Full Throttle

Danica Patrick used a fuel gamble to take a historic victory in the delayed Twin-Ring Motegi round of the IndyCar Series.

The Andretti Green Racing driver took the lead with just two laps to go as the rest of the front-runners had to pit for fuel and became the first woman to win a major American open-wheel race.

Patrick had run towards the foot of the top ten for most of the race, as Ganassi’s Scott Dixon and Penske’s Helio Castroneves dominated the event.

AGR’s decision to bring Patrick in for an additional sip fuel at the end of the final full course yellow paid off spectacularly, allowing her to take a remarkable last gasp victory and leave the “Kournikova of IndyCar” label behind.

Castroneves led the first half of the race, before being leap-frogged by Dixon during the mid-race pitstops. The Ganassi driver then pulled away from the field - leading by as much as six seconds - and looked set for victory until having to pit from the lead with six laps to go.

Fellow leaders Dan Wheldon, Tony Kanaan and Castroneves then had to follow suit, allowing Patrick to come through and snatch the win. Castroneves and Dixon completed the podium.

(You know it’s a good day when a legit reason to post a Danica pic drops into your lap - ed)

Quotes later…

“It was a long time coming, finally,” said Patrick, who drives for Andretti Green Racing. “I was managing to save fuel and keep the speed up and, when I saw Helio, I knew he was the one to beat.”

“I knew there was a good reason for coming to Japan,” she said. “I want to thank my team, the fans and everyone who supported me.”

Dixon took the lead from Castroneves on the 93rd lap, but he settled for third.

“We led for a lot of laps but came up short,” Dixon said. “But congratulations to Danica for her first victory.”

Technorati Tags: Danica Patrick, AGR, Andretti Green Racing, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, IndyCar, Twin Ring Motegi, Japan

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck northern Japan early Thursday morning (Wednesday evening est) and it was felt near Twin Ring Motegi.

Several drivers said they slept through the quake, but it did awake several drivers and Indy Racing League officials, including Danica Patrick and IRL founder and CEO Tony George.

Darren Manning driver of the #14 A.J. Foyt Racing Dallara said, “It felt like a washing machine went off in my room. It was like I was on a gentle spin cycle. “

Meanwhile drivers had to contend with rain during the first official practice session. The teru teru bozu, the Japanese good luck symbols to ward off rain, will be out in force over the next couple of days as the elements threaten this year’s Indy Japan 300.

Three drivers, representing the past four race winners at Twin Ring Motegi, were stashed in the top five of the speed chart as preparations began for the Indy Japan 300.

With a forecast of rain that could wash out final practice and qualifications for the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award on April 18, the focus during two sessions of practice was on race setup.

Reigning champion Tony Kanaan grabbed the top spot with a quick lap of 27.2453 seconds (200.842 mph) in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car for Andretti Green Racing. Dixon had a quick lap of 200.390 mph (27.3067) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, while two-time Motegi winner Dan Wheldon (200.250; 27.3259) was third.

Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves, the pole sitter last year and points leader coming into the 200-lap race, was fourth (200.032; 27.3556) and Vision Racing’s Ed Carpenter (199.737; 27.3960) was fifth.

No one would be more disappointed if the race is put back a day, or worse canceled by weather, than ESPN’s Jack Arute. The veteran reporter hopes to cover two races in two days, by covering Indy Japan on Saturday before flying back to the States to report on Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the final race for the Champ Car World Series.

With the merger of IndyCar and Champ Car, points from the race in Long Beach will count toward the IndyCar Series championship–another reason organizers are so keen to make sure Indy Japan (and the points it earns) takes place.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Twin Ring Motegi, IRL, IndyCar, Tony Kanaan