Wheldon opens IndyCar season with pole win

Autoracing Betting Lines

03/24/2007 - Homestead, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Wheldon captured the rain-delayed pole for Saturday's XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 race. The No.10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver circled the 1.5-mile oval in 24.9438 seconds (214.322 m.p.h.).

The pole speed was less than last year's winning pole speed of 218.539 set by Sam Hornish Jr. last year. The victory was the fifth of Wheldon's IndyCar career.

"It was good (his pole run)," said Wheldon. "Everybody at Target Chip Ganassi Racing has been working very hard over the winter."

Starting on the front row with Wheldon will be Sam Hornish Jr. who posted a second-best time of 24.9466 seconds.

Dario Franchitti (25.0147) and Tony Kanaan (25.1276) make up row two. Marco Andretti (25.1276) and Wheldon's teammate Scott Dixon (25.1301) will be just behind them.

Hornish Jr. won the 2006 title by the thinnest of margins - a tiebreaker over Wheldon. Both drivers finished the season with 475 points, but the Defiance, OH native took the title by virtue of his four wins to Wheldon's two.

Hornish Jr. has spent some of his off-season testing the NASCAR waters. So far this season the three-time IndyCar Series champion has run three times in the Busch Series finishing 31st at Daytona, 35th at California and a solid 15th in Atlanta.

"I think we had a top-10 car, but to be able to go a lap down, come back late in the race, get back on the lead lap and give ourselves an opportunity to move up in the top-15 was good," said Hornish Jr. after Atlanta. "It's the best finish we've had so far, so we can't be too disappointed."

He has also announced that he would like to run the Nextel Cup race at Indianapolis. But his first priority in 2007 is defending his championship.

"I'm really excited about getting going in the IndyCar Series and for the kickoff this year," said Hornish Jr. in a recent teleconference interview.

Hornish Jr. will again have to fend off teammate Helio Castroneves (finished third just two points back) along with Wheldon and his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dixon. Wheldon won the title in 2005 with Andretti Green Racing and Dixon won the championship in 2003.

All four should be right there again in 2007.

Another big question in 2007 is can AGR rebound from an off-year to compete for the championship? The team has plenty of talent in 2004 IndyCar champion Kanaan, Andretti, Danica Patrick and Franchitti.

The race will begin on Saturday at 8 p.m. (et).

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