IRL - Iowa Corn Indy 250

[DanicaFan]

7 of 17

Race - Iowa Corn Indy 250

Location - Iowa Speedway

Date - June 21st

TV Schedule - 12:30pm Eastern - ABC

Course Type - 1 (7/8 exact) Mile Oval

Distance - 250 Laps / 218.75 Miles

Qualifications - June 20 - 4:15pm -5:45pm Eastern

2008 Pole Sitter - Scott Dixon

2008 Winner - Dan Wheldon

[DanicaFan]

Here is the entry list for this race..

Car # & Driver / Car Name / Team

#2 Raphael Matos / US Marines-Luczo Dragon Racing / Luczo Dragon Racing
#3 Helio Castroneves / Team Penske / Team Penske
#4 Dan Wheldon / National Guard Panther Racing / Panther Racing
#5 Mario Moraes / KV Racing Technology -Votorantim / KV Racing Technology
#6 Ryan Briscoe / Team Penske / Team Penske
#7 Danica Patrick / Boost Mobile-Motorola / Andretti Green Racing
#9 Scott Dixon / Target Chip Ganassi Racing / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#10 Dario Franchitti / Tom Tom / Target Chip Ganassi Racing
#11 Tony Kanaan / Team 7-Eleven / Andretti Green Racing
#13 EJ Viso / PDVSA HVM Racing / HVM Racing
#14 Ryan Hunter-Reay / ABC Supply Co. -AJ Foyt Racing / AJ Foyt Enterprises
#18 Justin Wilson / Z-Line Designs / Dale Coyne Racing
#20 Ed Carpenter / Menard's -Vision Racing / Vision Racing
#23 Tomas Scheckter / Mona-Vie - Dreyer & Reinbold Racing / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
#24 Mike Conway / Dad's Root Beer - Dreyer & Reinbold Racing / Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
#26 Marco Andretti / Team Venom Energy / Andretti Green Racing
#27 Hideki Mutoh / Formula Dream / Andretti Green Racing
#98 Jaques Lazier / CURB-Agajanian Team 3G - CURB -Agajanian-Team 3G
#02 Graham Rahal / McDonald's Racing Team / Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing
#06 Robert Doornbos / Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing / Newman- Haas- Lanigan Racing

[DanicaFan]

Practice Session 1 is over. Unfortunately, Marco Andretti had a crash during practice and will have to go to his back-up car. He will have to start at the back of the field due to not being able to get a car ready in time for qualifications.

Here are the results of the first practice session...

Car # & Driver / Speed

1. #9 Scott Dixon -181.692
2. #2 Dario Franchitti - 181.320
3. #26 Marco Andretti - 180.890
4. #11 Tony Kanaan - 180.784
5. #6 Ryan Briscoe - 180.614
6. #4 Dan Wheldon - 180.583
7. #3 Helio Castroneves - 180.562
8. #7 Danica Patrick - 180.419
9. #23 Tomas Scheckter - 180.304
10. #02 Graham Rahal - 180.272
11. #24 Mike Conway - 180.100
12. #5 Mario Moraes - 179.986
13. #20 Ed Carpenter - 179.620
14. #06 Robert Doornbos - 179.475
15. #13 EJ Viso - 179.463
16. #14 Ryan Hunter-Reay - 179.383
17. #27 Hideki Mutoh - 179.090
18. #2 Raphael Matos - 177.423
19. #18 Justin Wilson - 172.989
20. #98 Jaques Lazier - 171.242

[DanicaFan]

There is still another practice session today but this is the qualification order...

1. #27 Hideki Mutoh
2. #9 Scott Dixon
3. #13 EJ Viso
4. #98 Jaques Lazier
5. #6 Ryan Briscoe
6. #06 Robert Doornbos
7. #2 Raphael Matos
8. #26 Marco Andretti
9. #4 Dan Wheldon
10. #20 Ed Carpenter
11. #14 Ryan Hunter-Reay
12. #02 Graham Rahal
13. #18 Justin Wilson
14. #24 Mike Conway
15. #23 Tomas Scheckter
16. #3 Helio Castroneves
17. #10 Dario Franchitti
18. #5 Mario Moraes
19. #11 Tony Kanaan
20. #7 Danica Patrick

[DanicaFan]

Practice Session 2 is now in the books..

Here are the results...

