Chip Ganassi Racing got the 2007 IndyCar Series season off to a flying start with a 1-2 finish under the lights Saturday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Starting from the pole position, Dan Wheldon led a total of 179 laps to earn his 12th career victory and his third for the Target team. After leading 15 laps of his own, Scott Dixon was close behind in second place to help the Target Team post their third 1-2 finish in the IndyCar Series.

"It's a great way to open up the season," said Wheldon whose third-straight win at Homestead-Miami Speedway marks first time in IndyCar Series history a driver has won three consecutive events at one track. "I think with Ganassi Racing ‑‑ this is not a sales pitch, this is the truth -- we've worked very hard over the winter to try to perfect what we started last year. It's great to be at Homestead and win three in a row. I'm not sure how we've done it, because I've done it with two different teams. The win looked dominant, but anytime you have (Scott) Dixon and (Sam) Hornish (Jr.) around, you know it's going to be tough. Hopefully, this bodes well for the rest of the season."

“We had it covered,” said Dixon who posted the runner-up finish for an 11th time with Target in the IndyCar Series. “It was good to see. With the No. 9 car, we couldn't get enough speed. Dan (Wheldon) was very good on the long runs. We'd get ten laps from the end of a stint and just start getting a bit loose. It was a bit of a handful. It was great to see the team with another 1-2 finish. It's a good way to start the year.”

The Target team has won three times (2003,2006,2007) in five years at Homestead-Miami Speedway and bodes particularly well as four times in the previous six years the driver to win the season-opener went on to win the series title, including Dixon in 2003 and Wheldon in 2005.

E.A.
Source Ganassi Racing