The began with a night race on Saturday March 24 at Homestead-Miami Speedway . The season's premiere event, the 91st Indianapolis 500 was held May 27 . The season finale will be held at Chicagoland Speedway on September 9 . All races will be televised on ESPN , ESPN2 , or ABC . In addition, all races will be broadcast live on the IMS Radio Network , and XM IndyCar Channel 145 and simulcast on XM Sports Nation .
The 2007 schedule is the twelfth season of the Indy Racing League, and is part of the 96th recognized season of top-level American Open Wheel Racing . It also marks A.J. Foyt 's 50th anniversary of participation in IndyCar racing.
- All times are US EDT and are subject to change
- Not all race names and sponsors officially announced and are subject to change
- All entries utilize Firestone tires.
- The above team & driver combinations have been confirmed. This list is considered tentative, and is subject to change during the season.
- August 2 , 2006 - The first event at Iowa Speedway will be held June 24, 2007. {Link without Title}
- August 10 , 2006 - Milwaukee will move from July to the weekend following the Indy 500. {Link without Title}
- August 17 , 2006 - Texas (June 9) and Kentucky (August 11). Kentucky will switch to a night race. {Link without Title}
- September 19 , 2006 - Kansas (April 29) and Watkins Glen (July 8). Kansas will become the final race before the Indy 500. The change was made to avoid hot and humid July temperatures. {Link without Title}
- September 20 , 2006 - Richmond (June 30). {Link without Title}
- September 21 , 2006 - Chicagoland Speedway (September 9). It will serve as the season finale. {Link without Title}
- September 25 , 2006- Twin Ring Motegi (April 21) {Link without Title}
- September 27 , 2006 - Homestead (March 24). The race will switch to a Saturday night race. {Link without Title}
- The race at Michigan International Speedway will move from the last weekend in July, up one week, or one week later. This is due to the Allstate 400 At The Brickyard moving from the first weekend in August to the last weekend in July. Ticket renewal forms sent out by the speedway incicate the race will be held July 22. However, according to published reports, the IRL is requesting MIS accept the first week of August for the race date. On October 13, MIS confirmed August 5th for their IRL event. {Link without Title}
- A rumor on irllive.com suggested a possible race on August 5 in . If a race at Mid-Ohio is announced, it will be scheduled for July 22 . {Link without Title}
- September 29 , 2006 - The Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle will return and be held September 2 {Link without Title}
- ( August 26 ) {Link without Title}
- After originally agreeing in principle to a July 22 date, the IRL and Michigan International Speedway rescheduled the 2007 event for August 5 in order to accommodate new venues. {Link without Title} The announcement finalized the 2007 IndyCar schedule
- On December 8 , 2006, the IRL announced that the June 9 , 2007 race at Texas Motor Speedway would be lengthened to 550 kilometers (228 laps/342 miles). {Link without Title}
- On December 14 , 2006 it was announced that Marquis Sports Marketing, a Dallas -based company, is in coordination to add another race to the 2007 schedule. A non-points, exhibition race in the streets of Biloxi, Mississippi is in the planning stages for September or October 2007 as an effort to revitalize the Hurricane -ravaged Gulf Coast . The race would be the first step in what are plans to build an oval track in the area by 2009. www.indystar.com
- Danica Patrick switched from Rahal Letterman Racing to Andretti Green Racing .
- Buddy Rice left Rahal Letterman Racing and raced a one-off event in the Champ Car series at Mexico City on November 12 , 2006 for Forsythe Racing . Afterwards, he signed full-time for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
- Kosuke Matsuura switched from Super Aguri Fernández Racing to Panther Racing .
- Scott Sharp switched from Delphi Fernandez Racing to Rahal Letterman Racing.
- A.J. Foyt Racing signed Darren Manning for a one car operation.
- Dario Franchitti was confirmed for Andretti Green Racing in both the IndyCar Series and ALMS .
- Vision Racing signed A.J. Foyt IV as their third driver.
- Sarah Fisher joined Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for a full-time ride.
- Michael Andretti announced he would compete in the 2007 Indy 500 for Andretti Green Racing .
- CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports raced in the season opener at Homestead, Kansas, and the Indy 500 with driver Alex Barron .
