APRIL 24, 2006 - 1.5 MILE…TWIN TING – MOTEGI - RACE # 3 OF…14…

HELIO CASTRONEVES…ONE OF THE SERIES…"SIX PACK"…DRIVERS… (THE DRIVERS WHO WILL WIN EVERY RACE THIS YEAR) PICKED UP HIS 2^ND WIN OF THE SEASON (ST. PETE WAS THE 1^ST)…IN A PRETTY MUCH UNEVENTFUL…RACE…COMPLETELY DOMINATED BY THE PENSKE DRIVER…

CASTRONEVES…RELATIVELY EASY WIN…IS READILY SHOWN BY THE MORE THAN 6 SECOND MARGIN OF VICTORY OVER…2^ND PLACE DRIVER …DAN WHELDON…

SINCE WE DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO SEE THIS RACE…YOU’LL PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO PAINT YOUR OWN PICTURE AS TO HOW THINGS UNFOLED…BUT HERE’S THE …MOTEGI RECAP…

 
1. (1) HELIO CASTRONEVES, DALLARA-HONDA, 200, $176,100
2. (3) DAN WHELDON, DALLARA-HONDA, 200, RUNNING $136,050
3. (5) TONY KANAAN, DALLARA-HONDA, 200, RUNNING $113,350
4. (4) SAM HORNISH JR., DALLARA-HONDA, 200, RUNNING $91,100
5. (18) BUDDY RICE, PANOZ-HONDA, 200, RUNNING $83,000
6. (7) BRYAN HERTA, DALLARA-HONDA, 200, RUNNING $72,900
7. (6) KOSUKE MATSUURA, DALLARA-HONDA, 200, RUNNING $72,800
8. (14) DANICA PATRICK, PANOZ-HONDA, 200, RUNNING $68,900
9. (2) SCOTT DIXON, DALLARA-HONDA, 199, RUNNING $68,900
10. (11) VITOR MEIRA, DALLARA-HONDA, 199, RUNNING $66,800
11. (10) DARIO FRANCHITTI, DALLARA-HONDA, 199, RUNNING $64,700
12. (17) MARCO ANDRETTI, DALLARA-HONDA, 199, RUNNING $62,900
13. (12) TOMAS SCHECKTER, DALLARA-HONDA, 196, RUNNING $61,000
14. (15) BUDDY LAZIER, DALLARA-HONDA, 195, RUNNING $58,700
15. (9) FELIPE GIAFFONE, DALLARA-HONDA, 155, RUNNING $56,800
16. (8) SCOTT SHARP, DALLARA-HONDA, 42, ACCIDENT $54,900
17. (16) P.J. CHESSON, DALLARA-HONDA, 40, ACCIDENT $52,800
18. (20) JEFF SIMMONS, PANOZ-HONDA, 40, ACCIDENT $52,800
19. (13) TOMAS ENGE, DALLARA-HONDA, 25, ACCIDENT $50,700
20. (19) ED CARPENTER, DALLARA-HONDA, 25, ACCIDENT $48,800         

      
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 6.3851 SECONDS
      
CAUTIONS: 3 FOR 32 LAPS

LAP LEADERS…10 AMONG 6 DRIVERS…CASTRONEVES 1-24, WHELDON 25-29, CASTRONEVES 30-93, KANAAN 94, DIXON 95-96, SCHECKTER 97-99, MEIRA 100, CASTRONEVES 101-146, DIXON 147-149, MEIRA 150, CASTRONEVES 151-200.

POINT STANDINGS: CASTRONEVES 146, WHELDON 104, HORNISH 94, DIXON 92, KANAAN 89

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APRIL 3, 2006 - RACE # 2 OF…14…
RACIN’ ON SPRING BREAK...ON THE STREETS OF…ST. PETERSBURG…

LAST YEAR A BRIDESMAID…AND THIS YEAR A …BRIDE…WAS THE STORY OF THE ST. PETERSBURG GRAND PRIX…AS…HELIO CASTRO-NEVES…ONE OF THE SERIES…"SIX PACK" DRIVERS…(THE DRIVERS WHO WILL WIN EVERY RACE THIS YEAR) PICKED UP HIS FIRST CHECKERED FLAG OF THE YOUNG SEASON AS HE PREVAILED IN AN ATTRITION FILLED RACE WHICH SAW MANY OF THE SERIES BEST DRIVERS FALL BY THE WAYSIDE…WHILE THE BACKMARKERS…ENJOYED DECENT FINISHES…

