Backstretch Motorsports

MOTEGI, Japan - Danica.

Just mention the name and everyone in motorsports knows who you are talking about. Then the next word after her name would have been … ‘When?’.

Keep these facts filed away. April 20, 2008 Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi.

She answered with a flurry of a finish at Twin Ring Motegi, becoming the first female to win a major auto racing event. Patrick, who turned 26 three weeks ago, won in her 50th IndyCar Series start.

Starting from the sixth position, Patrick drove among the top-eight cars for the entire 200-lap event.

As the race wound to its conclusion, the majority of the field came in to pit under yellow-flag conditions on lap 143. As the race was about to return to green-flag racing, Motorola race strategist Kyle Moyer called Patrick back into the pits on lap 148 to top off her fuel.

With five laps remaining in the race, the leading cars began to pit for a quick splash of fuel. It was during this time that Patrick passed each of the cars in front of her while they were making pit stops.

Patrick was able to maintain her fuel mileage and claimed her first career IndyCar Series victory.

She was followed across the finish line by Helio Castroneves, who was also on the same strategy as Patrick. Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan rounded out the top five.

“Finally!” said a emotional Patrick in Victory Lane.”This is a long time coming. It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I know I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn’t believe it.
This is fabulous.”

The next race on the IndyCar Series schedule is the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 from Kansas Speedway. ESPN2 will provide live broadcast coverage of the event at 5 p.m. (EDT). The race can also be heard live on XM Satellite Radio, channel 145, the official home of the IndyCar Series.

2008 Indy Japan 300 :: Race
Pos Driver Name Best Time Best Speed Best Lap Total Laps
1 Danica Patrick (7) 27.8865 196.224 20 200
2 Helio Castroneves (3) 27.6476 197.920 12 200
3 Scott Dixon (9) 27.6752 197.722 12 200
4 Dan Wheldon (10) 27.6784 197.699 12 200
5 Tony Kanaan (11) 27.7906 196.901 21 200
6 Ed Carpenter (20) 27.9148 196.025 193 200
7 Ryan Hunter-Reay (17) 27.8106 196.760 160 200
8 Darren Manning (14) 27.9966 195.452 63 199
9 Ryan Briscoe (6) 27.7808 196.971 169 199
10 Townsend Bell (23) 28.0012 195.420 69 199
11 Hideki Mutoh (27) 27.9311 195.911 68 199
12 Buddy Rice (15) 28.0822 194.857 191 198
13 Jay Howard (24) 28.1950 194.077 11 192
14 Roger Yasukawa (77) 28.6397 191.063 58 134
15 A.J. Foyt IV (2) 27.8758 196.299 20 103
16 Vitor Meira (4) 28.1452 194.420 12 92
17 Marty Roth (25) 28.5088 191.941 39 44
18 Marco Andretti (26) -0.0001 0.000 0 0