FOUNTAIN, Colo. -- Two months ago, Greg Ray held off fast-closing Sam Schmidt at the finish. On Sunday, at the same track, he slammed the door on two equally determined pursuers.

Ray, the pole-sitter, won for the third time in four races, beating back challenges from Davey Hamilton and Mark Dismore down the stretch in the Colorado Indy 200.

	Greg Ray, right, fends off Davey Hamilton during the Colorado Indy 200 at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado Springs.

Ray finished .445 seconds ahead of Hamilton -- about four car lengths -- and 2.166 seconds in front of Dismore, with Buddy Lazier placing fourth and Schmidt fifth on Pikes Peak International Raceway's one-mile oval.

"In the last few laps, it was déjà vu all over again," Ray said. "Davey and Mark were right behind me."

"I didn't want to get next to Sam and create a hole for Davey to come in," Ray said. "I passed Sam in Turns 1 and 2, which I didn't want to do. I got both left-side tires below the white line, but it was what I thought I had to do to win."

Ray, who moved slightly ahead of Scott Goodyear in the Indy Racing League's season point standings as a result of winning Saturday's pole, gained another 52 points -- 50 for winning the race and two for leading the most laps -- to raise his total to 246 points with two races remaining.

Goodyear, who had multiple mechanical problems and finished 21st, earned nine points for a total of 202. Kenny Brack, who placed 10th, has 199.

Ray, 33, led 146 of the 200 laps, finishing with an average speed of 135.450 mph, a track record.

Ray, who also won here June 27 and in Dover, Del., on Aug. 1, occupied the pole in both of his wins at PPIR.

"I don't know what it is about this place, but I wish we'd race here a few more times this year," Ray said.

Dismore said he and Hamilton "both had a shot at him, but the opportunity never really presented itself."

For the third time in four races here, a first-lap accident marred the start. Jeff Ward slammed into the wall coming out of Turn 4 on the opening lap, and rookie Ronnie Johncox went into the wall behind him. Neither driver was injured.

Moments earlier, Schmidt took the lead from Ray on Turn 3.

Green was restored on the 15th lap, and Schmidt maintained his lead until running into traffic on lap 29, when Ray passed him on the inside.

After increasing his lead over Hamilton to 14 seconds on lap 84, Ray pitted, as did most of the other front-runners.

Midway through the race, Ray held his substantial lead, with only five cars on the lead lap.

Ray, trying to conserve fuel, saw his margin shrink to three seconds over Lazier, but Lazier ran out of fuel and had to coast into the pits on lap 160.

Ray pitted on the 167th lap, giving Dismore the lead, but Dismore also went in for a quick stop on a yellow flag when Scott Sharp brushed the wall on lap 181.

That gave the lead back to Ray, who never relinquished it despite allowing Hamilton to close within .14 seconds on the 191st lap.