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INDY LIGHTS: Kane Dominates Detroit Indy Lights Race

19 June 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

LIGHT ROUNDUP - CART Dayton Indy Lights Championship Race Report: Round 3 - The Raceway on Belle Isle, Detroit

Detroit, Mich.- Shaking off the pain and frustration of the year's first two races, Jonny Kane (KOOL Lola) scored a dominating win in Round Three of the Dayton Indy Lights Championship at the Raceway on Belle Isle Sunday. The 1999 Rookie of the Year led all 32 laps from the pole, set the fastest race lap and was never challenged for the lead. He crossed the finish line 2.902 seconds ahead of Felipe Giaffone (Hollywood Lola) while Casey Mears (Dorricott Racing/Sooner Trailer Lola) finished third.

After winning the pole in Saturday qualifying at a record 103.196 mph average speed (81.840 seconds) around the 2.346-mile road course, Kane led the field when the race started on lap two after the first attempt was waved off. Giaffone, who qualified third, slipped by outside pole-sitter Mears at the start but was never able to mount a serious challenge on Kane. Instead, Giaffone led a close group of race cars for the majority of the race that included Mears, Scott Dixon (Invensys/Powerware/PacWest Lights Lola) and Mario Dominguez (Herdez/Quaker State Lola). Dixon held on to finish fourth while Dominguez finished fifth despite brushing the wall in the final turn on the last lap.

Kane's convincing win came less than two weeks after a horrendous race accident at the Milwaukee Mile where his race car hit the wall, broke apart and slid upside down after a rear wheel failed. Kane escaped serious injury but still felt a little sore during the Detroit race weekend. His victory also made up for a mistake in the season-opening race at Long Beach where Kane over-shot Turn 1 while leading and handed the win to Dixon four laps from the finish.

In addition to the waved off start, Kane's winning average speed of 87.993 mph was slowed by two more caution periods for a pair of accidents. The first was for top Indy Lights rookie Jason Bright who was uninjured when he hit the Turn 12 wall while running in sixth place on lap 12. It is the first time this season Bright has failed to finish a race. The day's second caution was shown for Tony Renna (Motorola/PacWest Lights Lola) who was injured when he hit the wall in Turn 5 on lap 22.

While Kane's win moves him back into the championship picture, Dixon's fourth-place finish has essentially given him a full-race (20 points) lead in the standings. Mears, who recorded his best career qualifying effort and road course finish, has moved to second in the championship with 34 points while Kane and Bright are tied for third with 32 points. Giaffone is fifth in the standings with 31 points.

Text provided by Adam Saal

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.