Flashback Friday: Stories and Statistics from Kevin Harvick’s Victory in the 2002 Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway

        On July 14, 2002, the stars of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series invaded Chicagoland Speedway for the second annual Tropicana 400 at the 1.5-mile track. 75,000 fans packed the Illinois grandstands and 43 drivers delivered a thrilling race. In the end, though, the battle for the win came down to some late strategy thanks to a beautiful accident. Going to complete lap 197, Kevin Harvick made an aggressive three-wide move onto the frontstretch apron underneath Kurt Busch and Dave Blaney as he tried to move into fourth spot. The apron caused Harvick to break loose and he barely saved his #29 Chevrolet before riding below the banking all the way into turn 1.

        After brilliant save attempts, the California driver ended up stopped in the turn 1 grass with all his track position gone and his tires flat spotted. It wasn’t all bad news for the reigning Rookie of the Year. He only dropped to 14th for the next restart and he had the freshest tires in the field and no damage to his RCR Chevrolet. Over the next run, he passed drivers on older tires and looked to be faster than the leaders. Laps were clicking away, though, and Ryan Newman had a sizeable lead with Harvick mired outside of the Top 5. Fortunately, Harvick caught a break with the seventh and final caution on lap 240. 

  Just about 15 seconds apart from each other, Newman and Joe Nemechek had tire issues in turn 1. While Newman kept his #12 Ford off the wall, Nemechek wasn’t so lucky as his #25 Chevrolet Monte Carlo grazed the outside wall in turn 1 and prompted the yellow flag. This allowed the teams that needed to stop do under yellow without the threat of green flag pit stop mistakes. On the other hand, Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and Robby Gordon stayed out with enough fuel to make it to the end. This put the #29 Chevrolet in the lead with just 20 laps to go and that was the break that the struggling Harvick needed. 

        For the last 20 green flag laps, he put distance between himself and Gordon to take the white flag comfortably with nearly a second lead. He crossed the finish line ahead of the #24 by eight tenths of a second to grab his first checkered flag of the season. It turned out he had just enough gas to finish the race as he ran out on the frontstretch in the middle of his burnout. The entire Richard Childress Racing #29 team happily went to victory lane and celebrated a much-needed boost to their season. In addition to Harvick’s win, the rest of the NWCS field featured a variety of stories and statistics. Some of those include Kevin Harvick’s 2002 struggles in the first 17 races, Ryan Newman’s large number of laps led at Chicagoland, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s missed opportunity at a win, Jeff Gordon’s continued long winless streak, the Burton brothers’ Chicagoland struggles, and a short recap of the races for all eight of the drivers carrying Muppets on their cars for 400 miles of racing.

        While the 2001 season could be considered a success for Kevin Harvick and the #29 team considering everything all RCR faced as an organization, the first 17 races of 2002 were far from good. Other than a third-place finish at Darlington and a tenth at Bristol, the California driver finished outside of the Top 20 in eleven races. Eight of those finishes occurred in a row from Race #7 of the season at Texas until Race #15 at Michigan. During that eight-race streak, Harvick even missed an event after he was suspended for the Cup race at Martinsville due to an incident in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the half-mile track. Because of all the struggles, he was 30th in the points standings. Race #18 of the 36-race schedule at Chicagoland Speedway came as a possible turning point, though, as the young driver could claim to be the only Cup winner at the track when the series arrived at the Illinois track. 

        Despite a 32nd place starting spot, Harvick methodically moved through the field with his eyes on his best finish of the year. He finally made it to the Top 5 on the restart after the fifth caution on lap 192, but he promptly spun out just a couple of laps later. The aforementioned strategy shuffle allowed him to inherit the lead to steal his best finish of the season and capture a momentum shifting win. Interestingly, the win was his third career victory and it came just 364 days after his second one. On July 15, 2001, Harvick won the inaugural event at Chicagoland. His win made him the only winner two races into the track’s history.

        In the end, a flat tire on lap 240 cost Ryan Newman the win as he lost all his track position and didn’t have enough time to make it up on his four fresh tires. The Indiana Rookie of the Year contender fought back to fifth, but it wasn’t the points paying win he hoped for after his triumph in The Winston exhibition race just two months earlier. Yet, the hopeful NWCS star achieved some important feats in the race. Newman captured his third career pole and started his pursuit of the “Rocketman” nickname he has carried throughout his career. 

        Starting first allowed him to the lead the first 56 laps of the race before the first round of green flag pit stops. He returned to the lead on lap 209 and led for 31 more circuits before his unfortunate flat tire. Despite not leading the most important lap, the Purdue University graduate led 87 laps in total of the 267 laps. At the time, it was the most laps he had led in a single race in his 26th series start. Of course, he led more laps in future races and victories, but the 2002 Tropicana 400 paved the way for the “Rocketman” to show his speed for a majority of an event for the first time in his career.

        For several runs of the race, it looked like Dale Earnhardt Jr. would capture his sixth career NWCS win. He was third when the final caution of the race waved on lap 240 and it appeared some good strategy would hand him the win. However, his team decided to change all four tires while everyone either to took two tires or just added fuel. Being back in traffic made the #8 Chevrolet struggle to handle. Junior could only muster a tenth-place finish when the checkered flag waved. The finish didn’t give the team complete disappointment, though. 

        After leading 133 of 188 laps in his dominating victory at Talladega Superspeedway in mid-April of 2002, Junior struggled to run up front and finish well. He led only 15 laps between California and the previous race at Daytona. His fortune changed at Chicagoland, though. He led 81 of the 267 laps and returned to the lap leading form he had early in the season where he sat 5th in the points at one point. While the win slipped away, Earnhardt Jr. gained some momentum by leading 30% of the race’s laps.

        As soon as Jeff Gordon started running full-time in the NWCS, he became a weekly contender for wins and championships. Yet, in July of 2002, the California born driver found himself in a slump he had only experienced once in his career. Gordon went 41 races before he won his first race in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600. That streak was the longest of his career as he started winning races consistently after the Charlotte Motor Speedway win. When he entered Chicagoland Speedway twelve years after his first win, though, his winless streak stood at 25 races. It appeared he would come close to matching his longest winless streak, but his crew chief, Robbie Loomis, had a plan to try and end the streak.

