Driver autograph session always a highlight for thousands source: indycar.com / Dave Lewandowski Thousands of fans were qued up, patiently waiting for the tape to drop on the annual hour-long IndyCar Series driver autograph session. When the PA announcer counted down to zero, it looked like the start of the Boston Marathon. Pole winner and defending race champion Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick, two-time race winner Dan Wheldon and other drivers were prepared for the long lines: multi-colored Sharpies and water bottles are the ready. Before qualifications, Vitor Meira and Wheldon met with students from Tochigi Prefectural School for the Deaf and Mute. One student, through an interpreter, asked Meira who his rivals were, the Delphi Panther Racing driver joked, "Anyone who's in front of me." Scott Sharp and Jeff Simmons presented longtime Rahal Letterman Racing fans Taiko Hattori and Masahito Mori replica jerseys of Indianapolis Colts star quarterback Peyton Manning and Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. The couple, who live in nearby Mito, has attended every IndyCar Series event at Twin Ring Motegi. Each year they welcome Rahal Letterman Racing to Japan and have set up team dinners following the race. 'Hometown favorite' to start ninth Super Aguri Panther Racing's Kosuke Matsuura will start ninth for the Indy Japan 300 after a quick lap of 203.138 mph (26.9374 seconds). He has finished seventh, ninth and eighth in his starts at Twin Ring Motegi. "I was hoping that I could start from the better position but I am very confident about the race setup so I am looking forward to the race," said Matsuura, of Aichi, Japan. "Since we do not have warm-up session tomorrow, we tried many things in the Panasonic Honda in the morning practice session. The car feels good so I think I will be able to show a good performance." Of note Twin Ring Motegi is the only 1.5-mile oval on the IndyCar Series circuit at which Sam Hornish Jr. has not won. He starts fifth. ... Delphi Panther Racing's Meira, who overcame a crash in the first practice session, secured the 13th spot (202.275). ... P.J. Chesson is spotting for Vision Racing's A.J. Foyt IV.
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