Franchitti and his Target-Chip Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon were plagued with problems throughout qualifying. Franchitti made his fastest lap after driving off the course on the lap prior.
“The problem I had on that last run, was I couldn’t get the car to downshift,” Franchitti explained. “We’re braking so late and these Firestone Reds have so much grip that the gearbox cannot get through the gears quick enough. Also, the car is right on the edge of locking the rears, so it won’t downshift. I was trying to get third gear there and I ended up getting fifth, which wasn’t so helpful.”
Franchitti knocked out Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe, who locked his rear brakes on his final qualifying lap.
“I just locked up the brakes up into Turn Seven a bit,” Briscoe said. “I was on a great lap. I was under my best previous qualifying lap. It was going to be maybe a high six or a low seven, but I locked up the rears going into the hairpin at the top of the track, and threw it away. So, I’m pretty frustrated right now.”
Helio Castroneves put his Penske car into third place on the grid.
Power, Philippe Collide
Team Penske’s third driver Will Power, a road-course specialist, was expected to do well at Infineon. Instead, he never made it to qualifying.
During pre-qualifying practice, Will Power collided with the stalled Conquest Racing car of Nelson Philippe, who had spun off the track just over the hill at Turn 3a.
Philipe spun off and came to a halt with the back half of his car in the dirt, and the front half on the track, right in the racing line. Because he was below the crest of the hill, oncoming drivers could not see him.
E.J. Viso came over the hill right after Philippe but was able to swerve, though his left rear wheel did clip Phillipe’s nose. Then Will Power came flying through, right on the line, and slammed into Philippe’s car dead center.
Nelson Philippe suffered a compound fracture of his left foot, and a concussion. Will Power fractured two vertebrae, L2 and L4, and also suffered a concussion. Both drivers were taken to Santa Rosa hospital, where Philippe went into surgery. Neither driver’s injuries are serious, but both will miss the race.
The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma starts at 2:50 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, August 23. For ticket information please visit the Infineon Raceway Web site.
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