Motegi Friday

just about at the end for Group I:

1 Tony Kanaan (11) ... 26.7625 204.465 16 28.6802 190.794 37 D/H/F
2 Helio Castroneves (3) 0.2154 26.9779 202.833 9 40.0906 136.491 38 D/H/F Pit
3 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 0.2166 26.9791 202.824 24 34.7512 157.462 28 D/H/F
4 Marco Andretti (26) 0.2629 27.0254 202.476 38 40.4820 135.171 46 D/H/F Pit
5 Danica Patrick (7) 0.2863 27.0488 202.301 30 40.6684 134.552 34 D/H/F Pit
6 Buddy Rice (15) 0.4765 27.2390 200.888 33 27.3356 200.179 34 D/H/F Pit
7 Vitor Meira (4T) 0.4990 27.2615 200.723 18 39.7999 137.488 32 D/H/F Pit
8 Ed Carpenter (20) 0.6614 27.4239 199.534 15 27.8668 196.363 31 D/H/F
9 Jeff Simmons (17) 0.7501 27.5126 198.891 29 32.2456 169.698 37 D/H/F


TK with a monster lap! Matsuura struggled for the first 20 minutes, then popped up to 4th, then 3rd - Marco displaced Danica further in the last few minutes - good cluster between the top 5 tho, about a quarter second

Simmons spun down the front straight but came out of it in the right direction

and in the closing minutes Danica goes P2 ! nearly a dead heat with Tony's time - AGR looking strong, as Marco slots to 3rd!

Dixon cut a tire, less than 15 min left for group II

Scheckter fastest! 3rd overall behind Kanaan and Patrick...

the field is within 3/4 of a second

qualifying next at 12:30 !

1 Tony Kanaan (11) ... 26.7625 204.465 16 44.4603 123.076 48 D/H/F Pit
2 Dan Wheldon (10) 0.0269 26.7894 204.260 28 39.9165 137.086 43 D/H/F Pit
3 Danica Patrick (7) 0.0401 26.8026 204.159 40 40.7562 134.262 49 D/H/F Pit
4 Sam Hornish Jr (6) 0.0904 26.8529 203.777 41 41.1073 133.115 42 D/H/F Pit
5 Tomas Scheckter (2) 0.1156 26.8781 203.586 12 48.9748 111.731 50 D/H/F Pit
6 Dario Franchitti (27) 0.1224 26.8849 203.534 44 45.1279 121.255 45 D/H/F Pit
7 Marco Andretti (26) 0.1279 26.8904 203.493 51 41.8958 130.610 52 D/H/F Pit
8 Helio Castroneves (3) 0.1511 26.9136 203.317 47 39.3433 139.083 49 D/H/F Pit
9 Scott Dixon (9) 0.2155 26.9780 202.832 27 42.5312 128.658 39 D/H/F Pit
10 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 0.2166 26.9791 202.824 24 27.3003 200.437 47 D/H/F Pit
11 Ed Carpenter (20) 0.3157 27.0782 202.081 38 41.5028 131.847 39 D/H/F Pit
12 Scott Sharp (8) 0.3395 27.1020 201.904 39 27.1757 201.356 41 D/H/F Pit
13 AJ Foyt IV (22) 0.3462 27.1087 201.854 39 41.9062 130.577 40 D/H/F Pit
14 Vitor Meira (4T) 0.3777 27.1402 201.620 45 40.8561 133.933 46 D/H/F Pit
15 Buddy Rice (15) 0.4298 27.1923 201.233 47 27.2083 201.115 48 D/H/F Pit
16 Darren Manning (14) 0.6780 27.4405 199.413 24 27.6018 198.248 30 D/H/F Pit
17 Sarah Fisher (5) 0.6952 27.4577 199.288 21 27.5184 198.849 34 D/H/F Pit
18 Jeff Simmons (17) 0.7501 27.5126 198.891 29 32.2456 169.698 37 D/H/F Pit

Kanaan out third for quals - a 204.777 MPH lap!

Danica also sets her fastest lap of the weekend and slots just behind! .07 sec off TK and well ahead of Marco

the Penske and Ganassi cars certainly get a good qual slot here, coming later in the order...

lotsof excitement in the announcer's voice as Kosuke puts himself between the AGR cars, lol

impressive run for Castroneves - a full 2 MPH faster than he had gone all weekend!

I think that will do it, unless Hornish was also playing possum, lol

interesting that the AGR cars are the only ones faster on their first of the two laps

Wheldon and Hornish still to go...

Hornish bobbled a bit on his 2nd lap, would have been front row!

Wheldon is the last driver...can't do it:

1 Helio Castroneves (3) ... 26.6416 205.393 2 26.6416 205.393 2 D/H/F Pit
2 Dan Wheldon (10) 0.0328 26.6744 205.141 2 26.6744 205.141 2 D/H/F
3 Tony Kanaan (11) 0.0801 26.7217 204.777 1 26.7266 204.740 2 D/H/F Pit
4 Danica Patrick (7) 0.1465 26.7881 204.270 1 26.8303 203.949 2 D/H/F Pit
5 Sam Hornish Jr (6) 0.2079 26.8495 203.803 1 27.1515 201.536 2 D/H/F Pit
6 Scott Dixon (9) 0.2145 26.8561 203.753 2 26.8561 203.753 2 D/H/F Pit
7 Dario Franchitti (27) 0.2184 26.8600 203.723 1 26.8934 203.470 2 D/H/F Pit
8 Tomas Scheckter (2) 0.2357 26.8773 203.592 2 26.8773 203.592 2 D/H/F Pit
9 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 0.2958 26.9374 203.138 2 26.9374 203.138 2 D/H/F Pit
10 Marco Andretti (26) 0.2970 26.9386 203.129 2 26.9386 203.129 2 D/H/F Pit
11 Buddy Rice (15) 0.3529 26.9945 202.708 2 26.9945 202.708 2 D/H/F Pit
12 Scott Sharp (8) 0.3619 27.0035 202.640 2 27.0035 202.640 2 D/H/F Pit
13 Vitor Meira (4T) 0.4107 27.0523 202.275 2 27.0523 202.275 2 D/H/F Pit
14 AJ Foyt IV (22) 0.4341 27.0757 202.100 2 27.0757 202.100 2 D/H/F Pit
15 Sarah Fisher (5) 0.4648 27.1064 201.871 2 27.1064 201.871 2 D/H/F Pit
16 Ed Carpenter (20) 0.4959 27.1375 201.640 2 27.1375 201.640 2 D/H/F Pit
17 Jeff Simmons (17) 0.7759 27.4175 199.581 2 27.4175 199.581 2 D/H/F Pit
18 Darren Manning (14) 0.7925 27.4341 199.460 1 27.6452 197.937 2 D/H/F Pit

It is interesting whether AGR will be fast in race, or as Homestead, only in qualy.

It's the red cars, people. Even if AGR was up to par, the red guys still are next to unbeatable.

more than the cars - Helio seems to be besting Sam most times while Dan is certainly besting Scott - in terms of speed anyway

Tony could have the points lead after this weekend with a win...