Monday, March 7, 2005
A late eight-car crash kept him from running away from the field.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- Celebrating in Victory Lane after an overpowering victory Sunday in the IRL IndyCar opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Dan Wheldon was hoping for a similar scene at another racetrack later this year.
"I've got to be honest," the Englishman said. "My passion is the Indianapolis 500. The championship is important, but my goal is to drink the [winner's] milk at Indy. We just want to keep the momentum until that race in May."
Wheldon was the runner-up last season to Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan in the IRL championship and he began this season as one of the favorites to win the title. Sunday's dominating run, leading 158 of the 200 laps on the 11/2-mile oval, only strengthened that perception.
But Wheldon said that even as he celebrated Sunday by doing doughnuts in his car and getting victory hugs from his crew, he was thinking that nobody should make too much of one win.
"It's one race into the championship. One race," the smiling Wheldon said. "If it's meant to be it's meant to be. I just enjoy winning races."
Frightening crash
Wheldon, part of the powerful four-car Andretti Green Racing team, pulled away from the pack midway through the race and appeared headed to a runaway victory when the race was interrupted by a frightening eight-car crash on lap 159.
The big wreck -- the last of seventh cautions -- began moments after a restart when Kosuke Matsuura, trying to pass pole winner Tomas Scheckter on the outside, slid sideways and hit Scheckter. Before all the crashing and banging ended, the accident also took out Scott Sharp, Bryan Herta, Scott Dixon, Roger Yasukawa, Ed Carpenter and 22-year-old rookie Danica Patrick, making her first IRL start.
Patrick, the only woman in the field, was running 10th when the accident occurred. She walked into the infield care center but was sent by ambulance to a nearby hospital for observation after being diagnosed with a concussion. She was later released from the hospital and is expected to be ready to race in the next IRL event in two weeks at Phoenix International Raceway.
"It's a real shame because she did an incredible job out there today," team owner Bobby Rahal said.
Still pulled away
After a long cleanup the green flag waved with 24 laps remaining and Wheldon steadily pulled away from a group of cars that included two-time IRL champion and defending race winner Sam Hornish Jr., Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Vitor Meira.
While Wheldon increased his lead, runner-up Kanaan found himself battling to hold off Team Penske teammates Hornish and Castroneves.
"I was just fast enough to pull away when he had other people to worry about," Wheldon said of Kanaan.
The race ended with Wheldon's Honda-powered Dallara 3.7 seconds -- virtually an entire straightaway on the 11/2-mile oval -- ahead of a three-wide-battle for second barely won by Hornish.
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