Earns win in Emerson Indy 250 despite in-car electronics failure

Monday, August 11, 2003

By The Associated Press

Helio Castroneves did it the old-fashioned way.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner had no in-car electronics yesterday, forcing him to change gears by feel and guess on fuel mileage and pit-lane speed as he won the Emerson Indy 250 and ended a 20-race winless streak.

Castroneves came up a few feet short of at least two other wins since taking the checkered flag at last year's Indianapolis 500, but he got a big break this time when dominating Scott Dixon dropped out with a gearbox problem while leading with 43 of 200 laps remaining at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.

"Scott Dixon was very fast, but I cannot feel sorry for him, believe me," a jubilant Castroneves said. "It's happened to me many times."

Castroneves ran the entire race with no readout on his steering wheel.

"It might seem simple, but it can cost you a race," he said, noting there is a 60 mph speed limit on pit lane. "One mile an hour too much and your race is gone.

"I think it's like flying a plane in a storm without instruments. I don't know how to fly a plane, but I do know how to drive a car."

Castroneves finally got a chance to be Spiderman again, climbing the fence as the crowd cheered after the victory.

"I was maybe shifting earlier than I have to, but I didn't want to break the gears," he said.

Dixon, who came into the race leading the IndyCar Series standings by a point over Tony Kanaan, three over defending race winner Gil de Ferran and 23 over Castroneves, appeared to be cruising toward his fourth win of the season.

Dixon survived a hard bump from behind on pit lane early in the race. The New Zealander led 78 laps, was out front by as much as nine seconds and was leading by nearly six seconds when he slowed suddenly on lap 158 and watched helplessly as the rest of the field sped past on the 1.25-mile oval.

Castroneves inherited the race lead and was less than a second in front of fellow Brazilian Kanaan, but Kanaan was never able to mount a challenge and Castroneves' Penske Racing Dallara-Toyota crossed the finish line 0.847-seconds -- about six car-lengths -- in front. It was his fifth Indy Racing League victory, including the 2001 Indy 500 when he was still a regular in the rival CART Champ Car series.

There were no serious accidents on the track, but a crewman for Al Unser Jr. was injured in a pit accident.

Track officials said Anton Julian, Unser's left rear tire changer, was transported by helicopter to St. Louis University Hospital conscious but with unidentified injuries. He was admitted to the hospital but quickly upgraded from serious to fair condition.

The accident happened during a caution period on lap 42 when most of the 21-car field was pitting on the narrow pit lane. Brian Herta, leading his pit, slid into the rear of Unser's car, which was on its hydraulic jacks being serviced in his pit.

Neither driver was able to continue.

Other race

Champ Car Grand Prix: Paul Tracy won for the first time at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and moved back into the lead in the CART driver standings with his victory in Lexington, Ohio. Tracy, who had finished second four times in 10 previous appearances at Mid-Ohio, averaged 106.251 mph and won by 0.51 seconds over Player's-Forsythe teammate Patrick Carpentier in the first one-two finish for the team. Carpentier won here last year and was third in 2001. Rookie Ryan Hunter-Reay, who started second, finished a career-best third. Tracy pulled away from the field to take a big lead at the start and led 69 of the 92 laps, losing the lead only on pit stops for 13 laps to Adrian Fernandez and 10 laps to Tiago Monteiro, both of whom pitted out of sequence.

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