Backstretch Motorsports

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009) - Scott Dixon used a dominating performance to win the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance and earned his record 20th IndyCar Series victory.

Dixon, competing in his 109th IndyCar Series race (all with Chip Ganassi’s team), overtook Sam Hornish Jr. for the series record. Dixon also tied teammate Dario Franchitti for 19th on the all-time career list (sanctioning by AAA, USAC, CART, Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League) with 21 (he picked up one victory at Nazareth in CART). A.J. Foyt is the all-time Indy car victory leader with 67. [read more...]

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Sunday, July 5) — Facing a Lap 54 restart with the Nos. 6 and 9 cars of Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon trailing, Dale Coyne said driver Justin Wilson had to hold off “two goliaths.” Well, that’s one for the little guys. Wilson provided Dale Coyne Racing its first IndyCar Series victory — in its 558th open-wheel racing start over 25 years - in the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen on July 5.

Wilson, whose only previous top 10 this season was third in the opener at St. Petersburg, also was the last driver other than one from Target Chip Ganassi Racing or Team Penske to win — at Belle Isle last August with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. “It feels fantastic,” said Wilson, who started on the outside of the front row and led a field-high 49 laps. [read more...]

INDIANAPOLIS (May 9, 2009) — Helio Castroneves will start his ninth Indianapolis 500 from a familiar spot.

The Brazilian, who celebrates his 34th birthday on May 10, scored his third Indianapolis 500 pole position and Roger Penske’s record 15th pole position with a four-lap average speed of 224.864 mph (2 minutes, 40.0967 seconds cumulative time) on the 2.5-mile oval. It was the Brazilian’s 27th career IndyCar Series pole and his first of the season.

Teammate Ryan Briscoe made a late attempt to unseat Castroneves in the six-hour session, withdrawing his second-best qualifying time, but came up short (224.083). He’ll be in the middle of Row 1, with 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti (224.010) on the outside in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car. [read more...]

SONOMA, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008 - Helio Castroneves snapped the longest winless streak of his career to move closer to his first IndyCar Series championship.

Castroneves, who hadn’t won since April 2007 - a span of 30 races, took the checkered flag in the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County at Infineon Raceway to claim a victory in a record-setting eighth consecutive season. The 13th win of his IndyCar Series career allowed Castroneves to shave 35 points from his deficit in the championship standings. He trails Scott Dixon, who finished 12th, by 43 points with two races remaining.

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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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