Chip Ganassi Racing (IndyCar Series)

The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg during the last week in March was hot—not weather hot—because it was comfortable in upper 80s with some humidity, but hot as in popular and entertaining.  Hot as in big crowds.  Hot as in exciting racing and fan amenities.  

And it was hottest for drivers first. The 1.8 mile, 14-turn, road course speed-fashioned by barriers around waterfront streets and an airport runway with zero banking other than uneven pavement provided all the challenge open-wheel race car pilots could want.        

A double-file start erased any edge some of the top qualifiers brought to the green flag because a first turn multi-car crash took a toll on some top contenders.  But it didn’t seem to faze the polesitter, Will Power, or 2010 IZOD IndyCar champion, Dario Franchitti, they accelerated.

Franchitti led 94 of 100 laps to cruse to the win with Power charging hard, but only able to secure a distant second.

The Fast Six top qualifiers were Will Power, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Mike Conway, Ryan Briscoe, and Justin Wilson, but the fastest six, the cars that got to the checkered flag first were Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Simona de Silvestro, Takuma Sato and Alex Tagliani    

The swift and skilled finishers had descriptive words prior to the first green flag of the IZOD IndyCar Series season and commented too after the checkered flag in picturesque St. Petersburg.

The top six now take their momentum and points into the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama  at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL, April 10 @ 3:00 p.m.  TV by VERSUS 

FYI WIRZ is the presentation of select motorsports topics by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com.  Quotes derived from team and sanction press releases.

Dario Franchitti [Target Chip Ganassi Racing No.10] Finished first.

Before the green flag:
"I was just finding the limit each lap more and more. I was getting a little bit braver each lap.”

After the checkered flag:
"These points count anytime; on the first race all the way through to the last race and I hope that I can make it easier on the team this year,” Franchitti said. “But the championship can change in a heartbeat and you have to fight all the way through to the end.

“It is great to be here in the sunshine of St. Petersburg with the stands full and the Target car was running like a dream.

“I was focused on what Will Power was doing and that was a good moment when we got around him on the second restart. I thought—we aren't going to win this championship by just sitting back.”

Will Power [Team Penske No.12] Finished second.

Before the green flag:
“You've got to be facing the carrot” Power said. “I love when you go out to qualify and you give it absolutely everything you've got. It's going to be double-file restarts and a lot of mayhem."

After the checkered flag:
"It was a very interesting start today,” Power said. “Dario Franchitti got me fair and square at the beginning. I was in survival mode after getting hit. I am very glad to get the points for the championship. It was a good start to the season.”

Tony Kanaan [KV Racing Technology-Lotus No. 82] Finished third.

Before the green flag:
“I jumped into this car two days ago and the whole team made me feel right at home, Kanaan said. “I am happy that I gave them a good solid qualifying result.  This is just the beginning and I have to remember to be patient, which is hard for me.”

After the checkered flag:
"We really drove our own race,” Kanaan said. “We drove a conservative race until five laps to go and then Simona was all over me. I knew she was going to be running hard at the end. But I am an old man and she is a young girl and I think the experience helped out today.”

Simona de Silvestro [HVM Racing No. 78] Finished fourth.

Before the green flag:
"I think we could've had a better run,” de Silvestro said “It's kind of a shame because I think we're really pushing it and we could've gotten into the Fast Six.”

After the checkered flag:
"It was hard to pass because there was so much dust in the inside of the track,” de Silvestro said.  “It was kind of a big risk to take to try to pass him so I was happy with fourth, but for sure I tried a couple of times.  I couldn't make it.  To finish fourth—my best result—is something pretty unbelievable.”

Takuma Sato [KV Racing Technology-Lotus No. 5] Finished fifth.

Before the green flag:
“I was very disappointed not to qualify in the top-10,” Sato said. “We have struggled to find balance and grip during practice and qualifying.  However, I think we managed to gather some valuable information from these sessions.”

After the checkered flag:
"This was a great way to start the season,” Sato said. “It is my first top-five finish in the IndyCar series. It was an exciting race.  I overtook a few cars on the track and the team did a fantastic job with the pit stops, so I got some of the positions back.”

Alex Tagliani [Sam Schmidt Motorsports No. 77] Finished sixth.

Before the green flag:
"I'm very pleased,” Tagliani said. “We were kind of out of the window, and the guys recovered really well.  Now that we're more in the window, I think we'll be in pretty good shape for the race."

After the checkered flag:
“Overall, I think the team did a good job,” Tagliani said. “In contact, I hit my hand in the cockpit and the wheel burned my hands as I tried to keep it under me. We had a bent suspension piece also from the contact, and the car was loose on entry on the left-handers and pushy on the right. It was survival today.”

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com.

One race is hard enough to win in NASCAR, NHRA or IndyCar. Try 23 championships.

