April 30, 2005
HORNISH, MANNING LEAD TOYOTA AT MOTEGI
- Sam Hornish Jr. and Darren Manning finished seventh and eighth, respectively, to lead the Toyota-powered contngent at Saturday’s Japan Indy 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. Toyota Atlantic graduate Dan Wheldon earned the victory after race-leader Tomas Scheckter ran out of gas on Lap 197 of 200.
- Today’s finish marks the third time in four races this season that Sam Hornish Jr. (Marlboro Toyota) has finished as the highest-placing Toyota. He also took top honors at Homestead with a second and at Phoenix where he was victorious.
- Darren Manning (Target Toyota) earned his fourth consecutive top-10 finish with his eighth today. The second-year IndyCar driver also placed sixth at Homestead, eighth at Phoenix and ninth at St. Petersburg.
- After winning the pole on Friday, Sam Hornish Jr. experienced a roller-coaster race on Saturday. The two-time IRL champion led 13 laps and ran in the top-four for virtually the entire race before having contact with Danica Patrick on a Lap 71 re-start. After a quick pit for repairs, Hornish drove back up through the field and into the top three at one point before being forced to pit for fuel on Lap 193.
Hornish was one of five Toyota drivers to get caught out in a race that saw a number of the leaders fall by the wayside and eventually was determined by fuel conservation.
Driver, Start/Finish
Sam Hornish 1/7
Darren Manning 12/8
Helio Castroneves 4/11
Ryan Briscoe 13/12
Patrick Carpentier 14/13
A.J. Foyt 19/14
Ed Carpenter 20/16
Alex Barron 16/19
Paul Dana 22/20
Scott Dixon 17/21
Next Race: Indianapolis 500, May 29, ABC
NEGRI GIVES LEXUS THIRD ’05 POLE; TOP SPOT AT LAGUNA
Making just his first start of the 2005 season, Oswaldo Negri earned his first career Daytona Protoype Pole position to give Lexus its third pole position in five races and the top spot for Sunday’s Road and Track 250.
Negri’s record-setting run gave Michael Shank Racing its first Rolex Series pole and put the Matlin Patterson Lexus Riley on the pole in its debut race. Negri will team with sports car veteran Mark Patterson in Sunday’s race.
Ganassi Racing teammates Luis Diaz and Stefan Johansson qualified third and fourth to give Lexus three of the top-four qualifiers on the twisty northern California road course. Diaz placed third in the #01 CompUSA Lexus Riley, while Johansson qualified the #02 New Century Mortgage Lexus Riley in fourth. Diaz will team with defending series champion Scott Pruett, while Cort Wagner will share the driving duties with Johansson.
Matteo Bobbi put a fourth Lexus-powered prototype in the top eight with an eighth-place showing in the Crown Royal Special Reserve Lexus Doran, and Chris Bingham rounded out the Lexus contingent with a 17th-place showing in the DLGL Lexus Riley in the 23-car prototype field.
In addition to being Lexus’ third pole position of the 2005 campaign, it also marks the manufacturer’s 14th pole in 17 Rolex Series events. Negri became the fourth different driver to win a Daytona Prototype pole with Lexus power.
SPEED will provide live coverage of Sunday’s Road and Track 250 beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.
Quotes:
Oswaldo Negri, #60 Matlin Patterson Lexus Riley: "I have to say thank you first off to Lexus and to Mike Shank and his guys for working as hard as they do to prepare a car that was capable of taking the pole today. I knew right when we got on track here this weekend that we had a great combination and being second quick in practice yesterday was another confidence boost for me and the team. To be out of the car for so many months and take the pole the first time back is really just fantastic for me and shows what I have been saying about how absolutely incredible this Michael Shank Racing team is. I am just so thankful for the opportunity that Mark Patterson and the team have created for me this weekend, and I am really looking forward to the race."
