Ryan Hunter-Reay and Darren Manning showed you don’t need to be a well-funded multi-car outfit to nail an IndyCar race by taking first and second ahead of the more fancied teams in the Camping World Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.
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Andretti Green’s Tony Kanaan in third was the only one of the championship leaders to post a decent finish as Helio Castroneves fell victim to technical gremlins, Scott Dixon blundered a way a shot at a fourth straight victory on the course, and Dan Wheldon was taken out by Manning.
Justin Wilson, who’d qualified second, fell victim early on to a gearbox leak.
A full report and photos will follow tomorrow but, for tonight, here’s how the race unfolded on our Twitter feed:
- Maybe 20mins left to IndyCar at Watkins Glen… . Can Justin Wilson (or Dan Wheldon or Darren Manning) make it two British winners today?
- Well that was a grim start… Wilson loses places, Wheldon cuts the bus stop and needs to pit to fix damage – or retire.
- So it’s Briscoe leading, Hunter-Reay second, Dixon third having given back the place he took by jumping the start. Kanaan fourth, then Servia, Moraes (who started 13th) and Wilson.
- It seems Wilson and Manning are going at it hammer and tongs but we don’t get to see it as the indycar.com streaming video only tracks the leader…
- Looks like we’ve lost Helio as well as Wheldon… yellow flag… two of the championship leaders gone already – happy days for Dixon
- Much pitting under yellow, including Wilson… leaders all stay out. What is it with N/H/L and pitstops? They can’t resist bring Justinho in whenever there’s a yellow.
- Ah balls, Wilson’s race is as good as over. Gearbox leak. Still in the pits and 3 laps down already if he made it out now. Which he won’t.
- Meanwhile, Dixon is hunting down Briscoe. Manning still running well – though he may have been responsible for finishing off Wheldon
- Wheldon likely to come out again, for what it’s worth. Wilson won’t. Looks like Howard might be out too. Very casual pit crew, they say.
- Briscoe and Dixon pit on the same lap, two-stopping… Briscoe has the faster stop. Vitor Meira now leading?
- Meira, three-stopping, finally pits from the lead.
- Briscoe and Dixon lead… a lot depends on whether there’s another yellow or not… if there ain’t, a 2-stop strategy may be impossible
- Ah bless – reports of Justin Wilson walking back from his car, climbing 4ft fences while fans hold his gear, then signing autographs…
- Wilson interviewed – they didn’t know how much oil had leaked from the gearbox when they sent him out again. Lasted 10 laps then *pof*.
- Meira’s out – unstuck while lapping Duno and into the tyre wall. Manning pits and is close to having the legs to make a 2-stopper.
- IndyCar.com timing saying Meira “may have been touched by EJ Viso”. Oooh missus!
- Mass pitting. Danica Patrick seems to have hit a bouncing tyre and ploughed into the scattering Ganassi mechanics. No harm done.
- Darren Manning perfectly placed as a result of that yellow… could he – nah, let’s not jinx him.
- Wheldon blames Manning for his retirement and says “you can see why AJFoyt is going to fire him”. Ouch.
- We’re green. Manning keeps the lead, Dixon wins a bunfight for second with 3 others… we’re yellow again for Bernoldi coming off
- Let’s face it – if Manning blows this, he probably WILL be fired…
- Still yellow… it’s Manning – Dixon – Briscoe – Hunter-Reay behind the safety car.
- Could be yellow for a while… AJ Foyt IV and Milka Duno wrapped round each other out on the circuit… AJF not looking happy.
- The commentary is stuck in a pre-recorded loop but it looks like we just lost Dixon and Briscoe, the Kiwi spinning and hit by the Aussie
- If that’s real and not a recording from a previous race, the odds REALLY just shifted Manning’s way
- Well, they’re both running… but nowhere near the front. Hunter-Reay is second… then Kanaan and Junqueira.
- Dixon radioed his pits he’d been warming the tyres and spun. “Apologise to Ryan Briscoe it was bloody stupid”. “I agree” Chip Ganassi said.
- Green racing – Hunter-Reay seizes lead from Manning
- Camara spins out – another yellow. It’s Hunter-Reay, Manning, Kanaan. Not many laps left. 51 of 60 completed.
- We’re running again – Hunter-Reay streaks off, Manning in danger from Kanaan and Buddy Rice
- 56 of 60 complete – Hunter-Reay well ahead, Manning’s tyres have come back and he’s holding station ahead of TK… Rice holding off Andretti and Junqueira
- One lap to go – this is Hunter-Reay’s to lose and there’s no reason to think he will. Manning may be protected by TK’s need to secure points
- With Dixon outside the top 10 and Wheldon and Castroneves nowhere, Kanaan is the real winner today even if he stays third
- Ryan Hunter-Reay takes his debut win the in the Ethanol Rahal Letterman machine… does donuts in the run-off area in celebration
- Manning confirmed second, TK 3rd, Rice 4th, Andretti 5th, then Junqueira and Moraes
- Phew. Manning happy – AJ Foyt happy (doesn’t seem to blame Danger Mouse for losing the lead on the restart) – Ryan Hunter-Reay VERY happy