Drivers like Jimmie Johnson (five-time Sprint Cup champion), John Force (15-time Funny Car champion) and Dario Franchitti (three-time Indy Car Series champion) all belong to a very special club—many wins, multi-championships.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts its season a few weeks earlier than NHRA Full Throttle Racing Series. Both begin a month earlier than IZOD IndyCar Series. But as for the champions of the previous year, the momentum of the Big Win has an offseason much longer than sanctions. 

Preparation for championships is a year-round quest.

In an attempt to reveal the effect of momentum and repeat victories, Racetake.com asked Johnson, Force and Franchitti questions in various situations—teleconferences, one-on-one interviews and race venues—to gather not so common answers about racing success.
 
Prior to the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Franchitti was asked if the first race of the year means more than any other. His answer was simple. 

“No,” Franchitti said.

When Johnson was asked about momentum and consistency, his answer was telling.

“As a team and a driver, you can watch momentum carry a team or take a team down,” he said. “Consistency trends with that momentum. Don't know why. It's not a tangible object that you can touch and feel and see.

“I don't know what it is. It's there. We all want momentum working for us in the right direction, and that typically brings consistency or, to the point, that consistency brings momentum. I don't know the order in which, but I do know they both exist and I've experienced the good and the bad that go with it."

It’s sometimes tough to ask a question of publicly spirited John Force, as he tends to veer off topic to his present thoughts—often with very humorous results.  But he did share his opinion of what it’s like to be a champion. 
 
“Anybody with a dream,” Force said. “It’s really the journey to be a champion. Once you get there, you don’t know what the hell to do with yourself. Do it again.”

The always-entertaining Force is well accustomed to adoring fans, but he takes their attention very seriously. 

“It’s the win light, the cheers, the pay check and the trophy,” Force said. “That’s the four things you get. It’s the adrenaline that makes you hair stand up on the back of your neck. It’s a turn-on for me, the cheer of the crowd.” 

In a teleconference after winning his third championship, Dario Franchitti was candid about feeling the impact of the big moment.  

“We're celebrating this championship right now,” Franchitti said. “There's going to become a point here fairly soon, and I'm trying to hold it back, but there's going to come a point where I start thinking about next year's championship. I just want to enjoy this one a little first.

“I just feel I'm a driver who has been lucky enough to drive some great equipment and gotten the job done.”

Franchitti will attempt to bring his Target Chip Ganassi Racing No. 10 IZOD IndyCar to victory lane during the Honda Grand Prix and beyond. He brings with him the momentum of the past.

Like Johnson and Force, he has known what winning means many times.  As for the future, the next race can be one more victory in a chosen journey.  

The checkered flag and the win-light await all.            

FYI WIRZ is the swift presentation of pertinent motorsports topics by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com. 

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com

The smell of ethanol is back in the air, and fresh rubber is being laid down as the stars of the IZOD INDYCAR Series return to begin their assault on the 2011 season.  This will be the last year of the current car formula with the entirely new body kits beginning in 2012 and several engine combinations starting next year as well. 

The main thing this means to the series for 2011 is that parts will be cheaper for teams, and we may see more drivers get chances late in the season.  It also means the development advantage of Ganassi and Penske will shrink even further, and we will see more parity in the series than we have seen in the recent past.

So for the start of the season, I have decided to semi-coherently rant about some random news, notes, and features for the 2011 season.  Enjoy!

Rant 1: Holy Shifting Drivers Batman!

In a silly season that truly lived up to its name, drivers were shifting everywhere in the INDYCAR world during the off season.  Nearly every team in the series has a new driver piloting at least one of their cars.  Tony Kanaan lost his ride at Andretti due to sponsor issues, and then we all thought he had a great ride with DeFerran Dragon.  They close up shop with just a few weeks to go, and he sneaks his way into KV Racing just before the gun, taking the Geico sponsorship that Paul Tracy has had in recent years.
Andretti replaces him with former Dreyer and Reinbold driver Mike Conway, while Dreyer and Reinbold replaces him with Ana Beatriz.

Ganassi adds two more drivers in Rahal and Kimball in his attempt to dominate all things that spin tires in the racing world.  Saavedra joins Conquest, FAZZT is bought by Sam Schmidt, Servia returns to the series with Newman Haas, and Ed Carpenter moves over to Sarah Fisher.  Hildebrand rocks the National Guard sponsor for Panther, Matos joins AFS, and SeaBass returns to American Open Wheel driving with Dale Coyne.  Oh yeah, and some kid named James Jakes is sporting the Coyne flag too.  Pure craziness in the off season, and it is nowhere near over yet with Paul Tracy, Dan Wheldon, James Hinchcliff, JK Vernay, Davey Hamilton, and a host of others looking to join in on the fun.