- Milka Duno signed to compete in ten races, including Indianapolis, for SAMAX Motorsport in 2007.
- ---On August 6 , 2007, Duno was put on probation by chief stewart Brian Barnhart . She will be required to improve her skills before racing in another event. {Link without Title}
- On July 19 , 2007 it was announced that Ryan Hunter-Reay would replace Jeff Simmons for Rahal Letterman Racing . {Link without Title}
- On July 21 , 2007 it was announced that Hideki Mutoh will run the final race of the IndyCar Series season at Chicago in a third Panther entry.
- On August 21 , 2007 it was announced that P.J. Chesson will run the final race of the IndyCar Series season at Chicago in a second Roth Racing entry.
- All cars will utilize a 100% fuel blend of Ethanol . In the 2006 Season , cars utilized a 90%-10% blend of Methanol and ethanol. From 1965-2005, Indy cars in USAC , CART , and IRL used a 100% methanol blend.
- Teams will utilize 3.5 Liter displacement engines. From 2004-2006, the IndyCar Series used 3.0 L engines. From 2000-2003, the IndyCar Series also used 3.5 liter engines. The increase in displacement is to counter the expected horsepower loss resulting from the switch to a 100% ethanol fuel blend.
- Fuel cells in the cars will be reduced from 30 gallons to 22 gallons to offset the improved mileage experienced by ethanol. {Link without Title}
- All cars will carry a rear-mounted safety light, to be controlled by race officials.
- On short ovals and road courses, front wings may be set at any angle between negative 5 and positive 5 degrees.
- Race day morning warm-up practice sessions have been eliminated. As a result, pre-qualifying practice sessions will be extended by 15 minutes.
- If qualifications are cancelled for an event, the starting lineup will be based on entrant points. In previous seasons, top practice speeds have been used.
- IndyCar Series teams that participate in the Indy Pro Series can earn bonus testing days for the 2007 calendar year. The bonus testing days will be awarded following participation in designated 2007 IPS events, and are shared by the team's IndyCar Series driver and IPS driver. They can be conducted at any IndyCar Series venue except Indianapolis or Mid-Ohio.
- All races will be shown on ESPN , ESPN2 , ESPN Classic , or ESPN On ABC . Broadcast rights for the 2007 season adhere to a contract extension signed May 27 , 2004, which extended broadcast rights to the IndyCar Series on ABC/ESPN through the 2009 season. 2007 will mark ABC's twelfth year broadcasting events of the IndyCar Series, and 43rd year at the Indianapolis 500.
- The television ratings for the March 24 season-opening race at Homestead earned a 0.7 rating, the highest-rated IndyCar Series race ever on ESPN2 . It was the fourth-highest IndyCar Series cable rating since 2000 and the highest cable rating since June 2005.
- ( September 19 , 2006) - Private testing featured Ed Carpenter , Tomas Scheckter , and Jeff Simmons .
- (September 26-27, 2006) - A highly anticipated compatibility test took place at Daytona International Speedway, utilizing a 10-turn, 2.73-mile combined road course layout. Drivers participating included Vitor Meira , Sam Hornish Jr. , Scott Dixon , Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan . No major incidents were reported. {Link without Title}
- (October 2-3, 2006) - A two-day Firestone tire test took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four drivers took part in the test, focusing on new 3.5 liter Honda engines utilizing a 100% ethanol fuel mixture. Tony Kanaan , Jeff Simmons , Dan Wheldon , Helio Castroneves participated. The top speed reported was 224.3 mph by Kannan. Jeff Simmons crashed exiting turn two on the backstrech. He was uninjured. {Link without Title}
- (October 9-10, 2006) - The first IndyCar Series test featured drivers Vitor Meira , and Scott Sharp . {Link without Title}
- Saturday
- Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, Florida (1.485 mile oval)
- Distance: 200 laps / 297 miles
- Race weather: 73° F , mostly cloudy, isolated showers, windy
- Television: ESPN2 - race advertised as the .
