Danica Patrick wins auto race in Japan

MONTEGI, Japan, April 20 (UPI) -- Danica Patrick made history Saturday by winning the rain-delayed Japan IndyCar 300 in Montegi, Japan.

Her first career victory on the circuit came in her 50th race and made her the first woman ever to win an IndyCar race.

She won it by passing runner-up Helio Castroneves with three laps to go. She crossed the finish line 5.8594 seconds ahead of the field.

"It's a long time coming," she said while tying to fight back tears. "Thank you to Andretti Green and to all my teammates ... finally."

"I'm so happy for her, I'm so proud of her," said team owner Michael Andretti. "It was always a question of when not if she was going to win. She did a really good job sticking to the numbers and keeping up her speed ... I love this girl, she's a first-class individual."

Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan completed the top-five finishers.