Of the teams from 2010, only Penske and Foyt return with the same driver lineup.  That is four drivers out of roughly thirty.  Certainly an eventful off season.

Rant 2: The Revolution will not be Televised

INDYCAR announced that live streaming video of practice, qualifications, and races will no longer be available on www.indycar.com.  This means that we will all be forced to deal with the limited television coverage during the week or tune into IMS radio to get our fix.  INDYCAR says they were violating the contract by doing this in the past, and cannot do so in the future (ignoring law school training here). What this means though is the hardcore fans who want to watch every turn, every spin, every hot lap will have to board lots of planes, trains, and automobiles, because it will not be available from the comfort of your lazy boy.

This especially bothers me during ABC race weekends.  ABC takes more, longer commercial breaks than the VERSUS races, and generally do a poorer job of covering the sport.  I would always have my stream up during ABC races, but not for VERSUS.  While it is an attempt to drive TV ratings higher, it will have little effect on that, and only anger the die hard fans.

My solution to the problem for ABC/Versus is as follows.  Throw up all the content you don't plan on putting on TV on ESPN3.  ESPN3 ran the 12 hours of Sebring a couple weeks ago, and I watched some Caribbean Cricket on there last month.  If these events can run on the 3, then certainly INDYCAR can find a place there too.

Rant 3: Flip-flopping is for more than gymnasts.

Randy Bernard no longer walks on water or can magically cure the sick.  His first season as the head man for the INDYCAR series went great, with tons of new ideas and some great marketing, and it was very clear to everyone that Bernard could help the series grow.

Then came the last offseason, where Bernard attempted to run the series in an interesting way.  He would announce rule changes, and then change his mind the next week after fans, drivers, and owners told him he was crazy.  This included new pit rules, 'lucky-dog' restarts, and most recently a 26 car limit to the field.  All of these ideas (which basically came straight from NASCAR) were widely rejected by the INDYCAR faithful.

So we learned that Bernard is a great marketer, but should probably keep his hands off the rulebook.  We also learned he can shoot his mouth off a bit, leading to a fight with the ultimate loud mouth Paul Tracy.  Bernard must appear above the fray to be the true leader of American Open Wheel racing in the future.  Hopefully he will learn from his mistakes.

Rant 4: Firestone drama, better than Daytime Soaps?

Firestone racing has been attempting to get out of racing for several years now, and nearly pulled out of INDYCAR this year.  A late offer by the owners to give them more money and require less marketing saved the 'magic rings' for a few years.  The owners were willing to do this in order to keep a constant in 2012, when the new car and engine comes into the series.  Safety was the main concern, and breaking in a new tire company with all new equipment was deemed too hefty a task.

In the end, it worked out well for Firestone and INDYCAR, but INDYCAR lost all their bargaining ability with Firestone.  They will need to look to a new tire supplier in the future, and will get the chance to audition them in the feeder series over the next couple of years.

Firestone and INDYCAR have had a great partnership for many years, but Firestone has decided to change their company strategy.  INDYCAR must show they are a strong enough series to weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side.

Rant 5: LETS GO RACING!

Enough ranting and raving.  There are likely another 45 topics we could all rant about, but at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon, it will all be an afterthought.

This is likely to be the most competitive year in INDYCAR since Penske and Ganassi joined full time.  There are new drivers all over the place, several new tracks joining the series this year, (Baltimore road race, New Hampshire oval, Milwaukee is back!, and I'm headed to Vegas baby!) and it all adds up to a very exciting 2011 season for the IZOD INDYCAR series.

Penske and Ganassi are still the teams to beat, Dario is still the Champion to beat, but there will be no easy path to the championship this year.

So strap in, throw on some fresh tires, keep your tanks full and prepare for a whole new season of INDYCAR racing!

Many people were high on Chip Ganassi after he won the Daytona 500 last year. They were even more excited after he won the Indianapolis 500, again. After he returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with his NASCAR team, he pulled off the three-peat. Little did we know, he wasn't done.

This weekend Chip Ganassi's team finished one-two at Daytona, in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. He has now won the four biggest races within the same calendar year, in three different racing series. Needless to say, that has never been done before and probably won't ever again.

While many people have been praising Ganassi for his success, he has been much more modest.

"I don't drive the cars, I don't change the tires, I don't work on the engines," Ganassi said. "There's a lot of great competitors that it takes to make up a team. I'm just the guy that gets to stand up here and talk about it."

The win didn't come easy, as both of his teams were battling on the final lap, very fitting. Three-time and defending Grand-Am Series champion Scott Pruett drove the last leg of the Rolex 24 on Sunday and held off Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon during a frantic, one-lap sprint.

Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Joey Hand and Graham Rahal overcame several setbacks to get Ganassi back to Victory Lane in the Rolex 24 after consecutive runner-up finishes. It was Ganassi's fourth win in the season-opening event.

