INDYCAR: Dixon Leads Thursday Texas Practice

IndyCar

INDYCAR: Dixon Leads Thursday Texas Practice

Indy 500 winner sets early pace under the lights.

SPEED Staff | Posted June 06, 2008 Fort Worth, Tex.

Dixon rolled on under the lights. (LAT photo)

Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda, topped the speed chart in the first practice session – 90 minutes under the lights Thursday night on the high-banked 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval – with a quick lap of 213.837 mph (24.4953 seconds) in preparation for the Bombardier Learjet 550k.

The session was run in wind that gusted to 35 mph. A record-tying 28 drivers for the IndyCar Series at the racetrack totaled 1,436 laps, with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Buddy Rice putting in a field-high 72.

Marco Andretti in the No. 26 Blockbuster car for Andretti Green Racing (213.465 mph; 24.5380 seconds) was second and John Andretti (212.956; 24.5966) in the No. 24 Roth Racing car was third. Dan Wheldon (212.932) in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car was fourth and A.J. Foyt IV (212.164) fifth in the No. 2 Lilly Diabetes/Vision Racing car.

Ryan Briscoe, who recorded his first IndyCar Series victory at Milwaukee, followed Vision Racing’s Ed Carpenter (sixth at 212.164 mph). Andretti Green Racing’s Danica Patrick (212.109) was eighth and KV Racing Technology’s Will Power ninth (211.959). Power and Hideki Mutoh (211.952) are the only drivers in the top 10 to have not competed on the oval.