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Toronto, July 15, 2010 — Canadian driver Alex Tagliani is back on familiar grounds this weekend with the running of the Honda Indy Toronto, the first of two consecutive IndyCar races on Canadian soil. Even though this is only the second time that the IndyCar Series has competed in Canada’s largest city, Tagliani will be making his tenth start in America’s top open wheel series since 2000, having run in both Champ Car and IndyCar over the course of the last 10 years. The 2.816-kilometer street course has been kind to Alex Tagliani where he picked-up seven Top 9 finishes in nine starts. His best results came in 2001 during his second campaign with Player’s/Forsythe Racing by qualifying fifth, then crossing the finish line in second place. His second podium finish at Toronto came in 2005 with a third place result while racing for Team Australia. Last year, he finished ninth, but could have left with a victory if not for an untimely caution. Tagliani did make his way to victory lane in Toronto with a win in the Atlantic Series race in 1998 during his penultimate season in that series.
Driver: Alex Tagliani
Entry: No 77 Bowers & Wilkins Hot Wheels FAZZT Race Team Dallara/Honda/Firestone
Event: 2nd IRL Honda Indy Toronto — 85 laps/239.389 kilometers
24th Indy Toronto since its launch in 1986 with a one-year off in 2008
Track: Streets of Toronto ON — 2.816-km street course
Event Dates: Two Practice sessions on Friday, July 16
Qualifying and Fast 6 on Saturday, July 17 from 12:50 to 2:20 pm ET
Race on Sunday July 18 at 12:30 p.m. ET, live on TSN2 & ABC
Live Timing & Scoring and Video is available at www.indycar.com
Race: 10 of 17
At a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon at Dundas & Yonge Street Square, FAZZT Race Team unveiled its new customized Hot Wheels team colors for the Toronto and Edmonton races. The event was part of the Honda Indy Fest Toronto race weekend activities.
“I was on the podium here at the Honda Indy Toronto in 2001 and again in 2005 and it’s always a race I want to do well in, not only because it’s Canada but because the fans are so supportive and the atmosphere is amazing,” said Tagliani. “I thought last year I was going to steal the win at Toronto. I led the whole race until really late in the race when I was just four corners from coming into the pits for my final stop when someone crashed, the caution came out, closed the pits and destroyed our race right there. This year, I’m here with my new FAZZT team and we’re putting a lot of pressure on ourselves because we want to do well at home and because we have had some good results this season but we have to remember that we are still learning. Hopefully our amazing new Hot Wheels paint scheme on the #77 FAZZT Bowers & Wilkins entry will bring us luck and well have a really fast car and I can take care of my unfinished business with a victory here at the Honda Indy Toronto.”
Round 10 of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar schedule is an 85-lap, 239.389-kilometer event that will be broadcasted live this Sunday July 18 on TSN2 and ABC starting at 12:30 p.m. Live Timing and Scoring as well as video coverage of all practice sessions, qualifying, and the race are available at www.indycar.com.
Previous Race Winners in Toronto
Four drivers, still active in the current IndyCar Series lineup, have won in Toronto in the CART/Champ Car era. Toronto’s own Paul Tracy is a two-time winner as is Dario Franchitti. Tracy won in 1993 as a member of Penske Racing and in 2003 in the last season of Player’s/Forsythe Racing operations. Tracy had also won in TO in 1990 in the Indy Lights Series. As for Franchitti, he won both in CART and IndyCar. His first win came in 1999 as a teammate of Tracy at Team Green and his second Toronto victory happened last year when the IRL brought open wheel racing back to Toronto. Will Power, the series current overall point leader, won in 2007 with Walker Racing and Justin Wilson was a Toronto winner in 2005 with RuSPORT. The king of Toronto remains Michael Andretti, now Andretti Autosport Team Principal, who won seven times during his CART/Champ Car career.
2010 IndyCar Race Winners
Will Power won for the third time in 2010 when he crossed the finish line first at Watkins Glen two weeks ago. He is the only driver to be victorious more than once this season having won the opening two rounds of the IZOD IndyCar season in São Paulo, Brazil and St. Petersburg. Helio Castroneves was the winner in the third round at Barber Motorsport Park, Alabama in April and Ryan Hunter-Reay won the Long Beach Grand Prix seven days later.
Scott Dixon, the winner at Kansas, was the first oval track winner in round 5 in early May. Dario Franchitti won the prestigious Indy 500 and Ryan Briscoe led the field on the final lap at Texas Motor Speedway. With his win at Iowa Speedway on June 20th, Brazilian Tony Kanaan became the seventh different winner in the first eight races of the 2010 season, giving Andretti Autosport a much needed second win this season after Hunter-Reay’s victory in Long Beach.
Point Standings
Team Penske driver Will Power increased its lead atop the leader board with 327 points following his win at Watkins Glens, while Dario Franchitti is just 32 points back in second place. Scott Dixon is third with 287, seven more points than Ryan Briscoe. Tagliani is currently in 14th place in the overall standings with 169 points.
Tagliani 2010 Season Recap
| Event | Start | Finish | Laps Completed | Status | Points | Standings |
| São Paulo, Brazil | 2nd | 19th | 28 of 61 | Contact | 12 | 19th |
| St. Petersburg, FL | 8th | 6th | 100 of 100 | Running | 28 | 13th |
| Barber Motorsports, AL | 21st | 10th | 90 of 90 | Running | 20 | 13th |
| Long Beach GP, CA | 7th | 21st | 65 of 85 | Contact | 12 | 14th |
| Kansas Speedway, KS | 5th | 8th | 199 of 200 | Running | 24 | 12th |
| Indianapolis 500, IN | 5th | 10th | 200 of 200 | Running | 30 | 11th |
| Texas Motor Speedway | 20th | 18th | 225 of 228 | Running | 12 | 12th |
| Iowa Speedway, IA | 6th | 12th | 248 of 250 | Running | 18 | 13th |
| Watkins Glen, NY | 19th | 17th | 60 of 60 | Running | 13 | 14th |
Weekend Schedule July 16-18, 2010
- Friday Morning Practice: 9:55 – 10:55 p.m. ET
- Friday Afternoon Practice: 1:50 – 2:50 p.m. ET
- Saturday Morning Practice: 9:10 – 10:10 a.m. ET
- Saturday Qualifying & Firestone Fast 6: 12:50 – 2:20 p.m. ET
- Sunday Warm-Up: 8:35 — 9:05 a.m. ET
- Sunday Race: 85 laps for 239.389-km with the green flag at 12:30 p.m. ET
© RIF | FAZZT Race Team – Max d’Orsonnens
