2010 Indianapolis 500 Tweet By Tweet By Half

Alex Tagliani as he is lined up in front of the famous infield Pagoda structure at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

2010 Indianapolis 500 Tweet By Tweet By Half

We join Twitter and the postings at 140 or less characters to tell the story of the 2010 Indianapolis 500 at the halfway point. The race action at the beginning was just too fast and furious to drop in and set a spell with Twitter until LAP 112 where we pick up the action. There was an accident on the first lap involving Davey Hamilton, the oldest driver to make the show at 47 years old. Davey felt that Tomas Scheckter caused the spin by being where he shouldn't have been at the start of the race ... coming out of the fourth corner.

IndyCarPR Lap 112: GREEN. Scheckter leads the field into Turn 1. Sato is issued a 15 second stop and hold penalty for entering the closed pit.

toomuchracing Restart, and Dario retakes the lead. Kanaan up to 3rd over Helio

CrashGladys And 3rd again... Lovin' me some TK! Now freakin' P2!!!! #indy500

IndyTalk #11 Kanaan passes Franchitti for second #indy500

IndyCarNation Lead change Lap 114: #10 Franchitti makes pass of Scheckter entering Turn 1. Kanaan makes pass for seconds. Crowd goes crazy.

500coverage 3:03 - Tony Kanaan is now in 2nd place after starting 33rd.

indy44 These restarts are excellent! #Indy500

kvracing Back to Green Flag racing, Viso moves up another spot to 16th. Lap 114

IndyCarNation Will Power reports he has lost the Honda Overtake Assist on the #12

500coverage 3:04 - Don't look now, but Danica Patrick is up to 12th. #indy500

toomuchracing RT @99forever: Sato gets a 15-sec penalty for striking pit personnel. #Indy500

IndyRacingNut Scheckter hasn't used a single Push to Pass yet...this is good for Tomas. :)

Marco26Web Marco has used more Push-to-pass than anyone else but the #26 is dialled! Now P4 and still pushing.

IndyTalk Fisher's car now being pushed toward Gasoline Alley #indy500

Newman_Haas We are done for the day. Hope you enjoy the rest of the race. May the best man or woman win!

VisionRacing Fuzzy's crew disappointed w/ situation, but not giving up. Lots of racing left! http://flic.kr/p/86bNFV

indy44 I get real nervous when Tomas and Marco run near each other. #Indy500

CRASH - Ryan Briscoe slams wall in turn #4 - speculation is cold tires after pit stop!

IndyRacingNut @Pinkgineer If you try showing people calculator tricks and no one is impressed....you might be a math geek. LOL

Pinkgineer Totally! I got my Dad interested haha RT @99forever: @Pinkgineer That means new people are paying attention. Great news. :)

Marco26Web Green flag pit stops shaking out, and Marco would have re-started P2. But we're back to yellow as Briscoe wrecks out.

indy44 This next restart is going to be insane. Hold on to your hats! #Indy500

VisionRacing Callusing the thumbs for your tweeting pleasure; it's Pat! http://flic.kr/p/86fdr9

penskeracing With 50 laps remaining, Will Power runs ninth and Helio Castroneves 15th

VisionRacing Indy 500 Firehawks! RT @FirestoneRacing: RT @VisionRacing: Tires. Full Fuel. Front wing. GO get em Ed. #Indy500 // what kind of tires?? ;)

IndyCarPR 50 laps to go: Leaders under yellow are: 10, 26, 11, 23, 99, 37, 4, 9, 12, 24

This race now becomes a sprint to the finish with only one Green Flag stop left!

Restart - GREEN, GREEN, GREEN - 45 LAPS to go - Everyone hits Push-To-Pass!

Kanaan passes to take P2

F1B_Indi Officially the hottest race in the history of ever. Miami would be a cooldown.

Ryan Hunter-Reay passes to take over P6 - Townsend Bell gets a Black Flag for Blocking ... gets a drive through penalty.

IndyCarPR The Block party continues.... Next invitee, @townsendbell for a block on @ryanhunterreay Drivetrhough

16AndGeorgetown Saavedra into wall - Lap 161

99forever Saavedra tags the wall. #Indy500

Yellow Flag - 11th car out of race - 22 cars are still running. Andretti Autosport has all cars in the top 10.

SpeedJournal (ThatsRacin) Aussie aces aim to end Helio's reign in the 500 http://bit.ly/b6BqLv #autoracing

indy44 I don't think I've seen a race with so many black flags. Nicholson must have got Barnhart all pumped up. #FlagAction

37 LAPS remaining/165 run and two cars stay out to gain position - Mike Conway and Justin Wilson of DRR.

IndyCarPR Lap 163: Leaders to pit road. 4 cars stayed out, including 24 Conway, who is the new leader of the Indianapolis 500. It is his first lap led

Restart - GREEN, GREEN, GREEN - 34 LAPS to go! Conway gets swept up.

IndyCarPR @justinwilson22 @h3lio and @grahamrahal also stayed out. #indy500

99forever Mike Conway leads a lap at the #Indy500 for the first time. He seems so meek.. wonder how his continence is holding up. :)

RacingNation @DreyerReinbold running one-wo with 30 laps to go. Mike Conway leads Justin Wilson. However a lot can happen.

Conway, Wilson Castroneves, Rahal, and Frachitti round out the top five - this could become an unpredictable win for three of the top five drivers!

RacingNation Methinks Helio trying to save fuel by running behind Conway & Wilson-just biding his time. Needs yellow perhaps two to make it per Cindric

toomuchracing Conway pits from the lead. Leader is now Wilson. 22 to go

RacingNation 19 cars on the lead lap with Justin Wilson now leading, 22 laps to go #Helio #Indy500 #needyellowstomakeit.

500coverage 4:03 - Justin Wilson has gone 28 laps since pitting. Castroneves in 2nd has been out for 24. Rahal in 3rd out for 25. They need a yellow.

500coverage 4:04 - 180 laps, 450 miles. Top 10 Wilson, Castroneves, Rahal, Franchitti, Kanaan, M Andretti, Wheldon, Scheckter, Dixon, Hunter-Reay.

ConquestRacing 20 laps to go. Romancini highest ranked rookie at the moment in 17th position and Baguette has moved up to 22nd! http://bit.ly/c6nSrG

indy44 Race is in Dario's hands. Don't think TK can catch him. All bets are off on a yellow. #Indy500

BeccyGordon Dixon slowed drastically.... Saving fuel????

IndyRacingNut It looks like Helio has this race. He's set himself up perfectly.

