HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Scott Dixon took the lead after Tony Kanaan crashed late in Saturday night’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and went on to win the first event of the new era of American open-wheel racing.
Dixon, the New Zealand driver who lost the IRL IndyCar Series championship to Dario Franchitti when he ran out of fuel on the last lap of the 2007 season, got off to a great start with a victory in the Gainsco Indy 300.
Kanaan came out of the last round of green flag pit stops in the lead and appeared well on the way to a victory until Ernesto Viso, a rookie driving for one of the former Champ Car World Series teams that just joined the IRL, spun on the 193rd of 200 laps.
As Viso slid broadside across the track, Kanaan tried to duck around him and almost made it. But Kanaan hit Viso’s car with the right front of his Dallara Honda, knocking his tire askew.
Kanaan stayed out front for several laps behind the pace car, with his damaged tire barely touching the ground. But he slowly drove his damaged car into the pits as the green flag waved on lap 197, giving up the lead to Dixon, who won for the second time on Homestead’s 1.5-mile oval.
While Kanaan received condolences from his team, Dixon, who earned his 11th IndyCar win, celebrated.
“We were catching (Kanaan) and that was the best part about it,” Dixon said.
Setzer wins Truck race
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Dennis Setzer assumed the lead when Kyle Busch had to brake to avoid a crash in front of him, then held on through numerous re-starts to win the Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
The victory was the first for Dodge since the late Bobby Hamilton won at Mansfield in 2005, and the truck Setzer won in is co-owned by Hamilton’s widow, Lori.
“The emotions are running high right now,” Lori Hamilton said. “We always said after Bobby passed away that if we could build it, then we’d do it in honor of him.”
Reutimann adjusts
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — David Reutimann is still adjusting to his new ride.
Reutimann moved from the No. 00 into the No. 44 for Michael Waltrip Racing this week. The car was driven in the first five races by Dale Jarrett, who then retired.
“Sometimes I don’t even know I’m driving the car,” Reutimann said, one day after practicing and qualifying the No. 44 in 15th place for today’s Goody’s 500.
Practice, he said, gave him a few moments that highlighted the adjustment.
“I’m out there blending in on the race track and Mi- chael (McDowell) went by us and I’m like, ‘That’s my car! Somebody is driving my car!’ It’s hard to get used to.”
Bradshaw leads top fuel qualifying
BAYTOWN, Texas — Odessa native Alan Bradshaw and the three other provisional No. 1 qualifiers from Friday night retained their top spots in the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.
Cruz Pedregon (funny car), Kurt Johnson (pro stock) and Matt Smith (pro stock motorcycle) rounded out the No. 1 qualifiers at the fourth of 24 races in the NHRA POWER-ade Series.
Bradshaw’s time of 4.526 seconds at 323.50 mph held up, and no one in funny car got close to Pedregon’s 4.834-second pass at 314.97 from Friday except Pedregon, whose 4.86-second pass in Saturday’s first session was the best of the day.
Today’s races
NASCAR SPRINT CUP
Goody’s Cool Orange 500
Site:Martinsville, Va.
TV: 11:30 a.m., Fox
Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns)
Race distance: 263 miles, 500 laps
Last race: Jeff Burton raced past Denny Hamlin on a two-lap sprint to the finish to give Richard Childress Racing a 1-2-3 sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 16. Burton led teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer across the finish line.
Last year: Jimmie Johnson withstood teammate Jeff Gordon’s bumping and banging for much of the last 53 laps and held him off by a front bumper to win for the third time in six Cup races.
Fast facts: Johnson has won the last three events at Martinsville and has combined with Gordon to take eight of the last 10 races at the track. Both are winless this season and sit 13th and 14th in the standings, respectively. . . . Dale Earnhardt Jr. has seven top-five finishes in 16 career starts at Martinsville.
Next race: Samsung 500, April 6, Fort Worth, Texas
On the Net:
NHRA
O’Reilly Spring Nationals
Site:Baytown, Texas
TV: 2:30 p.m., ESPN2, tape
Last event: Defending funny car champion Tony Pedregon raced to his first victory of the season and 37th of his career, beating Gary Densham in the ACDelco Gatornationals. Tony Schumacher (top fuel), Jeg Coughlin (pro stock) and Matt Guidera (pro stock motorcycle) won their divisions.
Last year: J.R. Todd won the top fuel division at Houston Raceway on March 16, beating Joe Hartley with a quarter-mile run at 4.603 seconds and 313.80 mph. Ron Capps powered his Dodge Charger R/T to his 24th career victory, beating Cruz Pedregon in the final. Jason Line topped the pro stock field, and Angelle Sampey won pro stock motorcycle.
Fast facts: Schumacher’s 43rd career victory moved him within nine of Joe Amato for career wins. . . . Densham’s previous trip to the final round came at Indianapolis in 2004.
Next event: Nationals, April 13, Las Vegas
On the Net:
