Scott Dixon wins 2008 Indy Car season opener
(L to R) Marco Andretti (2nd), Scott Dixon (1st) and Dan Wheldon (3rd) |
Gail Miller/AutoRacing1.com |
Polesitter Scott Dixon won the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday night in his Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda. He goes down in the record books as the first driver to win an IndyCar race after the merger of Champ Car and the IRL. It was Dixon's 11th career Indy Car win and it gave car owner Chip Ganassi his 2nd win of the day, having also won the Grand-Am race earlier in the day.
The victory is a reversal of fortune for Dixon, who finished second in the 2007 IndyCar Series championship after running out of fuel while leading on the final lap of the season finale at Chicagoland.
Dixon was able to take the lead when Tony Kanaan sustained damage while in the lead when Ernesto Viso’s car spun on Lap 193. The right front corner of Kanaan’s car made contact with Viso’s car, damaging the car. Kanaan remained on the track during the caution period, but couldn’t race at speed when the green flag dropped and he eventually finished eighth.
Andretti, who led a race-high 85 laps, finished second 1/2-second behind, tying his career-best mark on an oval.
Dan Wheldon, who came all the way from the back after crashing in qualifying, Helio Castroneves and Ed Carpenter rounded out the top-5.
Andretti was happy with a 2nd place finish.
"We have been working hard in the off-season and we're thinking points this year so we're happy to start the season with a 2nd place."
Before a crowd estimated at around 20,000, polesitter Scott Dixon led the early laps over Danica Patrick until Tony Kanaan passed them both to take the lead on lap 13.
On lap 21 Dixon got back around Kanaan during the first caution for debris. Meanwhile Dan Wheldon was moving up fast from the back of the grid, clearly the fastest car on the track at that point of the race.
Marco Andretti led laps 81 through 117 (and again 122 thru 160) of the race after making a daring pass around the outside of Dixon in Turn 4.
"It was close," said Dixon. "I was loose on new tires and if I turned the wheel any further I would have spun out. I was sliding up the track, and I could not believe there was enough room up top for him to get by, but it all turned out well. It was a great move by Marco."
On lap 127 the 2nd caution flag came out when Milka Duno lost control of her car in Turn 1 and collected Ryan Briscoe who was passing on the high side. Although Briscoe's day ended early he was credited with the race's fastest lap at 213.308 mph.
Marco Andretti led with just 40 laps to go when he bobbled slightly and his Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan swept past.
Then with 27 laps to go Kanaan gave the lead back to Andretti when he pitted for his final pit stop. Andretti pitted one lap later and Scott Dixon took the lead.
When all the stops were completed Kanaan was back in the lead over Dixon and Andretti, a spot that he appeared he would hold to the finish. However, rookie Ernesto Viso crashed with 7 laps to go and leader Tony Kanaan just clipped him with his right front as he tried to dive below him.
Kanaan stayed out during the caution running at the front of the field with high right-front wheel assembly laying almost flat on the track. However, when the green flag flew with 3 laps to go the field swept past with Dixon in front and Marco Andretti 2nd.
Dixon held off Andretti for the win.
Although it appeared Kanaan was headed to victory, in fact Dixon was catching Kanaan at a fairly good clip.
"We set our car up with less downforce than most cars on the grid," said Dixon. "It wasn't an easy car to drive but we were fast and it would have been close at the end had we gone green all the way."
Dixon also gave credit to the transition teams and drivers who he said stayed out of the way most of the night. He also said not to expect too much from the transition teams just yet because they have not had much time with the equipment, but he thought that by Indy they would begin to figure it out.
"Therefore, next year will be the first real championship of the merged series," said Dixon.
Ryan Hunter-Reay appeared destined for a 5th place finish, but unfortunately when the green flag waved with three laps to go, Kanaan had no chance to go any faster than his previous pace car speed, which bottled up the field roaring off of Turn Four. Much of the field checked up, Hunter-Reay went to the high side of Turn Four as he tried to avoid the glut of cars forming in front of him, and by the time he was able to get sorted, Patrick and Carpenter had gotten by. Hunter-Reay fought back on the last two laps but could not make up the ground, but did get one spot back at the flag when he passed Kanaan’s wounded vehicle, earning a seventh-place finish.
