FIRESTONE FIREHAWK RACE REPORT
IndyCar Series - Firestone Indy 300
Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, Fla.
Saturday, October 10, 2009 - Round 17 of 17
Top-5 Finishers: 1. Dario Franchitti; 2. Ryan Briscoe; 3. Scott Dixon; 4.
Tony Kanaan; 5. Helio Castroneves.
Race Temperatures: Track ranged from 118°-106° F (48°-41° C) and ambient
from 93°-88 °F (34°-31°C).
Firestone Tire Performance Recap: Firestone Racing collected its 14th
IndyCar Series title and its seventh major open-wheel crown with Target
Chip Ganassi Racing. Race winner Dario Franchitti has earned all 23 of
his major open-wheel victories on the Firestone family of race tires.
From race winner and 2009 champion Dario Franchitti, #10 Target Chip
Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "The Firestones were great
tonight, but it was critical to keep the balance of the car right. If you
kept the balance right, they were as good on the last lap as they were on
the first. Way to go, Firestone. What can I say? Every race I've ever won
in Indy cars has been with Firestone and I want that to continue."
From Chip Ganassi, owner, Target Chip Ganassi Racing: "Firestone is a
great partner of IndyCar racing because they're a quality company and
they make a quality product. It's a pleasure to be on those tires, it's a
pleasure to work with great people in the company, and it's even a bigger
pleasure to win with those tires."
From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: "What an exciting
finish to a super-competitive season. It was only fitting that the title
contenders were the only ones in contention to win tonight. All three of
those drivers - Briscoe, Dixon and Franchitti - drove like champions. It
came down to pit strategy and fuel, and Dario comes out the 2009 IndyCar
Series champion. We have a great history with both Dario and Chip Ganassi
Racing, so to share another championship with them is something quite
special. It was a new Firehawk tire combination that ran really well
tonight, as evidenced by the front-runners making very few changes to
their cars throughout the race. Now we focus on preparing for the 2010
season and continuing to provide the same reliability and consistency
that the entire IndyCar field has come to count on from Firestone."
Firestone "Tire-ific" Move of the Race: This $10,000 prize is awarded
after each IndyCar Series race to the driver best utilizing his or her
Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. Nominees
from tonight's race are: Ryan Briscoe, for using the high line to
perfection in passing for the lead on lap 63; Dario Franchitti, for his
crew's pit strategy call and his fuel saving that opened the door to the
race win and championship; and Tony Kanaan, for a spirited drive from
15th starting position to finish fourth. Fans can vote this week at
www.indycar.com to determine the winner. In pre-race ceremonies tonight,
Mario Moraes was presented the Tire-ific award for his earning a third
straight top-five finish, last month at Motegi.
-credit: firestone motorsports
