Will Power stayed close all day and make the most of errors by much of the field, including his teammate Ryan Briscoe, to win the crazy season opener on the streets of Sao Paulo.
Question: What do you get when you combine a scary first-lap, first-turn crash, a thunderstorm which brought out a 36-minute red flag and Will Power's return to victory lane?
Answer: The IndyCar Series's debut in Brazil, the Sao Paulo Indy 300!
-----Sao Paolo, Brazil
SU, 14 March 2010
~~~How eventful and exciting was the season-opening São Paulo Indy 300?
Well, at the green flag there was a pileup in Turn 1 that knocked Marco Andretti and Mario Moraes out of the race. Midway through the scheduled 75-lap race a thunderstorm swept through the Anhembi section of the city, causing a 36-minute red flag delay.
That’s not all. On Lap 54, Ryan Briscoe’s nose assembly found the tire barrier in Turn 7 on the 2.6-mile course, handing the lead to Ryan Hunter-Reay. Four laps later, Will Power overtook Hunter-Reay’s No. 37 IZOD entry in the 180-degree Turn 11 for the lead.
It turned out to be decisive as the race became a timed event, and Power went on to cross the finish line 1.8581 seconds ahead at the conclusion of Lap 61. It was Power’s second career victory (Edmonton in 2009) and the 36th in the IZOD IndyCar Series for Team Penske.
"It was a fantastic day," Power said. "Coming back after breaking my back and to win, I was crying on the slow-down lap. We had a quick car and when they said I could run full rich, I just went for it. It was good, very good. It was probably the most mixed-up race that I have ever been in, but it created an opportunity for me to come back through the field and end up winning the race. I'm pretty sure it was an exciting race for the fans."
Vitor Meira finished third, followed by Raphael Matos, Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon. PEAK Pole Award winner and reigning IZOD IndyCar series champion Dario Franchitti finished seventh.
That’s still not all. Power, who started fifth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, suffered a season-ending back injury during an August practice incident at Infineon Raceway. Meira’s 2009 season also was cut short by a back injury suffered in the Indianapolis 500.
"It couldn't be much better than that," Meira said. "I think Will can relate to it with a back injury and all that, it gets pretty uncertain at some times and having a team behind you making sure that the seat is availble, makes a big difference during the recovery. This is the start of the big thank you I have to give to A.J. (Foyt) and ABC Supply. I hope we get better. We overcame a lot here."
Not to be overlooked was Hunter-Reay, who was runner-up to Briscoe in the ’09 opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. He was making his debut with Andretti Green Racing. Matos, last season’s rookie of the year, recorded his best finish (started 12th). And Wheldon, driving the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car, tied his ’09 season high on a road/street course.
"It is great to have a race in Brazil," Hunter-Reay said. "The country and the fans are so passionate about racing. And that was a great show we put on. That's what we need on these street circuit and road courses is a lot of passing like that. We definitely have the tools to do it. We have two straightaways that were pretty long and provided pretty good passing zones. It was just great to get the IZOD car up on the podium in second place to start of the season."
The race also provided the bumping and bruised egos characteristic of a temporary street circuit. Dixon and Helio Castroneves recovered from the first-lap incident to place in the top 10, but Alex Tagliani wasn’t as fortune because of contact on Lap 29 with Wheldon and Tony Kanaan.
Tagliani, competing for first-year entrant FAZZT Race Team, started on the front row and led laps but finished 19th. Kanaan, who started sixth in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car, continued and finished 10th.
“It’s really great for all of us at Panther Racing to start the season with a top five, but first I have to apologize for taking Tag and TK out,” Wheldon said. "That was a really good effort from the National Guard boys and I think it goes to show that we work really hard as a group. It was an exciting race, and it’s going to be an exciting IZOD IndyCar Series season.”
Of course, four hours before the race were three rounds of qualifications. The session was postponed 17 hours as workers “roughed up” the concrete surface of the Anhembi Sambodromo.
"The improvements that they did to the track last night were like night and day," Power said. "Not a problem at all going down the frontstraight. I think it is just a really good day for racing. If you were fast you could pass, because there is such a good track layout here."
Also of within the race:
(1)Before the rain, more people were watching this race than any other program in Brazil, according to TV Bandeirantes’ real-time ratings.
(2)Hunter-Reay led for the first time since 2008 at Watkins Glen International – a race he won.
(3)Simona De Silvestro became the first rookie since Graham Rahal at St. Petersburg in 2008 to lead a lap in their IZOD IndyCar Series debut. De Silvestro, driving the No. 78 Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing car, pitted under green on Lap 19. Most other cars pitted under caution on Lap 23, sending her to the front of the field. Hunter-Reay overtook De Silvestro in Turn 4 on Lap 28.
(4)Franchitti became the third driver in IZOD IndyCar Series history to lead the last lap in one season and then lead the first lap in the next season. He led a race-high 29 laps, sweeping the three bonus points.
Top-10 from a very interesting Sao Paulo Indy 300..........
1st} #12 Will Power, 61 laps*
2nd} #37 Ryan Hunter-Reay, -1.858 sec
3rd} #14 Vitor Meira, -9.710 sec
4th} #2 Raphael Matos, -10.424 sec
5th} #4 Dan Wheldon, -10.889 sec
6th} #9 Scott Dixon, -11.348 sec
7th} #10 Dario Franchitti, -12.058 sec
8th} #24 Mike Conway, -12.166 sec
9th} #3 Helio Castroneves, -12.741 sec
10th} #11 Tony Kanaan, -13.485 sec
