The 2008 IndyCar Series Championship chase has received a curveball as it heads to Infineon Raceway for this weekend’s PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County – with the car of Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves destroyed in a transporter fire on-route to the track.

Second-placed Castroneves is currently chasing Brisbane-born Kiwi Scott Dixon by 78 points in the championship with three races remaining, and if Dixon can extend his lead to 106 points he has the potential to clinch the title this weekend.

With this in mind, Team Penske personnel will be scrambling to prepare road course cars after the fire, which occurred in the early morning of August 20 EDT and destroyed not only the primary race car of Castroneves but also of his Aussie team-mate Ryan Briscoe who is fifth in the championship standings.

The team’s test transporter has now been dispatched with two cars that are prepared to oval specifications, with the team facing the task of turning them into road course cars in a very short space of time as first practice is scheduled for 11.00am EDT on August 22.

Castroneves needs to do well this weekend to keep his championship alive, and although he has run strongly at Infineon in the past with multiple top five finishes he is yet to lead a lap on the Californian road course. His team-mate Briscoe scored his first IndyCar Series pole position there in 2005, however with the current circumstances both will be behind the eight ball this weekend.

With better history, and luck, heading into this weekend is championship leader Dixon, who is the reigning winner at the Sonoma County track and heads there fresh from his record-tying sixth win for the season.

Dixon’s Target Chip Ganassi team-mate Dan Wheldon now shares the record with him, and also remains in the championship chase along with Tony Kanaan who is in fourth, although both sit on the brink of elimination from the chase this weekend. With this on their minds, fans would be well advised to keep their eye on the pair this weekend.

Briscoe’s ‘Down Under’ colleague Will Power of Queensland will also be one to watch, with he and his fellow transitioning drivers showing their strength on the road/street courses this season.

Power will be keen to get going this weekend, after a early mechanical failure at the IndyCar Series’ last outing earlier this month saw him put out early at Kentucky Raceway.

Australian fans can catch the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma action live by tuning in to ESPN at 5.30am on Monday the 25th of August, with a replay scheduled for 7.30pm that same day.

Following the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Grand Prix of Sonoma the unified series will continue on a schedule that is the most diverse in world motorsports.

The 2008 schedule will take the teams and drivers to short ovals, superspeedways, and road and street courses including the Nikon Indy 300 which is regarded as a ‘crown jewel’ in international motorsport.

With 96 hours of non-stop excitement over October 23-26 as the Gold Coast comes alive to the sound of the IndyCar Series cars burning up the track and Australia’s own V8 Supercars scorching around one of the most famous beach-side cities in the world, the event is the hottest ticket in town.

Tickets are now on sale for the Nikon Indy 300 with ticket options to suit everyone's needs. Four day Grandstand passes are available for those who prefer to watch the racing from the comfort of their own reserved seat or for those who prefer to wander around and soak up the atmosphere then a four day, weekend or single day General Admission pass might be more their style. For more information on ticket options click here. For information on Corporate Hospitality packages please call the Nikon Indy 300 Sales Team on (07) 5588 6800.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY…
Tim Cindric – Penske Performance Inc. President:
"About 4:30 (a.m.) Eastern, we had what we think a fire that started from a wheel bearing about halfway between Cheyenne (Wyo.) and Salt Lake City," said Cindric.

"It's a pretty barren area without cell phone coverage. The guys tried to put out the fire, but couldn't do it so they unhooked the tractor from the trailer.

"We have a destroyed trailer with a lot of burnt contents, we've deemed from pictures that the contents aren't worth taking to California. We'll stop in Wyoming (Aug. 21) and drop off four of our employees to sift through the contents and we'll pick up the two truck drivers and take them to Sonoma with us.

"Basically, they'll be parts cars for the weekend and we'll take the two cars that are already there and make them into race cars on (Aug. 21).

"We're certainly not going to have everything that we're used to - all the uniforms for the team were in that (destroyed) truck, so we're bringing all the uniforms we do have.

