Castroneves Wins Peak Motor Oil Pole at Nashville
Helio Castroneves won his 24th career IndyCar Series pole at Nashville Superspeedway, extending his series record seven consecutive seasons with a pole.
Castroneves, who ranks second in points, turned four laps on the 1.33-mile concrete oval in 1 minute, 31.5320 seconds, 204519 mph to win his first pole since last September at Belle Isle. Of all time pole leader won for the first time in seven starts at Nashville. Danica Patrick will share the front row with Castroneves. Patrick four-lap qualifying average of 203335 mph was good enough to earn his first career ranking ninth starting position. Hideki Mutoh, the leader of the Bombardier Learjet Rookie of the Year rankings, qualified a career best third, and Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner last weekend at Watkins Glen, qualified fourth. Series points leader Scott Dixon and teammate Dan Wheldon will share the line 4. Also on July 11, James Davison won his first career pole in the Firestone Indy Lights. Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver registered a two-lap qualifying average of 180401 mph. His teammate Ana Beatriz start second. Dillon Battistini and Raphael Matos qualified third and fourth, respectively. This is the eighth case IndyCar Series at Nashville Superspeedway. Palmares Scott Dixon (2006, 2007) and Tony Kanaan (2004) are listed on the event. Three drivers entered in the Firestone Indy 200 won PEAK Pole Motor Oil prices in Nashville: Scott Dixon (2003, 2007), Buddy Rice (2004) and Dan Wheldon (2006). Updated medical Dr. Mike Olinger, medical director of the Indy Racing League: IndyCar Series driver Enrique Bernoldi and Firestone Indy Lights driver Cyndie Allemann were reassessed field care center Thursday following incidents last weekend at Watkins Glen . Both are allowed to drive. In the first years Firestone Indy Lights team Alliance Motorsport return to competition after missing the doubleheader weekend at Watkins Glen. The team has completely redesigned its new Dallara chassis, using 73 hours to give a whole new physical form, refreshed components and a new paint designed by Clint of Eads Eads Graphics. Fans can play an active role in Saturday Firestone Indy Lights race at Nashville Superspeedway while helping a great cause by Andrew Prendeville laps of the race for Best Friends program. Through a Web site at racinglapsforbestfriends.com, fans can donate to the nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society based on the number of laps Prendeville complete in the 77-lap race. In addition to donations by-turn, fans can also purchase Best Friends raffle tickets to racinglapsforbestfriends.com. Prices are sessions at the famous Bertil Roos Racing School. The Veteran team manager Larry Curry joined Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, his third team this season. Curry, who spent more than three seasons with Vision Racing has more recently worked with Roth Racing from May through July 6 race at Watkins Glen. Curry will be working closely with engineers and mechanics for cars Buddy Rice, Townsend Bell and Milka Duno. Curry and team co-owner Robbie Buhl worked together in the IndyCar Series at Buhl was a driver, and won at New Hampshire International Speedway in August 1997. LARRY CURRY: "It is a solid group of people who are very experienced. Dennis (Reinbold) is very committed. I ran Robbie when he drove (in the No. 3 Quaker State / Menards / Special) and I know that the passion for Robbie on the series. What I am hoping to add consistency is where we are not a good week and the next bad, but we are competitive and immediately start chipping to closer to the front and accomplish what we learned this year on next season. Hopefully, we'll make sure we get the best performance that can be the race cars on a regular basis. I am very pleased with the range with driver Buddy, Townsend and the opportunity to help Milka continue to grow. " DENNIS Reinbold (co-owner, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "We welcome Larry to our organization. We focus on building our last outpouring of competitiveness, and we expect to continue to grow Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and construction of the future. " Team Penske cars by Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe bear a special sticker in memory of Bill Passwater employee. Passwater, 33, died on Wednesday morning. He is survived by his wife, Heather, and their small daughter, Grace Lyla. Passwater was employed by Penske Racing since 2005. He was the coordinator of transportation