By Jonathan Brazeau, sportsnet.ca
Helio Castroneves finally found himself at the top of the podium in Edmonton.
After crossing the finish line first in 2010, only to finish 10th as a result of blocking teammate Will Power and receiving a black flag, Castroneves ran a clean race this time around to claim the checkered flags at the Edmonton Indy on Sunday.
Castroneves pitted a lap earlier than leader Alex Tagliani late in the race and on the following lap, the Team Penske Racing driver beat the Canadian down the line as Tagliani returned to the track. The 37-year-old Brazilian driver then held off a charging Takuma Sato by less than a second to win the caution-free 75-lap race around the 2.224-mile course at City Centre Airport.
Sato finished an IndyCar career best second and Castroneves’ teammate Will Power came in third.
“I take my hat off to Helio,” team owner Roger Penske said in a statement. “It was a tough race. When they run that close for that many laps, I’ve got to take my hat off. Congratulations. And for Will (Power) coming from 17th, it was a great day for Penske Racing.”
Power began the race 17th on the grid after a 10-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change, the worst start on a street/road course in his career, but he surged through the field to claim a spot on the podium.
Castroneves, who had finished as the runner-up in three of the past four Edmonton races, celebrated in his usual Spider-Man fashion by climbing the fence after the race.
THE BIG PICTURE: Points leader Ryan Hunter-Reay was also penalized 10 grid spots for an unapproved engine change and started 11th after earning the pole position on Saturday. Hunter-Reay’s streak of consecutive race wins was snapped at three as he finished seventh, but the Andretti Autosport driver maintains the lead in the standings with 362 points.
With the win, Castroneves leapfrogs Power for second. Scott Dixon and James Hinchcliffe remain in fourth and fifth, respectively.
HOW THE CANADIANS DID: Tagliani started fourth on the grid and quickly grabbed second place at the start, giving Ryan Briscoe a little bit of a nudge into the first turn. The Lachenaie, Que., native used the push-to-pass to take the lead from Dario Franchitti on the straightaway at the start/finish line as the crowd roared.
Although Tagliani couldn’t hold on to the lead, he earned a season-high fifth place and has now finished in the top-10 in five of the last six races.
“When we put on the second set of tires that were a little old, I don’t think we had as much speed as the other guys and it was hurting us,” Tagliani said in a statement. “You’re going to learn throughout the season, but I have nothing to say. The team was doing a great job. We’re competitive and I could not ask for more. If we keep doing it every race, then I’ll be happy.”
Hinchcliffe, who was looking for redemption after bowing out of his hometown Honda Indy Toronto race early two weeks ago, finished 12th after battling Simon Pagenaud for most of the race.
“At the end of the day, a little disappointed but we brought the Go Daddy car home and we kept fighting,” Hinchcliffe said in a statement. “We did pick up a couple positions near the end, so we’re still fighting and that’s what this team does. Hopefully we can bounce back and have a good result in a couple weeks.”
NOTES:
— Franchitti, who started on the pole, experienced problems with his overtake button and couldn’t keep up with the leaders. The four-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion finished sixth.
— Hunter-Reay thought he was chopped by Power as the Australian driver exited the pits and cut right in front of him. Race control reviewed the incident and Power was not penalized.
— The last driver to win four races in a row was Sebastien Bourdais, who completed the feat for Newman/Haas Racing in the 2006 Champ Car season. Bourdais, a two-time winner in Edmonton, was given a penalty for blocking and finished 16th.
— Justin Wilson, the only driver to compete in all eight Edmonton races, finished ninth.