WILSON BLAZES TO THE IZOD INDYCAR SERIES POLE IN TORONTO

TORONTO (July 17, 2010) – Justin Wilson earned his first IZOD IndyCar Series pole, and set a series track record in the process, for the Honda Indy Toronto. Now all the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver has to do is hold off 25 challengers over 85 laps in Sunday’s race.

Wilson posted a quick lap of 1 minute, 0.2710 seconds (104.827 mph) in the Firestone Fast Six on the 1.75-mile, 11-turn street circuit at Exhibition Place to win the PEAK Performance Pole Award.

It was the second career pole earned for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing – the first by Sarah Fisher in 2002 at Kentucky Speedway.

Team Penske’s Will Power will join Wilson on the front row. Power, five-time pole winner this season, had a best lap of 1:00.4563 in the Firestone Fast Six. The current championship points leader has advanced to the Firestone Fast Six in all 10 street/road course events he’s competed for Team Penske.

Helio Castroneves (1:00.8159) in the No. 3 Team Penske car and Ryan Hunter-Reay, driving the No. 37 IZOD car for Andretti Autosport (1:00.8397), will share Row 2. Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dario Franchitti (1:00.9477) and Scott Dixon (1:00.9541) will be on Row 3. Dixon extended his series record to 42 consecutive top-five starts.

 All but Wilson are race winners this season. He obviously intends to become the eighth different winner.

“We’ve had a couple of tough races so to come back and get the pole here is just fantastic,” said Wilson, who will seek his third IZOD IndyCar Series victory. “Everyone at Dreyer & Reinbold has worked so hard.  I’m very pleased for Z-Line Designs.  We’ll keep pushing for the race.  It’s easy in this stage to sit back and relax, but we have a lot of work to do.  It’s great that this is the team’s second career pole and I want to get their second career win.  That’s the big picture we’re looking at but this is a great moment.

“After the difficulties at Watkins Glen (lost four spots to finish 10th) and Iowa (dropped 13 positions to finish 24th), it’s been tough.  We’ve been working so hard, trying to stay focused, stay on track and not go off on a tangent.”

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