2006 IndyCar Series: Hornish Wins the Title and the Indianapolis 500

The 2006 IndyCar Series was the 11th season of the Indy Racing League's open-wheel championship and the 95th national title year in American open-wheel racing. Sam Hornish Jr. of Team Penske took the title on a tie-break that went his way, and he also won the 90th Indianapolis 500.

What was the 2006 IndyCar Series?

The 2006 IndyCar Series was an open-wheel championship run by the Indy Racing League. It had 14 races between March 26 and September 10, and Sam Hornish Jr. of Team Penske won both the championship and the 90th Indianapolis 500, the series' premier event.

The season started under a cloud. Three tracks were dropped from the calendar, Honda was left as the only engine provider, and the rookie Paul Dana was killed in a warm-up crash before the opening round.

Dan Wheldon arrived as the defending champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, but he switched teams over the winter. Castroneves won early and looked like the favourite, before crashes let Hornish take the points lead in July.

Most of the wins went to Team Penske or Chip Ganassi Racing. Wheldon and Scott Dixon each won two races, and their consistency kept them in the fight until the finale at Chicagoland Speedway.

A season of tragedy and tight finishes ended with the title decided on wins after a points tie at Chicagoland.

Which drivers and teams changed before the season?

Wheldon moved from Andretti Green Racing to Chip Ganassi Racing, and Marco Andretti took his seat. Paul Dana filled Vitor Meira's seat at Rahal Letterman Racing, and Panther Racing scaled back to a single car, which Meira drove in 2006.

Wheldon chose not to renew his Andretti Green Racing contract, and rumours that he would move to Formula One proved unfounded. Marco Andretti, son of the team's co-owner Michael Andretti, was a debutant in the series and became the team's new full-time driver.

Vision Racing expanded to two full-time entries, driven by Ed Carpenter and Tomas Scheckter. The new co-owner was the actor Patrick Dempsey.

Hemelgarn Racing replaced Dana with P. J. Chesson, a driver from the World of Outlaws, and the team announced a partnership with the NBA player Carmelo Anthony. Felipe Giaffone was brought in to drive for A. J. Foyt Racing in place of A. J. Foyt IV, who moved to the NASCAR Busch Series.

During the season the changes continued. Jeff Simmons took over Dana's seat from the Indy Japan 300, Roberto Moreno replaced Carpenter at St. Petersburg, and Sarah Fisher filled a seat for the last two ovals.

Why was the 2006 calendar so short?

The 2006 schedule spanned 25 weeks, eight fewer than 2005. IRL president Brian Barnhart said the compressed calendar avoided clashes with the National Football League and Major League Baseball and was meant to win high television ratings. He also said the series would host more races in 2007.

Three tracks were omitted: California Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Pikes Peak International Raceway. The promoters of the first two could not find a weekend that suited both their own schedules and the condensed series, while Pikes Peak was sold to International Speedway Corporation and shut in October 2005.

With California left off the calendar, Chicagoland Speedway's Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 became the season finale. The Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix moved from September to June, which put it on the weekend after the Indianapolis 500.

The Grand Prix of Long Beach was a sore point. The IRL had hoped to bring the race into its series for 2006, but Kevin Kalkhoven, co-owner of the rival Champ Car World Series, bought the event in June 2005 so it stayed on his calendar. Sponsors of IndyCar teams were reportedly angered, because Tony George, founder of the IRL, had assured teams of races in Long Beach and Canada for 2006.

What changed with engines and fuel?

Honda was the only engine maker in 2006, down from three the year before, after Chevrolet and Toyota withdrew. The series also began moving from methanol to ethanol, starting with a 90 per cent methanol and 10 per cent ethanol blend.

General Motors announced in November 2004 that Chevrolet would leave the series after 2005, citing rising costs and a lack of competitiveness. Toyota confirmed its own departure the day after Honda's announcement, and Honda committed to supply engines while promising to stay impartial toward every team.

IndyCar had used methanol since its start in 1996. The change to ethanol was gradual, with a planned blend of 100 per cent ethanol for 2007.

Who covered the 2006 races on television?

ABC and ESPN covered every round in the United States that year. Rusty Wallace joined Scott Goodyear as a colour commentator, Marty Reid became the play-by-play voice, and Brent Musburger hosted three broadcasts, including the Indianapolis 500 as the marquee event.

Reid replaced Todd Harris, who had been heavily criticised for his commentary during the 2005 Indianapolis 500. Wallace was a newly retired NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver, which gave the booth a link to stock car racing.

The pit road reporters Jack Arute, Jamie Little and Jerry Punch kept their roles.

How did the season open at Homestead?

The Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway was overshadowed by tragedy. Rookie Paul Dana died after a crash during warm-up, and Dan Wheldon won the race by 0.0147 seconds over Helio Castroneves. The margin was the ninth-closest finish in IndyCar history at that point.

During a morning warm-up session, Ed Carpenter hit the SAFER barrier at turn two and then slid down the track. Dana did not slow for the caution flag and hit the rear of Carpenter's car at nearly full speed. Carpenter suffered a concussion and bruised lungs, and Dana died before noon local time.

Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick, Dana's teammates, sat out the race as a mark of respect. Several drivers suggested cancelling the event, but it began as scheduled.

Hornish led a race-high 145 laps, but a poorly timed caution during his pit stop on lap 160 sent him back to fifth. Wheldon began challenging Castroneves for the lead on lap 180, and the two ran side by side over the closing laps before Wheldon edged ahead.

