Race Result of Round Four of the IndyCar Series in Japan
source: Max d'Orsonnens
Starting 14th on the grid for the Indy Japan 300, Red Bull Cheever Racing
driver Patrick Carpentier gained one position in the race to finish 13th overall
in Saturday's Round 4 of the 2005 IndyCar Series held at Twin Ring Motegi in
Japan.
The race was slowed down eight times for 59 laps and there were eight cars that
retired, but even that did not help Carpentier who finished four laps down from
race winner Dan Wheldon. The Canadian driver had to make two late pit stops
during the last six laps of the race.
For Wheldon, it was his third win of the season, his second consecutive in Japan
and his sixth in the IRL. The Andretti Green Racing driver took the lead on lap
198 of 200, moving pass South African Tomas Scheckter who was running out of
fuel. Wheldon took the checkered flag three seconds ahead of Scott Sharp of the
United States.
Buddy Rice, another American driver, finished third, 21 seconds back of the
winner. Rookie Danica Patrick, who started second, finished fourth ahead of
Bryan Herta. Only these five drivers finished on the lead lap. For Danica, it
was her best finish in IRL.
There was plenty of action near the end of the race with several of the lead
drivers having to pit for a splash & go, Scheckter's fuel problem and the
accident of Helio Castroneves on the final lap. Several teams gambled that there
would be another caution between lap 150 and 200. That situation would have
given their drivers a chance to save on fuel, but it was not to be.