2009 IRL Rd. 10--Honda Indy Toronto

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After a one-year absence following mergification of the Indy Racing League and the former Champ Car World Series, Toronto's Exhibition Place once again will hear the sounds of Indycars roaming the 1.755-mile street circuit. Toronto marks the first leg of a 2-leg Canadian circuit(this weekend, Toronto; 2 weeks later, Edmonton) which could help determine who has the inside track for the 2009 series championship.


Past Winners...........................
~~Michael Andretti, 1989, 1991-92, 1994-95, 2000-01(7)
~~Al Unser, Jr., 1988 & 1990(2)
~~Paul Tracy, 1993, 2003(2)*
~~Bobby Rahal, 1986(1)
~~Emerson Fittipaldi, 1987(1)
~~Adrian Fernandez, 1996(1)
~~Mark Blundell, 1997(1)
~~Alex Zanardi, 1998(1)
~~Dario Franchitti, 1999(1)*
~~Cristiano da Matta, 2002(1)
~~Sebastien Bourdais, 2004(1)
~~Justin Wilson, 2005(1)*
~~A.J. Allmendinger, 2006(1)
~~Will Power, 2007(1)*
*--current active IndyCar Series competitor


Weekend Schedule........................
~~Practice Session #1, 10:10-11:40am, 10 July 2009
~~Practice Session #2, 1:50-2:50pm, 10 July 2009
~~Practice Session #3, 8:40am-10:40am, 11 July 2009
~~PEAK Pole Qualifying, 2-3:45pm, 11 July 2009
~~Honda Indy Toronto, 1pm, 12 July 2009, ABC Sports

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Honda Indy Toronto 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 Target
Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11
Will Power, #12 Penske Truck Rentals
E.J. Viso, #13 PDVSA
Ryan Hunter-Reay, #14 ABC Supply Co.
Paul Tracy, #15 Ontario Honda Dealers/WoundedWarriors.ca
Justin Wilson, #18 Z-Line Designs/6th Ave. Electronics
Ed Carpenter, #20 Menards
Tomas Scheckter, #23 MonaVie Energy
(R)Mike Conway, #24 DRR/Dad's Root Beer
Marco Andretti, #26 NYSE/i-Shares
Hideki Mutoh, #27 Formula Dream
Alex Tagliani, #34 King Tut/Rexall Edmonton Indy
Richard Antinucci, #98 Novicomm
Graham Rahal, #02 McDonald's
(R)Robert Doornbos, #06 NHLR/Trust

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Remember those Remington electric shaver commercials in which Victor Kiam said, "I liked it so much, I bought the company?" The same principle applies to Michael Andretti and the Toronto Indy car race.

Andretti won the Molson Indy Toronto seven times between 1989 and 2001, including a run of six starts between 1989 and 1995 that produced five victories and a runner-up finish (he did not compete in 1993).

As part of last year's unification of open-wheel racing, Andretti and his partners at Andretti Green Promotions acquired the rights to stage the Toronto race, which was renamed the Honda Indy Toronto. The popular event, which has been staged every year but one since 1986 on a 1.7-mile street course that winds its way through Exhibition Place, will be held July 12.

Since 2005, AGP has staged and promoted the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which in a few short years has emerged as one of the most popular events on the IndyCar Series schedule. Andretti recently took a few minutes to discuss with indycar.com his record as a driver in the Toronto race as well as his hopes for the future of the event.

Q: What prompted you and your company to pursue the opportunity to operate an IndyCar Series race in Toronto.

A: Obviously, having so much success there I have great memories. It was always such a great event and I love Toronto. To me, it was a shame that we were going to be losing it. When I heard that, the first thing I said was 'We've got to go do our homework and see if we feel like we can make it successful and not lose our shirts.' We did it, and we think if we use the model that we used at St. Pete it should be all right. So far, it has been beyond our expectations. I'm pretty excited about it.

Q: From a driver's perspective, what makes the Toronto layout stand out as one of the world's great street courses.

