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 The Brazilian, the leader after a late restart, had enough fuel to win the shortened race and avoid a last-lap melee that collected IndyCar Series points leader Scott Dixon and Kanaan's Andretti Green Racing teammate Dario Franchitti.
It was Kanaan's series-best fifth victory this season and 12th of his career. Danica Patrick avoided the wreckage to finish a career-best second. Dan Wheldon was third.
Despite the crash, which dropped Franchitti from fourth to sixth, he ended the day three points ahead of Dixon heading into next Sunday's final race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Kanaan, 39 points behind his teammate, remains mathematically alive in the championship hunt.
Kanaan chose to stay on the track while most of the field pitted after a late-race caution and was in front when IndyCar officials declared the race would be a timed event. Officials set the time limit of the race at 2 hours, 10 minutes or 90 laps and informed crews at the race's 2-hour mark that the timing rules were in place.
The race ended a lap short of the scheduled 90 and the final-lap crash came seconds before the scheduled end.
It was the first time a race was ended by the clock since June 4, 2006 in Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Polesitter Helio Castroneves and Tomas Scheckter struck the turn 1 wall on lap 67 to bring out a full-course yellow and bunch the field. Points leader Scott Dixon beat Dario Franchitti out of the pits after both drivers stopped for fuel.
Frachitti, who assumed the lead after Castroneves' lap-25 pit stop, led Kanaan for most of the middle stretch of the race, but lost the lead during a lap-49 stop. Franchitti led the most laps and collected three bonus points.
The first yellow flag came on lap 27 when Ed Carpenter stalled near turn eight.
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Danica Patrick, Vitor Meira, Sam Hornish and Sarah Fisher tangled during a lap-31 incident that knocked the latter three cars out of the race. Hornish was hit by Sarah Fisher and appeared to injure his wrist.
His hand was covered with an ice bag after he got out of the damaged car.
Scott Sharp, who ran into Darren Manning early in the race, struck Patrick and hit a turn-eight tire barrier on lap 47 to bring out a third caution. Carpenter stalled again on lap 55 to bring out a brief yellow.
Patrick stayed on the track and led briefly before a round of stops dropped her back into the middle of the pack. She was far behind the lead quartet when Rice, Dixon and Franchitti crashed and got past the wreckage to claim the second spot.
Castroneves, who won the last two races held here before the event took a six-year hiatus, led the first 25 laps but pitted five laps after most of the field. He ended the day 12th with his fifth DNF of the season.
He had words with Scheckter as he made his way back to his trailer from the course medical center.
The 2.1-mile circuit was shorter than the one used the last time open-wheel cars ran here in 2001 and was widened to permit more passing, but the only lead changes came in the pit area.
Organizers announced before the race that the event would return to Detroit next season Aug. 29-31.
[Associated Press;
by Ron Vample]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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