Will Power Gets Back In The Saddle, KVRT-Lotus Stumbles At The Honda Edmonton Indy

Will Power jumps from his Verizon Penske Racing Dallara while in the winner's circle. Image Credit: IZOD IndyCar Series/Shawn Gritzmacher

Will Power Gets Back In The Saddle, KVRT-Lotus Stumbles At The Honda Edmonton Indy

The Honda Edmonton Indy, the 11th race in a 18 race season of the 2011 IndyCar Series Championship, with its new track layout, proved to be a little less of a bump and run affair than predicted but was not without its contentions. In the end, at 55 points down to series points leader and last year's Championship winner, Dario Franchitti, Will Power came away from Edmonton with a commanding performance for the win.

Great hope bubbled over and finally fizzed out for two of the three team-mates of KV Racing Technology-Lotus. Takuma Sato qualified in the Peak Pole position and E.J. Viso in position 5 on the grid and as predicted, turns #1, #5, and #13 were pivotal to the fortunes (or lack thereof) of these KVRT-Lotus drivers.

KVRT-Lotus' Takuma Sato leads the field through turn one with Will Power, Dario Franchitti, and E.J. Viso in tow. Image Credit: IZOD IndyCar Series/Shawn Gritzmacher

At the drop of the checkered flag, Takuma Sato led the field in strong fashion until he locked-up his brakes before turn #13 on Lap 19 which allowed eventual winner Will Power to steal the lead. After the first pit stop, the Japanese driver had fallen back to P5 but surged to the front again following a spectacular re-start through turns #1, #2, and #3. He sliced back into second behind Power under braking for the Turn #5 hairpin, while just behind in P4, his team-mate Viso slid into Scott Dixon, spun and stalled.

E.J. Viso said: "I started up at the front and on one of the restarts I made contact with Dixon, which I feel bad about as he finished the race some laps behind. It was a pretty messy corner and I got too close and braked on the inside and we hit. I then lost a lap waiting to be restarted and from then on there was not much else we could do. We had a pretty fast car during the race. I think I got the second fastest time and we showed we were strong as a team all weekend. I want to thank everyone who is part of KVRT–Lotus who has helped make us stronger and also my sponsors PDVSA. I really feel bad. I thought we had a chance for a podium." E.J. finished the race in P20.

As for Sato, he was able to soldier on until he had a problem with another driver, Ryan Hunter-Reay with Andretti Autosports, battling for space in turn #13.

Takuma Sato said: "It is disappointing finishing in the back like this. The start was very exciting. I had a good feeling leading the race. Then I had a little problem with the balance and lost some positions. After that there was a caution and we changed tires. On the restart I regained most of the positions and was running in second. Everything was looking good and I was comfortable with the pace, but unfortunately Hunter–Reay hit me and damaged my car and put me a lap down. It was a long race after that and very difficult to stay motivated. I feel very bad for all the crew. They worked so hard all weekend. It was a positive weekend for us until the middle of the race. I am just so disappointed." Takuma Sato finished the race just behind Viso in P21.

Tony Kanaan shows his experience by quietly driving his Geico sponsored KVRT-Lotus Dallara from a starting position of 11th place to finishing in position 4 and staying out of trouble. Image Credit: IZOD IndyCar Series/Daniel Incandela

On the brighter side, KV Racing Technology-Lotus driver Tony Kanaan finished fourth on the re-configured airport tarmac asphalt in Edmonton on Sunday.

"It was a good result, it was a good race and it's great for the Geico – KV Racing - Lotus crew," Kanaan said. "If felt good being out there with those guys, you know, all guys that know what they are doing like Justin, Ryan and Dario. We had some great battles and finishing fourth after starting eleventh, and on top of that having a bad pit stop, is pretty rewarding, especially considering that I got back to fourth in the championship. I feel bad for my teammates because I know that all the three KV cars were supposed to be in the top-five."

As for Will Power, last years points leader at this stage of the season and eventual runner-up to Dario Franchitti was able to claw his way back into the championship fight. Starting the day 55 points down, Will was able to pass and hold off the challenges of Takuma Sato, team-mate Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti to gain 17 points (15 points for position and 2 points for most laps led) in the season points championship.

Will Power will enter the next race at another road course only 38 points down, at a race track where he has had some success at but has never won. Last year, for example, he qualified for the pole, but the driver who qualified in P2 ended up winning while Power finished in P2. Yes, that driver was the Target Chip Ganassi Racing #10 Dallara, Dario Franchitti.

