Castroneves takes Indy Japan 300 pole after washout
Championship leader Helio Castroneves was handed pole for the Indy Japan 300 here after official qualifying was washed out by rain.
The starting grid for the 200-lap Indy Japan 300 was decided by the points standings in the IRL championship series which Team Penske driver Castroneves leads with 93 points from New Zealand's Scott Dixon on 70.
"It's awesome starting up front. We were fast in practice, but I know everybody will pick it up as well tomorrow," said Castroneves, who won on the streets of Saint Petersburg on April 2 and finished second to Wheldon in the season-opening race in Homestead a week earlier.
"Hopefully we'll finish the race in the same place we're starting," he said.
"It's hard when you don't have much practice, but it's the same for everyone."
The 30-year-old Brazilian will line up on the front row on Saturday with Dixon, both in Dallara/Honda cars, on the 1.5-mile egg-shaped Twin Ring Motegi oval.
Britain's Dan Wheldon, Dixon's team-mate at Target Chip Ganassi Racing, will start from the second row with American Dallara Honda rider Sam Hornish Jr. as he aims for his third straight triumph at Motegi.
Japan's Kosuke Matsuura (Dallara Honda) and Brazilian Tony Kanaan (Dallara Honda) will line up on the third row.
When rain cancels qualifying, practice speeds usually decide the grid but Thursday's session was also disrupted by bad weather, meaning the drivers did not receive equal time on the track.
Castroneves was quickest in both sessions -- 201.203 mph (27.1937 seconds) on Thursday and 201.574 mph (27.1464) on Friday before the rain interruption.
AFP
