As the 500-mile race neared its halfway point, Rahal experienced some of the worst luck he has been dealt since being taken out in Race 1 at Detroit at the end of May.
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The IndyCar championship will be decided next week in the season finale on the road course at Sonoma. We’re going to be watching the Verizon app to see how many points we fall back for the rest of the race.
Later Brazilian Helio Castroneves, hovering just behind Dixon on the points table, was also a victim of the wreckage, helping the Kiwi’s cause.
He said you can’t go through something like what he’s been through and not have your perspective on things change.
Dixon won this race back in 2013.
Graham Rahal slides along the track after colliding with Tristan Vautier in Turn 3 at Pocono Raceway. He’s won three in IndyCar since Montoya last did in CART in 1999.
Montoya seemed as if he was headed toward a runaway championship after eight straight top-10 finishes.
Championship contender Scott Dixon paced the group, usually so competitive at big ovals, in 11th, while Sage Karam could do no better than 20th of 22 runners. His primary race vehicle was wrecked in a heavy accident in turn 3 while he was on the first of his two timed qualifying laps. “I know that the vehicle they pull out of the trailer will be just as good”.
Juan Pablo Montoya expanded his lead in the IndyCar championship battle Sunday, but his tone afterward was anything but celebratory. The plan may be to hang with Montoya at Pocono and then top him at Sonoma.
Maybe, but the track has given him fits. He has two wins and the New Zealander has found a home at Pocono.
“As far as speed goes, we’ve been right there”, Power said. Castroneves is in fourth place, 58 points behind his Team Penske teammate Montoya. “It’s a shame because the guys did a super job and put us in position to challenge for the win”.
At 40, Castroneves is running out of years to fill the lone void on an otherwise sterling resume.
It’s not the first time that Montoya has qualified poorly in 2015; last time out at Mid-Ohio, he was tenth. Pocono could point Castroneves toward the right track of ending the drought at Sonoma.
Team owner Bobby Rahal said Maxi Magazine, his son’s other big sponsor, will continue to be featured prominently on the No. 15 auto.
“I’d try to be much more active, whether it’s media or social media”, he said.
“We’re solid. I can’t wait for the race”, said the Brazilian, who bumped fellow Penske driver Simon Pagenaud of France from the provisional pole.
There are two more races before the playoffs begin.
Blaney, 21, is the son of semi-retired NASCAR driver Dave Blaney, who in almost 600 starts between the top-three levels of NASCAR competition has one win.
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One driver who wants to make a good impression this weekend is Clint Bowyer, who this week was released from his contract for next season after his Michael Waltrip Racing team announced it will not field any full-time entries next season.
