Latest Indy Photo Reveals Helio Won Race by Inches, Yet Dixon Wins Crown - F1 Takes Hamilton’s Win away
Sunday Drivers: Dixon wins crown over Helio and Indy women, Johnson takes Richmond
By David Mirsky
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 9/8/08 — With inches to spare in a record photo-finish, Scott Dixon took home the big 2008 Indy Championship trophy after a season of battling racer and Dancing with the Stars’ finalist Helio Castroneves.
Plus Formula One’s Lewis Hamilton had his win stripped away in a Ferrari passing duel which did not pass the judges notice, but will appeal in a surprisingly busy race weekend.
Normally, the first week in September is not supposed to be anything special for motorsports. Just a couple of races with a couple of different winners, right…wrong. From Belgium, to Virginia, to Chicago this weekend proved to be anything but typical. There were some crowns, and some frowns on the speedways this weekend.
First, congratulations to Indy Car’s 2008 champion, Scott Dixon and the Target-Chip Ganassi team, who captured the title on the final race of the regular season. Chicagoland hosted the Indy Car Peak Anti Freeze 300, where either Helio Castroneves or Scott Dixon was going to be crowned Indy Car champion, and it was anyone’s guess who it was going to be. Dixon just needed to finish the race in 8th place to win the crown, where Castroneves had to win the race with Dixon finishing in at least 9th place to capture the championship. For most of the race, Dixon played it safe, staying out of everyone’s way, but still maintaining his position in the top ten, while Castroneves was a bit busier. Castroneves spent most of his day leading the race, and fending off anyone who wanted to lead the race. It came down to the final lap of the race, and that final lap came down to the last lap, actually, the last foot of the last lap. And that was the distance that Helio Castroneves beat Scott Dixon to the finish line…it turned out to be a photo finish for the Penske team, and the tightest margin of victory ever.
IndyCar Series champion Dixon of New Zealand was initially shown as the winner of the season’s final race because of a faulty transponder on his race car, the Indy Racing League said.
The electronic timing showed Dixon was the winner of Sunday’s Peak Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, but race officials studied photos of the finish and gave the victory instead to Helio Castroneves. The margin was 0.0033 seconds, the second-closest finish in IRL history.
The Indy ladies had their fair share of action today, for the first time in her career; Milka Duno led an Indy Car race for 5 laps, Sarah Fisher crashed her car, and was later released from the medical center without injury, and Danica Patrick finished an uneventful 10th. Ryan Briscoe, Penske’s second driver fills out the podium in 3rd place.
This ends the regular Indy Car season, except for the special race in October, down under at Surfer’s Paradise in Australia. And trust me, that venue has always provided an exciting race through this street circuit.
Chevy’s Rock and Roll 400, held at the Richmond International Speedway in Richmond, Virginia looked more like a bumper-car race, than a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. I don’t think there was a car that finished the race without someone else’s paint on them. Richmond’s ¾ mile, “D” shaped oval was quick and tight for most of the day that didn’t feature any rain on the track, which had been threatening for most of the weekend. Everyone was bumping everyone else on the track…Dale Jr. had gotten into with several cars, including points leader, Kyle Busch, who had taken out Dale earlier in the year while leading the race. A few laps later, Busch crossed in front of Dale, Jr. a bit too close, which cost him a chance at the lead and the win. Tony Stewart took the lead for a while until eventual winner, Jimmie Johnson closed in on Stewart’s lead, then out braked him into the corner, and took the lead for good.
This was one of the more exciting races of the year which also determined the RACE FOR THE CHASE, which has the top 12 drivers racing the next 10 races for the championship trophy. Mathematically, these 12 chase drivers have a chance to win the championship trophy. Kyle Busch still leads Carl Edwards by just over 200 points, with Jimmie Johnson in 3rd. The Sylvania 300 in New Hampshire is the next stop for the Sprint Cup series.
Formula 1 doesn’t get much better than this anywhere on the circuit. Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium is located in the same forest as the famous World War 2 battle site of “The Battle of the Bulge” had been fought. Today’s fight was on the nearly 4 mile long track with several acute elevation changes, and wide open turns and straight-aways that last nearly 25 seconds. Imagine 25 seconds at over 200 miles per hour through the forest…incredible! This is a driver’s track where only the fearless and skillful will survive.
Lewis Hamilton and his McLaren Mercedes captured the pole position by just hundredths of a second with the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa right behind him. The threat of rain had been lurking all weekend over the track, and finally arrived in the late morning hours. Light rain, scattered around the large track played havoc with the drivers, and their selection of tires. Rain tires, intermediates, or full rain tires…it was anyone’s guess what to run. Just about everyone was having their problems sticking to the asphalt, if you were lucky, you just slid all over the track, if you weren’t, you were going to end up crashing into a wall or running off the track completely. It was a typical Sunday for F1, the Ferraris and McLarens battling for first place. Hamilton would set fastest lap time, and within a few laps, Raikkonen or Massa would take fast lap away, then Hamilton would find a way to take off a tenth of a second to re-capture fast lap.
With about 5 laps to left in the race, Hamilton, running just behind Kimi’s Ferrari, entered a turn too hot and had to cut across the track to avoid crashing into the Ferrari. Hamilton had the lead for a brief moment, before pulling over to allow Kimi to regain his position. Under the rules, you cannot increase your position by circumventing the track. Within moments, Hamilton passed Kimi to take the lead for good. Kimi had spun his Ferrari out twice, trying to keep up with Hamilton, and his second spin caused Raikkonen’s Ferrari to spin into wall, ending his chances for a podium finish. Ferrari’s Felipe Mass took 2nd place, with BMW’s Nick Heidfeld come home in 3rd.
At the time of this report, the FIA, Formula 1’s governing body was investigating Hamilton’s actions on his illegal pass, and had intended to take the Brit’s win away, sending him to 3rd place as a penalty. Hamilton and McLaren boss Ron Dennis intend to appeal the FIA’s penalty, which should be sometime later in the week, before the next race at the spectacular track in Monza, Italy on September 14th. I don’t get it, I saw the race, and frankly, Hamilton shouldn’t be penalized for following the rules.
And finally, World Super Bike Champion, Troy Bayless finally got a win at the one track that has eluded him for his entire career. Donnington Park in England, known to be one of the most difficult race tracks anywhere, has always been a dream of Bayless to win…and finally his dream has come true, winning this weekend’s event.
Photo: Helio’s Penske wins by a head — at 200 mph-plus