What happened at St. Petersburg and Motegi?

Franchitti took pole at St. Petersburg but retired after suspension damage, and Castroneves won after a late caution. At Motegi, rain cancelled qualifying and the grid was set by entrant points, so Castroneves started from pole and won again, his second straight victory.

At St. Petersburg, Franchitti set fast laps in practice and earned pole, but he crashed into the turn-eight tyre barriers in warm-up. The damage returned early in the race, and he retired after leading the first 14 laps.

Scott Dixon then took the lead, struggled with a broken front wing, and held it until Castroneves passed him later on. Dixon stayed out until lap 95 on a conservative fuel strategy, and a full-course caution two laps later handed Castroneves the win.

At Motegi, Wheldon passed Castroneves early on, but Castroneves regained the lead under caution after a quick pit stop. Dixon stalled on his final pit stop on lap 149 and dropped to ninth. The most notable incident came on a restart on lap 41, when Jeff Simmons collided with Sharp and flipped on the front stretch. Nobody was hurt.

What happened at the Indianapolis 500?

Hornish won the 90th Indianapolis 500 by 0.0635 seconds, the second-closest finish in the race's history. Rain shortened much of the month, and Hornish took pole at 368.516 km/h (228.985 mph) before a disastrous pit stop under caution dropped him well down the order.

Rain had cut eight days of on-track activity from May, including the first two days of qualifying. Hornish led most practice sessions, and the 33rd and final place went to Thiago Medeiros on Bump Day after Marty Roth crashed in practice.

Race day reached 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit). Hornish fell to third at the start behind Castroneves and Wheldon, and Wheldon moved ahead on lap 10 to dominate the first half, giving up the lead only during green-flag stops.

Dixon's battle with Wheldon on a lap-123 restart let Hornish take the lead. A tyre failure ended Wheldon's hopes on lap 184, and Michael Andretti took the lead with his son Marco second. Marco overtook his father shortly after a restart and defended against Hornish, who dove to his left on the final lap for a slingshot pass.

Castroneves had entered May 42 points clear in the title race. He crashed out on lap 111 and left the month with a 12-point lead.

How did the middle rounds shape the title fight?

Castroneves won at Texas and Michigan, Hornish won at Richmond, Kansas and Kentucky, and Dixon won at Watkins Glen and Nashville. Kanaan won at Milwaukee for Andretti Green Racing, and the lead changed hands several times as Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing traded wins.

At Watkins Glen the track was damp at the start, so the drivers began on rain tyres for the first time in IndyCar history. Dixon stayed on slicks as others switched back, and he won ahead of Meira and Briscoe after the race was curtailed at two hours.

In Texas, Wheldon led a race-high 171 laps before a dropped lug nut sent him back to third. Castroneves led the final eight laps to win and grew his lead to 22 points over Dixon.

Hornish set the fastest time in a Richmond test, crashed and used a back-up car for the race weekend, but still started third and passed Castroneves during the race. Castroneves punctured on lap 246 and finished tenth, which narrowed the gap to Hornish sharply.

Wheldon took pole at Kansas for the first time since 2004, but Hornish took the lead early and won with two laps remaining. Castroneves spun into the wall on lap 37 and dropped down the order, losing the lead to Hornish.

The Michigan race was delayed by rain for two and a half hours, and Hornish retired on lap 73 with persistent engine trouble. Castroneves won after green-flag stops and retook the championship lead, and at Kentucky Hornish passed Dixon on lap 196 to win and lead the title by seven points.

How did the season end at Chicagoland?

The finale at Chicagoland Speedway had four drivers mathematically eligible for the title. Wheldon won and Hornish finished third, which left the two tied on points, and Hornish had started from pole. The four title contenders had qualified in the top four positions.

The race was mainly a duel between Chip Ganassi teammates Dixon and Wheldon. Wheldon led a race-high 166 laps, and Hornish ran comfortably in third. Dixon had to back off after slight contact, which secured Wheldon's win.

Castroneves received a speeding penalty on pit road early in the race and could not defend his lead. Dixon finished behind both of them, and the title went to Hornish on the tie-break of wins.

What awards closed the season?

The championship celebration took place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 11, 2006, and it recognised the season's leading figures. Hornish took the Marlboro Pole Award for the most poles, while Marco Andretti collected Rookie of the Year and Rising Star.

Marco Andretti's season ended with a win at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, where he took the lead on lap 51 and used a late caution to his advantage. It was his first IndyCar win, and at the time he was the youngest winner in American open-wheel racing history.

What happened after the finale?

After the finale, the series ran a test at the Daytona International Speedway road course on September 26-27, its first use by American open-wheel cars since 1959. The aim was to check the circuit for warm-weather testing and to assess ethanol-powered engines for 2007.

Dixon, Hornish, Kanaan, Meira and Wheldon took part. The second day brought several incidents, including Meira spinning into the wall on the exit of the back-stretch chicane, so officials added a left and a right turn to the infield section.

The road course measures 4.39 km (2.73 miles) with ten turns. The test was judged a success, and rumours spread of a future race on the road course, although that never happened.

Who won each of the 14 races?

The series ran 14 rounds from March 26 to September 10, and the table lists the winner and team for every round. Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing took most of the victories, while Andretti Green Racing won at Milwaukee and Sonoma.