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BIRTHDAY BOY; Despite dominance on the lap chart, it's no cakewalk for Hornish.(Motorsports)(Sam Hornish Jr. of Penske wins )
Byline: J.P. VETTRAINO
What was supposed to be a wide-open Indy Racing League season has turned into a two-team duel, and after the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 it is threatening to become a one-team romp. Team Penske's Sam Hornish Jr. celebrated his 27th birthday by leading 149 of 200 laps at Kansas Speedway, weathering a late-race blitz by Ganassi Racing's Dan Wheldon and winning his second consecutive race.
Penske or Ganassi drivers have won all eight races this season, and led all but 84 of 1405 laps. Kansas was a clash of titans, and at the finish one giant's legs seemed to be weakening just a bit. Hornish beat back everything Ganassi could muster. His victory is Penske's third in a row, and fourth in the last five races.
"I'm a little surprised to get out of here with a win,'' Hornish said afterward. "It seems like when you lead as much as we did early, something happens later on. A lot of stuff is going our way lately.''
It had gone Ganassi's way Saturday, if only by a whisker. The Penske/Ganassi foursome were spread through the qualifying order, but after the last one turned laps-surprise!-they filled the first two rows. Wheldon had his third career pole (213.536 mph), ahead of Hornish, Ganassi's Scott Dixon and Penske's Helio Castroneves.
"I've got to go for it, attack every chance I have,'' Wheldon said after qualifying. "At this point in the championship there is no point biding my time and running conservatively.''
It was 95 degrees when the green flag dropped on race day. Wheldon held the point as Hornish and Dixon raced for second. By lap seven Hornish had separated himself from Dixon and passed Wheldon for the lead, leaving the Ganassi duo to fight for P2. By lap 24 Wheldon had settled firmly behind Hornish, and Hornish had overtaken the first backmarker.
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