What Chip has been able to do over the past year is remarkable. We will probably never see anything like this in the future of auto racing, unless Ganassi can pull it off again.

He now has a four-car team in the INDYCAR Series, a big change from his two-car team that he has had for many years. While the veterans Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti will work together in one shop, Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball will work together in another shop in Brownsburg, Ind.

Regardless of that, they will all be working together, in order to get Chip another INDYCAR Series Championship; something else that he was able to capture last season, on top of all of the other things.

With the INDYCAR season just a little over a month away, it looks like Chip is going to pick up where he left off last year. It is quite a start to the new season, but what else would you expect from a guy like Chip Ganassi.

Welcome to the finale of the 2010 season of the IZOD IndyCar Series.  It has been a strange run this far through 16 different circuits that all culminates this Saturday night in Homestead Miami.

The Cafes Do Brasil Indy 300 (A delicious coffee by the way) at Homestead is the circle of death for two competitors in the IZOD IndyCar Series as Will Power and Dario Franchitti square off head to head to determine who will win the 2010 series championship.  Franchitti is a scant 12 points behind Power, with the advantage of having won the 2009 race and championship on this track just a year ago.

This race will also mark the final race at the Miami track for the time being, as the series and ISC were unable to complete a new deal to bring the track back to the 2011 series schedule.

So the series leaders and the rest of the field are hoping to put on quite a show for the finale of the 2010 season and the track at Homestead, Miami.

The 2009 finale also occurred at Homestead where Dario Franchitti used fuel strategy to beat Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon to become the 2009 series champion.  Last year's race was caution free, ending with only three drivers on the lead lap. 

Franchitti will be hoping to secure another championship on Saturday night, but will need to overcome a twelve point deficit.  The winner of the race gets a ten point gain over second, and there are three bonus points available, so Franchitti could gain the championship by winning pole, leading every lap, and winning the race.  Power has many ways to win, but must have a solid showing in order to have a chance.

The rest of the field will hope to keep up and gain a victory for themselves to provide momentum going into the 2011 season. 

Homestead has been dominated by Ganassi Racing lately, winning the last four races in a row with Franchitti, Scott Dixon, and Dan Wheldon.  Penske does have a lone victory at the track in 2004 with Sam Hornish Jr.

The track is a 1.5 mile oval with three degrees of banking along the straightaways.  The turns feature progressive banking between 18 and 20 percent, which basically means the cars can run flat out throughout the track.

This will be the final race in Miami for the IZOD IndyCar Series in the foreseeable future.  The track and the series were unable to reach an agreement to continue the race for the 2011 season and it was left off the schedule.

There are a few new drivers back this week.  Ed Carpenter returns to his joint Panther/Vision team to run the No. 20 car for Fuzzy's Vodka.  Ana Beatriz returns to Dreyer and Reinbold Racing to drive the No. 24 car.  Sebastian Saavedra joins Conquest Racing to run the No. 36 car for Eric Bachelart's team.

Qualifications begin Friday at 5 on Versus, and the race will be live on Saturday night starting at 6.

So without further ado, lets go racing!  And lets go picking!

Chad Smith

First to Crash: Takuma Sato
Just playing the odds here….

Dark Horse: Marco Andretti
Isn’t it about time we see Marco in victory lane?

3rd Place: Dario Franchitti
Dario will have another podium finish on the ovals, coming up just short on the title this year.

2nd Place: Helio Castroneves
Helio’s season could have been a lot different had he not gotten that penalty and actually won the race. He will finish the season strong, perhaps as a momentum builder for next year.

Race Winner: Will Power
Power will have all of Penske’s best stuff to aid him in this race. His oval success has eluded him too many times this year. He will finally get that oval-race monkey off of his back, while getting his first IndyCar Championship on the same night. Will shall get his cake, and eat it too.

I feel like Danica Patrick when it comes to our writer’s pool picks this year, but I had fun. Special thanks to Ryan for organizing this thing all year, and covering all things IndyCar. Can’t wait for next year to start.

Ryan Worden

Win:  Dario Franchitti.  I believe in team Ganassi this weekend.  They have been very good here and Chip always finds a way to win.  Even though I do not want to see Ashley Judd celebrate with the new trophy, I really think Dario two-peats.

Place: Scott Dixon.  Seriously, Ganassi owns this track.

Show:  Will Power.  Penske and his teammates will do everything to get him to get him to the front, but I just don't think they'll have enough for the Target boys.

Dark Horse: Dan Wheldon.  Dan has won many times here, but Penske and Ganassi are the class of the field in Miami.

First to Crash: Saavedra.  I really dislike the way he left Bryan Herta Autosport.  It was downright shameful walking out on the team in the middle of the race weekend.  So I am picking out of spite.

