Helio Wins Battle, Scott Dixon Wins War
Dixon staked his claim to the first Indycar/Champ Car combined series championship as Helio Castroneves claimed a photo-finish victory at Chicagoland Speedway.
Scott Dixon placed second, just centimeters away while Castroneves’ teammate Ryan Briscoe finished third to complete an impressive inaugural season for the highly-regarded Penske Racing team.
It was the closest finish in Indy racing history, with Castroneves taking the flag by just 0.001seconds from Dixon, who won the title in 2003 when it was called the Indy Racing League.
Will Power finished fifth and was upbeat later about the team. (See below)
“I’ve never had so much fun in a race - the Aussie Vineyards-Team Australia car was good and the crew did a great job in the pits,” Power said.
Briscoe finished the series fifth overall after a season which saw him collect two wins and three other podium finishes.
“It was awesome. It was some really great racing there, going three-wide for a while with (Dan) Wheldon and Helio,” Briscoe said.
“It was just a really good day and a good way to end the season. We’ve had a lot of progress this year so this was an accomplishment going into 2009.”
Dixon, who rated this win in the combined series ahead of his first title, equaled the most race wins in a season of six and broke the record for the most laps led in a season.
As New Zealander Scott Dixon took his second Indycar title, reports have surfaced that Will Power’s Australian-backed team is in financial trouble.
It has been suggested that the KV Racing Technology outfit, for whom Power finished 12th in the series, needs the shaky Indy 300 on the Gold Coast to continue or it could fold.
The Indy race at Surfers Paradise will go ahead as a non-championship event this year but no decision has been made on next season’s event.
Power’s team receives vital backing from Australian sponsor Aussie Vineyards, which needs a home-race platform to showcase its product.
The KV Racing team is co-owned by Australian Kevin Kalkhoven and American Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 CART champion.
According to Vasser, the Aussie Vineyards backing is crucial.
“It was half of our budget. It’s key,” he told the Indianapolis Star.
Vasser is pressuring Kalkhoven to commit to the team, regardless of the outcome of the Gold Coast race.
“He’s not there yet. We all the best thing we can do is keep the ball rolling. But I don’t know at this point,” Vasser said.
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