Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 33

DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE DemocratandChronicle.com MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 3 AUTO RACING REPORT Johnson takes lead Dixon conquers mighty Glen for title start," Dixon said. "We got a great start though." Dixon pulled away until Castroneves and Enge crashed. The caution flag triggered a celebration by Dixon's parents, Glenys and Ron, who clapped their hands in front of a national television audience. "This is such a relief for the team," Dixon said. JAMESJDemocratandChronicle.com Results At Watkins Glen International Lap length: 3.4 miles (Start position In parentheses) 1.

(4) Scott Dixon, Panoz-Toyota, so, 120,800 2. (5) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 60, Running, $90,200 3. (6) Darlo Franchltti, Dallara-Honda, 60, Running, $75,400 4. (2) Giorgio Pantano, Panoz-Toyota, 60, Running, $60,700 5. (9) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 60, Running, $65,300 6.

(15) Kosuke Matsuura, Panoz-Honda, 60, Running, $50,600 7. (11) Sam Hornish Dallara-Toyota, 60, Running, $47,200 8. (14) Bryan Herta, Dallara-Honda, 60, Running, $46,000 9. (18) Scott Sharp, Panoz-Honda, 60, Running, $46,000 10. (3) Patrick Carpentier, Dallara-Toyota, 60, Running, $44,600 11.

(19) Jeff Bucknum, Dallara-Chevrolet, 60, Running, $43,200 12. (1) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Toyota, 59, Accident, $51,900 13. (12) Tomas Enge, Dallara-Chevrolet, 59, Accident, $40,700 14. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Toyota, 59, Accident, $39,100 15. (17) Roger Yasukawa, Dallara-Honda, 58, Running, $37,900 16.

(16) Danica Patrick, Panoz-Honda, 58, Running, $36,600 17. (13) Alex Barron, Dallara-Toyota, 58, Running, $35,200 4 PI- -hi. in Chase DICK BRINSTER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DOVER, Del. Jimmie Johnson has a championship to race for, and he's grateful that his rookie teammate understands to run hard but not get in the way. Johnson barely hung on to beat teammate Kyle Busch, then credited the rookie for helping him win Sunday at Dover International Speedway, a victory that vaulted Johnson into the lead in the Chase for the championship.

"He was all over me at the end, and that's the way it should be," Johnson said. "I've got to thank Kyle for being such a good teammate and racing me clean at the end." Johnson held off Busch by about a car-length. That they were so close at the end was a tribute to Busch, Johnson said. "They were up here testing two weeks ago and we used their information," Johnson said. "I don't think Hendrick Motor-sports had any new data on the track." Busch badly wanted his second career victory, but knew he had done all he could.

He said there were no team orders preventing him from trying to beat Johnson. "We were a little too tight at the end and couldn't get the fresh air we needed," Busch said. "I was hoping he might be little looser and chase up the track." Tony Stewart, the Nextel Cup points leader for the last seven races, battled an ill-handling car en route to an 18th-place finish. The outcome also ended his streak of 13 straight top-10 finishes that included five victories. "Obviously, something happened today," Stewart said.

"This wasn't the way our car drove yesterday. But we'll be fine. We'll get caught up." There would be no perfect weekend for Ryan Newman, who won poles for both races here and was coming off a victory in a Busch Series contest Saturday. Newman won the opening event in the Chase a week earlier, outdueling Stewart in a stirring finish at New Hampshire International Speedway. The victory in the MBNA 400 was the third this year for Johnson, who now leads Rusty Wallace by seven points after two of 10 races in the Chase among the top-10 drivers.

Stewart came to Dover 20 points ahead of Greg Biffle, who won here in June. Stewart is now tied with Biffle, who cut a tire and finished 13th. They're fifth, 23 points behind Johnson. It arm si LVlt fy it a His first win in 40 IndyCar starts comes with race under yellow flag. JAMES JOHNSON STAFF WRITER WATKINS GLEN Scott Dixon showed that his days as a winning driver were anything but history during an eventful afternoon at Watkins Glen International.

Dixon, winless in his previous 40 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series starts, ended that one-and-a-half year absence from any victory circle Sunday at the inaugural Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix. The 2003 IndyCar Series champion and native of Auckland, New Zealand led the final 13 laps. He cruised across the startfinish line on the final lap with the yellow caution and the checkered flags flying above him, and Tony Kanaan's car in his mirrors. "It's superb for the team," the 25-year old Chip Ganassi Racing team driver said. "They've been working extremely hard, they had a rough period there with a lot of crashed cars and down moments.

"It does reward you, in the fact that you've struggled so much. You get back on top and remember what it feels like." The IRL's first race at Watkins Glen brought back major open-wheel racing to the track 24 years after a victory by Roger Mears in a CART series event. There were more significant moments on the 3.37-mile road course. Danica Patrick will have to wait for her first IRL win, as she was never a contender to win the race, but she did clinch the IndyCar Rookie of the Year title with a 16th-place finish. Patrick, 23, is one of a very small group of women to win a rookie of the year award in a high-level American auto racing series.

"It is a big honor to be both the Indy 500 and IRL IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year," Patrick said. "Not many drivers have been able to accomplish that feat. That is the goal for every rookie driver, so it's a great feeling to reach that. "Now my next goal is to win a race." Dan Wheldon, who led six laps of the Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix and finished fifth, will receive a much larger and more cherished trophy at the series banquet on Oct. 17.

