2006 Toyota Indy 300

IndyCar race held in Homestead, Florida June 2025 USA Toyota Indy 300 Homestead-Miami Speedway track map--Speedway.svg Layout of the Homestead–Miami Speedway circuit March 26 2006 Toyota Indy 300 Presented by XM Satellite Radio IndyCar Homestead–Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida, United States Permanent racing facility 1.500 2.414 200 300.000 482.803 Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske 24.4625 USA Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 24.7198 195 NZL Dan Wheldon Chip Ganassi Racing GBR Hélio Castroneves Team Penske BRA Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske USA 2005 2007 14 1 The 2006 Toyota Indy 300 Presented by XM Satellite Radio was an IRL IndyCar Series open-wheel race held on March 26, 2006, at the Homestead–Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. It was the first round of the 2006 IRL IndyCar Series season and the eleventh edition of the event (sixth under Indy Racing League (IRL) sanctioning). Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dan Wheldon won the 200-lap race; Hélio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr., both of Team Penske, completed the podium in second and third place, respectively. Hornish Jr. won the pole position and dominated the first three-quarters of the race, leading a race-high 145 laps and only forfeiting the lead during green-flag pit stops. However, as Hornish Jr. pitted on lap 161, a caution was flown for a spin involving Tony Kanaan, which sent Hornish Jr. to the back of the field. From there, Castroneves inherited the first position, but engaged in an intense battle for the lead with Wheldon in the final twenty laps of the race. Wheldon, who led eight laps, emerged victorious by 0.0147 seconds over Castroneves after overtaking him on the final corner of the final lap. It was the ninth-closest finish in series history. The race was marred by a violent crash in the warm-up session several hours prior to the race, which claimed the life of rookie driver Paul Dana. Dana slammed into the rear of Ed Carpenter and died two hours later. Carpenter suffered injuries to his lungs, though he recovered. To honor Dana, his Rahal Letterman Racing teammates, Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick, withdrew from the race. Background 2006 IndyCar Series#Teams and drivers left|thumb|Homestead–Miami Speedway (pictured in 2009), where the race was held. The Toyota Indy 300 was confirmed to be on the Indy Racing League (IRL)'s 2006 schedule in September 2005.Lewandowski Dave September 13, 2005 Shorter IndyCar Series 2006 schedule still long on scintillating action http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5437 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20051214160605/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5437 December 14, 2005 July 29, 2025 IndyCar.com It was the first of 14 scheduled races for 2006, the eleventh annual edition of the event (dating back to 1996), and the fifth consecutive year that the race hosted the season opener.September 13, 2005 IRL: 2006 schedule announced https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-2006-schedule-announced/2071086/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250730025753/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-2006-schedule-announced/2071086/ July 30, 2025 July 29, 2025 Motorsport.com It took place on March 26, 2006, at the Homestead–Miami Speedway, a 1.5 mi km on intermediate oval-shaped asphalt race circuit, in Homestead, Florida, United States, and was contested over 200 laps and 300 mi km out.Lewandowski Dave March 22, 2006 Simmons rocks, Hornish stalks and alligators lurk http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6080 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524152447/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6080 May 24, 2006 July 29, 2025 IndyCar.com Dan Wheldon was the defending race winner.Lewandowski Dave March 23, 2006 Honda's performance up to spec, it's a tricky track and rewind Wheldon's win http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6093 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060314102410/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6093 March 14, 2006 July 29, 2025 IndyCar.com Several drivers changed teams ahead of the 2006 season, which marked the ten-year anniversary of the Indy Racing League.Lewandowski Dave January 27, 2006 10 years running http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5914 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060426233635/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5914 April 26, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com Arguably the biggest storyline from the offseason was reigning IndyCar champion Wheldon's move to Target Chip Ganassi Racing's #10 entry. Ganassi also announced his switch from the Toyota engine and Panoz chassis to Honda and Dallara.November 28, 2005 Ganassi Confirms Wheldon, Honda, Dallara http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/20956/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20051201035300/http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/20956/ December 1, 2005 July 30, 2025 SPEEDTV.com Speed Channel Indianapolis, Indiana With the #26 Andretti Green Racing entry left vacant, rookie driver Marco Andretti, son of AGR team owner Michael Andretti, was tasked to drive the car full-time in 2006.December 20, 2005 Marco Andretti to Begin IndyCar Series Career with ArcaEx Team http://andrettigreenracing.com/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20051225032302/http://andrettigreenracing.com/ December 25, 2005 July 30, 2025 AndrettiGreenRacing.com In January, Paul Dana, who suffered a season-ending injury during a practice crash for the 2005 Indianapolis 500, announced his return to IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Racing, becoming the second Rookie of the Year contender.January 23, 2006 Rahal Letterman Racing seeks to keep rookie title in house http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5891 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524150911/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5891 May 24, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com IndyCar Finally, famed NBA player Carmelo Anthony announced his partnership with Hemelgarn Racing to field the #91 entry for P. J. Chesson.March 15, 2006 NBA star announces partnership with Hemelgarn Racing http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6108 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524152724/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6108 May 24, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com Another big storyline was the return of 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever, who announced in February that he was planning to run the first four races of the season, including that year's Indianapolis 500.Lewandowski Dave February 21, 2006 Back in the saddle http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5993 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060314103853/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5993 March 14, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com Chevrolet and Toyota both withdrew from IndyCar during the off-season, leaving Honda as the sole engine provider.December 15, 2005 Honda to Serve as Single IndyCar Engine Supplier in 2006 https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-dd50c6f617bc57f45a85e6004c34c085-honda-to-serve-as-single-indycar-engine-supplier-in-2006 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20220530183554/https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-dd50c6f617bc57f45a85e6004c34c085-honda-to-serve-as-single-indycar-engine-supplier-in-2006 May 30, 2022 July 30, 2025 HondaNews.com Torrance, California Prior to the Homestead race weekend, two testing sessions were held for all IndyCar teams in order for them to become familiarized with their new Honda engines. The first was held at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, on January 24 and January 25, and was not open to the public.January 4, 2006 Teams will test at Phoenix http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5834 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524150440/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5834 May 24, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com Fifteen IndyCar teams took to the track on the first day, with Tony Kanaan setting the fastest lap at a time of 20.6161 seconds and a speed of 174.621 mph km/h on.January 24, 2006 Back on track http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5897 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524150948/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5897 May 24, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com On the second day, Wheldon continued to prove his strength despite the team change with a blistering time of 20.1700 seconds and a speed of 178.483 mph km/h on, becoming the only driver to pass the 178-mph mark in the session.Olson Jeff January 26, 2006 Wheldon on top at Phoenix https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/wheldon-on-top-at-phoenix-4400687/4400687/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250730195302/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/wheldon-on-top-at-phoenix-4400687/4400687/ July 30, 2025 July 30, 2025 Autosport.com The second pre-season test was held at the Homestead–Miami Speedway on March 2, March 3, and March 5; the first two days of testing were held on the road course configuration, while the third day was held on the oval configuration.Lewandowski Dave February 28, 2006 Spring in their step http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060314102529/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6015 March 14, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com On the first day of testing, recently retired NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace took a drive in a Marlboro Team Penske-prepared Honda car to prepare for his role as an analyst for IndyCar broadcasts on ABC Sports and ESPN.March 2, 2006 IRL: Rusty Wallace drives Indy car https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-rusty-wallace-drives-indy-car/2077907/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250730201444/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-rusty-wallace-drives-indy-car/2077907/ July 30, 2025 July 30, 2025 Motorsport.com The tests were considered a success, as Castroneves swept both days of testing on the road course, with a fastest overall lap of 1 minute and 10.5683 seconds and a speed of 112.742 mph km/h on.Lewandowski Dave March 3, 2006 Quick off the corners http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6040 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060314102130/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6040 March 14, 2006 August 1, 2025 IndyCar.com Wheldon's chart-topping lap of 24.5088 seconds and 218.126 mph km/h on on the oval on March 5 was faster than the official track record set by Buddy Rice in 2004.March 5, 2006 IRL: Honda Racing