IndyCar: Patrick Third At Kansas Speedway
Apr 27, 2008
CIA Stock Photo, Inc.
Danica Patrick put away her smile and went back to work on the racetrack, qualifying third for the IRL race at Kansas Speedway.
Although Target Chip Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon swept the front row in qualifying on the 1.5-mile oval, Patrick was again the focal point of attention as she backed up her big day last Sunday in Japan with a solid run.
Dixon took the top spot early in the Kansas qualifying with a four-lap average of 213.956 mph.
“It’s going to be interesting,” said Dixon, who claimed the 10th pole of his IndyCar Series career and second at Kansas Speedway (2003). “Obviously, we’re happy starting 1-2 and want to keep it that was at the end of the race.”
It’s the 34th time in series history that teammates have qualified 1-2 (fourth time for TCGR). There have been seven different winners in as many races at the speedway.
“I was a little surprised with the time chart,” said Wheldon, who won last year’s race from the fourth starting spot. “But that’s good for the sport. As we move on into 2009, you want a lot of different people from different teams running up front and creating surprises as the weekend goes on.
“It puts a premium on car handling because on some of these tracks you can hold your breath for a lap. Even if your car isn’t good enough, you can put in a reasonable time. This adds another challenge.”
“We arrived here with a good Motorola car,” said Patrick, who recorded her first pole start at Kansas Speedway in 2005. “We had a good first run and the car is really well-balanced. Hopefully, we can get out in front of the red and white cars.”