99forever This is shaping up to be a very interesting finish indeed. #Indy500

99forever I don't want it to be over... :( #Indy500

IndyTalk #3 Castroneves is new leader and has yet to pit. Franchitti P2 #indy500

Castroneves IN THE PITS for fuel.

500coverage 4:12 - The best car all day, Dario Franchitti is now back in the lead with 8 laps to go in the #indy500. Tony Kanaan in 2nd.

indy44 Does Dario have enough fuel, this is going down to the wire. GO TK!!!!!!!!!! #Indy500

Kanaan IN THE PITS for fuel from 33rd to 22nd ... and now fuel.

FIVE miles to go!!!!

Whie Flag - Last Lap and there is a crash - Yellow Flag -Ryan Hunter-Reay and Mike Conway UPSIDEDOWN and without anything left but the driver safetypod.

maxpapis Dario Dario Dario soooo happy for u justice is made again

autoracingnews Wheldon 2nd, Lloyd 3rd, Dixon 4th, Patrick 5th. #indycar

500coverage 4:20 - Congratulations to Dario Franchitti. But the focus now is for Mike Conway, who had by far the day's most serious crash.

IndyCarNation MIke Conway is awake, alert and is being taken to Methodist Hospital with an orthopedic leg injury.

toomuchracing RT @johndagys: Danica: "At the end of the day, it's the race that matters. And we got a top-5." #Indy500

toomuchracing RT @shagers: Marco is on IMS Radio saying that he finished THIRD, and got passed under yellow at the end.... Stay tuned.

RacingNation Chip wins Daytona with McMurray, Indy with #DarioFranchitti, can he win tonight with Montoya or McMurray?

Left to Right - Patron/Highcroft Racing drivers Marino Franchitti, Simon Pagenaud, and David Brabham. Marino drove the last stint of the race and won at seven laps over the next closest competitor. Photo taken at the driver meet-up with AARWBA members in the Mazda suite at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca May 21, 2010. Image credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

After seeing Marino Franchitti, Dario's younger brother, win his ALMS race with co-drivers Simon Pagenaud and David Brabham ... it was great to see Dario Franchitti win this very next week at INDY. Everyone thought a father/son pairing might be the family story of the week ... and it would come from either the Rahal, or Andretti family, but it is the Franchitti family who are the Kings of Motorsport for the month of May 2010.

14 lead changes and a bunch of negative action that cost many a shot at the race in the pits - Target Chip Ganassi and Dario Franchitti never "got a wheel wrong" and comes up with his second Indy 500 win while saving fuel under a final lap Yellow Flag full-course caution!

UPDATE: Marco Andretti restored to P3!

This excerpted and edited from AutoSport.Com -

Marco Andretti has been restored to third place in the Indianapolis 500 after the race organisers reviewed footage of the moments after the final full course caution was called.

The Andretti Autosport driver was originally credited with sixth on the timing screens, but was adamant that Alex Lloyd, Scott Dixon and Danica Patrick had all passed him after the yellow flags came out for Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay's violent tangle.

The officials reassessed the finishing order, and just over two hours after the race, a final result was issued with Andretti back up to third place, and Dale Coyne Racing's Lloyd fourth ahead of Dixon (Ganassi) and Patrick (Andretti).
----
The results were also altered further down the field, with top rookies Simona de Silvestro and Mario Romancini swapping positions in 13th and 14th - making Conquest's Brazilian driver rather than HVM's de Silvestro the highest placed rookie in the results.

How The 2010 Field Of 33 Fared
(** indicates ChampCar transition association - Driver/Team)

1
Dario Franchitti
Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 10 C/E/T D/H/F Start 3 Laps 200 Total Time 03:05:37.0131 Laps Led 155 Status Running Points 64

2
Dan Wheldon
Panther Racing
No. 4 C/E/T D/H/F Start 18 Laps 200 Total Time 03:05:37.1667 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 44

3
Marco Andretti
Andretti Autosport
No. 26 C/E/T D/H/F Start 16 Laps 200 Total Time 03:05:58.0006 Laps Led 1 Status Running Points 39

4
Alex Lloyd
Dale Coyne Racing **
No. 19 C/E/T D/H/F Start 26 Laps 200 Total Time 03:05:58.0007 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 35

5
Scott Dixon
Target Chip Ganassi Racing
No. 9 C/E/T D/H/F Start 6 Laps 200 Total Time 03:05:58.5053 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 39

6
Danica Patrick
Andretti Autosport
No. 7 C/E/T D/H/F Start 23 Laps 200 Total Time 03:05:58.7691 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 32

7
Justin Wilson **
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 22 C/E/T D/H/F Start 11 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:02.9892 Laps Led 11 Status Running Points 30

8
Will Power **
Team Penske
No. 12 C/E/T D/H/F Start 2 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:07.2605 Laps Led 5 Status Running Points 37

9
Helio Castroneves
Team Penske
No. 3 C/E/T D/H/F Start 1 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:10.0268 Laps Led 3 Status Running Points 37

10
Alex Tagliani **
FAZZT Race Team
No. 77 C/E/T D/H/F Start 5 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:11.2613 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 30

11
Tony Kanaan
Andretti Autosport
No. 11 C/E/T D/H/F Start 33 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:36.6088 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 22

12
Graham Rahal **
Rahal Letterman Racing
No. 30 C/E/T D/H/F Start 7 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:36.9870 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 26

13
Mario Romancini
Conquest Racing **
No. 34 C/E/T D/H/F Start 27 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:38.6875 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 20

14
Simona De Silvestro **
Team Stargate Worlds/HVM **
No. 78 C/E/T D/H/F Start 22 Laps 200 Total Time 03:06:38.6876 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 20

15
Tomas Scheckter
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 23 C/E/T D/H/F Start 20 Laps 199 Total Time 03:05:38.7686 Laps Led 5 Status Running Points 19

16
Townsend Bell **
Sam Schmidt/Ganassi Racing
No. 99 C/E/T D/H/F Start 10 Laps 199 Total Time 03:06:11.8268 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 18

17
Ed Carpenter
Panther Racing
No. 20 C/E/T D/H/F Start 8 Laps 199 Total Time 03:06:38.5137 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 20

18
Ryan Hunter-Reay **
Andretti Autosport
No. 37 C/E/T D/H/F Start 17 Laps 198 Total Time 03:03:59.4537 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 16

19
Mike Conway
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 24 C/E/T D/H/F Start 15 Laps 198 Total Time 03:03:59.7754 Laps Led 15 Status Contact Points 16

20
Takuma Sato
KV Racing Technology **
No. 5 C/E/T D/H/F Start 31 Laps 198 Total Time 03:06:14.4668 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 15