Homestead test 2006-03-05 https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-honda-racing-homestead-test-2006-03-05/2078059/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250730202524/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-honda-racing-homestead-test-2006-03-05/2078059/ July 30, 2025 July 30, 2025 Motorsport.com The top ten drivers were also separated by less than four tenths of a second, leading anticipation to build for the season opener.Lewandowski Dave March 5, 2006 Prelude to drama http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6053 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060314102433/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6053 March 14, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com After the road course testing sessions at Homestead, Target Chip Ganassi Racing announced that they would revert to Panoz chassis for the three road course races of the 2006 season. Team director Mike Hull stated that their knowledge of the Panoz chassis on road courses influenced their decision: "It was a team decision. We have a lot of information about the Panoz car, and we think the Panoz on a road track is a great race car. We've committed ourselves to running a Dallara car on all the ovals, but with the limited amount of testing we have with the series, we felt we should take things one step at a time."Redmayne Tim March 3, 2006 Ganassi to use Panoz in road races https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/ganassi-to-use-panoz-in-road-races-4400123/4400123/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240723215825/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/ganassi-to-use-panoz-in-road-races-4400123/4400123/ July 23, 2024 August 1, 2025 Autosport.comLewandowski Dave March 2, 2006 Data dictates the chassis http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6029 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060314072208/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6029 March 14, 2006 August 1, 2025 IndyCar.com Practice and qualifying thumb|330x330px|Sam Hornish Jr. (pictured in 2008) won his seventh career pole position. Three practice sessions were held prior to the race, two on Friday and one on Saturday. The first session began at 10:30 AM local time and lasted for 60 minutes. The second session began at 2:00 PM local time and lasted for 90 minutes. The final session began at 10:30 AM and lasted for 60 minutes. All three sessions were divided into two groups.Toyota Indy 300 http://www.indycar.com/schedule/?event_id=4 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060427002316/http://www.indycar.com/schedule/?event_id=4 April 27, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com Scott Dixon led the first session with a time of 24.8974 seconds, ahead of Sam Hornish Jr., Kanaan, Hélio Castroneves, and Bryan Herta.March 24, 2006 Toyota Indy 300 Daily Trackside Report -- March 24 http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6174 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524153116/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6174 May 24, 2006 July 10, 2025 IndyCar.com Wheldon was fastest during the session on Friday afternoon with a time of 24.8004 seconds. Dixon, Castroneves, Hornish Jr., and Kanaan rounded out the top five. The only incident occurred three minutes into the session, when Vítor Meira spun into the SAFER barrier in turn four after a suspension failure. Despite heavy damage to the right side and rear of the car, Meira was uninjured and resorted to a backup car for qualifying.Lewandowski Dave March 24, 2006 Back at the front http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6170 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060515014449/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6170 May 15, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com The next morning, Castroneves put down the fastest time of 24.5736 seconds. Hornish Jr., Dixon, Tomas Scheckter, and Dario Franchitti took positions second through fifth.Lewandowski Dave March 25, 2006 Spirited competition http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6181 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524153156/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6181 May 24, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com Qualifying was held on Saturday at 2:45 PM local time. Each driver was required to run two laps in their qualifying attempt; the best of the two laps would determine their starting position.March 25, 2006 Toyota Indy 300 Daily Trackside Report - March 25 http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6187 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017155918/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6187 October 17, 2006 July 10, 2025 IndyCar.com Conditions for the session were reportedly quite warm, with ambient temperatures at 77 F C on. Hornish Jr. grabbed his seventh career pole position with a time of 24.4625 seconds and a speed of 218.539 mph km/h on, breaking Rice's 2004 track record. Castroneves, Hornish Jr.'s teammate, joined him on the front row.Lewandowski Dave March 25, 2006 Penske power http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6185 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061022114340/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6185 October 22, 2006 July 30, 2025 IndyCar.com Dixon, Danica Patrick, Kanaan, Rice, Franchitti, Wheldon, Dana, and Felipe Giaffone rounded out the top ten, and Herta, Scheckter, Ed Carpenter, Kosuke Matsuura, Scott Sharp, Cheever, Andretti, Buddy