        After running in or around the Top 10 all day from his 15th place starting spot, Gordon brought his #24 car down pit road under the sixth caution on lap 197 while most of the field stayed out. Despite the loss in track position and being off strategy, he could finish the race without stopping again. The seventh and final caution waved on lap 240 and it appeared the strategy move would put Gordon in contention for the win. Ultimately, though, the #24 restarted second and could not pass Harvick to take the win. The streak extended to 26 winless races and the #24 team left Illinois a bit disappointed as victory lane continued to elude them.

        Starting in 1994, the Burton brothers, Ward and Jeff, began a career battle in the NWCS. The Virginia natives, of course, wanted to beat each other as much as possible, but they wanted each other to have success. In 2002, Ward experienced the ultimate moment of success in stock car racing as he captured the win in the Daytona 500. Yet, the rest of the season until Chicagoland proved to be forgettable for both Burtons. At Texas and Charlotte, the two brothers both finished outside of the Top 35. Also, they had several bad runs and terrible finishes in addition to those shared bad days. Unfortunately, while they hoped Chicagoland would be a turning point, it proved not to be.

        On lap 4, Ward went for a spin on the frontstretch in a pack of traffic to bring out the first caution. Just 13 laps later, the driveshaft on his #22 Pontiac exploded and littered some debris on the 1.5-mile race track. The mechanical issue put Ward behind the wall early and he spent a portion of the race in the garage. He ended up in 41st place and 130 laps down to the leader. Jeff had a solid start to his afternoon in the race, but on lap 165 his good run disappeared. He reported to his crew chief, Frank Stoddard, that his engine was running on just seven cylinders. Seven laps later, he was on pit road with the #99 team pushing their car to the garage. The team’s day was done and the younger Burton brother finished in 39th, 100 laps down. It proved to be yet another difficult day for Ward and Jeff Burton as they combined to finish outside of the Top 35 together for the third time on the 2002 season. 



        Finally, some beloved characters in American culture made an appearance on eight NASCAR racecars at Chicagoland. The Muppets Show, created by Jim Henson, celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2002. To bring awareness to the event, several NASCAR teams were contacted to run cars with various Muppets characters on them. The schemes were released in March and fans anticipated each team’s arrival at the track in Chicagoland for the Tropicana 400. Unfortunately, some controversy surrounded the crossover as the actual Muppets weren’t allowed into the track due to legal issues. Despite the controversy, all eight teams competed with their respective paint schemes and had very different days.

        Of all eight teams, Bill Elliott had the best afternoon at the Illinois track. Elliott put his #9 Dodge featuring the Swedish Chef on the second row for the initial start. He quickly moved into the second spot and set his sights on the lead. The 1988 NWCS champion spent the first half of the race solidly in the Top 5 before he dropped into the Top 10 around the halfway mark due to various strategies from his other competitors. When the seventh and final caution waved on lap 240, Elliott and his crew chief, Mike Ford, decided to use some strategy of their own. The Georgia driver took fuel only, which allowed him to restart sixth with just 20 laps left. Unfortunately, the move didn’t work out and Elliott ended up in seventh place at the finish, in a close battle for the sixth spot with Kurt Busch. It was his eighth Top 10 of the season and made him the highest finisher of the drivers with Muppet racecars.

  After the first set of green flag pit stops, it looked like Dale Jarrett would give Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy the best finish for the Muppets at Chicagoland. The 1999 NWCS champion moved from his 11th place starting spot to second following the first round of green flag pit stops on lap 84. On the run following the third caution on lap 138, though, Jarrett’s #88 Ford struggled with a tight condition and he slipped outside of the Top 10. From there, he struggled to find his way inside the Top 10 and when the checkered flag waved on lap 267, Jarrett finished exactly where he started in 11th. The race ended in a disappointing fashion for the Robert Yates Racing team, but the #88 finished second highest of the Muppets drivers.

        Of the 43 drivers in the field, Bobby Labonte had the quietest day with Pepe the King Prawn on his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac. The 2000 NWCS champion started in 12th spot, but struggled to stay inside the Top 15 in the first half of the race. Following the two rounds of green flag pit stops in the first 140 laps, Labonte found himself a lap down just inside the Top 20. Throughout the remainder of the race, he stayed consistently at the front of the drivers a lap down. Yet, he couldn’t move in front of the leader on restarts to earn his lap back and fight to move up the running order. The #18 Pontiac finished the day in 18th after a simply quiet and average day at the 1.5-mile track.

        Ricky Rudd had a very eventful day with Gonzo the Great on the hood of his #28 Robert Yates Racing Ford. After starting 38th, he powered through the field hoping to gain as many positions as possible in the early laps. He did advance through the running order, but he lost a lap to the leaders following the two rounds of green flag pit stops during the first half of the event. With still a lot of time left in the 267-lap race, Rudd hoped to earn his lap back. His pursuit of trying to move back onto the lead lap created some controversy with the leader following the fifth caution on lap 192. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed the pace car on the backstretch just after the yellow flag waved, Rudd drove up to the leader’s left side door and bumped him a little bit. The 23-time race winner was upset Earnhardt Jr. hadn’t allowed him to gain his lap back racing to the caution. The intense moment ended quickly, and the Virginia driver returned to working hard on restarts to earn his lap back. Rudd never did return to the lead lap and he finished the day in 19th. While it wasn’t a Top 10, the #28 did improve his starting spot by 19 positions.

        The worst starter of the eight Muppet drivers was Tennessee’s Casey Atwood. He qualified his #7 Sirius Satellite Radio Dodge featuring Rowlf the Dog in 41st for the 400-mile race. Fortunately, he moved up a few positions for the start as drivers dropped to the rear of the field. Atwood hoped to take his Ultra-Evernham Motorsports car into the Top 20 for a much-needed good run, but he struggled in the early portion of the event. He quickly went a lap down and appeared to be in position for his eighth finish outside of the Top 30 on the season. Yet, the two-time NASCAR Busch Series winner didn’t give up. He fought all race long and thanks to some attrition and adjustments, he crossed the finish line in 28th with a clean racecar. Interestingly, it was exactly where he finished a year before in his first trip to Chicagoland Speedway.

        With Animal on his #41 Target Dodge, Jimmy Spencer looked to capture a good finish for his race team. Unfortunately, track position and a late-race incident prevented him from earning a good finish. Spencer rolled off in 39th spot and made some moves early in the first half of the race to gain spots. He rode around inside the Top 25 until an incident ended his shot at finishing there. As Kevin Harvick spun in turn 1 on lap 197, Spencer crashed with several other drivers like Hut Stricklin, Kurt Busch, and Jerry Nadeau. When the smoke settled, the #41 had a huge hole in the nose and smoked heavily while driving away. Despite the damage, Spencer continued off the pace after some repairs. He ended up in 32nd spot when the checkered flag waved, 28 laps down. A clean day for Spencer and his team turned into a damaged racecar with a less than stellar finish.

