Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines
1. Power looking forward to oval return
2. Foyt's first win among Firestone Indy Lights top moments
3. Public to vote for Firestone "Tire"-rific move of the race
1. Power looking forward to oval return: Will Power is looking forward
to stretching his legs this weekend at Kentucky Speedway as the IndyCar
Series temporarily ventures off road/street circuits for a 1.5-mile
oval.
"It's a totally different style than a road course," said Power, whose
return to the series after a two-month absence included a dominating
victory in Edmonton and third place at Toronto in the No. 12 Penske
Truck Rental entry. "It will take a little bit of time to get to up to
speed. We don't want to go out straight hard, but I'm in a pretty good
car so it will make things a lot easier and hopefully I can qualify and
run at the front."
It will be the first competition on a 1.5-mile oval for Power since
Chicagoland Speedway in October 2008. He started ninth and finished
fifth in his only other oval start -- the Indianapolis 500 on May 24 -
this season. Power will join rookies and others outside the top 10 in
points for a 30-minute practice session (1:15 p.m. EDT) preceding the
initial two-hour all-car practice July 31. Four-lap qualifications for
the Meijer Indy 300 Presented by Red Baron and Edy's commence at 5:45.
"It's all experience," said Power, who had two top-10 finishes on 10
ovals in his first IndyCar Series season in '08 including fifth at
Chicagoland. "It's like the road courses I've had so much experience on
that after six months I could jump in and still be pretty quick. Last
year on ovals was my first year. You just continue to gain experience,
and that's what the Month of May is really good for. I did a lot of
laps, had a really good race that gave me confidence. I'm looking
forward to joining the team on the mile-and-a-half ovals."
***
2. Foyt's first win among Firestone Indy Lights top moments: In
celebration of the Firestone Indy Lights' 100th race under the Indy
Racing League banner, firestoneindylights.com is counting down the
top-five moments in series history.
Today is Moment No. 5: A.J. Foyt IV
wins the first Firestone Indy Lights race.
When: July 7, 2002
Where: Kansas Speedway
The story: A driver named Foyt is back in the winner's circle.
A.J. Foyt IV, the 18-year-old grandson of four-time Indianapolis 500
winner A.J. Foyt, won the inaugural Firestone Indy Lights race at Kansas
Speedway in the No. 14 Harrah's/A.J. Foyt Racing car.
Foyt, from Hockley, Texas, led 63 of the 67 laps after starting from the
pole on the 1.5-mile oval. But the race was a tight affair throughout.
IndyCar Series veteran Ronnie Johncox stalked Foyt for the lead at the
midway point of the race and nosed past Foyt to lead Laps 37-38 and
43-44. While Foyt and Johncox dueled for the lead during those laps,
Jason Priestley, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Aaron Fike closed to within a
second of the front.
But that spirited chase for the lead among five cars ended on Lap 47
when Johncox, Fike and Luyendyk crashed in Turn 4, eliminating them from
the race.
***
3. Public to vote for Firestone "Tire"-rific move of the race:
Fans will have the ultimate say in who receives a $10,000 race bonus
from Firestone each week. After each IndyCar Series race, Firestone
executives pick three "Tire"-rific Moves of the Race, on-track moves
where the drivers had to rely on their Firestone Firehawk tires. Fans
can vote for the winner at www.indycar.com.
From the Rexall Edmonton Indy at Edmonton City Centre Airport, fans can
choose from:
* Will Power for leading 90 of 95 laps to record his first IndyCar
Series victory.
* Helio Castroneves for using lapped traffic to go three-wide and pass
Scott Dixon for second on Lap 85.
* Mike Conway for coming back from an early incident to set the fastest
race lap on alternate tires.
***
The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues Aug. 1 with the Meijer Indy
300 presented by Red Baron and Edy's at Kentucky Speedway. The race
will be telecast live in High Definition at 5p.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. A
one-hour qualifying show will be telecast by VERSUS at 6 p.m. on July
31. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145
and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on
www.indycar.com. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with
the Kentucky 100, the 100th Firestone Indy Lights race under the Indy
Racing League banner, on Aug. 1 at Kentucky Speedway. The race will be
telecast at 4 p.m. (EDT) on Aug. 3 by VERSUS.
-credit: irl
