Timeline of the IZOD IndyCar Series

Since North American open-wheel racing unification under Indy Racing League sanctioning.

 

 

Feb. 22, 2008

Officials of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series complete an agreement that will unify the sport under the IndyCar Series banner. Gerald Forsythe, co-owner of Champ Car, signs an agreement in principle in Chicago, joining his partner, Kevin Kalkhoven, and Indy Racing League founder and CEO Tony George, who had signed Feb. 21 in Indianapolis.

March 2, 2008

Former Champ Car teams swell the starting grid to 25 cars for the opener at Homestead-Miami

Speedway. Scott Dixon wins from the pole, beating Marco Andretti by 0.5828 of a second. TV viewers are treated to first of season-long broadcasts in high definition.

April 6, 2008

Graham Rahal becomes the youngest winner in major open-wheel racing history (19 years, 93 days old) by taking the checkered flag on the streets of St. Petersburg in his series debut. Two-time race winner Helio Castroneves finishes second.

April 20, 2008

Danica Patrick becomes the first female to win a major closed-course auto race, prevailing at Twin Ring Motegi in an event postponed a day because of rain. Patrick, competing in her 50th event, beat Helio Castroneves, who was competing in his 100th race.

May 28, 2008

Scott Dixon caps a near-perfect month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a victory in the 92nd Indianapolis 500. Dixon leads 115 of 200 laps in winning from the pole. Vitor Meira finishes 1.7498 seconds behind. Ryan Hunter-Reay is sixth to win the Chase Rookie of the Year award.

July 6, 2008

Ryan Hunter-Reay passes Darren Manning with nine laps left at Watkins Glen International and posts his first IndyCar Series victory. The victory was the first for Rahal Letterman Racing since 2004; the second place for Manning the best finish for A.J. Foyt Racing since 2002.

July 12, 2008

Scott Dixon elects to remain on the track under caution while others pitted for fuel to take the lead and he wound up taking the victory in the rain-shortened race at Nashville Superspeedway. It’s the 100th motorsports victory for Chip Ganassi Racing.

July 20, 2008

Ryan Briscoe leads Helio Castroneves across the finish line for a Team Penske sweep at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The teammates started in reverse order on the front row. KV Racing Technology teammates Will Power and Oriol Servia finish fourth and fifth.

July 26, 2008

Scott Dixon wins for the fifth time in the season, beating Helio Castroneves to the finish line by 5.9 seconds in the first IndyCar Series race on the Edmonton City Centre Airport circuit. Justin Wilson places a season-high third and Paul Tracy, making his first start of the season, is fourth.

July 30, 2008

Two venues – street races in Long Beach, Calif., and Toronto – are added to the 2009 schedule that features races on 10 ovals, three permanent road courses and five temporary street circuits.

Aug. 7, 2008

The Indy Racing League announces multi-year media partnerships with ESPN on ABC and VERSUS. ABC will broadcast the Indianapolis 500 and four other IndyCar Series races through 2012. VERSUS will televise at least 13 races for 10 years.

Aug. 9, 2008

Scott Dixon passes Helio Castroneves on the final turn of the final lap to win at Kentucky Speedway for his series record-tying sixth victory of the season. Castroneves, who runs out of fuel on the final lap, finishes second for the seventh time. Marco Andretti is third.

Aug. 24, 2008

Helio Castroneves snaps the longest winless streak of his career – 30 races since April 2007 – by winning at Infineon Raceway. The victory is especially meaningful for Team Penske, which has its primary cars and equipment damaged in a trailer fire.

Aug. 31, 2008

Justin Wilson records his first IndyCar Series victory after race officials penalize Helio Castroneves for blocking with 16 laps left at The Raceway at Belle Isle Park. Castroneves finishes second for the record eighth time. Bruno Junqueira improves 17 spots to finish seventh.

Sept. 2, 2008

Target Chip Ganassi Racing announces that 2007 IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will drive the No. 10 car for the 2009 season. Panther Racing announces that ‘05 series champion Dan Wheldon will drive its No. 4 car for the 2009 season.

Sept. 7, 2008

Helio Castroneves races from the 28th starting position to win at Chicagoland Speedway in the second-closest finish in series history. Scott Dixon is 0.0033 of a second behind, but wins the series title by 17 points over Castroneves. Pole sitter Ryan Briscoe is third.

Nov. 18, 2008

The Indy Racing League partners with Apex-Brasil, which will become the official ethanol supplier to the IndyCar Series. The multi-year deal will see the IndyCar Series work with the ethanol industry in both countries to transition from corn-based ethanol to sugar-based ethanol and eventually cellulosic ethanol.