“We had a fifth-place finish in the bag and got robbed on the last restart," Hunter-Reay lamented. “We went through this in the driver’s meeting and I don’t know exactly how it happened, but it killed our race. We really had a good rhythm going today and the car was strong, but we didn’t get the points we deserved for it."
There were 12 lead changes among 5 drivers and 3 caution flags for 24 laps. The winner averaged 171.248 mph.
The series now heads to the St. Petersburg street circuit next weekend.
Results
Pos |
Driver | Start Pos | Diff | Gap | Status |
1 | Scott Dixon (9) | 1 | … | Running | |
2 | Marco Andretti (26) | 4 | 0.5828 | 0.5828 | Running |
3 | Dan Wheldon (10) | 22 | 1.4278 | 0.8450 | Running |
4 | Helio Castroneves (3) | 5 | 8.0340 | 6.6062 | Running |
5 | Ed Carpenter (20) | 24 | 1 lap | 1 lap | Running |
6 | Danica Patrick (7) | 2 | 0.2270 | 0.2270 | Running |
7 | Ryan Hunter-Reay (17) | 9 | 0.5911 | 0.3641 | Running |
8 | Tony Kanaan (11) | 6 | 2 laps | 1 lap | Running |
9 | A.J. Foyt IV (2) | 25 | 26.7502 | 26.7502 | Running |
10 | Vitor Meira (4) | 10 | 3 laps | 1 lap | Running |
11 | Buddy Rice (15) | 11 | 4 laps | 1 lap | Running |
12 | Oriol Servia (5) | 14 | 5 laps | 1 lap | Running |
13 | Darren Manning (14) | 12 | 6 laps | 1 lap | Running |
14 | Franck Perera (34) | 13 | 0.6986 | 0.6986 | Running |
15 | Justin Wilson (02) | 15 | 7 laps | 1 lap | Running |
16 | Mario Moraes (19) | 21 | 13 laps | 6 laps | Running |
17 | Ernesto Viso (33) | 18 | 17 laps | 4 laps | Accident |
18 | Enrique Bernoldi (36) | 17 | 51 laps | 34 laps | Handling |
19 | Ryan Briscoe (6) | 3 | 74 laps | 23 laps | Accident |
20 | Milka Duno (23) | 16 | 78 laps | 4 laps | Accident |
21 | Marty Roth (25) | 8 | 147 laps | 69 laps | Handling |
22 | Jay Howard (24) | 23 | 150 laps | 3 laps | Handling |
23 | Bruno Junqueira (18) | 20 | 160 laps | 10 laps | Handling |
24 | Hideki Mutoh (27) | 7 | 168 laps | 8 laps | Mechanical |
25 | Will Power (8) | 19 | 176 laps | 8 laps | Mechanical |
Race Statistics
“We had a couple of stints there where it was nearly nonstop without a yellow. I thought there were going to be a ton early on. In our team meeting, we were sort of scheduling for quite a few stops early on, but that just didn’t come. I think everybody was really using their heads. The guys who came in from Champ Car were fantastic. They were giving everybody room and they drove a great clean race."
DAN WHELDON (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, finished third): “To be honest, it probably wasn’t me. The car was obviously very good. The other people on the track were very respectful. I think they knew I had a fast car. To tell you the truth, I think every time I came up behind somebody and they knew I was quicker, they made it comfortable for me to pass. From that standpoint, I certainly appreciate what they did. From a car standpoint, we were phenomenal on a long run, but on the short run we weren’t quite as quick as we’d like perhaps. We seemed to just lose a little bit on that last start. To finish third after a difficult day yesterday, I think these are good points in the bank."
“The way I look at it, this is right where I finished here in 2004, and we know the way that year turned out."