After starting 14th on the grid, Red Bull Cheever Racing driver Patrick
Carpentier managed to finish eighth overall, in the first-ever IndyCar Series
non-oval race, which was held Sunday on the 14-turn, 2.8968-kilometer St.
Petersburg temporary street circuit
source: Max d'Orsonnens
It was the third consecutive top-10 finish for the Canadian driver who has yet
to crack the top-5 in this series. As for the IRL, their debut at the Honda
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was, if not overly exciting from laps 1 to 100,
was, to say the least, as spectacular as it can get on a road course.
Andretti Green Racing took the spoils in this historic event by placing all its
cars in the top four spots. UK native Dan Wheldon scored his second win of the
season ahead of teammate Tony Kanaan of Brazil. Third place went to Dario
Franchitti of Scotland, who finished ahead of polesitter Bryan Herta of the USA.
Brazilian Vitor Meira, of Team Rahal Letterman, finished fifth ahead of Scott
Dixon and Buddy Rice.
Gambling on a pit strategy that almost paid off, Carpentier made stops, as did
winner Wheldon. But it was Wheldon's extra lap on the track prior to his final
stop that helped him win the race and move back into first place in the
standings. Wheldon won the season opener at Homestead-Miami. There was plenty of
on-track action with Kanaan leading the charge.
Dropping down to the 16th spot on lap 21 after problems in the pits, Kanaan made
contact with then race leader Ryan Briscoe, around lap 9, paving the way for
Wheldon's the claim his fifth IRL victory. Wheldon profited from the contact
between Kanaan and Briscoe, the latter who ended his day in the tire barrier, to
cross the finish line almost a full second ahead of his teammate.