March 26, 2006
Homestead-Miami Speedway, Florida
Race 1 of 16 in the 2006 IRL season
TV: ABC, 3:30 pm EST
Laps: 200
Track length: 1 1/2 oval
Race length: 300 miles
Qualifying record: Buddy Rice, 217.388 mph (2004)
Race record: Scott Dixon, 153.710 mph (2003)
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Helio Castroneves
Team: Marlboro Team Penske
2005 Earnings: $1,150,805
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner finished sixth in the 2005 IRL
driver point standings with 440; captured the checkered flag at
the SunTrust Indy Challenge on June 25, his only victory of the
season; registered eight top-five finishes and 11 top-10s,
including a fifth-place running in this event; has dominated at
this track, placing in the top five in each of his four races
here.
Scott Dixon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2005 Earnings: $919,805
Only driver besides Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti to win
an IRL event here, capturing the checkered flag in his first
series start in 2003; hopes to rebound from consecutive poor
showings here; has been forced to withdraw each of the past two
races here due to an accident; completed just 87 laps in 2004
and 158 last year; finished 13th in the standings last season
with 321 points and registered five top-10 finishes; recorded
his only victory of the season at Watkins Glen International on
September 25.
Dario Franchitti
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2005 Earnings: $1,324,555
One of the most consistent drivers in the series hoping to
bounce back from disappointing 22nd-place finish in this event
last year, when he withdrew after 12 laps due to mechanical
failure; recorded victories last season at the Firestone Indy
200 at Nashville and at the Toyota Indy 400 at California;
registered eight top-five finishes and 13 top-10s to place
fourth in the standings with 498 points.
Sam Hornish Jr.
Team: Marlboro Team Penske
2005 Earnings: $1,464,505
Finished third in the standings in 2005, posting victories at
Phoenix International Raceway and Milwaukee Mile; registered
nine top-five finishes and 12 top-10s to collect 512 points, 116
behind champion Dan Wheldon; has dominated at this track,
winning three of the five events; was runner-up to Wheldon in
this race last year and captured the checkered flag in this
event in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
Tony Kanaan
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2005 Earnings: $1,553,805
Was runner-up to series champion Wheldon last season, finishing
80 points off the lead; registered 12 top-five finishes in 2005
to tie with Wheldon for the series lead; also recorded 14 top-10
finishes; finished third in this race last season, his third
top-10 finish in three races here; captured the checkered flag
at Kansas Speedway and Infineon Raceway; 2004 series champion
posted a league-record 15 consecutive top-five finishes that
year.
Danica Patrick
Team: Rahal Letterman Racing
2005 Earnings: $1,098,755
Racing starlet turns 24 years old the day before this event;
struggled after posting back-to-back fourth-place finishes in
Japan and Indianapolis early last season; dominated the 2005
Bombardier Rookie of the Year standings with 325 points;
registered six top-10 finishes to place 12th in the standings;
became the first female driver to lead a lap in the Indianapolis
500 and recorded the best finish by a woman in that event; tied
for the circuit lead with three poles, with the most recent
coming at Chicagoland Speedway.
Dan Wheldon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2005 Earnings: $3,721,005
Defending series champion dominated last season with 628 points;
captured an IRL single-season record six checkered flags with
the most recent coming at Chicago Speedway; led the series with
12 top-five finishes and 15 top-10s; led for 752 of a possible
3,140 overall laps last season, 304 more than any other driver;
held a lead in 15-of-17 races; became the first driver to win
the Indianapolis 500 and an IRL title in the same year; won this
race last season to record his ninth career IRL victory.
2005 Top 5
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1. Dan Wheldon (26)
2. Sam Hornish Jr (6)
3. Tony Kanaan (11)
4. Vitor Meira (17)
5. Helio Castroneves (3)
Past Champions
--------------
2005 Dan Wheldon, 142.033 mph
2004 Sam Hornish Jr., 151.094 mph
2003 Scott Dixon, 153.710 mph
2002 Sam Hornish Jr., 140.325 mph
2001 Sam Hornish Jr., 148.508 mph
Updated on Thursday, Mar 23, 2006 6:15, EST |