“Pit equipment is all kind of secondhand or non-existent. But we'll make the most of it. There shouldn't be too much that we do without other than race cars that are prepared in the right way, but we'll do that at the racetrack.

"We're just moving along.”

Scott Dixon - #9 Target Chip Ganassi Honda/Dallara/Firestone:
After winning in Kentucky…
"Obviously, with a 78 point lead now, I think it's pretty healthy, but anything can happen," said Dixon.

"Helio could quite easily have gained on us and made it more of a fight.

"With Sonoma and Chicago and Belle Isle, tracks that those guys are very good at as well, we are going to make sure we don't lose too many points.
“But it would be nice to gain a couple on Helio in Sonoma and maybe we only need 82 points or something to have it sewn up (heading to Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 7). That would be nice, but in reality, I think we'll be racing almost till the last race."

After testing at Infineon Raceway…
“It’s always nice to go back to a circuit where you’ve won,” said Dixon.

“It’s going to be a tough race, so it’s nice to get some testing in.”

Will Power - #8 Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia Honda/Dallara/Firestone:
"There are three races to go and we are really keen to finish the year in the top 10," said Power.

"These final three point scoring races are all on different types of circuit, and when it comes to road and street circuits we know the Aussie Vineyards car is strong.

"In Sonoma this weekend and also in Detroit our team is really keen to get our first Indycar Series victory.

"We had a really productive test last week here at Infineon Raceway, so we can go into practice and qualifying with a good setup.

"I think we have got what it takes to be on the podium this weekend if luck goes our way.”

ENTRY LIST: PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County at Infineon Raceway
Car - Driver - Entrant
2 - A.J. Foyt IV - Vision Racing
3 - Helio Castroneves - Team Penske
4 - Vitor Meira - Panther Racing
5 - Oriol Servia - KV Racing Technology
6 - Ryan Briscoe - Team Penske
7 - Danica Patrick - Andretti Green Racing
8 - Will Power (R) - KV Racing Technology
9 - Scott Dixon - Target Chip Ganassi Racing
10 - Dan Wheldon - Target Chip Ganassi Racing
11 - Tony Kanaan - Andretti Green Racing
12 - Tomas Scheckter - Luczo Dragon Racing
14 - Darren Manning - A.J. Foyt Enterprises
15 - Buddy Rice - Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
17 - Ryan Hunter-Reay - Rahal Letterman Racing
18 - Bruno Junqueira - Dale Coyne Racing
19 - Mario Moraes (R) - Dale Coyne Racing
20 - Ed Carpenter - Vision Racing
23 - Townsend Bell - Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
25 - Marty Roth - Roth Racing
26 - Marco Andretti - Andretti Green Racing
27 - Hideki Mutoh (R) - Andretti Green Racing
33 - E.J. Viso (R) - HVM Racing
34 - Jaime Camara (R) - Conquest Racing
36 - Enrique Bernoldi (R) - Conquest Racing
96 - Mario Dominguez (R) - Pacific Coast Motorsports
02 - Justin Wilson (R) - Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
06 - Graham Rahal (R) - Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
All cars use Dallara chassis, Honda engines and Firestone tires. Issued: 8/19/08

RACE NOTES:
- The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County will be the fourth IndyCar Series event conducted at Infineon Raceway. All three past winners are entered in the event: Tony Kanaan (2005), Marco Andretti (2006) and Scott Dixon (2007). Two past pole winners are entered: Ryan Briscoe (2005) and Dixon (2006).
- Fourteen drivers entered in the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County have raced in previous IndyCar Series events at the track. Five of those drivers have led laps (Scott Dixon 55, Tony Kanaan 34, Marco Andretti 32, Ryan Briscoe 16 and Dan Wheldon 11).
- The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County will be the fifth race on a road/street course in 2008. The first three races featured first time winners (Graham Rahal at St. Petersburg, Ryan Hunter-Reay at Watkins Glen and Ryan Briscoe at Mid-Ohio). Scott Dixon won at Edmonton. Team Penske has dominated the Firestone Fast Six qualifying with Briscoe winning poles at Watkins Glen and Edmonton and Helio Castroneves winning the pole at Mid-Ohio. Tony Kanaan won the pole at St. Petersburg.

