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BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) -- For the first time in weeks, Danica Patrick can race without dodging questions about her future.
"I had to lie," she said. "It wasn't anything hurtful, I just couldn't answer."
Patrick will be driving for Rahal Letterman Racing in the Firestone Indy 400 today, the first race since her plans for next year were announced.
She chose to stay in the Indy Racing League by accepting an offer to join Andretti Green Racing next season after flirting with going to NASCAR. The only woman in the IndyCar series and its one mainstream star created a buzz earlier this month when her father and agent were guests of Roush Racing at a Nextel Cup event in Illinois.
Patrick insisted her possible move to NASCAR was not just hype.
"I'm not lying when I say we had offers," she said, declining to give specifics. "And, I'm not lying when I said I was interested.
"I'm not going to write that off for my future. I think it would be fun, eventually, but my heart is in IndyCar right now. I'm not done here."
Patrick is coming off consecutive fourth-place finishes -- her best of the season in which her average finish has been ninth.
She was the first to qualify Saturday, turning a lap of 213.357 mph that was quickly surpassed by Marlboro Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr.
Castroneves has the pole for a series-high fifth time this season, posting a lap of 216.777 mph -- 2 mph faster than AGR's Tony Kanaan, who will start third. Ed Carpenter of Vision Racing qualified a career-best fourth.
Castroneves, the Brazilian known for climbing fences after victories, will be in the front row with Hornish, Penske's fourth 1-2 start this season, and wouldn't mind if the teammates turned out to be just as dominant when it counts.
"I hope it's a boring race," Castroneves said. "But IndyCar racing is never like that."
IRL-Firestone Indy 400 Lineup
After Saturday's qualifying; race today
At Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn, Mich.
Lap length: 2 miles
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 216.777 mph.
2. (6) Sam Hornish Jr., Dallara-Honda, 216.466.
3. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 214.763.
4. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 214.540.
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 214.273.
6. (4) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 214.170.
7. (27) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 213.851.
8. (2) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 213.725.
9. (10) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 213.694.
10. (15) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 213.450.
11. (16) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 213.357.
12. (7) Bryan Herta, Dallara-Honda, 213.207.
13. (8) Scott Sharp, Dallara-Honda, 213.164.
14. (55) Kosuke Matsuura, Dallara-Honda, 212.761.
15. (5) Buddy Lazier, Dallara-Honda, 212.248.
16. (17) Jeff Simmons, Dallara-Honda, 211.691.
17. (25) Marty Roth, Dallara-Honda, 210.502.
18. (14) Jeff Bucknum, Dallara-Honda, 210.350.
19. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 209.886.
Raikkonen wins F1 pole
HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Kimi Raikkonen upstaged Michael Schumacher in qualifying on Saturday and grabbed the pole position in the German Grand Prix.
Raikkonen nipped Schumacher, gaining his first pole of the season and souring what could be Schumacher's final race at home.
He had the fastest lap of the day in the second qualifying session but then added fuel before his final attempt that counted. It was an indication that Schumacher might plan for a later pit stop in today's 67-lap race.
Formula One-German Grand Prix Lineup
After Saturday's qualifying; race today
At Hockenheimring circuit, Hockenheim, Germany
Lap length: 2.842 miles
1. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, McLaren-Mercedes, 1 minute, 14.070 seconds, 138.14 mph.
2. Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari, 1:14.205.
3. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari, 1:14.569.
4. Jenson Button, Britain, Honda, 1:14.862.
5. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Renault, 1:14.894.
6. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Honda, 1:14.934.
7. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault, 1:15.282.
8. Ralf Schumacher, Germany, Toyota, 1:15.923.
9. Pedro de la Rosa, Spain , McLaren-Mercedes, 1:15.936.
10. David Coulthard, Britain, Red Bull, 1:16.326.
11. Mark Webber, Australia, Williams, 1:15.094
12. Christian Klien, Austria, Red Bull-Cosworth, 1:15.141.
13. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota, 1:15.150.
14. Jacques Villeneuve, Canada, BMW-Sauber, 1:15.329.
15. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams, 1:15.380.
16. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, BMW-Sauber, 1:15.397.
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Italy, Scuderia Toro Rosso, 1:16.399.