Lazier, Meira, and Chesson filled out the remaining ten starting positions. Unlike the other drivers, Lazier was only permitted to run one lap because of a gear change. After qualifying, Hornish Jr. described his mindset heading into qualifying: "The past couple of days we've been out here, we've been up towards the top of the speed charts. We were trying to be a little bit conservative and make sure that we had good race setup. When it came time for qualifying, we put as little downforce as we could on it and went out there and tried to hold on to it." Qualifying classification KeyMeaningorange R silverRookiegold W silverPast winner Pos Position No. Car Number Driver Team Chassis Lap 1 Lap 2 Finalgrid Final starting grid position for race 1 6 USA Sam Hornish Jr. gold W silver Marlboro Team Penske Dallara24.462524.47221 23 BRA Hélio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske Dallara24.513124.51752 39 NZL Scott Dixon gold W silver Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara24.738424.65893 416 USA Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing Panoz24.738424.6589171 1 511 BRA Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing Dallara24.757824.72964 615 USA Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing Panoz24.772024.7600181 1 727 GBR Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing Dallara24.766424.77315 810 GBR Dan Wheldon gold W silver Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara24.841724.77256 917 USA Paul Dana orange R silver Rahal Letterman Racing Panoz24.816024.7967191 1 1014 BRA Felipe Giaffone A. J. Foyt Racing Dallara24.811724.85747 117 USA Bryan Herta Andretti Green Racing Dallara24.977524.81928 122 ZAF Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing Dallara24.856724.83379 1320 USA Ed Carpenter Vision Racing Dallara24.869224.8399201 1 1455 JAP Kosuke Matsuura Super Aguri Fernández Racing Dallara24.846724.843210 158 USA Scott Sharp Delphi Fernández Racing Dallara24.928524.889611 1651 USA Eddie Cheever Cheever Racing Dallara25.099824.969012 1726 USA Marco Andretti orange R silver Andretti Green Racing Dallara24.981325.002213 185 USA Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara24.9878 14 194 BRA Vítor Meira Panther Racing Dallara25.032024.989215 2091 USA P. J. Chesson orange R silver Hemelgarn Racing Dallara25.202525.243916 Official qualifying results Notes Bold text indicates fastest time set in session. 1 1 – During final practice, Paul Dana crashed into Ed Carpenter, which led to Dana's death and Carpenter was injured. Both teams withdrew their entries -- Vision Racing withdrew their #20 entry and Rahal Letterman Racing withdrew the #15, #16, and #17 entries. By rule, the qualifying positions were used to determine final finishing positions and half points were awarded to the entries.March 26, 2006 Quotes from Brian Barnhart and Bobby Rahal Press Conference http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6199 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017154726/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6199 October 17, 2006 July 10, 2025 IndyCar.com Warmup On Sunday, at 10:00 AM local time, the drivers took to the track for a planned thirty-minute warmup session.March 26, 2006 Toyota Indy 300 Daily Trackside Report -- March 26 http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6204 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524153309/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6204 May 24, 2006 July 10, 2025 IndyCar.com Carpenter set the fastest lap of the session with a time of 25.9465 seconds, ahead of Kanaan, Patrick, Rice, and Herta.March 26, 2006 Indy Racing League Timing and Scoring Report - Toyota Indy 300 http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/homestead/indycar-results-pf.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061019202459/http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/homestead/indycar-results-pf.pdf October 19, 2006 July 31, 2025 IndyCar.com Death of Paul Dana Crash kills Indy driver Paul Dana About three minutes into the session (10:03 AM local time), Carpenter spun in turn two and made heavy contact with the SAFER barrier. As Carpenter's car slid down the track, the caution lights had turned on and several drivers immediately slowed down at the scene of the crash.March 26, 2006 Rookie driver dies https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2006/03/27/rookie-driver-dies/28468828007/ July 31, 2025 Herald-Tribune Unfortunately, Dana continued driving at an estimated speed of 176 mph km/h on and slammed head-on into the left-rear of Carpenter's car, causing Dana's car to split in half and lift about six feet in the air before landing upright.Lewandowski Dave March 26, 2006 Tragedy strikes http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6194 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060408193531/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6194 April 8, 2006 July 10, 2025 IndyCar.comHorrall Zach June 29, 2019 How Tonya Bergeson-Dana coped with the loss of husband Paul Dana after Indy car wreck https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/indy-500/2019/06/29/how-tonya-bergeson-dana-coped-loss-husband-paul-dana/1158184001/ July 31, 2025 IndyStar.comHarris Mike March 26, 2006 IRL mourns loss of Dana at opener https://www.poconorecord.com/story/sports/nascar/2006/03/27/irl-mourns-loss-dana-at/53115511007/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250801145113/https://www.poconorecord.com/story/sports/nascar/2006/03/27/irl-mourns-loss-dana-at/53115511007/ August 1, 2025 August 1, 