1. Power strengthens point lead at Edmonton Power
2. Tracy leads four KV Racing Technology drivers in top 10
3. Another rookie posts season best
4. Streaks continue
5. Vote for Tire-ific Move of the Race
1. Power strengthens point lead at Edmonton: Will Power didn’t make it three victories in a row, which would have the accomplishments of three other IZOD IndyCar Series drivers, but the 43 points earned in the Honda Indy Edmonton is ample consolation.
Power, the runner-up to Scott Dixon in the 95-lap race, takes a 50-point lead over Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti into the Aug. 8 Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance. Dixon, who is 71 points back with six events remaining (two road courses and four ovals), has won two of the three races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Power, who picked up one bonus point for winning the PEAK Performance Pole Award in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, led a field-high 76 laps on the demanding 1.973-mile, 14-turn City Centre Airport circuit to earn two more bonus points. He’s accrued 12 bonus points, and handily leads the Mario Andretti Road Course championship standings.
“It was a good day. It was a tough battle. Still a good finish for us points-wise,” said Power, who’s competing in his first full season with Team Penske.
All four of Power’s victories this season have been on road/street courses, and his victory at Edmonton in ’09 was the first of his IZOD IndyCar Series career. In his lone race at Mid-Ohio, Power started 12th for KV Racing Technology in 2008 and finished fourth.
“To start closing the gap in the championship, we’ve got to start finishing ahead of Will,” said Franchitti, the reigning series champion who finished third at Edmonton.
2. Tracy leads four KV Racing Technology drivers in top 10: Before the green flag for the Honda Indy Edmonton, it was announced that Honda Canada and IZOD IndyCar Series driver Paul Tracy had raised more than $112,578 for Make-A-Wish Canada through a program in which fans in Toronto and Edmonton had the opportunity to sign the race suits worn by Tracy for a donation.
Tracy gave something back to fans – leading a four-driver top-10 performance for KV Racing Technology with a sixth-place finish in the demanding 95-lap race on the City Centre Airport circuit.
Mario Moraes advanced seven positions to finish seventh (his fourth top 10 in 11 races). E.J. Viso, who started a season-high sixth in the No. 8 PDVSA Jet Aviation KVRT car, followed in eighth and Takuma Sato earned the first top 10 of his initial IZOD IndyCar Series season with a ninth place in the No. 5 Lotus KVRT car.
Tracy, who finished 14th at Watkins Glen International on July 4 and 13th at Toronto on July 18, overtook five cars on the first two laps and was running as high as fifth. He finished sixth last year on the 1.973-mile, 14-turn circuit and fourth in 2008.
“It was a good finish for the Honda Canada/Make-A-Wish/Motegi Wheels KV Racing team,” said Tracy, an Ontario native. “Our goal was to make money for Make-A-Wish these last two weeks and they raised over $112,000 for the two races. It feels great to help the kids and the families. My second goal was to have a good time.
“Then we wanted a good finish and we pulled it off. It feels so good to race in front of the Canadian fans. They really enjoy their racing. Both Toronto and Edmonton support these events so well. It is tough to come in as a spot driver and perform well. This place is so hard and physical on a driver. So coming from 15th and finish sixth feels very good.
“I just wish we could get the car figured out earlier in the weekend to get a better starting spot. I think we can race with the leaders if can do that.”
3. Another rookie posts season best: Bertrand Baguette, competing at Edmonton for the first time, advanced six positions in the No. 36 Conquest Racing RACB car to finish a season-best 14th.
“At the beginning of my first stint I was able to gain some positions but then I got stuck in some traffic so I worked on saving fuel,” he said. “I had a good run later on with the black Firestone tires, I had a good balance on my car and I was able to keep up with Tony Kanaan when I ended up behind him in the second part of the race. I think that was a good reference for us but unfortunately I couldn’t improve my track position.
“Overall, I’m happy with my race in Edmonton, it was a good weekend and now I’m looking forward to our next one in Mid-Ohio.”
4. Streaks continue: Tony Kanaan, who moved up 12 positions to finish 12th, competed in his 12tht consecutive race. The series record is 138 by Scott Sharp.
Andretti Autosport teammate Danica Patrick extended her record to 27 races running at the finish with a 15th-place finish. The series record is 28 by Scott Dixon. Dario Franchitti has been running at the finish in 25 in a row.
5. Vote for Tire-ific Move of the Race: Fans select the Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race winner by voting on indycar.com after every race. This $10,000 prize is awarded to the driver best utilizing his or her Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event.
Nominees for the Honda Indy Edmonton are: Scott Dixon for his move from third to second on alternate tires on the final restart; Helio Castroneves for his Lap 78 pass of Will Power for the lead on alternate tires; Paul Tracy for a hard charge from 11th to finish sixth.
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The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues Aug. 8 with the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, presented by Westfield Insurance at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 3:30 p.m. (ET) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 212. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Mid-Ohio 100 on Aug. 8 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.