Maybe This Time...

By Andrew Cutler
July 5 2009

For the fifth strait year - as many as the IRL has been coming to Watkins Glen - a Team Penske car will start from the pole: Now if only they could win the race for once...

Ryan Briscoe was the last driver standing in the three round,  "knockout" qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, although - once again - Justin Wilson and the comparatively low budget Dale Coyne Racing outfit made quite a spectacular effort of it, settling for the outside of Row One. Another driver and squad that punched well above their normal weight class was Mario Moraes and KVRT, who will line up in fourth, alongside Scott Dixon.

"I love this place", Briscoe said afterwards. "I came in after (qualifying session) 2 and had the run on the new red (soft compound) tire then posted the 28:1 (lap of 1:28:1322). It's unbelievable the speeds you can carry through the turns out there today."

The other half of Team Penske, Helio Castroneves, uncharacteristically failed to make it out of the first round. He will start from the thirteenth spot on Sunday.

Here is the complete starting line-up for the race: http://www.indycar.com/stats/startinglineups/2009/watkinsglen_07042009.pdf . Coverage begins at 1pm ET/5pm GMT. You can watch the race via in-car cameras at www.indycar.com/race control.

Earlier in the day the Firestone Indy Lights drivers held a 30 lap race in which JR Hildebrand advanced from the 4th starting position to claim his second victory on the season. The FIL championship chase got alot tighter as a result of three of the points leaders (James Hinchcliffe, Mario Romancini and Wade Cunningham) falling victim to wrecks or mechanical issues.