Luis Diaz, #01 CompUSA Lexus Riley: “The car was decent, but I think we could’ve been better. We were fighting a condition in which the car was loose upon entry, tight through the middle of the corner, then loose on the exit. Fortunately I have a strong team behind me and I’m sure the CompUSA guys will figure it out before the race tomorrow.”
Stefan Johansson, #02 New Century Mortgage Lexus Riley: “We took a gamble in qualifying the car on scuffed tires. The gamble didn’t pay off unfortunately because the scuffed tires disrupted the balance of the car and created a ton of understeer. I think we’ll be okay for the race tomorrow. At least I won’t have to worry about the guy starting next to me.”
April 28, 2005
HORNISH PUTS TOYOTA ON POLE AT MOTEGI
Sam Hornish Jr. (Marlboro Toyota) won the pole for Saturday’s Japan Indy 300 with a lap of more than 204 miles-per-hour to give Toyota its fourth pole position at Twin Ring Motegi in the last six years. Hornish edged recent Toyota Atlantic graduate Danica Patrick by just more than three one-hundredths of a second for the top spot.
- Sam Hornish Jr.’s pole position is the first for Toyota this season and the manufacturer’s 17th in 36 IndyCar Series events.
- The pole is the sixth for Hornish Jr. during his IndyCar Series career and his first with Marlboro Team Penske and Toyota. The two-time IndyCar Series champion will be looking for his second win of the season. He has finished in the top two in each of the oval events this season after placing second at Homestead and winning Phoenix.
- Toyota will be looking for its third victory in the last four years at Twin Ring Motegi when the green flag falls on Saturday. Toyota previously won in 2002 with Bruno Junqueira and in 2003 with Scott Sharp.
- Today’s qualifying marked the first time this season that Helio Castroneves (Marlboro Toyota) was not the highest Toyota qualifier. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner placed fourth – just three one-hundredths behind his teammate. Castroneves was just seven one-thousands from making it an all Penske Toyota front row.
Toyota-powered drivers qualifying for the Japan Indy 300:
Car # Driver Car Qualifying
#6 Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Toyota (Dallara) 1st
#3 Helio Castroneves Marlboro Toyota (Dallara) 4th
#10 Darren Manning Target Toyota (Panoz) 12th
#33 Ryan Briscoe Chip Ganassi Racing Toyota (Panoz) 13th
#83 Patrick Carpentier Red Bull Toyota (Dallara) 14th
#51 Alex Barron Red Bull Toyota (Dallara 16th
#9 Scott Dixon Target Toyota (Panoz) 17th
#14 A.J. Foyt IV A.J. Foyt Toyota (Dallara) 19th
#20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing Toyota (Dallara) 20th
#91 Paul Dana Ethanol Toyota (Dallara) 22nd
April 26, 2005
LEXUS GRAND-AM LOOKS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WIN
After winning the most recent Rolex Sports Car Series round at the California Speedway, the Lexus-powered Daytona Prototype teams will attempt to earn a second consecutive victory in the first running of the Road and Track 250 at Laguna Seca.
Scott Pruett, the reigning series champion, will lead the way and enjoy a homecoming of sorts to his native northern California. Last year’s title-winner Pruett combined with teammate Luis Diaz to win at Fontana in their CompUSA Lexus Riley. It was Pruett and the Ganassi Racing team’s fifth victory in 15 races since joining the series a year ago. With their California Speedway victory, the duo moved into second-place in the points chase.
Pruett and Diaz will be joined by Ganassi Racing teammates Stefan Johansson and Cort Wagner in the New Century Mortgage Lexus Riley. The first-year teammates have earned top-seven finishes in each of the season’s first three races and are currently in fifth-place overall. They combined for a season-best fourth at Daytona.
Doran Racing teammates Fabrizio Gollin and Matteo Bobbi provide Lexus with a third team in the top 10 in their Crown Royal Lexus Doran. To date, they’ve enjoyed great success in qualifying with a pair of front-row qualifying efforts. Unfortunately, their #77 Lexus Doran has been caught up in early incidents in each of the last two races, after a fifth-place finish in the season-opening Rolex 24.
