Wet Race Track Forces Postponement of Indy Japan 300

April 19, 2008


Photo courtesy of IMS Photo
Photo courtesy of IMS Photo

MOTEGI, Japan (April 19, 2008) - Indy Racing League officials postponed Saturday’s Indy Japan 300 after persistent weepers on the racetrack couldn’t be resolved.  The race has been rescheduled to 11 a.m. (JST) -- 10 p.m. (EDT) April 19 with the live broadcast on ESPN Classic. A re-airing of the 200-lap race is scheduled for 11 a.m. (EDT) April 20 on ESPN2.

The decision to postpone the Motegi race came two hours after the green flag was scheduled. Crews worked to fix the problem of water seeping from under the track surface, even drilling holes in the track and pumping out water, but the weepers continued.
 
The track had received steady rainfall for a long period, beginning with the rainout of Friday’s qualifying session. Helio Castroneves was awarded the pole position in the No. 3 Team Penske Honda/Dallara based on current points standings.  Teammate Ryan Briscoe is slated to start 15th in the No. 6 Team Penske Honda/Dallara.

Indy Japan 300 IndyCar Series event on the 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver and chassis-engine. Field set by entrant points after qualifications were rained out.

1. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

2. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

3. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

4. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

5. (10) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

6.  (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

7.  (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

8.  (2) A.J. Foyt IV, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

9.  (27) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

10. (17) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

11. (15) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

12. (14) Darren Manning, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

13. (4) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

14. (24) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

15. (6) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

16. (23) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

17. (25) Marty Roth, Dallara-Honda, entrant points

18. (77) Roger Yasukawa, Dallara-Honda, entrant points