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Posted on Friday, 10.09.09

IndyCar Series - Firestone Indy 300 Preview

The Sports Network

Date: Saturday, October 10th

Start Time: 5:00 p.m. (et)

Site: Homestead-Miami Speedway -- Homestead, Florida

Track: 1.5 mile oval

Laps: 200

Miles: 300

Capacity:

Total purse:

Payouts:

Year: 9th

On TV: VERSUS

Announcers: Bob Jenkins, Jon Beekhuis, Robbie Buhl

On Radio: IMS Radio Network/SIRIUS XM Satellite

Race record: Scott Dixon, 2008 (171.248 m.p.h.)

Qualifying record: Sam Hornish Jr, 2006 (218.539 m.p.h.)

2008 Finish

Defending champion: Scott Dixon

Runner up: Marco Andretti

Pole winner: Scott Dixon (213.341 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Scott Dixon (Start: 1)

2. Marco Andretti (4)

3. Dan Wheldon (22)

4. Helio Castroneves (5)

5. Ed Carpenter (24)

6. Danica Patrick (2)

7. Ryan Hunter-Reay (9)

8. Tony Kanaan (6)

9. AJ Foyt IV (25)

10. Vitor Meira (10)

Average speed: 171.248 m.p.h.

Time of race: 1 hour, 44 minutes, 3.5914 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.5828 second

Caution flags: 3 for 24 laps

Lead changes: 12 among 5 drivers

Past winners

2008 Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 171.248 m.p.h. (race record)

2007 Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 164.825 m.p.h.

2006 Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 167.730 m.p.h.

2005 Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 142.033 m.p.h.

2004 Sam Hornish Jr, Dallara-Toyota, 151.094 m.p.h.

2003 Scott Dixon, Panoz-Toyota, 153.710 m.p.h.

2002 Sam Hornish Jr, Dallara-Chevrolet, 140.325 m.p.h.

2001 Sam Hornish Jr, Dallara-Oldsmobile, 148.508 m.p.h.

Last race

Race: Indy Japan 300 (September 19th)

Site: Twin Ring Motegi -- Motegi, Japan

Miles: 300

Laps: 200

Finish line order: Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Graham Rahal, Oriol Servia, Mario Moraes

Time of Race: 1 hour, 51 minutes, 37.6411 seconds

Average speed: 163.401 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: 1.4475 seconds

Caution flags: 2 for 23 laps

Lead changes: 7 among 4 drivers

Lap leaders: Scott Dixon 1-49, Dario Franchitti 50-102, Ryan Briscoe 103-106,Scott Dixon 1-49, Dario Franchitti 50-102, Ryan Briscoe 103-106,Dixon 107, Briscoe 108, Dixon 109-160, Graham Rahal 161-163,Dixon 164-200.

Entry list

#02 Graham Rahal (New Albany, OH) McDonald's/Newman/Haas/Lanigan

#2 Raphael Matos (Belo Horiz., Brazil) U.S. Marines/Luczo Dragon Racing

#3 Helio Castroneves (Sao Paulo, Brz.) Team Penske

#4 Dan Wheldon (Emberton, England) National Guard/Panther Racing

#5 Mario Moraes (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Votorantim/KV Racing Technology

#6 Ryan Briscoe (Sydney, Australia) Team Penske

#7 Danica Patrick (Roscoe, IL) Boost Motorola/Andretti Green Racing

#9 * Scott Dixon (Auckland, New Zealand) Target Chip Ganassi Racing

#10 Dario Franchitti (Scotland) Target Chip Ganassi Racing

#11 Tony Kanaan (Salvador, Brazil) Team 7-Eleven/Andretti Green Racing

#13 EJ Viso (Caracas, Venezuela) PDVSA HVM Racing

#14 Ryan Hunter-Reay (Boca Raton, FL) ABC Supply Co/AJ Foyt Racing

#18 Justin Wilson (Sheffield, England) Z-Line Designs/Dale Coyne Racing

#20 Ed Carpenter (Indianapolis, IN) Vision/Lilly Racing/Vision Racing

#23 Milka Duno (Caracas, Venezuela) CITGO/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

#24 Mike Conway (Bromley, England) Valspar/Dreyer & Reinbold

#26 Marco Andretti (Nazareth, PA) Meijer/Andretti Green Racing

#27 Hideki Mutoh (Tokyo, Japan) Formula Dream/Andretti Green Racing

#33 Robert Doonbos (Netherlands) HVM Racing

#43 Tomas Scheckter (Cape Town, So Afr) Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

#67 Sarah Fisher (Commercial Point, OH) Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing

#98 Jaques Lazier (Denver, CO) Novicomm LED Lighting/Team 3G

#402 Alex Lloyd (Manchester, England) HER EnergyNewman Haas Lanigan Racing

Leading contenders

Name	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Scott Dixon		Won	18th	16th	5th	2nd	Won
Marco Andretti					15th	20th	2nd
Dan Wheldon			3rd	Won	Won	Won	3rd
Helio Castroneves	3rd	3rd	2nd	5th	2nd	9th	4th
Ed Carpenter			12th	18th		6th	5th
Danica Patrick				15th		14th	6th
Tony Kanaan		4th	8th	3rd	11th	5th	8th
Ryan Briscoe				20th			19th
Dario Franchitti		7th	17th	22nd	4th	7th

Notes

The final event of the IndyCar season is upon us, as Scott Dixon seeksto win his second consecutive Series title. With five wins in the book, Dixonholds a slim, five-point lead over teammate Dario Franchitti and a six-pointadvantage over Ryan Briscoe. This logjam, is the second-closest three-manface-off in series history. This is the fourth consecutive year that thechampionship will be decided in the final race. It will also be the 10th timein 14 IndyCar Series seasons that the title will be decided at the final race.With a victory, Dixon can tie the series record for wins in a season with sixand he'll join Sam Hornish Jr as the only three-time series champion. Thebottom line, Dixon must finish ahead of Franchitti and Briscoe regardless ofwhere he finishes the race to clinch the title.Last season, Dixon ended the three-year reign of Dan Wheldon at Homestead-Miami Speedway, as he posted a miniscule victory over Marco Andretti. Dixon,who started on the pole, led for 67 laps, as he clipped Andretti by 0.5828 ofa second. Andretti led for a race-high 85 laps, while Wheldon, who was seekinghis fourth straight win in Miami, placed third.In 2007, Wheldon completed the hat trick in Florida, as he raced to victoryfor the third consecutive season. Wheldon maneuvered his Target No.10 to a6.4993-second victory over teammate Scott Dixon. The win, his 12th careercheckered flag, was a dominant one, as he led 179 of the 200 laps, includingthe final 81. Wheldon's victory total now stands at 15.Dixon, Wheldon and Sam Hornish Jr are the only pole sitters to capture thisrace.Although Wheldon finished third last year, he has posted five consecutivetop-3 finishes. Helio Castroneves has never finished outside the top-10 in hisseven previous starts.Homestead-Miami Speedway opened in 1995 shortly after Hurricane Andrewdevastated the region. The facility is owned and operated by InternationalSpeedway Corp. In addition to Indy Racing, HMS plays host to several events,including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and theNASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Homestead-Miami Speedway is in operation260 days of the year.The 2010 IndyCar Series season begins Sunday, March 14 in Brazil.10/09 15:33:01 ET

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