Chris Bingham, Hugo Guenette and CB Motorsports will return to make their second start in their DLGL Lexus Riley after the new car’s debut at Fontana, where they placed 13th.
After earning nine top-10 finishes on the way to a strong sixth-place finish overall a year ago, Michael Shank Racing will make its 2005 season debut with Lexus power. Oswaldo Negri, who drove a Lexus-powered Doran for the team in 11 of last year’s 12 events, will return and partner with Mark Patterson in the #60 Matlin Patterson Lexus Riley.
In addition to six victories and 13 pole positions in 15 races since entering the Daytona Prototype competition (2004), Lexus also powered Scott Pruett and Max Papis to the 2004 series title and Ganassi Racing to last year’s Team championship
Qualifying for the Road and Track 250 is set for Saturday, April 30 at 4:20 p.m. (EDT). The green flag for the Sunday May 1 race is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (EDT) with SPEED providing live coverage.
April 25, 2005
FAST FACTS - JAPAN INDY 300
Saturday, April 30 Noon, EDT
Twin Ring Motegi
200 laps/300 miles on the 1.5-mile oval
TOYOTA LOOKS FOR THIRD MOTEGI WIN IN FOUR YEARS – Toyota will look for its third win in the last four years at Twin Ring Motegi when the IndyCar Series resumes at the Indy Japan 300 on Saturday, April 30. Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Bruno Junqueira was the first Toyota-powered Indy car driver to win on Japanese soil when he won the Champ Car race in 2002. The following season, Scott Sharp put a Toyota into the Motegi Winner’s Circle for the second consecutive year when he drove a Toyota-powered Dallara to victory in the inaugural IRL race at Motegi in 2003.
BACK ON THE OVAL – No driver in the IndyCar Series has had more success in the season’s first two oval events than Sam Hornish Jr. (Marlboro Toyota). The two-time series champion finished second at Homestead, followed by his first win of the season at Phoenix. Of course, Hornish’s oval track success should come as little surprise considering he’s currently the series leader in all-time victories with 13 wins under his belt.
RUNNING UP FRONT – Five different Toyota-powered drivers have led laps in the season’s first three races. Helio Castroneves (Marlboro Toyota), Sam Hornish Jr. and Patrick Carpentier (Red Bull Toyota) all led at the season-opening Toyota Indy 300. Castroneves and Hornish each took a turn up front again at Phoenix where Hornish was triumphant. In the season’s most recent road coarse event at St. Petersburg, rookie Ryan Briscoe earned the bonus for leading the most laps during the event. In addition, his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Darren Manning also led his first laps of the season during this race.
GETTING COMFORTABLE – After making the move from Champ Car to the IndyCar Series during the off-season, Patrick Carpentier has registered three consecutive top-10 finishes with a seventh at Homestead, a ninth at Phoenix and an eighth at St. Petersburg while still getting acclimated to the series.
Carpentier’s performance at St. Petersburg was particularly impressive after starting only 14th after missing half of Friday’s practice. He rebounded to run in the top five during the race and lost a probable top-five finish after being hit and spun around on the event’s final restart.
FIVE TOYOTA-POWERED DRIVERS RANK IN TOP 10 IN POINTS – After the season’s most recent event in St. Petersburg, five Toyota-powered drivers currently rank in the top 10 in points. Sam Hornish Jr., the Homestead winner, leads the Toyota contingent in third place, followed by Penske teammate Helio Castroneves in fourth, Darren Manning in seventh and Red Bull Cheever Racing teammates Patrick Carpentier and Alex Barron in ninth and 10th. A sixth Toyota-powered driver, Scott Dixon, sits just out of the top 10 in 11th place.
