Dan Wheldon won the battle, neatly book-ending the 2006 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series season by winning the first and last races of the year. source: paddocktalk.com - Anne Proffit The 2005 Indy and season-long champ did not, however, take the championship he so clearly desired, as Sam Hornish Jr. secured his third IRL title by finishing third behind Wheldon and teammate Scott Dixon after a race-long battle. Wheldon's margin of victory was, for the IRL a leisurely 0.1897 seconds over Dixon, while Hornish Jr. lay 0.2323 seconds behind. Helio Castroneves, in fourth place was the only other driver on the lead lap, 2.6913 seconds behind and mired in traffic. The Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 presented by Mr. Clean was the third-quickest race in League history, beating the expected rain showers that threatened throughout, lasting one hour, 34 minutes and 33 seconds. Hornish Jr. brought Roger Penske his first IRL championship after trying since 2002 to take one; it was a squeaker, though, as Hornish and Wheldon finished with equal, 475 points. It was a race-winning tiebreaker that gave the Ohioan - a four-time winner and Indianapolis 500 titleholder - his third title. Wheldon gained extra points for leading the most laps to vault from third place to second, while Castroneves fell to third with 473 points and Dixon finished fourth with 460 total points. This race was a barnburner, as expected. The gang of four took off at the start and put on their own show, with the two Target cars of Wheldon and Dixon forming a blockade to keep the Penske duo, Hornish Jr. and Castroneves at bay.
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