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Sorenson Earns 1st Busch Win In 2 Years

Published: Jul 22, 2007

MADISON, ILL. - Reed Sorenson earned his first victory in two years, avoiding the pitfalls of a cautioned-filled Busch Gateway 250 on Saturday night.

Sorenson, who hadn't led any part of a race this season before Saturday, passed Zephyrhills' David Reutimann on Lap 159 moments after the eighth yellow flag was lifted. He survived the race's ninth and final caution with a strong restart to distance himself from Reutimann, who eventually finished third.

Scott Wimmer earned his first pole position in 136 races earlier in the day and led the first 53 laps before a right flat tire forced him into the pits. He stayed near the front of the pack most of the race and finished second. Jason Leffler and David Ragan rounded out the top five.

The race saw one caution through the first 90 laps before finishing with nine, five off the track's record of 14. Of the 44 cars that started the race, only 26 finished and 14 of those were on the lead lap as Sorenson crossed the line. The yellow flag was out for 43 of the 200 laps.

Sorenson, who had the second-fastest qualifying time, led 93 laps. The victory marked his third overall and his first since taking the checkered flag at Gateway International nearly two years ago to the day. He also won at Nashville in 2005.

Last year's winner, Carl Edwards, led for seven laps and looked as if he might win the race for a second consecutive season. He took the lead on Lap 118 and subsequent cautions would have allowed him to stay on the track through the remainder of the race. But he rubbed against the wall late in the race and finished sixth.

Patrick On Front Row; Castroneves Sets Mark

LEXINGTON, Ohio - Helio Castroneves set an IndyCar Series record by winning his 22nd career pole - and still was overshadowed by Danica Patrick.

Patrick's 121.098 mph was good enough to capture the other spot on the front row at the Honda Indy 200 during qualifying Saturday, putting her in ideal position to become the first woman to win an IndyCar event.

"I'm starting on the front row, which is my best starting position of the year for a while - actually, for a long time," Patrick said with a chuckle. "That gives me a good chance to win the race, but let's not forget I'm still up against incredibly good drivers and it's going to be difficult. It will be a very huge accomplishment to win this race."

Patrick had never before finished higher than 11th in qualifying on a road course in her three years in IndyCar.

Despite never finishing higher than third in a race, there isn't much question she's one of the marquee faces and names of the series, if not the biggest.

Patrick led the Indianapolis 500 for 19 laps and finished fourth, but millions more know her because of her looks, her posters and calendars and the glut of media attention she gets wherever she goes.

"I've got to congratulate Danica on her run," said Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan, who qualified third. "She's been working hard on her out laps [coming out of pit road], and I think it paid off."

Ohio native Sam Hornish Jr. will start out of the No. 7 slot. St. Petersburg's Dan Wheldon, third in points, qualified 11th.

The 18-car field will have 85 laps to try to solve the twisting, 13-turn, 2.258-mile circuit at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, hosting its inaugural IndyCar Series event.

Castroneves, who went 121.620 mph, captured his sixth pole of the season by beating out Patrick by just less than three-tenths of a second. He's been the polesitter at all three of the IndyCar street and road courses this season, going on to win at St. Petersburg for his series-record ninth win from the pole.

FORMULA ONE: Points leader Lewis Hamilton appeared to escape serious injury when he crashed into a wall during qualifying Saturday for the European Grand Prix in Nuerburg, Germany, in which Kimi Raikkonen took the pole.

After spending about two hours under observation and undergoing a scan in a military hospital in nearby Koblenz, Hamilton returned to the circuit, hoping to race today.

"It was a bit unfortunate, but I am feeling fine," Hamilton said. "I'm very fortunate, very lucky that I haven't got any bruises - although I'm sure tomorrow I'll wake up with some.

"But the most important thing is I am OK."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis said Hamilton hadn't broken anything and wanted to race, but that it was up to the doctors to clear him. No decision will be made until a final checkup today before the 60-lap race. If Hamilton races today, he will start 10th.

Raikkonen drove the fastest lap on the 3.2-mile Nuerburgring circuit in 1 minute, 31.450 seconds. Fernando Alonso was second in 1:31.741 and Felipe Massa third in 1:31.778.

CHAMP CAR: Will Power won the pole for today's Grand Prix of Edmonton with a lap of 58.403 seconds (121.617 mph), breaking the track record of 58.560 set last year by St. Petersburg's Sebastien Bourdais.

Bourdais won the provisional pole Friday, earning a guaranteed front row start. But the Frenchman found it hard to get a clean lap in the final qualifying round and was unable to improve on his first-day time, leaving him second.

NHRA: J.R. Todd finished a run in 4.577 seconds at 318.39 mph to earn the top spot in Top Fuel qualifying for the Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals at Pacific Raceways at Kent, Wash.

Robert Hight broke in a brand-new Mustang with a time of 4.800 at 300.53 mph for his sixth pole of the year in Funny Car. Also, Dave Connolly took another step toward securing a berth in the Countdown to the Championship field by placing his Chevy Cobalt on top with 6.664 seconds at 206.42 mph in Pro Stock.

Officials were forced to set the elimination fields after just one round of qualifying.