Feb. 3, 2009

Indy Racing League officials confirms that five engine manufacturers — Honda Performance

Development, Audi, Fiat Powertrain Technologies, Porsche and Volkswagen — continue to participate in the IndyCar Series Automotive Manufacturers Roundtables. The progressive and industry-groundbreaking engine specification planning process was introduced in May 2008 to bring about expanded engine manufacturer participation in the IndyCar Series beginning as early as the 2011 season.

Feb. 23, 2009

VERSUS announces details for extensive additional race programming in 2009, which will accompany the network’s live race telecasts. In total, the network will air more than 130 hours of IndyCar Series coverage throughout the season with a minimum of seven hours each week the network airs a race, the most ever during a race week.

The programming will include four hour-long specials in March, additional programming in May surrounding the Indianapolis 500 and three-hour programming blocks on Mondays each race week that will feature flag-to-flag coverage of Firestone Indy Lights events and encores of IndyCar Series races. All IndyCar Series telecasts will be produced and available in HD.

April 3, 2009

Mattel, Inc. and the Indy Racing League announce an exclusive licensing partnership that will bring racing fans authentic Hot Wheels products featuring IndyCar Series drivers and teams.

April 4, 2009

Graham Rahal wins the pole for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, becoming the youngest

pole sitter in IndyCar Series history at the age of 20 years, 90 days.

April 5, 2009

Ryan Briscoe kicks off his IndyCar Series season with a victory in the Honda Grand Prix of St.

Petersburg. The win was Briscoe’s third and Team Penske’s 30th in the IndyCar Series. The combo also won the non-points race in Australia after the 2008 season. Briscoe led 46 of 100 laps and held off Ryan Hunter-Reay by 0.4619 of a second to claim the victory. Justin Wilson finished third after leading a race-high 52 laps.

April 19, 2009

Dario Franchitti drives a strong race and benefits from two well-timed pit stops to win the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The victory was the ninth of Franchitti’s career and the 25th for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. After missing preseason testing and the season opener due to his tax evasion trial, Helio Castroneves returns to the grid at Long Beach after his acquittal on six charges and finishes seventh.

April 26, 2009

Reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon earns his first victory of the 2009 season, taking the checkered flag in the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway — 0.7104 of a second ahead of Helio Castroneves. The win was the third in a row at the track by a Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver.

May 24, 2009

Helio Castroneves performs his signature fence climb along the front straightaway after winning the Indianapolis 500 for the third time. Castroneves passed 2008 race winner Scott Dixon on Lap 142 and led the final 59 laps around the historic 2.5-mile oval, beating 2005 winner Dan Wheldon to the finish line by 1.9819 seconds. Danica Patrick was third. Castroneves became the ninth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 at least three times, and the first to do so since Rick Mears recorded the third of four race wins in 1988.

May 31, 2009

Scott Dixon becomes the first driver to win for the second time in 2009, taking the checkered flag in the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 at The Milwaukee Mile ahead of 2008 race winner Ryan Briscoe. In doing so, Dixon took over the points lead for the first time since the end of the 2008 season.

June 6, 2009

Helio Castroneves wins for the third time at Texas Motor Speedway, grabbing the lead off a Lap 175 pit stop and going on to a 0.3904 of a second victory over Team Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe. The win marked Team Penske’s fifth at Texas Motor Speedway, tying Panther Racing for most wins at the 1.5-mile oval.

June 21, 2009

Dario Franchitti is two-for-two at Iowa Speedway. The 2007 winner wins the Iowa Corn Indy 250 by 5.0132 seconds over Ryan Briscoe.

June 27, 2009

Scott Dixon, who started next to pole sitter Dario Franchitti, wins the SunTrust Indy Challenge at

Richmond International Raceway by 0.3109 of a second over his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate. The victory – Dixon’s third of the season and second at Richmond – was the 19th of Dixon’s IndyCar Series career and tied Sam Hornish Jr. for the most in series history.

July 5, 2009

Justin Wilson provides Dale Coyne Racing its first IndyCar Series victory — in its 558th open-wheel racing start over 25 years – in the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen.

July 12, 2009

Dario Franchitti holds off Ryan Briscoe to claim his third win of the season at the Honda Indy Toronto on the streets of Exhibition Place. Franchitti beats Briscoe to the checkered flag by 1.6745 seconds. Will Power, making his first start since the Indianapolis 500 in May, finished third.

July 26, 2009

Will Power scores his first IndyCar Series win, holding off a competitive field to win the Rexall

Edmonton Indy over Helio Castroneves. The Australian, driving the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental car, started from the pole and was in command throughout, leading 90 of the 95 laps.