DARIO FRANCHITTI (SIX PACK) LED THE OPENING LAPS BEFORE HIS CAR GAVE UP…AND THEN DAN WHELDON (SIX PACK)…THE DEFENDING RACE AND SERIES CHAMP…GOT "CAUGHT UP" IN A CAUTION TANGLE WITH …FELLOW (SIX PACKER)…SAM HORNISH…WHICH ENDED HIS DAY AND THEN…HORNISH…HIMSELF…FELL VICTIM TO HIS OWN DRIVING…AND ENDED UP A DISAPPOINTING 8^TH PLACE…

AT THE END OF THE DAY…IT WAS…CASTRONEVES…DOING THE FENCE CLIMBING…AS HE BARELY OUTDISTANCED…SCOTT DIXON…WHO HAD PERHAPS THE BEST DRIVE OF THE DAY FINISHING A CLOSE 2^ND…WHILE DRIVING WITH A BROKEN FRONT WING…

ONE FINAL NOTE…IS LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT…19 YEAR OLD…MARCO ANDRETTI IS "THE REAL DEAL"…AND HE PROVED IT…SUNDAY…WHEN RACING WHEEL TO WHEEL…WITH SERIES CHAMP...DAN WHELDON…AND WHEN THE TWO…TOUCHED"…AT SPEED…ANDRETTI…FULLY RECOVERED …AND DROVE AWAY FROM…WHELDON…

WE’RE HERE TO TELL YA’…THIS KID IS NO…MEDIA INVENTION…HE CAN RACE…

THE…I.R.L.-ER’S…NOW…TAKE 20 DAYS OFF…AS THEY PREPARE TO GO…RICE RACIN’…AT THE...TWIN LING MOTEGI…BUT FIRST…HERE’S THE I.R.L…ST. PETERSBURG…FINISH…

IRL INDYCAR SERIES

GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

("SIX PACK" DRIVERS…HIGHLIGHTED)

1. (5) HELIO CASTRONEVES, DALLARA-HONDA, 100, $125,800
2. (2) SCOTT DIXON, PANOZ-HONDA, 100, RUNNING $94,850
3. (3) TONY KANAAN, DALLARA-HONDA, 100, RUNNING $78,750
4. (6) BRYAN HERTA, DALLARA-HONDA, 100, RUNNING $63,000
5. (12) VITOR MEIRA, DALLARA-HONDA, 100, RUNNING $59,300
6. (14) DANICA PATRICK, PANOZ-HONDA, 100, RUNNING $50,200
7. (9) KOSUKE MATSUURA, DALLARA-HONDA, 100, RUNNING $48,700
8. (4) SAM HORNISH JR., DALLARA-HONDA, 99, RUNNING $47,400
9. (16) FELIPE GIAFFONE, DALLARA-HONDA, 99, RUNNING $47,400
10. (15) SCOTT SHARP, PANOZ-HONDA, 99, RUNNING $45,900
11. (17) EDDIE CHEEVER JR., DALLARA-HONDA, 99, RUNNING $44,400
12. (8) TOMAS SCHECKTER, DALLARA-HONDA, 96, ACCIDENT $43,100
13. (7) BUDDY RICE, PANOZ-HONDA, 96, ACCIDENT $41,800
14. (18) BUDDY LAZIER, DALLARA-HONDA, 59, MECHANICAL $40,200
15. (10) MARCO ANDRETTI, DALLARA-HONDA, 58, HALFSHAFT $38,900
16. (13) DAN WHELDON, PANOZ-HONDA, 57, ACCIDENT $37,500
17. (19) P.J. CHESSON, DALLARA-HONDA, 55, SUSPENSION $36,100
18. (11) ROBERTO MORENO, DALLARA-HONDA, 32, STEERING $36,100
19. (1) DARIO FRANCHITTI, DALLARA-HONDA, 15, WHEEL BEARING $44,600        
  
MARGIN OF VICTORY: UNDER CAUTION

CAUTIONS: 2 CAUTION FLAGS FOR 11 LAPS     

LEAD CHANGES: 8 AMONG 5 DRIVERS      

LAP LEADERS: FRANCHITTI 1-14, DIXON 15-34, HORNISH JR. 35-36, DIXON 37-44, CASTRONEVES 45-54, RICE 55-62, CASTRONEVES 63-87, DIXON 88-95, CASTRONEVES 96-100.      

POINT STANDINGS: CASTRONEVES 93, DIXON 70, WHELDON 64, HORNISH 62, KANAAN 54, MATSUURA 54, HERTA 49, SHARP 46, GIAFFONE 46, FRANCHITTI 44.