Sunday, May 5, 2013

Morning Warm-Up: São Paulo 2013

For the second time this season, Ryan Hunter-Reay will lead the field to the green flag after winning the pole position Saturday afternoon. The American broke the track record at São Paulo by setting a time of 1:20.4312. Next to the defending champion is his teammate EJ Viso. This is EJ Viso's best starting position in his Izod IndyCar Series career. Dario Franchitti starts third with Brazil's favorite Tony Kanaan starting next to the Scot in fourth position. Kanaan is making his 200 consecutive start in an American open-wheel series race. He is twelve away from breaking the record held by his car owner Jimmy Vasser. James Hinchcliffe and Scott Dixon rounded out the Firestone Fast Six.

Will Power got caught out by a red flag in his round 1 group and missed the Fast Twelve. The only winner for IndyCar on the streets of São Paulo finds himself starting 22nd. Sébastien Bourdais starts seventh with Simona de Silvestro in eighth. Justin Wilson starts ninth and Marco Andretti bookended the top ten for Andretti Autosport. JR Hildebrand made it two consecutive races making it to the Fast Twelve and starts eleventh ahead of the most recent winner Takuma Sato.

Oriol Serviá starts thirteenth in what could be the penultimate round of the 2013 season for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing should funding not be found for the rest of the season after Indianapolis.

Other notable starting positions: Ed Carpenter 14th, Charlie Kimball 17th, Helio Castroneves 18th, Graham Rahal 19th, Simon Pagenaud 23rd and Josef Newgarden will start 25th after an engine change.

Graham Rahal was the fastest in the morning warm-up from São Paulo. EJ Viso was second with Scott Dixon, JR Hildebrand, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Simona de Silvestro, Sébastien Bourdais, Marco Andretti and Ana Beatriz rounding out the top ten.

Just a few quick facts: This is the first race on May 5th since 2003. Sébastien Bourdais won that day in the CART race at Brands Hatch. On two other occasions have a race been held on May 5th. In 1910, a little over a year before winning the first Indianapolis 500, Ray Harroun won at a 200-miler at Atlanta and in 1946 Joie Chitwood won the first race ever held at Trenton.

Coverage of the 75 lap Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 begins at 11 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Net with green flag around 11:30 a.m. ET.