Motorsport: Cunningham zooms into lead

Fast-rising young New Zealand racing driver Wade Cunningham has taken the lead in the 2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series points standings after a dramatic second place finish at the fourth round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this morning (NZ).

Former World Karting Champion Cunningham, 20, grabbed an early lead in the incident-interrupted 40 lap/160 km race which supports Sunday's Indianapolis 500, then played a cat-and-mouse battle with fastest qualifier and eventual winner Jamie Camara for the rest of the race.

It was a close run thing too, with Camara crossing the finishing line just 0.1319 of a second in front of the Kiwi.

Cunningham gained valuable track position after class newcomer Cole Carter spun out of third position on the warm up lap, allowing everyone to move up a spot, but luck had nothing to do with his brilliant start, which took everyone -- no one more so than pole man Camara -- by surprise.

"I just timed it right," said Cunningham of his textbook start which saw him rocket past Camara and into an immediate lead.

"I had so much momentum that in that first lap I pulled out maybe 10 car lengths. It was like I was in another race. I don't know what the other guys were doing."

Unfortunately, Cole Carter, who had already spun out on the warm up lap, spun again as he tried to work his way back through the field, bringing out the yellow flag.

That bunched the field up, meaning Cunningham lost his early advantage, and the field circulated under the yellow flag until light rain started falling and the race was red flagged (stopped).

Because oval races are only held on a dry track (unlike conventional ones where grooved 'wet tyres' are used when it rains) Cunningham and the field stopped in single-file on the start/finish straight and awaited a re-start.

Luckily the rain stopped as quickly as it had started but on the re-start Cunningham was 'swamped' by the rest of the field, losing several positions. "But I knew I was quick," he said.

He kept his head down and just picked the other drivers off one by one with just Camara in front to take the chequered flag.

Futaba Future 100 over 40 laps Position-Name-fastest lap-top speed

1. Jamie Camara 47.4982 189.481 mph (303.169 km/h)

2. Wade Cunningham 47.3870 189.926 mph (303.881 km/h)

3. Jay Drake 47.6147 189.017 mph (302.242 km/h)

4. Al Unser 47.4662 189.609 mph

5. Marty Roth 47.4343 189.736

6. Travis Gregg 47.7045 188.661

7. Jeff Simmonds 47. 9180 187.821

8. Chris Festa 48.0425 187.334

9. Taylor Fletcher 48.1838 186.785

10. German Quiroga 47.9906 187.537

2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series Points

1. Wade Cunningham 147 points

2. Travis Gregg 138

3. Jamie Camara 129

4. Chris Festa 108 5.

Nick Bussell 108

- NZPA