Ganassi-Busters, Who You Gonna’ Call?
Written by George Katinger · April 30, 2007
No One Steps Up to Challenge the Red Cars
by Allan Brewer
allan@fastmachines.com
Somebody get the Ghostbusters on the line. We need them at the Indy Racing League!
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Dan Wheldon Alone at the Top. Photo: SteveSnoddyIRL
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Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon did everything in their power to turn Sunday’s (April 29th) Kansas Lottery 300 IndyCar race into a personal American Idol appearance, dominating practically from the start to take home the win in the Sunflower State.
Only a page from the rule book thrown Dixon’s way kept the race from becoming a rout, and allowing Andretti Green Racing’s Dario Franchitti into second place, as the only other car in the field to remain on the same lap as winner Dan Wheldon.
“It was a pure team effort from the Target Chip Ganassi Racing crew,” said a sweaty Wheldon in Victory Lane. “Everybody did a great job. We’re gearing up, we’re going to go for the big one now. The Indianapolis 500, that’s the big goal for us. I was frustrated since Motegi and wanted to prove a point. The car was fantastic.”
Scott Dixon looked set to win the race when he misfired upon entering the pitlane at Kansas Speedway for his last stop. The boo-boo cost him a subsequent drive-thru penalty, forcing him back to fifth place at the finish behind Vision’s Tomas Scheckter.
Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves ran third on the day, with teammate Sam Hornish Jr. sixth. Danica Patrick finished seventh, Vitor Meira of Panther Racing was eighth, and AJ Foyt IV ninth. Jeff Simmons scored the tenth spot, driving a smooth, even race in his Ethanol-sponsored car.
The race ended under yellow when Scott Sharp lost control of his machine on the white-flag lap and smacked the wall. Sharp was not injured in the incident, the second of the day. Ed Carpenter “got on the marbles” earlier to smash his Vision Racing car, again without injury to the Indianapolis native.
Venezuelan rookie Milka Duno drove a safe, conservative race that looked like the work of an accomplished sports car driver assuming the wheel of a 220-mph IRL rocketship for the first time. She steered clear of trouble, handled the car like a veteran, and generally comported herself well in her first-ever IndyCar Series event.
There was a third collision in the race that requires some ’splainin’: pole-sitter Tony Kanaan broke the left front half-shaft of his car while entering his pitbox when Danica Patrick pulled out into him.
Patrick’s crew took the blame for the miscue, saying they misidentified another car as Kanaan and thought Danica was in the clear to leave her stall. No doubt some Brazilian heat needed to cool after the race, as Kanaan clearly had a car to challenge the Ganassi twins this day.
Chip Ganassi’s bunch return home to Indianapolis on a huge roll forward into the glorious month of May at the Speedway. Wheldon sits atop the championship points standings, Dixon right behind, and Castroneves hanging on to third after four rounds of racing.
Unless someone steps up, and quickly, the fire in the red cars’ corner will continue burning white hot all the way to the Brickyard, and beyond.
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3 Responses to “Ganassi-Busters, Who You Gonna’ Call?”
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When looking at the results posted on speedtv.com, it looks as if Wheldon is the only driver to complete 200 laps. 2nd place through 6th completed 199 laps, everyone else were many laps down.
This was a far from typical close IRL finish, with little competition amongst the back markers. What I would call a snoozer. Although the main grandstand looked fairly full, a rarity at IRL oval races this year.
Part of the draw helping the IRL this weekend were the ARCA/REMAX and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Friday and Saturday.
A couple of comments, one to confirm your observation George: Sharp’s spin brought a yellow/white flag as it occurred on the next to last lap, then the race finished under checkered. And yes, the field was strung back all the way to Lenexa, Kansas at the end of the day–such was the total runaway that Dan and Scott executed Sunday.
The racing has NOT been very competitive so far this year, I agree. I’d toss the St. Pete affair out (revealing my oval-track proclivity!) and focus on Homestead and Kansas as the template for what we’re likely to see for the rest of the year unless Penske really gets going (Remember the year they failed to qualify at Indy? Nothing that dire in sight, but they’re in a deep hole right now!) and AGR gets its head on straight after the Kanaan/Patrick incident. The latter could fester into something more if that isn’t resolved professionally between two professionals, as I’m sure it will.
Finally, the NASCAR trucks (!) brought MANY fans to Kansas Speedway. I was surprised when I breakfasted at the Homewood Suites in Overland Park to learn that the conversation around me was not about Milka and Indy, but about Talladega and Tony Stewart!!! And these were fans who were on their way to see the same race I was going to!
Go figger!