Kanaan wins Japan IRL race

Tony Kanaan of Brazil took the lead with four laps remaining to win the Indy Japan 300 on Saturday at Motegi, Japan.

Kanaan, who started from the second row, crossed the finish line at the 1.5-mile Motegi oval 0.4828 seconds ahead of England’s Dan Wheldon to give Andretti Green Racing its first win of the Indy Racing League season.

Kanaan took the lead for good on the 196th lap.

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Sebastien Bourdais turned the fastest lap in qualifying for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Houston, then lost his pole position when he was penalized for blocking series points leader Will Power. Power will start on the pole today after clocking the second-fastest lap.

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Kawasaki’s James Stewart raced to his fifth straight Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series victory and 11th of the season, beating Yamaha’s Chad Reed at Ford Field in Detroit.... Australia’s Mat Mladin held off Suzuki teammate Ben Spies by 0.116 seconds in an AMA Superbike race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

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Rip Michels of San Fernando started third, took the lead on Lap 5 and won the ACDelco Super Late Model race at Irwindale Speedway. Michels finished 1.014 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Nick Joanides.