MOTORSPORT: Will Power Indy series

Fourth win of the season for Toowoomba star
Australia's Will Power today won his fourth race in this year's IndyCar Championship at Toronto, Canada, increasing his lead in the series and giving legendary American team owner Roger Penske his 150th openwheeler victory.

It was Power's second straight win and stretched his lead over Scotsman Dario Franchitti -- the reigning series champion, this year's Indianapolis 500 winner and a close second in today's Toronto race for Chip Ganassi's team -- to 42 points.

All four of Power's triumphs this season have been on road courses -- of which there are three more in the championship, with the final four rounds on oval tracks.

The Toronto victory was Penske's 41st in the modern incarnation of IndyCar racing.

The other Australian in what became a chaotic race, Ryan Briscoe, also driving for Penske, was classified only 18th after being punted into a wall by American Graham Rahal.

Briscoe said it was "just really unfortunate to be taken out by a non-championship contender".

American Hunter-Reay, who finished third in Toronto for Andretti Autosport, said of the race: "Everybody was hitting each other and it was getting nasty."

Brazilian Tony Kanaan was fourth for the Andretti team and Rahal took fifth on his return to the once-mighty Newman-Haas.

Andretti had three cars in the top six with Danica Patrick sixth for the second straight year, while Marco Andretti -- son of team owner Michael -- was eighth.

Seven teams were represented in the top 10.

Colorful Canadian veteran Paul Tracy led 13 laps for KV Racing Technology but finished only 13th and New Zealander Scott Dixon was classified only 20th for Ganassi.

Power, from Toowoomba, qualified on the outside of the front row alongside Englishman Justin Wilson, but dropped to sixth place at the first corner.

"The key for me when I came to this race was avoiding the carnage and accidents because I knew that happens every year here," Power said.

"It almost happened to me in the first corner, but I was patient and backed off and just lost a couple of spots.

"You have to keep in mind that you just need to chill sometimes."

Power was back up to third place halfway through the 85 laps of the bumpy 2.8km circuit. He overtook Franchitti by stretching his fuel one lap longer before the final round of green-flag pitstops. He then made a brilliant pass on Wilson to take the lead on restart on lap 71.

Wilson spun soon after and, struggling with his tyres, dropped to seventh by the finish.

"It was a calculated but risky move to pass him (Wilson) on the outside, because I didn't know if I would come out the other side," Power said. "Sometimes you have to do that in racing if you want to win.

"As I predicted, it was a very wild race. I knew how this race goes and I really hung in there.

"I knew if I made no mistakes, and we had good stops, we'd have a good chance at finishing on the podium or winning.

"It was one of those races where you really had to adjust."

Canada has been a happy hunting ground for Power.

He won at Toronto when it was a Champ Car World Series race in 2007 and he won last year at Edmonton, where the next IndyCar Series round will be run early next Monday, Australian time.

While he is the road course "king" of Indy racing this year, Power is keen to prove himself on oval tracks too.

"I want to win an oval race before the year is out," he said. "I've been knocking on the door, so I think that may come."

IndyCar championship standings -- Will Power (Team Penske) 377 points, Dario Franchitti (Team Ganassi) 335, Scott Dixon (Ganassi) 299, Ryan Briscoe (Penske) 292, Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) 286, Helio Castroneves (Penske) 285, Tony Kanaan (Andretti) 273, Justin Wilson (Dreyer & Reinbold) 240, Dan Wheldon (Panther Racing) 233, Marco Andretti (Andretti) 225

Canadian Villeneuve, 39, has lodged an entry for Villeneuve Racing to become the 13th team on the GP grids.

There are reportedly two other teams in contention to join the world championship next season - the American Cypher Group and Spain's Epsilon Euskadi.

While there is scope for a 13th team next year, one of the three newcomers this season, Hispania, appears to be in severe financial trouble.

Brazilian Bruno Senna will rejoin Hispania for this week's German GP at Hockenheim.

However, the team will retain Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto, who this time will take the place of Indian Karun Chandock.

There is no sign of Craig Pollock, the long-time manager of Jacques Villeneuve, in the new Villeneuve Racing, but Rick Gorne, who spent 18 years with Reynard which built many successful openwheelers for American racing, is associated with it.

However, Villeneuve and Gorne are saying little about the project.

Villeneuve will try to qualify for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis this weekend and is due to race in the V8 Supercar Championship round at the Gold Coast in October as co-driver to Paul Dumbrell under the new endurance format.

Will Power is booked to drive for Ford Performance Racing at the Gold Coast and Ryan Briscoe with the Holden Racing Team.

Clean sweep for Mitsubishis in new six-hour
Mitsubishi Evo Xs dominated the new six-hour endurance race at Sydney's Eastern Creek yesterday, filling the top four spots.

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart entries took first and second and another fourth place.

Warren Luff and Stuart Kostera won the event for the Alan Heaphy-led TMR, finishing almost three laps clear of teammates Inky Tulloch and Steve Jones.

Peter Conroy and Mark Brame filled the third spot on the podium in another Evo X, while fourth outright went to Glyn Crimp and Matt Cherry in the third TMR entry.

There was not a single caution period during the six hours but there were an unprecedented number of penalties for pitlane infringements.
The race proved to be a battle with tyre wear, with many competitors changing tyres regularly.

John Bowe and Peter O'Donnell won Class B in a BMW 335i and were fifth outright.

Sixth were Gavin Bullas and Barton Mawer in the sole Subaru WRX Sti in the field, ahead of Jim Pollicina and Gerry Murphy in a Mitsubishi Lancer.

David and Des Wall fought back after breaking the right front wheel hub on their Lancer around half distance to finish eighth, ahead of Class D winners Ryan McLeod and Garry Holt in a Holden Astra and Class C winners Jake Camilleri and Scott Nicholas in a Mazda 3 MPS.

The Class E win went to the Bob Holden, Justin Matthews and Craig Bradshaw in a Toyota Yaris, which was classified 18th outright.

A highlights package from the race will be shown on SBS Speedweek next Sunday, July 25, from 1pm.

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