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Castroneves wins race; Dixon wins title

Helio Castroneves, winner of the Peak 300, leaps into the arms of his teammate Ryan Briscoe, who finished third, in the winners circle at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois on September 7, 2008. (UPI Photo/Darrell Hoemann)
1 of 10 | Helio Castroneves, winner of the Peak 300, leaps into the arms of his teammate Ryan Briscoe, who finished third, in the winners circle at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois on September 7, 2008. (UPI Photo/Darrell Hoemann) | License Photo

JOLIET, Ill., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Helio Castroneves won the last 2008 IndyCar race by capturing Sunday's Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

Castroneves finished 0.0033 of a second ahead of Scott Dixon in the second-closest finish in IRL history.

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The victory was Castroneves' second this season and the 14th of his career. He won the season-finale despite starting the race from the 28th starting position, and his qualifying time was disallowed when he ran below the white line numerous times during his four-lap attempt.

"It is awesome," a surprised Castroneves said in a post-race interview. "We tried everything we could to win. Thanks to my guys, they gave me a great car."

Castroneves led for a race-high 79 laps and picked up three bonus points, but Dixon ended up clinching the title by 17 points and a $1 million bonus.

With his sixth win, Dixon, the Indy 500 winner equaled the IRL record for victories in a single season, established by Dan Wheldon in 2005.

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