Castroneves spent the last few days celebrating his third Indianapolis 500 win and talking about his next challenge — hanging on to the momentum and going after his first IndyCar Series championship.

The concrete wall in Turn 2 at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis., took the edge off the celebration and made things a little more difficult for the Penske Racing driver, who hit the barrier during qualifying for today’s A.J. Foyt 225 and will have to start last.

"We tried something different out there in qualifying from what we ran in practice," Castroneves said.

Teammate Ryan Briscoe had a four-lap average of 168.394 mph to give him his fifth career pole and first of 2009.

Graham Rahal, the 20-year-old second-year driver for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, had a four-mile qualifying run of 168.117 that was only 0.277 mph slower than Briscoe.

Nationwide

Brad Keselowski raced to his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the season, taking the lead during a restart with two laps left at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

Kyle Busch led most of the second half and appeared on the way to his third win of the season. But he seemed to have tire trouble off the restart that came after the caution with seven laps left. Busch also was nudged from behind by Joey Logano and both cars went up the track, giving Keselowski space to pass.

Trucks

Brian Scott won the Camping World Trucks race at Dover, Del., for his first victory in any NASCAR series.

Dennis Setzer had a season-best second-place finish in the caution-filled race, and Ron Hornaday Jr. and Kyle Busch were derailed by tire woes.

Irwindale

Tim Huddleston of Agoura Hills started from the pole and led the entire race, winning the NASCAR Auto Club Late Model 50-lap feature race at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale.

Huddleston’s victory was his third consecutive and moved him to within eight points of division leader Nick Joanides.

Helio Castroneves crashes into wall a week after Indy 500 triumph

The 22-year-old MotoGP championship leader has won two of the season’s four races so far and clocked 1:48.987 on his Yamaha, 0.021 seconds faster than Australia’s Casey Stoner.

Italy’s Loris Capirossi of Suzuki completes the front row, while world champion Valentino Rossi will start his bid for an eighth consecutive win at his home grand prix from the second row.

Rossi, who is joint second with 2007 champion Stoner in the standings, a point behind his Yamaha team mate Lorenzo, registered a fourth best time of 1:49.148 after leading for most of the qualifying session.

The Italian six-times premier class world champion is aiming to bounce back after finishing a dreadful 16th at the French Grand Prix earlier this month.

Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, who is nine points behind his compatriot Lorenzo in fourth overall, finished qualifying eighth after hurting his leg earlier on Saturday when he took a knock on a curve in practice.

Lorenzo on pole at Italian GP

It is understood that Frank Williams, the Williams team’s 67-year-old principal who is confined to a wheelchair, was made to wait outside a conference room at a Heathrow hotel for more than an hour while his fellow team bosses deliberated on the decision. The meeting was originally convened to demonstrate the unity of Fota – yet last night it looked in tatters as the teams continue to wrestle with their response to the FIA’s call for reductions in the sport’s cost base.

Williams was unmoved by the furore, making the point that his team was legally contracted to take part in the official formula one world championship until the end of 2012. “Fota’s decision, although regrettable, is understandable,” he said. “However as a racing team and a company whose only business is formula one, with obligations to our partners and employees, submitting our entry to next year’s championship was always unquestionable.”

It was an episode which highlighted the difficulties in reconciling the differing priorities of the various competitors against an economic backdrop which has already caused the withdrawal of Honda from the sport’s most senior category and raised speculation that Toyota and Renault could be next to turn their back on the world championship.

“In truth Fota has now probably served its purpose as, before today, the teams and the FIA were edging closer to a compromise deal which would meet with the FIA’s approval as a credible way of reducing costs and enhancing the sport’s sustainability,” said one of the sport’s senior insiders. “The suggestion is that the teams agree to a budget cap of €100m for 2010, reducing to €45m in 2011, with one set of technical rules for all competitors.”

The FIA would not comment on the issue but sources close to the governing body have hinted that Max Mosley, the FIA president, has been impressed with the amount of effort expended by Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren team principal, and Mercedes motorsport president Norbert Haug in attempting to work out an acceptable compromise.

Williams thrown out by F1 teams’ association for breaking rank

The Brazilian overcame gearbox issues during pit stops to come home first after 200 laps at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit.