A: For one thing, you can pass there. On the back straightaway, even if the guy in front tries to block on the entry to Turn 3, you can get them on the outside on the exit. Also I think it's a fun track from a rhythm standpoint. You really get into a good rhythm there. I always had fun, and I think every driver who has been there really likes it. There was talk about whether we should change the track, and I was like, 'Hell no! Why should we change it if it's not broke?'

Q: With seven wins at Toronto over the years, the memories must somewhat blend together. But do any of the victories stand out.

A: I would say the one that was probably the last one, in 2001. I fell to the back and almost lost a lap, but fought my tail off the whole race. We kept doing the right things and got the car really quick in the end and I passed a lot of cars. That was a lot of fun.

Q: Canadian fans have a tremendous amount of support for open-wheel racing. Why do you think that is the case.

A: I think they just really follow racing, including Formula 1. They're more into open-wheel and road racing than stock cars. That's just the type of fan that they are. It goes back to Formula 1, which has a long history there. They just relate to our form of racing a lot more than stock cars.

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Charlie Johnstone has been a part of Indy-style racing in Canada since he toured Ontario in a van to promote the inaugural Molson Indy Toronto in 1986.

Johnstone has since worked with former race promoter Molstar Sports and Entertainment and served as driver Paul Tracy's manager/agent for six years. When the Champ Car World Series took over promotion of the Toronto event in 2007, Johnstone was tabbed as vice president and general manager, and he maintains that position in the run-up to the first race under Indy Racing League sanction.

Johnstone talked to indycar.com about the re-christened Honda Indy Toronto on July 12 on the temporary street circuit.

Q. How is the preparation for the inaugural Honda Indy Toronto coming along.

A. It's going very well. We kicked off ticket sales in January and have been very pleased with the response. We are also getting a lot of corporate interest, driven by having Honda on board as a strong and aggressive title partner. The fact this event has a lot of history behind it and was not starting up from year one worked strongly in our favor. Operationally, not much has changed. We have plenty of experience in setting up for the event and we will be ready to go in July.

Q. How did you keep the event in the public eye and maintain momentum since the last running of the race in July 2007?

A. Well, we didn't, to be honest. There was a long quiet period and when the unification between Champ Car and the IndyCar Series happened so quickly, our race could not be accommodated on the 2008 schedule. Things started building up again when we signed the letter of intent with Andretti Green Promotions for the acquisition of the assets of the race in May of 2008, and we got another big bump when Honda came on board as the title sponsor in September. Since then there has been a lot of buzz about the race and we can't wait to bring Indy-style racing back to Toronto.

Q. What were the challenges of adapting to different management over the last few years.

A. It has been turbulent for those of us involved with the event for a long time. But when Honda came on board it really took things to a new level. We were delighted with our 20-year association with Molson, and the partnership with Honda feels like it has the potential to go another 20 years. And you have to credit Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe for stepping in with Champ Car and believing that Toronto was a key market for this style of racing. The biggest thing is you can tell that running racing events is Andretti Green's core business; it's not just a satellite venture like it was for Molson. They are completely committed to making the Honda Indy Toronto a fantastic event. The track is the same as always but I think people will be surprised at some of the changes that are being made.

Q. Michael Andretti was very successful as a driver in the Toronto race. How much does he add in the role of race promoter.

A. I know he won this race seven times, but I was really surprised at just how big, how popular Michael is in Toronto. He has an amazing presence when he walks into a room, whether it's full of fans, sponsors or city officials. He really loves the city and this event and he is pouring his heart and soul into making sure it is successful.

Q. How big of a boost would it be to have Canadians such as Paul Tracy or Alex Tagliani in the field.

A. I'd love to have half a dozen Canadians in the field. Fans always love to cheer for the hometown favorites and Paul has always enjoyed a lot of support in Toronto. The IndyCar Series field has been very strong since the unification, and from our perspective, having at least one Canadian driver in the field would be a positive.

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Glenys Dixon was toting Sebastian Wheldon, a strapping 5-month-old with his mother's blond hair and his father's smile (sans teeth), during breakfast July 5 at Watkins Glen International. "Practice?" a passerby mentioned to the grandmother in waiting.