The 27-year old native of Emberton, England, clinched the IndyCar series driver championship, the topper on a dominant SHAWN D0WD staff photographer Sunday's Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix win was a satisfying one for driver Scott Dixon and his Chip Ganassi team, which had not seen victory lane since 2003. He averaged 114 mph in his Toyota. 18. (7) Vitor Melra, Panoz-Honda, 48, Electrical, $35,200 19. (8) Buddy Rice, Panoz-Honda, 27, Accident, $33,800 20.

(10) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Chevrolet, 4, Mechanical, $32,600 Winner's average speed: 114.771 mph Time of race: 1:45:42.3804 Margin ol victory: 0.6540 of a second Cautions: 4 cautions for 7 laps Lead changes: 7 among 5 drivers Lap leaders: Castroneves 1-21, Kanaan 22, Wheldon 23-28, Castroneves 29-30, Dixon 31-42, Kanaan 43-44, Hornish 45-47, Dixon 48-60. Point standings: Wheldon 600, Kanaan 508, Hornish 482, Franchitti 448, Castroneves 418, Sharp 412, Meira 387, Herta 378, Carpentier 361, Scheckter 361. riding cart with the payment of greens fees. Minimum 2 players. Discount with coupon only.

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585-288-0890 Rcrclinical.com EQUIPMENT Dan Wheldon The English driver finished in fifth place on Sunday and clinched the series' points championship. pion, shadowed Castroneves from the second-place position for the first 20 laps. Kanaan and Wheldon then took turns ahead of the field as drivers began to pit during the first of two scheduled stops. Castroneves briefly inherited the lead again on lap 29 before Dixon sped past during lap 31. Dixon was the pace-setter of an IRL field for the first time since the 2004 season-opener in Homestead, until he came in to pit on lap 42.

That gave the lead to Kanaan and then Sam Hornish Jr. until they had to make their final stops for fuel. Dixon was back in front on lap 48 and stayed there. Kanaan's best chance of getting past Dixon came on a restart during lap 56. "I was confident we could hold them off before the yellow, but wasn't sure about the re Chili Country Club 760 Scottsville-Chili Road 889-9325 CART AND GREENS FEE $1 2 Weekday $20 Sat.

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No. of the I loliilay Inn) 1 (5S 3) 424-6190 3 at; IUJL9 lilJ Patrick clinches rookie honors despite troubles season in which he has won six races, including the Indianapolis 500. It was inevitable, as members of his Andretti Green Racing crew pulled out commemorative banners and hats the moment the race became official. "The nicest thing is that I'm going to be able to sleep now," Wheldon said. "I don't normally have a problem sleeping, but having won it is a big weight off of my shoulders.

"A lot of the hard work was done at Chicago, but until you finally clinch it, I don't think you feel like you have. I'm ecstatic." Helio Castroneves set a track record with his 133.806-mph qualifying effort Saturday. Castroneves started from the pole position and led 23 laps, but fell to a 12th-place finish after he and rookie Tomas Enge touched wheels on lap 60 at more than 100 mph. Both drivers were unhurt. It was the third time this season that Castroneves started in the front row of a street or road course race and was not on the track when the checkered flag came out.

Kanaan, the driver that Wheldon replaced as series cham- said Patrick, whose popularity soared after she finished fourth at the Indianapolis 500. "They are right next to each other. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, and then I looked down to turn it off and it was already off." Patrick spent the next few laps coming in and out of the pits, then stayed out of trouble the rest of the race. The race leaders put Patrick two laps down before Scott Dixon took the checkered flag. The $36,600 in prize money for Patrick pushed her season total past the $1 million mark.

She is the first IRL rookie to do that. JAMESJlg DemocratandChronicle.com FALL Mart IStCart Weekday Weekend PM $18 $22 Weekend AM $19 $30 Seniors $2 weekdays Ask about our Fall Membership Prices 7100 BouBhlon Ruad. Victor, New York 585-657-7539 GFT VISTOUR 'Lire I livic ARCADE! i SO1 Or MANY NEW 11 EMS Best Deals of the XlaM Year, with Savings VyX up to $1700 on ef JAMES JOHNSON STAFF WRITER WATKINS GLEN Danica Patrick did not finish on the lead lap of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix, but she still walked away a winner. Patrick, the 23-year old open-wheel race car driver who is a media and fan magnet, clinched the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series Rookie of the Patrick Year award with her 16th-place finish on Sunday. "It's been a very memorable and very good first season," Patrick said after the 60-lap race at Watkins Glen International race track.

"If I was told how the season was going to go and it went like this, I would've said 'I'll take "I tend to get into the moment, so I get down, depressed, angry when things go wrong, like today." Patrick never emerged as a contender to win. She and her Rahal Letterman Racing team struggled to find the needed speed for their car, and qualified for the 16th starting position in a 20-car field. "We weren't super strong this weekend, but we kept getting better and faster," Patrick said. Patrick made it to as high as 12th place in the race, when she accidentally hit the ignition switch on her car during lap 28. She fell a lap down after the car stalled and stopped on the track.

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