QUOTE
Wheldon Dominates For First Career Victory
Andretti Green Racing Driver Gives Honda Initial Win At Home Venue
By Dave Lewandowski
indyracing.com
Saturday Apr 17, 2004
MOTEGI, Japan – The kid is on a roll.
Dan Wheldon, whose looks and persona belie his 25 years, dominated the Indy Japan 300 on April 17 for his first career IRL IndyCar® Series victory. It was his sixth consecutive top-5 finish and ninth top-10 finish in a row.
How dominating was the first victory by an Englishman in an Indy-style car race since September 1997, when Mark Blundell won at California Speedway?
He led 192 laps – the fifth-highest in IndyCar Series history and the second-most for a 200-lap event. He beat Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan to the finish line by 1.4454 seconds. He had the fastest race lap (27.2016 seconds; 201.165 mph) on the 1.5-mile egg-shaped oval. He also was the MBNA Pole Award winner with a fast lap of 26.5938 seconds (205.762 mph).
“It was an absolutely awesome day for me to win my first race,” said Wheldon, who gave engine manufacturer Honda its first victory in seven attempts at its home track. “The race itself was tough when you’ve got Tony Kanaan following you, pressing hard, and Darren Manning was pushing him. It makes it very difficult. But it worked out well for me.
“I think Honda kicked butt, and I think they deserve this more than any other engine manufacturer in the world. Their dedication to motorsports is second to none. I’m truly privileged to have one of their engines in the back of my car.”
Toyota-powered cars placed 3-5. Marlboro Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves was followed by Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Darren Manning and Scott Dixon. Dixon, the 2003 IndyCar Series champion competed with a hairline (non-displaced) fracture on the tip of the left fibula in the ankle. He suffered the injury when his car made contact with the Turn 4 wall in the first practice session April 15.
It was a race reversal for Wheldon and Kanaan. In the Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, Wheldon started from the pole and finished third. Kanaan joined his teammate on the front row, took the lead on the first lap and cruised to the victory. Under a clear sky and temperature in the mid-70s at Twin Ring Motegi, Wheldon didn’t allow anyone to slip past.
“I think for the team, Andretti Green Racing, they worked so hard in trying to achieve not only victories for their drivers, but domination,” said Wheldon, driver of the No. 26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone. “They had four cars that ran very competitively.”
Said team co-owner Michael Andretti, who also watched AGR drivers Dario Franchitti finish seventh and Bryan Herta 14th: “It’s huge for the team and for Honda. They’ve been trying so hard and I’m so happy we were able to do it. The way we did it by dominating with Dan and Tony was just a perfect weekend. (Wheldon) just drove a perfect race. He deserves it.”
Andretti Green Racing Driver Gives Honda Initial Win At Home Venue
By Dave Lewandowski
indyracing.com
Saturday Apr 17, 2004
MOTEGI, Japan – The kid is on a roll.
Dan Wheldon, whose looks and persona belie his 25 years, dominated the Indy Japan 300 on April 17 for his first career IRL IndyCar® Series victory. It was his sixth consecutive top-5 finish and ninth top-10 finish in a row.
How dominating was the first victory by an Englishman in an Indy-style car race since September 1997, when Mark Blundell won at California Speedway?
He led 192 laps – the fifth-highest in IndyCar Series history and the second-most for a 200-lap event. He beat Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan to the finish line by 1.4454 seconds. He had the fastest race lap (27.2016 seconds; 201.165 mph) on the 1.5-mile egg-shaped oval. He also was the MBNA Pole Award winner with a fast lap of 26.5938 seconds (205.762 mph).
“It was an absolutely awesome day for me to win my first race,” said Wheldon, who gave engine manufacturer Honda its first victory in seven attempts at its home track. “The race itself was tough when you’ve got Tony Kanaan following you, pressing hard, and Darren Manning was pushing him. It makes it very difficult. But it worked out well for me.
“I think Honda kicked butt, and I think they deserve this more than any other engine manufacturer in the world. Their dedication to motorsports is second to none. I’m truly privileged to have one of their engines in the back of my car.”
Toyota-powered cars placed 3-5. Marlboro Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves was followed by Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Darren Manning and Scott Dixon. Dixon, the 2003 IndyCar Series champion competed with a hairline (non-displaced) fracture on the tip of the left fibula in the ankle. He suffered the injury when his car made contact with the Turn 4 wall in the first practice session April 15.
It was a race reversal for Wheldon and Kanaan. In the Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, Wheldon started from the pole and finished third. Kanaan joined his teammate on the front row, took the lead on the first lap and cruised to the victory. Under a clear sky and temperature in the mid-70s at Twin Ring Motegi, Wheldon didn’t allow anyone to slip past.
“I think for the team, Andretti Green Racing, they worked so hard in trying to achieve not only victories for their drivers, but domination,” said Wheldon, driver of the No. 26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone. “They had four cars that ran very competitively.”
Said team co-owner Michael Andretti, who also watched AGR drivers Dario Franchitti finish seventh and Bryan Herta 14th: “It’s huge for the team and for Honda. They’ve been trying so hard and I’m so happy we were able to do it. The way we did it by dominating with Dan and Tony was just a perfect weekend. (Wheldon) just drove a perfect race. He deserves it.”
Great news :number1:
He lead 192 laps out of 200 :number1:
