Helio Castroneves Wins Bombardier/LearJet 500
Written by Allan Brewer · June 10, 2006
Late pit lane problems prove costly to Wheldon and Hornish in Texas.
Brazilian Helio Castroneves inherited a late lead when pit stop miscues by Marlboro/Team Penske teammate Sam Hornish and Target/Chip Ganassi’s Dan Wheldon cost both their chance for a win.
As he did at Indianapolis, Dan Wheldon dominated at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night. Leading a pack of four cars including those of teammate Scott Dixon and the Penske team drivers, Wheldon made a late pitstop on lap 186 for fuel and tires. The right rear change on his Dallara/Honda went poorly and Wheldon returned to the track significantly damaged by the loss of track position.
On lap 193 Hornish ran low of fuel and coasted into his pit on fumes. On attempting to leave his pit the engine proved difficult to restart and he stalled once, then left the lane slowly as fuel pickup was retarded for a short time. He too lost substantial track position to Castroneves, who pitted without incident earlier.
The race was run without serious accident or injury on the speedy Texas oval. Buddy Rice suffered an engine failure and electrical problems forced Buddy Lazier to the sidelines bringing out the only yellows of the race. The average speed of 185.710 mph was the third-fastest Indy Racing League event to date.
The win extended Castroneves lead in the IRL season championship points chase. Dixon, Wheldon and Hornish trail second through fourth respectively.
After the race, a visibly frustrated Wheldon made a quick exit to his garage. His short post-race comments were terse and to the bitter point. “I’m just disappointed. We gave another win to Penske. We dropped the wheel nut on the last stop while I was leaving. It’s just one of those things that happens. The team does a fantastic job but we just need to make sure we keep putting the races together. We can’t afford in a championship as competitive as this to give Penske wins, and that’s what we did today.”
A sweaty Hornish commented that “We win as a team, we lose as a team.” in summing up his own dispiriting evening.
Results of the Texas Motor Speedway’s Bombardier LearJet 500
Position/Driver/Car/Gap/Best/Speed/Lap/Last/Speed/Lap/Chassis/Pit
1 Helio Castroneves (3) … 24.7449 211.680 3 24.9058 210.312 200 D/H/F Pit
2 Scott Dixon (9) 0.2402 24.5656 213.225 84 24.6681 212.339 200 D/H/F Pit
3 Dan Wheldon (10) 0.2981 24.4535 214.202 200 24.4535 214.202 200 D/H/F Pit
4 Sam Hornish Jr (6) 14.5389 24.6948 212.109 81 25.2068 207.801 200 D/H/F Pit
5 Scott Sharp (8) 14.5895 24.7122 211.960 86 25.2729 207.258 200 D/H/F Pit
6 Vitor Meira (4) 15.9294 24.7410 211.713 86 26.9008 194.715 200 D/H/F Pit
7 Tony Kanaan (11) 16.1398 24.5822 213.081 82 25.1875 207.960 200 D/H/F Pit
8 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 22.3327 24.6326 212.645 86 25.0886 208.780 200 D/H/F Pit
9 Ed Carpenter (20) 22.9791 24.6889 212.160 83 24.9613 209.845 200 D/H/F Pit
10 Tomas Scheckter (2) 1 lap 24.6108 212.833 82 24.9678 209.790 199 D/H/F Pit
11 Bryan Herta (7) 11.0953 24.6921 212.133 3 25.2500 207.446 199 D/H/F Pit
12 Danica Patrick (16) 16.0456 24.7779 211.398 83 25.1200 208.519 199 D/H/F Pit
13 Dario Franchitti (27) 16.2907 24.9284 210.122 140 25.1303 208.434 199 D/H/F Pit
14 Marco Andretti (26) 20.2466 24.8741 210.580 84 25.3540 206.595 199 D/H/F Pit
15 Jeff Simmons (17) 2 laps 24.8525 210.764 3 25.0609 209.011 198 D/H/F Pit
16 Felipe Giaffone (14) 3 laps 24.6663 212.355 191 24.9418 210.009 197 D/H/F Pit
17 Eddie Cheever Jr (51) 0.1751 24.7898 211.297 3 24.8764 210.561 197 D/H/F Pit
18 Buddy Rice (15) 130 laps 24.6771 212.262 6 26.6794 196.331 70 D/H/F Mechanical
19 Buddy Lazier (5) 144 laps 24.9147 210.237 3 2:58.8643 29.285 56 D/H/F Mechanical
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Well Mr. George has done it - He killed CART and now the IRL can only field 19 cars at Texas. What a shame and Penske, Ganassi and Andretti own IRL as far as competition is concerned. He has killed the Golden Goose and we now have a Crow.
And how about that Eddie Cheever? 17th and 3 laps down. I speculated that with his new sponsor, GEICO, he would be better off with the gecko driving. The 51 didn’t wreck anyone or get in anyone’s way, maybe the took the snake out and let the lizard drive!
tony George has distroyed open wheel racing in this country, He now is on his way to distroying the name and reputation of the once greatest race in racing. If he really cared about racing instead of only the money it brings, he would allow the series to merge and step back out of the lime light and really be a king like Mr. Hullman was. George has been nothing short of a terrorist to motor sports.
In it’s golden years INDY ment inovation and experiment and American and European drivers running what they brought to the track. George has reduced INDY to an ameture event with everyone running the same engines and cars. Soon the field will be reduced to 3 from 33 Pensky ganassi and Andretti. Why should anyone else show up? It won’t even be called Indy anymore…George is a perfect example of Greed without Brains….