Round 17 - Houston 1
"Hot in Houston" - Katrina Kershaw
Taku on pole from Will Power in a field of 24 cars, the first for AJ Foyt Racing since Billy Boat in Atlanta 1999. A J Foyt is there, his first race attendance since July 1st, also missed Taku's win at Long Beach which was the teams first since 2002 and first on a street course since Foyt in 1978.
Tristan Vautier didn't set a time in group 1 as he hit the wall in turn 10 to bring out a red flag, leaving only 5 minutes of the session. Championship leader Helio Castroneves is on row 11 of the grid, while row 2 is filled with Scott Dixon and Simon Pagenaud championship positions 2-3.
Standing start for this race with single file restart and the second of this double header will be a rolling start.
Race starts at 2nd attempt only for James Hinchcliffe to stall and get collected by Ed Carpenter, the yellow flag level with his car should've gone straight out but didn't, would the collision have happened if it had?
Right rear tyre cut for Sato on lap 8, has to pit and rejoins in 12th. The championship leader pits out of sync on lap 13, potential different strategy going on?
Lap 19TK in the run off area at turn 6, lap 20 back into the run off area at turn 8 covered by local yellows makes it back to the pits brake temperature too high.
Lap 24 championship leader Castroneves makes a 2nd pit stop with no gearshift the crew are changing the cluster for the points leader, gonna be a long stop!
Lap 29 pole sitter Sato is in p11 while Scott Dixon has Mr Andretti in the way of Will Power who starts to create a few seconds gap from p2 Dixon.
Lap 31 and many laps down points leader Castroneves comes out of the pits, great job by the crew.
Lap 35 pole sitter Sato is in p7 and 31 seconds behind, but top 5 haven't pitted yet.
Lap 36 Scott Dixon pits for the 1st time and Will Power a lap later, jack trouble for Power and on exiting the pits Scott easily beats him by 1.8 seconds for the lead. Sato has no radio and the team requests a black flag to bring him I , pit board anyone? 17 seconds stop to sort the issue out and the pole sitter is not having the smoothest day at the office.
Dario spins on lap 40 resulting in a full course caution, sweepers out and safety truck doing a full inspection.
Restart on lap 45 and a lovely overtake from Luca Felipe on Simon Pagenaud who then continues to drop from 3rd to 6th position. Looks to be on the harder tyres whilst the field around are on the soft, 5 laps later however he is fastest on track.
Lap 55 and the pole sitter in 13th position and 17.9 seconds behind, not too bad damage limitation so far.
Scott Dixon pits on lap 64 and a full course caution for Oriol Servia turn 4 stopped on track, perfect timing for Dixon's last stop.
Restart with 20 laps to lots of overtaking again aimed at the slow to get going Pagenaud but quick once 5 laps are completed.
18 to go and Sato into the the wall losing grip on the marbles, full caution once more and Mike Conway along with points leader Helio Castroneves stop on track where Sato is. Conway gets going, but Helio stalls and needs help to get moving.
13 to go and a restart, but Castroneves stops at turn 3 straight back to full yellow.
10 to go hopefully last restart, Dixon sprints off 2.7 seconds into the distance on the 1st lap!
8 to go and contact with Conway turns Dario Franchitti around, hard day at the office for quite a few drivers.
4 to go and Mike Conway into the tyres manages to slowly move but then stalls caution finally comes 2 1/2 laps from the finish.
Race finishes under caution great win to Scott Dixon but a wonderful finish for Simona de Silvestro followed by Justin Wilson
UNOFFICIAL TOP 10 IN IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POINTS:
1 Helio Castroneves 513
2 Scott Dixon 505
3 Simon Pagenaud 463
4 Marco Andretti 447
5 Ryan Hunter-Reay 437
6 Justin Wilson 428
7 Dario Franchitti 403
8 Will Power 391
9 James Hinchcliffe 382
10 Charlie Kimball 382
Tristan Vautier didn't set a time in group 1 as he hit the wall in turn 10 to bring out a red flag, leaving only 5 minutes of the session. Championship leader Helio Castroneves is on row 11 of the grid, while row 2 is filled with Scott Dixon and Simon Pagenaud championship positions 2-3.
Standing start for this race with single file restart and the second of this double header will be a rolling start.
Race starts at 2nd attempt only for James Hinchcliffe to stall and get collected by Ed Carpenter, the yellow flag level with his car should've gone straight out but didn't, would the collision have happened if it had?
Right rear tyre cut for Sato on lap 8, has to pit and rejoins in 12th. The championship leader pits out of sync on lap 13, potential different strategy going on?
Lap 19TK in the run off area at turn 6, lap 20 back into the run off area at turn 8 covered by local yellows makes it back to the pits brake temperature too high.
Lap 24 championship leader Castroneves makes a 2nd pit stop with no gearshift the crew are changing the cluster for the points leader, gonna be a long stop!
Lap 29 pole sitter Sato is in p11 while Scott Dixon has Mr Andretti in the way of Will Power who starts to create a few seconds gap from p2 Dixon.
Lap 31 and many laps down points leader Castroneves comes out of the pits, great job by the crew.
Lap 35 pole sitter Sato is in p7 and 31 seconds behind, but top 5 haven't pitted yet.
Lap 36 Scott Dixon pits for the 1st time and Will Power a lap later, jack trouble for Power and on exiting the pits Scott easily beats him by 1.8 seconds for the lead. Sato has no radio and the team requests a black flag to bring him I , pit board anyone? 17 seconds stop to sort the issue out and the pole sitter is not having the smoothest day at the office.
Dario spins on lap 40 resulting in a full course caution, sweepers out and safety truck doing a full inspection.
Restart on lap 45 and a lovely overtake from Luca Felipe on Simon Pagenaud who then continues to drop from 3rd to 6th position. Looks to be on the harder tyres whilst the field around are on the soft, 5 laps later however he is fastest on track.
Lap 55 and the pole sitter in 13th position and 17.9 seconds behind, not too bad damage limitation so far.
Scott Dixon pits on lap 64 and a full course caution for Oriol Servia turn 4 stopped on track, perfect timing for Dixon's last stop.
Restart with 20 laps to lots of overtaking again aimed at the slow to get going Pagenaud but quick once 5 laps are completed.
18 to go and Sato into the the wall losing grip on the marbles, full caution once more and Mike Conway along with points leader Helio Castroneves stop on track where Sato is. Conway gets going, but Helio stalls and needs help to get moving.
13 to go and a restart, but Castroneves stops at turn 3 straight back to full yellow.
10 to go hopefully last restart, Dixon sprints off 2.7 seconds into the distance on the 1st lap!
8 to go and contact with Conway turns Dario Franchitti around, hard day at the office for quite a few drivers.
4 to go and Mike Conway into the tyres manages to slowly move but then stalls caution finally comes 2 1/2 laps from the finish.
Race finishes under caution great win to Scott Dixon but a wonderful finish for Simona de Silvestro followed by Justin Wilson
UNOFFICIAL TOP 10 IN IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POINTS:
1 Helio Castroneves 513
2 Scott Dixon 505
3 Simon Pagenaud 463
4 Marco Andretti 447
5 Ryan Hunter-Reay 437
6 Justin Wilson 428
7 Dario Franchitti 403
8 Will Power 391
9 James Hinchcliffe 382
10 Charlie Kimball 382