His success, which follows on from his previous triumphs in 2002 and 2003, delivers a 15th Indy 500 title for Roger Penske’s team.

Castroneves, who was recently acquitted of tax evasion charges, was in tears as he entered the Winner’s Circle before making his now customary celebration of attempting to climb the fence.
Incredible

"This is incredible," he said. "It feels so great to have my life back. I think my tears speak for everything.

"Once I got in the front, it was never look back. What a day. This place is magical."

Only three drivers have ever won the race more times than Castroneves – AJ Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser Snr have all been victorious on four occasions.

Englishman Wheldon closed the gap to the leader to 1.3 seconds following a re-start but ended up having to settle for second.

Patrick came home in third, the best ever finish by a woman in the race. She had finished fourth as a rookie back in 2005.

Helio rises at Indy 500

Reutimann took the lead when he gambled and didn’t pit with the leaders during a caution for rain on lap 222 of the 400-lap race. His hope was that it would rain so long, racing would not resume.

After five laps as the leader run under caution, NASCAR called the cars to pit road. Reutimann nervously paced around his covered race car for the next two hours as NASCAR waited out the weather.

The rain never stopped, and the race was called a full day after its scheduled start.

"When you envision winning your first Sprint Cup race, you envision it different," said a soaking-wet Reutimann. "But it’s so hard, we’ll take it any way we can. We got this one today, hopefully the next one, we’ll earn it."

The race was scheduled for Sunday but rain moved it to Memorial Day for the first time in its 50-year history. The showers lingered all day, and the race was stopped three different times for rain and once for a national moment of remembrance.

It was the first win in 75 Cup starts for Reutimann, who drives for Michael Waltrip Racing. He was joined by his car owner midway through the final delay, a wait Waltrip has done before: He earned his second Daytona 500 title after a lengthy rain delay shortened the 2003 event.

Pole-sitter Ryan Newman finished second and Robby Gordon was third as the top-three finishers all stayed on the track for position during the last pit stops.

Carl Edwards, who had changed into street clothes by the time the race was called, finished fourth, followed by Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch.

Busch led a race-high 173 laps but was denied a win because of rain for the second time in three days. He led 143 laps in Saturday night’s Nationwide Series race, lost the lead during a round of pit stops, and never had a chance to reclaim it when the race was shortened by 45 miles because of rain.

It’s the second time this season one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events was ruined by rain. The season-opening Daytona 500 was shortened by 48 laps and Matt Kenseth was declared the winner after a short delay.

David Reutimann claims first Sprint Cup race win in Coca-Cola 600

The Brawn GP driver came through late to pip Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen with a time of one minute 14.902 seconds.

Disaster struck for McLaren’s world champion Lewis Hamilton, who will start last after crashing out early on.

Rubens Barrichello qualified in third for dominant Brawn, ahead of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and the second Ferrari belonging to Brazil’s Felipe Massa.

Championship leader Button, who has driven brilliantly in a responsive car to win four of this season’s first five races, has never before claimed victory in Monaco but will fancy his chances on a tight, twisty street circuit which is notoriously difficult for overtaking.

He may, however, face a real challenge in the scramble off the line as Raikkonen’s Ferrari is running with Kers (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which can store energy to give cars a power boost.

"Starting on pole is obviously an advantage… but it’s a long race and anything can happen, as they say," said Button, who also proved the fastest man in the field after the weights of the cars in qualifying were published.

"Some people say Monaco can be a procession but I don’t think that will be the case. It’s not as easy as just qualifying on pole and you’ve won the race.

"Today was a really hard fight. I have been battling with Rubens all weekend, and he has probably had the upper hand. But it’s been tight with the Ferraris and the McLarens.

"It is such an adrenaline rush here and a few times I thought I was going to be in the wall as we are right on the edge here."

England’s Hamilton had been considered one of the favourites to get on the front row after utilising his aggressive style on the demanding track in all three practice sessions prior to qualifying.

But he wrote off his chances of winning this year in one of the world’s finest sporting theatres after he lost his car’s back end on the entrance to Mirabeau’s hairpin and smashed into the tyre wall in the first part of qualifying, breaking its rear suspension.

