DARIO FRANCHITTI/No.9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing won the inaugural Indy Racing League IndyCar race at the 35th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and also turned the fastest race lap on Lap Seven. It was a large, enthusiastic crowd, including wife/actress ASHLEY JUDD watching the 2007 IndyCar /Indy 500 champion win. The weather was hot – 96 degrees F.
The first thing he said was Happy Birthday to Ashley.
Pole sitter WILL POWER/No.12 Team Penske led early on, but finished second, with a Margin of Victory being 3.3182 seconds. TONY KANAAN/No.11 Andretti Green Racing finished third. The Scot’s victory means that his pal TK- who sports a closely-shaved hairdo – has to let his hair grow. When Kanaan wins, Franchitti has to cut his hair. Franchitti had long curly locks at the beginning of the season, and has since trimmed them a bit.
There were five cautions for 18 laps-39.22 minutes in the race which ran 1:59.56, for 85 laps.
Thirteen cars were on the lead lap.
Franchitti said the timing of the first pit stop was the turning point for him in the race. He was the first to pit, swapping his red alternate tires for the harder blacks.
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