2025 PoconoRecord.com After the crash, it was reported that Carpenter was briefly knocked unconscious but was awake and alert, and that Dana had suffered serious leg injuries. The session had also been delayed, and instead ended at 11:00 AM local time.Olson Jeff March 26, 2006 Carpenter, Dana taken to hospital https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/carpenter-dana-taken-to-hospital-4401502/4401502/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240714210950/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/carpenter-dana-taken-to-hospital-4401502/4401502/ July 14, 2024 July 31, 2025 Autosport.com Both drivers were assisted out of their cars and airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where Dana was pronounced dead shortly before noon. Carpenter was listed in stable condition and remained in the hospital for further evaluation.Olson Jeff March 27, 2006 Questions linger over Dana crash https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/questions-linger-over-dana-crash-4401477/4401477/ July 10, 2025 Autosport The announcement of Dana's death was made by Indy Racing League president Brian Barnhart at 12:45 PM local time.Olson Jeff March 26, 2006 Dana's death 'black day' for IRL https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/danas-death-black-day-for-irl-4401506/4401506/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240718195034/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/danas-death-black-day-for-irl-4401506/4401506/ July 18, 2024 July 31, 2025 Autosport.com It was the first death for the IRL since Tony Renna's passing following a test session crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2003.March 27, 2006 Rookie Driver Paul Dana Dies After IndyCar Crash https://www.aftermarketnews.com/rookie-driver-paul-dana-dies-after-indycar-crash/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250731025227/https://www.aftermarketnews.com/rookie-driver-paul-dana-dies-after-indycar-crash/ July 31, 2025 July 31, 2025 AfterMarketNews.comMarch 26, 2006 Dana killed in pre-race practice; Wheldon wins event https://www.espn.com/racing/news/story?id=2385329&seriesId=1 July 13, 2025 ESPN.com Out of respect for Dana, Bobby Rahal announced that Rahal Letterman Racing would withdraw all three of their entries, which were to be driven by Rice, Dana, and Patrick.Olson Jeff March 26, 2006 Drivers speak about Dana tragedy https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/drivers-speak-about-dana-tragedy-4401495/4401495/ July 10, 2025 Autosport Rahal also clarified that there was no miscommunication regarding Dana and his spotter, and Barnhardt reasoned that the circumstances of the situation is what led to Dana's crash: "That's just the first time of the weekend that we got all 20 cars on the track at the same time. Ed had his problem in turn two initially. The yellow lights were called immediately and all systems functioned properly. It's just a busy time out there with a lot of cars and a lot of traffic."Harris Mike March 26, 2006 Driver Dana dies in crash https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/sports/2006/03/27/driver-dana-dies-in-crash/50201347007/ July 31, 2025 SouthCoastToday.com Dana's now-widow, Tonya Bergeson-Dana, learned of his death while preparing for mass in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to Dana's death, she was planning to tell him that she was pregnant with their first child. While IRL officials and drivers considered postponing or cancelling the race, they eventually decided to instead begin the race as scheduled after consulting with then-track president Curtis Gray. Race The race began at 3:45 PM local time on Sunday, March 26, 2006. It was broadcast live on ABC, with Marty Reid serving as the play-by-play commentator and Wallace and Scott Goodyear serving as race analysts.Lewandowski Dave March 24, 2006 Broadcast team prepares for 'show time' http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6169 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017155133/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6169 October 17, 2006 July 31, 2025 IndyCar.com During the pre-race invocation, a moment of silence was held for Dana.March 26, 2006 Tragedy at Homestead: IRL driver Paul Dana is killed in pre-race practice crash https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2064276/tragedy-homestead-irl-driver-paul-dana-killed-pre-race-practice-crash/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20200918171245/https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2064276/tragedy-homestead-irl-driver-paul-dana-killed-pre-race-practice-crash/ September 18, 2020 July 31, 2025 Autoweek.com Several drivers, such as Dixon, Wheldon, Hornish Jr., and Castroneves raced with decals honoring Dana. With sunny conditions and an ambient temperature of 77 F C on, Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor commanded drivers to start their engines and fifteen of the sixteen remaining drivers rolled off the starting grid.March 20, 2006 Dolphins star Taylor serves as grand marshal http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6132 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524152837/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6132 May 24, 2006 July 31, 2025 IndyCar.com Herta was the lone exception, as he relayed to his team that he had no fuel pressure.March 26, 2006 Herta Finishes 13th in XM Satellite Radio Car at Homestead-Miami http://www.herta.com/press14.