        Unlike his Evernham Motorsports teammate, Bill Elliott, Jeremy Mayfield’s #19 Dodge featuring Dr. Honeydew and Beaker didn’t end the 400-mile race with an excellent finish. Mayfield started the 400-mile event in 20th and held station in the Top 20 for the first half of the event before mechanical troubles faced the team. A rear gear burnt up in his racecar and it forced him behind the wall as his fellow competitors continued to race. The #19 team did an admirable job repairing the car and returned their driver to the race, about 30 laps down to the leaders. For the remainder of the event, Mayfield rode around gaining points as drivers fell out of the event. When the checkered flag waved, he finished 34th, 33 laps down. A mechanical problem created an issue for the three-time NWCS race winner, but he showed speed in the early portion of the event.

        When Action Racing Collectibles originally announced the line-up of drivers with Muppets racecars, Johnny Benson Jr. was scheduled to drive the #10 Pontiac with Fozzie Bear for Nelson Bowers. Of course, things change often in NASCAR and Mike Wallace actually drove the racecar in the Tropicana 400. Benson had been involved in a vicious crash at Daytona the week before, which left him with bruises and injured ribs that kept him out of the racecar. Wallace, who had made sporadic appearances in NASCAR’s Top 3 series throughout the 2002 season, hopped into the car for the Chicagoland event. The Missouri driver gave the car a good run from his 36th place starting spot before engine woes started around lap 170. He reported to his team that his car was running on seven cylinders. His teammate, Ken Schrader, had dropped out of the race earlier with the same issue. Wallace only ran a few laps after reporting the issue before he pulled into the garage. He finished in 38th spot, 95 laps down to the leader. For the entire team and driver, it was a disappointing day as Wallace tried to highlight his skills and the #10 team tried to run without their usual driver.


  The 2002 Tropicana 400 provided everything a NASCAR fan could want in a race. Consistent battles for position at the front of the field, green flag pit stops, drivers moving from the back to the front, spins and crashes, interesting strategy calls, and a late-race battle between two of the most talented competitors in the sport. All 75,000 fans got exactly what they paid for thanks to Kevin Harvick’s late duel with Jeff Gordon and Harvick’s late race strategy gamble. Plus, some very interesting stories and statistics emerged from the race thanks to many of the drivers in the field. Finally, fans young and old were able to see the Muppets sail around Chicagoland Speedway at over 180 miles per hour.

  On Sunday, 16 years after the second Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Illinois for the 18th race at the 1.5-mile track. Just like 2002, the series heads to the speedway with a lot of potential storylines brewing. In the last two races at Chicagoland, only one driver has visited victory lane: Martin Truex Jr. He captured the victory in 2016 and won last season en route to his first Cup championship. Truex will be a legitimate threat for the win again. Chase Elliott hasn’t won a Cup race in 93 career starts, but he has an average finish of 2.5 at Chicagoland and a goal of winning this weekend. Kevin Harvick won the first two Cup races at the Illinois track, but he hasn’t been to victory lane there since. With five wins on the 2018 season thus far, he will be another contender for the win. The stars of the MENCS hope to thrill the fans on Sunday just like the NWCS drivers did in 2002. 
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 4- Ward Burton went for a spin exiting turn 4 as he raced in a pack of traffic. He spun to a stop on the frontstretch apron without damage and continued in the race.

2nd Caution: Lap 17- Debris from Ward Burton’s exploded driveshaft littered turns 3 and 4.

3rd Caution: Lap 138- Michael Waltrip blew an engine entering turn 1, which littered debris and oil on the track. Waltrip came to a stop alongside the wall with his day finished.

4th Caution: Lap 182- Debris was spotted on the 1.5-mile track in turn 4.

5th Caution: Lap 192- Elliott Sadler broke loose exiting turn 4 and spun down the frontstretch. He ended up stopped on the apron without damage before he continued on.

6th Caution: Lap 197- Kevin Harvick shot to the apron past the start/finish line to pass Kurt Busch and Dave Blaney. The apron made Harvick’s #29 loose and he ended up spinning in turn 1 after riding the apron to save his car. He spun harmlessly into the grass and continued after he refired his racecar. Hut Stricklin, Jerry Nadeau, Jimmy Spencer, and Elliott Sadler also spun during the incident.

7th Caution: Lap 240- As Ryan Newman coasted on the backstretch with a flat right front tire, Joe Nemechek had a left front go flat, which sent his #25 Chevrolet up the track and into the outside wall. Nemechek only made slight contact with the wall and he continued after repairs from his Hendrick Motorsports team.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kevin Harvick
2nd: Jeff Gordon
3rd: Tony Stewart
4th: Jimmie Johnson
5th: Ryan Newman

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Kurt Busch
7th: Bill Elliott
9th: Mark Martin
10th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11th: Dale Jarrett
13th: Terry Labonte
14th: Matt Kenseth
18th: Bobby Labonte
21st: Elliott Sadler
25th: Rusty Wallace
33rd: Joe Nemechek
39th: Jeff Burton
42nd: Michael Waltrip




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
~~racing-reference.info/race/2002_Tropicana_400/W
-Full Race:
~~www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp68t_QrbO4&t=1398s
-Images:
~~www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/jimmy-spencer-dirves-his-ganassi-racing-dodge-intrepid-on-news-photo/1157200#/jimmy-spencer-dirves-his-ganassi-racing-dodge-intrepid-on-july-13-picture-id1157200
~~www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ricky-rudd-drives-his-havoline-racing-ford-on-july-14-2002-news-photo/1157369#ricky-rudd-drives-his-havoline-racing-ford-on-july-14-2002-during-the-picture-id1157369
~~www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/casey-atwood-drives-his-ultra-motorsports-dodge-intrepid-on-news-photo/1157197
~~www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/jeremy-mayfield-drives-his-evernham-motorsports-dodge-news-photo/1157167#/jeremy-mayfield-drives-his-evernham-motorsports-dodge-intrepid-on-13-picture-id1157167
~~www.sorte.org/tropicana400-2002/index2.html
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photos/?race_type_id=117&year=2002&driver_id%5B0%5D=590
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photos/?race_type_id=117&year=2002&driver_id=30&location_id=69
~~www.qvc.com/Bill-Elliott-Swedish-Chef-1%3A24-Scale-Die-Cast-Car.product.C19823.html
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012764072-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012764072/?p=2&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002-1012764124/1012764124/?p=3&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763808-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763808/?p=5&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763729-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763729/?p=4&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763748-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763748/?p=4&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763709-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763709/?p=3&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1
~~www.motorsportimages.com/photo/1012763707-2002-nascar-chicagoland-usa-july-13-14-2002/1012763707/?p=7&search=2002%20Tropicana%20400&is_popup=1