21
Ana Beatriz
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
No. 25 C/E/T D/H/F Start 21 Laps 196 Total Time 03:03:59.7737 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 16

22
Bertrand Baguette
Conquest Racing **
No. 36 C/E/T D/H/F Start 24 Laps 183 Total Time 03:05:50.9723 Laps Led 0 Status Running Points 16

23
Sebastian Saavedra
Bryan Herta Autosport
No. 29 C/E/T D/H/F Start 32 Laps 159 Total Time 02:32:32.5892 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 15

24
Ryan Briscoe
Team Penske
No. 6 C/E/T D/H/F Start 4 Laps 147 Total Time 02:13:47.7317 Laps Led 5 Status Contact Points 23

25
E.J. Viso **
KV Racing Technology **
No. 8 C/E/T D/H/F Start 19 Laps 139 Total Time 02:13:28.9454 Laps Led 0 Status Handling Points 14

26
Sarah Fisher
Sarah Fisher Racing
No. 67 C/E/T D/H/F Start 29 Laps 125 Total Time 02:03:57.1651 Laps Led 0 Status Handling Points 13

27
Vitor Meira
A.J. Foyt Enterprises
No. 14 C/E/T D/H/F Start 30 Laps 105 Total Time 01:46:16.3889 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 13

28
Hideki Mutoh
Newman/Haas Racing **
No. 06 C/E/T D/H/F Start 9 Laps 76 Total Time 01:30:16.6932 Laps Led 0 Status Handling Points 16

29
Raphael Matos **
de Ferran Dragon Racing
No. 2 C/E/T D/H/F Start 12 Laps 72 Total Time 01:08:35.6525 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 14

30
John Andretti
Richard Petty/Andretti Autosport
No. 43 C/E/T D/H/F Start 28 Laps 62 Total Time 00:55:05.9418 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 13

31
Mario Moraes **
KV Racing Technology **
No. 32 C/E/T D/H/F Start 13 Laps 17 Total Time 00:20:36.2718 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 14

32
Bruno Junqueira **
FAZZT Race Team
No. 33 C/E/T D/H/F Start 25 Laps 7 Total Time 00:09:22.6660 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 13

33
Davey Hamilton
de Ferran Dragon Racing
No. 21 C/E/T D/H/F Start 14 Laps 0 Total Time 00:00:02.2573 Laps Led 0 Status Contact Points 14

... notes from The EDJE

Women Of The Historic 94th IZOD Indy 500

The Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

Women Of The Historic 94th IZOD Indy 500

For the first time in its 94 event history, four women have qualified for the Indianapolis 500, motorsport's most sought after and watched auto racing event.

The four women that will appear on the grid of the preset and traditional 33 car field in the following order of qualification are Brazilian Ana Beatriz, driving the Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21, Swiss driver, Simona De Silvestro, driving Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing car #78 starting from Row 8/P22, American Danica Patrick, driving the Go Daddy/Andretti Autosport car #7 starting from Row 8/P23, and the woman to qualify for more Indy 500 starting fields of 33 cars than any other woman, American Sarah Fisher, driving the Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21.

Brazilian Ana Beatriz, driving the Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)


Swiss driver, Simona De Silvestro, driving Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing car #78 starting from Row 8/P22. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)


American Danica Patrick, driving the Go Daddy/Andretti Autosport car #7 starting from Row 8/P23. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)


American Sarah Fisher, driving the Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

There would have been five women to qualify if IRL regular, Venezuelan Milka Duno had qualified her Citgo/Dale Coyne Racing car #18.

What is a bit more amazing is that these four women qualified for a 33 car field that was separated by only 3.0622 seconds from P1 to P33 (the fastest to the slowest qualifiers) - the field for the 2010 Indy 500 is the closest matched field, by time, in the event's 94-year history. Also, the shortened format for this year's Indy 500 offered new and unique challenges to the 41 entries vying for a spot in the coveted 33 car starting field. This is the first year in modern history that the qualifying format for the legendary race was scaled back to a single weekend, making the challenges of car set-ups, weather conditions and the luck of the draw all crucial factors.

Milka Duno and her Dale Coyne team had only two attempts remaining to bump their way into this year's Indy 500. An average four-lap speed of 223.8mph was needed. Trying twice in the last hour a 223mph flat was the best time that could be generated. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

We have come a long way since 1977 when Janet Guthrie became the first woman to ever qualify for this grueling test of man (woman) and machine. She was Top Rookie and set set fastest time of day at Indianapolis on May 7 and May 22, 1977. The very next year (1978), her ninth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500, with a team she formed and managed herself, was the best by a woman until 2005 when Danica Patrick was able to post a fourth place finish.

The only other woman to compete at the "Brickyard" was Lyn St. James starting in 1992, qualifying 27th and finishing 11th. She went on to compete in six more Indy 500's qualifying as high as P6 but never bettering or equaling her first finishing experience.

UPDATE:

How They Finished

Pos - Driver - Team - Gap
6. Danica Patrick - Andretti - + 21.7560s
14. Simona de Silvestro - HVM - + 1m01.6745s
21. Ana Beatriz - Dreyer & Reinbold - + 4 laps

Retirements:

Sarah Fisher - Sarah Fisher Racing - 125 laps

... notes from The EDJE

Mercury Brand To End Edsel Ford Legacy

Plans Scraped - The all-new 2011 Mercury Cougar will come with three engine choices and two powertrain choices currently offered. The base engine for the Cougar is Ford's new Duratec 3.7-liter dual-overhead cam V6 engine that will deliver around 305 horsepower and supposed to get 19 and 30 mpg on city and the highway respectively. Originally, the Mercury Cougar was introduced ton consumers in 1967 as an upscale Ford Mustang. The Cougar shared the same platform as the Mustang from 1967 to 1973 when the Cougar was shifted over to the Ford Torino platform in 1974. In 1977, the Cougar and Thunderbird were redesigned and shared the same platforms from 1977 to 1997. Finally, in 1999, the Cougar was redesigned again and downsized to the CDW27 platform and which ran until 2002. Image Credit: s182.photobucket.com

Mercury Brand To End Edsel Ford Legacy

It began as a response to General Motors Co.'s strategy of building a "Ladder" of brand nameplates so that as a customer grew in income and status, so would his choice of GM car. It was a strategy of customer retention, automobile culture development, and corporate growth that propelled GM to pass ford as the world's largest automobile manufacturer.

