2006 SunTrust Indy Challenge

June 2025 IndyCar race held in Richmond, Virginia USA SunTrust Indy Challenge Richmond Raceway 2024.svg Layout of the Richmond International Raceway circuit June 24 2006 SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM Satellite Radio 2006 Bombardier Learjet 500 2006 Kansas Lottery Indy 300 7th IndyCar Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia Permanent racing facility 0.750 1.200 250 187.500 301.752 Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Field set by practice times; 15.5645 BRA Hélio Castroneves Team Penske 16.7234 5 BRA Sam Hornish Jr. Team Penske USA Vítor Meira Panther Racing BRA Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing GBR 2005 2007 The 2006 SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM Satellite Radio was an IndyCar Series motor race held on June 24, 2006, in Richmond, Virginia at Richmond International Raceway. It was the seventh round of the 2006 IndyCar Series and the sixth running of the event. Sam Hornish Jr. of Marlboro Team Penske won the 250-lap race. Panther Racing driver Vítor Meira finished second, and Andretti Green Racing's Dario Franchitti took third. Hélio Castroneves was awarded the pole position after qualifications were rained out. He led the first 38 laps before teammate Hornish Jr. overtook him for the first position. Hornish Jr. proceeded to lead the final 212 laps and win the race with little vying from the other competitors. His win, coupled with Castroneves' ninth-place finish after blowing a tire late in the race, allowed him to reduce Castroneves' Drivers' Championship lead to five points. Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon dropped to third and fourth, respectively, while Meira moved to fifth with seven races remaining in the season. Background 2006 IndyCar Series#Teams and drivers left|thumb|250x250px|Richmond Raceway (pictured in 2020), where the race was held. The SunTrust Indy Challenge was the seventh of 14 scheduled open-wheel races of the 2006 IndyCar Series and the sixth edition of the event.Lewandowski Dave September 13, 2005 Momentum, consistency 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 September 19, 2025 IndyCarJune 21, 2006 Wired for the weekend http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6883 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017161004/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6883 October 17, 2006 September 19, 2025 IndyCar It was held on June 24, 2006, in Richmond, Virginia, United States, at Richmond International Raceway, a four-turn 0.75 mi km on asphalt oval track which features 14-degree banking in the turns, 8-degree banking in the front stretch, and 2-degree banking in the back stretch, and contested over 250 laps and 187.5 mi km out.June 18, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Round seven pre-race notes, schedule https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-round-seven-pre-race-notes-schedule/2089124/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250919211659/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-round-seven-pre-race-notes-schedule/2089124/ September 19, 2025 September 19, 2025 Motorsport.com Before the race, Marlboro Team Penske driver Hélio Castroneves, the defending race winner,June 20, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Team Penske preview https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-team-penske-preview-2008-03-27/2089192/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250919213544/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-team-penske-preview-2008-03-27/2089192/ September 19, 2025 September 19, 2025 Motorsport.com led the Drivers' Championship with 232 points, twenty-two points ahead of Scott Dixon in second and thirty-seven points over Dan Wheldon in third. Sam Hornish Jr. and Tony Kanaan held the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.June 12, 2006 Indy Racing League news and notes 2006-06-12 http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=221230&FS=IRL dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060913162400/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=221230&FS=IRL September 13, 2006 September 19, 2025 Motorsport.com To prepare for the race, IndyCar conducted a test at the circuit for the series' entrants on June 22; the sessions were exclusively opened to rookie drivers at 9:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), paused from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM, opened to all drivers at 2:00 PM, and concluded at 6:00 PM. All 19 full-time entries took part in the session, which was led by Hornish Jr. with a lap of 15.7520 seconds; however, Hornish Jr. had also brought the session to an early end after crashing into the SAFER barrier in the fourth turn, destroying his primary car in the process.Olson Jeff June 23, 2006 Hornish tops practice despite crash https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/hornish-tops-practice-despite-crash-4403335/4403335/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250919230424/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/hornish-tops-practice-despite-crash-4403335/4403335/ September 19, 2025 September 19, 2025 Autosport.com He was closely trailed by Andretti Green Racing drivers Marco