Backstretch Motorsports

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, May 26, 2008 -Scott Dixon has a few days to celebrate his 92nd Indianapolis 500 victory, and then he will get back to business - the business of winning the IndyCar Series championship.

The 27-year-old, who won an IndyCar Series title in 2003, became the first native New Zealander to win the Indianapolis 500, leading 115 of 200 laps May 25. After drinking the milk in Victory Lane and posing for pictures with the Borg-Warner Trophy, Dixon hopes he can carry on another Indianapolis 500 tradition - winning the series title.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 25, 2008 - Another image will be on the coveted Borg-Warner trophy. Scott Dixon won the Indianapolis 500. Dixon capped a nearly perfect month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the biggest win of his career - the 92nd Indianapolis 500.

Early in May, Dixon recorded the fastest practice lap. On Pole Day, he posted the best four-lap qualifying average, and on Race Day, he led 115 of 200 laps, including the final 29, to take the victory.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 23, 2008 - Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon paced the final practice session before the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500. The practice, which had been scheduled for one hour, was limited to 12 minutes due to rain.
Wheldon, who will start second in Sunday’s 500-Mile Race, turned a fast lap of 223.934 mph, while Dixon, the pole sitter for the event, recorded a lap at 223.028 mph. The duo completed just six laps each before a light rain began falling.
Buddy Rice, the 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner, completed 11 laps, most of any driver.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 18, 2008 - A.J. Foyt IV (left), Buddy Lazier and Marty Roth survived a dramatic Bump Day for the Indianapolis 500 as four drivers combined for six qualification attempts in the final 30 minutes.
Roth was the one who could breathe the biggest sigh of relief. The Toronto native was “on the bubble” for the final eight minutes as Roger Yasukawa, a five-time starter in the Indianapolis 500, made an unsuccessful qualifying attempt - his second of the day, and Mario Dominguez crashed after completing the first of four necessary laps at the same time the gun sounded to end the session.
In the end, Roth held the 33rd spot in the starting lineup while Foyt was 31st and Lazier 32nd.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, May 17, 2008 - Twenty-two drivers qualified for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500, filling starting positions 12-33 on the grid and setting up a Bump Day that should feature three drivers attempting to earn their way into the field.
Townsend Bell (pictured right) posted the fastest qualifying effort of the day, averaging 222.539 mph in four laps around the historic 2.5-mile oval to earn the 12th starting position, the outside of Row 4.
The first 11 positions were determined May 10 when Scott Dixon won the pole with an average speed of 226.366 mph.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 16, 2008 - Sunshine returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and 36 drivers took advantage of the first complete six-hour practice day since May 6 to turn 2,164 laps on the historic 2.5-mile oval. Scott Dixon, who won the pole for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 10, topped the speed chart at 223.713 mph.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Ryan Briscoe paced a frenetic practice day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as 35 cars combined to turn 2,628 laps in preparation for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Thursday’s session was the first significant practice time since May 9. Rain washed out all activity on May 11, including Second Day Qualifying, and limited green flag time to 30 minutes on May 14. The track was closed May 12-13.
Briscoe, who qualified third in the No. 6 Team Penske machine May 10, lapped the 2.5-mile oval in 40.2311 seconds, 223.708 mph. His teammate, Helio Castroneves, was second-fastest at 223.284 mph, and pole sitter Scott Dixon was third (223.192 mph).
Among the 24 drivers who have not yet qualified for the 22 remaining starting positions, Will Power topped the chart (sixth overall). Power’s best lap was 222.657 mph.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, May 10, 2008 - Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon survived the drama of Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and qualified 1-2, respectively, for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Dixon, who was fifth on the starting grid mid-afternoon, pulled his qualified time from his first attempt and put in another four-lap effort around the historic 2.5-mile oval. Minutes later, he had taken the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award presented by AutoZone from the grasp of Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe with a 226.366 mph average.

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Yesterday’s on-track activities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were halted by heavy downpours for most of the day. Today isn’t any different.

Current weather radar show a heavy bank of rains stretching clear back to the Indiana/ Illinois border, not holding much promise for teams and drivers that certainly want to find speed, make adjustments, get much needed track time and refine baseline data for the 92nd Indianapolis 500.

Update: All of today’s activites have been postponed until tomorrow, Friday, May 9, at noon.

INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 4, 2008 - Ten drivers completed all four phases of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the track opened for the 92nd Running of 500-Mile Race.

Will Power (left) was the quickest among a class of 13 rookies, the most since 1997. The rookies have two days of practice on the historic 2.5-mile oval before the track is opened to all drivers on May 6.

Power’s fastest lap in the No. 8 Aussie Vineyard-Team Australia entry was 40.7804 seconds, 220.694 mph.

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