Full Throttle

Heavy rain (”Ooame”) forced the cancellation of Friday’s qualifying and the track was still wet on Saturday.

Organizers tried to get the track ready but “weepers” (I think I’ve heard that term somewhere before - ed) caused by more than 2 inches of rain the previous 30 hours forced Saturday’s race to be called off after a two-hour delay.

A persistent wet spot ( “weeper” use the correct term -ed) on turn #4 was the main cause of the postponement, although crews were working on the track at various places.

Sunday’s race is scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Helio Castroneves will be hoping history repeats itself when - or perhaps, if, given the weather, Indy Japan 300 gets underway at Twin Ring Motegi.

Two years ago rain forced qualifying to be canceled and Castroneves as leader of the standings going into the race was awarded pole position. The Brazilian made full use of his “luck” to power his Team Penske car past the checkered flag, having led for 184 of the 200 laps around the 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) oval.

“Hopefully we will have the same result as 2006,” he said Friday after all on-track activity had been abandoned for the day and he was again handed pole position, “Mother Nature we can’t predict,” said Castroneves, fourth and second in the first two races of the season.

Castroneves and Tony Kanaan made the most of their time off after Fridays rain by paying homage to their idol Ayrton Senna. The pair visited the Honda Collection Hall, which is running a Brazilian Drivers’ Exhibition.

In addition to the car Kanaan drove to win the 2004 IndyCar championship, and the helmet worn by Castroneves in his 2006 victory, the exhibition featured the car Senna drove to win the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix in 1989. (pictured leff)

The two IndyCar drivers were given a one-off opportunity to sit in the car.

“This is amazing,” a clearly emotional Castroneves said after wriggling into the cockpit. “That’s what I am talking about. He was the man. Wow, I can’t believe it, my hero.”

Keenan - who rubbed one of the tires on Senna’s car before rubbing his head to give him luck for today’s race -was also in awe. “It gives me goose bumps just being here, and it’s something I will never forget,” he said.

Both will be hoping to emulate their hero Sunday, by waving the Brazilian flag on the winner’s podium.

But as Castroneves pointed out, it won’t be easy.

“The first part of the race, it’s going to be difficult to overtake,” he said. “There’s likely to be some kerosene on the track [from the vehicles used to dry the track out] and little rubber on the track.”

And then he spoke for everyone when he said: “Let’s cross our fingers and hope the rain stops.”

Cross posted @ Asian Motor Sports

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