IndyCar points leader grabs seventh pole of 2010, ties League record
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Video credit: Indy Racing League.
Even Will Power can’t stop Will Power.
Before qualifying for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the IZOD IndyCar Series championship leader backed into the Turn 1 tire barriers during Saturday morning practice after going wide of the corner and spinning out. Out came the backup No. 12 Verizon machine and off Power went in qualifying just a couple of hours later.
If some folks in the paddock were hoping that Power’s usual mastery in quals would be suppressed due to him being in a backup car, they were likely disappointed at Power claiming his seventh pole of the season. That puts him alongside Penske teammate Helio Castroneves for the most poles in a single Indy Racing League season — and by starting the race tomorrow, he’ll also claim the inaugural Mario Andretti Trophy as the series’ road/street course champion for 2010.
“It was a gradual process during my run, but the laps weren’t perfect,” said Power after qualifying. “My last two laps were similar, but not mistake free. I am very happy for the Verizon team and I can’t thank the crew enough. I made it hard for them after my practice and they had to do a lot of work. I hope we can win this one this weekend. We had a disappointing result in Edmonton, but we are coming back here.”
The pole increases Power’s lead over Dario Franchitti to 51 points going into tomorrow’s race, the fourth of five straight road/street events. Only five outings will remain in the season after Sunday, but two-time series champion Franchitti isn’t getting nervous yet.
“I think if you’re desperate, you’re going to screw it up,” Franchitti said after earning a front row position alongside Power on the grid. “This is not the first time we’ve been in this situation. [Scott Dixon] and I were talking about it yesterday. At this point in ’07, I had a 60 or 70 point lead and [the championship] came down to the last corner, the last lap.
“It’s all about us executing every week. With the lead that Will’s got, if he does that, then he’s looking good. Our job is to get out there and beat him, beat him every race from now on.”
With track position very critical on the narrow and winding Mid-Ohio course, it appears that the two main combatants in the title fight may be going at each other for all 85 laps on Sunday. Takuma Sato of KV Racing Technology will try to stick his nose into Power and Franchitti’s business from the third starting position, while Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport joins him on the outside of Row 2. Dixon and Castroneves make up Row 3.
Castroneves comes into Sunday’s race having been recently disciplined (a $60,000 fine and probation to the end of the season) for his post-race outburst following the Honda Indy Edmonton two weeks ago. He’ll be looking to put his north-of-the-border meltdown behind him this weekend.
“Tomorrow, I know that my guys will give me fast pit stops and [race strategist] TC [Tim Cindric] will call a great race,” he said after qualifying sixth. “I am looking forward to it.”
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IZOD IndyCar Series
Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Starting grid
Row One
1. 12-Will Power, Verizon/Team Penske
2. 10-Dario Franchitti, Target Chip Ganassi Racing
Row Two
3. 5-Takuma Sato, Lotus/KV Racing Technology
4. 37-Ryan Hunter-Reay, IZOD/Andretti Autosport
Row Three
5. 9-Scott Dixon, Target Chip Ganassi Racing
6. 3-Helio Castroneves, Team Penske
Row Four
7. 6-Ryan Briscoe, Team Penske
8. 8-E.J. Viso, PDVSA/KV Racing Technology
Row Five
9. 26-Marco Andretti, Meijer/Andretti Autosport
10. 78-Simona de Silvestro, Stargate Resistance/HVM Racing
Row Six
11. 22-Justin Wilson, Z-Line Designs/Dreyer and Reinbold Racing
12. 06-Hideki Mutoh, Newman/Haas Racing
Row Seven
13. 4-Dan Wheldon, National Guard/Panther Racing
14. 77-Alex Tagliani, CV Logistics/FAZZT Race Team
Row Eight
15. 36-Bertrand Baguette, ICE Watch/Conquest Racing
16. 32-Mario Moraes, KV Racing Technology
Row Nine
17. 27-Adam Carroll, Automatic Fire Sprinklers/Andretti Autosport
18. 24-J.R. Hildebrand, Roll Coater/Dreyer and Reinbold Racing
Row Ten
19. 2-Raphael Matos, Hewlett-Packard/De Ferran Dragon Racing
20. 11-Tony Kanaan, 7-Eleven/Andretti Autosport
Row Eleven
21. 19-Alex Lloyd, Boy Scouts of America/Dale Coyne Racing
22. 7-Danica Patrick, GoDaddy.com/Andretti Autosport
Row Twelve
23. 34-Francesco Dracone, Halkin Jet/Conquest Racing
24. 14-Vitor Meira, ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing
Row Thirteen
25. 02-Graham Rahal, National Tire and Battery/Newman-Haas Racing
26. 66-Jay Howard, Service Central/Sarah Fisher Racing
Row Fourteen
27. 18-Milka Duno, CITGO/Dale Coyne Racing