5 Stages of Analysis: Wheldon Holds Off Team Penske on the Final Run to Win and Clinch the IndyCar Championship at Chicagoland

(Author’s Note: On this date six years ago, the Verizon IndyCar Series lost one of its most successful and lovable drivers: Dan Wheldon. Wheldon, who won two Indianapolis 500’s and an IndyCar championship during his storied career, entered the season finale for the former IZOD IndyCar Series at Las Vegas on October 16, 2011. He had won the Indianapolis 500 five months earlier in his only start of the season and a much larger monetary prize awaited him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. If Wheldon could start last and grab the checkered flag at the 1.5-mile track, he would win a five-million-dollar prize for himself and his team. Plus, a fortunate fan would share in the wealth and earn five million dollars as well. Fans and IndyCar were buzzing about the event as 34 drivers would attempt to grab the win and Wheldon would look to earn one of auto racing’s largest prizes. However, competitors and officials voiced concerns about the safety of the event with so many cars battling around tight quarters at well over 200 miles per hour. Nonetheless, the green flag waved and the contingent of drivers battled around the Nevada track at a torrid pace. On lap 11, though, the safety concerns affected the event in the worst possible way. Sebastian Saavedra broke loose in turn 1 after slight contact with a fellow competitor. Saavedra spun in front of the field and cars began to pile into the melee. Wheldon, who was running 24th as he approached the accident scene, slammed into Charlie Kimball’s car, which lifted his #77 into the air. He flew towards the catchfence for almost 100 yards before he slammed into the retaining fence with his open cockpit, which caused his helmet to slam into one of the poles supporting the catchfence. He landed back on the ground after the tremendous impact and his Honda rolled to a stop along with the rest of the damaged cars. LVMS track officials and the medical crew immediately arrived on the accident scene in turn 1 and they worked diligently to extricate Wheldon and the rest of the competitors from their cars. The reigning Indy 500 champion was immediately airlifted to the local medical center for treatment after he was placed on a stretcher, but there was nothing that could be done for the IndyCar champion. Wheldon succumbed to his massive head trauma and the racing world lost one of its finest drivers. Following the announcement of Wheldon’s death, the entire IndyCar field performed five slow laps around LVMS to honor their fellow racer and his memory. In the subsequent months after the fatal accident, Dallara and IndyCar announced the series would be using a brand-new chassis named the DW12 in honor of Wheldon. The car was tested by Wheldon prior to his tragic passing and it was designed to be safer for drivers. However, even with his head trauma, IndyCar has yet to mandate a protective shield within the open cockpit, which would prevent future head injuries in open wheel racing. Still, Wheldon’s chassis has proven to be successful in its tenure in the series in terms of safety and competitiveness. To honor Wheldon today, we will analyze one of the most important wins of his career: the 2005 PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. In that race, Wheldon barely beat Helio Castroneves at the checkered flag to grab his series leading sixth win of the season in the 15th event, which allowed him to virtually clinch the championship. Wheldon mathematically clinched when he started at Watkins Glen the next week and he won the championship after an incredible year with Andretti Green Racing. Let’s honor the driver affectionately known as “Lionheart” and analyze his championship clinching victory as if the checkered flag just waved at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.)

        After overcoming a pit road speeding penalty and battling hard throughout the race, Dan Wheldon crossed the finish line at Chicagoland Speedway just ahead of Helio Castroneves to take his series leading sixth IndyCar victory of the season. In addition to winning the race, Wheldon clinched the 2005 IndyCar Series championship for his Andretti Green Racing team after a dominating year. For the British driver, it was another triumphant moment to add to a year that included a victory in the Indianapolis 500. However, even though Wheldon led the most laps in the race, the other 22 drivers in the event battled hard and the victory came down to an incredible photo finish. Danica Patrick started on the pole in the race for the third time in her rookie season. She led the first lap before Tomas Scheckter moved into first place entering turn 3 on the second lap. The Panther Racing driver held onto the lead as the large pack of IndyCar contenders battled around the blistering fast 1.5-mile track. Scheckter held onto the lead until the first caution waved on lap 19 for Ryan Briscoe’s massive wreck, which destroyed part of the catchfence in turn 3 and resulted in a red flag for fence repairs. After the red flag was lifted, the green flag waved with Scheckter still out front. Just a few laps into the run on lap 38, however, Wheldon shot to the lead with his fast Honda. The reigning Indy 500 champion held the lead until the first round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 78. Following the cycle of stops, Castroneves found himself out front with a snarling pack of drivers chasing after him. Tony Kanaan began to battle for the lead on lap 95, but Castroneves maintained the top spot as the second caution waved on lap 96 for debris. The caution brought the first strategy of the race as Bryan Herta stayed out and Kanaan took only fuel during his stop. Also, Wheldon was hit with a speeding penalty on pit road, which dropped him to 17th for the restart. At the halfway mark, the complexion of the race had completely changed, but the field still had 100 laps to decide the victor. On the subsequent restart, Kanaan and Herta battled hard for the lead before Kanaan prevailed on the outside on lap 109 heading down the backstretch to take the outright lead. Eleven laps later, the third caution of the race waved for debris on track with the reigning IndyCar champion still out front in his #11 Honda. Again, more strategy affected the complexion of the race. Kanaan, Sam Hornish Jr., and several other drivers stayed on track while most of the field pitted for four tires and fuel. When the green flag waved, Kanaan managed his older tires and held the lead for the first part of the run. However, as the leaders drove down the frontstretch on lap 148, Wheldon shot to Kanaan’s outside and the two drivers battled for a couple of laps for the top spot. Finally, on lap 151, the British driver cleared his competitor and began to drive away after magnificently overcoming his pit road penalty. Just four laps later, Kanaan made the move to pit road under green with his older tires as the final round of green flag pit stops of the event began. The rest of the field followed in the next twenty laps and when the stops cycled through, Wheldon found himself out front with Castroneves behind him. With 20 laps to go, it appeared the points leader was poised to win and clinch the championship, but Scott Dixon’s stalled car near the entrance of pit road caused the fourth and final caution to wave on lap 183. The entire field stayed on track and Wheldon restarted first with a field of hungry drivers behind him. The race restarted and Castroneves and Hornish Jr. immediately began to pressure the leader after Patrick, who was running fourth when the green flag waved, received a penalty for jumping the start. As the laps clicked by, the three drivers battled for the lead with Wheldon maintaining the top spot. With only two laps to go, Castroneves shot to the outside of the leader with drafting help from his Team Penske teammate, Hornish Jr. The two drivers ran side by side as the white flag waved at Chicagoland. Through the final four turns, the rivals remained in a drag race to take the checkered flag. As the two cars crossed the line, Wheldon took the win by only 13 one thousandths of a second. The close finish proved to be championship clinching for Wheldon and it thrilled fans to see the reigning Indy 500 winner take the victory. Ultimately, the race highlighted the talent of the entire IndyCar field as they competed at speeds over 200 mph while driving through tight corners only inches apart. As these five stages of analysis display, today’s race in Illinois was the ultimate adrenaline rush for the IndyCar Series field as Dan Wheldon clinched his first career championship in the series after an incredibly close finish.

