April 2, 2006
St. Petersburg, Florida
Race 2 of 16 in the 2006 IRL season

TV: ESPN, 3:30 pm EDT

Laps: 100
Track length: 1.8-mile street course
Race length: 181 miles

Qualifying record: Bryan Herta, 103.664 mph (2005)
Race record: Dan Wheldon, 83.140 mph (2005)


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Helio Castroneves
Team: Marlboro Team Penske
2006 Earnings: $90,200

Finished second in season-opening Toyota Indy 300 at
Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday; trailed winner Dan Wheldon
by just 0.0147 seconds, the ninth-closest finish in circuit
history; two-time Indianapolis 500 winner finished sixth in the
2005 IRL driver standings with 440 points; captured the
checkered flag at the SunTrust Indy Challenge on June 25, his
only victory of the season; registered eight top-five finishes
and 11 top-10s in 2005; placed 20th in this race last season
after completing just 12 laps.

Scott Dixon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2006 Earnings: $55,300

Placed fifth at Homestead-Miami on Sunday, his fourth top-10
finish in five races dating to last season; finished 13th in the
standings last season with 321 points and registered five
top-10 finishes; recorded his only victory of the season at
Watkins Glen International on September 25; finished sixth here
last season.

Dario Franchitti
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2006 Earnings: $60,700

One of the most consistent drivers in the series hoping to carry
momentum from fourth-place finish last week at Homestead-Miami;
placed third in this race last season, one of his eight
top-five finishes in 2005; registered 13 top-10s last year to
place fourth in the standings with 498 points; recorded
victories last season at the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville and
at the Toyota Indy 400 at California.

Sam Hornish Jr.
Team: Marlboro Team Penske
2006 Earnings: $75,400

Ran third after starting from the pole at Homestead-Miami last
week; finished third in the standings in 2005, posting victories
at Phoenix International Raceway and Milwaukee Mile; registered
nine top-five finishes and 12 top-10s to collect 512 points,
116 behind champion Dan Wheldon; struggled to a 15th-place
finish at this track last season, completing just 85 laps before
withdrawing due to an accident.

Tony Kanaan
Team: Andretti Green Racing
2006 Earnings: $43,200

Looks to rebound from disappointing 11th-place finish last week
at Homestead-Miami; was forced to withdraw after crashing in lap
159; was runner-up to series champion Wheldon last season,
finishing 80 points back; registered 12 top-five finishes in
2005 to tie with Wheldon for the series lead; also recorded 14
top-10 finishes; was runner-up to Wheldon in this race last
season; captured the checkered flag at Kansas Speedway and
Infineon Raceway; 2004 series champion posted a league-record 15
consecutive top-five finishes that year.

Danica Patrick
Team: Rahal-Letterman Racing
2006 Earnings: $0

Withdrew from Toyota Indy 300 after the tragic death of
Rahal-Letterman teammate Paul Dana in pre-race practice session
Sunday; racing starlet struggled after posting back-to-back
fourth-place finishes in Japan and Indianapolis early last
season; dominated the 2005 Rookie of the Year standings with 325
points; registered six top-10 finishes to place 12th in the
standings; became the first female driver to lead a lap in the
Indianapolis 500 and recorded the best finish by a woman in that
event; tied for the circuit lead with three poles, with the
most recent coming at Chicagoland Speedway; finished 12th in
this race last season, completing just 95 laps.

Dan Wheldon
Team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2006 Earnings: $109,800

Defending series champion barely edged Castroneves last Sunday
to capture checkered flag at Homestead-Miami; dominated last
season with 628 points; won this race last season, the first of
his IRL single-season record six checkered flags; led the series
with 12 top-five finishes and 15 top-10s; led 752 of a possible
3,140 overall laps last season, 304 more than any other driver;
held a lead in all but two of 17 races; became the first driver
to win the Indianapolis 500 and an IRL title in the same year.


2005 Top 5
----------
 1. Dan Wheldon (10)
 2. Helio Castroneves (3)
 3. Sam Hornish Jr (6)
 4. Dario Franchitti (27)
 5. Scott Dixon (9)

Past Champions
--------------
2005  Dan Wheldon, 83.140 mph

Updated on Wednesday, Mar 29, 2006 8:03 pm, EST