SEASON-TO-DATE:
- Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon are the only drivers to finish in the top five in 12 of the 14 races this season.
- Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan are the only drivers with 12 top-10 finishes.
- Helio Castroneves is the only driver running at the finish of every race in 2008.
- Seven drivers have won races in 2008. The IndyCar Series record is nine drivers in 1996/97, 2002, 2003 and 2005.
- Scott Dixon has six victories this season, tying Dan Wheldon’s record set in 2005.
- Scott Dixon has established a new IndyCar Series record by winning from the pole four times this season. The past record was two, which had been done six times.
- Ryan Briscoe needs one more victory in 2008 to become the 13th driver to win three or more races in a season. That has happened 18 times in IndyCar Series history.
- A.J. Foyt Racing has its most top-10 finishes (6) since Eliseo Salazar had seven for the team in 2001.
- Teammates have started 1-2 in five races this season, the fifth time that has occurred in IndyCar Series history. The record is six in 2005.
- Helio Castroneves has finished second in three consecutive races, tying Scott Dixon’s and Sam Hornish Jr.’s record of three consecutive second-place finishes.

MILESTONES AND RECORDS:
- Helio Castroneves will attempt to make his 112th career IndyCar Series start. It would also be his 110th consecutive start, which will tie Sam Hornish Jr. for the second-longest streak all time.
- Helio Castroneves can establish an IndyCar Series record for most consecutive seasons with at least one win should he win the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County. Castroneves is tied with Scott Sharp with victories in seven consecutive seasons.
- Helio Castroneves extended his IndyCar Series record for consecutive seasons with a pole to seven when he won the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award at Nashville. His pole at Mid-Ohio was the 25th of his career.
- Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves have 63 career top-five finishes, tied for first all time in IndyCar Series history.
- Helio Castroneves has passed Scott Sharp as the all-time leader in top-10 finishes. Castroneves has 85. Sharp has 82.
- Scott Dixon has led 867 laps this season. The record for most laps led in a season is 889 by Tony Kanaan in 2004.
- Scott Dixon has become the fifth driver to lead more than 2,000 laps in his career (2,149). The others to lead at least 2,000 laps are Sam Hornish Jr. (3,428), Helio Castroneves (2,873), Dan Wheldon (2,735) and Tony Kanaan (2,487).
- Helio Castroneves has led laps in 68 IndyCar Series races, passing Sam Hornish Jr. (67) for the all-time record.
- Vitor Meira has gone 90 starts without a victory in the IndyCar Series, the longest drought of any IndyCar Series driver.
- Helio Castroneves has gone 29 starts without a victory, the longest drought of his IndyCar Series career.
- Marco Andretti recorded the 20th top-10 finish of his career at Kentucky.
- Scott Dixon won his 12th career pole at Kentucky and needs one more to tie Greg Ray for second all time with 13.
- Scott Dixon has tied Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr. with six career wins from the pole.
- Scott Dixon has moved into second place with 16 career victories. Sam Hornish Jr. holds the record with 19.
- Helio Castroneves holds the record for most career second-place finishes (19).

INDYCAR SERIES POINTS STANDINGS – POST RACE 14 – TOP TEN
1. Scott Dixon - 558 points
2. Helio Castroneves - 480
3. Dan Wheldon - 420
4. Tony Kanaan - 411
5. Ryan Briscoe - 350
6. Danica Patrick - 315
7. Marco Andretti - 311
8. Ryan Hunter-Reay - 298
9. Hideki Mutoh - 298
10. Oriol Servia - 298
13. Will Power - 267

BOMBARDIER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR POINTS STANDINGS – POST RACE 14
1. Hideki Mutoh - 298 points
2. Will Power - 267
3. Justin Wilson - 249
4. Graham Rahal - 235
5. E.J. Viso - 234
6. Enrique Bernoldi - 208
7. Mario Moraes - 197
8. Jaime Camara - 140


Back | Back to top