Both Team Penske drivers produced solid performances Saturday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway to begin the 2007 IRL IndyCar Series season, even though it wasn't the victorious result they sought.

Sam Hornish Jr. finished third while team-mate Helio Castroneves placed ninth.

“I said we'd be happy if we came out of here with a top-three finish, and we did that,” Hornish said. “We'll move on to our next race and see what we can do.”

Dan Wheldon won the race, beating Ganassi team-mate Scott Dixon by six seconds. Hornish and Wheldon tied in the final point standings last year, but Hornish claimed the championship on the basis of his four race wins, including the Indianapolis 500.

On Saturday, Hornish made several runs at Wheldon, but couldn't chase him down. “I could stay with Dan, but as soon we got that gap, I couldn't quite get there in time,” Hornish said. “It's unfortunate for the Team Penske crew.”

Castroneves scored valuable points with his ninth-place finish. "We didn't finish where we wanted today, but points are points,” Castroneves said. “We definitely have some room for improvement, and now we just have to work hard and focus on the rest of the season. It's a long year, and I think we can certainly learn from this race and come back strong."

E.A.
Source Team Penske