Kansas: Dare pips Hornish in tight finish

The former Rookie of the Year passed erstwhile leader Sam Hornish on a restart on lap 198 of the 200-lap race, and held off the reigning champion to win by 0.174s in his Dallara-Chevrolet. Series leader Helio Castroneves finished third in his Team Penske machine.

It was the first IRL victory for a car owned by AJ Foyt since Kenny Brack won the 1999 Indianapolis 500. Dare's victory also completed a double for Foyt's squad, as AJ Foyt IV won the inaugural Infiniti Pro Series race earlier today at Kansas.

At the final restart, Dare moved immediately to challenge Hornish on the outside of Turn One, and passed the reigning champ decisively. Dare was able to maintain the subsequent two- to three-car gap to the chequered flag to secure his first career win.

"Everything was working perfectly," Dare said. "I went through the gears, got up around the outside of Hornish, and that was it."

Hornish was plainly disappointed about the way the winning pass came about, and his team owner John Barnes complained that the team had been given no warning that a green would be waved on that lap.

"It's nothing I won't get over by the next race," Hornish said. "Just not to win, that's why we come out here, that's why we run. The only car that we could not touch all day was Scheckter, and when he went out, I thought for sure that was ours."

Felipe Giaffone held off Castroneves' Penske team-mate Gil de Ferran for fourth place.

Pole sitter Tomas Scheckter, who was on course for success in the Indy 500 in May before he crashed out, came within 10 laps of his first IRL win at Kansas. A punctured right rear tyre sent him into the wall this time, allowing Hornish to pick up the lead.

"We just can't seem to get a break," said Scheckter. "It [the tyre] deflated and there was no way I could control the car."