Dario Franchitti came to Chicagoland Speedway trailing Penske’s Will Power by 59 points, a seemingly insurmountable gap. But after the IndyCar Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300, the Target-Ganassi driver trailed by only 23 points, and with three races left in the season, the defending champion has a fair chance at winning his third IndyCar title.
Franchitti won not by having the best car, but by having the best luck and the best pit strategy. When a full-course caution on lap 169 brought everyone into the pits, the Target-Ganassi crew laid out four tires, like everybody else, but it was a feint. They just gave their driver a splash of fuel, getting Franchitti back on the track ahead of the pack.
That gamble would not have been enough by itself, but fate, in the form of a faulty fuel hose, afflicted points leader Will Power. As Power left the pits, his crew radioed to him that he might not have enough fuel to finish. By the time the crew realized the fuel hose might have malfunctioned, the track was about to go green and the crew opted not to call him back in for another attempt.
Fortunately for Franchitti, the Penske crew’s worries were well founded. Five laps from the end of the race, Power was forced to pit for fuel, dropping him from third to 16th, earning only 14 points.
Power had the slight consolation that Franchitti had not gotten the bonus points for winning pole and leading the most laps; Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe earned those honors. Still, the points swing at 36, was about as bad as could be.
Power has the added consolation of knowing that he can no longer be considered just a road-racer. Power led a few laps and ran up front all night long. For a few more gallons of fuel he would have been top three and fighting for the win. Dario Franchitti’s perceived advantage as an oval master has evaporated; Power is a threat to win on any IndyCar track.
The next race at Kentucky is on an identical banked 1.5-mile oval. If the Penske cars once again run better than the Ganassi cars, and if fate chooses not to intervene on the side of Franchitti, Power could again pad his lead to comfortable proportions. But as Chicagoland shows, Power’s season-long dominance has not yet earned him safety.
The 2010 IndyCar championship could well come down to the season closer at Homestead—where Franchitti’s luck and pit strategy gave him a surprise victory over the faster Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe, gaining Franchitti the 2009 IndyCar Championship.
Franchitti won not by having the best car, but by having the best luck and the best pit strategy. When a full-course caution on lap 169 brought everyone into the pits, the Target-Ganassi crew laid out four tires, like everybody else, but it was a feint. They just gave their driver a splash of fuel, getting Franchitti back on the track ahead of the pack.
That gamble would not have been enough by itself, but fate, in the form of a faulty fuel hose, afflicted points leader Will Power. As Power left the pits, his crew radioed to him that he might not have enough fuel to finish. By the time the crew realized the fuel hose might have malfunctioned, the track was about to go green and the crew opted not to call him back in for another attempt.
Fortunately for Franchitti, the Penske crew’s worries were well founded. Five laps from the end of the race, Power was forced to pit for fuel, dropping him from third to 16th, earning only 14 points.
Power had the slight consolation that Franchitti had not gotten the bonus points for winning pole and leading the most laps; Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe earned those honors. Still, the points swing at 36, was about as bad as could be.
Power has the added consolation of knowing that he can no longer be considered just a road-racer. Power led a few laps and ran up front all night long. For a few more gallons of fuel he would have been top three and fighting for the win. Dario Franchitti’s perceived advantage as an oval master has evaporated; Power is a threat to win on any IndyCar track.
The next race at Kentucky is on an identical banked 1.5-mile oval. If the Penske cars once again run better than the Ganassi cars, and if fate chooses not to intervene on the side of Franchitti, Power could again pad his lead to comfortable proportions. But as Chicagoland shows, Power’s season-long dominance has not yet earned him safety.
The 2010 IndyCar championship could well come down to the season closer at Homestead—where Franchitti’s luck and pit strategy gave him a surprise victory over the faster Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe, gaining Franchitti the 2009 IndyCar Championship.