Andretti and Kanaan, while Scott Sharp and Dario Franchitti drove the fourth- and fifth-quickest laps of the session, respectively.June 22, 2006 IRL: Richmond Int'l Raceway Open Test summary https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-int-l-raceway-open-test-summary/2089388/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250919231132/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-int-l-raceway-open-test-summary/2089388/ September 19, 2025 September 19, 2025 Motorsport.com Hornish Jr. looked forward to the race weekend because of how fun he felt the circuit was. Castroneves was equally as optimistic and fondly reminisced his win at the track in 2005. After the test, Andretti instantly became fond of the track because of its emphasis on driver effort. Kanaan shared this sentiment and likened Richmond International Raceway to a road course.June 21, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Tony Kanaan preview https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-tony-kanaan-preview-2008-03-27/2089180/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250920003512/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-tony-kanaan-preview-2008-03-27/2089180/ September 20, 2025 September 20, 2025 Motorsport.com Franchitti spoke of the physical challenges while racing at the track, such as G-forces,Lewandowski Dave June 22, 2006 Heavy traffic doesn't faze Franchitti http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6902 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017154156/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6902 October 17, 2006 September 20, 2025 IndyCar but had hope that he could muster another good finish in the race.June 21, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Dario Franchitti preview https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-dario-franchitti-preview-2008-03-27/2089184/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250920110216/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-dario-franchitti-preview-2008-03-27/2089184/ September 20, 2025 September 20, 2025 Motorsport.com Buddy Rice, on the other hand, claimed that the track was not physically demanding, but mentally demanding because it tested drivers' patience.IRL: Richmond: Rahal Letterman Racing preview https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-rahal-letterman-racing-preview/2089380/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250920111426/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-rahal-letterman-racing-preview/2089380/ September 20, 2025 September 20, 2025 Motorsport.com Hilliard, Ohio Practice and qualifying Two practice sessions were held prior to the race on Saturday, both on Friday. The first session lasted for 90 minutes, and the second for 60 minutes; both sessions were divided into two groups which each received equal track time. The first session featured two stoppages, one for Buddy Lazier, who backed into the fourth-turn wall, and another for Felipe Giaffone, whose engine failed just eight laps into his run.June 23, 2006 SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM Satellite Radio Daily Trackside Report -- June 23 http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6925 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017154204/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6925 October 17, 2006 July 12, 2025 IndyCar.comRichmond International Raceway - SunTrust Indy Challenge http://www.foytracing.com/IndyCar/2006_reports/IC_rr_richmond.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060710055309/http://www.foytracing.com/IndyCar/2006_reports/IC_rr_richmond.html July 10, 2006 September 20, 2025 A. J. Foyt Racing Castroneves led the first session with a quick lap of 15.6043 seconds, ahead of Andretti, Kanaan, Kosuke Matsuura, and Hornish Jr.June 23, 2006 Indy Racing League Timing and Scoring Report - June 23, 2006 http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-p1.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061019203311/http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-p1.pdf October 19, 2006 September 20, 2025 IndyCar Castroneves later improved on his fastest time during the second and final session with a lap of 15.5645 seconds, besting Scott Sharp, Hornish Jr., Wheldon, and Andretti.June 23, 2006 Indy Racing League Timing and Scoring Report - June 23, 2006 http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-p2.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061019203314/http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-p2.pdf October 19, 2006 September 20, 2025 IndyCar Forty-five minutes after the second practice session ended, the starting grid was set to be determined by the qualifying session. Each driver was required to complete two timed laps; the fastest time would determine the drivers' starting positions. After nine drivers completed their qualifying attempts, rain began to descend over the track, forcing IndyCar to cancel the session. The starting grid was resultantly determined by the combined practice speeds on Friday, which awarded Castroneves the pole position.Lewandowski Dave June 23, 2006 He'll take it http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6923 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017151321/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6923 