“Japan is one of the most unique tracks that we run on all year because the turns are all so different from each other, ” said Castroneves. “Last year, I couldn’t have asked for any more from the Team Penske crew. They gave me a fantastic car that allowed me to start on the pole, lead a majority of the laps and bring home my first victory in Japan. It was one of my favorite memories of last season. ”
While Castroneves has found victory in Japan, the 1.5-mile oval represents the only circuit of that length on the 2007 IndyCar Series circuit at which teammate Sam Hornish Jr has never won. The 27 year-old Defiance native has found victory on every other 1.5-mile oval on which the IndyCar Series competes, so you can bet this year he will head to Japan with his sights set on crossing Twin Ring Motegi off of his list.
“I’m looking forward to going back to Japan this year, ” explains Hornish Jr. “We haven’t really done particularly well there in the past, but we managed to make progress last year with a fourth-place finish. With Helio’s (Castroneves) win there and how strong we’ve been on ovals recently, we’re pretty optimistic heading into the race. Hopefully we’ll be able to put the Team Penske car at the front. ”
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