Former ChampCar World Series team and driver begin a consistent run. Dale Coyne Racing and Sebastien Bourdais respectively register two top 10 finishes in a row, and post a race fastest lap in Edmonton through the Canadian swing in the season schedule. Image Credit: IZOD IndyCar Series

FYI - It took only 78.9590 seconds for Dale Coyne Racing's Sebastien Bourdais to record the fastest lap of the race on Lap 80 of the 80-lap event. "SeaBass" ... the former annual ChampCar World Series champion (he won four consecutive driver championships with Newman/Haas Racing) finished in P6 over the two Canadian events (Toronto and Edmonton) which represent the season's best finishes for him and Dale Coyne Racing.

The attrition in a race that was expected to be high, due to tempers that may have flared at the end of the full course Yellow Flag plagued Honda Indy Toronto and the track re-configuration with the tight turns of #1, #5, and #13 at the end of long straightaways, was very low. Eighteen (18) cars finished on the lead lap -- the highest total of the season.

... notes from The EDJE


[Article first published as Will Power Gets Back In The Saddle, KVRT-Lotus Stumbles At The Honda Edmonton Indy on Technorati]

Highest television ratings in Brazil for IZOD IndyCar Series race in Sao Paulo

Highest television ratings in Brazil for IZOD IndyCar Series race in Sao Paulo

As reported on VERSUS TV, Bob Jenkins stated that it has been measured that the highest ratings for any television broadcast ever in Brazil was registered for the opening race of the IZOD IndyCar Series in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This was a very good race on ANY level. The CCWS was fairly well represented on the driverside (Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Raphael Matos) ... not so much on the teamside (top CCWS transition team finish was KV Racing technology at P12). RHR and Vitor both were coming into the race having sustained back injuries last year - a very good drive? for those in the top five places - a good start for the first year series sponsor, IZOD!

The race started with a first lap compression accident touched off by ICS rookie and seven year former Formula 1 driver for KV Racing Technology's Takuma Sato. Sato, came in too hot on the first corner setting up a chain reaction accident that aids in taking out KV Racing Technology teammate Mario Moraes (also has trouble slowing down) who lands on top of Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti.

The ratings were boosted by the fact that seven drivers from Brazil were competing in this first race of the 2010 ICS season and many are household names ... they are Vitor Meira - AJ Foyt Racing - finishing P3, Raphael Matos - Luczo Dragon Racing - finishing P4, Helio Castroneves - Verizon Penske Racing - finishing P9, Tony Kanaan - Andretti Autosports - finishing P10, Ana Beatriz (Bia Figueiredo) - Dreyer&Reinbold Racing - finishing P13, Mario Romancini - Conquest Racing - finishing P17, and Mario Moraes - KV Racing Technology - finishing P24.

... notes from The EDJE

“Vacation” Pays Dividends For Franchitti At INDY Long Beach

Dario Franchitti, driving the Target Chip Ganassi #10 Dallara, receives the White Flag as he crosses the Start/Finish Line on Shoreline Drive with one more lap to go for the win of the 35th Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach. Image Credit: James Doss, Have Camera Inc. (2009)


“Vacation” Pays Dividends For Franchitti At INDY Long Beach

On a 97 degree day (a record for this day) at Long Beach, one of the most demanding street courses in modern motorsports history, a driver has to bring his (or her) “A-Game” in order to win. Relaxed, Ready. And Rested … after taking a one year “vacation/break” from open wheel motorsports competition, Dario Franchitti, 2007 ICS Champion (and Chip Ganassi) - out pitted, out conserved (on fuel), and out communicated Will Power (and a Penske pit crew managed by Rick Mears) to win the 35th Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach.

Will Power had secured the pole position and maintained the position through the first round of pit stops. Chip Ganassi brought Dario in a little early during the first stint, suspecting that because most all of the teams had opted to start the race using the Red Option sidewall, softer compound tires, that the grip of the tires would go away … and some of the drivers would tangle, or make a mistake that would bring out a full course Yellow Caution Flag. Chip was right.

Mike Conway nosed his Dreyer & Reinbold, Dad’s Root Beer car into the Turn 1 wall bringing out a local Yellow. Then, Transition Player hopeful, EJ Viso of HVM Racing (starting in position #4) was tapped by Franchitti’s Target Chip Ganassi teammate, Scott Dixon (P6), stalling Viso’s broken Dallara at turn #7.