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- Attendance: 30,000+ (estimated) {Link without Title}
- Pole position winner: Dan Wheldon - 24.9438 seconds, 214.322 mph (344.918 km/h)
- Race Summary: The start of the race was delayed about 30 minutes do to a short shower and was interrupted by a brief mist on lap 67. Even with the weather conditons the race was able to take place and complete all 200 laps. The race was dominated by driver Dan Wheldon who led 179 laps and won despite a mistake in the pits, which led to a pit stop over 22 seconds. Wheldon restarted 9th after the miscue, but retook the lead within 11 laps, and never looked back. Wheldon won for the third year in a row at Homestead and allowed only four other cars to finish on the lead lap. This marked the first race by a major racing series to use renewable fuel, as a 100% Ethanol blend was used by all cars.
- Sunday
- Streets Of St. Petersburg - St. Petersburg, Florida (1.8 mile street/airport course)
- Distance: 100 laps / 180 miles
- Race weather: 79° F , sunny
- Television: ESPN - race advertised as .
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 0.6 national, 0.4 coverage area
- Attendance: 100,000+ (estimated) {Link without Title}
- Pole position winner: Helio Castroneves - 1:01.6839, 105.052 mph (169.065 km/h)
- Race Summary: Pole winner Helio Castroneves led 95 of the 100 laps, holding off Scott Dixon for the win by 0.6007 seconds, the closest finish on a road circuit in IRL history. On the first lap, five cars were involved in a spin, including Tony Kanaan . In practice, Kanaan had crashed his qualified car, but the team made repairs so he could start in the 6th position rather than using a backup. The spin dropped him to the rear of the field. After a series of pit stops under yellow, Dan Wheldon took the lead. On a lap 35 restart, Castroneves bumped Wheldon from behind, and slipped by to take the lead for good. In the best run by a Foyt team in a few season, Darren Manning ran as high as third until a late spin dropped him to 13th. After the first lap spin, Tony Kanaan recovered to finish third.
- Saturday
- Twin Ring Motegi - Motegi , Japan (1.52 mile oval)
- Distance: 200 laps / 304 miles
- Race weather: 70° F , cloudy
- Television: ) - race advertised as
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute
- ---Broadcast originally scheduled for 12 noon EDT, rescheduled for 3:00 p.m. due to NBA playoffs coverage.
- ---Broadcast delayed 6 minutes due to Nets/Raptors game running long.
- --- Ratings : 0.4
- Attendance:
- Pole Position winner: Helio Castroneves 26.6416 seconds, 205.393 mph (330.548 km/h)
- Race Summary: For the second time in two oval races this season, Dan Wheldon dominated much of the race. However, unlike at Homestead, he would not be victorious, and even lost use of his two-way radio. With about 15 laps to go, the final sequence of pit stops for fuel began, and threatened to shuffle the field. Tony Kanaan's AGR team used a late-pit strategy, which saw him take on less fuel and a shorter stop. With four laps to go, Kannan took the lead and held off Wheldon to claim his first victory of the season. With Kanaan's win, the first three races of the season have produced three different winners representing three different teams. During practice, both Kosuke Matsuura and Danica Patrick turned in some of their best on-track performances thus far this season. Neither were factors during the race however, and Matsuura, in fact, crashed out on the first lap in front of his home country.
- Sunday
- Kansas Speedway - Kansas City, Kansas (1.52 mile oval)
- Distance: 200 laps / 304 miles
- Race weather: 85 °F (29 °C), Sunny
- Television: ESPN2 - race advertised as
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 0.6
- Attendance: media estimate of 40,000-45,000 {Link without Title}
- 25.5476 sec, 214.188 mph (344.702 km/h)
- Race Summary: Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon dueled until the first pit stop when Kanaan and his teammate Danica Patrick made contact during the stop and Kanaan lost several laps due to repairs. The only other car that could run with Wheldon for the remainder of the race was teammate Scott Dixon until Dixon was brought in for a penalty for entering the pits improperly. Wheldon dominated the remainder of the race which finished under caution after a solo crash by Scott Sharp with 2 laps to go. This race made history as it was the first major open-wheel race to feature three female drivers: Patrick, Sarah Fisher , and rookie Milka Duno . It also registered the highest average speed of any race at Kansas Speedway.
''See main article: 2007 Indianapolis 500 ''
- Sunday
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Speedway, Indiana (2.50 mile oval)
- Distance: 200 laps / 500 miles, although reduced to 166 laps / 415 miles, due to rain.
