles after a first lap tangle with Luczo Dragon’s Rafa Matos. The defending race winner’s hopes for a repeat win were over by the end of lap 1. It was his second first-lap exit with A.J. Foyt in three appearances for the Texan.

Polesitter Ryan Briscoe took the lead into turn 1 and used a higher downforce package to hold off a persistent threat from Wilson in the early going as the Briton came close to passing the Aussie going into the Bus Stop chicane. Wilson finally got by under braking into the chicane on lap three after Briscoe got a poor run out of turn one.

The Z-Line Designs car went for a lower downforce package – different than what we’d soon learn the all of the Penske and Ganassi cars would utilize, and Castroneves, Dixon and Franchitti often found themselves on the rev limiter on the longer straights. Wilson held onto his Dallara in the opening laps and leapt at the chance to pass Briscoe. Once past, it became clear that Bad a#% would be the man everyone had to beat on Sunday.

KV Racing’s Mario Moraes made an impressive move to jump the third, holding off Target’s Dixon in fourth and Franchitti in fifth. The inconsistent Brazilian youngster has shown flashes of brilliance this year, and with more experience, could be a regular threat in the series. Sadly, his third place wouldn’t last long as he attempted to defy gravity and the laws of physics later in the race.

E.J Viso’s desperate attempt to pass Marco Andretti on lap five left the AGR driver with a flat right rear tire, ending his hopes of a solid finish. Andretti wasn’t done though, blocking the leaders as Wilson attempted to pass Marco on lap eight. Once Wilson and Briscoe got by, the lapped driver insisted on holding off Moraes and the Target cars, creating an impossible gap between the top two cars and the runners in third through fifth.

Moraes got by four laps later, but not before he’d lost almost six seconds to Briscoe. AGR’s Tony Kanaan made a lot of progress in the opening laps, moving to seventh after starting ninth.

Dreyer & Reinbold’s Mike Conway held fifth after thirteen laps, ahead of Dario Franchitti and hot on Dixon’s tracks. Kanaan would get by Dario to take 6th on lap seventeen as the Scot dealt with dire understeer.

Bad a#% was able to hold a slight lead over Briscoe – about a second on most laps – up to his first pit stop at the end of lap eighteen. Wilson also switched to Firestone Blacks, as did most of the front runners.

Team 3G’s Richard Antinucchi brought out a caution on lap nineteen when he went off in turn one; Briscoe pitted immediately (despite the pits being closed) to get a splash of fuel to continue (similar to Franchitti’s splash at Richmond that handed the lead and win to Scott Dixon). One the long road course, Briscoe suffered little for the extra stop under yellow.

Briscoe emerged in second behind Moraes but regained his position when the pits opened and the Team Penske crew got the Aussie out ahead of Mario. Marco Andretti stayed out during the yellow and was waved around, regaining his lost lap.

The big winners were Wilson and Conway – both pitted before the yellow and found themselves with an appreciable margin over Briscoe (eleventh), Dixon (thirteenth) and Franchitti (fourteenth) when the green flag waved on lap 23.

Conway was passed by Graham Rahal on the re-start before a yellow flew when Franchitti found himself backwards in the gravel at the Bus Stop, Moraes flying over Ed Carpenter, and Carpenter with a punctured right front tire.
A foolish attempt by Moraes to pass Carpenter at the apex of the first chicane found the KV car airborne and Carpenter with a holed Firestone. As the crash caused a panic for those immediately behind this incident, Franchitti was hit and spun into the sand trap. The #10 Target car wasn’t damaged, but the points leader lost a lap, resuming in nineteenth place.

Despite his collateral damage, Moraes continued unscathed in tenth until the IndyCar Series levied a drive-through penalty for Moraes once the action got back under way on lap 26. Hideki Mutoh re-started in third after Rahal pitted for a splash of fuel. Like Moraes, Mutoh was on a charge early on, but it wouldn’t last.

Paul Tracy had a quiet day on his first trip to Watkins before backing his car into the barriers on lap 29, bringing out the race’s third yellow. PT’s day was over immediately, but the popular Canadian will be back next week at Toronto.

The top-10 runners at the halfway point were Wilson, Conway, Mutoh, Wheldon, Castroneves, Patrick, Briscoe, Dixon, Matos and Kanaan.



None of the leaders pitted during the PT caution, but Franchitti stopping to take fresh Reds and to top up his tank. What was a three-stop race without yellows quickly evolved into a two-stopper. Team owner Coyne was more relived than anything else after his first win. After 25 years of trying, the popular and faithful IndyCar entrant more than deserves his turn in the spotlight.

