Kanaan & Dixon set the pace in Iowa

Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon ran 1-2 on the speed chart in both 45-minute Verizon IndyCar Series practice sessions for the Iowa Corn 300 on the 0.894-mile Iowa Speedway oval.

Kanaan, who has earned podium finishes in the past five races at Iowa Speedway, posted the fastest lap of 17.7544 seconds (181.273 mph) in the second practice session in the No. 10 Fusion Chevrolet. His lap of 17.9580 seconds (179.218 mph) in the initial session also was fastest of the 24 entries for the 300-lap race under the lights July 18.

“I think we have a pretty good setup,” Kanaan said. “The track suits my style. The short ovals are definitely one of my strengths. So far, we’re pretty happy with the race car so we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

Dixon recorded a best lap of 181.229 mph (17.7587 seconds) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the second practice.

“I’m pretty happy so far,” commented Dixon. “We unloaded fast off the truck in the Target car. (Tony Kanaan) and I were fast here last year, but we got beat by others on a tire gamble late in that race. Overall the car is good and I’m looking forward to qualifying and the race tomorrow night.”

He set the track two-lap qualifying record of 186.256 mph on July 11, 2014, and has started from the pole three times in the eight previous Verizon IndyCar Series races at Iowa Speedway. Single-car qualifications are scheduled for 4 p.m. ET July 18, with the green flag for the race scheduled for 8:50 p.m. (NBCSN).

The next victory for Chip Ganassi Racing will be the 100th in team history.

Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power was third overall (180.898 mph) in the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet to lead teammates Simon Pagenaud (180.795) and Verizon IndyCar Series championship points leader Juan Pablo Montoya (180.474) in the top five.

Benjamin Carrell is a freelance motorsport writer and currently edits talkmotorsport.co.nz. He writes for a number of Kiwi drivers and motorsport clubs. That's when he's not working in his horticultural day-job or training for the next road or mtb cycle race!

https://talkmotorsport.co.nz

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