INDYCAR SERIES Iowa Corn Indy 250
Final
for this game
Iowa Corn Indy 250 Preview
Jun 22, 2008 - 10:21 AMJune 22, 2008
Iowa Speedway
Newton, Iowa
Race 8 of 17 in the 2008 IndyCar Series season
TV: ABC, 1 p.m. EDT
Length: 250 laps
Track length: 7/8 mile
Race length: 218.75 miles
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Marco Andretti
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 154 (8th)
Finished 19th at Texas in the last race; was involved in a
late-race crash with Ed Carpenter and finished 21st at
Milwaukee; finished third in the 92nd Indianapolis 500; was
involved in an accident in last year's Indy race and wound up
24th; finished 11th in last year's IndyCar Series standings;
recorded career-best six top-five finishes, with best result of
second at Iowa and Michigan; currently sits sixth in the
standings; opened the season by running second at Homestead; was
25th at St. Petersburg and 18th at Japan before bouncing back
with a fifth at Kansas; finished second to Dario Franchitti here
last year.
Ryan Briscoe
Team: Team Penske
2008 Points: 169 (5th)
The Australian captured his first career win at Milwaukee, a
week after being in the spotlight for wrecking Danica Patrick on
pit road in the Indianapolis 500; started seventh and finished
fifth in last year's Indianapolis 500 for Luczo Dragon Racing;
followed up first win by running third at Texas; took over at
Penske this season for Sam Hornish Jr., who left the IRL for
NASCAR; finished 21st in 2006 IndyCar standings while driving a
limited schedule with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing; made four starts
that season, finishing third at Watkins Glen in debut with team;
also recorded a ninth-place finish at Nashville; finished 19th
in 2005 IndyCar standings for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, with a
best finish of eighth at Nashville; ran 10th at the 2005 Indy
500; did not run this race last year.
Helio Castroneves
Team: Team Penske
2008 Points: 249 (2nd)
Opened the year by finishing fourth at Homestead and second in
St. Petersburg and Japan; took fourth at Kansas; finished fourth
in the Indy 500, fifth at Milwaukee and second at Texas; sits
second in the standings, 35 points behind 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
100 career IRL starts, has 12 wins, 77 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; is only the
fifth driver in Indianapolis 500 history to win in consecutive
appearances; finished eighth in this race last year.
Scott Dixon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 234 (1st)
Became the first driver from New Zealand to win the Indy 500;
also won at Texas to open a 35-point lead atop the standings;
opened the season with with a solid win at Homestead, but had
mechanical issues at St. Petersburg and finished 22nd; bounced
back with thirds in Japan and Kansas; ran second to Briscoe at
Milwaukee; 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 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; 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 10th at this race last year.
Tony Kanaan
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 204 (4th)
Wrecked during the Indy 500 and finished 29th, then bounced back
to run third at Milwaukee and fifth at Texas; ran eighth at
Homestead to open the season, but rebounded to claim third place
at St. Petersburg, fifth at Japan and second at Kansas; 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; finished second in the 2004 Indy 500 to Buddy Rice;
finished 16th here last season.
Danica Patrick
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2008 Points: 164 (6th)
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 woman to win a race in
a major auto racing series; followed by finishing 19th at Kansas
with mechanical problems; started the season by running sixth
at Homestead and 10th at St. Petersburg; finished 22nd in the
Indy 500 after a pit road incident with Ryan Briscoe; 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 13th here last year.
Dan Wheldon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2008 Points: 217 (3rd)
Finished fourth at Texas and Milwaukee after running 12th in the
Indianapolis 500; kicked off the season by running third at
Homestead, 12th at St. Petersburg and fourth in Japan; entered
the Indy 500 having won at Kansas; finished fourth in the final
standings last year with two wins and a pole at Homestead-Miami;
recorded six top-fives 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 85 career starts has 14 wins, 65 top-10s and five
poles; finished second in the final standings in 2004 and 2006;
won the 89th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 from 16th
starting position; ran 11th in this race last season.
2007 Top 10
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1. Dario Franchitti (27)
2. Marco Andretti (26)
3. Scott Sharp (8)
4. Buddy Rice (15)
5. Darren Manning (14)
6. Ed Carpenter (20)
7. Sarah Fisher (5)
8. Helio Catroneves (3)
9. Vitor Meira (4)
10. Scott Dixon (9)
Past Winners
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2007 Dario Franchitti (27)
