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2007 IndyCar Series

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2007 IndyCar season
IndyCar Series
Season
Races17
Start dateMarch 24
End dateSeptember 9
Awards
Drivers' championUnited Kingdom Dario Franchitti
Rookie of the Year United States Ryan Hunter-Reay
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited Kingdom Dario Franchitti
← 2006
2008 →
Dario Franchitti (left) won his first Drivers' Championship while Scott Dixon (right) finished second in the championship.

The 2007 IRL IndyCar Series began with a night race on Saturday March 24 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The season's premiere event, the 91st Indianapolis 500 was held on May 27. The season finale was held at Chicagoland Speedway on September 9. Dario Franchitti won four races during the season, including the Indy 500, clinched the 2007 IndyCar Series championship after he won the final race of the season at Chicagoland Speedway, after points leader Scott Dixon ran out of fuel in turn 3 of the final lap.

At the conclusion of the season, Danica Patrick was voted Most Popular Driver for the third consecutive year.[1]

All races were televised on the ESPN family of networks. In addition, all races were broadcast live on the IMS Radio Network, and XM IndyCar Channel 145 and simulcast on XM Sports Nation.

The 2007 schedule was the twelfth season of the IRL IndyCar Series, and part of the 96th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing. It was the final season that IndyCar Series ran independently before the IRL merged with Champ Car in 2008. It also marked A. J. Foyt's 50th anniversary of participation in IndyCar racing.

It was also the final season that all IndyCar Series cars ran with the sequential manual gearbox shifters before all IndyCar Series cars switched to sequential semi-automatic paddle-shifters for the following season.

2007 was also the first season that all IndyCar Series entrants utilized Dallara spec-chassis all-season long although Panoz chassis were still only used by part-time underfunded entrants for Indianapolis 500 event only, but without factory support from Panoz.

Confirmed entries

[edit]

All entries utilize Honda engines and Firestone Firehawk tires.

Team Chassis No Drivers Rounds
A. J. Foyt Racing Dallara 14 United Kingdom Darren Manning All
50 United States Al Unser Jr. 5
Andretti Green Racing Dallara 7 United States Danica Patrick All
11 Brazil Tony Kanaan All
26 United States Marco Andretti All
27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti All
39 United States Michael Andretti 5
Chastain Motorsports Panoz 77 Brazil Roberto Moreno 5
CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports Dallara 98 United States Alex Barron 1, 4–5
Delphi Panther Racing
Super Aguri Panther Racing 		Dallara 4 Brazil Vítor Meira All
33 United States John Andretti 5
55 Japan Kosuke Matsuura All
60 Japan Hideki Mutoh (R) 17
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara 5 United States Sarah Fisher All
15 United States Buddy Rice All
24 United States Roger Yasukawa 5
Hemelgarn Racing Dallara 91 United States Richie Hearn 5
Luczo-Dragon Racing Dallara 12 Australia Ryan Briscoe 5
PDM Racing Panoz 18 United States Jimmy Kite 5
Playa Del Racing Panoz 21 United States Jaques Lazier 5
31 United States Phil Giebler (R) 5
Racing Professionals Dallara 19 United States Jon Herb 5, 7, 13
Rahal Letterman Racing Dallara 8 United States Scott Sharp All
17 United States Jeff Simmons 1–11
United States Ryan Hunter-Reay (R) 12–17
Roth Racing Dallara 25 Canada Marty Roth 1, 4–5, 17
76 United States P. J. Chesson 17
Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara 99 United States Buddy Lazier 5
SAMAX Motorsport Dallara 23 Venezuela Milka Duno (R) 4–5, 7–9, 13, 17
Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon All
10 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon All
Team Leader/Dollander Racing Dallara 40 United States P. J. Jones 5
Team Penske Dallara 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves All
6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. All
Vision Racing Dallara 02 United States Davey Hamilton 5
2 South Africa Tomas Scheckter All
20 United States Ed Carpenter All
22 United States A. J. Foyt IV All

Driver changes

[edit]

Schedule

[edit]

The schedule consisted of 12 oval races, 3 road course races, and 2 street track races.

Rnd Date Race Name Track City
1 March 24 XM Satellite Radio Indy 300  O  Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, Florida
2 April 1 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg  R  Streets of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida
3 April 21 Indy Japan 300  O  Twin Ring Motegi Motegi, Japan
4 April 29 Kansas Lottery Indy 300  O  Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas
5 May 27 91st Indianapolis 500  O  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana
6 June 3 ABC Supply Company A. J. Foyt 225  O  The Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin
7 June 9 Bombardier Learjet 550  O  Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas
8 June 24 Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Ethanol  O  Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa
9 June 30 SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM Satellite Radio  O  Richmond International Raceway Richmond, Virginia
10 July 8 Camping World Watkins Glen Grand Prix  R  Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York
11 July 15 Firestone Indy 200  O  Nashville Superspeedway Lebanon, Tennessee
12 July 22 The Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance  R  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio
13 August 5 Firestone Indy 400  O  Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan
14 August 11 Meijer Indy 300 presented by Coca-Cola and Edy's  O  Kentucky Speedway Sparta, Kentucky
15 August 26 Motorola Indy 300  R  Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California
16 September 2 Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone  R  Belle Isle Park Detroit, Michigan
17 September 9 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 presented by Mr. Clean  O  Chicagoland Speedway Joliet, Illinois

 O  Oval/Speedway
 R  Road/Street course

BOLD indicates Superspeedways.

Schedule announcements

[edit]

The full schedule was ratified on October 13, 2006. Instead of a single schedule announcement, the venues for the 2007 season were announced separately between August and October 2006. Before that, the only race beyond the Indianapolis 500 that had been confirmed was the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on April 1, 2006.[4]

  • August 2, 2006 – The first event at Iowa Speedway (June 24).[5]
  • August 10, 2006 – Milwaukee (June 3). The race moved from July to the weekend following the Indy 500.[6]
  • August 17, 2006 – Texas (June 9) and Kentucky (August 11). Kentucky switched to a night race.[7] On December 8, 2006, the IRL announced that the Texas race would be lengthened to 550 kilometers (228 laps/342 miles).[8]
  • September 12, 2006 – Nashville (July 14).[9]
  • September 19, 2006 – Kansas (April 29) and Watkins Glen (July 8). Kansas became the final race before the Indy 500. The change was made to avoid hot and humid July temperatures.[10]
  • September 20, 2006 – Richmond (June 30).[11]
  • September 21, 2006 – Chicagoland Speedway (September 9). It would serve as the season finale.[12]
  • September 25, 2006 – Twin Ring Motegi (April 21)[13]
  • September 27, 2006 – Homestead (March 24). The race switched to a Saturday night race.[14]
  • September 29, 2006 – The Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle returned (September 2).[15]
  • October 12, 2006 – Mid-Ohio (July 22)[16] and Sonoma (August 26)[17]
  • October 13, 2006 – Michigan (August 5). The race was to be moved forward from the last weekend in July, which was the new date for NASCAR's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. After a first tentative date of July 22, the IRL and Michigan scheduled the event in August to accommodate new venues.[18] The announcement finalized the 2007 IndyCar schedule.[19][20]