Mercury, which began life as a responsive idea from Edsel Ford, the son of the founder of Ford Motor Company, Henery Ford, now joins the dust heap of cultural nameplates that carried its own identification just to hear the sound of the name, like Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Plymouth, Saturn, and this is just since the turn of this century!

The 1967 Cougar was based on that year's refaced first-generation Mustang, but with a 3 inch (76 mm) longer wheelbase and new sheet metal. A full-width divided grille with hidden headlamps and vertical bars defined the front fascia—it was sometimes called the electric shaver grille. At the rear, a similar treatment saw the license plate surrounded on both sides with vertically slatted grillework concealing taillights (with sequential turn signals), a styling touch taken from the Thunderbird. A deliberate effort was made to give the car a more "European" flavor than the Mustang, at least to American buyers' eyes. Aside from the base model and the luxurious XR-7, only one trim package was available for either model: the sporty GT. The XR-7 model brought a wood-grained steering wheel, a simulated wood-grained dashboard with a full set of black-faced competition instruments and toggle switches, an overhead console, a T-type center automatic transmission shifter, and leather or vinyl seats. The GT package, meanwhile, supplied a much larger engine, Ford's 390 in³ (6.4 L) FE-series big block to replace the small-block 289 in³ (4.7 L) standard powerplant. Along with this came an upgraded suspension to handle the extra weight of the big engine and give better handling, more powerful brakes, better tires and a low-restriction exhaust system. The Cougar was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1967 [ht: Wikipedia]. Image Credit: Eric English

"Mercury is a brand that has lost its meaning in the American automotive marketplace and it isn't worth trying to change that," Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl said in a statement.

Mercury was supposed to give Ford a mid-priced car that fit between the more pedestrian and inexpensive Ford models and its more luxurious brand, Lincoln. For several decades that strategy seemed to work, with Mercury, especially with breakout models such as the Cougar and the popular Marquis selling well.

As of 2006, one can buy a DeLorean DMC12 built from the ground up using a combination of new, original and reproduction parts for around $42,500, while un-restored but good condition vehicles run from about US$20,000 upwards. Businessman Stephen Wynne has purchased all the remaining parts for the car and plans to build them in Houston. Image Credit: ohiodeloreans.com

So Mercury joins all of the other nameplates on the pile that also include Studebaker, Hudson, Packer, Nash, American Motors ... which included the models of Rambler, Pacer, Javelin, Marlin, Ambassador, Spirit, and Hornet ... with Tucker and DeLorean thrown in for good measure.

Today, the only place one might find a Cougar would be as a principle character on a TV sitcom, or trouble on a cruise.

... notes from The EDJE

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 2010 American Le Mans Series Test

The American Le Mans Series has named G-OIL from Green Earth Technologies as the official motor oil of the series and the sanctioning body, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). Unlike conventional petroleum-derived motor oils, G-OIL is made from saturated animal fats which have been processed through dehydrogenation. While the stuff may not be good for people to ingest in any significant quantities, the saturated fats apparently make a good lubricant and G-OIL has similar properties to petroleum oils. G-OIL is claimed to be biodegradable and Green Earth sells all its products in fully recyclable containers. The car pictured is the G-OIL ORECA-Courage FLM09 racing car for the newly formed Green Earth Team Gunnar (GETG), driven by Gunner Jeannette whose effort had him finish 14th overall and third in LMPC class. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 2010 American Le Mans Series Test

The Monterey hills were greeted with a wondrous, but a little chilly, spring day for the third test of the nine race 2010 American Le Mans Series season. The wind blew at times and the day's temperature never hit 70 degrees causing tire adhesion problems for some of the contenders throughout the day. One car even spun as it entered the front straight ready to take a restart, and another overshot the corner entirely and caused a wreck from which it never fully recovered ... from one of many Yellow Flag Caution periods throughout the race.

All in all, the race was hotly contested throughout the six hours until the checkered flag flew and the fireworks from the Mazda bridge, located just past the Start/Finish line, lit up the sky.

This excerpted and edited from American Le Mans Series PDF report -

At 8:18 pm (5h 48m running), Checkered Flag.

Marino Franchitti (#1-LMP HPD ARX-01c) crosses the line to take the overall victory.

Christophe Bouchut (#55-LMPC Oreca FLM09) wins in class by 7.105 seconds over Tom Sutherland (#36-LMPC Oreca FLM09).

Joey Hand, who drives the #90 BMW E92 M3 for Rahal Letterman Racing's BMW team, just before the race. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Patrick Long (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) wins the closet battle just 0.365 seconds ahead of Joey Hand (#90-GT BMW E92 M3) and 2.766 seconds ahead of Oliver Gavin (#4-GT Chevrolet Corvette ZR1).

Jeroen Bleekemolen (#54-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) lead flag to flag beating Andy Lally (#63-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) by move than one lap.

Marino Franchitti (#1-LMP HPD ARX-01c) records his 3rd ALMS win.
Simon Pagenaud (#1-LMP HPD ARX-01c) records his 7th ALMS win.
David Brabham (#1-LMP HPD ARX-01c) records his 21st ALMS win.

Christophe Bouchut (#55-LMPC Oreca FLM09) earns his second ALMS victory.
Mark Wilkins (#55-LMPC Oreca FLM09) earns his first ALMS victory.
Scott Tucker (#55-LMPC Oreca FLM09) earns his second ALMS victory.

Joerg Bergmeister (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) now has 31 ALMS wins.
Patrick Long (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) with 17 ALMS wins.

Jeroen Bleekemolen (#54-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) earns his second ALMS victory.
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen (#54-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) earns his second ALMS victory ... and first in the United States.
Tim Pappas (#54-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) earns his second ALMS victory.

American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented By Patrón – Race Quotes:

Marino Franchitti (#1-LMP HPD ARX-01c) “Procedurally this was a great performance for the team. Simon's drive was just a pleasure to watch. David got in and backed us up and got is a bit more of a lead. I knew the Dyson car was a bit of a terrier and I knew I didn't want to let them go. The guys made a great call not to put on new tires right there at the end. I was definitely hanging on for life, it was a bit like drifting or rally driving. It was great to have no damage and keep it together cause the car leaves Friday for Le Mans. So this is great heading to France.” (about the last stop) “Perry, our Michelin guy looked at our tires and said we were good.
Either way I was going to be happy. I knew I'd still have great tires and new tires were still really good. It was a perfect call because I could drive like I wanted to. Michelin was a big part of the win today.”

Simon Pagenaud in the HPD ARX-01c (lower left, black and green) as he brings the car forward through traffic from a start at the back of the pack. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Simon Pagenaud (#1-LMP HPD ARX-01c) “Thank you to the Highcroft Racing team, they did a fantastic job. The whole crew in the pits did a great job. The opening laps were pretty exciting. Starting at the back you have to find motivation and that was getting to the front. The ending of my stint was really good, the Michelin tires were working really, really good. We went through the traffic very quickly. We got ahead a lot from the first yellow the went out. It is a great team to be part of the operation like HR. Its great to go off to Le Mans where we're looking for the win.”

David Brabham (#1-LMP HPD ARX-01c) “The last couple of races here have been pretty good. Last year we won the championship here. I cant say enough about the team, today was an absolutely flawless demonstration of endurance racing. Everything happened out there and we made no mistakes in the pits. My teammates performed perfectly. This is the way to head off to Le Mans with this momentum.”

Joerg Bergmeister (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) “It was definitely a bit more relaxing this year. Especially last year being chased down by Jan. I knew Patrick would do a good job because he has been good all week long. There were some who thought it wouldn't work out because the BMW was charging but I knew that Patrick would work it out and pull away. The car was working well all day long. It was a good race.”

Patrick Long (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) ”Laguna Seca has been special. It was always the race we finished up. And of course last year we finished with a literal and figurative bang. This year not quite as exciting but still exciting none-the-less. We had a call if we were going to play for points or go for the win. On the restart Joey left a bit of an open door and I took it 3 wide through 11. Then it was all about running because I knew Joey wouldn't be happy. We came from P8 and worked our way through a very competitive field. We know Risi had a hard day so unfortunately they were in the mix with everyone else in the end because they were so
tough this weekend. I cant say enough about the competitiveness in all the classes in this Series. So many cars on the lead laps at the end and its just tough.”

Scott Tucker (#55-LMPC Oreca FLM09) “I don't know if there is a secret. I have great co-drivers and a great team. Our manager has a great mind and these guys make it easy for me. They do a great job behind the scenes. “

Mark Wilkins (#55-LMPC Oreca FLM09) “We had to push really hard to keep up front. Christophe drove a great stint, so did Scott to keep the car up there. Level 5 gave us a great car at Sebring and they did here. We knew if we could run to the end we'd be right there.”

Christophe Bouchut (#55-LMPC Oreca FLM09) “Its a nice feeling to win again here. It was a great race, this time we had to fight really hard until the end. The car was working really well. We had no problems at all. I just pushed the car to the maximum to keep our positions.”

Sebastiaan Bleekemolen (#54-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) “It feels great. Joroen said, we came here to win. We have a race Monday morning and we fly back home. This track is really sandy, it is the most difficult of the track. There was a car who went off at turn 4. An LMP went off and you couldn't see the track. But every driver knows this course so it's fun to drive when everyone is so familiar.”

Tim Pappas (#54-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) “This is pretty cool. We came out for Long Beach without much preparation. We had a difficult, frustrating race. We went home and worked hard and practice. All the guys at Black Swan are great. The Bleekemolen brothers come over and it was a great race. We didn't put a tire off and made zero mistakes in the pits so that turned out to a race win.”

Jeroen Bleekemolen (#54-GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) “I know the guys are great. We had a great start in Long Beach but some things went wrong, today it went really right. Its great to get the win and hopefully move up in the championships.”

Falling back into Spring, this race will rest for at least another year. It was good to be back so soon, now on to Le Mans, then the second have of the North American Tour begins.

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: American Le Mans Series, ALMS, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, 2010, Patrón, The EDJE

Bobby Rahal ... a multiple team owner with a couple of problems at ALMS

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)


Bobby Rahal ... a multiple team owner with a couple of problems at ALMS

Bobby Rahal, glad to hear his son, Graham Rahal made the nine car Shoot-Out to get into the IRL field for one of the set 33 positions in the field at the 2010 Indianapolis 500 yesterday, flew in to the Monterey area from Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama to oversee the activities of his Rahal Letterman BMW M3 GT ALMS team. What greeted him was the following bit of damage to the #90 driven by Dirk Mueller ... at the time of this posting, it is unknown if the car will make the field.

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

This excerpted and edited from an ALMS track report PDF -

At 10:31 am, Dirk Mueller (#90-GT BMW E92 M3) into the pits with damage to the right front, right rear, and rear end of the car. Apparently the car spun with contact but was able to drive back to the pits. This will be a big repair for the car before the race. There are left-over BMW parts near the tire barrier coming out of turn 6, it looks like this is where the incident occurred.

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

... and the curtain is drawn.

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)



UPDATE: It's just like ... it never happened!


Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Work completed and it is time to grid the cars! To see a YouTube of the exciting last minutes of the six hour test, CTRL-CLICK photo above to launch video. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

This excerpted and edited from BMW News & Reviews -

The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team fought to its third consecutive podium (four total for the season) with a second place finish by the No. 90 M3 GT of Joey Hand and Dirk Müller in today’s six-hour American Le Mans Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

After leading the bulk of laps going into the closing stage of the race, Hand was passed on the final restart to finish second, a bittersweet ending to a day that began with a crash in morning warm-up and an immediate rebuild of the No. 90 machine by the BMW-RLR crew. Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner finished eighth after a late-race punt dropped the No. 92 M3 down the order. The duo led the GT class twice during the day.

The six-hour race dealt competitors a total 10 caution periods and the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team played every opportunity to its benefit. Splitting strategies on the third yellow flag near the two-hour point, the team pitted the No. 90 M3 GT for fuel with rest of the class and elected to keep the No. 92 M3 on track and gain position. It paid off with the GT lead for Milner, who had replaced starting driver Auberlen just past the one hour mark.

When Milner was hit by a competitor and forced to the pits, Hand took over the lead from his teammate. The race gave fans a roller coaster ride through four more caution periods before the four hour mark as the M3 GTs ebbed and flowed at the front of the GT field based on the differing fuel and tire strategies.

In the fifth hour, the No. 90 M3 GT took the lead with some thirty minutes remaining, but in the final caution period of the race, Hand’s safe lead evaporated and the team was eventually forced to settle for second place.
Reference Here>>

... notes from The EDJE

IZOD Indy 500: Bobby & Graham Rahal Unite For Historic Effort

Graham Rahal driving for Sarah Fisher Racing at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

IZOD Indy 500: Bobby & Graham Rahal Unite For Historic Effort

It was announced today that Graham Rahal will drive the No. 30 Dallara/Honda fielded by his father, Bobby Rahal, in a one-race deal for the 94th edition of the Indianapolis 500 with Rahal Letterman Racing. The sponsor is expected to be announced sometime before the first practice session on May 16, 2010.