- Race weather: Overcast, with rain throughout the day, high 76 F.
- Television: ABC - race advertised as
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Rusty Wallace , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo , Jamie Little
- --- Ratings : 4.3/12
- Attendance: 251,000 (estimated based on track capacity)
- - 2:42.3336, 225.817 mph (363.417 km/h)
- Race Summary: Rain fell overnight, and in the morning, but the race started on-time as scheduled. In the early segments of the race, the competition was intense as Helio Castroneves , Tony Kanaan , Marco Andretti , and Scott Dixon all took their turn at the lead. After a caution period, with rain only a few miles away, a restart on lap 107 could have decided the winner. As the green came out, Tony Kanaan got the jump on Marco Andretti, and took the lead in turn 1. Moments later, Phil Giebler crashed, brining the yellow out once again. Before safety crews could clear the track, heavy rain fell, and the race was red flagged after lap 113. After nearly three hours, the race resumed, with Kanaan leading. On the 156th lap, the field went back to green after Marty Roth 's crash, however, in turn four, Tony Kanaan came up on the back of Jacques Lazier, sending Lazier into the wall, and sending Kanaan's car into a spin. He blew a tire and coasted into the pits. Moments later, the field assembled for what was expected to be the final restart before the rains came. Franchitti, working lap 163, held the lead into the backstrech. Behind him, Marco Andretti tangled with Dan Wheldon , and Andretti's car flipped down the backstrech. Before the track could be cleared, a heavy rainstorm fell on the track, and the race was called after 166 laps with Dario Franchitti declared the winner.
- Sunday
- Milwaukee Mile - West Allis, Wisconsin (1 mile oval)
- Distance: 225 laps / 225 miles
- Race weather: 70° F, mostly cloudy
- Television: ABC
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 1.0 (final), 1.2 (overnight)
- Attendance: 31,838
- - 21.3596 sec., 171.071 mph (275.312 km/h)
- Race Summary: Polesitter Hélio Castroneves appeared to have the race in hand until his rear wing support snapped coming out of turn 4 on lap 201. His car spun across the front stretch and into the inside retaining wall. Shortly after the restart Penske Racing teammate Sam Hornish, Jr. 's rear wing bent in a similar place, although mildly enough to allow him to finish the race, but he was forced to relinquish second place. These two somewhat bizarre part failures allowed AGR teammates Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti to cruise to a 1-2 finish. On lap 89, Danica Patrick and Dan Wheldon touched wheels, sending Patrick spinning. Both recovered to finish in the top ten, however, the incident led to a post-race confrontation where Patrick grabbed and pushed Wheldon, starting a feud between the two. Neither driver received any penalty. {Link without Title}
- Saturday
- Texas Motor Speedway - Fort Worth, Texas (1.5 mile oval)
- Distance: 228 laps / 342 miles (550 Kilometers)
- Race weather: 85° F Hazy
- Television: ESPN2 (tape delayed 30 minutes)
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 0.7/2
- Attendance: 86,000 {Link without Title}
- 24.3334 sec 215.260 mph (346.427 km/h)
- Race Summary: Sam Hornish, Jr. had built up a sizeable lead by lap 196 when A. J. Foyt IV lost his right rear wheel, causing Sarah Fisher to check up and several contenders including Helio Castroneves , Dan Wheldon , and Scott Dixon to be collected in the resulting melee. After the re-start, Andretti Green teammates Tony Kanaan and Danica Patrick attempted to mount an attack on Hornish but he was able to hold them off to collect his first win of the season. Danica Patrick's resulting 3rd place was the best finish of her career.