Indeed it was. Later in the day - after Scott Dixon posted a third-place finish in the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen to grab the IndyCar Series points lead, he was able to return to Indianapolis in time to be with his wife, Emma, who delivered the couple's first child.

The details: 6 pounds, 8 ounces, 18 inches. Name: Poppy Davies Dixon. "All are doing fine," the proud father reported.

Theirs is the fourth baby born to an IndyCar Series driver this year: the Wheldons in February, Ryder Carpenter (Ed and Heather) in June and Bethany Lloyd (Alex and Samantha) in June. Also, 1996 IndyCar Series co-champion Scott Sharp, who competed in the Indianapolis 500 in May, and his wife, Kimberly, welcomed Hudson on April 21.

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Toronto Practice Session #1 Times......................
L-R: position, car #, driver, team, time, gap/gap to 1st, speed


1. 12 Will Power Team Penske 1:02.173 101.619
2. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:02.297 0.124 0.124 101.417
3. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:02.332 0.035 0.159 101.360
4. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:02.356 0.024 0.183 101.322
5. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:02.393 0.037 0.220 101.261
6. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:02.450 0.057 0.277 101.169
7. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:02.496 0.046 0.323 101.094
8. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:02.506 0.010 0.333 101.079
9. 06 Robert Doornbos* Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:02.574 0.068 0.401 100.968
10. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:02.577 0.003 0.404 100.964
11. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:02.666 0.089 0.493 100.820
12. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:02.675 0.009 0.502 100.806
13. 34 Alex Tagliani Conquest Racing 1:02.692 0.017 0.519 100.778
14. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:03.020 0.328 0.847 100.253
15. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:03.029 0.009 0.856 100.239
16. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:03.256 0.227 1.083 99.880
17. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:03.332 0.076 1.159 99.760
18. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:03.522 0.190 1.349 99.461
19. 23 Tomas Scheckter Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:04.191 0.669 2.018 98.425
20. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:04.336 0.145 2.163 98.203
21. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:04.410 0.074 2.237 98.090
22. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:04.859 0.449 2.686 97.411
23. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:04.942 0.083 2.769 97.287
* Series rookie

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Toronto Practice Session #2 times............


1. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:01.474 102.775
2. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:01.763 0.289 0.289 102.295
3. 12 Will Power Team Penske 1:01.772 0.009 0.298 102.279
4. 06 Robert Doornbos* Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:01.839 0.067 0.365 102.169
5. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:01.842 0.003 0.368 102.164
6. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:01.924 0.082 0.450 102.029
7. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:01.936 0.012 0.462 102.008
8. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:01.962 0.026 0.488 101.966
9. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:02.003 0.041 0.529 101.899
10. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 1:02.004 0.001 0.530 101.896
11. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:02.192 0.188 0.718 101.589
12. 23 Tomas Scheckter Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:02.305 0.113 0.831 101.405
13. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:02.365 0.060 0.891 101.306
14. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:02.474 0.109 1.000 101.129
15. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:02.543 0.069 1.069 101.018
16. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:02.613 0.070 1.139 100.905
17. 34 Alex Tagliani Conquest Racing 1:02.725 0.112 1.251 100.725
18. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:02.776 0.051 1.302 100.644
19. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:03.451 0.675 1.977 99.572
20. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:03.924 0.473 2.450 98.836
21. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:03.928 0.004 2.454 98.830
22. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:03.965 0.037 2.491 98.772
23. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:04.736 0.771 3.262 97.597
* Series rookie

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TORONTO - In rookie season of ups and downs, Raphael Matos found encouragement and further validation from a hot practice lap on the temporary street circuit at Exhibition Place.

Matos, driving the No. 2 Luczo Dragon Racing car, topped the 23-car field through two practice sessions with a lap of 1 minute, 1.4739 seconds (102.775 mph) on the 1.755-mile, 11-turn course.

"I'm very happy for the team and that we have a good car," said Matos, who's posted three top-10 finishes and leads the rookie of the year standing (by one point over Robert Doornbos) through nine of the 17 races. "I'm looking forward to improving the car just a little bit more and trying to find a bit more speed to hopefully qualify up front."

