Penske fails to grab win in Iowa

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) -Team Penske came to the Iowa Speedway determined to break through with its first win at the track.

They did everything but claim a victory at Sunday's Iowa 250.

Helio Castroneves finished second to fellow Brazilian Tony Kanaan after losing the lead with 10 laps left, and teammates Ryan Briscoe and Will Power finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

It was a very good afternoon for one of open-wheel racing's powerhouse teams. But the Penske boys came up just short in Iowa once again, even though Castroneves and Power came to the track last week for test sessions.

“It's a shame for us, but for the championship it is very good,” Castroneves.

Power earned his first oval pole on Saturday, but he lost the lead after 32 laps and never got it back - although he did fight his way into a top-five finish.

Briscoe, who won two weeks ago to jump back in the points standings race, started in eighth with a car he said was “very loose.” Briscoe never led a lap or seriously threatened to, but he battled all day for a result that helped him keep his fifth-place spot in the points standings.

“I'm so happy with this fourth-place finish,” Briscoe said. “We made a few changes during the pit stops and they gave me positions on the yellow stops.”

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VIVA LA VISO: Perhaps the most surprising finish of the day came from E.J. Viso, who came in third for his first podium finish in 40 tries.

Viso, a 25-year-old Venezuelan who's finished 18th in the points chase in each of the past two years, broke through with by far his best effort of the season. Viso, who didn't even have a top-10 finish until Sunday, matched the best-ever finish for KV Racing.

Mario Moraes, who was collected and knocked out by Justin Wilson on the first lap Sunday, finished third for KV at Chicagoland in 2009.

“Being on the podium is very, very rewarding,” Viso said. “I think it's tough to explain all that we did inside the cockpit having the car in so many positions in the race.”

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ROUGH DAY FOR MUTOH: Hideki Mutoh notched his best IRL finish at Iowa in 2008, earning second, and he followed that up with a third-place finish in 2009.

His success at Iowa Speedway came to a grinding halt this year.

Mutoh hit the wall during a test session last week, and a poor qualifying run left him 24th out of 25 cars entering the race. He only completed 131 laps on Sunday, done in by handling issues.

“We've got to work hard to figure this thing out for the next round of oval races,” Mutoh said.

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NO LOVE FOR THE LADIES: It was a rough afternoon for the four female drivers in the field; Danica Patrick, Simona de Silvestro, Sarah Fisher and Milka Duno. Patrick had a rare quiet day on the track, finishing a respectable 10th. De Silvestro hit pit crew member Brett Snyder - a native Iowan, no less - and sprained her ankle en route to a 21st-place finish. Fisher's day ended after 92 laps when she hit the wall, and handling issues doomed Duno early in the race.

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SPARKPLUGS: Marco Andretti said before the race that he'd better win because he didn't get his father, racing legend and team owner Michael Andretti, anything for Father's Day. Marco was in the mix for much of the race but faded late, finishing 15th. Kanaan, a fellow Andretti Autosport driver, made Michael smile, though, by taking the checkered flag. ... Scott Dixon was late to the starting grid because his team had to replace his fuel pump. Dixon eventually grabbed the lead for two laps and finished sixth. ... Rusty Wallace, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver and ethanol mascot “Captain Cornelius,” were among the notables seen in the infield before the race.