HOUSTON -- Scott Dixon, driving the Honda-powered No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, won Race 1 of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston. Will Power won Race 2 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car with a Chevrolet engine.
The manufacturers enter the final race of the season Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., tied in their championship points duel. Both have nine victories.
"It’s a shame we were unable to score our 10th win, but we will do everything we can in the next two weeks to bring the manufacturer's championship home to Honda,” Honda Performance Development technical director Roger Griffiths said.
Countered Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president performance vehicles and motorsports for Chevrolet: "Congratulations to Will Power, Tim Cindric and the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar team on their win today in Houston. Will drove an amazing race, and the pit stops were quick and efficient all day long. We are looking forward to the final IndyCar race in Fontana."
Engine manufacturer competition returned to the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012. Chevrolet won the title last year.
Drivers mark milestones
Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay made his 150th Indy car start in Race 2. Teammate E.J. Viso started his 100th race.
“It’s gone by super fast,” said Viso, driver of the No. 5 Team Venezuela PDVSA CITGO car. “I never really stopped to think about how many races I’ve done. It’s easy to say, 100 races, but it seems like yesterday that I moved to the States. I’m grateful that my career has always been stable here and hopefully it will stay that way.”
Make a bid on 'Horsepower' to benefit Racing For Kids
“Horsepower,” a unique oil painting by noted wildlife artist Charlie Bishop, is being auctioned on eBay with proceeds benefiting Racing For Kids’ driver hospital visit program and its year-end donations to children’s hospitals for designated needs or playroom development.
The artwork, featuring Ryan Hunter-Reay in his 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series championship-winning No. 28 Andretti Autosport car flanked by thoroughbred horses. The 3x4-foot creation is signed by Hunter-Reay and Bishop. Bid HERE.
On the Mazda Road to Indy ladder
Matthew Brabham won the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires race Oct. 6 to complete a doubleheader sweep. It was the 13th victory of the season for Brabham, the son of Indianapolis 500 veteran and sports-car racer Geoff Brabham and grandson of three-time Formula One World Champion Sir Jack Brabham.
Brabham clinched the season championship with two victories Aug. 10-11 at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and closed the season with six consecutive wins.
Alexandre Baron won the Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda race Oct. 6. Scott Hargrove clinched the series title in the Oct. 5 race.
Of note
Conor Daly, who drove an A.J. Foyt Racing car in the 97th Indianapolis 500 in May, was on standby for Race 2 as Takuma Sato, driver of the No. 14 ABC Supply car for the Foyt team, tweaked a wrist injury in Race 1. ... The Honda-powered Nos. 10 (Dario Franchitti), 15 (Graham Rahal), 16 (James Jakes) and 18 (Pippa Mann for Auto Club Speedway) cannot score manufacturer points because they're on their sixth engine or more of the season. ... Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion and Houston native A.J. Foyt was the grand marshal and presented the A.J. Foyt Trophy -- an autographed resin cowboy boot on a marble base -- to Power. ... Foyt scored his first midget car victory in 1953 on the Playland Park dirt oval (which was on the site of Reliant Park). ... Country star Country star sang the national anthem (below).
