NEWTON, Iowa: American racer Marco Andretti won his first IndyCar race since 2006 Saturday, holding off Brazil's Tony Kanaan over the final 18 laps to capture the Iowa Corn Indy 250. Andretti had not won in 79 races since 2006 at Sonoma and no member of the famed Andretti racing family had won on an oval course since his father Michael, now his team owner, won at Japan's Motegi in 2000 when Marco was 13. Andretti passed Kanaan on the inside with 18 laps remaining and twice fought off passing attempts by the Brazilian on his way to taking the checkered flag. Kanaan was second with New Zealand's Scott Dixon third after starting 23rd. “There was some good racing with TK,” Marco Andretti said. “I made it difficult on him. No mercy at this point. I needed it.” Kanaan was cut off sharply with eight laps remaining but took the move in stride. “If it wasn't for the win, we were going to talk about it,” Kanaan said. “He was not going to let it go. If I was in his position I would have done the same. It was crazy at the end. I loved it.” After watching his son triumph over 250 laps around the .875-mile oval, the elder Andretti was overjoyed. “I'm almost speechless. I'm so proud of him,” Michael Andretti said. “He did a great job holding off Tony at the end.” Scotsman Dario Franchitti, who finished fifth after leading 172 laps, seized the points lead 303-283 over Australian Will Power, who crashed out early. Dixon stands third, 73 points off his Ganassi Racing teammate's pace. “I was fighting on oversteering car,” Franchitti said. “I wasn't thinking about points. I was thinking about winning. That's why I almost knocked a wall down at the end.”
