This Week in Auto Racing - April 18 - April 20

This Week in Auto Racing - April 18 - April 20
Tue 15th, April 2008

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Another off week for Sprint Cup drivers leaves a void for many racing fans, but a Nationwide Series visit to Mexico City highlights this light racing weekend.

Nationwide Series

Corona Mexico 200 - Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez - Mexico City, Mexico

The Nationwide Series heads south from last weekend's race in Arizona, crossing the border into Mexico, for a rare Sunday race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez opened in 1962 with a non-points Formula 1 race. Fifteen F1 Championship races were held during the periods 1963 - 1970 and 1986 - 1992. Rick Mears won the 1980 and 1981 CART races driving for Roger Penske. Then CART returned to Mexico City in 2002 where Kenny Brack, Paul Tracy and current F1 driver Sebastien Bourdais were all victorious.

This will be the fourth time that the Nationwide Series has run on the 2.518- mile road course in Mexico City. Martin Truex Jr. won the inaugural event, Denny Hamlin took the prize in 2006 and last year fan favorite Juan Pablo Montoya sent everyone home happy after he collected his first official NASCAR victory.

Montoya, who's resume includes wins at Indianapolis and Monaco, had to work hard for the victory. He and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Pruett were clearly the class of the field, but a pit stop error on lap 45 forced a second pit stop and left Montoya in 21st place with 27 laps remaining.

"It was probably a $0.15 clamp that came loose," said Brad Parrott, crew chief on the No.42 Dodge.

Montoya was 19th after one green flag lap and 12th with 21 laps to go. Brad Coleman brought out the third caution flag of the afternoon on lap 60. The flag was the only thing that could slow down Montoya who was now up to ninth place. The green flag dropped with 17 laps remaining. Montoya passed two cars coming into the first turn (including friend Adrian Fernandez). He took fifth away from Greg Biffle on lap 64.

On a restart with nine laps to go Montoya ducked to the bottom of the track in turn one and beat Boris Said for second place. That left only his teammate Pruett between himself and the win. On the very next lap Pruett and Montoya were side-by-side going into turn 1 and they hit sending Pruett into a spin. Montoya gathered himself, cut across the chicane and kept the lead.

Montoya's left-front fender had some damage, but it seemed that the Dodge was still in one piece. More caution flags set up a two-lap shootout between the open-wheel superstar and Denny Hamlin, one of NASCAR's rising stars and the defending race champion.

Montoya got a great restart, but Hamlin wouldn't go away. Still the 1999 CART Series champion, 2000 Indianapolis 500 champion and the winner of the seven Formula One wins was not going to be denied. He opened up a solid margin, made no mistakes and took the checkered flag for his first NASCAR victory.

We can only hope that this week's race is as good.

As far as the 2008 Nationwide Series championship, it appears to be a two-man battle between points leader Clint Bowyer and defending series champion Edwards. That is unless Kyle Busch, winner of the least two races, decides to run full time in the series.

To date Busch has run the first eight events, has led laps in seven of eight events, led the most laps in the series (604) has won twice and finished second twice. He sit third overall, 106 points behind Bowyer.

IndyCars

Indy Japan 300 - Twin Ring Motegi - Motegi, Japan

After two races in which the CART and IndyCar drivers raced together, they will split this weekend for one final time. IndyCar guys will go to Japan while the CART guys will be in Long Beach, CA.

There will be an 18-car field on the 1.5-mile oval in Japan, headed by defending champion Tony Kanaan. Helio Castroneves won the pole and led the early portion of the 2007 race, but it was Dan Wheldon and Kanaan that would ultimately fight for the win.

Twenty laps remaining and Wheldon's lead was 1.8834 seconds over Kanaan, but Wheldon couldn't go the distance and stopped for fuel with 13 laps to go. Then Kanaan turned down pit lane giving the lead to Sam Hornish Jr. But the No.11 Andretti Green Racing machine needed less fuel than Wheldon and when he returned to the track he was ahead of him. When Hornish Jr. and Scott Dixon peeled off to refuel, Kanaan inherited the lead again.

Kanaan held 15 lengths on Wheldon with five laps to go and though Wheldon closed in on Kanaan he could never get close enough for a passing attempt.

Castroneves brings a 10-point lead over Dixon and 13 points over Kanaan into the race. Marco Andretti, Wheldon and surprise winner of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix Graham Rahal are 19 points back. Castroneves has not won either of the first two events, but has two top-fives. It will be his 100st start in the series.

"Hopefully, we'll make that 100th race special," Castroneves said. "I won there once and it would be great to celebrate the 100th race winning again."

All but Rahal will compete in Japan while the son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal will compete in the "other" race in California. Graham Rahal, 19, became the youngest driver to win an IndyCar event when he took a 3.5192-second victory in the rain at St. Petersburg.

Champ Cars

Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach - Streets of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA

Graham Rahal, newly crowned winner of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, will headline the 20-car field in Sunday's CART finale. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach entry list will also include long-time veterans of the series: Paul Tracy and Jimmy Vasser.

Tracy, who is tied for sixth all-time with 31 wins and won the 2003 series championship, has been unable to find a ride in the new "unified" IndyCar Series. But his Forsythe/Pettit Racing will come back for one last event.

Vasser has made the transition from driver to owner, but he too will return for the final CART race. Vasser made his CART debut in 1992 and won the series championship in 1996. In 2004 he became a part owner along with Dan Pettit and Kevin Kalkhoven in PKV Racing.

While Tracy (2004 Toyota GP of Long Beach winner) and Vasser will just enjoy taking laps around the 1.968-mile street course, some drivers will be trying to earn IndyCar championship points.

With points leader Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti competing in Japan, the Long Beach race will give Rahal (fifth in the standings) and others like Justin Wilson and Will Power the opportunity to earn real points before they re-unify next week at the Kansas Speedway.

Sebastien Bourdais (gone to Formula One) won last year's event, beating Oriol Servia by 2.614 seconds. Power, Wilson and Alex Tagliani completed the top- five. Bourdais also won this race in 2005 and 2006.