Christopher Leone

Win: For the series championship, Will Power. I know that inevitably, Dario is going to win and Will is going to finish second and lose the championship by one point, but I like the idea of Power’s first oval win much better.

Place: Franchitti. See above.

Show: Dan Wheldon. Showing off in hopes of landing a ride for 2011.

Dark Horse: Ed Carpenter. Everybody loves an underdog!

First to Crash: Milka Duno. Ending her IZOD IndyCar Series career with a bang – literally – as I’ve heard she will not retain her license in 2011.

Did you just feel a chill go through the room and a giant sigh of relief brush through the hallway like a gale force wind? 

That was the collective feeling of the IZOD IndyCar series drivers after leaving behind the road and street courses for the year and returning to ovals for the final four races of the season.

Every driver except of course Will Power.  Power won five of the nine road and street courses and finished on the podium in all but one race, a personally horrific fourth place finish at Barber Motorsports Park. 

So that sigh of relief? 

That was Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon realizing their chances at the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Championship are greatly improved by the remaining four 1.5 mile ovals.  What remains to be seen is whether Franchitti can overcome his 59 point deficit or if Dixon can overcome his 95 point backmark.

The maximum number of points available for the winner of any race in the IZOD IndyCar series is 53 points, 50 for winning, two for the most laps led, and one for the pole position.  Second place earns 40 points, meaning a first place finisher can always gain between seven and 13 points over second place. 

This gap is not large enough to make up the current deficit for the drivers of Chip Ganassi Racing, so Franchitti and Dixon must finish several spots above Power at the remaining races to have a shot at the championship.  Of course, a crash by Power would bring it wide open, while a crash by Franchitti could slam the championship door shut.

Power has never won an oval race, while the Target Chip Ganassi team has won on all of the remaining tracks.  Power does have the benefit of being on Team Penske and being the most locked-in driver in the field at the moment, but he does lack overall experience on tracks with four left turns.

The track is quite simple, as a D-shaped oval with 11 degree banking on the front stretch, five degrees on the back stretch, and 18 degrees in the turns.  In these previews, you may be used to me explaining where major passing zones are the tracks, well this will be my favorite. 

There will be two and three wide actions throughout the entire one and a half mile track, with passing throughout.  So strap in while watching, because with a record 29 cars on the track there is going to be some incredible action.

There are four former winners in the field.  Team Penske has won the last two years in a row with Ryan Briscoe in 2009 and Helio Castroneves in 2009.  Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon won the race for Chip Ganassi, while Wheldon also won the 2005 race with Andretti.  Scott Dixon also won in 1999 and 2000 in the CART Indy Lights Series.

The field expanding to 29 cars for the race means there will be several new cars and drivers on track. 

Ed Carpenter returns to Panther Racing in his partnership with Vision and Fuzzy's Vodka.  Carpenter will run the remaining US ovals with the team and the sponsorship he had at the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

Ana Beatriz also returns with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, filling in for Mike Conway while he is recovering from injuries.  Davey Hamilton will get another shot with de Ferran Dragon Racing and the support of HP Computers.  Tomas Scheckter will continue his season with a new team, driving the No. 36 car for Conquest Racing.  J

ay Howard returns for his last race with Sarah Fisher Racing, but he has hinted he may have other options lined up for the end of the year.  Sarah Fisher also will run her No. 67 Dollar General Car.

Last years race featured just 23 cars, but the action was still intense. 

The cars stormed around the track, wheel to wheel in what looked like an accident waiting to happen.  Only two cars excited the race due to contact, and both were with the wall.  With 29 cars on the track however, the racing will be very tight and incidents seem likely.  Drivers will have to keep their energy and focus up for all 200 laps of the event.

The race will be broadcast live on Versus network at 7 p.m. Saturday night.  Qualifying can be seen starting at 5 p.m. Friday night.  Night racing under the lights in Joliet, Il., is the perfect welcome back for the series after a string of road and street courses.

To further get you ready for the 2010 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300, we present our writer's picks.

Chad Smith

First to crash: Bertrand Baguette
The rookie will probably be starting near the back, and lets face it, that’s where the trouble will be in the 29 car field.

Dark horse: Ryan Hunter-Reay
I wanted so bad to put Dan Wheldon here, but I’m going with RHR. Ryan has finished in the top ten in two of the last three races here. Ryan will either wind up in the top five, or in the bottom five.

Third place: Will Power
With Dario on his heels, Power needs to have a solid finish to keep his points lead at a safe distance. In his only race here in 2008, he finished in fifth, and a third place finish should keep him safely in the lead.

Second place: Dario Franchitti
Dario has the championship in his sights, and he knows he has to be on top of his game in order to get it. A top three finish will be nice, but it all depends on where Power finishes.

