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SunTrust Indy Challenge Preview

Jun 30, 2007 - 10:32 AM

June 30, 2007 
Richmond International Speedway 
Richmond, Virginia
Race 9 of 17 in the 2007 IndyCar Series season

TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. 

Length: 250 laps 
Track length: 3/4 mile 
Race length: 187.5 miles

DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Helio Castroneves 
Team: Marlboro Team Penske 
2007 Earnings: $1,123,203

Finished eighth last week in Iowa to remain sixth in the
standings, but dropped to 80 points behind leader Dario
Franchitti; crashed early at Texas en route to a 16th-place
finish two weeks ago; also finished 16th three weeks ago in
Milwaukee; Indy 500 pole winner finished third in the
rain-shortened race; claimed four poles this season, which leads
the circuit; took the checkered flag at St. Petersburg on April
1, leading 95 of 100 laps in the road-course race to collect
his 12th career win.

Scott Dixon 
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing 
2007 Earnings: $1,241,667

Finished 10th in Iowa, following a 12th-place finish in Texas to
remain in third place, but is now 52 points behind Franchitti;
ran fourth at Milwaukee, his third fourth-place finish of the
season; also has three runner-up finishes this season, including
the Indy 500; looking for seventh career win and first since
Nashville last July.

Dario Franchitti 
Team: Andretti Green Racing 
2007 Earnings: $2,236,583

Won last week in Iowa to increase his lead in the standing to 51
points over Tony Kanaan; followed up his landmark Indy 500
victory by finishing second behind Kanaan at Milwaukee and
fourth two weeks ago at Texas; his checkered flag at
Indianapolis continued a progression up the leaderboard that
began with a seventh in the season opener in Miami and has
included a fifth, a third and a runner-up; has yet to start on
the pole this season but leads the series standings with 306
points.

Tony Kanaan 
Team: Andretti Green Racing 
2007 Earnings: $1,028,569

Took a hit in the standings after a 16th-place finish in Iowa,
dropping 51 points behind Franchitti; followed up his
disappointment at the Indy 500 by winning at Milwaukee, his
second victory in as many events at the mile-long track; then
took second in Texas; finished fifth, third and first in the
opening three races, but struggled in the next two despite his
best starting spots of the campaign; won the pole in Kansas but
finished 15th and started second at the Indy 500 but came home
12th.

Danica Patrick 
Team: Andretti Green Racing 
2007 Earnings: $667,155

Was unable to follow up her career-best third-place finish at
Texas, finishing 13th in Iowa last week; dropped to eighth in
the standings with 185 points, well off the pace set by
Franchitti and the rest of the leaders; switch to Andretti Green
Racing has not produced the anticipated performance as the
series starlet continues to run in the middle of the pack;
finished eighth at both Milwaukee and in the Indy 500; owns just
five top-five finishes in 38 career starts.

Dan Wheldon 
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing 
2007 Earnings: $859,455

Bounced back from a poor performance at the Indy 500 by running
third at Milwaukee, but slipped again, finishing 15th at Texas
and 11th in Iowa; is fourth in the standings, 54 behind
Franchitti; was one of the favorites heading into the Indy 500
but came up with his worst showing of the season, finishing 22nd
due to an accident; by comparison, his finishing spots in the
season's first four races totaled 13; won the season opener at
Miami from the pole and also won at Kansas, where he started
fourth; started and finished second in Japan; has been no lower
than second in the final standings each of the last three years,
taking the series title in 2005.


2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Sam Hornish Jr. (6)
 2. Vitor Meira (4)
 3. Dario Franchitti (27)
 4. Marco Andretti (26)
 5. Scott Sharp (8)
 6. Bryan Herta (7)
 7. Tomas Scheckter (2)
 8. Ed Carpenter (20)
 9. Dan Wheldon (10)
10. Helio Castroneves (3) 

Past Champions
--------------
2006  Sam Hornish Jr. 
2005  Helio Castroneves
2004  Dan Wheldon
2003  Scott Dixon 
2002  Sam Hornish Jr. 
2001  Buddy Lazier