- Sunday
- Iowa Speedway - Newton, Iowa (0.894 mile oval)
- Distance: 250 laps / 223.5 miles
- Race weather: Cloudy, high humdity, 71 degrees
- Television: ABC - race advertised as
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 1.2/3 (overnight rating); 1.1/3 final
- Attendance: over 35,000 (sold out)
- 17.6486 sec, 182.360 mph (293.480 km/h)
- Race Summary: The first IndyCar Series race at the Iowa Speedway was one of attrition with several experienced drivers involved in incidents. First, Dan Wheldon spun, collecting Tomas Scheckter , although Wheldon was later able to return to the track over 100 laps down. Next, Tony Kanaan spun, collecting Jeff Simmons . The largest incident of the day come on a re-start with Ed Carpenter , Danica Patrick , A. J. Foyt IV and Dario Franchitti running four-wide down the front straight. Carpenter, Foyt, and Patrick made contact entering turn one and Kosuke Matsuura spun into the wall trying to miss them. The final 100 laps were more orderly with fewer cars on the track and Franchitti was able to hold off teammate Marco Andretti for his second victory of the season.
- Saturday
- Richmond International Raceway - Richmond, Virginia (0.75 mile oval)
- Distance: 250 laps / 187.5 miles
- Race weather: 82° F, Mostly Cloudy
- Television: ESPN - race advertised as
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 0.6
- Attendance: 45,000 {Link without Title}
- (rained out, field set by owner points)
- Race Summary: Qualifying was rained out and the field was set by entrant points. As a result, points leader Dario Franchitti started the race from the pole. Franchitti dominated the race, leading all but 9 laps on his way to his third win of the season, and eighth consecutive top-5 finish. He opened up a 65-point lead in the championship ahead of Scott Dixon . The race was under yellow as soon as it went green when Sam Hornish, Jr. spun his Penske car on the inside of Turn 4. When the green flag flew on lap 4, Franchitti opened up a lead, before another caution period on lap 61 for debris. Lap 64 saw the leaders make pit stops, and it was Tony Kanaan who made the pit exit first. He led until lap 72, when Franchitti took advantage of a sluggish restart from his AGR team-mate to retake the lead. He led the next 88 laps until a single car crash involving Jeff Simmons . Hélio Castroneves led for a solitary lap, before serving a drive-through penalty for illegal blending under the pace car. The pace car then picked up what driver Johnny Rutherford believed was a puncture while leading the field, and had to switch to one of the others. Ultimately an excess amount of rubber debris had built up on the car's tires. Franchitti led the rest of the way, despite another caution for contact between Hornish and Kosuke Matsuura . Franchitti held on to win by 0.4194 seconds from the Ganassi pair of Dixon and Dan Wheldon , with Kanaan coming home 4th. Buddy Rice continued on his recent success, rounding out the top five despite starting on the outside of the sixth row.
- Sunday
- Watkins Glen International - Watkins Glen, New York (3.37 mile permanent road course)
- Distance: 60 laps / 202.5 miles
- Race weather: Partly cloudy
- Television: ABC
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 1.0
- Attendance:
- 1:29.1919, 136.021 mph (218.905 km/h)
- Race Summary: Castroneves led the first 19 laps, and on lap 20, under growing pressure from Scott Dixon , crashed in turn 11, bringing out the first yellow of the race. The green came out on lap 23, with Dixon leading. Lap 25 saw the second caution of the race, a spin by A. J. Foyt IV at Turn 8. As Dixon pitted, Vitor Meira grabbed the lead, which he would hold until lap 33. Meira's pit strategy was midjudged, and ran out of fuel, causing the 3rd full course caution. Dan Wheldon would lead lap 33, before pitting, allowing Marco Andretti to take the lead on lap 34. Andretti led until his final pitstop on lap 44, which would give Dixon the lead until the finish. Sam Hornish, Jr. ended up 2nd, with the Andretti Green trio of Dario Franchitti , Andretti and Tony Kanaan rounding out the top 5. Dixon also cut into Franchitti's massive points lead, reducing it from 65 to 47, after Dixon accumulated the maximum 53 points for the win, and most laps led (23) compared to the 35 that Franchitti earned for 3rd position. After the race, there was a bizarre incident in the pit lane. On the track, Hornish, Jr. and Kanaan clashed on the track (sidepod to wheel), which caused damage to each racecar. Then, Kanaan faked a turn on the reigning champion, while coming into the pitlane on the slow-down lap. This made Hornish, Jr. come towards Kanaan to discuss events on the track. Sam Hornish, Sr., the father of the Penske driver, then pushed Kanaan, making his frustration known. He was then tackled to the ground by someone standing nearby. Marco Andretti stepped in and stopped his father Michael from getting involved, and Jaime Camara , the IPS driver for AGR , was also involved in breaking up the melée. In total, some 15 to 20 people were involved in the incident.