October 17, 2006 September 20, 2025 IndyCar He was joined on the grid's front row by Sharp; Hornish Jr., Wheldon, and Andretti took positions third through fifth, and Vítor Meira, Kanaan, Matsuura, Bryan Herta, and Franchitti qualified from sixth through tenth. The grid was rounded out by Dixon, Tomas Scheckter, Ed Carpenter, Rice, Danica Patrick, Jeff Simmons, Eddie Cheever, Giaffone, and Lazier.Olson Jeff June 23, 2006 Castroneves awarded pole https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/castroneves-awarded-pole-4403300/4403300/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250920185343/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/castroneves-awarded-pole-4403300/4403300/ September 20, 2025 September 20, 2025 Autosport.com Qualifying classification Pos Position No. Car Number Driver Team Time Time in seconds Speed Speed in MPH Finalgrid Final starting grid position for race 1 3 BRA Hélio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske 15.5645 173.4721 28 USA Scott Sharp Delphi Fernández Racing 15.6330 172.7122 36 USA Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Team Penske 15.6466 172.5613 410 GBR Dan Wheldon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 15.6529 172.4924 526 USA Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing 15.6915 172.0685 64 BRA Vítor Meira Panther Racing 15.7002 171.9726 711 BRA Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing 15.7022 171.9507 855 JAP Kosuke Matsuura Super Aguri Fernández Racing 15.7158 171.8028 97 USA Bryan Herta Andretti Green Racing 15.7514 171.4139 1027 GBR Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing 15.7645 171.27110 119 NZL Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing 15.7844 171.05511 122 ZAF Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing 15.8278 170.58612 1320 USA Ed Carpenter Vision Racing 15.8310 170.55113 1415 USA Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing 15.8771 170.056181 1 1516 USA Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing 15.8936 169.88014 1617 USA Jeff Simmons Rahal Letterman Racing 16.0425 168.30315 1751 USA Eddie Cheever Cheever Racing 16.0576 168.14516 1814 BRA Felipe Giaffone A. J. Foyt Racing 16.5270 163.36917 195 USA Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 16.5290 163.34919 Sources:June 23, 2006 Indy Racing League Timing and Scoring Report - Combined Practice Sessions Results http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-pcomb.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061019203355/http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-pcomb.pdf October 19, 2006 September 20, 2025 IndyCar Notes The starting grid was determined by the fastest speeds of Friday's two practice sessions. 1 1 — Buddy Rice was sent to the rear of the grid because of a crash during the warm-up session.IRL: Richmond: Rahal Letterman Racing race report https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-rahal-letterman-racing-race-report/2089688/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250920193013/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-rahal-letterman-racing-race-report/2089688/ September 20, 2025 September 20, 2025 Motorsport.com Warm-up At 2:00 PM EDT, the drivers took to the track for a thirty-minute warm-up session leading up to the race. The session was briefly stopped three minutes after it began when Rice crashed into the SAFER barrier in the fourth turn.June 24, 2006 SunTrust Indy Challenge Daily Trackside Report -- June 24 http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6934 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060702204653/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6934 July 2, 2006 July 12, 2025 IndyCar.com Hornish Jr. was the fastest driver of the session with a timed lap of 16.5691 seconds, ahead of Meira, Kanaan, Franchitti, and Wheldon.June 24, 2006 Indy Racing League Timing and Scoring Report - Final Practice Session Results http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-pf.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061019203301/http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-results-pf.pdf October 19, 2006 September 20, 2025 IndyCar Race The race began at 8:00 PM EDT and was broadcast live on ESPN2 in the United States. Commentary was provided by Marty Reid, while Scott Goodyear and Rusty Wallace took the roles of race analysts.Cavin Curt January 25, 2006 Rusty Wallace gets TV deal http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060125%2FSPORTS01%2F60125024 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150924044338/http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060125%2FSPORTS01%2F60125024 September 24, 2015 September 21, 2025 IndyStar.com An estimated 40,000 spectators were in attendance for the race.Cavin Curt June 25, 2006 Mr. IRL Wins Again: Sam Hornish Jr. tops the field at Richmond https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2067546/mr-irl-wins-again-sam-hornish-jr-tops-field-richmond/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250921173006/https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2067546/mr-irl-wins-again-sam-hornish-jr-tops-field-richmond/ September 21, 2025 September 21, 2025 Autoweek.com Weather conditions