On December 14, 2006, it was announced that Marquis Sports Marketing, a Dallas-based company, was in coordination to add another race to the 2007 schedule. A non-points, exhibition race in the streets of Biloxi, Mississippi was in the planning stages for September or October 2007 as an effort to revitalize the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. The race would be the first step in what were plans to build an oval track in the area by 2009.[21] However, none of these efforts eventually came to fruition.

Rule changes for 2007

[edit]
  • All cars will utilize a 100% fuel blend of ethanol. In the 2006 season, cars utilized a 90%–10% blend of methanol and ethanol. From 1965 to 2005, Indy cars in USAC, CART, and IRL used a 100% methanol blend.
  • All cars will re-utilize 3.5-liter displacement engines. From 2004 to 2006, the IndyCar Series used 3.0-liter engines. From 2000 to 2003, the IndyCar Series also used 3.5-liter engines and from 1997 to 1999, the Indy Racing League was also used 4.0-liter engines. The increase in displacement is to counter the expected horsepower loss resulting from the switch to a 100% ethanol fuel blend.
  • Fuel cells in the cars will be reduced from 30 gallons to 22 gallons to offset the improved mileage experienced by ethanol.[22]
  • All cars will carry a rear-mounted safety light (similar use in Formula One and other single-seater formula racing championships), to be controlled by race officials.
  • On short ovals and road courses, front wings may be set at any angle between negative 5 and positive 5 degrees.
  • Race day morning warm-up practice sessions have been eliminated. As a result, pre-qualifying practice sessions will be extended by 15 minutes.
  • If qualifications are canceled for an event, the starting lineup will be based on entrant points. In previous seasons, top practice speeds have been used.
  • Series officials will have the discretion to determine the rookie status of any driver, regardless of the number of races started in previous seasons.[23]
  • IndyCar Series teams that participate in the Indy Pro Series can earn bonus testing days for the 2007 calendar year. The bonus testing days will be awarded following participation in designated 2007 IPS events, and are shared by the team's IndyCar Series driver and IPS driver. They can be conducted at any IndyCar Series venue except Indianapolis or Mid-Ohio.

Television

[edit]
  • All races will be shown on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, or ESPN on ABC. Broadcast rights for the 2007 season adhere to a contract extension signed May 27, 2004, which extended broadcast rights to the IndyCar Series on ABC/ESPN through the 2009 season. 2007 will mark ABC's twelfth year broadcasting events of the IndyCar Series, and 43rd year at the Indianapolis 500.
  • The announcing crew for the 2007 IndyCar Series season will be Marty Reid (play-by-play announcer), Scott Goodyear (Color commentator), along with three pit reporters: Jack Arute, Vince Welch and Brienne Pedigo. Rusty Wallace (analyst) and Jamie Little (pits) will join the crew for the broadcast of the Indy 500.[24]
  • The television ratings for the March 24 season-opening race at Homestead earned a 0.7 rating, the highest-rated IndyCar Series race ever on ESPN2. It was the fourth-highest IndyCar Series cable rating since 2000 and the highest cable rating since June 2005.

IndyCar Series testing

[edit]
  • Mid-Ohio (September 19, 2006) – Private testing featured Ed Carpenter, Tomas Scheckter, and Jeff Simmons.
  • Daytona (September 26–27, 2006) – A highly anticipated compatibility test took place at Daytona International Speedway, utilizing a 10-turn, 2.73-mile (4.39 km) combined road course layout. Drivers participating included Vítor Meira, Sam Hornish Jr., Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan. No major incidents were reported.[25]
  • Indianapolis (October 2–3, 2006) – A two-day Firestone tire test took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four drivers took part in the test, focusing on new 3.5 liter Honda engines utilizing a 100% ethanol fuel mixture. Tony Kanaan, Jeff Simmons, Dan Wheldon, Hélio Castroneves participated. The top speed reported was 224.3 mph (361.0 km/h) by Kanaan. Jeff Simmons crashed exiting turn two on the backstretch. He was uninjured.[26]
  • Iowa (October 9–10, 2006) – The first IndyCar Series test featured drivers Vítor Meira, and Scott Sharp.[27]
  • Daytona (January 31 – February 1, 2007) – Seventeen cars tested nearly 1,700 laps around the combined road course. Hélio Castroneves completed the fastest lap at 1:12.3538.[28]
  • Homestead (February 21–22, 2007) – A full open test was held under the lights. Nineteen car and driver combinations participated. On the first day of testing, Dan Wheldon turned the fastest lap, at 214.858 mph (345.780 km/h). Wheldon, however, later crashed his car. The Indy Pro Series also tested at the track during daylight hours.[29]
  • Mid-Ohio (June 13, 2007) – A one-day open test featured eighteen car and driver combinations. Dario Franchitti drove the fastest lap (1:07.6667) on the 2.258-mile (3.634 km) circuit.[30]
  • Iowa (June 22, 2007) – Half-day open test. Scott Dixon was fastest at 182.857 mph (294.280 km/h).[31]
  • Detroit (July 24, 2007) – Helio Castroneves conducted a brief compatibility test on roads that comprise the circuit.[32]

Race summaries

[edit]

