Scott Dixon (Ganassi) started on pole and ran all the way at the top to win the final Motegi IndyCar race, while Penske’s Will Power took the points leads over Dario Franchitti.
Power has now taken back the championship lead after Franchitti could only manage to cross the finish line in 9th due to an accident. The result gives the Australian a 13-point advantage with two rounds to go, and means he has already won this year's road course crown.
Franchitti started from 9th on the grid and was moving up the ranks when he tapped Penske's Ryan Briscoe into a spin on a lap 26 restart. The incident also ruined the race for both Ganassi drivers, Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball. Franchitti was sent back at the bottom of the field for the ensuing restart.
Marco Andretti took third for Andretti Autosport, jumping ahead of Oriol Servia (Newman-Haas). The Spaniard attacked Andretti during a late restart, but ended up being shuffled back to fifth behind Sam Schmidt driver Alex Tagliani.
Local heroes Takuma Sato (KV Racing) and Hideki Mutoh (AFS/Sam Schmidt) did not have the results they were probably looking for. Sato had an early clash with Joao Paulo de Oliveira's Conquest car and then collided with his team-mate Viso to finish 22nd. Mutoh finished 19th.
The week-end had been promising for James Hinchcliffe (Newman-Haas) but some problematic pitstops ruined the Canadian’s race and he finished a distant 16th.
IndyCar Indy Japan 300 - Results
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Scott Dixon Ganassi 1h56m41.0107s
2. Will Power Penske + 3.4375s
3. Marco Andretti Andretti + 4.4782s
4. Alex Tagliani Sam Schmidt + 5.5913s
5. Oriol Servia Newman/Haas + 6.1621s
6. Sebastien Bourdais Dale Coyne + 6.6399s
7. Helio Castroneves Penske + 7.6856s
8. JR Hildebrand Panther + 8.7436s
9. Dario Franchitti Ganassi + 9.0690s
10. Mike Conway Andretti + 9.3816s
11. Takuma Sato KV + 10.1187s
12. Danica Patrick Andretti + 10.6995s
13. Graham Rahal Ganassi + 11.4555s
14. James Jakes Dale Coyne + 11.6119s
15. Simona de Silvestro HVM + 12.0651s
16. James Hinchcliffe Newman/Haas + 12.5498s
17. Giorgio Pantano Dreyer & Reinbold + 14.4549s
18. Tony Kanaan KV + 15.8407s
19. Hideki Mutoh AFS/Sam Schmidt + 16.3024s
20. Ana Beatriz Dreyer & Reinbold + 20.5159s
21. Ryan Briscoe Penske + 38.5887s
22. EJ Viso KV + 1m39.0777s
23. Charlie Kimball Ganassi + 1 lap
24. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti + 1 lap
Retirements:
Vitor Meira Foyt 61 laps
Joao Paulo de Oliveira Conquest 19 laps
Power has now taken back the championship lead after Franchitti could only manage to cross the finish line in 9th due to an accident. The result gives the Australian a 13-point advantage with two rounds to go, and means he has already won this year's road course crown.
Franchitti started from 9th on the grid and was moving up the ranks when he tapped Penske's Ryan Briscoe into a spin on a lap 26 restart. The incident also ruined the race for both Ganassi drivers, Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball. Franchitti was sent back at the bottom of the field for the ensuing restart.
Marco Andretti took third for Andretti Autosport, jumping ahead of Oriol Servia (Newman-Haas). The Spaniard attacked Andretti during a late restart, but ended up being shuffled back to fifth behind Sam Schmidt driver Alex Tagliani.
Local heroes Takuma Sato (KV Racing) and Hideki Mutoh (AFS/Sam Schmidt) did not have the results they were probably looking for. Sato had an early clash with Joao Paulo de Oliveira's Conquest car and then collided with his team-mate Viso to finish 22nd. Mutoh finished 19th.
The week-end had been promising for James Hinchcliffe (Newman-Haas) but some problematic pitstops ruined the Canadian’s race and he finished a distant 16th.
IndyCar Indy Japan 300 - Results
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Scott Dixon Ganassi 1h56m41.0107s
2. Will Power Penske + 3.4375s
3. Marco Andretti Andretti + 4.4782s
4. Alex Tagliani Sam Schmidt + 5.5913s
5. Oriol Servia Newman/Haas + 6.1621s
6. Sebastien Bourdais Dale Coyne + 6.6399s
7. Helio Castroneves Penske + 7.6856s
8. JR Hildebrand Panther + 8.7436s
9. Dario Franchitti Ganassi + 9.0690s
10. Mike Conway Andretti + 9.3816s
11. Takuma Sato KV + 10.1187s
12. Danica Patrick Andretti + 10.6995s
13. Graham Rahal Ganassi + 11.4555s
14. James Jakes Dale Coyne + 11.6119s
15. Simona de Silvestro HVM + 12.0651s
16. James Hinchcliffe Newman/Haas + 12.5498s
17. Giorgio Pantano Dreyer & Reinbold + 14.4549s
18. Tony Kanaan KV + 15.8407s
19. Hideki Mutoh AFS/Sam Schmidt + 16.3024s
20. Ana Beatriz Dreyer & Reinbold + 20.5159s
21. Ryan Briscoe Penske + 38.5887s
22. EJ Viso KV + 1m39.0777s
23. Charlie Kimball Ganassi + 1 lap
24. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti + 1 lap
Retirements:
Vitor Meira Foyt 61 laps
Joao Paulo de Oliveira Conquest 19 laps