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Friday, July 10, 2009

Toronto Preview

By: Tony Donohue

The Indy Car Series heads north of the border for only the second time in series history. This time though, at the very bumpy and tricky Toronto circuit. The Inaugural Honda Indy Toronto will be the first of two races held in Canada this year.

The Champ Car Series has ran in Toronto for many year's now, and there are alot of drivers in the Indy Car Series with experience their. The last time an open wheel event was ran in Toronto, Will Power came home the victor. This weekend, Will returns to the Penske Truck Rentals #12 car, in search for his first Indy Car win of the season. Last weeks winner Justin Wilson, who was one of my darkhorses, won in Toronto in 2007. Paul Tracy, who will be in a KV Racing Honda this weekend, is a two time winner in Toronto. Dario Franchitti also won their back in 2000.

This weekends race should be very competitive. A slight advantage goes to the drivers who have ran their before and know the race course. 85 laps around this temporary street course can call for alot of mistakes, so expect the unexpected. It is really hard to preview an Inaugural event.

No one really knows who will be fast until the practice sessions are in. Unlike Watkins Glen or Kansas, it is very hard to call who will be atop the charts at the end of the race. Paul Tracy will be strong, and exciting to watch all race. Justin Wilson is very hard to bet against, and really is no longer a dark horse on the road courses, especially Toronto where he has won. Will Power, who has not finished outside the top 6 in his three starts this season will be in the hunt at the end. Expect the Penske and Ganassi boys to be up their as well.

I will take Will Power to win it. It is really hit or miss with him. His crew has seemed to be fairly strong this year, and if doesnt push it into the wall, or make a mistake like we have seen him do in the past, he can pull it off for Roger Penske. The Penske's will be hard to beat this weekend, and with the right luck could pull off the podium sweep. My darkhorse are Alex Tagliani and Robert Doornbos. Taglian, a Canadian native, hasn't ran since his Rookie of the Year performance in the Indy 500, and will prove he is worthy of being in the car, and Conquest can contend on the road courses. Doornbos has to do something good. Big expectations comming into the season have yet to be fulfilled. He has the talent, just needs the patience, I think he can pull off a top 5 this weekend.

1 comments:

I totally agree.. I'm taking Power to win, Wilson to place, and one of the red Penske cars to show...

Good article.

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