INDYCAR SERIES RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300
Final
for this game
RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 Preview
Apr 27, 2008 - 10:26 AMApril 27, 2008
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
Race 4 of 17 in the 2008 IndyCar Series season
TV: ESPN2, 5:00 p.m. EDT
Length: 200 laps
Race length: 300 miles
Track length: 1 1/2 mile
Qualifying record: Scott Dixon, 218.085 mph, July 2002
Race record: Dan Wheldon, 188.169 mph, April 2007
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Helio Castroneves
Team: Team Penske
2008 Points: 112 (1st)
Opened the year by finishing fourth at Homestead and second in
St. Petersburg and Japan; sits atop the standings, 12 points
ahead of Scott Dixon; finished sixth in the standings last year,
191 points behind champion Dario Franchitti; captured a
series-record seven poles last season, but managed to win just
once - at St. Petersburg; recorded six top-fives and 11 top-10
finishes last season; in 97 career IRL starts has 12 wins, 74
top-10s and 24 poles; became the first driver to win the
Indianapolis 500 two years in a row (2001-02) since Al Unser won
in 1970 and 1971; and only the fifth driver in Indianapolis 500
history to win in consecutive appearances; finished third in
Kansas last year.
Scott Dixon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 100 (2nd)
Opened the season with with a solid win at Homestead, but had
mechanical issues at St. Petersburg and finished 22nd; bounced
back with a third in Japan; finished as an unlucky runner-up in
the 2007 season, 13 points behind Dario Franchitti, after
running out of fuel on the final lap of the final race; failed
to win an unprecedented fourth straight race at Michigan when he
was involved in a spectacular six-car accident that sent
Franchitti's car airborne; had a four wins last season and was a
runner-up five times; bounced back from the DNF at Michigan by
finishing second to Tony Kanaan at Kentucky; enjoyed a stretch
of three straight wins early in the season; took the checkered
flag at Mid-Ohio for his ninth career IndyCar series victory;
also won at at Nashville after starting on the pole to became
the first repeat winner there; started his winning streak on
July 8 at Watkins Glen; finished fourth at this race last year.
Tony Kanaan
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 89 (4th)
Ran eighth at Homestead to open the season, but bounced back to
claim third place at St. Petersburg and fifth at Japan; finished
2007 season strong and wound up third in the standings, 61
points behind Franchitti; had a series-best five wins last year
- at Motegi, Milwaukee, Michigan, Kentucky and Belle Isle;
started second at the Indianapolis 500, but finished a
disappointing 12th; finished fourth three times - at Watkins
Glen, Richmond and Mid-Ohio; captured pole at Kansas, yet finished
15th last season; won the 2004 IndyCar Series championship.
Danica Patrick
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 98 (3rd)
Has become one of the most recognizable female athletes in the
United States - especially after winning her first race at
Japan in her 50th start; became the first women to win a race in
a major auto racing series; started the season by running sixth
at Homestead and 10th at St. Petersburg; posted a second-place
finish at Detroit last year; finished seventh in the final
standings with four top-fives and 11 top-10s; started second at
Sonoma but finished sixth; was involved in an accident and
finished 16th at Kentucky; struggled to a disappointing
seventh-place finish at Michigan; posted her second consecutive
top-five finish with a fifth place showing at Mid-Ohio; took
third at Nashville prior to that; ran seventh here last year.
Dan Wheldon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 85 (6th)
Kicked off the season by running third at Homestead, 12th at
St. Petersburg and fourth in Japan; finished fourth in the final
standings last year with two wins and a pole at Homestead-Miami;
recorded six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes; won the 2005
championship with a series-record six victories; last year
finished out of the top five for a six-race stretch prior to
Detroit; in 81 career starts has 13 wins, 62 top-10s and five
poles; finished second in the finals standings in 2004 and 2006;
won this race last season.
2007 Top 10
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1. Dan Wheldon (10)
2. Dario Franchitti (27)
3. Helio Castroneves (3)
4. Scott Dixon (9)
5. Tomas Scheckter (2)
6. Sam Hornish Jr. (6)
7. Danica Patrtick (7)
8. Vitor Meira (4)
9. AJ Foyt IV (22)
10. Jeff Simmons (17)
Past Champions
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2007 Dan Wheldon, 188.169 mph
2006 Sam Hornish Jr., 167.331 mph
2005 Tony Kanaan, 180.504
2004 Buddy Rice, 177.183 mph
2003 Bryan Herta, 167.570 mph
2002 Airton Dare, 178.527 mph
2001 Eddie Cheever Jr., 148.914 mph
