IndyCar Series - Milwaukee Race Report - May 31, 2009

WEST ALLIS, May 31, 2009: Reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon became the first driver to win for the second time in 2009, taking the checkered flag in the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 at The Milwaukee Mile ahead of 2008 race winner Ryan Briscoe.

In doing so, Dixon took over the points lead for the first time since the end of the 2008 season.

Briscoe dominated the race, leading 154 laps after passing Tony Kanaan on Lap 26. But Briscoe got caught up in lapped traffic on the tight circuit, and Dixon seized the opportunity, passing for the lead on Lap 201 of the 225-lap event.

"I was trying to get the flow of traffic the whole day," said Dixon, who won earlier this season on the 1.5-mile oval at Kansas Speedway. "I definitely think from the start our car was better. We could run quick times when we needed to, and we were good in traffic. We had many runs on (Ryan) Briscoe, and he kind of blocked a lot and that was kind of frustrating early on, but he definitely got caught up there with (Tomas) Scheckter trying to take him on the bottom, and I got a great run on the high side and it just lined up perfect."

Dixon holds a four-point advantage over Briscoe and Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti. Graham Rahal finished fourth, and Danica Patrick finished fifth, her fourth consecutive top-five finish. Rookie Raphael Matos earned a career-best sixth-place finish.

Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves finished 11th after starting 20th.

Briscoe, Dixon, Franchitti and Castroneves won the first four events of the season.

Also on Sunday, Mario Romancini earned his first career Firestone Indy Lights victory with a flag-to-flag win in the Husar's House of Fine Diamonds 100. Romancini beat series points leader J.R. Hildebrand to the checkered flag by 1.0907 seconds. Sebastian Saavedra was third, Gustavo Yacaman fourth and James Davison fifth.