New Zealand driver Wade Cunningham is back on the top step of the podium in the Firestone Indy Lights championship series in the United States after winning the Freedom 100 support race at the Indianapolis 500 meeting eary this morning (NZ time).

The win is the 24-year-old Aucklander’s second in the race having won it for the first time – also from pole – in 2006.

This time around Cunningham pipped Kansas round race winner Sebastian Saavedra for pole and led the first lap but ina virtual repeat of the 2006 race the young Kiwi spent most of the 40 lap race embroiled in a battle for the lead, in this case with Saavedra and 2009 series points leader JR Hildebrand.

Hildebrand held the lead for the most laps – 23 – but Cunningham was in front when it counted, on the last two laps.

“That was 100 percent every lap,” he said immediately afterwards. “The whole race was to and fro. I got to the front early but knew I couldn’t lead all 40 laps so I fell back because I didn’t want to be leading at the end. I knew I had a fast car and it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I’ll tell you what though, ” he added. “that last lap and the lap before I was yelling at my car to keep going like a jockey on his horse!”

Cunningham, who this year is driving the #11 Lucas Oils car for the Sam Schmidt Motorsports team, set a new average speed benchmark for the Firestone Indy Lights class of 304.3 km/h on his way to pole position on Thursday and is now the first two-time winner of the prestigious Freedom 100 race held on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Cunningham was in second place on the third to last lap before setting up Hildebrand on the back straight on lap 39 and passing him on the inside entering Turn 3.

That left Hildebrand vulnerable to a similar attack from eventual third placegetter Mario Romancini who had worked his way up from 18th spot on the grid.

With Romancini filling his car’s mirrors Hildebrand had to defend not attack leaving Cunningham to cross the finish line in front – albeit by just 0.2115 of a second for the closest finish in the race’s history.

Fourth was British driver Jay Howard, fifth Saavedra and sixth Australian James Davison.

The win has elevated former series champ Cunningham to fifth in the points standings with 135 points, just 23 behind new leader Hildebrand with Saavedra second, Jonathan Summerton third and Junior Strous fourth.

The series now heads north-west to Milwaukee for the sixth round at the Milwaukee Mile next weekend.

Ends

2009 Firestone Indy Lights Championship Rnd 5 Firestone Freedom 100 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indiana USA Friday May 22

RESULTS

1. Wade Cunningham (Lucas Oils/Sam Schmidt Motorsports)

2. J.R. Hildebrand;

3. Mario Romancini;

4. Jay Howard;

5. Sebastian Saavedra;

6. James Davison;

7. Daniel Herrington;

8. Jesse Mason;

9. Pablo Donoso;

10. Junior Strous.

CALENDAR

Rnds 1 & 2: April 4-5 St Petersburg (street doubleheader)

Rnd 3: April 19 Long Beach (street)

Rnd 4: April 26 Kansas (oval)

Rnd 5: May 22 Indianapolis (oval)

Rnd 6: May 31: Milwaukee (oval)

Rnd 7: June 20 Iowa (oval)

Rnd 8 July 4 Watkins Glen (road)

Rnd 9: July 11 Toronto (street)

Rnd 10: July 25 Rexall (oval)

Rnd 11: August 01 Kentucky (oval)

Rnd 12: August 09 Mid-Ohio (road)

Rnd 13: August 23 Infineon (road)

Rnd 14: August 29 Chicagoland (oval)

Rnd 15: October 09 Homestead (oval)

Distributed by FAST COMPANY. To find out more about Wade Cunningham contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or via e-mail on ross@fastcompany.co.nz