Dan Wheldon Fontana preview

Wheldon targets third successive Rookie title England's Dan Wheldon is targeting a third successive Rookie of the Year title this weekend when he takes to the track at the California Speedway at Fontana for the last race in the 2001 CART Dayton ...

Wheldon targets third successive Rookie title

England's Dan Wheldon is targeting a third successive Rookie of the Year title this weekend when he takes to the track at the California Speedway at Fontana for the last race in the 2001 CART Dayton Indy Lights Championship in his Gemstar Communications PacWest Racing Lola-Buick.

23-year old Wheldon is currently in second place in the race for the title of Indy Lights Rookie of the Year, with 132 points -- just two less than Irishman Damien Faulkner. Having won the Rookie of the Year award for the last two years (1999 in US F2000 and 2000 in CART Toyota Atlantic), Dan Wheldon is eager to add a third successive Rookie title to his CV this weekend.

Overall, in the Dayton Indy Lights Championship which has already been won by the older and more experienced Townsend Bell, Wheldon is in third position -- two points behind Faulkner.

Commenting on the upcoming weekend's race at Fontana, Dan Wheldon said, "I'm going for it! At best, I can finish second in the Championship and be Rookie of the Year again . . . at the worst, I am assured of third place in the series. It would be great to end the season on a high with a third Indy Lights win!"

Practice for this weekend's race -- the last-ever Indy Lights Championship race -- starts tomorrow (Friday). The one and only qualifying session is on Saturday afternoon and the race is scheduled for a 3.30pm (local time) start on Sunday.