Backstretch Motorsports

LEBANON, Tenn., Friday, July 11, 2008 - Helio Castroneves won his 24th career IndyCar Series pole at Nashville Superspeedway, extending his series record to seven consecutive seasons with a pole.

Castroneves, who ranks second in points, turned four laps on the 1.33-mile, concrete oval in 1 minute, 31.5320 seconds, 204.519 mph to win his first pole since last September at Belle Isle. The all-time pole leader won it for the first time in seven starts at Nashville.

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RICHMOND, Va., Saturday, June 28, 2008 - Tony Kanaan claimed his first victory of the 2008 IndyCar Series season, winning the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway by 4.7691 seconds over Helio Castroneves.

Kanaan, starting from the pole, led 166 of the 300 laps to claim his 13th career victory and his first since Belle Isle in September 2007.

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RICHMOND, Va., Friday, June 27, 2008 - Tony Kanaan won the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award presented by Advance Auto Parts for Saturday’s SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway.

The Andretti Green Racing driver recorded a four-lap qualifying effort of 1 minute, 4.3333 seconds, 167.876 mph in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven machine. The pole is Kanaan’s second of the season and the 10th of his IndyCar Series career.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 26, 2008) - Andretti Green Racing (AGR) announced today it has signed Franck Montagny to become the primary driver of the #26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b for the remainder of the 2008 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season, beginning with the next tour stop at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Ct.

Bryan Herta and Christian Fittipaldi handled the driving duties for Andretti Green in the four previous ALMS starts this season along with Marco Andretti, who rounded out the AGR lineup in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

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NEWTON, IOWA, Sunday, June 22, 2008 - Dan Wheldon celebrated his 30th birthday by notching his second victory of the season, the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer at Iowa Speedway.
Wheldon took the lead out of a caution flag with 60 laps to go after his team made the decision not to pit. The move paid off, as Wheldon held off Andretti Green Racing drivers Hideki Mutoh and Marco Andretti down the stretch.

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WEST ALLIS, Wis., May 31, 2008 - Marco Andretti became the youngest pole winner in IndyCar Series history when he claimed the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award for the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt 225 at The Milwaukee Mile. The 21-year-old will be joined on the front row by 19-year-old Graham Rahal.

Andretti, driver of the No. 26 Team Indiana Jones presented by Blockbuster Dallara/Honda/Firestone, captured his first career pole with a four-lap average speed of 168.079 mph. At the age of 21 years, 79 days old he eclipsed the mark of Tomas Scheckter, who was 21 years, 260 days old when he won the pole at Texas in June 2002.

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Vickers’ No. 83 team wins Sprint Pit Crew Challenge

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brian Vickers’ team kicked off NASCAR’s All-Star week activities by winning the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge on Thursday night, beating Denny Hamlin’s team in a battle of Toyotas in the final round.

Vickers’ crew, which includes a former college football player and two former college hockey players, changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards in 22.902 seconds to collect the $70,000 first prize.

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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.

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AGR’s Tony Kanaan Takes P1 for First Street Course of ‘08

You want drama, you’ve got it. The IndyCar Series day of “Knock-Out Qualifying” at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg provided.

After survivng the unfamiliar oval setting of the Homestead-Miami opener, the street course at St. Pete certainly made a huge difference for the former CCWS transition teams. The comfort zone of twisting turns provided a equalizing atmosphere for the new guys.

Will Power, Team Australia sponsored KV Racing Technologies Honda/Dallara/Firestone driver turned the fastest lap of the IndyCar weekend with a time of 1:02.1355 at a speed of 104.288

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ALMS — IN THEIR OWN WORDS: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

“It’s all downhill from here.” Such an expression no doubt was circulating through the American Le Mans Series paddock following the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. America’s greatest sports car race traditionally has been the first event on the Series schedule and it prepares a driver, car and team to a degree that no other race in the world can for the grind of a full-season effort, which continues April 5 in St. Petersburg. Here’s how some of the newer faces in the Series paddock viewed Sebring and the rest of the 2008 season.

Christian Fittpaldi and Joel Feinberg both made their first starts at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

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