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Location: Joliet,
IL
Shape: Tri-Oval
Distance: 1.5
miles
Banking, Turns: 18
degrees
Front Straight: 2,400
feet
Banking, Front Straight: 11
degrees
Back Straight: 1,700
feet
Banking, Back Straight: 5
degrees |
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Chicagoland Speedway
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Race Report: Chicagoland Speedway
 The
Indy Racing League IndyCar Series brought 60,000 fans to their feet to see Sam
Hornish edge out Scott Dixon and Bryan Herta by 99 ten-thousandths of a second
in the Delphi Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois Sunday
afternoon.
The finish was the third closest in the history of the IndyCar Series which has
become known for its wheel-to-wheel racing and tight, dramatic finishes.
Team Conseco and driver A.J. Foyt IV scored a small victory of their own as they
battled the handling problems in the Toyota-powered Dallara during the first
two-thirds of the race. Foyt IV, who started 21st and finished 17th, struggled
with the Conseco car "pushing," which refers to the front end of the car pushing
towards the outside wall in the corners.
 The
elder A.J. Foyt, calling the shots from the pits, continued to adjust the car,
changing wing angles and tire pressures to improve the car's handling. He found
the best set-up for the car during the final 60 laps and Foyt IV responded by
reaching speeds in the 221-plus mph bracket.
"There were times during the race that I told him if the car was too bad, he
should just park it," Foyt said afterwards. "But he didn't give up and we were
able to find something that worked for him. The important thing is that
continues to get more experience."
The IRL IndyCar Series season is winding down with just two more races left. The
next race is the Toyota Indy 400 at California Speedway September 21st. The race
will be televised live on ABC starting at 3:30 eastern time.
 NOTES
& QUOTES: Delphi Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway
A.J. Foyt IV: Conseco No. 14 G-Force/Toyota/Firestone
Chicagoland 100
Ed Carpenter: Futaba/Delphi No. 14 Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone
A.J. Foyt IV on Chicagoland: "Chicagoland should be good for us because
we're coming out of a good race at Nazareth. Last year at Joliet, I sat on the
pole in the Pro Series so I like this track. It has more banking than most of
the tracks we run on and that gives you more than one groove to run which is
more fun for the driver. We just have to get the Conseco car as freed up as
possible without it getting too loose. I think for qualifying the key will be
who can hold it on the bottom all the way around but that won't be as important
in the race because you can run more than one groove."
At Nazareth, A.J. IV finished 11th, his best finish to date in the IRL IndyCar
Series. "We had a really good day for Team Conseco," Foyt IV said afterwards.
"Starting so far back (17th), I got a lap down quick, but the car was decent all
day. We lost fifth gear about three-fourths of the way through, so I had to run
in sixth. I wish it happened earlier, because I liked not having to worry about
shifting."
Ed Carpenter is scheduled to make his debut in the IRL IndyCar Series at
Chicagoland Speedway driving the PDM Racing Dallara/Chevy. Carpenter passed the
speed phase of his Indy Racing League IndyCar Series rookie test July 30 at
Kentucky Speedway.
Ed Carpenter on Chicagoland: "I am looking forward to this upcoming event
at Chicagoland Speedway. I enjoy racing in the Chicago area, because I was born
in Illinois and still have quite a bit of family there. This will also be my
first Indy Car start, so I am looking forward to a great weekend of racing. I
hope to get back on the podium in the Pro Series race after having a couple
rough races in the past few events. For the Indy car race, I am just looking
forward to the opportunity, and want to learn as much as possible in my first
start." He will be in the same carH
Past performance for Foyt Racing at Chicagoland Speedway: Last year
Airton Dare was up to 7th but got hit from behind by another car and crashed on
lap 154; he placed 16th. Eliseo Salazar lost his rear wing and spun but didn't
hit anything; the team replaced the wing but he dropped out with engine woes; he
finished 18th. In the Infiniti Pro Series, A.J. IV qualified on the pole and
finished 6th in the race. In 2001, Salazar was running third when he tangled
with another car while getting through lapped traffic; he finished 18th. Donnie
Beechler started 17th and finished fifth in the IRL's inaugural race there.
The Delphi Indy 300 will be televised live Sunday at 2:00 pm Eastern on ABC. |