Stage 1:
Driver of the Day: Wheldon Leads 88 Laps in Dominating Performance at Chicagoland

        In only his second full-time season in the IndyCar Series, Dan Wheldon has proven that he is threat for wins and championships. After performing spectacularly in fourteen fill-in races during the 2003 season for Andretti Green Racing and taking the Rookie of the Year award, Wheldon signed a full-time deal for 2004 with the team to compete in the #26 Honda. The move proved to be successful for both driver and team as Wheldon won three races and finished second in the points behind his teammate, Tony Kanaan. 2005, however, has been even better for the entire #26 team. After winning the season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finishing sixth at Phoenix International Raceway, Wheldon and his team won three consecutive races, including the historic Indianapolis 500. The team struggled through the summer months after winning four of the first five races, but the British driver maintained his points lead and ended the winless streak at Pikes Peak in the 13th race of the year. Even after a mechanical issue last race at Sonoma, Wheldon and his team came into Chicagoland today with a chance to clinch the IndyCar championship. The #26 started in fifth position, but Wheldon quickly made his move to the front of the field. On lap 3, he slid past Danica Patrick entering turn 1 to take the third position. He maintained his spot in third behind Tomas Scheckter and Sam Hornish Jr. until the first caution of the event waved on lap 19 for Ryan Briscoe’s massive crash. The field came down pit road during the caution period and Wheldon lost a position after a slow stop. However, as soon as the green flag waved after the catchfence was fixed and the accident scene was cleaned up, he charged to the front of the pack and passed Scheckter for the lead on lap 38. From there, the championship leader cruised away from the field in his pursuit of a title. The first round of green flag pit stops began on lap 78 with Helio Castroneves and the entire field quickly followed the Brazilian driver to pit lane. After the cycle of stops, Castroneves inherited the lead with Wheldon in third position. He remained there as the second caution of the race waved on lap 96. Due to the length of the run, the field made pit stops with varying strategy intermingled. Bryan Herta stayed out and Tony Kanaan took fuel only while Wheldon and his team took the conservative route by taking four tires. However, a mistake cost the driver and team valuable track position. Wheldon was caught speeding on pit road and he was forced to start at the back of the field, which put him 17th in the line-up. Yet, he didn’t give up and he used his fast racecar to move into 11th position on lap 119 and just a couple of circuits later, he found himself in sixth position as the third caution waved. During the caution period, more strategy occurred and Wheldon pitted for fuel only with the drivers behind him coming as well. He was prepared to restart seventh as the first driver to pit during the caution. When the race restarted, the British driver quickly maneuvered into the Top 5. However, on lap 133, he dropped a couple of positions after losing some momentum in a heated battle for position. Still, Wheldon regained his composure and began his charge back to the lead after his pit road speeding penalty. By lap 148, he was sitting in second position with his teammate, Kanaan, holding the top spot. As the two leaders crossed the start/finish line to begin lap 149, Wheldon shot to Kanaan’s outside and the Andretti Green Racing teammates battled for the lead. After two laps of intense side by side racing, Wheldon cleared the reigning IndyCar champion and moved into the lead. Just a few laps later, though, green flag pit stops began for the final time in the event. Since drivers were off sequence from each other, the entire cycle of stops lasted for 20 laps. Wheldon pitted from the lead on lap 174 and when the round of stops finished just a couple of circuits later, the championship leader found himself back out front with Castroneves sitting in second. However, the fourth caution of the day waved on lap 183 and Wheldon would have to outlast a restart with the Team Penske driver right on his rear wing. After track officials moved Scott Dixon’s stalled machine, the field was lined up for the final restart of the event. As the green flag waved, drivers behind Wheldon made a bevy of moves for position. Danica Patrick shot from fourth to third and battled with Castroneves for the runner-up position before she was penalized for jumping the restart. Sam Hornish Jr. charged from seventh to third in just a few short circuits and looked to draft with his teammate, Castroneves, to overtake Wheldon. Still, with ten laps to go, the British driver looked poised to win and clinch a championship. He blocked all the advances from the Team Penske duo behind him and with three laps to go, only twelve turns stood between him and the win. However, as Wheldon crossed the start/finish line to signal two laps to go, Castroneves gained enough momentum to power to the outside of the leader. The move didn’t work and he fell back into line heading down the backstretch. Again, he tried a power move heading into turn 3 and this maneuver worked as Castroneves moved alongside Wheldon. Neither driver was willing to give an inch and they remained side by side as they saw the white flag. The duo stayed sidepod to sidepod with Hornish Jr. valiantly drafting with his teammate to try and grab the win. The three drivers drove the final lap with fans on the edge of their seats awaiting a signature Chicagoland Speedway photo finish. As Castroneves and Wheldon drove onto the trioval to decide the winner, they remained side by side. They crossed the finish line right next to each other, but Wheldon was a few inches ahead and he took the spectacular win. In the end, the win was enough to clinch the championship with an entrance in the next event at Watkins Glen. Dan Wheldon managed to lead almost half of the PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 and overcome a pit road speeding penalty as he powered his way to a masterful IndyCar victory and his first championship after an amazing season.