Round 1 of 17: XM Satellite Radio Indy 300

[edit]
Main article: 2007 XM Satellite Radio Indy 300
  • Saturday March 24, 2007 – 8:00 p.m. EDT
  • Homestead-Miami Speedway – Homestead, Florida (1.485 mile oval)
  • Distance: 200 laps / 297 miles
  • Race weather: 73 °F (23 °C), mostly cloudy, isolated showers, windy
  • Television: ESPN2 – race advertised as the Ethanol 300 Presented by XM Satellite Radio.
  • Attendance: 30,000+ (estimated)[34]
  • Pole position winner: Dan Wheldon- 24.9438 seconds, 214.322 mph (344.918 km/h)
  • Race Summary: The start of the race was delayed about 30 minutes due to a short shower and was interrupted by a brief mist on lap 67. Even with the weather conditions the race was able to take place and complete all 200 laps. The race was dominated by driver Dan Wheldon who led 179 laps and won despite a mistake in the pits, which led to a pit stop over 22 seconds. Wheldon restarted 9th after the miscue, but retook the lead within 11 laps, and never looked back. Wheldon won for the third year in a row at Homestead and allowed only four other cars to finish on the lead lap. This marked the first race by a major racing series to use renewable fuel, as a 100% ethanol blend was used by all cars.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 1 10 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 1:48:06.8893 179 53
2 6 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 +6.4993 15 40
3 2 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 200 +17.4754 0 35
4 10 4 Brazil Vítor Meira Panther Racing 200 +22.5373 0 32
5 4 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 200 +23.1179 3 30
Race average speed: 164.825 mph (265.260 km/h)
Lead changes: 5 between 4 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 32 laps

Round 2 of 17: Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
  • Sunday April 1, 2007 – 2:30 p.m. EDT
  • Streets of St. Petersburg – St. Petersburg, Florida (1.8-mile street/airport course)
  • Distance: 100 laps / 180 miles
  • Race weather: 79 °F (26 °C), sunny
  • Television: ESPN – race advertised as Honda Indycar Grand Prix presented by XM Satellite Radio.
  • Attendance: 100,000+ (estimated weekend attendance)[35]
  • Pole position winner: Hélio Castroneves- 1:01.6839, 105.052 mph (169.065 km/h)
  • Race Summary: Pole winner Hélio Castroneves led 95 of the 100 laps, holding off Scott Dixon for the win by 0.6007 seconds, the closest finish on a road circuit in IRL history. On the first lap, five cars were involved in a spin, including Tony Kanaan. In practice, Kanaan had crashed his qualified car, but the team made repairs so he could start in the 6th position rather than using a backup. The spin dropped him to the rear of the field. After a series of pit stops under yellow, Dan Wheldon took the lead. On a lap 35 restart, Castroneves bumped Wheldon from behind, and slipped by to take the lead for good. In the best run by a Foyt team in a few season, Darren Manning ran as high as third until a late spin dropped him to 13th. After the first lap spin, Tony Kanaan recovered to finish third.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 1 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 100 2:01:07.3512 95 53
2 4 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 100 +0.6007 0 40
3 6 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 100 +7.9130 0 35
4 2 26 United States Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 100 +13.5090 3 32
5 3 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 100 +14.5935 0 30
Race average speed: 89.166 mph (143.499 km/h)
Lead changes: 4 between 3 drivers
Cautions: 5 for 20 laps

Round 3 of 17: Indy Japan 300

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Indy Japan 300
  • Saturday April 21 – 1:00 p.m. JST / 12:00 a.m. EDT
  • Twin Ring Motegi – Motegi, Japan (1.52 mile oval)
  • Distance: 200 laps / 304 miles
  • Race weather: 70 °F (21 °C), cloudy
  • Television: ESPN (same-day tape delay at 3:00 p.m. EDT) – race advertised as Firestone Indycar 300
    • Announcers: Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear, Jack Arute
    • Broadcast originally scheduled for 12 noon EDT, rescheduled for 3:00 p.m. due to NBA playoffs coverage.
    • Broadcast delayed 6 minutes due to Nets/Raptors game running long.
    • Ratings: 0.4
  • Attendance:
  • Pole Position winner: Hélio Castroneves 26.6416 seconds, 205.393 mph (330.548 km/h)
  • Race Summary: For the second time in two oval races this season, Dan Wheldon dominated much of the race. However, unlike at Homestead, he would not be victorious, and even lost use of his two-way radio. With about 15 laps to go, the final sequence of pit stops for fuel began, and threatened to shuffle the field. Tony Kanaan's AGR team used a late-pit strategy, which saw him take on less fuel and a shorter stop. With four laps to go, Kanaan took the lead and held off Wheldon to claim his first victory of the season. With Kanaan's win, the first three races of the season have produced three different winners representing three different teams. During practice, both Kosuke Matsuura and Danica Patrick turned in some of their best on-track performances thus far this season. Neither were factors during the race however, and Matsuura, in fact, crashed out on the first lap in front of his home country.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 3 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 200 1:52:23.2574 26 50
2 2 10 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 +0.4828 126 43
3 7 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 200 +11.5538 0 35
4 6 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 +13.0623 2 32
5 2 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 199 +1 Lap 3 30
Race average speed: 162.295 mph (261.188 km/h)
Lead changes: 9 between 5 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 30 laps

Round 4 of 17: Kansas Lottery Indy 300

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Kansas Lottery Indy 300
  • Sunday April 29 – 3:30 p.m. CDT / 4:30 p.m. EDT
  • Kansas Speedway – Kansas City, Kansas (1.52 mile oval)
  • Distance: 200 laps / 304 miles
  • Race weather: 85 °F (29 °C), Sunny
  • Television: ESPN2 – race advertised as Kansas IndyCar 300
  • Attendance: 70,000 (media estimate) [38]
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Tony Kanaan 25.5476 sec, 214.188 mph (344.702 km/h)
  • Race Summary: Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon dueled until the first pit stop when Kanaan and his teammate Danica Patrick made contact during the stop and Kanaan lost several laps due to repairs. The only other car that could run with Wheldon for the remainder of the race was teammate Scott Dixon until Dixon was brought in for a penalty for entering the pits improperly. Wheldon dominated the remainder of the race which finished under caution after a solo crash by Scott Sharp with 2 laps to go. This race made history as it was the first major open-wheel race to feature three female drivers: Patrick, Sarah Fisher, and rookie Milka Duno. It also registered the highest average speed of any race at Kansas Speedway.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 4 10 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 1:36:56.0586 177 53
2 6 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 200 +18.4830 0 40
3 3 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 200 +33.2280 0 35
4 5 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 +34.4208 16 32
5 7 2 South Africa Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing 199 +1 LAP 0 30
Race average speed: 188.169 mph (302.829 km/h)
Lead changes: 9 between 3 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 15 laps

Round 5 of 17: 91st Indianapolis 500

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Indianapolis 500
  • Sunday May 27 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Speedway, Indiana (2.50 mile oval)
  • Distance: 200 laps / 500 miles, although reduced to 166 laps / 415 miles, due to rain.
  • Race weather: Overcast, with rain throughout the day, high 76 °F (24 °C).
  • Television: ABC – race advertised as Indianapolis 500 broadcast presented by GoDaddy.com
  • Attendance: 251,000 (estimated based on track capacity)
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Hélio Castroneves – 2:42.3336, 225.817 mph (363.417 km/h)
  • Race Summary: Rain fell overnight, and in the morning, but the race started on-time as scheduled. In the early segments of the race, the competition was intense as Hélio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, and Scott Dixon all took their turn at the lead. After a caution period, with rain only a few miles away, a restart on lap 107 could have decided the winner. As the green came out, Tony Kanaan got the jump on Marco Andretti, and took the lead in turn 1. Moments later, Phil Giebler crashed, bringing the yellow out once again. Before safety crews could clear the track, heavy rain fell, and the race was red flagged after lap 113. After nearly three hours, the race resumed, with Kanaan leading. On the 156th lap, the field went back to green after Marty Roth's crash, however, in turn four, Tony Kanaan came up on the back of Jacques Lazier, sending Lazier into the wall, and sending Kanaan's car into a spin. He blew a tire and coasted into the pits. Moments later, the field assembled for what was expected to be the final restart before the rains came. Franchitti, working lap 163, held the lead into the backstretch. Behind him, Marco Andretti tangled with Dan Wheldon, and Andretti's car flipped down the backstretch. Before the track could be cleared, a heavy rainstorm fell on the track, and the race was called after 166 laps with Dario Franchitti declared the winner.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 3 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 166 2:44:03.5608 34 50
2 4 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 166 +0.3610 11 40
3 1 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 166 +1.8485 19 35
4 5 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 166 +4.6324 2 32
5 7 12 Australia Ryan Briscoe Luczo-Dragon Racing 166 +5.2109 0 30
Race average speed: 151.774
Lead changes: 23 between 9 drivers
Cautions: 11 for 55 laps

Round 6 of 17: ABC Supply Company A. J. Foyt 225

[edit]
Main article: 2007 ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225
  • Sunday June 3 – 3:00 p.m. CDT / 4:00 p.m. EDT
  • Milwaukee Mile – West Allis, Wisconsin (1-mile oval)
  • Distance: 225 laps / 225 miles
  • Race weather: 70 °F (21 °C), mostly cloudy
  • Television: ABC
  • Attendance: 31,838
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Hélio Castroneves – 21.3596 sec., 171.071 mph (275.312 km/h)
  • Race Summary: Polesitter Hélio Castroneves appeared to have the race in hand until his rear wing support snapped coming out of turn 4 on lap 201. His car spun across the front stretch and into the inside retaining wall. Shortly after the restart Penske Racing teammate Sam Hornish Jr.'s rear wing bent in a similar place, although mildly enough to allow him to finish the race, but he was forced to relinquish second place. These two somewhat bizarre part failures allowed AGR teammates Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti to cruise to a 1–2 finish. On lap 89, Danica Patrick and Dan Wheldon touched wheels, sending Patrick spinning. Both recovered to finish in the top ten, however, the incident led to a post-race confrontation where Patrick grabbed and pushed Wheldon, starting a feud between the two. Neither driver received any penalty.[1]
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 3 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 225 1:47:42.4393 25 50
2 10 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 225 +2.5707 0 40
3 4 10 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Chip Ganassi Racing 225 +3.1149 37 35
4 2 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 225 +3.4026 0 32
5 9 4 Brazil Vítor Meira Panther Racing 225 +5.2864 0 30
Race average speed: 127.22 mph (204.74 km/h)
Lead changes: 8 between 4 drivers
Cautions: 6 for 51 laps

Round 7 of 17: Bombardier Learjet 550

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Bombardier Learjet 550
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 2 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 228 1:52:15.2873 159 53
2 4 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 228 +0.0786 1 40
3 6 7 United States Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 228 +0.3844 2 35
4 3 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 228 +3.9765 0 32
5 13 4 Brazil Vítor Meira Panther Racing 228 +4.0019 3 30
Race average speed: 177.314
Lead changes: 16 between 7 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 28 laps

Round 8 of 17: Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Ethanol

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Iowa Corn Indy 250
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 3 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 250 1:48:14.1344 96 53
2 12 26 United States Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 250 +0.0681 4 40
3 4 8 United States Scott Sharp Rahal Letterman Racing 250 +1.0577 4 35
4 17 15 United States Buddy Rice Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 250 +4.2426 5 32
5 15 14 United Kingdom Darren Manning A. J. Foyt Enterprises 250 +5.2156 0 30
Race average speed: 123.896 mph (199.391 km/h)
Lead changes: 13 between 8 drivers
Cautions: 6 for 67 laps

Round 9 of 17: SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM Satellite Radio

[edit]
Main article: 2007 SunTrust Indy Challenge
  • Saturday June 30 – 7:30 p.m. EDT
  • Richmond International Raceway – Richmond, Virginia (0.75 mile oval)
  • Distance: 250 laps / 187.5 miles
  • Race weather: 82 °F (28 °C), Mostly Cloudy
  • Television: ESPN – race advertised as Richmond IndyCar 250 presented by XM Satellite Radio
  • Attendance: 45,000[40]
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Dario Franchitti (rained out, field set by owner points)
  • Race Summary: Qualifying was rained out and the field was set by entrant points. As a result, points leader Dario Franchitti started the race from the pole. Franchitti dominated the race, leading all but 9 laps on his way to his third win of the season, and eighth consecutive top-5 finish. He opened up a 65-point lead in the championship ahead of Scott Dixon. The race was under yellow as soon as it went green when Sam Hornish Jr. spun his Penske car on the inside of Turn 4. When the green flag flew on lap 4, Franchitti opened up a lead, before another caution period on lap 61 for debris. Lap 64 saw the leaders make pit stops, and it was Tony Kanaan who made the pit exit first. He led until lap 72, when Franchitti took advantage of a sluggish restart from his AGR teammate to retake the lead. He led the next 88 laps until a single car crash involving Jeff Simmons. Hélio Castroneves led for a solitary lap, before serving a drive-through penalty for illegal blending under the pace car. The pace car then picked up what driver Johnny Rutherford believed was a puncture while leading the field, and had to switch to one of the others. Ultimately an excess amount of rubber debris had built up on the car's tires. Franchitti led the rest of the way, despite another caution for contact between Hornish and Kosuke Matsuura. Franchitti held on to win by 0.4194 seconds from the Ganassi pair of Dixon and Dan Wheldon, with Kanaan coming home 4th. Buddy Rice continued on his recent success, rounding out the top five despite starting on the outside of the sixth row.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 1 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 250 1:24:19.6684 242 53
2 3 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 250 +0.4194 0 40
3 4 10 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Chip Ganassi Racing 250 +1.3629 0 35
4 2 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 250 +2.9088 8 32
5 12 15 United States Buddy Rice Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 250 +5.9130 0 30
Race average speed: 133.408
Lead changes: 4 between 3 drivers
Cautions: 4 for 33 laps

Round 10 of 17: Camping World Watkins Glen Grand Prix

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Camping World Watkins Glen Grand Prix
  • Sunday July 8 – 3:30 p.m. EDT
  • Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, New York (3.37 mile permanent road course)
  • Distance: 60 laps / 202.5 miles
  • Race weather:
  • Television: ABC
  • Attendance:
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Hélio Castroneves 1:29.1919, 136.021 mph (218.905 km/h)
  • Race Summary: Castroneves led the first 19 laps, and on lap 20, under growing pressure from Scott Dixon, crashed in turn 11, bringing out the first yellow of the race. The green came out on lap 23, with Dixon leading. Lap 25 saw the second caution of the race, a spin by A. J. Foyt IV at Turn 8. As Dixon pitted, Vítor Meira grabbed the lead, which he would hold until lap 33. Meira's pit strategy was midjudged, and ran out of fuel, causing the 3rd full course caution. Dan Wheldon would lead lap 33, before pitting, allowing Marco Andretti to take the lead on lap 34. Andretti led until his final pitstop on lap 44, which would give Dixon the lead until the finish. Sam Hornish Jr. ended up 2nd, with the Andretti Green trio of Dario Franchitti, Andretti and Tony Kanaan rounding out the top 5. Dixon also cut into Franchitti's massive points lead, reducing it from 65 to 47, after Dixon accumulated the maximum 53 points for the win, and most laps led (23) compared to the 35 that Franchitti earned for 3rd position. After the race, there was a bizarre incident in the pit lane. On the track, Hornish Jr. and Kanaan clashed on the track (sidepod to wheel), which caused damage to each racecar. Then, Kanaan faked a turn on the reigning champion, while coming into the pitlane on the slow-down lap. This made Hornish Jr. come towards Kanaan to discuss events on the track. Sam Hornish, the father of the Penske driver, then pushed Kanaan, making his frustration known. He was then tackled to the ground by someone standing nearby. Marco Andretti stepped in and stopped his father Michael from getting involved, and Jaime Camara, the IPS driver for AGR, was also involved in breaking up the melée. In total, some 15 to 20 people were involved in the incident.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 2 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 60 1:43:51.5094 23 53
2 5 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 60 +6.2591 0 40
3 3 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 60 +9.7492 0 35
4 4 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 60 +14.4830 0 32
5 6 26 United States Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 60 +15.4749 9 30
Race average speed: 116.813
Lead changes: 5 between 5 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 7 laps

Round 11 of 17: Firestone Indy 200

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Firestone Indy 200
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 1 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 1:35:06.2615 105 53
2 2 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 200 +2.2400 88 40
3 7 7 United States Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 200 +3.1884 0 35
4 4 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 200 +3.2914 0 32
5 8 26 United States Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 200 +4.1409 0 30
Race average speed: 164.030 mph (263.981 km/h)
Lead changes: 6 between 4 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 25 laps

Round 12 of 17: The Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Honda 200
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 6 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi 85 1:47:24.0663 29 50
2 5 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 85 +2.6917 6 40
3 1 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 85 +8.6783 37 38
4 3 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 85 +8.9611 13 32
5 2 7 United States Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 85 +25.2578 0 30
Race average speed: 107.222 mph (172.557 km/h)
Lead changes: 8 between 4 drivers
Cautions: 2 for 9 laps

Round 13 of 17: Firestone Indy 400

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Firestone Indy 400
  • Sunday August 5–12:00 p.m. EDT
  • Michigan International Speedway – Brooklyn, Michigan (2-mile oval)
  • Distance: 200 laps / 400 miles
  • Race weather: 77 °F (25 °C) Rainy/Foggy
  • Television: ESPN Classic (rain delay coverage aired on ESPN2)
  • Attendance: 35,000[43]
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Dario Franchitti 32.981 sec 218.308 mph (351.333 km/h)
  • Race Summary: The race start was delayed 4+1⁄2 hours due to persistent rainy conditions. As a result, the US telecast was moved to ESPN Classic. Once the race began, it became a war of attrition marked by two significant incidents. The first came when Hélio Castroneves and Vítor Meira hooked wheels just past the start-finish line, slamming both cars hard into the outside wall. Castroneves was visibly upset with Meira after the incident and walked all the way to the infield care center, later complaining of knee pain and being diagnosed with only a bruised knee. On Lap 139, polesitter Dario Franchitti and leader Dan Wheldon hooked wheels on the back-stretch, sending Franchitti sideways and later sailing upside down, landing on the cars of Scott Dixon and A. J. Foyt IV. Franchitti's car was the same one he had driven to victory in the Indy 500.[44] The incident collected seven cars and all drivers, including Franchitti, were uninjured. A lengthy caution followed with just seven cars remaining running and on the lead-lap. Andretti Green Racing was set to capture a 1–2–3 finish until Danica Patrick suffered a punctured right-rear tire with 13 laps to go, forcing her to pit, leaving AGR driver Tony Kanaan to hold off teammate Marco Andretti for his third win of the season. The carnage resulted in career-best finishes for Kosuke Matsuura (4th), Ryan Hunter-Reay (6th), and Foyt (8th) despite his car not running at the finish. There was no race at Michigan on the 2008 calendar, and as of 2023, this is the last time IndyCar has raced at the track.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 8 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 200 2:49:38.0509 29 50
2 13 26 United States Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 200 +0.0595 12 40
3 4 8 United States Scott Sharp Rahal Letterman Racing 200 +0.3867 11 35
4 14 55 Japan Kosuke Matsuura Panther Racing 200 +0.4703 0 32
5 17 15 United States Buddy Rice Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 200 +4.9097 0 30
Race average speed: 141.481 mph (227.692 km/h)
Lead changes: 23 between 9 drivers
Cautions: 6 for 63 laps

Round 14 of 17: Meijer Indy 300 presented by Coca-Cola and Edy's

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Meijer Indy 300
  • Saturday August 11 – 6:30 p.m. EDT
  • Kentucky Speedway – Sparta, Kentucky (1.5-mile oval)
  • Distance: 200 laps / 300 miles
  • Race weather: 91 °F (33 °C) Sunny
  • Television: ABC
  • Attendance: 56,482[45]
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Tony Kanaan 24.4307 sec 218.086 mph (350.975 km/h)
  • Race Summary: Starting from the pole for the first time since Kansas in April, the AGR car of Tony Kanaan led the opening 38 laps, right up to the first round of pitstops, under caution, after a crash on lap 36 involving Team Penske's Sam Hornish Jr. & Ganassi's Dan Wheldon. Dario Franchitti would leapfrog his AGR teammate on the pitstops, taking the lead on lap 39 for the restart on lap 44. Franchitti would lead until the second round of pitstops, under green flag conditions. Franchitti was the first to pit, on lap 91. This allowed Kanaan and Scott Dixon into the lead and second positions respectively. Both drivers would pit the following lap for their second pitstops. A. J. Foyt IV took the lead, and he would two laps, before pitting on lap 94. On the pitstops, Kanaan and Dixon had passed Franchitti, allowing them to be first and second, when everyone had made their pitstops. The race continued under green, until lap 126, when a caution was flown for debris in turn 3. Yellow-flag pitstops would occur, and a fast pitstop from the #9 crew allowed them, to lead for the restart on lap 132. Kanaan would pass Dixon the very next lap, and would hold the lead until the final round of pitstops. As Kanaan, Dixon and most of the other frontrunners pitted on lap 179, Foyt returned to the lead. As Foyt pitted on lap 181, the final yellow was flown, after an incident which began on pitlane. The AGR cars of Franchitti and Danica Patrick collided on pit entry, causing damage to Franchitti's right front wing endplate. He would need the nosecone replaced, but would not lose a lap. Meanwhile, Patrick was exiting pit road, and got on the power too early, causing her to spin. She would be bump-started by the Delphi safety crew. Next time by, still under caution, a tyre blew on the #7 car in turn 2, making her spin again, and narrowly avoided the safety crew. Foyt would lead the field to the restart on lap 190, but Kanaan was not to be denied, taking the lead for good on lap 191. Leading 131 of the 200 laps, the Brazilian won his 4th race of this season, and moved back into the championship running. Dixon finished 2nd, to further close on Franchitti's championship lead. The Scotsman, suffered his second backflip in a row, after hitting the #55 car of Kosuke Matsuura. He put all the blame on himself, saying that he thought the race was not over. He was the last of the cars on the lead lap, finishing in 8th, giving up 16 of his 24-point championship lead. Foyt finished a career-high 3rd, just holding off the final AGR car of Marco Andretti and his Vision Racing teammate Tomas Scheckter.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 1 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 200 1:38:21.7078 131 53
2 4 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 +1.7457 4 40
3 10 22 United States A. J. Foyt IV Vision Racing 200 +2.1070 13 35
4 15 26 United States Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 200 +2.2998 0 32
5 6 2 South Africa Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing 200 +2.3660 0 30
Race average speed: 180.558
Lead changes: 10 between 4 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 23 laps

Round 15 of 17: Motorola Indy 300

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Motorola Indy 300
  • Sunday August 26 – 3:30 p.m. EDT
  • Infineon Raceway – Sonoma, California (2.3-mile road course)
  • Distance: 80 laps / 184 miles
  • Race weather: 80 °F (27 °C), Sunny
  • Television: ESPN
  • Attendance: 40,000[46]
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Dario Franchitti 1:16.7017, 107.961 mph (173.746 km/h)
  • Race Summary: Points leader Dario Franchitti took the lead at the start, and held it for 58 of the first 63 laps. On the 69th lap, Franchitti's AGR teammate Marco Andretti was exiting the pits, and entered the track directly in front of Franchitti. In turn two, the two cars made contact, and Andretti was spun out into the barrier. Franchitti suffered a badly damaged front wing, but stayed out on the track. The race went back to green with eight laps to go, with Scott Dixon and Hélio Castroneves in close pursuit. Both Dixon and Castroneves were able to pass Franchitti's ill-handling machine, and went on to finish 1st–2nd. Tony Kanaan, however, stayed behind Franchitti and refused to pass him, and helped his teammate by preventing anyone from passing either, which protected Franchitti's third-place finish. With the victory, Scott Dixon took over the championship points lead. Franchitti's contact with Marco Andretti, son of team co-owner Michael Andretti, sparked an in-house feud as the elder Andretti considered Franchitti's actions "impatient."
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 5 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 80 1:51:58.5533 15 50
2 4 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 80 +0.5449 0 40
3 1 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 80 +8.3814 62 41
4 3 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 80 +8.9864 0 32
5 6 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 80 +9.9473 0 30
Race average speed: 98.593 mph (158.670 km/h)
Lead changes: 9 between 4 drivers
Cautions: 2 for 5 laps

Round 16 of 17: Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Detroit Indy Grand Prix
  • Sunday September 2–3:30 p.m. EDT
  • The Raceway on Belle Isle – Detroit, Michigan (2.07 mile temporary street course)
  • Distance: 90 laps / 186.3 miles (shortened to 89 laps 184.23 miles (296.49 km) due to time limit)
  • Race weather: 77 °F (25 °C), sunny
  • Television: ABC
  • Attendance: 30,000 (est. raceday)[48] 100,000 (weekend attendance) [49]
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Hélio Castroneves 1:12.0688, 103.401 mph (166.408 km/h)
  • Race Summary: After a six-year absence, open wheel racing returned to the Belle Isle circuit. Minor track modifications intended to increase passing opportunities, however, saw lead changes only during pit stops, and several crashes. On the 31st lap, Sam Hornish Jr. tangled with lap car Sarah Fisher, which took both cars out, along with Vítor Meira. Darren Manning hit the back of Danica Patrick's car, causing her to spin, but both continued. Later in the race, Hélio Castroneves crashed out with Tomas Scheckter as the two were battling for position. Danica Patrick then climbed to the lead for nine laps by pitting out of sequence. After the final series of pit stops, a four-car battle at the front ensued, and held significant season championship implications. With time running out, Tony Kanaan was leading, and second place Buddy Rice ran out of fuel. Third place Scott Dixon, the championship points leader going into the race, took evasive action to get by Rice, which crashed out both cars. The pileup collected points contender Dario Franchitti as well. Danica Patrick slipped by the crash and took a career-best second place, while Kanaan went on to win. Franchitti managed to continue and limped to a sixth-place finish. Tempers flared as AGR co-owner Michael Andretti was quick to accuse Dixon of intentionally taking out Franchitti by letting off the brakes and rolling into the path of Franchitti. The incident tightened the championship chase, and moved Franchitti into the points lead by only three points with one race remaining.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 4 11 Brazil Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 89 2:11:50.5097 20 50
2 11 7 United States Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing 89 +0.4865 9 40
3 16 10 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Chip Ganassi Racing 89 +1.2207 0 35
4 8 14 United Kingdom Darren Manning A. J. Foyt Enterprises 89 +1.9217 0 32
5 14 55 Japan Kosuke Matsuura Panther Racing 88 +1 Lap 0 30
Race average speed: 83.841 mph (134.929 km/h)
Lead changes: 5 between 5 drivers
Cautions: 6 for 19 laps

Round 17 of 17: Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 presented by Mr. Clean

[edit]
Main article: 2007 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300
  • Sunday September 9 – 3:30 p.m. EDT / 2:30 p.m. CDT
  • Chicagoland Speedway – Joliet, Illinois (1.52 mile oval)
  • Distance: 200 laps / 304 miles
  • Race weather: 82 °F (28 °C), sunny
  • Television: ABC
  • Attendance:
  • AAMCO Pole Award: Dario Franchitti – 25.4931 seconds, 214.646 mph (345.439 km/h)
  • Race Summary: The final race of the season saw Dario Franchitti enter with a three-point lead over Scott Dixon in the championship chase. Tony Kanaan held third, the only other driver mathematically eligible for the title. Penske teammates Sam Hornish Jr. and Hélio Castroneves dominated most of the race, leading a combined 146 laps. Tony Kanaan saw his championship hopes go away early in the race when a flat tire forced an unscheduled pit stop. He would eventually finish 6th in the race. Single-car crashes by Marco Andretti and later Vítor Meira were the only significant on track incidents of the day. Meira's crash on lap 136 caused damage to the SAFER barrier, and a long 15-lap caution ensued as track workers repaired the barrier. It set up a dramatic fuel strategy, as both Franchitti and Dixon decided to pit to top off their tanks, and thus gamble on stretching their fuel to the end of the race. With the laps winding down, most of the leaders ducked into the pits for a quick fuel stops. That left Dixon leading, Franchitti second, and Danica Patrick third. Patrick headed for the pits on lap 195, but spun at the entrance, bringing out the caution. Both Dixon and Franchitti attempted to conserve fuel under the yellow, and prepared for a two-lap sprint to decide the race winner, and ultimately the season championship. The green came out with two laps to go, and the two battled side by side. On the final lap, entering turn three, Dixon ran out of fuel. Franchitti slipped by to take the lead, win the race, and clinch the 2007 IndyCar Series Championship title. With Franchitti reportedly heading to NASCAR, along with possibly Sam Hornish Jr., it marked what could be the final IndyCar Series race for the 2006 and 2007 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champions respectively.
Top Five Finishers
Fin.
Pos		 St.
Pos		 Car
No.		 Driver Team Laps Time Laps
Led		 Points
1 1 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 200 1:44:53.7950 10 50
2 6 9 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 200 +1.8439 41 40
3 2 6 United States Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 199 +1 Lap 90 38
4 3 3 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 199 +1 Lap 56 32
5 11 8 United States Scott Sharp Rahal Letterman Racing 199 +1 Lap 0 30
Race average speed: 173.886 mph (279.842 km/h)
Lead changes: 13 between 5 drivers
Cautions: 3 for 27 laps

Season summary

[edit]

Race results

[edit]
Rnd Date Race Name Pole position Fastest lap Most Laps Led Winner
1 March 24 XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon United Kingdom Dan Wheldon United Kingdom Dan Wheldon United Kingdom Dan Wheldon
2 April 1 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Brazil Hélio Castroneves United States Marco Andretti Brazil Hélio Castroneves Brazil Hélio Castroneves
3 April 21 Indy Japan 300 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Brazil Hélio Castroneves United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Brazil Tony Kanaan
4 April 29 Kansas Lottery Indy 300 Brazil Tony Kanaan United Kingdom Dan Wheldon United Kingdom Dan Wheldon United Kingdom Dan Wheldon
5 May 27 91st Indianapolis 500 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Brazil Tony Kanaan Brazil Tony Kanaan United Kingdom Dario Franchitti
6 June 3 ABC Supply Company A. J. Foyt 225 Brazil Hélio Castroneves United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Brazil Hélio Castroneves Brazil Tony Kanaan
7 June 9 Bombardier Learjet 550 United States Scott Sharp United States Marco Andretti United States Sam Hornish Jr. United States Sam Hornish Jr.
8 June 24 Iowa Corn Indy 250
presented by Ethanol 		New Zealand Scott Dixon Brazil Hélio Castroneves United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United Kingdom Dario Franchitti
9 June 30 SunTrust Indy Challenge
presented by XM Satellite Radio 		United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United Kingdom Dan Wheldon United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United Kingdom Dario Franchitti
10 July 8 Camping World Watkins Glen Grand Prix Brazil Hélio Castroneves United Kingdom Dario Franchitti New Zealand Scott Dixon New Zealand Scott Dixon
11 July 15 Firestone Indy 200 New Zealand Scott Dixon United Kingdom Dan Wheldon New Zealand Scott Dixon New Zealand Scott Dixon
12 July 22 The Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio
presented by Westfield Insurance 		Brazil Hélio Castroneves United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Brazil Hélio Castroneves New Zealand Scott Dixon
13 August 5 Firestone Indy 400 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United States Danica Patrick United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Brazil Tony Kanaan
14 August 11 Meijer Indy 300
presented by Coca-Cola and Edy's 		Brazil Tony Kanaan United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Brazil Tony Kanaan Brazil Tony Kanaan
15 August 26 Motorola Indy 300 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Brazil Tony Kanaan United Kingdom Dario Franchitti New Zealand Scott Dixon
16 September 2 Detroit Indy Grand Prix
presented by Firestone 		Brazil Hélio Castroneves United Kingdom Dario Franchitti United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Brazil Tony Kanaan
17 September 9 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300
presented by Mr. Clean 		United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Japan Hideki Mutoh United States Sam Hornish Jr. United Kingdom Dario Franchitti