18. Christijan Albers, Netherlands, Midland, 1:17.093.
19. Takuma Sato, Japan, Super Aguri, 1:17.185.
20. Tiago Monteiro, Portugal, Midland, 1:17.836.
21. Sakon Yamamoto, Japan, Super Aguri, 1:20:444.
22. Scott Speed, United States, Scuderia Toro Rosso, no time.
Bourdais wins Champs pole
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As much as Sebastien Bourdais wants to win a third straight Champ Car title, he definitely feels some empathy when one of his rivals has a tough time.
The 27-year-old Frenchman hit the rest of the field with an eye-popping qualifying lap Saturday -- getting around the tight, bumpy 1.443-mile, seven-turn San Jose Grand Prix street circuit in 48.989 seconds (106.040 mph).
That was considerably faster than anybody else in the 17-car field, giving Bourdais, the defending champion here, his fifth pole of the season and the 24th of his Champ Car World Series career.
This latest pole also added one point to his margin over series runner-up Justin Wilson, last week's winner in Edmonton, who now trails Bourdais by 24 points heading into today's 97-lap race.
ChampCar World Series-Grand Prix of San Jose
After Saturday's qualifying; race today
At streets of San Jose, temporary road course
San Jose, Calif.
Lap length: 1.448 miles
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (1) Sebastien Bourdais, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone 48.989 seconds/106.040 mph.
2. (3) Paul Tracy, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.810/104.292.
3. (7) A.J. Allmendinger Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.264/105.448.
4. (10) Cristiano da Matta, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.659/104.609.
5. (6) Oriol Servia, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.813/104.286.
6. (5) Will Power, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.867/104.173.
7. (2) Bruno Junqueira, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.887/104.131.
8. (27) Andrew Ranger, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.962/103.975.
9. (14) Dan Clarke, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.161/103.563.
10. (19) Mario Dominguez, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.215/103.451.
11. (4) Nelson Philippe, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.312/103.252.
12. (9) Justin Wilson, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.341/103.192.
13. (15)Alex Tagliani, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.373/103.127.
14. (34) Charles Zwolsman, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.435/103.00.
15. (20) Katherine Legge, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.473/102.922.
16. (11) Jan Heylen, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.838/102.183.
17. (8) Nicky Pastorelli, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 51.628/100.620.
"I had to lie," she said. "It wasn't anything hurtful, I just couldn't answer."
Patrick will be driving for Rahal Letterman Racing in the Firestone Indy 400 today, the first race since her plans for next year were announced.
She chose to stay in the Indy Racing League by accepting an offer to join Andretti Green Racing next season after flirting with going to NASCAR. The only woman in the IndyCar series and its one mainstream star created a buzz earlier this month when her father and agent were guests of Roush Racing at a Nextel Cup event in Illinois.
Patrick insisted her possible move to NASCAR was not just hype.
"I'm not lying when I say we had offers," she said, declining to give specifics. "And, I'm not lying when I said I was interested.
"I'm not going to write that off for my future. I think it would be fun, eventually, but my heart is in IndyCar right now. I'm not done here."
Patrick is coming off consecutive fourth-place finishes -- her best of the season in which her average finish has been ninth.
She was the first to qualify Saturday, turning a lap of 213.357 mph that was quickly surpassed by Marlboro Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr.
Castroneves has the pole for a series-high fifth time this season, posting a lap of 216.777 mph -- 2 mph faster than AGR's Tony Kanaan, who will start third. Ed Carpenter of Vision Racing qualified a career-best fourth.
Castroneves, the Brazilian known for climbing fences after victories, will be in the front row with Hornish, Penske's fourth 1-2 start this season, and wouldn't mind if the teammates turned out to be just as dominant when it counts.
"I hope it's a boring race," Castroneves said. "But IndyCar racing is never like that."
IRL-Firestone Indy 400 Lineup
After Saturday's qualifying; race today
At Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn, Mich.
Lap length: 2 miles
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 216.777 mph.
2. (6) Sam Hornish Jr., Dallara-Honda, 216.466.
3. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 214.763.
4. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 214.540.
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 214.273.
6. (4) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 214.170.
7. (27) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 213.851.
8. (2) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 213.725.
9. (10) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 213.694.
10. (15) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 213.450.
11. (16) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 213.357.
12. (7) Bryan Herta, Dallara-Honda, 213.207.
13. (8) Scott Sharp, Dallara-Honda, 213.164.