The re-start on lap 33 would find the lead pack running in order until the final round of pit stops came. Wilson and Conway, both on Blacks, held a two second lead over Mutoh on Reds in third. Hideki and Matos pitted on lap 40, dropping the Brazilian rookie down the order from ninth. Wilson and Conway made their final stops on lap 41, as did Wheldon and Patrick. All but Wheldon bolted on the softer Reds. Castroneves pitted one laps later for Reds, followed by Briscoe and Kanaan one lap after that – Briscoe also resumed on Blacks. Scott Dixon held on the longest, burning down his fuel load even more and posting his fastest lap on lap 43.

Dixon pitted with 16 laps to go and the strategy worked perfectly, jumping to third behind Briscoe and ahead of Castroneves and Conway. Wilson held a 1.4 second lead over Briscoe once Marco Andretti pitted from the lead.

Marco’s move to mimic Dixon and run on a light load for as long as possible promoted the American to sixth place ahead of Viso.

Hideki Mutoh crashed in the same spot as Paul Tracy on lap 52, destroying the rear of his AGR Dallara and bringing out the fourth caution of the event. This set the stage for a flat-out race to the finish and with Wilson’s Firestone Reds needing to cool, the yellow came at the perfect time for the former F1 racer.

Wilson streaked to a lead as the green flag waved with six laps to go, catching the Aussie sleeping. Briscoe’s Blacks took too long to come up to temperature, giving Bad a#% a 2.8 second gap with 5 laps left to go. Wilson made it 3.7 seconds with 4 laps to go and stamped his authority on the race as Briscoe, Dixon, Castroneves, Conway and Andretti ran in a tight pack behind him.

Wilson drew away even more on the final lap, crossing the line 4.99 seconds ahead of Briscoe and signaling a new threat in the series (at least for the next two rounds) on road/street courses. Wilson came close at St. Pete, but at Watkins Glen, no one had an answer for the lanky Brit. The win also moved Bad a#% inside the top-10 in points.

Dixon’s third place finish moved the 2008 series champion back to the top of the points table, 19 ahead of Briscoe and teammate Franchitti. “It was definitely pretty tough," said Dixon. "We lost a spot at the start when I didn’t shift down enough gears and (Mario) Moraes got by us. It was a tough first stint. We had about eight to 10 laps on them from qualifying, and they wore out pretty quick. We got caught out on strategy, and we didn’t have enough. Congratulations to Justin (Wilson). He drove a fantastic race and was unstoppable today. Ryan (Briscoe) and I had a great race at the end, and thanks to the Target boys we had a good day.”

Castroneves was pleased with taking fourth, a big jump from his start in thirteenth. “The goal is not to start in the middle of the pack," the 3-time Indy 500 winner said. "We definitely had a fantastic day. I knew the car was much better than 13th. On the second pit stop, those guys (Dale Coyne Racing) definitely had red tires and made a great, clean lap. But at the end of the day, we finished fourth. If you would have told me at the beginning of the race that we would finish fourth, I would have told you, ‘No way, you don’t know what you’re talking about,’ but it turned out to be a great day.”

Conway’s dream run in the top-5 suffered a setback on the last lap when Andretti got by the English rookie as his front tires gave up the fight, dropping him to sixth. “It was a great result for everybody. We ran strong all day. It was a shame that we couldn’t quite get the result in the end. It was a case of me coming out of the box, and I lost a couple of seconds and gave me the gap to Justin Wilson, and everyone came in between us. We were running top five and saving fuel. I struggled with the balance in the end, but we still brought the Dad’s Root Beer car home in sixth place. I just have to thank the Dad’s Root Beer crew; they did a great job all weekend, and I’m looking forward to Toronto.”

Kanaan pushed hard to draw Viso in for seventh, but the Venezuelan kept the 2004 IndyCar champion behind him in eighth to the finish. “I really thought the Team 7-Eleven car was going to have a better finish today. We are working really hard to improve our race results, and it’s frustrating when we finish lower than we expected. I’m headed to Indy tonight to work with my engineers this week, so hopefully we can figure out what we can do to make us more competitive moving forward. I’m looking forward to getting to Toronto since it’s a track I have been to many times.”

Robert Doornbos survived an early pit stop to replace a damaged front wing to take ninth, and Panther’s Dan Wheldon took tenth in his National Guard Dallara-Honda. “Unfortunately it might have just been one of those days for the National Guard Panther Racing team. The car was very competitive; we just had a little bit of a slower pit stop on the last stop. But that happens. With our tire choice today we just got unlucky; when our red tires were on there were some sporadic yellows and when
we had the blacks on it stayed green. It was just one of those days, but everybody at Panther continues to work very hard and did a good job this weekend, and we’ll bounce back in Toronto.”