The results for Marco Andretti were compiled when the IZOD IndyCar Series hit the 10-race mark of the 2010 season back in July. Now let's take a look at the summary for Marco in the final seven races of the season from Edmonton to the finale in Homestead earlier this month.
Edmonton
Marco was on the move early and battled with veteran Paul Tracy for track position. But a damaged front wing cost him time and a lap on the track; he finished the race one lap down. Although the spotlight was mostly on Helio Castroneves and his penalty near the end that cost him the win.
Started: 16th
Result: 11th
Mid-Ohio
A strong qualifying lap pushed him into a top-10 starting spot, but Marco didn't do much moving around during the race at the road course. He was tucked behind rookie Simona de Silvestro for most of the 85 laps. Despite sticking his nose out a couple of times to try and make a pass, he just couldn't pull the trigger.
Started: 9th
Result: 9th
Infineon
Coming back to the track of Marco's only career win didn't help him into victory lane this year. Alternate pit strategies resulted in a lot of movement for drivers, including Marco who ran as far back as 22nd and as high as second. He also had some tight, (literally) wheel-to-wheel racing with JR Hildebrand and Mario Moraes. Unfortunately those minor setbacks cost him in strategy and track position.
Started: 18th
Result: 12th
Chicago
The oval was Marco's third, third-place finish of the season. He ran up front with the leaders all night long and even led three laps himself. Marco chose the high side of the track to try and overtake drivers on the 1.5-mile oval. With Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon ahead of Marco, it was an identical podium to the Indianapolis 500.
Started: 5th
Result: 3rd
Kentucky
Marco continued his oval success in another night race in Kentucky. He had a strong start and stayed around the top-10 for most of the race. He lost some spots during pit stops, and fuel conservation was also a factor near the end before his sixth-place finish.
Started: 15th
Result: 6th
Twin Ring Motegi, Japan
In one of his better qualifying performances of the season (P5), Marco slipped to 11th by the end, although it was still his second-best finish at the track. He again struggled in the pits, and lost momentum and positions on the track, likely due to a poor-handling car.
Started: 5th
Result: 11th
Homestead-Miami
It was another strong oval performance for Marco; he moved up through the field early, and then stayed around the top-10. He also gained spots on pit road, led 10 laps and had the fastest lap of the race. A couple of cautions may have foiled his pit strategy, but he still finished strong in seventh place to finish out the 2010 season.
Started: 16th
Result: 7th
There you have it, Marco's results from the last seven races. One big bright spot of the season was that he finished all but one race, the season kick-off in Sao Paulo, Brazil where he got tangled with Moraes in what turned into a first-lap carnage crash.
Marco also had a lot of other strong numbers for the season. Tune in next season to see if he can match up or improve upon some of his stats from this year.
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