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Two winners Lazier captures first IRL win while Hornish captures title
Updated: Sunday September 02, 2001 10:45 PM
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- So, Sam Hornish Jr. is a millionaire. He didn't win the lottery or answer a bunch of game show questions to earn his money, either. He did it with consistent racing throughout the IRL season, clinching the points championship Sunday by finishing second to first-time winner Jaques Lazier in the Delphi Indy 300. "It's a heck of a feeling. It wouldn't matter if we were racing for a dollar or a million dollars out there, just to have you name on that trophy that says you won is worth it," Hornish said. "This takes a lot of pressure off. Now we can celebrate, relax and go into Texas like it's the first race of the year."
Hornish became the youngest driver to win a major open-wheel series championship in North America. He didn't beat Jaques Lazier in Sunday's race, but he did beat his older brother, Buddy Lazier, to win the points title and the $1 million prize. "We weren't the fastest today, but we finished up front and that's what we've been consistent at doing so far this season," Hornish said. "That's the biggest part of this series. You've got to have it flat out on the line all through the race or you're just going to fade out." Jaques Lazier, in just his second race for Team Menard, passed rookie Felipe Giaffone with 25 laps left and led the rest of the way. Giaffone, who challenged throughout the 200-lap race, blew his engine with two laps left while in third place, and that cleared the way for Hornish to finish second. "We have jelled quicker than I ever thought possible," Jaques Lazier said. "Felipe definitely made it difficult. I tried to break away a couple of times and tried to separate and he just kept fighting up and stayed right there with me. "I just knew at the end, we'd have something for him." Hornish won the first two races of the season and has been in the top five 10 times for Pennzoil Panther Racing, including nine podium finishes. "That's by any kind of racing pretty spectacular," Hornish said. He entered Sunday's race with a 45-point lead on defending champion Buddy Lazier. Needing to increase that lead to 53 to clinch the Northern Light Cup, he did it easily. Buddy Lazier fell out of contention with multiple pit stops on laps 86 and 88 and finished 11th. Hornish has 451 points and Buddy Lazier, who's won a season-best four times, 385 with one race left. "We won four races, more races than anybody," Buddy Lazier said. "It was a championship-caliber season, but we just had too many races where we were limping home." Jaques Lazier, who jumped to Team Menard from Sam Schmidt Motorsports two weeks ago, won the pole Saturday and then led Sunday's race on the 1.5-mile, D-shaped oval at Chicagoland Speedway for 116 laps. He averaged 172.146 mph. On a fast track under clear skies there were only three yellow flags Sunday. Eliseo Salazar cut in front of Mark Dismore on lap 164, hooked his nose and spun around into the wall for the third and final caution of the race. Giaffone was in front on the restart on lap 173, but not for long. Two laps later, Jaques Lazier went around him in turn 4 and did not relinquish the lead. "I'm so disappointed and happy at the same time," Giaffone said. "I can't believe we lost the motor. I had a car to win this race. We ran up front all day and I was just pulling out to pass when the motor let go." Jaques Lazier beat Hornish by 1.4609 seconds. Eddie Cheever Jr., took third. Giaffone finished 10th.
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