SONOMA, Calif. — IndyCar officials included Tony Kanaan in their photo opportunity and media interviews for title contenders Friday at Infineon Raceway, but the former series champion knows his championship hopes are all but gone.
“From what they tell me, as soon as Scott (Dixon) starts the race on Sunday, he will have 12 points for sure, and that will eliminate me from contention,” Kanaan said.
But the Andretti Green Racing driver still has some goals for this season.
“Right now, I’m just working on winning some races for the team,” said Kanaan, who was second to Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves in Friday’s practices. “Once you win the championship, it isn’t real important if you finish second, third or fourth.”
Dixon goes into Sunday with a 78-point lead over Castroneves, with Dan Wheldon 138 points behind in third, and Kanaan 147 points back.
VISIBLE WOMAN: Danica Patrick is the most popular — and often the most visible — driver in the IndyCar Series, and that’s OK with her.
“When I’m at a racetrack, the cameras are rolling and there are many things that become a story because I’ve been fortunate to have people following me since very early in my IndyCar career,” she said Thursday.
Patrick, who earned her first IndyCar victory earlier this season in Japan, has had a mostly up-and-down year.
Other than her much-publicized win, she has gotten the most attention when she stalked down pit road in search of Ryan Briscoe after the two crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 in May, and when she had a brief confrontation with Milka Duno in the pits at Mid-Ohio last month.
“It’s like when you tune into a golf game … you want to know how Tiger’s doing,” she said. “I just have to be conscious of that. I just have to be aware that people are always watching, and especially young people are watching.”
Patrick, who drives for Andretti Green Racing, goes into Sunday’s race sixth in the season standings with two top-fives and eight top-10s in 14 races this season.
Another win in the final three races of the season would be a big step in preparing for 2009.
“I think as I mature as a driver I understand a little bit better what I need out of the car and am able to do, what I need to do on the track to go fast,” she said. “I’m slowly but surely learning.”
VISITOR FROM HOME: IndyCar rookie E.J. Viso spent some time Friday showing San Francisco Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel around the paddock and pits at Infineon Raceway.
The two grew up as friends in Caracas, Venezuela, but went in very different sporting directions.
Viso pursued a racing career in Europe and wound up as a test driver in Formula One before coming to the IndyCar Series. Vizquel came to the U.S. as a baseball player and is an 11-time Gold Glove Award winner.
“Omar is a champion baseball player and he’s well respected, not only in our country, but around the world,” Viso said “We met back in our hometown and I’m honored that he wanted to come out to the track and learn more about HVM Racing and the IndyCar Series.”
Vizquel, who watched the morning practice before heading back to San Francisco to play in a night game against the San Diego Padres, said he was impressed.
“This is amazing,” he said. “Being in the pits and watching everything develop was great. It’s more exciting when you watch it so close. It seems really demanding and takes a lot of responsibility. E.J. has always taken the challenge well.”
SPARK PLUGS: Longtime Portland, Ore., race promoter Mike Neely led a delegation to the Sonoma track Friday, hoping to persuade IndyCar officials to put the Northwest city on the 2010 schedule. Portland was part of the CART and Champ Car schedules for many years. … Championship contenders Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan will all race Sunday with “Magic Ring” Firestone Firehawk tires that have white sidewalls with black lettering. Each will continue to use the special tires in the final three points races or until they are eliminated from title contention. … Oriol Servia in 10th place is the highest-ranked driver among the eight transitioning from Champ Car to IndyCar.
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