It wasn't a perfect 150 minutes of total time on the circuit; he spun and made light contact with the retaining wall in Turn 11 to bring the afternoon session to a close. There were 1,262 laps completed, with a number of bumps and breaks but no injuries.

"We're a little bit frustrated with things today, but I'm sure the Luczo Dragon crew will do an amazing job again putting the car back together," he said. "I'm confident that the car will be perfect again."

Matos competed on the circuit (modified slightly from the CART/Champ Car days) in Atlantics, as did his closest pursuers July 10. Justin Wilson was second on the speed chart (1:01.7627; 102.295) in the No. 18 Z-Line Designs car and Will Power was third (1:01.7722; 102.279) in the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental entry.

Both are former winners at Toronto - Wilson in 2005 and Power in '07.

"There's still room to improve (the time), but we never got to do a proper run," said Wilson, who provided Dale Coyne Racing's first IndyCar Series victory July 5 at Watkins Glen International. "We only got one lap on the new tires. I'm confident that we can ramp it up tomorrow and find some more speed."

Doornbos (1:01.8386) was fourth in the No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing car, while Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe (1:01.8420) was fifth. IndyCar Series points leader Scott Dixon was P8 in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car (1:01.9617).

Scarborough, Ontario, native Paul Tracy, making his 17th start on the street circuit, was 13th on the chart in the No. 15 Ontario Honda Dealers/woundedwarriors.ca car for KV Racing Technology.

"We were reasonably satisfied with third while trying to find the right combination for qualifying," said Power, who begins a stretch of five races for Penske Racing. "I was struggling a bit under braking as I caught slower traffic and also while catching cars exiting the pits, but this should be better tomorrow with fewer cars on track. With rain potentially coming tomorrow, it could make things interesting."

Ah, the weather is a concern, which should mix up the three rounds of qualifying even more. If the racing surface is wet, will teams decide to put on the Firestone alternate tires at crucial times? Tune in to indycar.com July 11 to watch practice and qualifications. Wilson has been involved in the Firestone Fast Six session at all three street/road courses this season, and Power has competed in the 10-minute session that sets the first three rows in his two street course events.

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Toronto Saturday Practice Times
1. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:15.534 83.644
2. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:16.019 0.485 0.485 83.111
3. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:16.124 0.105 0.590 82.996
4. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:16.327 0.203 0.793 82.775
5. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:16.423 0.096 0.889 82.671
6. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:17.641 1.218 2.107 81.375
7. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:18.715 1.074 3.181 80.264
8. 34 Alex Tagliani Conquest Racing 1:19.047 0.332 3.513 79.927
9. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:19.108 0.061 3.574 79.866
10. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:19.193 0.085 3.659 79.780
11. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:19.545 0.352 4.011 79.427
12. 12 Will Power Team Penske 1:19.981 0.436 4.447 78.994
13. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:22.715 2.734 7.181 76.383
14. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:23.880 1.165 8.346 75.322
15. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:27.431 3.551 11.897 72.262
16. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:39.355 11.924 23.821 63.590
17. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:46.400 7.045 30.866 59.379
18. 23 Tomas Scheckter Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 14:27.96 12:41.5 13:12.4 1.414
* Series rookie

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Honda Indy Toronto Starting Grid.....................


1. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 1:01.025 103.532
2. 12 Will Power Team Penske 1:01.285 103.092
3. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:01.330 103.016
4. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 1:01.516 102.705
5. 34 Alex Tagliani Conquest Racing 1:01.698 102.402
6. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:02.009 101.888
7. 06 Robert Doornbos* Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 1:01.442 102.829
8. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 1:01.472 102.779
9. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 1:01.535 102.674
10. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 1:01.795 102.241
11. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 1:01.858 102.138
12. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 1:01.968 101.956
13. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 1:01.970 101.952
14. 23 Tomas Scheckter Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 1:01.868 102.120
15. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 1:01.973 101.948
16. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 1:02.158 101.645
17. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 1:02.214 101.553
18. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 1:02.584 100.952
19. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 1:02.591 100.942
20. 11 Tony Kanaan + Andretti Green Racing 1:02.656 100.837
21. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 1:02.841 100.539
22. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 1:03.041 100.220
23. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 1:04.513 97.933
* Series rookie
+ Best two laps invalidated for causing a full course caution

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(quoting multiple sources)
TORONTO--In a typical Toronto battle of attrition, Dario Franchitti recovered from several pitfalls to score his third victory of the 2009 IndyCar Series season. He endured a slow pit stop, hit the pits a second time with a well-timed caution flag, and battled the challenges posed by the menacing walls and 22 other cars on track.