for the Sprint Cup NASCAR teams. *** Each IndyCar Series car receives eight sets of Firestone Firehawks for the two-day weekend. Firestone Racing engineers have chosen a new specification of tyres for this year's Firestone Indy 200. This feature is made up of the same left-side tire that was previously used in Iowa this season, and a right side tire that is the same as that used earlier this year at Homestead-Miami, Texas and Kansas, but with a tonnage increase to stand at the Nashville Superspeedway concrete surface abrasive. Al Speyer (Executive Director, Firestone Racing): "This is a weekend that Firestone Racing provides all year round. We greatly appreciate that the stars and cars of the IndyCar Series Firestone Indy Lights and to stop their annual accounts in our "city" to highlight Firestone Racing products in front of a large number of our colleagues in Middle Tennessee. And tying the course in our company-wide United Way campaign, racing to Help, "really, it is a highlight of the year. As always, Nashville Superspeedway single concrete surface will present challenges to Firestone Firehawks, but our engineers have chosen a specification to meet these requirements. The left side tire has already proved its merit in the Iowa Speedway earlier this year, while others gauge our Superspeedway tire is expected to support the concrete, and then some. "*** Vision Racing will make its vision welfare Racing Tour sponsored by Lilly and CardioChek Nashville Superspeedway to offer free education on diabetes and cholesterol screenings to participants, volunteers and spectators. The screenings will take place from 3-7 pm July 12, the vision of welfare Racing Tour mobile marketing at the Indy Fan Zone area midway behind the main podium. In addition, Vision Racing drivers Ed Carpenter and AJ Foyt IV at the Tour welfare located between 4:30-5 pm Saturday for the media and autographs for fans projected. Tony Kanaan is the draft this weekend - sort of. The driver of the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven Andretti Green Racing entry jerry-rigged air conditioning for his motorhome after a love at first sight Wednesday night blew the circuits. This is the second consecutive weekend Kanaan had difficulties with its home away from home. At Watkins Glen last weekend, he also had problems with the air conditioning going. Tony Kanaan (No. 11 Team 7-Eleven): "I thought about going into a hotel, but here they are very far. We actually managed to stay in the bus. I bought a laptop air conditioner at Best Buy, and we organized a tube through the window. I do not have television, just a refrigerator, curtains are rising. We have to have power in the chamber, but to 'before the bus is not working. "*** MANA, a national Latina organization, headquartered in Washington, DC, 25 chapters and six subsidiaries across the country, announced a partnership with IndyCar Series driver Milka Duno Latina. MANA Milka Way is an initiative whose mission is to encourage young Hispanics to "Aim for the stars" and achieve academic excellence with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields of studies. Duno made the announcement July 9 while giving remarks to about 300 Latin Lulac leaders attending the National Convention in Washington. Duno has a master's degree in organizational development, naval architecture, fisheries and aquaculture, and maritime company, three of which were earned at the same time. *** Marco Andretti will almost as much time in the air as it will be on the track this weekend. Andretti will participate in all IndyCar Series practice and qualifying for the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway in the No. 26 oso * fresh car for Andretti Green Racing. His schedule weekend will be complemented by the crew of XM Acura LMP2 car at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. Andretti will make a four-lap qualifying attempt on the oval 1.33 miles from Nashville on July 11 (starts at 6:30 pm ET), be made at Connecticut, the first disc stay lime Rock (2:05 pm ET beginning 2 - hour, 45 minute race on July 12), and return to Nashville in time for driver introductions (approximately 7:30 pm ET). Marco Andretti (No. 26 * Oso free): "This is me. I would like to lead 10 cars per day if I could do it physically. * Fees oso car was very good in the short ovals all year, so I expect another good result. I must be physically in height, and after that we will enjoy. I have had some success at Lime Rock in the past and I think the track is fantastic. There will be a number of challenges during this weekend but I look at only