- By Dave Lewandowski
- indycar.com
DETROIT - Justin Wilson’s first IndyCar Series victory wasn’t without drama or controversy, but it didn’t faze the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing driver. A win is a win …
That was apparent in Belle Isle’s picturesque Victory Circle, where the driver of the No. 02 McDonald’s car appeared taller than his 6-foot-3 frame. Maybe it was the wide smile or just the company on the podium (Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan).
“I was so desperate to get a victory this year in, my first one in IndyCar (Series) and my first one with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing,” the Denver-based Brit said. “This means a lot. It’s the most important win of my career.”
Though he was the runner-up in the second Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone, Castroneves saw a bright side. The finish, coupled with points leader Scott Dixon’s fifth place, forced the IndyCar Series championship chase to the final points-paying race of the season - Sept. 7 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Wilson, who was limited to two laps on the 14-turn, 2.07-mile Belle Isle circuit in the morning warmup because of a steering issue, held off Castroneves for the team’s second victory of the season (Graham Rahal won the first street course race) by 4.4058 seconds on Lap 87 of a two-hour timed race.
He inherited the point on Lap 73 after race chief steward Brian Barnhart penalized Castroneves for blocking Wilson, who was running second since Lap 60. After a restart on Lap 69, Wilson kept up the pressure on Castroneves. He made two attempts to pass on Lap 72 but was rebuffed by Castroneves, who went low and then back high on the narrow circuit. Barnhart, after reviewing the video, said it was a clear violation.
“We talk about blocking every week in the drivers’ meeting and tell them what they can and can’t do and what the code of conduct is on the racetrack,” said Barnhart, the sanctioning Indy Racing League’s president of competition and operations. “(Castroneves) clearly moved his car to impede the progress of a following car and moved his car in response to the actions and the line taken by a following car. That’s what we tell them in the drivers’ meeting every week. We made the same decision early in the race with the (Darren) Manning and (Bruno) Junqueira cars and, unfortunately, you have to call it like you see it.”
Barnhart said the championship didn’t factor into the decision. Castroneves, who lost 10 points in the transaction, of course didn’t agree with the call.
“Consistency is the only thing I ask for,” said Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Team Penske car who led a field-high 53 laps to earn three bonus points. “I’ve been in this series since 2002 and we never had a situation like this. We always have a warning and then if you do it again, then you’re going to be penalized. All of the sudden, I didn’t get any warning. It was, ‘Move over, or you’re going to be black flagged.’ It was uncalled for. I know that (Barnhart) is trying to put pressure on and make everyone disciplined, but two races to go for the championship I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”
Wilson was grateful for the call.
“Helio was racing hard,” Wilson said. “I got a good run out of Turn 12 and started to overlap and I had the inside for the next corner. Before we got halfway down the straight, he started to come across and I had to lift or we both were going to crash. I was a little upset at the time, but I was relieved hen the officials put it right.”
Castroneves’ championship gap is 30 points, which means Dixon has to finish eighth or higher on the 1.5-mile oval to secure his second title not matter what Castroneves does. Castroneves, who has a series-record eight runner-up finishes this season, is seeking his first series title. Dixon, the pole sitter who led the first 18 laps had an opportunity to wrap up the title, wasn’t too happy with the race either. He was shuffled back to 18th after the first pit stop under yellow while most other cars remained on the course, and couldn’t move higher than fifth the remainder of the race.
“I think we clearly had the quickest car today,” he said. “Nobody was going to touch us, and still we ended up fifth. So I think that’s disappointing. I think that’s what makes it tough to deal with.”
Oriol Servia, who started third in the No. 5 KV Racing Technology car, finished a season-high fourth and posted his fourth top 10 on a road/street course in his first IndyCar Series season. Ryan Hunter-Reay overcame a flat right-rear tire midway through the race to finish sixth in the No. 17 Team Ethanol car for Rahal Letterman Racing, while Bruno Junqueira in the No. 18 Z-Line Designs entry for Dale Coyne Racing jumped 17 spots to finish seventh.
“Fourth was a good result, but when you’re so close to the podium I just feels not enough,” Servia said. “The car was good, especially toward the end of each (fuel/tire) stint but at the beginning it just wasn’t fast enough. I was trying. I was giving it all I could. We’re getting there.”
Will Power, who drove the No. 8 Aussie Vineyards — Team Australia car for two laps with a broken front wing incurred in the bump and run with Hunter-Reay’s car, finished eighth. Ryan Briscoe was ninth and and A.J. Foyt IV recorded his first top 10 on a road/street course (see story).
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