Franchitti's win in the Honda Indy Toronto comes ten years after his prior win at the circuit, in 1999 when driving for Team Green. This one came with his team owner Chip Ganassi not at the track, recovering from recent eye surgery.

"I spent a long time racing against the Target cars and finishing behind them on this track," Franchitti said. "It's been ten years since we first won here and it feels good. So thanks, boss!"

Franchitti led home Ryan Briscoe and Will Power, who both battled tire issues but recovered to podium finishes for Team Penske. Briscoe and Power each had to pit after the first lap with cut tires. Power's race was blighted as he had not completed the mandatory two green flag laps on the Firestone "reds," the softer alternate compound.

Each passed a lot of cars to capture these results. This is Briscoe's fifth second-place finish of the season and Power's third top-five result in four starts overall.

"It's great to get second on a day like this as I had a cut tire at the beginning which set us way back," Briscoe said. "I think Dario got a bit lucky on that yellow; if it was me, I'd hit the pit closed and have to pit twice!"

The other Aussie commented: "I hadn't made two laps, but the reds were good at the end," Power said. "It was great to get back to third after almost being a lap down."

Scott Dixon, Franchitti's teammate, completed the Ganassi-Penske 1-2-3-4 sweep. Franchitti now takes the series points lead by two markers over Dixon. Briscoe is third, 13 points back.

On a day when there were many incidents to recap, a number of drivers kept their heads above water to score solid results. Justin Wilson finished fifth, with the remainder of the top ten Danica Patrick, Ryan Hunter-Reay (his best result in nine races), Marco Andretti, Alex Tagliani, and Raphael Matos.

The one Penske car that did not figure into the final outcome, Helio Castroneves, was still very much the center of attention in this race and for all the wrong reasons. Castroneves and his long-time nemesis Paul Tracy were engaged in a hot battle for second behind Franchitti went it all went awry.

As Tracy dove down Castroneves' inside at the right-hand turn 3 hairpin, the Canadian stayed alongside but did not complete the pass. Castroneves was saving fuel and struggling for pace on worn red tires. A simple racing incident occurred at the following corner, the left-handed turn 4 kink.

Interlocking wheels, the pair of red-and-white cars went into the barriers. Castroneves was able to limp his wounded car to the pits with terminal suspension damage, while Tracy was out on the spot. When this year's Indianapolis 500 champion emerged from his car, he was greeted with a chorus of boos from the Canadian faithful hoping in earnest for a PT win.

"Honestly, I need to see the replay; he would be the last guy I would take out in Canada," Castroneves admitted, ominously. "I thought I gave him plenty of room. Tracy and I -- it's always going to be like that. He touched me and then I don't know why -- it looks like I turned into him. The car touched and I just lost control. I would never do that, especially in Canada."

Was the "chrome horn" about to strike down his rival in a battle royale, a la the memorable San Jose "smack down" with his countryman Tagliani in 2006? Tracy actually agreed in earnest with Castroneves' assessment.

"It's hard to say, but we were racing really hard," Tracy said. "I made a move down the inside. He gave me some room, and then we touched, and he kind of moved over. I'm not going to say he did it on purpose, I think it's just a racing incident."

The reason they were in this position behind Franchitti was the aforementioned prior caution flag. The Scotsman darted for the pits, while at the same time Graham Rahal grounded to a halt on the exit to turn three after contact with Ed Carpenter.

"I guess we timed it right with strategy, as we really struggled the first stint on the reds," Franchitti admitted. "I was stuck behind some slow cars in the middle stint, (Mario) Moraes in particular who didn't do the same thing twice at any corner."

Castroneves and Tracy had just pitted on their own and would have been de facto race leaders assuming Franchitti could not have completed his stop. An earlier stop saw Franchitti back to 15th on track after an issue with a right rear tire.

"Dario went in the pits on yellow, and we went by him," Tracy's team co-owner Jimmy Vasser said. "I'm flabbergasted, and I've never seen such a rule like that. I guess because timing and scoring was frozen, it let him back by. By that thought anyone who stops on track gets their spot back."

After the incident with Castroneves, Vasser said he would never second-guess his driver's decisions and said it was kind of a squeeze. But he agreed it was basically a racing incident. Either way it dashed what had been a great drive from Tracy from 15th on the grid to contention for the victory.

The Rahal caution also affected a number of the leaders who were more or less dominant in the race's first half -- Tagliani among them for Conquest Racing. Tagliani, who led 21 laps, pitted with Dixon, Mario Moraes, Raphael Matos, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tomas Scheckter and Marco Andretti.

The top nine cars had stopped before the yellow so Dixon, who led that group off pit lane, had to restart 10th. Tagliani had dropped to 11th and was later engaged in a dustup with Moraes and Scheckter.

As the trio headed for turn 3, Moraes was off line with a broken front wing from contact with E.J. Viso. Three-wide into the tight hairpin didn't work and Scheckter was sandwiched between Tagliani and Moraes. Scheckter nosed into the tire barriers, while Moraes limped back to the pits with his damage and Tagliani unscathed.

"It was just a non-brain move right at the end to hit me up the back, especially when Moraes already had a front wing broken," Scheckter said. The tempestuous South African fired his driving gloves at Tagliani the next time he came through the corner.

Tagliani was disappointed that the caution wiped out a potential podium finish or better, but laughed off the incident. He eventually finished ninth.

"You just ignore it," he admitted. "Moraes squeezed Scheckter, Scheckter squeezed me and it was a very bad incident. Other than the pits are closed yellow flag stop that caused us to lose all our ground, we had it in our pocket today."

After the checkers had waved, Moraes was to Viso's outside on the back straight when the two interlocked wheels going into turn three. Naturally, the two sophomore drivers with more incidents than results on their resumes had differing opinions of who to blame.

"I was trying to pass Viso, he was blocking, and as we were side-by-side, he broke my front wing," Moraes offered. "He saw me and closed the door on my car."

Viso explained his perspective: "I was opening my visor and drinking water, he hit me in the back," he said in a speech reminiscent of Adrian Fernandez's description of Mario Dominguez taking him out at the 2003 St. Petersburg race. "I don't know if he didn't see the checkers or what, but he needs to go to the doctors. Everything was over."

Lost in the post-script of an incident-filled and passing frenzy in Toronto were a few other accidents. Mike Conway crashed out of a top-five position while battling Tracy. Richard Antinucci and Dan Wheldon had contact at turn 3 to bring out the day's first full-course yellow. Tony Kanaan also failed to finish after an incredibly frustrating weekend.

The calamitous street fight in Toronto ends a stretch of four races in four weekends for the IndyCar Series, which has a much-needed week off. Drivers and teams can recharge their batteries and emotions before the race in two weeks' time in Edmonton.

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Honda Indy Toronto Race Results................


1. 10 Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing 85
2. 6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske 85
3. 12 Will Power Team Penske 85
4. 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 85
5. 18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing 85
6. 7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 85
7. 14 Ryan Hunter-Reay AJ Foyt Enterprises 85
8. 26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 85
9. 34 Alex Tagliani Conquest Racing 85
10. 2 Raphael Matos* Luczo Dragon Racing 85
11. 5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology 85
12. 27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing 84
13. 13 EJ Viso HVM Racing 84
14. 4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing 84
15. 20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 82
16. 23 Tomas Scheckter Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 74 Contact
17. 11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 70 Contact
18. 3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske 65 Contact
19. 15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology 65 Contact
20. 02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 57 Contact
21. 98 Richard Antinucci* CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G 41 Mechanical
22. 24 Mike Conway* Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 32 Contact
23. 06 Robert Doornbos* Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 26 Mechanical
*--series rookie