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060328183404/http://www.herta.com/press14.html March 28, 2006 July 31, 2025 Herta.com His car was pushed to his pit stall. Once the green flag was waved to signify the start of the race, pole sitter Hornish Jr. jumped to an early lead over teammate Castroneves. Andretti was penalized on the first lap for driving below the white line before the start of the race, resulting in a drive-through penalty.Lewandowski Dave March 26, 2006 Andretti runs through issues in debut http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6193 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524153244/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6193https%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20060524153244%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.indycar.com%2Fnews%2Fstory.php%3Fstory_id%3D6193 May 24, 2006 July 31, 2025 IndyCar.com The first yellow flag of the race was issued on the tenth lap, when Meira's car began trailing smoke. He retired from the race. During pit stop cycles, Andretti reported a broken drive shaft and exited his car, becoming the second retiree. More problems arose when Lazier's car caught on fire as he left pit road. He became the race's third retiree. Castroneves was mired back to sixth position on the restart on lap 21, as he was one of the few leaders who entered pit road; Wheldon subsequently took over the second position. Five laps later, Herta finally joined the race after his team fixed his fuel pressure issue. thumb|305x305px|Dan Wheldon (pictured in 2010) won the race in a photo finish. Hornish Jr. continued his steady pace, leading the first 57 laps and gradually extending his lead to 2.2924 seconds over Wheldon in the largely uneventful race thus far.March 26, 2006 Sam Hornish, Jr. Finishes 3rd in IndyCar Series Opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway http://www.samhornish.com/HTML/News/Detail.php?ID=208 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060518011719/http://www.samhornish.com/HTML/News/Detail.php?ID=208 May 18, 2006 July 31, 2025 SamHornish.com Homestead, Florida He finally gave up the lead to Castroneves on lap 58 as the first round of green-flag pit stop cycles commenced. Castroneves entered pit road nine laps later, and Sharp inherited the lead for two laps until he pitted on lap 69. Hornish Jr. was finally shifted back to the race lead after Matsuura pitted on lap 72. Hornish Jr. resumed his dominance of the race and was over five seconds ahead of Wheldon when the second caution was flown for debris in turn four. Every driver entered pit road, and Hornish Jr. maintained the lead by exiting first, while Wheldon lost a handful positions because of a front wing adjustment. Hornish Jr. led another large chunk of laps and was about two tenths of a second ahead of teammate Castroneves when he pitted at the end of lap 160 for four tires and fuel. Meanwhile, Kanaan, who had raced within the lead pack the entire day, had simultaneously attempted to enter pit road behind Hornish Jr. when his car veered left and hit the inside pit wall, effectively ending Kanaan's race.March 26, 2006 Team 7-Eleven's Kanaan Suffers Early End At Homestead-Miami Speedway http://www.andrettigreenracing.com/01_TK_Race.cfm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061025162253/http://www.andrettigreenracing.com/01_TK_Race.cfm October 25, 2006 August 1, 2025 AndrettiGreenRacing.com Chesson's car also stalled as he exited pit road, which ended his race as well. Castroneves assumed control of the field once again, as he exited pit road first on lap 164. Unfortunately for Hornish Jr., he was placed one lap behind Castroneves due to the caution, though he earned his lap back because he was ahead of Castroneves at the moment of caution. He still faced adversity, though, as he was the last car on the lead lap and was stuck behind three lapped cars. The caution was also poorly timed for Wheldon, who entered pit road right after it had closed. Wheldon was consequently given a drive-through penalty. On the ensuing restart on lap 170, the fourth caution was flown when Herta collided with another driver in turn one, sending Herta crashing into the outside barrier. He was uninjured, but his race was over. The green flag was issued once again on lap 178, and Wheldon promptly completed overtakes on Dixon in turn four and Franchitti in turn one the following lap, giving him the second position. Wheldon then used Castroneves' draft to his advantage and drove alongside him in an intense battle for the lead with less than twenty laps to go.March 26, 2006 Sunday 26 March 2006 - Wheldon Wins Season Opener In Homestead http://www.danwheldon.com/news.cfm/title/Wheldon%20Wins%20Season%20Opener%20In%20Homestead/flag/2/id/182 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061030122710/http://www.danwheldon.com/news.cfm/title/Wheldon%20Wins%20Season%20Opener%20In%20Homestead/flag/2/id/182 October 30, 2006 August 1, 2025 DanWheldon.com Wheldon led his first lap of the race on lap 183 and marginally expanded his lead over Castroneves to just over two hundredths of a second two laps later. The two drivers continued their fierce battle until lap 190, when Castroneves finally cleared Wheldon for the lead.March 26, 2006 Wheldon steals victory on the line https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/wheldon-steals-victory-on-the-line-4401510/4401510/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240723215006/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/wheldon-steals-victory-on-the-line-4401510/4401510/ July 23, 2024 August 1, 2025 Autosport.com Despite his lead, Castroneves mightily struggled to break Wheldon's draft