With three oval races remaining in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti has closed the gap to leader Will Power to twenty-three points after going into the latest round over the weekend fifty-nine behind.
The win in the Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway has given Franchitti a realalistic shot at the drivers title while team mate Scott Dixon still holds onto third with a remote chance if either Franchitti or Power falter.
With most cars opting to take on more fuel and tyres late in the 200 lap race, Target Chip Ganassi engineer Chris Simmons made the call not to change the Firestone Firehawks on Franchitti’s car. The move vaulted Franchitti into the lead on the restart on the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway oval with 23 laps left and he held off Dan Wheldon by 0.0423 of a second to win the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300.
It was Franchitti’s 26th Indy car racing victory, tying Rodger Ward for 11th on the all-time list (USAC, CART, Indy Racing League sanction).
Power, who started third, led 17 laps and was 0.0942 of a second behind the front-running Franchitti on Lap 190. But the blistering 217 mph-plus pace to remain in the lead pack (in a race that had a season-high 25 lead changes and with the top 13 cars within one second of each other on that lap) was quickly soaking up the ethanol.
Power dropped down to finish sixteenth while Dixon, who started fifteenth (his worst grid position since 2005) finished eighth and is now eighty-five points behind Power on the championship table.
Marco Andretti led an Andretti Autosport trio in the top five with a season-tying-best third place. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan followed. Helio Castroneves finished sixth and Justin Wilson advanced 16 positions to place seventh. Vitor Meira scored his third top 10 with a ninth-place finish and Graham Rahal was 10th.
The top 10 were separated by 0.9841 of a second. The top three cars were the same order of finish as the Indianapolis 500 on May 30.
