FYI WIRZ: IZOD IndyCar Fastest Six Off to Jump Start after St. Petersburg

The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg during the last week in March was hot—not weather hot—because it was comfortable in upper 80s with some humidity, but hot as in popular and entertaining.  Hot as in big crowds.  Hot as in exciting racing and fan amenities.  

And it was hottest for drivers first. The 1.8 mile, 14-turn, road course speed-fashioned by barriers around waterfront streets and an airport runway with zero banking other than uneven pavement provided all the challenge open-wheel race car pilots could want.        

A double-file start erased any edge some of the top qualifiers brought to the green flag because a first turn multi-car crash took a toll on some top contenders.  But it didn’t seem to faze the polesitter, Will Power, or 2010 IZOD IndyCar champion, Dario Franchitti, they accelerated.

Franchitti led 94 of 100 laps to cruse to the win with Power charging hard, but only able to secure a distant second.

The Fast Six top qualifiers were Will Power, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Mike Conway, Ryan Briscoe, and Justin Wilson, but the fastest six, the cars that got to the checkered flag first were Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Simona de Silvestro, Takuma Sato and Alex Tagliani    

The swift and skilled finishers had descriptive words prior to the first green flag of the IZOD IndyCar Series season and commented too after the checkered flag in picturesque St. Petersburg.

The top six now take their momentum and points into the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama  at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL, April 10 @ 3:00 p.m.  TV by VERSUS 

FYI WIRZ is the presentation of select motorsports topics by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com.  Quotes derived from team and sanction press releases.

Dario Franchitti [Target Chip Ganassi Racing No.10] Finished first.

Before the green flag:
"I was just finding the limit each lap more and more. I was getting a little bit braver each lap.”

After the checkered flag:
"These points count anytime; on the first race all the way through to the last race and I hope that I can make it easier on the team this year,” Franchitti said. “But the championship can change in a heartbeat and you have to fight all the way through to the end.

“It is great to be here in the sunshine of St. Petersburg with the stands full and the Target car was running like a dream.

“I was focused on what Will Power was doing and that was a good moment when we got around him on the second restart. I thought—we aren't going to win this championship by just sitting back.”

Will Power [Team Penske No.12] Finished second.

Before the green flag:
“You've got to be facing the carrot” Power said. “I love when you go out to qualify and you give it absolutely everything you've got. It's going to be double-file restarts and a lot of mayhem."

After the checkered flag:
"It was a very interesting start today,” Power said. “Dario Franchitti got me fair and square at the beginning. I was in survival mode after getting hit. I am very glad to get the points for the championship. It was a good start to the season.”

Tony Kanaan [KV Racing Technology-Lotus No. 82] Finished third.

Before the green flag:
“I jumped into this car two days ago and the whole team made me feel right at home, Kanaan said. “I am happy that I gave them a good solid qualifying result.  This is just the beginning and I have to remember to be patient, which is hard for me.”

After the checkered flag:
"We really drove our own race,” Kanaan said. “We drove a conservative race until five laps to go and then Simona was all over me. I knew she was going to be running hard at the end. But I am an old man and she is a young girl and I think the experience helped out today.”

Simona de Silvestro [HVM Racing No. 78] Finished fourth.

Before the green flag:
"I think we could've had a better run,” de Silvestro said “It's kind of a shame because I think we're really pushing it and we could've gotten into the Fast Six.”

After the checkered flag:
"It was hard to pass because there was so much dust in the inside of the track,” de Silvestro said.  “It was kind of a big risk to take to try to pass him so I was happy with fourth, but for sure I tried a couple of times.  I couldn't make it.  To finish fourth—my best result—is something pretty unbelievable.”

Takuma Sato [KV Racing Technology-Lotus No. 5] Finished fifth.

Before the green flag:
“I was very disappointed not to qualify in the top-10,” Sato said. “We have struggled to find balance and grip during practice and qualifying.  However, I think we managed to gather some valuable information from these sessions.”

After the checkered flag:
"This was a great way to start the season,” Sato said. “It is my first top-five finish in the IndyCar series. It was an exciting race.  I overtook a few cars on the track and the team did a fantastic job with the pit stops, so I got some of the positions back.”

Alex Tagliani [Sam Schmidt Motorsports No. 77] Finished sixth.

Before the green flag:
"I'm very pleased,” Tagliani said. “We were kind of out of the window, and the guys recovered really well.  Now that we're more in the window, I think we'll be in pretty good shape for the race."

After the checkered flag:
“Overall, I think the team did a good job,” Tagliani said. “In contact, I hit my hand in the cockpit and the wheel burned my hands as I tried to keep it under me. We had a bent suspension piece also from the contact, and the car was loose on entry on the left-handers and pushy on the right. It was survival today.”

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com.