in the final ten laps, as the widest margin between him and Wheldon during this period was 0.0932 seconds. On the final lap, Wheldon pounced to the lead over Castroneves on the backstretch and ran inches apart from him in the final two corners. Ultimately, Wheldon gained just enough momentum on the final corner to win the race by 0.0147 seconds over Castroneves, the ninth-closest finish in IRL history (at the time).Lewandowski Dave March 27, 2006 Wheldon drives home point in opener http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6208 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017152947/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6208 October 17, 2006 July 13, 2025 IndyCar.com The victory marked Wheldon's tenth win of his IndyCar career, his first of the season, and his second consecutive win at Homestead.Lewandowski Dave March 26, 2006 Wheldon edges Castroneves for victory http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6202 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017151343/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6202 October 17, 2006 August 1, 2025 IndyCar.com Castroneves finished second, and Hornish Jr., who led the most laps (145), finished third. Franchitti and Dixon rounded out the top five, and Matsuura, Sharp, Giaffone, Scheckter, and Cheever rounded out the top ten. They were also the last of the classified finishers.2006 Toyota Indy 300 Presented by XM Satellite Radio https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2006_Toyota_Indy_300_Presented_by_XM_Satellite_Radio/O live https://web.archive.org/web/20250513222225/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2006_Toyota_Indy_300_Presented_by_XM_Satellite_Radio/O May 13, 2025 August 1, 2025 Racing-Reference.info Post-race Despite the exciting victory, Wheldon remained humble during victory lane celebrations and offered his prayers to the Dana family: "This was a very sad day. I think, hopefully, we put on a good race, which I think we did. The IndyCar Series never fails to do that. It is certainly a very entertaining series and certainly one of the most competitive series in the world. Just a very, very sad day." He earned $109,800 in race winnings. Second-place finisher Castroneves spoke on his thoughts during the last few laps: "My fans over there are really trying. 2004 Sam won on the inside lane and he won. This year, I said, 'No way I'm going to give up the inside lane,' and Dan did a hell of a job. Obviously today, you have to remember a big loss, which is a pity. All my thoughts are with Paul Dana's family." He also revealed how he and his colleagues managed to build up the courage to race after Dana's death: "Well, definitely it's hard to lose a colleague, a person that is doing the same job that you're doing. But all the drivers here know the risk. We all know the danger of the sport. We are here because we love what we do. It's tougher for those that stay here."March 26, 2006 An interview with Dan Wheldon, Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish, Jr. http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6206 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524153323/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6206 May 24, 2006 August 1, 2006 IndyCar.com Several other drivers also paid tribute to Dana after the race. Hornish Jr. said: "We don't want to see anybody get hurt. It's a tough situation to be in, but the decision to race was made even before we knew the severity of the accident. We all saw it on TV and knew it was bad, but none of us knew the extent of it until the decision had already been made. We all knew what we needed to do was go out there and race." Franchitti said: "I'm still in shock about the whole thing. I didn't know Paul very well, but I've been through this before. I just feel for his family. It's such a tragedy."March 27, 2006 IndyCar driver dies after crash https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/4848052.stm live https://web.archive.org/web/20250711134715/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/4848052.stm July 11, 2025 August 1, 2025 News.BBC.co.UK Giaffone said: "I did think about him during the race. I do believe that when your time is up, that is it. God has a plan for everyone, and there's nothing you can do about it. God bless his family during this terrible time." Indy car racing legends Johnny Rutherford and A. J. Foyt also voiced their opinions on the tragedy. Rutherford said: "It’s a very sad situation, and we used to have a lot of that – a couple of them a month in sprint cars and midgets. It’s gotten a lot safer and you start getting a long stretch where nobody is injured and you get lulled into a false sense of security. Then, bang, it hits you again." Foyt added: "You’ll think of it afterward and hate it, but you have a job to do and have to put it out of your mind. I know it sounds cold, but that’s the business we’re in."Lewandowski Dave March 27, 2006 Shock and focus http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6207 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060427071538/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6207 April 27, 2006 August 1, 2025 IndyCar.com David Letterman, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Racing, offered his condolences to Dana's family during an episode of his talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, which aired the day after Dana's death: "It's not hard to imagine the despair and sorrow that Paul Dana's wife, Tanya, and the rest of his family are feeling now. I want them to know that they have the