The short track kings?: Short ovals over the past three IndyCar Series seasons have belonged to Team Penske and Andretti Green Racing. Will they continue to be the short track masters in the SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM at Richmond International Raceway?
The tracks: Phoenix (2005), Milwaukee (2005-present), Richmond (2005-present), Pikes Peak (2005), Iowa (2007).
The lineup: Team Penske’s Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves. Andretti Green Racing’s Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti.
The results by team
Team Penske: Qualifying (six pole starts, 11 other top-five starts) and race results (four victories, five other top-five finishes).
AGR: Qualifying (0 pole starts; six top-five starts) and race results (three victories, seven other top-five finishes).
Hornish won at the 0.75-mile Richmond bullring last year and Castroneves the year before. Kanaan and Franchitti have won the past three short track events on the IndyCar Series schedule. Richmond is the last of three short tracks (1 mile or less) on the schedule. All things being equal, Hornish likes his chances of repeating as champion.
“Richmond is a real driver’s track,” said Hornish, who led 212 of 250 laps last June. “It takes a lot of finesse to be able to run well there, and I’d like to think I have the hang of it since I’ve been lucky enough to win twice. Last year’s race couldn’t have gone any better for us. The car was perfect, the Team Penske crew did a great job, and most importantly, I was able to stay patient in traffic.
“Patience is the key at Richmond. You have to know when it’s safe to pass, which can be pretty difficult at times.”
Franchitti, who won earlier in the week at Iowa Speedway, has finished in the top three the past two years at Richmond.
“I really enjoy racing at Richmond,” the series points leader said. “It can be a difficult track because getting through traffic can be really tough. We’ve had a couple of really good runs there the past two years, so hopefully we can keep the Canadian Club car up front with the leaders and challenge for another win.”
In the six years that the IndyCar Series has competed on the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval, the winner has claimed the series title three times. Every series champion has finished in the top five at Richmond during their title run.
“Richmond is a good barometer for the title because everyone has a good idea of where their cars need to be by this point,” Hornish said.
| 
|