This incidents served to jumble the field and catch Power out for 32 laps until the next pit stop… along with a five car pile up going into the hairpin turn #11 that leads to the long right sweeping straightaway of Shoreline Drive. This incident put another top qualifier, and another Transition Player hopeful, out of the race from the damage the incident had caused. Justin Wilson, who had qualified for the pole position at the last ChampCar World Series race held here at Long Beach in 2008, qualified and started in position #5.

A disruption in communications had Will Power at a little disadvantage. Radio communications with the in-car radio system only operated with a small window of one-way (in) delivery so the Penske team had to resort to Pit Boards hung over the wall to let their driver know when to PIT and etc. Will believed he heard that there was a full course Yellow Flag caution when, in fact, the call was a local Yellow Flag caution. Will slowed and a couple of cars went by – one of them was Dario’s full communications enabled Target Chip Ganassi Dallara.

The stage was set for a show down of pit strategy and driving to conserve fuel. The attitudes of both drivers, in the end, was that each would have had the best of each other if they did not have to drive, maintaining position due to fuel conservation tactics, to win and to keep second place.

To be honest, the way the weekend unfolded for Will Power, and how he responded to the multiple unusual challenges thrown at him and the team (Helio Castroneves late arrival due to an acquittal on Tax issues – Will having to break in a new, untested chassis and still have the fastest track times), Dario needed his prior ChampCar track experience and the one year “Vacation/Break” … just to beat the former ChampCar and current ICS rising star!

How the field fared (*** denotes Transition Player):

Pos / Driver / Team / Gap
1. Dario Franchitti Ganassi
2. Will Power*** Penske + 3.3182s
3. Tony Kanaan Andretti Green + 4.0537s
4. Danica Patrick Andretti Green + 5.0742s
5. Dan Wheldon Panther + 6.5655s
6. Marco Andretti Andretti Green + 7.5900s
7. Helio Castroneves Penske + 8.6332s
8. Raphael Matos Luczo Dragon + 9.4835s
9. Robert Doornbos*** Newman/Haas/Lanigan + 9.9583s
10. Alex Tagliani*** Conquest + 13.6185s
11. Ryan Hunter-Reay Vision + 15.2097s
12. Graham Rahal*** Newman/Haas/Lanigan + 15.8507s
13. Ryan Briscoe Penske + 1m05.1013s
14. Vitor Meira Foyt + 1 lap
15. Scott Dixon Ganassi + 1 lap
16. Darren Manning Dreyer & Reinbold + 1 lap
17. Stanton Barrett 3G + 1 lap
18. Ed Carpenter Vision + 3 laps

Retirements:

Driver Team Laps
Mario Moraes*** KV 71
Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green 60
Mike Conway Dreyer & Reinbold 51
Justin Wilson*** Dale Coyne 24
EJ Viso*** HVM 16
(ht: autosport.com)

Unification of the series had brought out the best in Long Beach for this 35th edition of the race on Shoreline Drive. The competitors were very pleased with the crowd reaction and the environment during the four days of event activity.

Dario said it best during his post race news conference (to paraphrase) - "We went to local eateries at night and the crowds ... the buzz in the atmosphere surrounding the venue were fantastic ... pretty cool."

View Video Highlights From VERSUS Here>>

... notes from The EDJE

Destruction Derby On The Bullring At Richmond

Kanaan kept the Honda-powered Dallara clear of multiple mishaps to claim his first victory since Belle Isle last September and his first on an oval since Kentucky in August. He held off Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, who advanced 16 positions through a combination of furious driving and attrition for his fourth second place of the season, in the SunTrust Indy Challenge. Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon overtook teammate Dan Wheldon on the final lap for third. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

Destruction Derby On The Bullring At Richmond

Tony Kanaan knew it would be tough to win on the Richmond International Raceway with 26 starters - half of whom were making their first appearance on the 0.75-mile oval. But this tough?

The race in Richmond was, let’s be honest … a destruction derby. The race felt as though it would run a couple of laps and have to go to yellow flag conditions (105 laps of the 300 run) to clear up yet, another car getting light in the rear (I believe the term Jaime Camara used was “neutral”), swing around, and hit the SAFER barrier.

The Fine Nine (the drivers fielded by teams transitioning into the IRL from the CCWS) did not do fine here in Richmond. The ones who finished, did well … but the rest of the T-Team field checked out early and/or often.

The three drivers who did finish the race all finished in the top ten with Oriol Servia of KV Racing Technology posting a personal best fifth out of twenty-six cars who were entered in the race.