at the start of the race were cloudy, with air temperatures measuring at 81 F C on and track temperatures at 91 F C on. After Rice's crash in the warm-up session, his team replaced his motor and he was consequently placed in the 18th starting position as per IndyCar's rules. Veteran motorsports journalist Chris Economaki commanded the drivers to start their enginesJune 19, 2006 IRL: Economaki named RIR Grand Marshal https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-economaki-named-rir-grand-marshal/2089040/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250920195945/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-economaki-named-rir-grand-marshal/2089040/ September 20, 2025 September 20, 2025 Motorsport.com Richmond, Virginia and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford drove the pace car.Lewandowski Dave March 24, 2006 A first: Hybrid technology paces the field http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6163 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017153522/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6163 October 17, 2006 September 20, 2025 IndyCar left|thumb|202x202px|Sam Hornish Jr. (pictured in 2013) led the final 212 laps and won the race. Castroneves utilized his pole position to his advantage when the green flag was waved and quickly began driving away from the other competitors. At the end of the first lap, Castroneves' teammate Hornish Jr. overtook Wheldon for the second position, while Andretti had also improved into the third position.June 24, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Marco Andretti race report https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-marco-andretti-race-report/2089724/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250921182708/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-marco-andretti-race-report/2089724/ September 21, 2025 September 21, 2025 Motorsport.com Richmond, Virginia Beginning on lap 15, Castroneves began maneuvering around lapped drivers, causing his gap over Hornish Jr. to dwindle within the next twenty laps. On the 39th lap, Hornish Jr. pulled ahead of Castroneves to take the lead in the first turn. Meira made his way up to the third position a lap later.June 24, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Panther Racing race report https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-panther-racing-race-report-1/2089676/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250921214400/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-panther-racing-race-report-1/2089676/ September 21, 2025 September 21, 2025 Motorsport.com Richmond, Virginia The first caution flag of the race was necessitated on lap 53, by which point Hornish Jr. had established a five-second lead over Castroneves, after debris was reported on the back stretch. All drivers chose to enter pit road for tires and fuel three laps later. Hornish Jr. and Castroneves preserved their respective positions, while Meira plummeted to tenth in the running order after his pit stop was elongated due to an issue with the impact wrench. Cheever was also sent to the rear of the field for exceeding the speed limit on pit road. Two laps after the lap 61 restart, Simmons slid up the track and crashed into the wall, bringing out the second caution and forcing him to retire. The only driver who entered pit road under this caution period was Rice, who received a beneficiary rule lap after the previous caution. Hornish Jr. maintained the first position as the race restarted on lap 72 and amassed a 4.7-second lead over Castroneves by the 111th lap. Meanwhile, Kanaan, who was running in the fourth position, pulled off the track on lap 109 and confirmed his retirement from the race two laps later on account of a malfunctioning gear shift cable.June 24, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Tony Kanaan race report https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-tony-kanaan-race-report-2008-03-27/2089720/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250922212353/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-tony-kanaan-race-report-2008-03-27/2089720/ September 22, 2025 September 22, 2025 Motorsport.com On the 140th lap, Andretti overtook Castroneves for the second position. Eleven laps later, the third caution was displayed when debris was spotted in the second turn. Under the caution period, all drivers elected to make pit stops for new tires and fuel; some teams, including that of Hornish Jr., also made wing adjustments. Herta exited his pit stall while his fuel hose was still attached, sparking a small fire that was quickly extinguished. Franchitti's quick pit stop allowed him to advance from sixth to second.June 24, 2006 IRL: Richmond: Dario Franchitti race report https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-dario-franchitti-race-report-2008-03-27/2089712/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250922225216/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-dario-franchitti-race-report-2008-03-27/2089712/ September 22, 2025 September 22, 2025 Motorsport.com After racing resumed on lap 164, Hornish Jr. continued his dominant pace, though he was steadily pursued by Franchitti. By virtue of lapped drivers, however, Hornish Jr. opened his gap over Franchitti