those that motivation. "*** IndyCar Series team owner A.J. Foyt is working actively with his team this weekend despite surgery on July 9 to remove a cataract from his left eye. The four-time Indianapolis 500 champion had the surgery in Texas, four years after similar surgery on his right eye. A.J. Foyt: "My eyes always used to be 20-15 when I ran. My left eye is so that, in the bright sun, it just me, and I do not wear sunglasses. (Cataract) began to form it took it. I always run without goggles, and they are always used to tell me (Indianapolis Motor) Speedway, AJ, you should definitely not do so. Your eyes are too great. "When you're young, I do not worry about this. As you get more, you start to worry about your eyes. It was nothing urgent." SWE Pole Qualifying notes: It was the first career pole by James Davison. His previous, finished second at Indianapolis. It was the 28th pole position Saturday for Schmidt Motorsports, and his first this season. The team won four poles in Nashville with Thiago Medeiros in 2004, Jaime Camara in 2005 and Alex Lloyd in 2007. Ana Beatriz qualified a career best second. His previous qualifying effort was third at St. Petersburg. His best start on an oval was fourth in Indianapolis. This is the 14th time teammates have started 1-2 in the Firestone Indy Lights. Saturday Schmidt Motorsports teammates have been responsible for all 14 events. The last time teammates began 1-2 Homestead-Miami in 2005, when Travis Gregg won the pole and Jaime Camara started second. Dillon Battistini qualified third, his fifth top-three start this season. Raphael Matos qualified fourth, his 10th consecutive top-10 start, the longest sequence in the Firestone Indy Lights. Arie Luyendyk Jr. qualified fifth, his third top-five start of the season. Jeff Simmons qualified sixth, his seventh top-10 start of the season. Last year, winning the race, Robbie Pecorari qualified 16. Firestone Indy Lights post-qualification quotes: JAMES DAVISON (No. 11 Lifelock / Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the first place): "I just want to thank my team so persevere with me. I have maintained before qualifying it only matters qualification leave. Here we are, from the first row. We have a large balance on the car and (team owner) Sam (Schmidt) reminded me, they are not the awards money to practice. " Ana Beatriz (No. 20 Healthy Choice / Sam Schmidt Motorsports, second): "The car was really good. I was really happy. There were no errors with my tours. Unfortunately, James (Davison) just made a better job. Now I just need to sit down with my engineer and work on the best setup for the race. I think we will be able to deal with Sam Schmidt / Healthy Choice car of tomorrow. " RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc., fourth): "We were a little conservative with the establishment. We found a lot more speed in qualifying that we had in practice. AFS Racing / Andretti Green Racing car working well, so I think we have a very strong car for tomorrow. A in the first five is still good. " Arie Luyendyk JR. (No. 26 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc., fifth): "The race was very good. We had a little too on the sub-warming towers, but we made some adjustments in the car. I think the Targus / AGR / AFS car will be strong tomorrow. It is a difficult place to run 100 miles since it is difficult for cars and drivers. "*** Cindy McCain, wife of U.S. Senator John McCain, climb into a car pace Saturday at 4: 30 PM CT. PEAK motor oil Pole Qualifying notes: This is Helio Castroneves' 24th career pole and his first this season. This extends his IndyCar Series record seven consecutive seasons with a pole. Castroneves' last pole was last season at Belle Isle. He has 11 races without a win a pole, but he started first at Motegi this season based on points. It is the Penske team, 37th in the IndyCar Series pole and his second this season. Ryan Briscoe won the pole last weekend at Watkins Glen. This team is Penkse the first pole at Nashville. Danica Patrick qualified second. She also qualified second at Homestead-Miami earlier this season. This is the ninth-front row start of his career. Hideki Mutoh qualified a career best third. His last was the fourth in Texas. Ryan Hunter-Reay qualified fourth, his best career start on an oval and his second top-four start. He qualified third at Watkins Glen. His previous best start on an oval was eighth last year at Kentucky. Scott Dixon qualified fifth, his ninth consecutive top-five start, the most current gap in the IndyCar series. |
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