ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Reigning IndyCar Series champion Dan Wheldon knew he would have a difficult time making his way to the front from his 13th starting spot on the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg’s 14-turn temporary street circuit.
Wheldon, who won the inaugural race from the ninth position, was inspired by being second quick in the morning warm-up session. He made numerous forays into the top 10, but suffered a few bumps and bruises along the way. Some race highlights/lowlights:
Lap 7: Light contact between Wheldon’s No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz/Honda/Firestone with the No. 26 NYSE Dallara/Honda/Firestone driven by rookie Marco Andretti drops Wheldon one spot to 12.
Lap 42: Moves to ninth after first round of pit stops.
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Lap 56: Is running 10th as he enters pit lane under caution. As he exits with the No. 6 Marlboro Team Penske Honda-powered Dallara driven by Sam Hornish Jr., Indy Racing League chief steward Brian Barnhart ordered the No. 10 car ahead of the No. 6 while still under caution. Hornish’s car makes contact with the rear end of Wheldon’s, sending it into a half-spin. Wheldon is set straight and restarted. He makes it back to the pits, but his day ends.
"The Target team got word from Race Control that we were indeed in front of the No. 6 car coming out of the pits, and that we were going to be waved ahead of Hornish," said Wheldon, who won the season opener a week earlier on the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval. "All I saw was Sam's hand come off the wheel like he was signaling to let me by. I waved a thank you back, made the pass and then suddenly I was in the air and out of the race.
"I made it back to the pits, but there was too much damage to repair. I'm disappointed for the Target team because we overcame a lot to get back into the fray at the front."
Matsuura moves up two spots
Kosuke Matsuura rebounded from a single-car accident in the morning warm-up session to finish seventh.
Matsuura’s No. 55 Panasonic ARTA Dallara/Honda/Firestone clipped the Turn 8 inside wall, which shot him across the track and into the tire barrier. The car sustained suspension, sidepod and undertray damage. The team was able to repair the primary car in time for Matsuura to take his ninth position on the grid.
“It was a very, very tough race," Matsuura said. "I made a mistake early in the morning warm-up and had a big crash. I bent the front suspension, and lost all of the session. My mechanics did a great job to get the car repaired and on the starting grid, and I am very proud of all of them. I wasn’t sure how the car was going to be for the start because we didn’t get to run the morning session, but it was pretty good.
"The race itself was really difficult. We ran over 50 laps without a yellow. I was a bit unlucky at the end. Buddy Rice and Tomas Scheckter got together and I hit the debris. My right-front tire was punctured and I lost two positions. I think we did a great job to finish seventh, and we will keep working hard for Motegi.”
Pre-race festivities
Rock icon Gene Simmons was the grand marshal of the IndyCar Series race, with the U.S. Military Academy Cadet Glee Club singing the national anthem. Four F-15C’s from Langley Air Force Base took part in the fly-over. The Klein Tools Air Show, featuring pilot Michael Mancuso, also performed.
World of Outlaws to sponsor Dodge
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will be a sponsor of Geoff Dodge’s No. 33 Knoxville Fast Track to Indy Pro Series car for the season. Dodge, the 2005 Knoxville Nationals Fast Track to Indy Rookie of the Year, earned a ride with Brian Stewart Racing.
Dodge will next compete in the Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26.
“We look forward being a part of the continued connection between open-wheel racing on dirt and the Indy 500,” said DIRT MotorSports VP of Race Operations Shane Carson. “During the 29 years a number of World of Outlaws racers have made it to Indy for the Indy Pro Series and the Indy 500, including Steve Kinser, Craig Dollansky and P.J. Chesson. At the same time we have recognized the annual Knoxville Nationals as the premier Sprint Car race in the world.”
Notes of all sorts
Former Panther Racing driver Tomas Enge, representing the Czech Republic, won the A1GP race in China. Phil Giebler, who has an Indy Pro Series victory on his resume, drove the U.S. entry and finished 10th. Graham Rahal, representing Lebanon, finished 11th. Rahal Letterman Racing co-owner Bobby Rahal was in attendance. .. AAll IndyCar Series drivers had “PD” decals on their helmets as a tribute to driver Paul Dana, who was killed a week earlier in a practice crash. … Within the framework of an outfield light tower at Progress Energy Park, spring home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, is an Osprey nest. For those who have never seen such a structure, think robin nest on steroids (about 100 times the size). It’s also the mascot and official team name for the University of North Florida.
He said it
“The big races are over here, not (Champ Car). The only good race I see for them is Long Beach and I'd say right now, St. Pete is already a lot better race.” -- four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt
