FAST FACTS: Milwaukee IndyFest

  

FAST  FACTS: Milwaukee IndyFest WIDE-OPEN 2013 SEASON CONTINUES WITH MILWAUKEE INDYFEST Race Broadcast Saturday, June 15 4 p.m. (ET) NBC Sports Network Track The Milwaukee Mile (1-mile oval) Distance 250 laps/250 miles Radio IMS Radio Network XM 211/Sirius 211 2012 Race Winner Ryan Hunter-Reay 2012 Pole Sitter Dario Franchitti (168.737 mph) Track Records   Single Lap: Patrick Carpentier (20.028, 185.500 mph) May 30, 1998   Two-lap Average Dario Franchitti (43.3100, 168.737 mph) June 15, 2012   First Indy car Race 7/17/1933 Story Ideas: Will competitive IZOD IndyCar Series season add eighth winner in nine races? The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season has seen seven winners in the first eight races. The seven different winners who have won from Barber to Texas - including three first-time winners - is the longest stretch of different winners since 2010 when seven different drivers won from St. Petersburg to Iowa. Castroneves hopes to pad points lead in Milwaukee Helio Castroneves took control of the IZOD IndyCar Series points lead with his victory at Texas Motor Speedway and carries a 22-point advantage into the Milwaukee IndyFest. The Brazilian leads the Andretti Autosport duo of Marco Andretti (22 points back) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (27 points back), but is searching for his first win at Milwaukee. Can Castroneves take advantage of Team Penske's knowledge of Milwaukee (seven wins) and maintain his points lead? Hunter-Reay aims for third win at Milwaukee Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay used a three-race win streak that began at The Milwaukee Mile to propel himself into championship contention in 2012. He returns to the track seeking his third win on the 1-mile oval. Can Hunter-Reay make another summer push for the title beginning at the Milwaukee IndyFest? Kanaan hopes to continue Milwaukee mastery With six top-five finishes in his last eight starts at Milwaukee, Tony Kanaan has definitely earned the title of Milwaukee Master. Kanaan won at Milwaukee in 2006 and 2007 and finished second in 2012. The Firestone 550 will mark Kanaan's 205th consecutive Indy car start, which is six off the record by his team's co-owner, Jimmy Vasser. Can the reigning Indianapolis 500 winner add a third Milwaukee trophy this weekend? Young stars aim for win on Father's Day weekend Andretti and Rahal are two of the most storied names in Indy car racing and both families hope to visit the winner's circle at Milwaukee on Father's Day weekend. Marco Andretti, whose family has nine wins at The Mile, stands second in IZOD IndyCar Series points and is aiming for his first win of the season at Milwaukee. Graham Rahal, whose father finished second at Milwaukee three times, looks to rebound for a disappointing Texas race by claiming a Father's Day gift of a win. A victory would make this a happier Father's Day With Sunday, June 16 being Father's Day, a perfect pairing for an IZOD IndyCar Series driver would be to spend the day before with his child in Victory Lane. Among the racing dads aiming for a win this weekend are: Sebastien Bourdais, Ed Carpenter, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Takuma Sato and Justin Wilson. Can one of them bring their kids to Victory Lane on Father's Day weekend? Jakes emerges as threat to win with Rahal team James Jakes has been a contender for race wins and poles since the calendar has flipped to June. The third-year driver from England scored his first front-row start and podium at Detroit Dual 2 and ran among the leaders at Texas before a late pit stop relegated him to 12th place. Can Jakes translate his recent success into a top finish at Milwaukee? Andretti team hopes make more history for owner at Milwaukee Michael Andretti won at Milwaukee five times in his storied career as an Indy car driver and has four wins as owner of Andretti Autosport. Andretti, whose company Andretti Sports Marketing is promoting this weekend's race, hopes to visit Victory Lane three times this weekend with one of his four IZOD IndyCar Series entries as well as his team's two Firestone Indy Lights cars and two Pro Mazda cars.  Race Notes: • The Milwaukee IndyFest will be the ninth IZOD IndyCar Series event at The Milwaukee Mile. Past winners Ryan Hunter-Reay (2004 Champ Car and 2012) , Dario Franchitti (2011 and 2004 INDYCAR), Scott Dixon (2009), Tony Kanaan (2006-07) and Sebastien Bourdais (2006 Champ Car) are entered in the event. • Andretti Autosport has won four of the eight previous IZOD IndyCar Series races at Milwaukee.  • Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won two of the last three IZOD IndyCar Series races at Milwaukee (Dixon in 2009 and Franchitti in 2011). • Team Penske has seven Indy car wins at Milwaukee. Andretti Autosport has four wins. Target Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins. • Helio Castroneves has won three poles at Milwaukee (1999, 2006 and 2007). • Marco Andretti has four top-five starts in six races at Milwaukee. • Dario Franchitti has finished no lower than sixth in six of his last seven starts (2004-2007, 2009, 2011). • Tony Kanaan has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last 10 starts at Milwaukee. • Ryan Hunter-Reay and Dario Franchitti are the only drivers to win at The Milwaukee Mile and win the IZOD IndyCar Series championship in the same season. Hunter-Reay accomplished the feat in 2012 and Franchitti accomplished the feat in 2011. • Since the first Indy car race at Milwaukee in 1939, 18 drivers have won at Milwaukee in their Indy car championship-winning seasons: Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2011), Sebastien Bourdais (2006), Al Unser Jr. (1994 and 1990), Nigel Mansell (1993), Michael Andretti (1991), Johnny Rutherford (1980), A.J. Foyt (1975 and 1964), Joe Leonard (1972), Al Unser (1970), Mario Andretti (1966),  Rodger Ward (1962 and 1959), Jimmy Bryan (1956), Chuck Stevenson (1952), Tony Bettenhausen (1951), Johnnie Parsons (1949), Ted Horn (1947), Rex Mays (1941). • Since 1993, a driver has won the ninth race of the season and the championship eight times. Ryan Hunter-Reay won at Iowa in 2012, Dario Franchitti won Richmond in 2007. Sebastien Bourdais won at Denver in 2004 and 2005 and San Jose in 2006 Juan Pablo Montoya won at Cleveland in 1999, Kenny Brack won at Atlanta  in 1998 and Alex Zanardi won at Portland in 1998. • Since 1993, three drivers scored their first win at Milwaukee: Ryan Briscoe 2008, Michel Jourdain 2003 and Greg Moore 1997. Season to Date: • James Hinchcliffe won the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. It was the first win of his Indy car career. He was the 207th driver to win an Indy car race. • Will Power won his 30th career Indy car pole at St. Petersburg.  • Tristan Vautier started his first career IZOD IndyCar Series race at St. Petersburg. • Ryan Hunter-Reay won his 10th Indy car race when he won the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park from the pole position. It was the second time he had won a race from pole. • Takuma Sato won his first Indy car race when he won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He was the 208th driver to win an Indy car race and first Japanese driver to win. It was A.J. Foyt's first win as a car owner since 2002.  • Dario Franchitti won his 30th career Indy car pole at Long Beach. • James Hinchcliffe won the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 with a last-lap, last-turn pass of Takuma Sato. It was his second win of 2013 and the third win in four races for Andretti Autosport. • Ed Carpenter won his first pole position since 2010 at Kentucky when he won the pole for the 97th Indianapolis 500. • Tony Kanaan won the 97th Indianapolis 500 to record his 16th Indy car victory. • Mike Conway and Simon Pagenaud split the wins in the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit. It was Conway's second Indy car win and Pagenaud's first Indy car victory. • Will Power won his 31st career Indy car pole at Texas.  • Helio Castroneves won his 28th Indy car race when he won the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway. • There were four race leaders and four lead changes in the season-opening race at St. Petersburg.  • There were four race leaders and six lead changes at Barber.  • There were seven leaders and nine lead changes at Sao Paulo. • There were a race-record 14 leaders and race-record 68 lead changes at Indianapolis.  Milestones & Records: • Should Dario Franchitti win the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship, he will join A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to win at least five Indy car titles in their career. Franchitti won the title in 2007 and again from 2009-2011. Foyt won seven championships in his career. • With their next victory, either Dario Franchitti or Sebastien Bourdais will move into sole possession of seventh place on the all-time wins list. Franchitti and Bourdais are tied with Paul Tracy with 31 wins. • With a victory in 2013, Scott Dixon will extend his streak of consecutive seasons with a win to nine. • With his next victory, Scott Dixon will move into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list. Dixon won his 29th race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 5, 2012, to tie Rick Mears for 10th place on the all-time wins list. • Helio Castroneves moved into sole possession of 11th place on the all-time wins list with his win at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8. Castroneves had been tied with Johnny Rutherford for 12th with the victory. • Helio Castroneves needs three earned poles to reach 40 career poles in his Indy car career. • Will Power recorded the 30th pole of his Indy car career at St. Petersburg and his 31st pole position at Texas. • Dario Franchitti recorded the 30th pole of his Indy car career at Long Beach and his 31st pole position at Detroit 1. • Scott Dixon needs two earned poles to reach 20 in his Indy car career. • With one pole in 2013, Scott Dixon will extend his IZOD IndyCar Series streak to seven consecutive seasons. • Scott Dixon's second-place finish at Barber was the 30th of his Indy car career. It tied Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Jr., and Bobby Unser for fifth on the all-time list. • Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves recorded their 109th top-five finish at Texas to remain tied for 10th on the all-time list. • Scott Dixon recorded the 100th top-five finish of his Indy car career at Barber Motorsports Park. With a pair of top-five finishes at Detroit, Dixon tied Paul Tracy for 12th on the all-time list. • Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 205th consecutive start. Jimmy Vasser holds the all-time record of 211. Scott Dixon with 146 straight starts (7th all-time) and Marco Andretti with 122 straight starts (15th all-time) are the only other active drivers with a streak of more than 100 consecutive starts. • Ryan Hunter-Reay needs three starts to mark his 100th consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series starts. At-Track Schedule (all times local): Friday, June 14 10- 11 a.m. - IZOD IndyCar Series practice (Two groups: 10-10:30 a.m. - Outside top-10; 10:30-11 - All cars) 1-2 p.m. - IZOD IndyCar Series practice (all cars) 4:15 p.m. - IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying for Verizon P1 Award. (Single car/Two-lap average) Saturday, June 15 11:15-11:20 a.m. - IZOD IndyCar Series systems check 3 p.m. - Milwaukee IndyFest pre-race 3:45 p.m. - Milwaukee IndyFest (250 laps/250 miles), NBC Sports Network (Live)