The official Starting Line Up has been released for Sunday’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. As expected four cars have been penalized starting grid positions for unauthorized engine changes.
SCOTT DIXON/Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda is already on his sixth engine, having made the change at the last race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. As he served his penalty at that race, he will retain his fifth position on the Starting Grid. If he makes additional engine changes in the two remaining races, he will again be assessed the ten grid positions.
JUSTIN WILSON/Dale Coyne Racing Honda will move back from P10 to P20.
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA/Andretti Autosport Chevrolet will move from P13 to P23. He is running a third car for the Andretti team, and has not run the entire season.
TAKUMO SATO/Rahal Letterman Lannigan Honda qualified twenty fourth and will start twenty-sixth.
SIMONA de SILVESTRO/Lotus-HVM Racing qualified twenty-fifth and will move to P27, last place. She is the only Lotus driver and on her seventh engine.
Sunday’s Grand Marshal will be KEVIN JOHNSON, current mayor of Sacramento and former basketball player for UC Berkeley and NBA’s Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Three Olympic Gold Medalists are at the races this weekend. TYLER CLARY, winner of the 200-meter backstroke in London, has been here all weekend. He has been everywhere including media conferences, where he allowed various people to hold and/or wear his very heavy gold medal. Clary has already expressed interest in racing after diving and has attended several NASCAR races. One savvy veteran provided some requested information and now knows where and when to start his driving instructions, etc.
Another gold medalist is the guest of IndyCar – DANA VOLLMER, winner of the 100-meter butterfly, setting a record in London.
ERIN CAFARO is the guest of TrueCar Racing Women Powered Initiative. She is a two-time winner with the US Women’s Rowing team.
All the previous winners of the IndyCar races at Sonoma are running this weekend – 2005 – TONY KANAAN; 2006 – MARCO ANDRETTI; 2007 – SCOTT DIXON; 2008 – HELIO CASTRONEVES; 2009 – DARIO FRANCHITTI; and WILL POWER for the past two years.
Ten drivers will start on the red Alternative tire, with the others all on the black Primary tires.
STARTING GRID – Tire Choice
1. WILL POWER/Chevrolet/Primary
2. RYAN BRISCOE/Chevrolet/Alternate
3. SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS/Chevrolet/Alternate
4. HELIO CASTRONEVES/Chevrolet/Alternate
5. SCOTT DIXON/Honda/Primary
6. DARIO FRANCHITTI/Honda/Primary
7. RYAN HUNTER-REAY/Chevrolet/Primary
8. ALEX TAGLIANI/Honda/Alternate
9. *SIMON PAGENAUD/Honda/Primary
10. JAMES HINCHCLIFFE/Chevrolet/Alternate
11. RUBENS BARRICHELLO/Chevrolet/Primary
12. MARCO ANDRETTI/Chevrolet/Primary
13. GRAHAM RAHAL/Honda/Primary
14. MIKE CONWAY/Honda/Primary
15. JR HILDEBRAND/Chevrolet/Alternate
16. TONY KANAAN/Chevrolet/Alternate
17. EJ VISO/Chevrolet/Alternate
18. ORIOL SERVIA/Honda/Primary
19. *KATHERINE LEGGE/Honda/Primary
20. JUSTIN WILSON/Honda/Primary
21. CHARLIE KIMBALL/Honda/Primary
22. *JOSEF NEWGARDEN/Honda/Primary
23. SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA/Honda/Primary
24. JAMES JAKES/Honda/Primary
25. ED CARPENTER/Chevrolet/Alternate
26. TAKUMO SATO/Honda/Primary
27. SIMONA de SILVESTRO/Lotus/Primary
*=Rookie