Stage 2:
Safety Showcase: Briscoe’s Massive Crash Displays IndyCar’s Recent Advancements in Safety

        Racing in its most basic sense is dangerous and requires a certain amount of courage from drivers to compete at such high speeds. Open wheel racing is even more perilous due to the likelihood of drivers touching wheels, the open cockpits where drivers are exposed to debris and possible head trauma, the aerodynamics of the cars which causes them to lift off the ground easily, and the close proximity of the driver to flammable components within the car. Because of those potential problems, IndyCar and other American open wheel series have seen five fatal accidents since 1996. Yet, because of those tragedies, IndyCar has improved the safety of its race vehicles by making the car rip apart in violent accidents. Except for the driver’s cockpit, which stays secure thanks to carbon fiber reinforcement in the event of an accident, IndyCar has rigged the rest of the car including the engine and rear end to break off without injuring the driver. This allows flammable pieces to move away from the driver and prevent parts from smashing into an unprotected driver. Unfortunately, the only way to test safety advancements is by having an on-track accident and Ryan Briscoe not only tested those innovations this afternoon at Chicagoland, but he proved they are truly a step in the right direction. Briscoe, who is running his first full-time season in IndyCar, started last of 23 drivers in today’s PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 after his first-place qualifying time was disallowed, but the Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver began his charge to the front of the field early in the event. By lap 15, he was sitting in 17th position with a fast Toyota. However, just four laps later, his pursuit of an excellent finish on the 1.5-mile track ended in a violent way. As he drove into turn 3 underneath Alex Barron as the two competitors battled for the 16th position, the two drivers bumped into each other. The contact caused Briscoe’s car to lift into the air. His car launched over Barron’s Toyota and pointed its nose toward the catchfence. Briscoe slammed into the catchfence hard with his front nose. The car spun around in the air and slammed into the catchfence with the rear end, which left two massive holds in the catchfence. All the destroyed parts from Briscoe’s Toyota landed on the track and burst into massive flames as they rolled along the racing groove. Meanwhile, Barron slammed into the outside wall near the burning pieces and rolled into the grass as fans and teams watched the spectacle in horror. The pieces of Briscoe’s car stopped burning after rolling on the speedway and the mangled cockpit slid to a stop on the apron of the track. Kosuke Matsuura also spun in the accident and slammed into the outside wall with his left side, which ended his race. As soon as the wrecking ended, safety crews arrived on the scene of the accident with their attention focused on Briscoe. The Chicagoland Speedway medical staff extricated him from his car delicately and placed him on a stretcher to bring him to the infield care center. Fortunately, as they placed him in the ambulance, the Australian driver waved to the crowd and the entire speedway was overjoyed at seeing Briscoe moving his extremities. After being checked at the speedway, Briscoe was flown to the local medical center for evaluation. The last update on the driver before the checkered flag waved came from his team owner, Chip Ganassi, and he reported that Briscoe was, incredibly, only dazed and confused with no serious injuries. Plus, Chicagoland Speedway officials fixed the catchfence and the race returned to green flag conditions after a short red flag. Thankfully, all the safety measures introduced by IndyCar to help dissipate the energy of violent crashes and the innovations to protect the driver’s cockpit allowed Ryan Briscoe to survive an unbelievable crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Stage 3:
Fantastic Finish: Castroneves Come Up 13 One-Thousandths Short of Beating Wheldon to the Checkered Flag

        Photo finishes are common occurrences at Chicagoland Speedway for the IndyCar Series as two of the four races at the Illinois track ended with a margin of victory less than 20 one-thousandths of a second. In fact, in those two finishes, the same driver brought home the checkered flag: Sam Hornish Jr. In 2002, Hornish Jr. beat Al Unser Jr. to the line by only two one-thousandths of a second, which allowed him to take the points lead, after he led 102 laps in the event. Two years ago, the two-time IndyCar champion battled Scott Dixon to the line and beat him by 10 one-thousandths of a second to win his second straight Chicagoland race. However, today’s photo finish would be contested by Hornish Jr.’s Team Penske compatriot: Helio Castroneves. Castroneves came into today’s race with a single win on the season and determination to perform well at Chicagoland to build momentum for 2006 as well as add to his win total. The Brazilian driver started in 11th position, but he quickly began his charge to the front of the field. When the first caution waved on lap 19, Castroneves found himself just inside the Top 10 with his Team Penske Toyota. Following Briscoe’s massive crash and the subsequent pit stops, the two-time Indy 500 winner prepared to restart in sixth position. When the green flag waved, he maintained his spot in the Top 10 as the first long run of the race began. After running 48 laps under green, Castroneves came down pit road from third place after a brilliant drive from sixth spot after the first restart. His stop signaled the beginning of the first round of green flag pit stops and the field quickly followed in the next few laps. The stops cycled through and Castroneves inherited the lead after gaining time by short pitting. For ten laps, he maintained the lead with a field of hungry drivers chasing after him. On lap 95, Tony Kanaan grabbed the lead entering turn 3, but Castroneves managed to fight back and retake the top spot on lap 96. Just as he took the lead, the second caution waved for debris on track and Castroneves led the field down pit road for stops. However, he lost the lead due to the strategy calls on pit road and returned to the event in third. When the race restarted, he quickly began to lose positions as Tomas Scheckter and others passed him to move into the Top 5. As the third caution waved on lap 120, Castroneves found himself in eighth position with spots to regain. Again, the pit stops brought more strategy as seven drivers stayed on track. Castroneves came to pit road with the rest of the field and he ended up twelfth for the impending restart. However, he was fifth in line of the drivers with fresh tires, which meant he would have a distinct advantage on the restart. However, it seemed his advantage wouldn’t work as he still sat in ninth on lap 150. His fortunes began to change, though, as drivers who stayed out under the previous caution began to pit on lap 155 for their final stops. As drivers in front of him pitted, Castroneves steadily moved up the running order and he came down pit road from the third position on lap 174. The various pit strategies allowed him to move into second spot after his trip to the pit lane with only Wheldon in front of him. Just a couple of laps later, the fourth and final caution waved as the field completed lap 183. The yellow flag would stack the field up for the final restart and Castroneves would have one final chance to make a move on Wheldon. As soon as the green flag waved, Danica Patrick moved alongside Castroneves for second place after a huge jump on the restart, but IndyCar officials determined that she jumped the start. Thanks to her two-position penalty, Castroneves maintained second position and looked to overtake Wheldon. Fortunately for him, Hornish Jr. moved into third with ten laps to go and the two teammates looked to utilize their teamwork to grab the victory. As the three drivers powered around the four corners of Chicagoland, tension rose as the waning laps clicked by. For a couple of circuits, Castroneves tried to move to Wheldon’s outside with drafting help from his teammate, but the Penske duo was no match for the championship leader. Still, Castroneves would not give up. Only two laps remained when Castroneves finally gained enough momentum to move alongside Wheldon as they entered turn 3. The two competitors raced wheel to wheel as they took the white flag with Hornish Jr. behind his teammate. The two stayed side by side in turns 1 and 2 with Castroneves holding a slight advantage on the outside line. As they powered down the backstretch for the final time, the #3 maintained the small gap, but the margin was only a few inches. Finally, the two competitors exited turn 4 side by side with one final push to the checkered flag. A couple of hundred yards before the finish line, Castroneves had his fellow competitor beat. However, thanks to using the inside line and Honda horsepower, Wheldon nipped Castroneves at the finish line by only 13 one-thousandths of a second, which equates to only several inches at the 1.5-mile track. As Wheldon celebrated in victory lane with a win and a championship, Castroneves sat on pit road with a second-place finish after another fantastic battle for the IndyCar Series win at Chicagoland Speedway. 

