Ryan Hunter-Reay has mastered the Milwaukee Mile for the second year in a row in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
The Andretti Autosport driver took his third win at the Mile after a storming second half of the 250-lap Milwaukee IndyFest. On lap 198 he took the lead from Takuma Sato and on a restart with 29 laps to go, Hunter-Reay held off Helio Castroneves to secure his second win of the year.
“Man I did it for that little guy, Ryden, my son,” Hunter-Reay, who is celebrating his first Father’s Day weekend as a father, said to NBC Sports Network’s Jon Beekhuis in victory lane. “We found the balance and did what we had to do to win.”
Castroneves wheeled his PPG-sponsored Team Penske No. 3 Chevrolet to second from 17th on the grid.
“We were a little conservative and had to be patient, but it was a great job from the boys,” he told NBCSN’s Kevin Lee.
Will Power secured his first podium of the year in third. He tried a late move on Castroneves for second but was unable to complete the pass, probably better given Castroneves’ championship aspirations this season.
“That was close. We wanted to race him clean,” Power said to NBCSN’s Will Buxton. “I didn’t want to squeeze him out. We just keep chipping away and help as much as we can.”
After a race-long battle, E.J. Viso held off Andretti Autosport teammate James Hinchcliffe for fourth with Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato, Dario Franchitti, Justin Wilson and Tony Kanaan in the top 10.
Viso was in contention with Hunter-Reay for the win but had a pit stop issue and traffic bite him late in the race.
Sato had the race in the bag before the final caution for Ana Beatriz’s slight contact at Turn 4. The A.J. Foyt Racing driver had scythed through the field from 15th on the grid and also benefited from an earlier caution, but lost a lap after pitting before Beatriz’s contact.
Polesitter Marco Andretti’s race was stopped short with electrical issues, and he couldn’t deliver a storybook win in his father Michael’s Andretti Sports Marketing-related race on Father’s Day weekend. That said, Hunter-Reay’s win made him three-for-three in ASM races since 2012.
He closed on Castroneves for the points lead but the Brazilian still holds the edge, 299-283 unofficially, as the series heads to Iowa Speedway next week.
WEST ALLIS, Wis. – Results Saturday of the Milwaukee IndyFest IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 1.015-mile Milwaukee Mile, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (4) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Chevy, 250, Running
2. (17) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Chevy, 250, Running
3. (3) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 250, Running
4. (5) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Chevy, 250, Running
5. (2) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Chevy, 250, Running
6. (11) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 250, Running
7. (15) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 250, Running
8. (23) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 250, Running
9. (13) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 249, Running
10. (7) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Chevy, 249, Running
11. (8) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Honda, 249, Running
12. (9) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Honda, 249, Running
13. (6) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Chevy, 248, Running
14. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevy, 248, Running
15. (18) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Chevy, 248, Running
16. (24) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 247, Running
17. (21) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 246, Running
18. (12) James Jakes, Dallara-Honda, 245, Running
19. (19) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 242, Running
20. (1) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Chevy, 176, Mechanical
21. (10) Tristan Vautier, Dallara-Honda, 173, Mechanical
22. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Chevy, 152, Mechanical
23. (16) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 146, Mechanical
24. (22) Simona De Silvestro, Dallara-Chevy, 69, Contact
Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 136.848
Time of Race: 01:51:15.2962
Margin of victory: 4.8059
Cautions: 4 for 29 laps
Lead changes: 11 among 6 drivers
Lap Leaders:
Andretti 1 – 61
Hunter-Reay 62 – 66
Power 67 – 68
Sato 69 – 90
Wilson 91
Viso 92 – 99
Sato 100 – 156
Hunter-Reay 157 – 163
Viso 164 – 165
Power 166 – 167
Sato 168 – 197
Hunter-Reay 198 – 250
Point Standings: Castroneves 299, Hunter-Reay 283, Andretti 249, Sato 223, Dixon 221, Kanaan 215, Pagenaud 212, Wilson 207, Hinchcliffe 206, Franchitti 192.