Final driver standings

[edit]
Further information: List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems
Pos Driver HMS STP MOT KAN INDY MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL NSH MDO MIS KTY SNM DET CHI Pts
1 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti 7 5 3 2 1 2 4 1* 1* 3 2 2 13* 8 3* 6* 1 637
2 New Zealand Scott Dixon 2 2 4 4 2 4 12 10 2 1* 1* 1 10 2 1 8 2 624
3 Brazil Tony Kanaan 5 3 1 15 12* 1 2 16 4 4 18 4 1 1* 4 1 6 576
4 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon 1* 9 2* 1* 22 3 15 11 3 7 8 10 12 17 7 3 13 466
5 United States Sam Hornish Jr. 3 7 5 6 4 9 1* 14 15 2 4 14 9 18 5 12 3* 465
6 Brazil Hélio Castroneves 9 1* 7 3 3 16* 16 8 11 18 6 3* 17 9 2 14 4 446
7 United States Danica Patrick 14 8 11 7 8 8 3 13 6 11 3 5 7 16 6 2 11 424
8 United States Scott Sharp 12 11 6 13 6 6 7 3 8 14 7 11 3 6 14 11 5 412
9 United States Buddy Rice 10 10 10 20 25 18 8 4 5 6 17 8 5 12 11 7 9 360
10 South Africa Tomas Scheckter 8 6 9 5 7 17 14 19 7 13 11 9 11 5 8 13 20 357
11 United States Marco Andretti 20 4 16 19 24 15 19 2 12 5 5 18 2 4 16 17 22 350
12 Brazil Vítor Meira 4 16 17 8 10 5 5 9 9 17 10 17 18 10 9 15 18 334
13 United Kingdom Darren Manning 13 12 12 11 20 11 13 5 14 9 9 6 15 13 12 4 21 332
14 United States A. J. Foyt IV 18 13 13 9 14 13 17 12 13 15 12 13 8 3 15 9 10 315
15 United States Ed Carpenter 6 18 15 17 17 7 18 6 10 12 13 16 14 7 13 10 16 309
16 Japan Kosuke Matsuura 16 17 18 18 16 11 9 15 17 8 16 12 4 11 10 5 17 303
17 United States Sarah Fisher 11 15 14 12 18 14 10 7 16 16 15 15 16 14 17 16 12 275
18 United States Jeff Simmons 17 14 8 10 11 10 6 17 18 10 14 201
19 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay  RY  7 6 15 18 18 7 119
20 Venezuela Milka Duno  R  14 31 11 18 19 19 15 96
21 Canada Marty Roth 15 21 28 14 53
22 United States Alex Barron 19 16 15 41
23 United States Jon Herb 32 20 20 34
24 Australia Ryan Briscoe 5 30
25 Japan Hideki Mutoh  R  8 24
26 United States Davey Hamilton 9 22
27 United States Michael Andretti 13 17
28 United States Buddy Lazier 19 12
29 United States P. J. Chesson 19 12
30 United States Roger Yasukawa 21 12
31 United States Richie Hearn 23 12
32 United States Al Unser Jr. 26 10
33 United States Jaques Lazier 27 10
34 United States Phil Giebler  R  29 10
35 United States John Andretti 30 10
36 Brazil Roberto Moreno 33 10
— United States P. J. Jones DNQ 0
— United States Jimmy Kite DNQ 0
— France Stéphan Grégoire Wth 0
Pos Driver HMS STP MOT KAN INDY MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL NSH MDO MIS KTY SNM DET CHI Pts
Color Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green 4th & 5th place
Light Blue 6th–10th place
Dark Blue Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Purple Did not finish
(Ret)
Red Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Brown Withdrawn
(Wth)
Black Disqualified
(DSQ)
White Did not start
(DNS)
Blank Did not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
Italics Ran fastest race lap
* Led most race laps
(3 points)
DNS Any driver who qualifies
but does not start (DNS),
earns half the points
had they taken part.
 RY  Rookie of the Year
 R  Rookie
  • Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dead Link, The Indianapolis Star, August 6, 2007
  2. ^ Freeman, Glenn. Hunter-Reay to replace Simmons, Autosport.com, July 19, 2007
  3. ^ "April 1 announced for third Honda GP of St. Pete :: IndyCar® Series". April 1, 2006. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  4. ^ "Indy racing to come to Iowa Speedway". USA Today. August 2, 2006. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  5. ^ "Motorsport.com: News channel". Archived from the original on September 20, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2006.
  6. ^ "Kentucky, Texas dates confirmed for 2007 :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  7. ^ "Bigger in Texas :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 7, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2006.
  8. ^ "Nashville Superspeedway returns to 2007 schedule :: IndyCar® Series". September 12, 2006. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "Maximizing potential :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2006.
  10. ^ "'07 short-oval package :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2006.
  11. ^ "Encore performance :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2006.
  12. ^ "Fifth Indy Japan 300 scheduled :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved September 25, 2006.
  13. ^ "Light moves :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  14. ^ "Motor City remix :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  15. ^ "Mid-Ohio in the mix :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  16. ^ "Infineon Raceway to host third IndyCar Series race :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved October 12, 2006.
  17. ^ "Michigan IRL race Aug. 5". Archived from the original on September 14, 2012.
  18. ^ "Mission accomplished :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "INDYCAR: Michigan Set for August 5, 2007". speedtv.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "www.indystar.com". Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  21. ^ "indystar.com". Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2006.
  22. ^ "INDYCAR: Rules Changes Announced for '07". speedtv.com. January 23, 2007. Retrieved January 29, 2007.
  23. ^ "Reid returns as lead announcer for IRL, Indy 500". IndyStar.com. March 7, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2007.
  24. ^ "Indystar". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2006.
  25. ^ "Indystar". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2006.
  26. ^ "Anticipation builds for race :: IndyCar® Series". Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2006.
  27. ^ "IRL remains mum on Daytona future". ndyStar.com. February 2, 2007. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
  28. ^ "Wheldon tops IRL testing". ndyStar.com. February 21, 2007. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
  29. ^ "Test sets the stage". Indycar.com. June 13, 2007. Archived from the original on September 7, 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
  30. ^ "IndyCar Series Timing & Scoring Reports" (PDF). Indycar.com. June 22, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^ "Formula One exciting once again". Detroit Free Press. July 24, 2007. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
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  36. ^ a b Racing Numbers Game, Sports Media Watch, 08-08-2007
  37. ^ Kansas IRL race near sellout Archived 2008-09-22 at the Wayback Machine, The Score, 04-27-1008
  38. ^ Hornish holds off Danica, Kanaan at Texas
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