© Suburban Journals of Chicago
photo by Mark Rotor
It's
Back To Ovals For Indy Leader, Will Power...August 28th Race At
Chicagoland Speedway
by
Mark Rotor
August 27th, 2010
Final
Four On Oval Tracks - Begins at the Chicagoland Speedway
With a victory at the Indy Grand
Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 22nd, Will Power
solidified his lead of the IZOD IndyCar Series winning his fifth race
of
the season for Team Penske. Power now leads the overall Indy Series
point’s
championship by 59-points with only four races remaining, each contest
on a 1.5
mile oval. Power has dominated the road course portion of the schedule
but now
the question remains can he be as effective on the ovals this
weekend August 27th at the Chicagoland speedway in Joliet Illinois,
Power will attempt to hold-off the defending Indy Series Champion Dario
Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi who holds the 2nd spots in point’s
championship. Franchitti won the 2007 PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil
Indy 300
pulling ahead of current teammate Scott Dixon in a thrilling final lap
taking
the race and the point’s championship in the final race of the season.
Power who finished 5th at
Chicagoland in 2008 has a comfortable lead, but don’t
count-out Franchitti or Dixon currently 3rd in series points. After
Joliet, the
final three races are Kentucky Speedway (Sept. 4), Twin Ring Motegi
(Sept. 19)
and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 2).
Turn-about
Is Fair Play Franchitti Leads Power At Chicagoland Patrice
© Suburban Journals
of Chicago
photo by Dan Peters
Dario
Confident In Team Target Chip Ganassi's Chances Of Winning The
Championship
"It's a fairly large deficit, but
it's four tracks we've run well on," said
Franchitti, who has won or finished second at three of the four (best
finish
at Kentucky was sixth in 2004 and '09) tracks. "These are places we can
do very
well at.”
Dixon also shares the confidences of
a two time former series champion. "I think
it's exciting for our team," Dixon said of the hunt. "We'll try and
just keep
Will back in the pack and take some points off him.”
“Obviously, my job is going to be to
try to help Dario and myself close the gap
as much as possible, apply as much pressure as possible, and hopefully
put them
under enough that they make mistakes. I think that's really the only
options
left for us. "We have to work together as a team, obviously finish 1-2
to try
to overcome the points deficit at the moment," Dixon said.
In addition to the s points
championship this season, the Indy series is also
awarding a road course champion as well as an oval champion. Power has
devoured
the competition winning 5 of 9 road courses earning the Mario Andretti
Road
Course trophy. If history hold to form due to the competitive nature of
the
oval competition, it is likley that the Oval champion as well as the
overall IZOD IndyCar Series champion will be decided at Homestead-Miami
during the final race of the season.
Penske's
Will Power During Morning Practice
© Suburban Journals
of Chicago
File Photo by Mark Rotor
Saturday Night In Joliet Illinois
I
don't think this championship is almost mine," Power said. "There's a
lot of
racing to go. Four races, a lot can happen. Really, whatever the buffer
is, you
can lose a lot of that in just one race. I'm going to race those ovals
like I
want to win the championship. I think I got enough experience now and I
think
we'll be very strong."
On Saturday night, the tradition of
extremely close Indy Series competition at
the Chicagoland Speedway continues with thrilling side-by-side and
nose-to-nose
racing. If history is any predictor of the future, this race is likely
to end
as the last four Indy races in Joliet, a photo finish at the checkered
flag.
On Friday August 26th the NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series will arrive at the
Chicagoland Speedway. The Race begins at 7:30pm
Danica
Qualified 12th For Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil 300
© Suburban Journals of Chicago File
Photo By Mark Rotor
Race Day Coverage: Saturday August 28th - PEAK Antifreeze & Motor
Oil Indy 300
© Suburban Journals of Chicago
photo by Dan Peters
Past Sports News
Local
Sports and
Teams
|