Race winner: Scott Dixon
Scott still may have an outside shot at the title, but he will need Dario and Power to have bad nights. Dixon has finished in second place here four times, and he may finally get over the hump Saturday night.

Christopher Leone

Win: Scott Dixon. One of the best oval drivers on the circuit is due for another oval win.

Place: Ryan Briscoe. Defending race winner Briscoe hasn’t won since Texas—too long for a Penske driver, even (especially?) when it’s his teammate snaring the victories.

Show: Ryan Hunter-Reay. RHR has a legitimate shot at climbing as high as fourth in points with a solid finish this weekend and a little luck.

Dark Horse: Ed Carpenter. Returning to the series this weekend, he’ll look for a strong finish at a track where he placed sixth last year.

First to Crash: Ana Beatriz. Just a hunch. Glad to see her back in the series, though. Dreyer & Reinbold would do well to find a way to keep her.

 

Ryan Worden

Win: Ryan Briscoe.  Chris is right, Briscoe needs to win.  Whenever it seems like he is in trouble at Penske he goes out and wins a race to silence critics.  Winning here will keep points away from Franchitti and Dixon and make the Captain very happy.

Place: Dario Franchitti.  Dario is going to push as hard as he can to win the next four races, while I believe Power will drive more cautious since he has a large lead.  I think Briscoe will be able to hold him off, but I also think we'll have a winning margin of less than .1 seconds.

Show: Scott Dixon.  Dixon has always been good here, but has never won.  Unfortunately for him, I see that continuing this weekend, but a podium finish is always positive.  Dixon is a fantastic oval racer, and will be doing everything to ensure Ganassi cars finish above Will Power.

Dark Horse: Dan Wheldon.  Dan has two wins here, and really needs a good showing to be back with Panther in 2010.  He is a great driver with a quality teammate in Ed Carpenter this weekend.  A top five finish would be great for the National Guard team.

First to Crash: Takuma Sato.  Sato has been fast this year, but he has also been reckless.  Combine that with possibly intentionally smacking into Danica Patrick and Takuma returns as my popular pick.

Control Pick: I just got back from Sonoma a few hours ago, so I am squeezed on time, so our control pick will be a random draw from the entry list.

Win: Ryan Briscoe.  That was just plain lucky, random draw and my brain think alike.  I am slightly scared.

Place: Tony Kanaan.  Ok, two best picks for control so far this year.

Show: Ed Carpenter.  Still not bad, but Ed did have a suspension failure during practice.

Dark Horse:  Mario Moraes.  Well, he is fast, but probably more likely in our next category.

First to Crash:  Sarah Fisher.  Definitely not a fan friendly pick.

Join the conversation.  Feel free to join our writers and make your picks in the comments section below.  The writer can be contacted at rworden@indiana.edu.

LEXINGTON, Ohio- Dario Franchitti used an early pit stop and a very fast car to overcome a poor start and win the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.  Franchitti’s Target Chip Ganassi pit crew managed to get him out ahead of Will Power during the lap 22 pit stop.  The quick exchange not only put him in position ahead of Power, but would eventually cycle into the lead.

Power started on the pole and lead the entire first section of the race until a caution on lap 22 due to a collision between Justin Wilson and EJ Viso.  Wilson had an inside run on Viso, who did not give ground and both cars ended up out of the race.

Alex Tagliani had pitted just before the caution and inherited the lead while the rest of the field completed yellow flag pit stops. During the exit of those pit stops, Ryan Hunter-Reay was sandwiched between the dual Penske cars of Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves.

The three made contact, and Hunter-Reay caught the worst of the action.  His left front suspension broke, putting a very competitive car out of contention for the win.  Hunter-Reay managed to salvage a tenth place finish after his Andretti Autosport team was able to fix the suspension and keep him on the lead lap.

Castroneves said it was just a racing incident on a tight pit lane.  Castroneves said, “We had a great pit stop, and got out right in front of Hunter-Reay who was avoiding other traffic.  It was just a tight pit and we got together.  I was surprised my race did not end right there, but it actually made my car better.”

Hunter-Reay had a different view of the incident, believing that he and Briscoe were racing, and that he had a good enough car to do well today without the incident.  “Helio just didn’t have any right to put his car there.  There was no room.  I was racing Briscoe and Helio knew that putting his nose there was going to create a contact situation.  Unfortunately, it hurt us.  We had a great car today- probably one of the best out there.”  Hunter-Reay continued, “The IZOD guys did an excellent job of fixing a bent suspension under yellow there and getting us back out there without losing a lap.  But, we still had big suspension problems for the rest of the race.  The car was pretty diabolical, but we were able to hand on for a top 10, which is a miracle, considering.”

Alex Tagliani appeared to have guessed right with his fuel strategy, as he lead the most laps in the race, leading from the initial yellow flag until his next pit stop with just thirty laps to go.  When the other cars cycled around, it was Franchitti, Power, and Castroneves who came out in front of Tagliani. 