TOYOTA ATLANTIC GRADS OFF TO A FAST START – Toyota Atlantic Championship graduates have swept all three of the season’s first IndyCar Series events. Dan Wheldon, the 2000 TAC series runner-up, has earned victories at Homestead and St. Petersburg, while 1999 Atlantic Rookie of the Year Sam Hornish Jr. registered a win at Phoenix.
Wheldon currently leads the IRL point standings while Hornish is in third. They are joined in the top-10 by former Toyota Atlantic champions Patrick Carpentier (1996) and Alex Barron (1997), who currently sit ninth and 10th in points after three races.
Toyota IndyCar Series Driver Line-Up and Position Entering Japan Indy 300
Car # Driver Car Current Point Standing (wins)
#6 Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Toyota (Dallara) 3rd (Phoenix)
#3 Helio Castroneves Marlboro Toyota (Dallara) 4th
#10 Darren Manning Target Toyota (Panoz) 7th
#83 Patrick Carpentier Red Bull Toyota (Dallara) 9th
#51 Alex Barron Red Bull Toyota (Dallara 10th
#9 Scott Dixon Target Toyota (Panoz) 11th
#14 A.J. Foyt IV A.J. Foyt Toyota (Dallara) 14th
#33 Ryan Briscoe Pioneer/Target Toyota (Panoz) 19th
#20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing Toyota (Dallara) 20th
#91 Paul Dana Ethanol Toyota 22nd
April 03, 2005
PRUETT/DIAZ GIVE LEXUS GRAND AMERICAN 400 WIN
Despite running without power-steering, Scott Pruett (CompUSA Lexus-Riley) overcame a late-race yellow and a hard-charging Max Angelelli to win the closest Grand American Road Racing Daytona Prototype race in history by .09 seconds in today’s Grand American 400 at the California Speedway.
After Luis Diaz won his first career pole and the #01 Lexus’ 13th in 15 Daytona Prototype starts, problems set in almost immediately for the CompUSA Lexus as Diaz’ mount began to suffer power steering problems just before the race began.
A caution flag roughly 45 minutes into the event allowed the team to work on the car and remove debris caught up in an off-road excursion. In addition, defending series champion Pruett climbed into the car that had fallen well back into the field.
With a little more than an hour remaining, Pruett had driven his Lexus-powered entry back into the top three and with approximately 37 minutes remaining he took the race lead. The veteran proceeded to pull out to a five-second lead, but a late-race yellow with approximately 20 minutes remaining bunched the field once again. Pruett pulled away again after the re-start, but ran into heavy traffic in the final laps allowing Angelelli to close. Balked by slower traffic, Pruett dove inside coming off the final turn, while his competitor went to the outside. The Lexus then powered to the high side of the track to win by less than a tenth of a second.
The victory was the fifth over the past two seasons for the Ganassi Racing team, and the sixth overall for Lexus. The win came at the site of last season’s championship-clinching victory for Pruett and the Ganassi squad.
Cort Wagner and Stefan Johansson combined to finish sixth in the New Century Mortgage Lexus. Chris Bingham and Hugo Guenette combined to place 13th in the debut for CB Motorsports. Matteo Bobbi and Fabrizio Gollin registered a 14th-place finish after their second consecutive front-row qualifying effort on Saturday in their Crown Royal Special Reserve Lexus-Doran.
The Rolex Sports Car Series and the Lexus Daytona Prototype program return to action for the U.S. Sports Car Invitational May 1 at Laguna Seca. The race will be televised live on SPEED at 3 p.m. EDT.
DIXON LEADS TOYOTA IN INCIDENT-FILLED EVENT AT ST. PETERSBURG
- Target Toyota driver Ryan Briscoe was leading in the waning laps before being involved in an incident in the final 10 laps in Sunday’s Grand Prix of St. Petersburg as teammate Scott Dixon eventually finished sixth as the highest-finishing Toyota.
- Rookie Ryan Briscoe (Target Pioneer Toyota) led the first laps of his IndyCar career when he took over the top spot on Lap 17. The former Toyota F1 test driver went on to lead the most laps today to garner the three bonus points.