14. (55) Kosuke Matsuura, Dallara-Honda, 212.761.
15. (5) Buddy Lazier, Dallara-Honda, 212.248.
16. (17) Jeff Simmons, Dallara-Honda, 211.691.
17. (25) Marty Roth, Dallara-Honda, 210.502.
18. (14) Jeff Bucknum, Dallara-Honda, 210.350.
19. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 209.886.
Raikkonen wins F1 pole
HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Kimi Raikkonen upstaged Michael Schumacher in qualifying on Saturday and grabbed the pole position in the German Grand Prix.
Raikkonen nipped Schumacher, gaining his first pole of the season and souring what could be Schumacher's final race at home.
He had the fastest lap of the day in the second qualifying session but then added fuel before his final attempt that counted. It was an indication that Schumacher might plan for a later pit stop in today's 67-lap race.
Formula One-German Grand Prix Lineup
After Saturday's qualifying; race today
At Hockenheimring circuit, Hockenheim, Germany
Lap length: 2.842 miles
1. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, McLaren-Mercedes, 1 minute, 14.070 seconds, 138.14 mph.
2. Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari, 1:14.205.
3. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari, 1:14.569.
4. Jenson Button, Britain, Honda, 1:14.862.
5. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Renault, 1:14.894.
6. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Honda, 1:14.934.
7. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault, 1:15.282.
8. Ralf Schumacher, Germany, Toyota, 1:15.923.
9. Pedro de la Rosa, Spain , McLaren-Mercedes, 1:15.936.
10. David Coulthard, Britain, Red Bull, 1:16.326.
11. Mark Webber, Australia, Williams, 1:15.094
12. Christian Klien, Austria, Red Bull-Cosworth, 1:15.141.
13. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota, 1:15.150.
14. Jacques Villeneuve, Canada, BMW-Sauber, 1:15.329.
15. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams, 1:15.380.
16. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, BMW-Sauber, 1:15.397.
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Italy, Scuderia Toro Rosso, 1:16.399.
18. Christijan Albers, Netherlands, Midland, 1:17.093.
19. Takuma Sato, Japan, Super Aguri, 1:17.185.
20. Tiago Monteiro, Portugal, Midland, 1:17.836.
21. Sakon Yamamoto, Japan, Super Aguri, 1:20:444.
22. Scott Speed, United States, Scuderia Toro Rosso, no time.
Bourdais wins Champs pole
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As much as Sebastien Bourdais wants to win a third straight Champ Car title, he definitely feels some empathy when one of his rivals has a tough time.
The 27-year-old Frenchman hit the rest of the field with an eye-popping qualifying lap Saturday -- getting around the tight, bumpy 1.443-mile, seven-turn San Jose Grand Prix street circuit in 48.989 seconds (106.040 mph).
That was considerably faster than anybody else in the 17-car field, giving Bourdais, the defending champion here, his fifth pole of the season and the 24th of his Champ Car World Series career.
This latest pole also added one point to his margin over series runner-up Justin Wilson, last week's winner in Edmonton, who now trails Bourdais by 24 points heading into today's 97-lap race.
ChampCar World Series-Grand Prix of San Jose
After Saturday's qualifying; race today
At streets of San Jose, temporary road course
San Jose, Calif.
Lap length: 1.448 miles
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (1) Sebastien Bourdais, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone 48.989 seconds/106.040 mph.
2. (3) Paul Tracy, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.810/104.292.
3. (7) A.J. Allmendinger Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.264/105.448.
4. (10) Cristiano da Matta, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.659/104.609.
5. (6) Oriol Servia, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.813/104.286.
6. (5) Will Power, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.867/104.173.
7. (2) Bruno Junqueira, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.887/104.131.
8. (27) Andrew Ranger, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 49.962/103.975.
9. (14) Dan Clarke, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.161/103.563.
10. (19) Mario Dominguez, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.215/103.451.
11. (4) Nelson Philippe, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.312/103.252.
12. (9) Justin Wilson, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.341/103.192.
13. (15)Alex Tagliani, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.373/103.127.
14. (34) Charles Zwolsman, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.435/103.00.
15. (20) Katherine Legge, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.473/102.922.
16. (11) Jan Heylen, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 50.838/102.183.
17. (8) Nicky Pastorelli, Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone, 51.628/100.620.