The Canadian settled for a fourth place finish after the early gamble lead to great success.

The last pit stops set the stage for a thirty lap showdown between Power and Franchitti, as Franchitti was able to hold off the series points leader for the victory.  Castroneves finished third, while Ryan Briscoe finished fifth to give Penske three cars in the top five.

The story of the day however was Dario Franchitti and Target Chip Ganassi racing.  Ganassi had won the Grand Am Race the night before at Watkins Glen, and during the IndyCar race, Juan Pablo Montoya took the NASCAR race for Ganassi’s stock car team.  Franchitti joked that after the first round of pit stops, his crew came on the radio and told him of Montoya’s victory that it was all on Franchitti now.

He delivered by driving a near perfect finish after a shaky start.  When the green flag dropped, Franchitti dropped from second to third, as Takuma Sato and Will Power got an inside run on him and Franchitti got loose.  He managed to recover and pass Sato going into turn four before getting by Power in the pits.

“The key today was the first pit stop by the Target boys.  In practice, we had really struggled to get the car into the pit box with Will in front of us because of how tight it was.  We never got it right in practice, but it was perfect during the race and we passed him.”  Franchitti said.

The Scotsman was able to pick up 9 points on Power, moving forty-one points shy of the lead with one road course and four ovals remaining on the schedule.  Power’s strength is the road courses, and he will have to be strong at Sonoma in two weeks to hold the lead.  Power spoke of the points chase, “It looking like it may be just the two of us (Dario).  I have to finish ahead of him every week.”  Franchitti also seemed concerned with keeping Power behind him, noting that while he had good finishes the weeks before, Power had finished higher on the podium.

With the win, Franchitti ties Gordon Johncock for 12^th all-time in IZOD IndyCar history with twenty-five wins.

Rookie Simona DeSilverstro had her best finish of the year, as she guided her Team Stargate World Car to an eighth place finish.  In a field that featured eight rookies, as well as two newcomers to the IZOD Indycar series in Francesco Dracone and JR Hildebrand, the rookies faired very well.  Belgian driver Bertrand Baguette finished just outside the top ten with an eleventh place finish, his best of the year.  Baguette was in the top ten until Ryan Hunter-Reay made a mad charge to take the spot away.

Boy Scouts of America’s Alex Lloyd managed a thirteenth place finish, while JR Hildebrand finished sixteenth.  Hildebrand is in his first race with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing.  He will also race at Sonoma in an attempt to show teams that his 2009 Firestone Indy Lights championship skills are ready for the big time.

It was an exciting race from the cornfield of Ohio that featured five cautions for a total of fifteen laps, as well as four lead changes for a total of five leaders.  The IZOD Indycar Series will return in two weeks to the rolling wine vineyards of Sonoma, California for the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

 

Iowa may be one of the smaller tracks on the schedule, but the races are always full of intensity and drama. Sunday's Iowa Corn Indy 250 should be no different.

I am filling in for Ryan this week if you haven't already noticed. I don't think this will be done at the same level, but I will try my best.

Although the weather forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms, twenty-five drivers will look to take the green flag at Iowa, in hopes of grabbing one of the final oval races on the schedule.

While Will Power was able to grab yet another pole on Saturday, his Penske teammates weren't far behind of course. Scott Dixon will start on the outside of Power, while his Target-Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti will be starting fifth. Helio starts fourth and Briscoe eighth, but there were some surprises that were able to make a statement. Marco Andretti will be starting in third, while Alex Tagliani will be starting the race in sixth.

On the other end, Tony Kanaan will be pulling off in 15th position, while Graham Rahal will be two spots back in 17th. Hideki Mutoh qualified in the 24th position, to the surprise of many.

Here are this weekend's picks/predictions for Iowa:

Ryan Worden:

1) Marco Andretti
Sure, I’ve probably been drinking, and I certainly will regret this later, but I just really want to see someone break up the Big Two on the Ovals. Marco loves to run the high side, which could help him a ton on Sunday. He has been quick for a while, and needs to show some high end results.

2) Scott Dixon
Dixie will always be one of my favorites after mostly hating him his first few years. He could use some good news, and with the cars as close as they are right now, the favor goes to those willing to risk it (unless they kiss some wall).

3) Ryan Briscoe
Briscky took it for his nana last week, who passed right after the race. He will have similar focus this week, but not quite the speed or energy after a tough week of traveling back to Aussieland and back.

Dark Horse: Graham Rahal: Rahal is driving the Dads Root Beer/ Hot Wheels car this weekend for Mike Conway, and his 3rd team this year will be the trick. Look for Rahal to push his car to the front, because his ride for the rest of the year is not solid yet. If he has a fine result here, then he will be in good shape to be the permanent Conway replacement.

