Will Power overtook Ryan Hunter-Reay in Turn 11 on Lap 58 of 61 to win the rain-shortened IZOD IndyCar Series season opener, the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, won by 1.8581 seconds. Vitor Meira was third, followed by Raphael Matos, Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon. PEAK Pole Award winner Dario Franchitti, who claimed the pole earlier in the day, finished seventh.
Power and Meira suffered 2009 season-ending injuries (Power in August, Meira in May), and both wound up on the podium in their first race back in the series.
The race was red-flagged for 36 minutes after a thunderstorm swept over the Anhembi section of the city, and it became a timed race. It was also the first time that an IZOD IndyCar Series event held qualifying and race on the same day.
Results Sunday of the Sao Paulo Indy 300 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.536-mile Sao Paulo Street Circuit, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (5) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
2. (4) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
3. (16) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
4. (12) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
5. (18) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
6. (7) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
7. (1) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
8. (19) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
9. (9) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
10. (6) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
11. (3) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
12. (17) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
13. (22) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
14. (8) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 61, Running
15. (13) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 60, Running
16. (11) Simona De Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 58, Running
17. (20) Mario Romancini, Dallara-Honda, 46, Contact
18. (15) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 30, Contact
19. (2) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 28, Contact
20. (14) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 27, Contact
21. (24) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 20, Contact
22. (10) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 0, Contact
23. (21) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 0, Contact
24. (23) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 0, Contact
Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 76.733
Time of Race: 2:00:57.7112
Margin of victory: 1.8581 seconds
Cautions: 5 for 19 laps
Lead changes: 7 among 5 drivers
Lap Leaders: Franchitti 1-23, De Silvestro 24-27, Hunter-Reay 28-36, Franchitti 37-42, Hunter-Reay 43-49, Briscoe 50-53, Hunter-Reay 54-57, Power 58-61.
Points: Power 50, Hunter-Reay 40, Meira 35, Matos 32, Wheldon 30, Franchitti 29, Dixon 28, Conway 24, Castroneves 22, Kanaan 20.
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