Stage 4:
Terrible Luck: Dixon Struggles with Mechanical Problems at Chicagoland and Finishes 19th

        Scott Dixon is a champion in the IndyCar Series, but his 2005 season has been dismal for the Australian driver and his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team. In the fourteen races prior to today’s 300-mile event at Chicagoland Speedway, Dixon had only two Top 10 finishes on the season in addition to four crash-related DNF’s and two others related to mechanical issues. Plus, the 2003 IndyCar Series champion found himself 15th in the points heading into today’s event, which is the lowest he has ever been in points this late in the season. Despite the tough year, the team was prepared to perform at the high-speed oval in Illinois, but problems quickly derailed Dixon’s day. He started the event in the penultimate spot, but he actually qualified last. His teammate, Ryan Briscoe, had a lap fast enough to win the pole, but it was disqualified and he was forced to start last. For Dixon, he would have to maneuver through the field and work to overcome his terrible starting position. On the first run of the race, he only moved up a single spot as the first caution waved on lap 19 for Briscoe’s violent crash. Dixon managed to bypass the crash and avoid all the debris, which allowed him to gain three positions after the incident left three drivers out of the event. He came down pit road for fresh tires with the rest of the field before IndyCar officials waved the red flag to clean up the accident scene and repair the catchfence. He returned to the line-up in 14th with hopes of continuing his forward charge. When the red flag was lifted, though, Dixon noticed his first problem of the event. As he exited his pit stall after a clean stop, he ran over a hole near the exit of his box. The hole caused a suspension component to break on his Panoz G Force chassis, which resulted in another pit stop before the green flag waved. Dixon’s team thrashed to fix the part and return their driver to the track on the lead lap, but the repair took him off the lead lap and robbed him of his track position. Still, the #9 was prepared to compete and overcome the mechanical problem caused by the pit lane. Throughout the subsequent run, the Australian driver maintained speed with the drivers around him and he came down pit road during the green flag pit stops around lap 80. When the second caution waved on lap 96, Dixon still found himself in 20th with only half the race left to redeem himself from the issue and several other drivers at least one lap down. Again, the green flag waved on the restart and he attempted to compete with the drivers in the running order around him. Just 15 laps into the run, though, his second problem of the day completely ruined his race. His Target Chip Ganassi Racing Toyota slowed on lap 118 in turn 1 with fuel pressure issues, according to the team. Dixon coasted along the apron of the backstretch as cars whizzed past him at 200 mph. He made it near the pit entrance and it looked like IndyCar would need to wave the yellow flag to push his slow car, but a piece of debris was spotted in turn 1 and the third caution waved. The caution allowed Dixon’s crew to run to his car and push it into the team’s stall for repair. As the field came to pit road and the race restarted after the stops, the Australian champion found himself losing laps in the pit lane as his team repaired the issue. After several green flag laps, Dixon returned to the event with the goal of running laps and preparing for a rebound 2006 campaign. However, with just 18 laps remaining, he slowed on track again and he came to a stop at the entrance of pit road, which prompted the final caution of the event on lap 183. Track officials pushed his Toyota to his pit stall and his team decided the damage was too much to fix with the limited time left in the event. Dixon finished in an abysmal 19th position with a gearbox problem listed as the official reason the #9 exited the event. Scott Dixon’s terrible luck in 2005 continued today at Chicagoland as the former champion suffered three separate mechanical problems and found himself finishing deep in the field.

Stage 5:
Memorable Moment: Panther Racing’s Drivers Support Hurricane Katrina Relief at Chicagoland