- Sunday
- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Lexington, Ohio (2.25 mile permanent road course)
- Distance: 85 laps / 192 miles
- Race weather: 80° F, Mostly Sunny
- Television: ABC (first hour broadcast on ESPN due to 2007 British Open running long)
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 1.7/5 (final), 1.9/5 (overnight)
- Attendance: 60,000 {Link without Title}
- 1 min 06.8375 sec 121.620 mph (195.728 km/h)
- Race Summary: Castroneves' sixth pole of the season tied Billy Boat 's record for most poles in a season, set in 1998 . On the first lap, Andretti Green teammates Danica Patrick , Tony Kanaan , and Marco Andretti tangled, resulting in Andretti's car flipping over Kanaan's rear tire and landing upside-down. Andretti was uninjured. On the final fuel stop, Scott Dixon 's Chip Ganassi Racing crew was able to short-fill and get him out ahead of rivals Castroneves and Dario Franchitti . This was Dixon's third win in a row, tying Kenny Bräck (1998) and Dan Wheldon ( 2005 ) for the longest win streak in league history.
- Sunday
- Michigan International Speedway - Brooklyn, Michigan (2 mile oval)
- Distance: 200 laps / 400 miles
- Race weather: 77° F Rainy/Foggy
- Television: ESPN Classic (rain delay coverage aired on ESPN 2 )
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings : 0.28 (ESPN 2 rain delay coverage), no ratings available for ESPN Classic
- Attendance: 35,000http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=215359&hubname=
- 32.981 sec 218.308 mph (351.333 km/h)
- Race Summary: The race start was delayed 4 and a half hours due to persistent rainy conditions. As a result, the US telecast was moved to was set to capture a 1-2-3 finish until Danica Patrick suffered a puctured right-rear tire with 13 laps to go, forcing her to pit, leaving AGR driver Tony Kanaan to hold off teammate Marco Andretti for his third win of the season. The carnage resulted in career-best finishes for Kosuke Matsuura (4th), Ryan Hunter-Reay (6th), and Foyt (8th) despite his car not running at the finish. There will be no race at Michigan on the 2008 Calendar , so this may be the last major open wheel race held at the speedway in the foreseeable future.
- Saturday
- Kentucky Speedway - Sparta, Kentucky (1.5 mile oval)
- Distance: 200 laps / 300 miles
- Race weather: 91° F Sunny
- Television: ABC
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings :
- Attendance: 56,482http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=1&id=2970619
- 24.4307 sec 218.086 mph (350.975 km/h)
- Race Summary: Starting from the pole for the first time since Kansas in April , the AGR car of Tony Kanaan led the opening 38 laps, right up to the first round of pitstops, under caution, after a crash on lap 36 involving Team Penske's Sam Hornish, Jr. & Ganassi's Dan Wheldon . Dario Franchitti would leapfrog his AGR team-mate on the pitstops, taking the lead on lap 39 for the restart on lap 44. Franchitti would lead until the second round of pitstops, under green flag conditions. Franchitti was the first to pit, on lap 91. This allowed Kanaan and Scott Dixon into the lead and second positions respectively. Both drivers would pit the following lap for their second pitstops. A. J. Foyt IV took the lead, and he would two laps, before pitting on lap 94. On the pitstops, Kanaan and Dixon had passed Franchitti, allowing them to be first and second, when everyone had made their pitstops. The race continued under green, until lap 126, when a caution was flown for debris in turn 3. Yellow-flag pitstops would occur, and a fast pitstop from the #9 crew allowed them, to lead for the restart on lap 132. Kanaan would pass Dixon the very next lap, and would hold the lead until the final round of pitstops. As Kanaan, Dixon and most of the other frontrunners pitted on lap 179, Foyt returned to the lead. As Foyt pitted on lap 181, the final yellow was flown, after an incident which began on pitlane. The AGR cars of Franchitti and Danica Patrick collided on pit entry, causing damage to Franchitti's right front wing endplate. He would need the nosecone replaced, but would not lose a lap. Meanwhile, Patrick was exiting pit road, and got on the power too early, causing her to spin. She would be bump-started by the Delphi safety crew. Next time by, still under caution, a tyre blew on the #7 car in turn 2, making her spin again, and narrowly avoided the safety crew. Foyt would lead the field to the restart on lap 190, but Kanaan was not to be denied, taking the lead for good on lap 191. Leading 131 of the 200 laps, the Brazilian won his 4th race of this season, and moved back into the championship running. Dixon finished 2nd, to further close on Franchitti's championship lead. The Scotsman, suffered his second backflip in a row, after hitting the #55 car of Kosuke Matsuura . He put all the blame on himself, saying that he thought the race was not over. He was the last of the cars on the lead lap, finishing in 8th, giving up 16 of his 24-point championship lead. Foyt finished a career-high 3rd, just holding off the final AGR car of Marco Andretti and his Vision Racing team-mate Tomas Scheckter .
