IRL: Chicagoland: Scott Sharp preview

Sharp Aiming for Solid Showing in Season Finale

Scott Sharp and the Delphi Fernandez Racing team head to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend for the IndyCar Series season finale -- the PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300. The race will mark Sharp's 129th IndyCar Series career start and will close the books on his 11th consecutive year of series' competition -- the only driver to have competed in each of the IndyCar Series' 11 seasons.

Sharp has made five previous appearances at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway tri-oval, claiming his best results of third in 2001 qualifying and a seventh-place drive in 2002. Five of his nine career wins have been on 1.5-mile circuits, the most recent coming at Kentucky in 2005. To date this year, Sharp has claimed seven top-10 results and will be looking to end the season on a high note with a solid run this weekend.

Scott Sharp At-A-Glance:

Will be making his sixth career start at Chicagoland

Claimed best result of seventh at Chicagoland in 2002

Best starting position at Chicagoland was third in 2001

Qualified ninth and finished eighth at Chicagoland last year

Scott Sharp - #8 Delphi Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "I can't believe the season is ending this weekend! The Chicagoland track has always been one of my favorites and it just produces some great racing for the fans with two and three rows of three and four abreast. It will be a great race to cap off the year. It's been an up-and-down season for us coming off a strong 2005. We weren't able to maintain the results we were getting mid-year and the last two races have been character-building for all of us. It would be great for things to go our way this weekend with a strong run to try to end the season in the top 10 in points."

-credit: www.delphifernandezracing.net