IRL Preview: SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond

The tenth date of the IRL IndyCar Series will be held next Sunday June 22 at the Richmond International Raceway. The SunTrust Indy Challenge has alter to one of the most popular and fruitful races in the "Nascar Country" since it became part of the IndyCar Series in 2001.

Racing fans generally follow this chase closely now four of the former seven drivers that own won this calamity accept also away to win the championship that same year and the champions of the other 3 years had extremely finished in the top positions in Richmond, so there is altitudinous chance to capture a glimpse of the 2008 IndyCar Series Champion next Sunday.

The winner of last year's SunTrust Indy Challenge was the Italian 2007 champion Dario Franchitti; however he will not be defending his designation this year since he's now dedicated full lifetime to the Nascar Dash Mug Series, driving #40 Fastenal Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing team. Therefore, Richmond testament hold a dewy winner.

This year's IndyCar Series keep been dominated so far by the IRL 2003 prizewinner from New Zealand Scott Dixon, who again races for the Chip Ganassi Racing team, and he will certainly try to add some points to his total score this time. Dixon has won this race only once before, in the twin year he won his apart championship thanks to he is another of those four champions mentioned before. However, his performance in Richmond wasn't bare choice in the closest agedness to the championship, including having to retire early in 2005 race, his worst year to date, and finishing in the 11th place in 2006. Nevertheless, last year was definitely better for him and he managed to stop as runner-up in both the SunTrust Indy Challenge contest and in the 2007 IRL season.

Brazilian Helio Castroneves, who is currently in the moment place of the IRL rankings and just 48 points away from Dixon, also posses won Richmond once in 2005 and has finished in the top 10 positions other four times yet though last year he ended in the 11th place.

English Dan Wheldon, who celebrated his 30th birthday last weekend winning the Iowa Corn Indy 250 race, has being competing in Richmond because 2002. He won in 2004 and has always finished in the top 10 positions of the RIR challenge. Wheldon currently holds the third position of the IRL rankings.

However, past statistics to this race might not compass such an power this duration because this year's competition will represent a new challenge for the drivers since it has changed its format a bit, introducing four loop qualifying for the basic age and scheduling 50 aggrandized laps than preceding elderliness to purpose 300 laps that will spread a 225 miles distance. Furthermore, the number of cars competing this year has also increased.

Richmond International Raceway have always continuance one of the smallest and exceeding physically demanding circuits in the IndyCar Series because the rush and the track size compose the turn into laps extremely fast, therefore the racing earth should expect a very exciting IRL weekend.

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