Through 16 lead changes and 239 laps at the buzz-saw named Iowa Speedway, it appeared just about anyone on the lead lap could pop to the forefront and prevail in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer.
Helio Castroneves, who had inherited the lead on Lap 200 when the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car of IZOD IndyCar Series points leader and two-time race winner Dario Franchitti slowed – the victim of a gearbox issue? Si.
E.J. Viso, who surprised quite a few by steadily moving from his 19th starting position in the No. 8 PDVSA-Jet Aviation-KV Racing Technology car to be running third? Indeed.
How about Tony Kanaan, whose No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car started a disappointing 15th after topping the combined practice speed chart, but had moved behind his countryman Castroneves? That would have been a safe bet and the one that paid.
Kanaan, who led a total of 119 laps at Iowa the past two years but didn’t finish either time, made the event-record 17th lead change among seven drivers stick. He overtook Castroneves on Lap 140 and went on to post his first victory since June 28, 2008, at Richmond International Raceway (another bullring). He was the seventh driver to win in the eight races. IndyCar.com
Castroneves finished second and E.J. Viso was a career-best third. Penske teammates Ryan Briscoe and pole winner Will Power rounded out the top five.
“I’ve had three years to think about why I didn’t finish. When I came here people kept reminding me of that,” said Kanaan, who led for 62 laps. “I never finished, and then I finished. I finished first, so know we have a different story.”
Kanaan had never run finished higher than 14th at Iowa before Sunday’s win, but he felt confident in his setup despite a shaky qualifying run.
“When you win from 15th and you pass every car on the race track, it’s definitely a winning car,” Kanaan said.
“I was shifting from sixth down to fifth and came up with a box full of neutrals,” Franchitti said. “We had a winning car today, but it wasn’t anybody’s fault.”
“I should be happy, but with 10 laps to go it slipped right through my hands,” Castroneves said. The Associated Press
“Racing with Helio just brought me back so many memories,” he said. “It’s been 25 years we’ve been racing each other. I was trying not to hit him because we have to fly home [to Miami] together. It was going to be an awkward flight if that happened. But now I’m gonna make fun of him on the plane on the way home for sure.”
Turning serious, he added: “The guy has three Indianapolis 500s and four poles, I have a championship. I always said he’s my reference and I think he said that I’m his reference sometimes. Today I won the battle, tomorrow he will win the battle and that’s the way it’s gonna be. By doing that, I think we both push each other to the limit. He makes me better and I make him better.” ESPN
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