Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page C007

C7 Sunday FINAL Sunday, April 20, 2008 ARIZONA DAILY STAR C7 AUTO RACING In fourth year, IRL's Patrick wins; 'finally she exclaims muuai iwm mm HSnI I HIT 'Vur-. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MOTEGI, Japan Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history today, taking the Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps. Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves on the 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi oval after leader Scott Dixon pitted with five laps left and Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan came in a lap later. "It's a long time coming. Finally," Patrick said.

"It was a fuel-strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous." The 26-year-old Patrick won in her 50th career IndyCar start, taking the led from Castroneves on 198th lap in the 200-lap race. "Thank you to Andretti Green. Thanks to my teammates," she said.

Dixon took the lead from Castroneves on the 93rd lap in the race rescheduled for Sunday because of wet track conditions Saturday, but gave up the spot to pit for fuel. "We led for a lot of laps but came up short," Dixon said. "But congratulations to Danica for her first victory." Patrick, who started from the third row and made her final pit stop on lap 148, stayed close to the leaders throughout the race. "I knew there was a good reason for coming to Japan," Patrick said. "I want to thank my team, the fans and everyone who supported me." Dixon was third, 10.0559 seconds behind Patrick.

Wheldon was fourth, and Kanaan finished fifth. Castroneves, awarded pole position after qualifying was rained out Friday, said Patrick ran a great race. "With five laps to go, I was saving fuel," Castroneves said. "When Danica passed me, I realized she was the leader. She did a great job, passed me fair and SH UJI KAJ IYAMA THE ASSOC I ATED PRESS Danica Patrick took the lead on the 198th lap of the 200-lap race and became the first woman to win an IndyCar race.

MACKEY caiic I square and that shows you how competitive our series is." Patrick finished a career-best seventh in the season standings last year, and was second in the race at Detroit's Belle Isle. At the 2005 Indy 500, she nearly won the pole and became the first female driver to lead the race en route to a fourth-place finish. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy, and helped her take rookie of the year honors. Edwards gets help from greenhorn MEXICO CITY Carl Edwards the defending champion in NASCAR's Nationwide Series can still use some tips every now and then. From a 19-year-old.

Teenager Colin Braun has become a bit of a mentor to Edwards now that they're team mates with Roush Fenway Racing. That's how Edwards described it, at least, after Braun took the pole for the Corona Mexico 200, today's Nationwide event. "I'm leaning on Colin now and he's a guy that I've gone to just lately and he's agreed to help me out with my road-course racing. "I just think he's unbelievable," Edwards said. Wilson on pole for Champ Car's finale LONG BEACH, Calif.

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