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IndyCar - Dixon Third, Franchitti Fifth at Iowa


PHOTO

NEWTON, June 27, 2011: Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti came home with third and fifth respectively at Iowa Speedway in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 Saturday night in Round 9 of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Dixon started the race in 23rd and wasted little time moving through the field, getting up to 19th by the end of lap one. By lap 38, Dixon had moved the No.9 Target Honda into 12th, and by the one-quarter mark he was in the top-10. Dixon drove into the top-three for the first time on lap 212 and maintained his position until he took the checkered flag. After passing 20 cars, he came home in third, marking his fifth top-five of the season.

Franchitti started the evening from sixth and propelled the No. 10 Suave Honda into the lead for the first time on lap eight after a daring three-wide maneuver. He went on to lead 150 of the first 159 laps before dropping back and settling inside the top-three. Then on lap 162, Franchitti re-gained the top spot from Marco Andretti and held onto the lead until the final round of pit stops. Following a restart with less than 50 laps-to-go, Franchitti was shuffled out of the top-three but maintained his position inside the top-five. After leading 172 of the 250-lap event, Franchitti took the checkered in fifth. Franchitti has now broken the tie atop the point standings and has a 20 point lead over second-place Will Power.

NOTES

- With the third-place result, Dixon becomes the only driver to finish in the top-10 in every race at Iowa Speedway.

- This is the 83rd top-five of Dixon’s Indy car career.

- This is Dixon’s fifth consecutive top-10 finish.

- Franchitti has led 50% of the laps this season.

- Franchitti has now led in five races this year, tying him with Will Power for the most races led this season.

- Franchitti leads teammate Dixon by 3 points in the A.J. Foyt Oval Championship standings.

Franchitti now has a 20 point lead over Power in the IZOD IndyCar Series with 303 points. Dixon moved up to third in the standings, 73 points behind Franchitti.