There have been generations from famous racing families before, but most felt that this came as a surprise given that Long Beach Motorsports Walk Of Fame honoree, Bobby Rahal was on record saying that he wanted his son to be able to make a name for himself out from under his, Bobby's, shadow.

Graham has won in the IRL (St. Pete, 2008, as the youngest ever driver to win a IZOD IndyCar Series race) and had some good history with Newman Haas in ChampCar so it was felt the time was right for the Rahal generations to mount an effort of their own.

Given that Graham has been mostly caught out in the shuffle this season, Rahal drove in three of the first four IndyCar Series races for Sarah Fisher Racing, but does not have a full-time ride with any team for the season. So he now has a one-race opportunity to start and hopefully finish his first Indy 500 - Rahal has failed to finish in two previous Indy 500 starts.

Graham Rahal shares a moment of ChampCar camaraderie with IZOD IndyCar Series points leader and, Will Power - Penske Racing, and fellow CCWS transition driver Alex Tagliani - FAZZT Racing at Barber Motorsports Park. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

This excerpted and edited from USA Today -

Graham Rahal reaches deal for father-son effort in Indy 500
By Gary Graves, USA TODAY

After previously saying he wanted his son to drive for another team to establish his own identity, Bobby Rahal said Tuesday that the timing was right for the generational merger at the Brickyard.

"I think he has proven he belongs and I'm thrilled to have him," said the three-time CART champion, referring to his son's historic 2008 St. Petersburg victory that made him open-wheel racing's youngest winner at 19 years, 93 days.

"It's flattering when your child wants to do what you do, even better when he wants to do it for you."

"I've made my mistakes there [INDY]," Graham Rahal said. "The main thing is to get to the checkered flag."
Reference Here>>

Knowing the competitive nature of Bobby Rahal ... he will bring the best equipment and engineers for this first time effort put forth by the Rahal family. Graham could come in as a dark horse winner given that Bobby, as a team owner (2004) and a driver (1986), has captured wins at the Brickyard and drank (worn) the quart bottle of milk!

The 94th Indianapolis 500 will take place Sunday, May 30th, 2010 at 12:00 PM ET - broadcast on ABC

... notes from The EDJE

Road Runner Turbo 300 via "Beep Beep" - errr, Tweet

All hail in Kansas City as a storm greets the IndyCar teams at Kansas Speedway. Image Credit indycarnation

Road Runner Turbo 300 via "Beep Beep" - errr, Tweet

Qualifying was delayed yesterday due to rain and hail.

Dan Wheldon and Marco Andretti have been put to the back of the grid for today's Kansas IndyCar race after they were judged to have illegally crossed the white line at the bottom of the track during their qualifying runs.

Wheldon's third place had been his best qualifying result since rejoining Panther last year, but he remains optimistic that he can still have a strong race from the tail of the field.

Dario Franchitti's Target Chip Ganassi car #10 getting prepared to take the track for today's race. Image Credit indycarnation

Andretti had qualified 11th before the officials' ruling.

The demotions mean Dario Franchitti and Hideki Mutoh move up to third and fourth places, with Fazzt's Alex Tagliani and Foyt's Vitor Meira are sharing row three - great starts for them both.

Getting ready for a quick ride aroung the track in Kansas in a 2-Seater. Image Credit indycarnation

Pos Driver Team Speed
1. Ryan Briscoe Penske 212.15mph
2. Scott Dixon Ganassi 211.22mph
3. Dario Franchitti Ganassi 211.19mph
4. Hideki Mutoh Newman/Haas/Lanigan 211.11mph
5. Alex Tagliani Fazzt 210.86mph
6. Vitor Meira Foyt 210.66mph
7. Will Power Penske 210.62mph
8. Helio Castroneves Penske 210.49mph
9. Danica Patrick Andretti 210.41mph
10. Mike Conway Dreyer & Reinbold 210.38mph
11. Takuma Sato KV 210.35mph
12. Mario Moraes KV 210.17mph
13. Raphael Matos Luczo Dragon/de Ferran 209.91mph
14. Sarah Fisher Sarah Fisher 209.89mph
15. Tony Kanaan Andretti 209.72mph
16. EJ Viso KV 209.73mph
17. John Andretti Andretti 209.73mph
18. Simona de Silvestro HVM 209.43mph
19. Bertrand Baguette Conquest 209.32mph
20. Justin Wilson Dreyer & Reinbold 209.18mph
21. Jay Howard Sarah Fisher 208.77mph
22. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti 208.41mph
23. Alex Lloyd Dale Coyne 208.30mph
24. Milka Duno Dale Coyne 207.88mph
25. Dan Wheldon Panther 211.22mph
26. Marco Andretti Andretti 210.40mph
27. Mario Romancini Conquest

Starting Grid just before the command was given to clear the grid and the announcement of "Drivers, Start You Engines" at the Road Runner Turbo 300 at Kansas Speedway. Image Credit: KV Racing Technology

The command was given for the drivers to START YOUR ENGINES - Row by row call out as HOT!

sidepodcast firing up indycar race control - http://bit.ly/9oshb1 - fab quality video

MyNameIsIRL Wheldon is out "in-car commentator". Dan starts talking about the car and...he stalls it. Note: "in-car commentator" is rarely a good idea.

GREEN GREEN GREEN!

IndyCarNation Lap 1: GREEN. The Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 is underway

At the start of the Road Runner Turbo 300, the grandstands seem a bit empty. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

Fresh tires and three wide they enter into the first few turns on an overcast day in Kansas.

LAP 5 - Briscoe, Franchitti and Dixon are still the top 3

pressdog Monitoring @simdesilvestro @sarahfisher @danicapatrick.

IndyCarPR Lap 10: #6 Briscoe leads #9 Dixon by .1755 of a second. #11 Kanaan is sixth after starting 15th. #37 Hunter-Reay is 10th after starting 22nd

luczodragon In battle with conway and marco

FastMachines Listening to the guys on IMS radio's coverage. So much better than ABC. They actually sound interested. #indycar http://is.gd/bQ7Lf

FuriousWedge Marco now 11th! Making Sam Hornish & Tomas Scheckter proud with all these outside line passes

TheEDJE Top 5 lead pack by 4.3 seconds

kvracing After 20 laps, Moraes (#32) is 8th, Viso (#8) 9th & Sato (#5) 12th

TheSpeedgeek milka is threatening to pass justin. it's been a good life everybody! apocalypse comes tomorrow!

indy44 vitor running with the big boys nice

toomuchracing What's up with Justin? RT @TheSpeedgeek: milka is threatening to pass justin. it's been a good life everybody! apocalypse comes tomorrow!