- Sunday
- Infineon Raceway - Sonoma, California (2.3 mile road course)
- Distance: 80 laps / 184 miles
- Race weather: 80° F, Sunny
- Television: ESPN
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings :
- Attendance: 40,000http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/346226.html
- 1:16.7017, 107.961 mph (172.738 km/h)
- Race Summary: Points leader Dario Franchitti took the lead at the start, and held it for 58 of the first 63 laps. On the 69th lap, Franchitti's AGR teammate Marco Andretti was exiting the pits, and entered the track directly in front of Franchitti. In turn two, the two cars made contact, and Andretti was spun out into the barrier. Franchitti suffered a badly damamged front wing, but stayed out on the track. The race went back to green with eight laps to go, with Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves in close pursuit. Both Dixon and Castroneves were able to pass Franchitti's ill-handling machine, and went on to finish 1st-2nd. Tony Kanaan , however, stayed behind Franchitti and refused to pass him, and helped his teammate by preventing anyone from passing either, which protected Franchitti's third place finish. With the victory, Scott Dixon took over the championship points lead. Franchitti's contact with Marco Andretti , son of team co-owner Michael Andretti , sparked an in-house feud as the elder Andretti considered Franchitti's actions "impatient."
- Sunday
- The Raceway On Belle Isle - Detroit, Michigan (2.07 mile temporary street course)
- Distance: 90 laps / 186.3 miles (shortened to 89 laps 184.23 miles due to time limit)
- Race weather: 77° F, sunny
- Television: ABC
- ---Announcers: Marty Reid , Scott Goodyear , Jack Arute , Vince Welch , Brienne Pedigo
- --- Ratings :
- Attendance:
- 1:12.0688, 103.401 mph (166.408 km/h)
- Race Summary: After a six-year absence, open wheel racing returned to the Belle Isle circuit. Minor track modifications intended to increase passing opportunities, however, saw lead changes only during pit stops, and several crashes. On the 31st lap, Sam Hornish, Jr. tangled with lap car Sarah Fisher , which took both cars out, along with Vitor Meira . Darren Manning hit the back of Danica Patrick 's car, causing her to spin, but both continued. Later in the race, Helio Castroneves crashed out with Tomas Scheckter as the two were battling for position. Danica Patrick then climbed to the lead for nine laps by pitting out of sequence. After the final series of pit stops, a four-car battle at the front ensued, and held significant season championship implications. With time running out, Tony Kanaan was leading, and second place Buddy Rice ran out of fuel. Third place Scott Dixon , the championship points leader going into the race, took evasive action to get by Rice, which crashed out both cars. The pileup collected points contender Dario Franchitti as well. Danica Patrick slipped by the crash and took a career-best second place, while Kanaan went on to win. Franchitti managed to continue and limped to a sixth place finish. Tempers flared as AGR co-owner Michael Andretti was quick to accuse Dixon of intentionally taking out Franchitti by letting off the brakes and rolling into the path of Franchitti. The incident tightened the championship chase, and moved Franchitti into the points lead by only three points with one race remaining.
- Standings as of September 2 , 2007 (through Detroit, 16 of 17 races completed)
- Ties in points broken by number of wins, or best finishes
- Standings as of September 2 , 2007 (through Detroit, 16 of 17 races completed)
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