to 7.6 seconds by lap 235. Meanwhile, Meira made an abrupt charge to the front of the field; he first passed Andretti for fourth place on lap 226 after Andretti oversteered and nearly spun exiting the second turn, then moved to third by overtaking Castroneves five laps later. Castroneves, meanwhile, began losing several positions after air pressure in his right-rear tire depleted.June 24, 2006 IRL: Hornish dominates and wins at Richmond https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-hornish-dominates-and-wins-at-richmond/2089648/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250923001503/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-hornish-dominates-and-wins-at-richmond/2089648/ September 23, 2025 September 23, 2025 Motorsport.com On the 240th lap, Wheldon's fuel tank ran dry because of a short pit stop on lap 153, forcing him to concede fifth place and enter pit road for a splash of fuel.June 24, 2006 Saturday 24 June 2006 - Wheldon Gambles on Fuel Strategy; Ninth at Richmond http://www.danwheldon.com/news.cfm/title/Wheldon%20Gambles%20%20on%20Fuel%20Strategy%3B%20Ninth%20at%20Richmond/flag/2/id/206 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061030123140/http://www.danwheldon.com/news.cfm/title/Wheldon%20Gambles%20%20on%20Fuel%20Strategy%3B%20Ninth%20at%20Richmond/flag/2/id/206 October 30, 2006 September 22, 2025 Dan Wheldon Richmond, Virginia Meira continued his late-race surge on lap 246 by steering to the inside on the front stretch and taking the second position from Franchitti,Lewandowski Dave June 24, 2006 Meira gets close to first victory again http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6927 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060704074642/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6927 July 4, 2006 September 22, 2025 IndyCar nearly driving into the grass in the process. Seconds after Meira accomplished the pass, Castroneves' right-rear tire finally blew, triggering the fourth (and final) caution which proceeded in the final four laps. Hornish Jr. maintained his lead during the caution period and drove to his sixteenth IndyCar victory and second of the season, following his win in the Indianapolis 500 the month prior. Meira finished second for the sixth time in his career, ahead of Franchitti in third, Andretti in fourth, and Sharp in fifth. Herta, Scheckter, Carpenter, Wheldon, and Castroneves completed the top ten finishers and Dixon, Matsuura, Rice, Cheever, Patrick, Lazier, and Giaffone were the last of the classified finishers.2006 SunTrust Indy Challenge https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2006_SunTrust_Indy_Challenge/O live https://web.archive.org/web/20250521215653/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2006_SunTrust_Indy_Challenge/O May 21, 2025 September 23, 2025 Racing-Reference NASCAR Digital Media The race had four cautions for 34 laps, a record-low amount for the series at the track, and one lead change among two drivers. Hornish Jr. led the final 212 laps en route to victory, marking the most consecutive laps ever led in a single IndyCar Series race.June 24, 2006 Inside the box score and more http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6926 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017161014/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6926 October 17, 2006 September 23, 2025 IndyCar Post-race Hornish Jr. drove to victory lane to celebrate his win with his team; the win earned him $125,800 and Honda their 100th victory in American open-wheel racing.Lewandowski Dave June 24, 2006 Honda celebrates its 100th victory http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6916 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017153328/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6916 October 17, 2006 September 23, 2025 IndyCar In victory lane, Hornish Jr. was pleased with the win, stating: "We had a great race all the way through the beginning. Our focus for tonight was just make sure that we ran a calm, clean race and make sure we don't get into any problems out here. The last two years I either got hit or spun out trying to get around Hélio (Castroneves)."Lewandowski Dave June 24, 2006 Hornish storms Richmond http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6931 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060702204634/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6931 July 2, 2006 July 12, 2025 IndyCar.com Hornish Jr. also said his team jokingly allowed him to wreck their cars, so long as he continued winning races.Olson Jeff June 25, 2006 Hornish wins at Richmond https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/hornish-wins-at-richmond-4403260/4403260/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250923005723/https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/hornish-wins-at-richmond-4403260/4403260/ September 23, 2025 September 23, 2025 Autosport Meira was similarly proud of his performance and said: "Doing what we did today, everybody saw what myself and Panther Racing are capable of. [...] It's just amazing what we did today, falling back twice after (poor) pit stops and being able to recover on such a difficult track to overtake.” Regarding his pass for second, he praised Franchitti for giving him enough room