RESCUED FROM THE MESS; Tony Kanaan wins at Richmond.

Byline: CURT CAVIN

The race was sloppy, but Tony Kanaan cleaned it up. The Brazilian, who has been at the center of so many messy situations this IndyCar Series season, including a spat with Andretti Green Racing teammate Marco Andretti, won the crash-marred SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway.

There were eight incidents in which drivers found themselves off-course, hitting each other or the wall or sliding along a path no one should journey. Ten of the 26 cars left on a tow truck's hook, while three others incurred significant damage.

Ryan Hunter-Reay and Vitor Meira were involved in two caution periods each, with Hunter-Reay actually spinning just as the race started. Darren Manning's car was struck twice in the same accident. It was short-track racing at its best and worst.

Fortunately, no one was injured, and, surprisingly, no one threw a punch, although Ryan Briscoe seemed mad enough to do so when the race leaders bunched things up so much on the lap 79 restart that it was bumper cars mid-pack.

"I don't know why, when they're yelling `Green, green, green!' on the radio, everyone is getting on the brakes,'' Briscoe said. "Ridiculous.''

"The restarts were pathetic,'' agreed Manning.