In his 100th Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
start and 91st consecutive race, Scott Sharp flew to fifth place in his #8
Delphi/Fernandez Racing Panoz/Honda/Firestone Indy car in the XM Satellite Radio
Indy 200 Presented by Argent Mortgage on the Phoenix International Raceway mile
oval
source:
irl.racing-live.com
Starting ninth in the 22-car field, the veteran had a memorable race, securing
his first top-five result since 2003. Feeling and racing more like a newcomer
than a driver with so many laps under his belt, the ebullient Florida resident
realized "we were one of the fastest cars on the track for a while today."
The 200-lap contest fell to Sam Hornish Jr. but Sharp ran with the lead pack all
afternoon under unseasonably cool, cloudy conditions in the Valley of the Sun.
Predicted rain never materialized. "It is all about the results," Sharp noted.
"We had a good car and were second quick in warm-up and that was what the whole
focus was for me. We're pleased with a top-five finish on a bull-ring like
this."
Engineer John Ward called it "a pretty good weekend from beginning to end. We
have been looking for a good one-mile oval setup and we are on our way with the
Panoz. We're not perfect yet and we know we can make it a little better."
Darren Manning again had a good run with his #10 Team Target Panoz/Toyota and
brought his car home in eighth place to secure fifth place points after two
races. Manning had "a great Panoz car but we struggled with straight-line speed
and that made it a bit more difficult. It was a fun, good clean race and we'll
build on it."
Teammate Scott Dixon finished 11th and said his #9 Team Target Panoz/Toyota
"came around in the latter part of our long runs." Sharp's teammate Kosuke
Matsuura secured tenth place with the #55 Panasonic/ARTA Panoz/Honda and ran in
the top group after his second stint. "It was a really difficult race, but even
after 120 laps I was really competitive and the Panoz was so good." A problem
with the right rear tire after his third pit stop meant a severe loss of grip.
"I almost spun many times but I saved it. I think we improved a lot on the mile
tracks."
The engineers at Elan Motorsports Technologies are preparing all eight Panoz
entries for the Indy Racing League's first street course contest April 1-3, the
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Securing the right balance for the more physically demanding street circuit is a
priority for the Panoz troops led by chief designer Simon Marshall. The Panoz
chassis is the sole American designed and built Indy car and has won three of
the last four Indianapolis 500 Mile races.