to drive, calling him "professional."June 24, 2006 An Interview With Vitor Meira, Marco Andretti and Sam Hornish Jr. http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6938 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061017151359/http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=6938 October 17, 2006 September 23, 2025 IndyCar Franchitti, who finished third, lauded Meira for his pass on lap 246, but criticized race officials for being unhelpful as he negotiated around lapped drivers: "What was upsetting me was that Sam (Hornish Jr.) was getting the blue flag to help him get through traffic. It appears that the Klein Tools/Canadian Club car was invisible to the flagman. There were no blue flags all night, no help at all from the flagstand. The backmarkers did more to help me than they did." Nevertheless, Franchitti said he had a "wonderful time" during the race. Fourth-place finisher Andretti wished he could have competed for the win, but was grateful that he finished the race without wrecking, admitting the car was "a handful at times." After finishing fifth, Sharp hoped he could keep his streak of top-five finishes intact after the race at Kansas Speedway, although he felt that his car had tightened and lost speed after his final pit stop.IRL: Richmond: Scott Sharp race report https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-scott-sharp-race-report-2008-03-27/2089664/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250923100439/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-richmond-scott-sharp-race-report-2008-03-27/2089664/ September 23, 2025 September 23, 2025 Motorsport.com Castroneves, who maintained his Drivers' Championship lead with 252 points, said his car initially drove great but loosened as he approached lapped drivers. He was trailed by teammate Hornish Jr. with 247 points. Dixon, with 229 points, fell to third, while Wheldon dropped to fourth with 217. Meira improved one spot in fifth with 192 points.June 24, 2006 IRL: Standings after Richmond https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-standings-after-richmond-3/2089760/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250923105132/https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-standings-after-richmond-3/2089760/ September 23, 2025 September 23, 2025 Motorsport.com Race classification Pos Position No. Car Number Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Laps Led Pts. Points 16 USA Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Team Penske25001:26:49.46693212532 2 24 BRA Vítor Meira Panther Racing250+0.39076040 327 GBR Dario Franchitti Andretti Green Racing250+1.589510035 426 USA Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing250+6.54005032 58 USA Scott Sharp Delphi Fernández Racing250+6.66772030 67 USA Bryan Herta Andretti Green Racing250+10.92179028 72 ZAF Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing249+1 Lap12026 820 USA Ed Carpenter Vision Racing249+1 Lap13024 910 GBR Dan Wheldon Target Chip Ganassi Racing249+1 Lap4022 103 BRA Hélio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske249+1 Lap13820 119 NZL Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing249+1 Lap11019 1255 JAP Kosuke Matsuura Super Aguri Fernández Racing247+3 Laps8018 1315 USA Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing247+3 Laps18017 1451 USA Eddie Cheever Cheever Racing246+4 Laps16016 1516 USA Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing246+4 Laps14015 165 USA Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing245+5 Laps19014 1714 BRA Felipe Giaffone A. J. Foyt Racing244+6 Laps17013 1811 BRA Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing109Gearbox7012 1917 USA Jeff Simmons Rahal Letterman Racing59Accident15012 Sources:June 24, 2006 SunTrust Indy Challenge - Unofficial Lap Report - June 24th, 2006 http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-race-lapfinal.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061019203308/http://www1.indycar.com/scoring/2006/reports/indycarseries/richmond/indycar-race-lapfinal.pdf October 19, 2006 September 21, 2025 IndyCarJune 24, 2006 OFFICIAL BOX SCORE - SunTrust Indy Challenge presented by XM Satellite Radio at Richmond International Raceway http://www.indycar.com/stats/boxscores/2006/richmond_06242006.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060701212204/http://www.indycar.com/stats/boxscores/2006/richmond_06242006.pdf July 1, 2006 September 21, 2025 IndyCar 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 Championship standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position Driver Points10px|alt=Unchanged1 BRA Hélio Castroneves 25210px|alt=Unchanged 22 USA Sam Hornish Jr. 247 (–5)10px|alt=Unchanged 13 NZL Scott Dixon 229 (–23)10px|alt=Unchanged 14 GBR Dan Wheldon 217 (–35)10px|alt=Unchanged 15 BRA Vítor Meira 192 (–60) Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included. References SunTrust Indy Challenge 2006 2006 Bombardier Learjet 500 2006 Kansas Lottery Indy 300 2005 SunTrust Indy Challenge 2007 SunTrust Indy Challenge Category:2006 in IndyCar Category:2006 in motorsport Category:2006 in American motorsport Category:June 2006 sports events in the United States Category:SunTrust Indy Challenge Category:2000s in Richmond, Virginia Category:2006 in sports in Virginia