IRL: Fontana: Dan Wheldon race report

FONTANA, Calif. (Oct. 16, 2005) - Klein Tools/Jim Beam driver Dan Wheldon added another top-six finish to his record-breaking 2005 Indy Racing League® IndyCar® Series season with a sixth-place result at Sunday's running of the California Indy 400. The team has recorded a top-six finish in 22 of their last 24 events.

Wheldon had a difficult handling car in the initial stages of the . race and fell to as low as 16th place However, his crew made a wing . adjustment on its first pit stop that drastically changed the handling . of the car >From there, Wheldon moved up through the field and remained. in contention throughout the 200-lap event .

Wheldon's AGR teammates Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan finished the race in first and second place, respectively. It was Franchitti's second win of the year and he clinched the fourth spot in the IndyCar Series championship. Kanaan finished runner-up in the championship after winning the 2004 crown.

In addition to setting a single-season record with six wins, Wheldon became the first driver in the history of the IndyCar Series to win the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship in the same season. Among the single-season records Wheldon set in 2005 are: victories (6), consecutive victories (3), points (628), earnings ($2,665,405), and races led (15).

The 2006 IndyCar Series season opens on Sunday, March 26, at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Dan Wheldon, #26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone:

"The Klein Tools/Jim Beam boys, under very difficult circumstances, try very, very hard and that showed today. I had a very difficult car to start the race and dropped to the back of the pack. We got the yellow and made some changes to the car and it improved. It's been a very happy season, there's no doubt about it. I can't say enough about the job the entire Andretti Green Racing team does for us."

John Anderson, Team Manager, #26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone:

"The first stint was dreadful. Dan was really hanging on. Fortunately, the first yellow came before the end of the stint and we had a chance to adjust the wing and he just took off. For some reason, we went off late in the race and we didn't have anything for them. Looking back, it's been a great season and today finished it off with our teammates' '1-2'."

-agr-