July 29, 2009

IndyCar Series teams are given the option of adding aerodynamic pieces to their cars as well as bursts of additional horsepower in an effort to increase passing opportunities. Rear tire ramps, sidepod extensions and wheel backing plates used together, or in any combination, will be optional items for the 1.5-mile ovals, beginning at Kentucky Speedway.

Teams will be required to remove half-inch rear wing endfence wickers. Honda Performance Development introduces brief bursts of additional horsepower and 200 RPMs available to drivers through a button on the steering wheel – referred to as an overtake assist button – for the remainder of the season.

July 31, 2009

First-time events in Brazil and Birmingham, Ala., highlight the 2010 IndyCar Series schedule announcement. In its continuing effort to offer competitors the most diverse and challenging championship in motorsports, the 2010 IndyCar Series schedule features eight oval races, four permanent road courses and five temporary circuits.

Aug. 1, 2009

Ryan Briscoe holds off a hard-charging Ed Carpenter to win the Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway. It was the second victory of the season for Briscoe, who beat Vision’s Ryan Hunter-Reay in his other win this season at St. Pete. It also gave him the points lead by eight over Scott Dixon, who finished seventh, and by 11 over Dario Franchitti (sixth place) heading to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where Briscoe won last year.

Aug. 9, 2009

Scott Dixon uses a dominating performance to win the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance and earned his record 20th IndyCar Series victory. Dixon, competing in his 109th IndyCar Series race (all with Chip Ganassi’s team), overtook Sam Hornish Jr. for the series record.

Dixon also tied teammate Dario Franchitti for 19th on the all-time career list (sanctioning by AAA, USAC, CART, Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League) with 21 (he picked up one victory at Nazareth in CART). A.J. Foyt is the all-time Indy car victory leader with 67.

Aug. 23, 2009

Dario Franchitti becomes the second driver to lead an IndyCar Series race from flag to flag and closed ground in the tight fight for the IndyCar Series championship. Franchitti won the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway, while Ryan Briscoe’s runner-up finish gave him the championship points lead by four over Franchitti. It’s the 13th time the championship points lead has changed in the 14 races this season.

Aug. 29, 2009

Ryan Briscoe edges Scott Dixon by 0.0077 of a second to win the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. The victory, the third of the season for Briscoe, was the fourth-closest finish in IndyCar Series history and helped the Team Penske driver increase his championship points lead to 25 over Dario Franchitti, who finished fourth in the 200-lap race on the 1.5-mile oval.

Sept. 19, 2009

Scott Dixon claims his fifth victory of the season, winning the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi to take over the IndyCar Series points lead with one race remaining. Dixon, who started from the pole position and led a field-high 149 of 200 laps, took the lead for good on the 164th lap and finished 1.4475 seconds ahead of Target Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti.

Graham Rahal finished third, while Mario Moraes, who started on the front row for the first time in his 30-plus races, overcame an early pit miscue to wind up fifth – his third consecutive top five. Danica Patrick, who won at Twin Ring Motegi last year, finished sixth.

Oct. 9, 2009

Sarah Fisher announces that Sarah Fisher Racing would field a second car for 2006. Firestone Indy Lights champion Jay Howard for four IndyCar Series races in 2010, with primarysponsorship from Tire Kingdom.

Fisher will compete in the No. 67 entry in all seven oval events in the United States, including the Indianapolis 500, and in the road course events at St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park. She competed in six events this season. Howard will race the No. 66 entry in the Indianapolis 500, the ovals at Texas and Chicagoland and the road course at Mid-Ohio. Howard drove five IndyCar Series events in 2008 for Roth Racing, his only career IndyCar Series starts.

Oct. 10, 2009

Dario Franchitti claims his second IndyCar Series championship by winning the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Franchitti and Target Chip Ganassi Racing used fuel strategy to beat second place Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske to the finish by 4.788 seconds. Franchitti’s teammate, Scott Dixon, finished third. The top three finishers were the only drivers who entered the season-ending race with a chance to win the title on the 1.5-mile oval. Franchitti finished the season with 616 points, Dixon with 605 and Briscoe with 604.

Oct. 28, 2009

Panther Racing confirms that Dan Wheldon will return to the cockpit of its familiar No. 4 machine for the 2010 season. Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 champion, finished 10th in the point standings, with a second-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 in May as his best result in 2009.

Nov. 5, 2009

The IndyCar Series announced a multi-year agreement naming IZOD, a member of the Phillips-Van Heusen family of apparel, furnishings and footwear and the official apparel partner of the IndyCar Series since 2008, the title sponsor of the new IZOD IndyCar Series.

source: indycar.com