Watkins Glen: Panther Racing race report

Wheldon Battles for Tenth Place in Camping World GP at the Glen
National Guard Driver Climbs Up to Fourth Place, Collects Eighth Straight Top Ten Finish

WATKINS GLEN, NY. (July 5, 2009) -- The National Guard Panther Racing team and driver Dan Wheldon captured their eighth-consecutive Top Ten finish Sunday in the Camping World GP at the Glen with a tenth-place finish. Wheldon, who started 11th, ran as high as fourth during the race and remains in the sixth position in the IndyCar Series point standings.

The team's current streak of consecutive Top Ten finishes is the longest in the series and Wheldon has now completed more laps (1,632 of a possible 1,648) than any other driver in the series.

At the start of the race, Wheldon passed Danica Patrick to take tenth position on the first lap. Then after pitting for the first time on Lap 17, the team benefited from the first caution of the race two laps later when Richard Antinucci spun. Several competitors had yet to pit and the bonus elevated Wheldon to fifth place. After a restart on Lap 25, Wheldon passed Helio Castroneves as the two drivers entered the bus stop chicane and put the No. 4 car into the fourth position.

An issue on the team's final pit stop on Lap 41 cost the team a few places, but Wheldon re-entered the field in ninth and after the race's final restart (Lap 54) Robert Doornbos, who was on red tires, passed Wheldon, giving the team its final position of tenth.

Dale Coyne Racing driver Justin Wilson captured the team's first career win and he was followed to the finish line by Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe and Ganassi's Racing's Scott Dixon.

Panther will now travel to Toronto for the IndyCar Series first event on the downtown streets, the Honda Indy Toronto race will be broadcast live in ABC at 1 p.m. (EST), with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, www.indycar.com and Sirius XM channel 211.

Dan Wheldon, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda

"The car was very competitive, we just had a little bit of a slower pit stop on the last stop. But that happens. Unfortunately it might have just been one of those days for the National Guard Panther Racing team. With our tire choice today we just got unlucky; when our red tires were on there were some sporadic yellows and when we had the blacks on it stayed green. It was just one of those days, but everybody at Panther continues to work very hard and did a good job this weekend, we just need to bounce back in Toronto."

-credit: pr