Page 3 of 5
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:26 pm
by mlittle
Watching the frontrunners, it's interesting to note where they're running on the track; Castroneves seems to be favoring the low groove around, while the Target cars(Dixon, Wheldon) are trying to reel him in on the high side; Kanaan is running a low line similar to Castroneves while Patrick is running the middle groove around
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:29 pm
by mlittle
Race control reporting the pit window for fuel is about 50 laps; each car can hold 20 gallons of 100%-fuel grade ethanol
Top-4 separated by 1.6 seconds, then its' 4+ seconds back to 5th.............
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:31 pm
by mlittle
Castroneves continues to lead, but Dixon and Wheldon are reeling him in; the top-3 are less than .75 seconds distance
Encountering more lap traffic............separation btwn. P1 and P3 down to .63 seconds
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:34 pm
by mlittle
Race control reporting the #20 Menards car of Ed Carpenter is on pitroad; looks like he got new tires and a full fill up of ethanol............
Couple more drivers making their way down pitroad..........there's a caution out; checking to see what's wrong...............
Caution is out; contact in turn 4 involving Marty Roth; race control reporting damage on the front wing of Hideki Mutoh..........
Top-5 w/a quarter of the race down.......
Castroneves, Dixon, Briscoe, Wheldon and Kanaan
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:38 pm
by mlittle
Pits back open and most everyone who didn't stop earlier now comes down pitroad; Castroneves gets fuel, tires and a front-wing adjustment; most everyone else also got fuel and tires
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:41 pm
by mlittle
Lights off on the Honda Pace Car; green flag expected next lap(lap 57)
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:43 pm
by mlittle
Green flag! Green flag! Back to racing............
Three-wide in turn 3; Briscoe and Dixon had to split around the #15 of Buddy Rice but made it around...........
Top-5 separated by 2.9 seconds but Castroneves now leads by 1.5+ seconds over Dixon; Briscoe in 3rd
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:44 pm
by mlittle
Further back in the field, Mutoh made a 3-wide pass around the cars of Darren Manning and Townsend Bell.........
Dixon now 1.15 seconds behind Castroneves
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:46 pm
by mlittle
Dixon now .9 sec. behind Castroneves; Briscoe, Wheldon and Kanaan round out the top-5
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:49 pm
by mlittle
Top-5 after 72 laps at Motegi
Castroneves
Dixon
Wheldon
Kanaan
Briscoe
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:53 pm
by mlittle
Dixon is reeling in the #3 of Castroneves; distance btwn. them less than .41 seconds
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:56 pm
by mlittle
87 laps in the books; teams beginning to stretch their legs for the second round of stops
Top-5 still unchanged at present.......
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:59 pm
by mlittle
Race control reporting that the #4 car of Vitor Meira might've had contact with the outside wall; caution is out for the third time today.......doesn't look like their is any damage
Pits are open; expecting all cars to visit pitlane................
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:01 pm
by mlittle
Everyone but a few are on pitlane.............another wing adjustment for the #3 and the #10; race control reporting that the #20 stalled in their pitbox.........
Approaching halfway....................................the race becomes an official race after 101 laps are in the books
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:04 pm
by mlittle
Day's over for the National Guard/Delphi car; race control reporting that the #4 has gone behind the wall.........
Green flag back out as TGR's Scott Dixon leads the field down the frontstretch for the restart; Patrick moves up to 6th, making a low-side pass around Manning for the spot