"I don’t know what I was thinking, I made a mistake," Hamilton, who finished 16th but is demoted to the back of the grid as he now needs a new gearbox, told BBC Sport.

"I apologise to the team for wasting their time.

"It’s been tough but you learn from these mistakes. They are bound to happen, but it’s just a shame it happened in the first qualifying session.

"My race weekend for a win is for sure over."

Second and fifth on the grid marks a real upturn for Ferrari as the Italian team – the reigning constructors’ champions who have threatened to quit the sport if a proposed £40m budget cap is introduced – bid to recover from their worst start to a season.

"The car is the same here so we have done well and I am pretty happy to be second now after what has happened since the start of the season," said Raikkonen.

"I made a mistake on my lap when I had a moment at the first corner, but it is good to be on the front row again. It is nice too to fight for victory I hope tomorrow."

McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen drove well to land seventh ahead of Australian Mark Webber in the second Red Bull while two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Renault starts in ninth.

Both Williams cars made it into the top 10 for the first time this season, with perennial practice front-runner Nico Rosberg in sixth and Kazuki Nakajimi in 10th.

Force India’s drivers recorded the team’s best-ever qualifying performance but it proved a miserable day for BMW Sauber, who admitted they are seriously struggling after both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica were knocked out in session one.

"Currently, we don’t know what’s wrong," conceded Heidfeld. "In Barcelona we made a step forward, but here we are way behind expectations."

The same fate befell Toyota, who are third in the constructors’ championship but appear to be falling away after an impressive start to the season.

Drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock are set to start from the back of the grid, though Trulli later revealed that an appeal had been submitted to race officials after claiming he was blocked on a hot lap by Renault’s Fernando Alonso.

Superb Button steals Monaco pole

Bliss, who started from the back of the field, took the lead because he was in the right position when the caution flag came out with 39 laps to go.

RESULTS: Carquest Auto Parts 300

The caution put Bliss ahead of series points leader Kyle Busch, who clearly had the car to beat most of the night. It looked as if Busch would get lucky when rain halted the race a few laps later and got him back near Bliss’ bumper. But more showers came, and NASCAR officials called the Carquest Auto Parts 300 with 30 laps to go and Bliss still out front.

"I’m just tickled to death," Bliss said. "It hasn’t sunk in, but I am getting there."

Nonetheless, Bliss knew he stole this one.

"Don’t care," he said. "Yeah. But from a guy who is winning too much, anyway. The 18 was the best car, but (Busch) wins too much and no one likes him."

Bliss’ win was the second in five weeks for owner James Finch, who picked up his first Cup victory when Brad Keselowski won at Talladega. Bliss gave Finch his 12th Nationwide win in 19 years, but first since 2005.

"This is a great month for James," Bliss said.

Bliss, the 2002 NASCAR Trucks champion, won the October 2004 race at the track for his only other Nationwide victory.

Brendan Gaughan was second, followed by Busch, Brian Vickers and Joey Logano.

It was the second consecutive disheartening finish for Busch. He had to start at the back because of an engine change, but wasted little time moving through the field. He darted by slower cars, working his way into 10th after just 17 laps — 11 of them under green-flag conditions.

He passed pole-sitter Carl Edwards on lap 40, then started pulling away. Busch ended up passing more than half the field twice, some even more.

But Busch got caught back in the field when the caution flag came out while drivers were cycling through green-flag stops. Rain didn’t give him a chance to get back to the front, either.

"I’m sure people will say it’s a good points day, but I’m not worried about points," Busch said. "I want wins. Just very, very frustrating to have the fastest car week in and week out and not have anything to show for it."

Busch swept both Nationwide races at Lowe’s last season and was looking to make it three in row. It didn’t happen.

Busch probably should have a three-race winning streak, too. He led 143 laps and looked as if he would ease to a second consecutive win two weeks ago at Darlington, but he ran over some debris, flattened a tire with two laps to go and wound up a disappointing 16th.

He had even more drama Saturday.

Bliss took advantage.

"We stayed out as long as we could, just in case something happens," Bliss said. "You never know, and it worked."

Bliss nabs first Nationwide win since ’04 in rain-shortened race