thoughts and the prayers of myself, the entire Rahal-Letterman team, and the entire racing community and, hopefully, that will give them the slightest amount of comfort."Alfano Sean March 28, 2006 Letterman On Race Car Driver's Death https://www.cbsnews.com/news/letterman-on-race-car-drivers-death/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250801221307/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/letterman-on-race-car-drivers-death/ August 1, 2025 August 1, 2025 CBSNews.com Carpenter was released from the hospital on Monday, March 27, and issued this statement: "It was a bad day for racing and my prayers and thoughts go out to Paul's family. I was fortunate to be able to speak with Paul's brother during my stay at the hospital and I was glad for that. I wish I could have spoken with his wife as well, but I want her to know that my sincerest sympathies and prayers are with her, their family and the entire Rahal Letterman Racing team at this time."March 27, 2006 Carpenter released from hospital http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6210 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524153401/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6210 May 24, 2006 August 1, 2025 IndyCar.com He was diagnosed with bruised lungs and sat out the next race at St. Petersburg, with veteran driver Roberto Moreno serving as Carpenter's fill-in driver that weekend.March 28, 2006 Moreno sits in for Carpenter at St. Pete http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6217 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017151028/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6217 October 17, 2006 August 1, 2025 IndyCar.com St. Petersburg, Florida A memorial service for Dana was held at the Mahaffey Theater on Thursday, March 30, prior to the weekend's festivities for the race at St. Petersburg.March 29, 2006 IRL Driver Carpenter Released from Hospital, Memorial for Paul Dana to Be Held March 30 https://www.aftermarketnews.com/irl-driver-carpenter-released-from-hospital-memorial-for-paul-dana-to-be-held-march-30/ July 10, 2025 Aftermarket NewsLewandowski Dave March 30, 2006 A celebration of Dana's life http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6235 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060524153534/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6235 May 24, 2006 July 10, 2025 IndyCar.com The finishing order of the race placed Wheldon as the leader of the Drivers' Championship with 50 points. Castroneves earned 40 points and was second, while Hornish Jr. was third with 38 points. Franchitti and Dixon rounded out the top five.March 26, 2006 OFFICIAL BOX SCORE http://www.indycar.com/stats/boxscores/2006/homestead_03262006.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060516051515/http://www.indycar.com/stats/boxscores/2006/homestead_03262006.pdf May 16, 2006 August 1, 2025 IndyCar.com Race classification Pos Position No. Car Number Driver Team Chassis Laps Time/Retired Grid Laps Led Pts. Points 110 UK Dan Wheldon gold W silver Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara20001:46:14.52866850 23 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske Dallara200+0.014724240 36 USA Sam Hornish Jr. gold W silver Marlboro Team Penske Dallara200+0.47441145382 2 427 GBR Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing Dallara200+0.94015032 59 NZL Scott Dixon gold W silver Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara200+1.19893030 655 JAP Kosuke Matsuura Super Aguri Fernández Racing Dallara198+2 Laps10328 78 USA Scott Sharp Delphi Fernández Racing Dallara198+2 Laps11226 814 BRA Felipe Giaffone A. J. Foyt Racing Dallara198+2 Laps7024 92 ZAF Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing Dallara197+3 Laps9022 1051 USA Eddie Cheever Cheever Racing Dallara196+4 Laps12020 1111 BRA Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing Dallara159Accident4019 1291 USA P. J. Chesson orange R silver Hemelgarn Racing Dallara152Gearbox16018 137 USA Bryan Herta Andretti Green Racing Dallara140Accident8017 145 USA Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara12Electrical14016 1526 USA Marco Andretti orange R silver Andretti Green Racing Dallara12Half Shaft13015 164 BRA Vítor Meira Panther Racing Dallara10Engine15014 1716 USA Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing Panoz0Did Not Start1707 1815 USA Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing Panoz0Did Not Start1806 1917 USA Paul Dana orange R silver Rahal Letterman Racing Panoz0Did Not Start1906 2020 USA Ed Carpenter Vision Racing Dallara0Did Not Start2006Fastest lap: NZL Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing) - 24.7198 (lap 195) Official race results Notes 2 2 — Includes three bonus points for leading the most laps.101: Points Breakdown http://www.indycar.com/tech/101/points.php dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090223192408/http://www.indycar.com/tech/101/points.php February 23, 2009 October 6, 2025 IndyCar.com Championship standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position Driver Points10px|alt=Unchanged1 GBR Dan Wheldon 5010px|alt=Unchanged2 BRA Hélio Castroneves 40 (–10)10px|alt=Unchanged3 USA Sam Hornish Jr. 38 (–12)10px|alt=Unchanged4 GBR Dario Franchitti 32 (–18)10px|alt=Unchanged5 NZL Scott Dixon 30 (–20) Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included. References Toyota Indy 300 2006 2005 Toyota Indy 400 2006 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 2005 Toyota Indy 300 2007 XM Satellite Radio 300 Category:Homestead–Miami Indy 300 Toyota Indy 300 Toyota Indy 300