There are multiple advantages to starting on the front row on IZOD IndyCar Series road/street courses. In the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg held on Sunday, one was avoiding the seven-car blockade in Turn 1 of the first lap.
Dario Franchitti and pole sitter Will Power were among those who kept their cars' noses clean at the start and subsequent side-by-side restarts through 100 laps on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit by the bay, and that's the way they completed the season opener.
Franchitti made a strong start in his bid for a third consecutive series championship (only two others in Indy car history have accomplished it) by running away from Power and the remnants of the 24-car field to win for the first time at St. Pete. He added two bonus points to the 50 for the victory by leading the most laps (94).
Penske Racing' Will Power, the 2010 championship runner-up and Mario Andretti Road Course Championship Award winner, was 7.1612 seconds back.
Brazilian Tony Kanaan, who had only four practice sessions in the No. 82 GEICO KV Racing Technology-Lotus car since joining the team midweek, finished third.
Swiss female driver Simona de Silvestro finished a career-best fourth by advancing 13 positions in the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/HVM Racing car.
Takuma Sato also recorded an IZOD IndyCar Series-best fifth-place finish in the No. 5 KV Racing Technology-Lotus car.
Canadian Alex Tagliani, driving the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, wound up sixth.
Raphael Matos, the '09 series' Rookie of the Year, produced a seventh place for AFS Racing in its initial IZOD IndyCar Series start, advancing nine spots.
Dario Franchitti and pole sitter Will Power were among those who kept their cars' noses clean at the start and subsequent side-by-side restarts through 100 laps on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit by the bay, and that's the way they completed the season opener.
Franchitti made a strong start in his bid for a third consecutive series championship (only two others in Indy car history have accomplished it) by running away from Power and the remnants of the 24-car field to win for the first time at St. Pete. He added two bonus points to the 50 for the victory by leading the most laps (94).
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| Photo: Indycar.com |
Penske Racing' Will Power, the 2010 championship runner-up and Mario Andretti Road Course Championship Award winner, was 7.1612 seconds back.
Brazilian Tony Kanaan, who had only four practice sessions in the No. 82 GEICO KV Racing Technology-Lotus car since joining the team midweek, finished third.
Swiss female driver Simona de Silvestro finished a career-best fourth by advancing 13 positions in the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/HVM Racing car.
Takuma Sato also recorded an IZOD IndyCar Series-best fifth-place finish in the No. 5 KV Racing Technology-Lotus car.
Canadian Alex Tagliani, driving the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, wound up sixth.
Raphael Matos, the '09 series' Rookie of the Year, produced a seventh place for AFS Racing in its initial IZOD IndyCar Series start, advancing nine spots.
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