        Almost two weeks ago today, on August 29th, Hurricane Katrina landed in Louisiana and began its path of destruction in the Gulf Coast. For several days, the region was pummeled by damaging winds, consistent rain, and unimaginable flooding from the massive storm. Katrina ended up traveling through Alabama and Mississippi before the catastrophic weather began to subside. When the storm was finally finished, the city of New Orleans was left in virtual ruins and many other Gulf Coast towns were decimated by the historic hurricane. Most of the residents in the areas were left without homes and many lives were lost due to the powerful tempest. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Americans have come together to raise funds and provide services for the displaced individuals in desperate need of assistance. The sports world has come to the aid of the Gulf with donations advertised on TV broadcasts and humanitarian efforts highlighted by athletes. In today’s IndyCar race, Panther Racing worked to raise awareness and relief for the various needs throughout the Gulf Coast. Buddy Lazier, Tomas Enge, and Tomas Scheckter all carried decals with a 1-800-HELP-NOW number, which is the official number to call for donations to the relief effort. Plus, Lazier’s Pennzoil decals were replaced with American Red Cross decals to raise awareness for the nonprofit organization helping with rebuilding efforts. The team’s gesture was well-received by the entire IndyCar garage and fans as Americans continue to unite with a shared goal of assisting in the Gulf Coast region. While supporting the cause was a win for the team, the entire organization wanted to perform on the track as well. All three Panther drivers started the race in the Top 10 with Scheckter the highest in third position. As soon as the green flag waved, the South African driver drove past Buddy Rice to take second place and he grabbed the lead from Danica Patrick on lap 2 thanks to a pass entering turn 3. Behind him, Enge and Lazier battled for positions in the early part of the race. When the first caution waved on lap 19, Scheckter remained the leader while his two teammates sat just inside the Top 10. During the pit stops under the caution, Scheckter maintained his lead and Lazier and Enge remained in the Top 10. When the race restarted, the Texas winner held onto the lead with a competitive field of drivers behind him. On lap 38, he lost the lead to a fast Dan Wheldon and Scheckter began to lose positions as his teammates dropped in the running order as well. After a long run and a set of green flag pit stops, the second caution of the race waved on lap 96 with Scheckter in fourth, Enge in ninth, and Lazier in 16th position. A couple of strategy moves during the caution dropped the three drivers a few positions as they took four tires and fuel. On the subsequent restart, the three Panther Racing machines made moves in traffic until the third caution waved on lap 120. Again, more strategy occurred for the drivers in the field, but the entire Panther Racing organization decided to put on fresh tires and add fuel instead of staying out or using another strategy. When the green flag waved, the fresh Firestone rubber paid off as the three drivers made moves towards the front of the field. By lap 136, Scheckter was in fourth after restarting ninth and Enge found himself in seventh after restarting in tenth. Just four laps later, though, Enge’s first run at Chicagoland ended after a mechanical issue. As he entered turn 1 in the sixth position on lap 140, a suspension component broke on the right rear of his Dallara chassis, which shot debris from behind his car and caused him to slide out of control. Amazingly, the rookie driver handled his racecar and coasted to the pit lane where his team investigated the broken part. The damage was too much to repair and the young Czech driver exited the event after a promising run. The caution did not wave for the incident and it would now be up to his two teammates to bring home excellent finishes as they raised awareness for Hurricane Katrina relief. Scheckter maintained his spot in fourth position until the cycle of green flag stops began on lap 155. The varying strategies caused the pit stops to last for 20 laps and the South African driver found himself in fifth while Lazier found himself in 15th spot just as the fourth and final caution waved on lap 183. Both Panther drivers stayed on track and maintained their positions as they prepared for the final restart. The green flag waved for the final time and despite a hectic restart where Tony Kanaan broke loose beside him, Scheckter moved into the fourth position after passing Buddy Rice. A lap later, he attempted to pass Danica Patrick for third before Sam Hornish Jr. made a three-wide move entering turn 3. Hornish Jr. shot into third while Scheckter grabbed fourth after completing the pass on Patrick. From there, the son of 1979 Formula 1 champion, Jody Scheckter, looked to hold off charges from Kanaan and others in the final 10 laps. Meanwhile, Lazier managed to use a brilliant final run to move into the ninth with only nine circuits left. The 1996 Indy 500 champion fell to tenth in the closing circuits, but he did an admirable job advancing positions in his #95 Chevrolet. When the checkered flag waved, Scheckter came home in fourth followed by Lazier in tenth and Enge in 20th after his suspension issues. Overall, Panther Racing made the 2005 PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 memorable as it encouraged donations to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and the team delivered Top 10’s for Tomas Scheckter and Buddy Lazier.

       After 200 laps of 200 mph racing around the high-banked oval known as Chicagoland Speedway, the IndyCar Series heads to a track open-wheel racing hasn’t visited since 1981: Watkins Glen International. 24 years ago, Rick Mears, who was driving for Roger Penske, went to victory lane in CART’s Watkins Glen 200 after mastering the 3.377-mile road course. The configuration of the track has changed slightly and the length has increased, but today’s stars of the IndyCar Series will invade the Finger Lakes region of New York for a thrilling display of speed and finesse. While the championship will be clinched when the green flag waves, drivers will have plenty of motivation to battle for the victory at Watkins Glen. Some competitors will be looking to solidify their rides for next year with only two races remaining while others will look to add to successful seasons that come up just short of the championship. Plus, after rough days for some of the drivers at Chicagoland Speedway today, they will definitely be motivated to rebound and finish the season strong at one of the road course events. Finally, since all the drivers in the field will have no open-wheel experience on the tight confines of Watkins Glen, each driver will have to learn and be patient to take the checkered flag after 60 hard-fought laps. In addition to the storylines surrounding the inexperience of the field at Watkins Glen and the upcoming end of the season, several drivers have important storylines heading into the penultimate race of the 2005 campaign. In the three CART races run at Watkins Glen, Roger Penske’s drivers won all three, which will apply pressure to Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr. to return “The Captain” to victory lane at the historic track. Dan Wheldon might have already clinched the championship, but the tenacious competitor will look to add to his six IndyCar victories in 2005 with another one Watkins Glen. Scott Dixon has never won an IndyCar road course race, but the 2003 champion will be poised to win his first one and help his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team rebound from a dismal event at Chicagoland. Finally, Danica Patrick is nearing the end of her rookie IndyCar season and as she looks to close out strong, she will be tested at the 3.403-mile road course. Today’s race at Chicagoland Speedway turned out to be a championship clinching race victory for Dan Wheldon while it also featured a wild crash for Ryan Briscoe, strong runs from Tomas Scheckter and Danica Patrick, a field filled with drivers and teams helping raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and a fantastic finish between Wheldon and Helio Castroneves to decide the victor after 300 miles of racing in Joliet, Illinois. 
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 19- Ryan Briscoe and Alex Barron made contact entering turn 3. The contact lifted Briscoe’s car off the ground and into the catchfence, which disintegrated his car and caused flames to erupt in the turn from the broken parts. Barron slammed the wall as the pieces bounced across the asphalt in front of several vehicles. Kosuke Matsuura slammed into the outside wall as well during the incident. While all three cars were destroyed, Briscoe’s was heavily damaged and he was airlifted to the local medical center for evaluation, but it appeared he would be okay.

2nd Caution: Lap 96- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3.

3th Caution: Lap 120- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1 as Scott Dixon’s car slowed on track with an issue.

4th Caution: Lap 183- Scott Dixon’s car slowed on track near the pit entrance for the second time and IndyCar waved the yellow flag to move his racecar.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Dan Wheldon
2nd: Helio Castroneves
3rd: Sam Hornish Jr.
4th: Tomas Scheckter
5th: Tony Kanaan

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Danica Patrick
9th: Patrick Carpentier
10th: Buddy Lazier
12th: Dario Franchitti
17th: Ed Carpenter
19th: Scott Dixon
22nd: Ryan Briscoe




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2005_Peak_Antifreeze_Indy_300/O
http://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina
-Image:
http://world.honda.com/INDY/2005/15chicagoland/race/img/05.jpg
-Full Race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jebv1IUATM