INDY RACING LEAGUE: ANDRETTI GETS THE BREAK YOUNGEST DRIVER TO WIN IRL RACE.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Staff Writer

SONOMA -- It took an uncooperative lug nut, a miscalculated fuel stop and a suspicious spinout by a teammate for Marco Andretti to win the first race of his Indy Racing League IndyCar Series career.

Andretti, the son of Michael Andretti and grandson of Mario Andretti, won the Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, becoming the youngest driver to win an IRL event.

``We got it,'' Marco Andretti said. ``I was trying all year for it. We knew this is one track we could have a shot at, but we knew how tough it was going tobe.''

The 19-year-old driver for Andretti Green Racing took over the lead on lap 51 of the 80-lap race and was able to extend it when pole winner Scott Dixon had a time-consuming pit stop. His crew had trouble replacing the front left tire on his car when the jack didn't raise the car high enough to put the tire on securely. Dixon, who led the first 28 laps of the race, dropped to eighth after the stop and racing resumed.

Sam Hornish Jr., the IRL points leader entering the race, had an equally frustrating pit stop. After coming in for tires and fuel on lap 51, he had to return to pit lane on lap 52 because his crew did not fill his fuel tank completely during the first stop. Then Hornish spun his car coming out of the pits after making his second visit. He was knocked to 13th place.

Meanwhile, Andretti took advantage of Dixon's and Hornish's poor pit stops, taking the lead and hoping his fuel would not run out in the last 35 laps. He would need a caution period to have enough fuel to finish.

When his Andretti Green Racing teammate Bryan Herta (Valencia) spun out with eight laps to go, it gave Andretti the caution he needed.

Andretti's teammates Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan were running second and third when Herta spun. Helio Castroneves was in fourth and Dixon fifth.

When asked if he was surprised that Herta spun out where he did, Franchitti said: ``I was surprised more people didn't spin there. I came close a couple of times.''

But Castroneves, who finised fifth in the race, said the rumors were already starting to spread that the spinout came at a very fortunate time for Andretti.

``Unfortunately, we're never going to know,'' Castroneves said.

Franchitti maintained his second-place spot at the finish with Vitor Meira rallying in the final laps to finish third.

Marco Andretti became the first rookie to win an IRL race since Tomas Sheckter at Michigan Speedway in 2002.

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Mario Andretti, left, hugs grandson Marco in the winner's circle Sunday after Marco's win in the Grand Prix of Sonoma.

George Nikitin/Associated Press