Hornish finishes second as AGR continues strong
drive
source:
indycar.com
Andretti Green Racing's juggernaut continued to roll
into the 2005 IndyCar Series season.
Dan Wheldon, runner-up in the standings to teammate Tony Kanaan last year, won
the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 in commanding fashion after a final yellow
for a multiple-car incident on Lap 158. Wheldon, driving the No. 26 Klein
Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone, pulled away in the final 10 laps to
secure his fourth series victory.
With the winner decided, the battle for second place was what fans are used to
seeing in the series. The cars of Sam Hornish Jr., Kanaan and Vitor Meira were
three abreast down the frontstretch, with Hornish - the 2004 race winner -
grabbing second. Kanaan was third, Meira fourth and Helio Castroneves fifth. The
difference between second and fourth -- one-thousandth of a second.
"That was incredible," said Castroneves, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. "It
wasn't for the lead, but it was for second through fifth. It was a hell of a
race. Everybody seems to respect each other well, and that's what we need."
Kanaan passed Hornish for second on Lap 187, which allowed Wheldon to put a
cushion between himself and the pack. Kanaan passed Castroneves for third 10
laps earlier. Wheldon had started 11th.
An incident between Turns 1 and 2 on the restart on Lap 158 eliminated the cars
of Tomas Scheckter, Bryan Herta, Scott Sharp, Scott Dixon, Danica Patrick, Ed
Carpenter, Roger Yasukawa and Kosuke Matsuura