The Fine Nine drivers checked out in the following order on this, the shortest oval the IRL competes on all season.

OUT - POS./Qual./Car# - Driver - Hometown - Car - Name – Entrant

Lap 6 - 25/26/36 - Enrique Bernoldi - Curitiba, Brazil - Sangari - Conquest Racing

Lap 8 - 24/16/8 - Will Power - Toowoomba, Australia - Aussie Vineyards-Team Australia - KV Racing Technology

Lap 78 - 23/9/18 Bruno Junqueira Belo Horizonte, Brazil Z-Line Designs Dale Coyne Racing

Lap 131 - 18/10/16/06 - Graham Rahal - Columbus, Ohio - Hole in the Wall Camps - Newman Haas Lanigan Racing

Lap 143 - 17/19/24/19 - Mario Moraes - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Sonny's Bar-B-Q - Dale Coyne Racing

Lap 217 - 14/20/21/34 - Jaime Camara - Goiania, Brazil – Sangari - Conquest Racing

In the final laps, only twelve of the 26 cars were running on the track. As far as Rookie Of The Year honors race is concerned, Heideki Mutoh of Andretti Green Racing (out on lap 220 and finished in position 13) still leads in the points but lost a little ground back to Servia, Justin Wilson of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (position 7) and EJ Viso of HVM Racing (position 10).

Out On Lap 78 - #18 Bruno Junqueira Belo Horizonte, Brazil Z-Line Designs Dale Coyne Racing - Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

This excerpted and edited from Indycar.com -


Kanaan Prevails
By Dave Lewandowski - indycar.com
Kanaan kept the No. 11 7-Eleven car clear of multiple potential mishaps to claim his first victory since Belle Isle last September and his first on an oval since Kentucky in August. The pole sitter held off Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, who advanced 16 positions through furious driving and attrition for his fourth second place of the season.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon overtook teammate Dan Wheldon on the final laps for third and score valuable championship points. KV Racing Technology's Oriol Servia finished a career-best fifth on an oval.

"It was a tough night," said Dixon, who takes a 43-point lead over Castroneves into the race at Watkins Glen International on July 6. "TK definitely looked pretty strong tonight."

Wheldon is third in the standings (299 points) and Kanaan (269) is fourth.

A.J. Foyt IV of Vision Racing gets taken out by John Andretti early in the race at RIR. On lap 29, AJ's Lilly sponsored car hits the wall after his left rear tire comes in contact with John's unsponsored Roth Racing Dallara right front tire (series of four photos - #1). Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

The 300-lap race (lengthened 50 laps from '07) under the lights was marred by 105 caution laps. The IndyCar Series record is 116 at Nazareth Speedway in 2002.

A.J. Foyt IV of Vision Racing gets taken out by Roth Racing’s John Andretti early in the race at RIR. On lap 29 (series of four photos - #2). Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

Andretti Green Racing's Danica Patrick finished sixth and Justin Wilson moved up 16 spots to seventh (tying his career best on an oval). Townsend Bell in the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car finished eighth and Marco Andretti was ninth. Andretti completed 135 laps (many under caution) on one 22-gallon load of ethanol.
----
A.J. Foyt IV of Vision Racing gets taken out by Roth Racing’s John Andretti early in the race at RIR. On lap 29 (series of four photos - #3). Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

"What a crazy race," said Wilson, who started 23rd. "There was some really good driving and some really bad driving out there. I was just trying not to get caught out and stay out of trouble and bring the car home. The McDonald's car wasn't the quickest car out there today but we managed to salvage some good points and hopefully that will help us out in the championship."
Reference Here>>

A.J. Foyt IV of Vision Racing gets taken out by Roth Racing’s John Andretti early in the race at RIR. On lap 29 (series of four photos - #4). Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)

Final Results

Finally, next week the former ChampCar teams get some meat to chew on and they will be at full strength. Pacific Coast Motorsports will be re-joining the competition for the rest of the season. Mario Donimguez driving the Visit Mexico City Dallara will be backed by a group of PCM team members that have experience racing at Watkins Glen.

This, from a recent press release; Veterans of Champ Car and Sports Cars, PCM looks forward to their return to road courses. The historic Watkins Glen track is familiar to PCM; they raced there while competing in the Rolex Grand Am Series in 2006.

Next weekend, the T-Team Ten will be looking to score points and show that they are the measure of any driver/team combination competing in the ICS in 2008.

… notes from The EDJE