- Darren Manning (Target Toyota) was running in second and in contention for the victory before being hit in the side and pushed aside by Tony Kanaan in the race’s final 20 laps.
- Helio Castroneves (Marlboro Toyota) started second and ran in the top three throughout the early stages of the event before his day ended while trying to lap A.J. Foyt IV on Lap 13.
- Patrick Carpentier (Red Bull Toyota) registered his third consecutive top-10 finish with an eighth today after placing seventh at Homestead and ninth at Phoenix.
- Scott Dixon (Target Toyota) earned a season-high with a sixth today. Dixon had been running in the top five before being spun out in the race’s final 20 laps.
- Darren Manning’s (Target Toyota) ninth-place finish is his third consecutive top-10 finish after earning a sixth at Homestead and an eighth at Phoenix.
- Both Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Red Bull Cheever Racing placed two cars in the top-10 today. Scott Dixon and Darren Manning earned sixth and ninth-place finishes for Ganassi, while Patrick Carpentier and Alex Barron placed eighth and tenth for Red Bull Cheever.
- After three races, five Toyota-powered drivers currently rank in the top-10 in points. Sam Hornish Jr. dropped to third in points after coming into the race while leading. Among Toyota-powered drivers, he’s followed by Helio Castroneves in fourth, Darren Manning in seventh, Patrick Carpentier in ninth and Alex Barron in 10th.
Driver, Start/Finish
Sam Hornish 6/15
Ryan Briscoe 10/14
Scott Dixon 11/6
Alex Barron 13/10
Patrick Carpentier 14/8
Darren Manning 16/9
Ed Carpenter 19/19
Helio Castroneves 2/20
A.J. Foyt 21/21
Next Race: Japan Indy 300, Twin Ring Motegi, April 30, 2005, Midnight EDT, ESPN2
April 02, 2005
CASTRONEVES’ SECOND PACES TOYOTA IN ST. PETE QUALIFYING
Helio Castroneves (Marlboro Toyota) qualified second for the IRL’s first-ever road course event in preparation for Sunday’s Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in leading nine Toyota-powered cars in qualifying. Castroneves placed second in the initial single-car qualifying and then climbed up into the top spot during Firestone Fast Six qualifying before slipping to second behind Bryan Herta.
- For the third consecutive race, Helio Castroneves was the highest Toyota-powered competitor in second. Castroneves qualified third in the most recent IndyCar Series race at Phoenix.
- Toyota will be looking for its third victory in the last four IRL races tomorrow after winning the most recent race at Phoenix (Sam Hornish) and last year’s season finale at Texas (Helio Castroneves).
- Despite not having competed on a road course since his Toyota Atlantic Championship days in 1999, Sam Hornish Jr. (Marlboro Toyota) registered a Fast Six qualifying effort with a fifth in single-car qualifying and finished sixth in Fast Six qualifying.
- Rookie Ryan Briscoe (Target/Pioneer Toyota) earned a career-best qualifying mark of 10th. Briscoe, in his first season racing in the U.S., registered more than 6,000 miles of testing with the Toyota Formula One team a year ago – and ran more than 12,000 miles overall as a Toyota test driver.
Toyota-powered drivers qualifying for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Car # Driver Car Qualifying
#3 Helio Castroneves Marlboro Toyota (Dallara) 2nd
#6 Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Toyota (Dallara) 6th
#33 Ryan Briscoe Chip Ganassi Racing Toyota (Panoz) 10th
#9 Scott Dixon Target Toyota (Panoz) 11th
#51 Alex Barron Red Bull Toyota (Dallara 13th
#83 Patrick Carpentier Red Bull Toyota (Dallara) 14th
#10 Darren Manning Target Toyota (Panoz) 16th
#20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing Toyota (Dallara) 19th
#14 A.J. Foyt IV A.J. Foyt Toyota (Dallara) 21st