The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues July 5 with the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen at Watkins Glen International.
The series comes to The Glen’s 3.4 mile Grand Prix road course fresh off an oval track contest at Richmond International Raceway.
This weekend’s race is the first of three road coarse events in the series’ 2009 schedule.
Three time Glen winner Scott Dixon, who started next to polesitter Dario Franchitti, won the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond by 0.3109 of a second over his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate.
The victory - Dixon's third of the season and second at Richmond - was the 19th of Dixon's IndyCar Series career and tied Sam Hornish for the most in series history. Driving the No. 9 entry, Dixon matched the record in his 104th race - two less than Hornish, who totaled 116 starts from 2000-2007.
Graham Rahal finished third - his best oval finish - in the No. 02 McDonald's entry for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Hideki Mutoh, who led the first laps of his IndyCar Series career, finished fourth in the No. 27 Formula Dream car and Andretti Green Racing teammate Danica Patrick was fifth.
Franchitti, who earned a bonus point for winning the PEAK Performance Pole Award, took the championship points lead (279-278) over Dixon.
Ryan Briscoe, the points leader entering the eighth of 17 races, suffered his first DNF since July 2008 at Nashville Superspeedway and fell to 26 points behind.
His Team Penske teammate, Helio Castroneves, also crashed exiting Turn 2 and is fourth with 225 points heading to Watkins Glen International.
The race will be telecast live by ABC and will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211.
The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com.
The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Corning 100 on July 4 at Watkins Glen International. The race will be telecast at 11 p.m. on July 6.
The weekend includes a variety of activities, including a concert by The Presidents of the United States, fireworks on July 4, wine tastings and a Sprint Cup Series Viewing Party.
Tickets and more information about the entire race weekend can be found at www.theglen.com. and www.indycar.com