TheEDJE Live Beep Beep ... I mean TWEET blog at The EDJE - http://tinyurl.com/245bb6p

IndyCarPR Lap 33: #9 Dixon bids for the lead on Frontstretch and completes the pass of #6 Briscoe in Turn 2.

luczodragon Pitting on 45 to change, working to stay on lead lap so we get changes to take

IndyCarPR Lap 36: #9 Dixon leads #6 Briscoe by 1.0971 seconds

TheEDJE Weldon goes a lap down as Dixon goes by

Briscoe in for his pitstop on Lap 49 - Dixon still logging laps

racingleager Andretti racing Kansas with an eye on Indy 500: John Andretti teamed with two giants of racing a year ago, driving... http://bit.ly/doQrWG

kvracing Sato in to pit, next lap Moraes, then Viso. All tires and fuel - Viso 7th, Moraes 9th &
Sato 11th.

Alex Tagliani runs clean during the Road Runner Turbo 300, the first oval race of the season. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

autoracingnews After the first round of pit stops, Dixon leads at Kansas Speedway. Championship leader Power falls behind after a lengthy pit stop.

luczodragon Now let's see what we've got. Nice clean stop

TheEDJE Lap 60 - Only 14 cars on the lead lap

kvracing After 60 laps. Moraes (#32 car) is 9th, Sato (#5) is 11th & Viso (#8) is 16th. Dixon P1, Franchitti, Briscoe

luczodragon If this was an election Dixon by a landslide but a long way to go

MyNameIsIRL Penalty of some sort for Viso on the pit stop. Now he's back to 18th. Dammit.

toomuchracing Sato 11th in his first oval race, very impressive

luczodragon Rafa said the car is better but still slow

pressdog @sarahfisher67 is driving a pig. @simdesilvestro is putting up goot lap times. Spotters on fire for her.

autoracingnews Dixon on fire; has put Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti a lap down. 11 cars left on lead lap. Caution is out.

kvracing Lap 72 Yellow Flag for Viso. Moraes is 8th, Sato 11th.

MyNameIsIRL Scott Dixon is the opposite of racing excitement. There, I said it.

TheEDJE @MyNameIsIRL on Dixon - Can you say P-R-E-D-I-C-T-A-B-L-E? ... I knew you could

edcarpenter20 @danwheldon says he is light on downforce...

luczodragon More action under this yellow than any of us sees in the kc night life tonight

kvracing Sato back in pits for new tires after being pushed into grass coming out of pit lane in last stop. Moraes is 10th.

IndyCarNation Lap 76: Leaders on pit road for four tires and fuel. Lap cars of #26 M. Andretti, #66 Howard, #2 Matos, #12 Power and #24 Conway do not pit.

DRRIndyCar Mike is getting a wave around and will be back on the lead lap. Being asked to conserve fuel.

Restart - GREEN GREEN GREEN on Lap 83

FuriousWedge The Foyt crew needs to get their act together cause Vitor is hooked up on track passed 3 cars since green flag he lost in the pits

TheEDJE Back to 16 cars on the lead lap

DRRIndyCar Reached the halfway point. P15 with Mike and P21 with Justin.

ConquestRacing We are at the halfway point of the race. Romancini is 22nd; Baguette is 24th http://bit.ly/bpiipN

TheEDJE ICS points leader Will Power running along at 13

FuriousWedge If I'm starting a team, I'm bringing in John Andretti as my veteran, he's money today and was money in Roth Racing cars 2 years ago

IndyCarPR top 10 at lap 103: 9 Dixon, 10 Franchitti, 3 Castroneves, 11 Kanaan, 77 Tagliani, 37 Ryan Hunter-Reay, 14 Meria, 06 Mutoh, 43 John Andretti, 6 Briscoe

MyNameIsIRL And here's Danica making a pit stop. Really ESPN, this is embarrassing.

TheEDJE @MyNameIsIRL Too much Danica coverage especially after she held up Helio

tomasscheckter if i was helio right now i would be pisssssssed

edcarpenter20 7 car...been thereRT @tomasscheckter if i was helio right now i would be pisssssssed

Yellow Flag for debris - Lap 121

MyNameIsIRL Hideki Mutoh is now 4th. Mutoh Mania rises to a near fever pitch!

TheSpeedgeek @FuriousWedge vitors lost 4-5 spots every stop today. never fails.

Restart - GREEN GREEN GREEN - Lap 129

TheEDJE Only 12 cars on the lead lap - Top five on Push-To-Pass

FuriousWedge Back to green and Vitor goes back to work getting spots lost in the pits back, back up to 9th

TheEDJE John Andretti is all out of Push-To-Pass whereas Dixon has used only 2 of 20 allowed

MyNameIsIRL The Ganassi cars have already pulled away by almost a second from Kanaan. Try to act shocked.

IndyCarPR Lap 140: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .3053 of a second.

IndyCarNation Lap 145: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by .5415 of a second.

TheEDJE Sato isn't passing but he is pushing P-T-P and only has 8 left as he tries Helio

Those Lotus colors on the livery look really good

TheSpeedgeek who knew taku'd be better at the ovals than the roads? anybody?

MyNameIsIRL Takuma Sato, reported "road course specialist" is up to 6th. Mutoh in 4th. Japan is well represented this week.

TheEDJE @TheSpeedgeek Never saw Sato coming as an oval specialist - 6th? WOW

TheEDJE @MyNameIsIRL What are they puttin' in the Sushi in Kansas? Steak?

IndyCarPR Lap 160: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by 1.8959 seconds. #2 Matos and #26 Andretti on pit road four tires and fuel.

luczodragon The rout continues, Dixon running away. If it were a fight they would've stopped it

PlanetIRLdotcom For those of you without a feed. http://www.justin.tv/freddy49usa#r=kQ60fUQ

Last Round Of Pitstops

IndyCarPR Lap 161: #6 Briscoe pits for four tires and fuel.

FuriousWedge Side note, this result will likely bring everyone even with Will Power in points

garytrib Marco Coming out for last pit stop http://tweetphoto.com/20683301

IndyCarNation Lap 166: #9 Dixon leads #10 Franchitti by 2.1169 seconds. #32 Moraes on pit road for four tires and fuel.

Ryan Hunter-Reay and Helio Castroneves run side by side at Kansas. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

pressdog Just watched J Andretti inhale RHR live. Nicely done.