Car# & Driver / Speed

1. #10 Dario Franchitti - 182.031
2. #6 Ryan Briscoe - 181.937
3. #11 Tony Kanaan - 181.905
4. #3 Helio Castroneves - 181.879
5. #4 Dan Wheldon - 181.200
6. #9 Scott Dixon - 181.043
7. #5 Mario Moraes - 181.010
8. #7 Danica Patrick - 180.600
9. #23 Tomas Scheckter - 180.417
10. #02 Graham Rahal - 180.338
11. #13 EJ Viso - 180.190
12. #27 Hideki Mutoh - 180.088
13. #14 Ryan Hunter-Reay - 179.099
14. #18 Justin Wilson - 179.095
15. #20 Ed Carpenter - 179.093
16. #24 Mike Conway - 178.997
17. #06 Robert Doornbos - 178.354
18. #2 Raphael Matos - 178.225
19. #98 Jaques Lazier - 173.868

[DanicaFan]

Qualifications are called off. They will now fall in order of entrant points.

[DanicaFan]

Since qualifications were cancelled due to weepers, the starting line-up is based on entrant points.

Here is the starting grid..

Row 1

1. #3 Helio Castroneves
2. #6 Ryan Briscoe

Row 2

3. #9 Scott Dixon
4. #10 Dario Franchitti

Row 3

5. #7 Danica Patrick
6. #4 Dan Wheldon

Row 4

7. #11 Tony Kanaan
8. #26 Marco Andretti

Row 5

9. #02 Graham Rahal
10. #18 Justin Wilson

Row 6

11. #27 Hideki Mutoh
12. #2 Raphael Matos

Row 7

13. #20 Ed Carpenter
14. #06 Robert Doornbos

Row 8

15. #5 Mario Moraes
16. #23 Tomas Scheckter

Row 9

17. #21 Ryan Hunter-Reay
18. #13 EJ Viso

Row 10

19. #24 Mike Conway
20. #98 Jaques Lazier
__________________

[Yannick]

These weepers of water coming out of the track surface in dry conditions makes for pretty strange circumstances. With the track being relatively young, might this be a construction error, and what does this mean for future appearances of IRL on this particular speedway?

[Speedblood]

I think deciding the grid order by entrant points is silly. Why not use 1 or both the practice sessions combined.

[DanicaFan]

Im proud of Danica, she led 24 laps today. Congrats to Dario for the win.

Here are the final results..

1. #10 Dario Franchitti
2. #6 Ryan Briscoe
3. #27 Hideki Mutoh
4. #4 Dan Wheldon
5. #9 Scott Dixon
6. #23 Tomas Scheckter
7. #3 Helio Castroneves
8. #24 Mike Conway
9. #7 Danica Patrick
10. #20 Ed Carpenter
11. #02 Graham Rahal
12. #26 Marco Andretti
13. #98 Jaques Lazier
14. #11 Tony Kanaan
15. #06 Robert Doornbos
16. #2 Raphael Matos
17. #5 Mario Moraes
18. #18 Justin Wilson
19. #14 Ryan Hunter-Reay
20. #13 EJ Viso

[rush1]

Thought it was a good race. I hope the IRL keeps this track on its schedule for sometime.

Dixon and Castroneves are lucky they didn't put each other in the wall at the beginning of the race.

Real strong effort by Mutoh and Wheldon. I thought Mike Conway being a rookie at Iowa and finishing in the 8th spot was very impressive.

Iowa is a tough short oval.

[DanicaFan]

Iowa is definitely on the schedule next year.

Tomas Scheckter ran a heck of a race too. I feel so bad for TK. He cant catch a break.

Hard to believe only 4 cars on the lead lap at the end.

[gomick]

That is a great run by Mike Conway - when we head back to the road courses?

[DanicaFan]

Originally Posted by gomick

That is a great run by Mike Conway - when we head back to the road courses?

After Richmond Saturday night, they go to 3 road/street courses in a row unfortunately.

They are ...

Watkins Glen
Toronto
Edmonton

[gomick]

What do you mean unfortunately?

[DanicaFan]

Originally Posted by gomick

What do you mean unfortunately?

I would much rather watch them on ovals. More exciting.

[D.R.T.]

Except when they are boring

[cptkablamo]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Except when they are boring

which, with the current crop of Dallara Hondas, which made even Texas look boring, isn't hard...

I would say 3 of the most exciting races of the season coming up...(well maybe 2, leaving Toronto out...) Always like seeing these cars at the Glen

[Matt]

So DanicaFan, about that little bet....

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...114725&page=10

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by rush1

I thought Mike Conway being a rookie at Iowa and finishing in the 8th spot was very impressive.

I was rather wound up following Conway's progress, and especially when Danica started dropping back. That last wee while in the race is the most tense I have been all season!

It really was the icing on the cake that was, IMO, a well worthwhile race.