TAGLIANI PR - Sam Schmidt Motorsports: Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IndyCar Series Race Report
Tagliani Survives ‘Blistering’ St. Pete RaceCanadian Finishes Sixth for New Owner Schmidt in IndyCar Opener Date: March 27, 2011 Event: Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Round 1 of 17) Series: IZOD IndyCar Series Location: Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (1.8-mile, 14-turn road course) Start/Finish: 10th/6th (Running, completed 100 of 100 laps) Winner: Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing |
In a race that took its toll on equipment and nerves, Alex Tagliani survived the 100-lap IZOD IndyCar Series Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg by driving a damaged No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins Dallara/Honda/Firestone Indy car to an impressive top-10 finish on Sunday. Tagliani climbed from the cockpit after the race to show that his Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) car wasn’t the only thing damaged after the race. He immediately removed his left glove to find two deep gouges, along with swelling on the top of his hand, while his palm and fingers displayed several large, raw blisters. He attributed the damage to the car and his hand to contact he made in turn one on the third of four attempts to restart the race during the opening 12 laps. Despite his struggle with a damaged racecar, Tagliani was upbeat after the race. “It was the first race back for Sam (Schmidt) as a team owner (in the IndyCar Series) and I know he’s pleased,” Tagliani said while leaning on the pit wall just minutes after taking the checkered flag. “He’s a pretty excitable guy, and all weekend he showed a little nerves and stress by being back in the league as an owner in the IndyCar Series. To bring him his first sixth-place finish in the IndyCar series and to finish 1-2 in Indy Lights, I think, ‘mission accomplished’ for the whole team.” Tagliani was referencing the dominating performance of SSM in the Firestone Indy Lights Series race run just prior to the IndyCar Series race on Sunday. SSM cars driven by Josef Newgarden and Conor Daly finished first and second, respectively. Still, Tagliani could not hide his emotions on what could have been a better finish if the first-turn contact hadn’t happened on lap 13. “I think we’re just a couple of tenths off before we get the car being more consistent and fast,” he said. “But, what really hurt us today was the hit on the (third) restart when we went from fourth to seventh. Simona (de Silvestro) did a bonsai move and it stuck for her, but she landed on everybody else. In the contact, I hit my hand in the cockpit and the wheel burned my hands as I tried to keep it under me.” Last year’s IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti won the race by leading 94 of the 100 laps. Rounding out the top-five were Will Power, Tony Kanaan, de Silvestro and Takuma Sato. Tagliani, Raphael Matos, Vitor Meira, Oriol Servia and Justin Wilson comprised the remainder of the top-10. Power, who started on the pole, was the only other leader of the race. Franchitti’s margin of victory was 7.l612 seconds over Power, who was last year’s Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner. There were five caution periods for a total of 13 laps. The IZOD IndyCar Series races next at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., at the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, April 10. The race will be televised live on VERSUS beginning at 3 p.m. EDT. -TSC- |
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