TheEDJE Jay Howard of Sarah Fisher Racing stuffs the car into the wall - joins EJ Viso as out of race - No More Left Turns

IndyCarNation Jay Howard in the wall. http://yfrog.com/cbxr2rj

luczodragon 22 laps left and Rafa 16th. Marco and danica are two he'll be chasing next when it goes green

MyNameIsIRL Yup. RT @mrt_history: I think the races in Sao Paulo and St. Pete were more interesting than this oval. Never thought I'd say that!

pressdog Sarah is having serious rage issues on the radio. Did I miss smthing?

Restart - GREEN GREEN GREEN - Lap 186

TheEDJE The Rising Sun ... SETS

TheEDJE Swiss Chard! De Silvestro helps out in taking Sato and Mutoh out.

Takuma Sato sits in his Lotus liveried KV Racing Technologies Dallara after showing well in his first oval race (he ran in the top 6 most of the day). He was taken out in a crash by fellow countryman Hideki Mutoh of Newman/Haas Racing. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

MyNameIsIRL Ironically, if we finish under yellow it might actually be a closer margin of victory.

IndyRacingNut @MyNameIsIRL Ain't THAT the truth...LOL

IndyCarNation Mutoh and Sato tangle. http://yfrog.com/ba62csj

pressdog Sarah rage: Jay tried to pass. She gave as much room as she could but he got int the marbles. No contact.

Six cars on the lead lap but lapped cars separate them

Restart - GREEN GREEN GREEN - 6 Laps to go

IndyRacingNut GO HELIO GO!!!

Franchitti passed for second place - Target Chip Ganassi P1 & P2

Race Ends - Checkered Flag Waves

autoracingnews Scott Dixon wins his second consecutive race at Kansas Speedway.

23rd win and 16th on Ovals! He did this by leading 74% of the laps.

kvracing Checkered Flag. Moraes #32 KVRT car finishes 7th in Kansas today. Sato 23rd, Viso 27th

scottdixon9 Dominant performance as Scott goes back-to-back @KansasSpeedway for his 22nd Indycar win!

luczodragon P16 for Rafa. Drove smart with car that struggled all day

PippaMann Fast and furious finish to the Kansas Indy Car race. 27 days until the Freedom 100!!! BRING IT!!!!!

FuriousWedge Not many in stands, 4th boring race in a row, Kansas got Sprint Cup shuffling; all signs point to this being final Kansas race for IRL

CrashGladys @FuriousWedge Wouldn't be disappointed if this was last Kansas race 4 IndyCar. I would luv Vegas to come in, but that track is just too fast

Podium of the Road Runner Turbo 300 - P1 - Scott Dixon - Target Chip Ganassi, P2 - Dario Franchitti - Target Chip Ganassi, and P3 - Tony Kanaan - Andretti Autosport. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

This from Timing & Scoring:

IZOD IndyCar Series Race Control
Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 Kansas Speedway
Current Flag: C
Rank No Name Laps Gap Diff Best Lap Best Lap Time Best Lap Speed Last Lap Time In Pit Pits Comment
1 9 Scott Dixon 200 --.---- --.---- 197 0:25.8216 211.91 MPH 0:25.8373 4
2 10 Dario Franchitti 200 3.0528 3.0528 196 0:25.7263 212.70 MPH 0:25.8187 4
3 11 Tony Kanaan 200 0.1682 3.2210 197 0:25.6653 213.20 MPH 0:25.9141 4
4 3 Helio Castroneves 200 0.6090 3.8300 132 0:25.8916 211.34 MPH 0:26.1995 4
5 37 Ryan Hunter-Reay 200 2.2833 6.1133 198 0:25.9154 211.14 MPH 0:26.1293 4
6 6 Ryan Briscoe 200 0.6818 6.7951 132 0:25.8721 211.50 MPH 0:26.1028 5
7 32 Mario Moraes 199 1 lap 1 lap 86 0:25.8461 211.71 MPH 0:26.1289 4
8 77 Alex Tagliani 199 0.2656 0.2656 197 0:25.8256 211.88 MPH 0:25.9614 4
9 43 John Andretti 199 0.4168 0.6824 87 0:25.8837 211.40 MPH 0:26.1219 4
10 14 Vitor Meira 199 0.2344 0.9168 87 0:25.9195 211.11 MPH 0:25.9308 4
11 7 Danica Patrick 198 1 lap 2 laps 194 0:25.7627 212.40 MPH 0:25.9494 4
12 12 Will Power 198 1.0215 1.0215 196 0:25.8667 211.54 MPH 0:26.5052 3
13 26 Marco Andretti 198 0.2212 1.2427 196 0:25.7884 212.18 MPH 0:26.3872 3
14 24 Mike Conway 198 1.4903 2.7330 195 0:25.9902 210.54 MPH 0:26.1959 3
15 4 Dan Wheldon 198 0.2230 2.9560 52 0:25.9851 210.58 MPH 0:26.2238 4
16 2 Raphael Matos 198 1.8505 4.8065 132 0:26.1865 208.96 MPH 0:26.5244 3
17 67 Sarah Fisher 198 0.1473 4.9538 53 0:26.1054 209.61 MPH 0:26.3545 4
18 22 Justin Wilson 197 1 lap 3 laps 193 0:25.9885 210.55 MPH 0:26.3142 4
19 19 Alex Lloyd 197 1.8670 1.8670 196 0:26.0338 210.18 MPH 0:26.4682 4
20 36 Bertrand Baguette 197 0.9787 2.8457 197 0:26.1712 209.08 MPH 0:26.1712 5
21 78 Simona de Silvestro 197 0.8356 3.6813 195 0:26.0894 209.74 MPH 0:26.1917 4
22 34 Mario Romancini 196 1 lap 4 laps 193 0:26.0865 209.76 MPH 0:26.1044 4
23 06 Hideki Mutoh 186 10 laps 14 laps 135 0:25.9911 210.53 MPH 0:47.2968 4 Contact
24 5 Takuma Sato 186 0.3245 0.3245 88 0:25.9228 211.08 MPH 0:47.1690 5 Contact
25 66 Jay Howard 172 14 laps 28 laps 56 0:26.1332 209.38 MPH 0:30.3517 4 Contact
26 18 Milka Duno 84 88 laps 116 laps 5 0:26.2668 208.32 MPH 0:27.0413 3 Mechanical
27 AB F Green 259228 0 0 24 0:00.0024 228000 MPH 0:00.0011 0 KV Racing Technology
27 8 EJ Viso 71 13 laps 129 laps 4 0:25.8893 211.36 MPH 0:27.2387 2 Contact

Next stop ... 2010 Indianapolis 500, Speedway, IN - Sunday, May 30 - broadcast live on ABC at 12:00 noon ET.

... notes from The EDJE