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photo: Shawn Payne

This was definitely a crazy weekend at Kansas Speedway.  The Camping World Truck Series, Firestone Indy Lights and the IndyCar Series all took to the track over the past three days.  Saturday night the track fell victim to  tornadoes.  Nobody was said to be injured but some small structures were damaged. 

The IndyCar Series Kansas Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 went the distance today despite the threat of rain all afternoon.  At first race control was concerned about the race making it to at least lap 101 where it would have been official.  With the threat of rain immenent, different strategies were tossed around in pit lane. 

Strategies did pay off for the big 3.  Andretti Green Racing, Target Chip Ganassi racing, and Penske Racing all had at least one car that finished in the top 5.  Dario Franchitti was one of a few drivers that had on track incidents that ended their race day early.  Dario locked up the brakes behind Graham Rahal on lap 153 as they were both dropping to the low side of the track to enter pit lane.  Dario went up the banking into the wall to avoid Rahal.  Raphael Matos had a rear end wiggle from dirty air that was significant enough to take him into the safer barrier towards the exit of turn 4 on lap 97. 

All of the Andretti Green cars ran well finishing in the top 10.  Kanaan finished in P3, Danica in P5, Marco in P6 and Mutoh in P8.  AGR looks to carry this momentum into the month of May. Danica qualified well in P3as well.  The team has turned it around at Long Beach and Kansas after a rough start to the season on the Streets of St. Petersburg.  Tony Kanaan is now leading the IndyCar Series championship point standings.

Helio worked his way up the field to to finish 2nd after starting in the back of the field with Franchitti due to being dis-qualified during the qualifying session on Saturday.  Helio has proved to be one of the best when it comes to improving positions.  Last year he went from last to first at Chicagoland winning the last points race of the 2008 season.

We are off to Indy!  Month of May coverage starts on Saturday May 9th at noon on Versus and Versus HD

This weekend you might not recognize Dario Franchitti’s car as it goes by.  This is because Air Wick will be the primary sponsor for the #10 car this weekend in St. Petersburg Florida.  Dario stated:

“Driving the AIR WICK® car to start the IndyCar Series season couldn’t be more fitting for me…their tagline ‘It’s good to be home’ pretty much sums up my thoughts on this race to start the year after racing in NASCAR in 2008. I’ve said many times that part of the IndyCar Series’ allure is in the diversity of its tracks, and I’m a huge fan of the street circuits. What a great way to continue my Indy car career with AIR WICK® on board on the streets of St. Petersburg.

Chip Ganaasi racing will also be making history this season being the only team to put teammates together who have won both its sanctioning body’s Driver Championship  and its marquee event the previous two seasons.  

Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon should be optimistic going into this season’s opening event.  Both drivers did well at the Barber Motorsports test this off-season.  Dixon had his only DNF last season at St. Petersburg and finished 22nd.  Franchitti last ran there in 2007 and finished 5th driving for Andretti Green Racing.

Donna McGonigal, who is the marketing director for Air Wick also expressed her excitement.

We’re excited to continue into the 2009 racing season as a proud sponsor of Target Chip Ganassi Racing.  The IndyCar Series gives us a wonderful opportunity to educate consumers about how Air Wick gives them the assurance that their home always smells good and is something they can have pride in.

You can see Dario’s car on Versus this Sunday April 5th during the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at 2 p.m.

The IndyCar Series just took to the track for what is the first evening of a two evening test down here at Homestead Miami Speedway.  Teams were anxious to get on track after setting the cars up over the past two days and the drivers were sure to hurry back to the garage after the drivers meeting.   Scott Dixon for the first two hours of testing has been the fastest turning in a lap at 211.024 mph.  Ryan Briscoe has been jumping between the #6 and Will Power’s #3.  The majority of the drivers are in the 207-208 mile range.  With this just being the first hour of 12 hours of testing over the next two days, I expect the speeds to pick up and the new teams and drivers to start adjusting and settling in a groove.  One thing I have noticed is that we have an abundant amount of red cars this year.  Perhaps the other teams think Target Chip Ganassi and Penske (technically orange) luck and skill with rub off.  Milka Duno is testing tonight but it has been reported that her deal with Newman Haas Lanigan Racing has not been finalized yet.  The same goes for Justin Wilson at Dale Coyne Racing.  You can follow the live timing and scoring and watch a live video feed from Homestead Miami Speedway by clicking on the links below.

IndyCar live timing and scoring

Live Homestead Miami Speedway video stream

No more power steering and less elbow room is in Dario Franchitti’s future. When Franchitti left the IndyCar Series at the end of the 2007 season, most thought that he would not come back. Well, we are not even into the 2009 season yet and he is back in an IndyCar driving for the same team he drove for in the Nascar Nationwide Series, Target Chip Ganassi Racing. It might not be a points race or count towards anything other than a win for one team and driver. Surfers Paradise should be a nice refresher course for Franchitti to get reacquainted with the car along with his new crew, and should also give him an opportunity to get used to working with his new teammate and reigning Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion, Scott Dixon. Franchitti showed that he had a difficult time transitioning into stock cars being a back marker most of the season in the Nationwide Series. The addition of Franchitti alongside Dixon will definitely make TCGR an even stronger powerhouse team in 2009.

As all of us know by now, Vitor Meira will not be returning to the cockpit of the #4 Panther Racing Machine next season.  Dan Wheldon has shifted over from Target Chip Ganassi Racing to replace Vitor.  Vitor was definitely caught off guard.  Apparently Vitor never received a phone call.  He was released through an e-mail that his manager received from Panther Racing.  Will Vitor have a ride for the 2009 season?  If so, where will he end up and who can possibly pick him up?  My choice would be Rahal Letterman Racing running a 2nd car.  He has driven for Rahal Letterman in the past and has driven well.  They would be a solid team with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Vitor assisting each other.  Ryan Hunter-Reay has already proved that he can run in this league with no problems and with no team mates to back him up.  At this point we can only hope for the best for Vitor in securing a ride for the 2009 season.