First to Crash: Going back to my old standard of Sato… mostly because he seems to love to mess up carbon fiber. KV has been struggling to keep their cars in one piece, and Paul Tracy is slightly worried he will not have a car for the future since these guys have been tearing up the equipment so much. Sato has the best cash backing, so he will be the most likely to push to the front… big time crash coming, which may take out several (and maybe even several KV cars).

Christopher Leone:

1) Dario Franchitti

2) Tony Kanaan

3) Marco Andretti

Dark Horse - Hideki Mutoh

First to Crash - Takuma Sato

Chad Smith:

1) Helio Castroneves

Briscoe may have won the last race, and Power may have won yet another pole, but Helio misses the limelight, and he will do what he has to in order to get back in it; finish strong.

2) Scott Dixon

Dixon has been relatively quiet recently, but still as consistent as ever. He will have another strong run, and a great day in the points.

3) Alex Tagliani

Alex could easily be my dark horse, but I think he has shown that he can run up front at different tracks, and the talent is there. Picking him ahead of another Penske/Ganassi driver was a big move for me this week, and I hope it doesn't backfire.

Dark Horse - Dan Wheldon

Wheldon may not be a true 'dark horse' but for whatever reason, I am putting him in here as he will be starting in tenth position on Sunday. I don't know if anyone really expects him to be at the front, but he always seems to find a way to get there.

First to Crash - Milka Duno

This is quickly becoming a joke...give it up Milka.

The control this week will be Frank Greene, an old friend I caught up with at this year's Indy 500.

1) Dario Franchitti

2) Marco Andretti

3) Ryan Briscoe

Dark Horse - Danica Patrick

First to Crash - E.J. Viso

Good luck everyone, should be a great race if Mother Nature will allow it!

As much as it pains me, it might be time to pull the plug on the Indy Racing League (IRL) and the IndyCar series.

I grew up loving Indy cars and especially the Indianapolis 500. I remember how I would be oh so tempted to watch the evening news to see who won. Back then, the race was taped so the networks would warn you before spoiling the prime-time broadcast with the results.

I remember the thrill of going to a track in New Jersey and wanting to be like the great Bobby Unser.  After all, we shared the same first name and that combined with his hard charging style was enough for a small child.

Only looking back do I realize how lucky I was to watch the Unser family (Bobby, Al, little Al), Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and the list goes on and on. 

This brings me to the IndyCar of today.  I went to a restaurant for lunch during the early stages of Sunday's race.  There were three televisions on, one had a baseball game one, another set had the French Open tennis tournament, and the final one showed a minor golf tournament. 

Are you kidding me?

Dario Franchitti, better known as actress Ashley Judd's husband, won the race, his second Indianapolis 500.  Franchitti is, by all accounts, a great guy and a good driver.

A good driver, not a great one. 

This is the problem. Chip Ganassi and Penske Racing win 500's these days, not Franchitti or Helio Castroneves.  The drivers aren't winning the teams are.

Want proof?  Franchitti is the perfect example.  He  needed 10 years in American open-wheel racing before winning a rain shortened Indianapolis 500 in 2007 for Andretti Green Racing one of the premier racing teams at the time.  Then he won that year's IRL's Championship only after Scott Dixon ran out of gas on the last lap of the last race of the season. 

He parlayed his success into an immediate foray into NASCAR and finished a humiliating 41st in the Sprint Cup series after poor results and a lack of sponsorship forced the Co-owner Chip Ganassi to disband the entire #40 car team.

Franchitti stayed with Ganassi but returned with his tail between legs back to the open wheel circuit.   He and new teammate Dixon dominated the 2009 IndyCar series for a 1-2 finish in Ganassi's superior cars. 

Franchitti was never seriously challenged in yesterday's Indy 500. He led 155 laps because his car was just that superior.  Finally, at the end, he nearly gave away his substantial lead at the end because he nearly ran out of fuel.  Only a crash by driver Mike Conway allowed the Scotsman to coast to the finish under caution. 

Danny Sullivan won the 1985 Indianapolis 500 after spinning out at 400 degrees and still coming back to pass Andretti for the title.  Sullivan was a great race car driver. 

Now, the sport lacks risk-taking drivers that capture the imagination of Americans or anyone else for that matter.   Actually the IRL lacks any top American drivers which damages the domestic popularity of the sport.  In addition, the sport has been modified to the point that fuel strategy and the composition of the car is far more important than who is behind the wheel. 

This years Indy 500 registered a 3.68 overnight Nielsen Rating. 
This means that just over four million households tuned in.

The 2009 race drew a 4.0 rating making it the least watched Indy 500 since 1986 until Franchitti's latest victory on Sunday.   

Flatline indeed. 
Why? Because people don't care about the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing' or Indy cars anymore.