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America's Hildebrand takes The Glen on 4th of July |
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July 4, 2009 – Watkins Glen. It was the right day to be an American and shoot off the fireworks, wear the American flag on your helmet and hold the winning trophy as high over your head as you could. That is just what the American J. R. Hildebrand from Sausalito, California did at the Corning 100 race.
James Davison was on the pole for the first time as it was for his team, Vision Racing. But while he was leading the first 13 of the race’s 50 laps on this beautiful road course J.R. was working his way up to the front. As J. R. said later, he thought before the race, “We cannot accept defeat today. It’s American’s birthday.”
So, J. R., driving for AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing, stayed in 4th for the first 3 laps to get the feel of the track conditions and the competition. Then on lap 4 he passed James Hinchcliffe who had been in 3rd, where he had started. Then after 7 laps in 3rd, J. R. made his pass on Sebastian Saavedra, who had started in 2nd and was still there.
Three laps was then enough for J. R. in 2nd. And so, on lap 14 he dove inside Davison at the end of the back straightaway at the entrance of the Inner Loop chicane at the 13-turn Watkins Glen course and never looked back.
James Davison held 2nd for the rest of the race. Rookie Felipe Guimaraes from Brazil, driving for Bryan Herta Autosport, made his first Firestone Indy Lights start, qualified 6th and finished 3rd.
The series driver points standings are: Hildebrand 279/ Romancini [ 20th ] 221/ Cunningham [ 19th ] 216/ Saavedra [ 18th ] 215 and Davison 206.
The next race in on the streets of Toronto, Ontario on July 11.
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