Helio Wins Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway
June 9, 2013
THE RESULTS
No. 3 AAA Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Helio Castroneves
Starting Position: 6
Finishing Position: 1
Status: Running
Current Series Position: 1st (259 points)
No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Will Power
Starting Position: 1
Finishing Position: 7
Status: Running
Current Series Position: 12th (-107)
THE RACE REVIEW
No. 3 AAA Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Helio Castroneves
· Castroneves started the race in the sixth position and was able to maintain a position inside the top 10 throughout Saturday night’s the race.
· Passed teammate Power on Lap 31 to move into third place and the two Team Penske cars ran next to each other for the following three laps.
· As he progressed into the top five, Castroneves recorded lap times that were consistent with the race leaders. During a green flag pit stop on Lap 52, Castroneves entered the pits in second place as the AAA Insurance team changed four tires and filled the No. 3 car with fuel.
· Castroneves pulled away from the field on the restarts and took over the race lead on Lap 97.
· During his final pit stop of the night on Lap 175, Castroneves asked for a front wing adjustment.
· Running seconds ahead of the field and working his way through lapped traffic, Castroneves maintained his lead position until the checkered flag fell on Lap 228. His 132 laps led were the most of the evening.
· The victory marks Castroneves’ fourth at TMS – the most all-time – and his 28th career win which places him 12th all-time in IndyCar history and one behind mentor and Team Penske advisor Rick Mears.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
HOW HE WAS ABLE TO EARN THE VICTORY IN TEXAS
“(Race engineer) Jonathan (Diuguid) did a great job, the Chevy guys did a great job because we were able not only to manage the tires, (but) manage the fuel and it was setup. We were just doing a lot of homework and it paid off. Thank God it paid off. Texas is awesome. I love this place.”
ON HIS EMOTIONS AFTER WINNING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 12 RACES
“Oh it’s been great. I tell you first of all I want to thank AAA and my AAA crew, the boys did a hell of a job. It was a total team effort and I have to thank Hitachi, Shell and Pennzoil, PPG, SKF, Quicken Loans and of course Verizon. It took everyone we have in our team to get the win today.”
HOW THIS YEAR’S TEXAS RACE COMPARES TO OTHERS
“It was nothing like the previous years, it was really tough. I was hardly going flat, the only time was when I took the lead for the first time on the restart. The race was very difficult compared to the past and you really had to work. I am fortunate to have great guys in my crew that are able to do what I wanted.”
THE RACE REVIEW
No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Will Power
· Power started race in the pole position – his 31st career IndyCar pole – and ran inside the top three for the first 31 laps of the race. From laps 18-31, Power ran in third place while teammate Castroneves ran behind him in the fourth position.
· Power took over the race lead on Lap 54 and stayed out front until Lap 58 when he came in for his first pit stop of the race, when the Verizon crew provided four fresh tires and fuel.
· At lap 114, the midpoint of the race, Power was positioned in fifth place while Castroneves had the race lead.
· On lap 122 Power moved into second place behind Castroneves as Team Penske ran first and second for the next 53 laps.
· Power dropped back to sixth place after his pit stop on Lap 175 and fought a loose-handling condition in the Verizon machine for the remaining laps to record a seventh-place finish.
· Power’s result marked his third top-10 finish of 2013 and his first top-10 on an oval track since finishing eighth at Texas last season.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
HIS REFLECTIONS ON FINISHING SEVENTH
“It was definitely a good day for the Verizon Chevrolet. I thought we had a car that was good enough to win but unfortunately the car went loose on the last stint to cost us quite a few positions. All in all, it was a productive day with the top-10 finish and obviously a great day for the team with Helio taking the win. He was just on another planet.”
HIS THOUGHTS ON THE QUALITY OF RACING AT TEXAS
“You were really earning your pay out there today; you really had to drive the car. It was great racing.”
No. 3 AAA Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Helio Castroneves
Starting Position: 6
Finishing Position: 1
Status: Running
Current Series Position: 1st (259 points)
No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Will Power
Starting Position: 1
Finishing Position: 7
Status: Running
Current Series Position: 12th (-107)
THE RACE REVIEW
No. 3 AAA Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Helio Castroneves
· Castroneves started the race in the sixth position and was able to maintain a position inside the top 10 throughout Saturday night’s the race.
· Passed teammate Power on Lap 31 to move into third place and the two Team Penske cars ran next to each other for the following three laps.
· As he progressed into the top five, Castroneves recorded lap times that were consistent with the race leaders. During a green flag pit stop on Lap 52, Castroneves entered the pits in second place as the AAA Insurance team changed four tires and filled the No. 3 car with fuel.
· Castroneves pulled away from the field on the restarts and took over the race lead on Lap 97.
· During his final pit stop of the night on Lap 175, Castroneves asked for a front wing adjustment.
· Running seconds ahead of the field and working his way through lapped traffic, Castroneves maintained his lead position until the checkered flag fell on Lap 228. His 132 laps led were the most of the evening.
· The victory marks Castroneves’ fourth at TMS – the most all-time – and his 28th career win which places him 12th all-time in IndyCar history and one behind mentor and Team Penske advisor Rick Mears.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
HOW HE WAS ABLE TO EARN THE VICTORY IN TEXAS
“(Race engineer) Jonathan (Diuguid) did a great job, the Chevy guys did a great job because we were able not only to manage the tires, (but) manage the fuel and it was setup. We were just doing a lot of homework and it paid off. Thank God it paid off. Texas is awesome. I love this place.”
ON HIS EMOTIONS AFTER WINNING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 12 RACES
“Oh it’s been great. I tell you first of all I want to thank AAA and my AAA crew, the boys did a hell of a job. It was a total team effort and I have to thank Hitachi, Shell and Pennzoil, PPG, SKF, Quicken Loans and of course Verizon. It took everyone we have in our team to get the win today.”
HOW THIS YEAR’S TEXAS RACE COMPARES TO OTHERS
“It was nothing like the previous years, it was really tough. I was hardly going flat, the only time was when I took the lead for the first time on the restart. The race was very difficult compared to the past and you really had to work. I am fortunate to have great guys in my crew that are able to do what I wanted.”
THE RACE REVIEW
No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet
Driven By: Will Power
· Power started race in the pole position – his 31st career IndyCar pole – and ran inside the top three for the first 31 laps of the race. From laps 18-31, Power ran in third place while teammate Castroneves ran behind him in the fourth position.
· Power took over the race lead on Lap 54 and stayed out front until Lap 58 when he came in for his first pit stop of the race, when the Verizon crew provided four fresh tires and fuel.
· At lap 114, the midpoint of the race, Power was positioned in fifth place while Castroneves had the race lead.
· On lap 122 Power moved into second place behind Castroneves as Team Penske ran first and second for the next 53 laps.
· Power dropped back to sixth place after his pit stop on Lap 175 and fought a loose-handling condition in the Verizon machine for the remaining laps to record a seventh-place finish.
· Power’s result marked his third top-10 finish of 2013 and his first top-10 on an oval track since finishing eighth at Texas last season.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
HIS REFLECTIONS ON FINISHING SEVENTH
“It was definitely a good day for the Verizon Chevrolet. I thought we had a car that was good enough to win but unfortunately the car went loose on the last stint to cost us quite a few positions. All in all, it was a productive day with the top-10 finish and obviously a great day for the team with Helio taking the win. He was just on another planet.”
HIS THOUGHTS ON THE QUALITY OF RACING AT TEXAS
“You were really earning your pay out there today; you really had to drive the car. It was great racing.”