For the second year in a row, the IndyCar championship will come down to the final race of the season.
In 2009, three drivers—Target-Ganassi’s Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, and Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe—came to the Homestead-Miami Speedway with a chance at the title.
2010 will be another Penske-Ganassi faceoff, with Will Power for Penske leading defending champion Dario Franchitti by twelve points, 587–575.
The number 12 is significant; the difference between first and second place is ten points, but there are three bonus points available—one for qualifying fastest, and two for leading the most laps in the race. If Dario Franchitti wins the pole, leads the most laps, and wins the race, then he will beat Will Power, no matter where Power finishes.
If Power, or anybody else, wins the pole, Franchitti will need to finish several places ahead of his rival to win his third IndyCar championship, and second in a row.
Both drivers have certain advantages heading to Homestead.
Dario Franchitti, a two-time IndyCar champ and a two-time Indy 500 winner, has a lot more oval experience. In fact, he won the 2010 A.J. Foyt Oval Track Trophy, having performed so much better than the competition that he won the trophy in Japan, with one oval race left on the schedule.
Franchitti has three wins this year, two on oval tracks. But he has only scored one pole, on the street course in Sao Paulo.
Will Power has been the dominant driver in IndyCar this season, with five wins and eight poles—but no wins and only one pole on an oval.
Power won the 2010 Mario Andretti Road Course Trophy; he is definitely a great road course driver. He has had some good performances on ovals; he is sure to win on an oval eventually.
But Power doesn’t need to win. If he can finish ahead of Franchitti, win the pole, or lead the most laps, Power can preserve his lead.
Dario Franchitti must get maximum points from the race weekend. He will have to be aggressive from the first lap of qualifying until the last lap of the race.
In 2009 Franchitti won the championship at Homestead by conserving fuel, staying ahead of the rest of the pack and behind the race leaders, Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe, who were running flat out. When the leaders had to pit late in the race for a splash of fuel, Franchitti had just enough left in the tank to be able to stay out and take the win, and the championship.
Franchitti will not have that luxury this year. He needs to be out front for the bonus points.
The Target-Ganassi driver cannot count on Will Power making a mistake; Power and the Penske crew rarely make mistakes, and they will be at their best this weekend.
Will Power will also have to go all-out all weekend. He cannot afford to let his rival gain the slightest edge. He knows well that his crew and strategist might help him, or might not.
At Japan the Penske crew gained Power several spots with fast pit work, getting their driver back on the track ahead of his competitors. But in the two races before, fuel strategy and fuel-filling problems cost the Penske driver heavily.
At Kentucky, Power ran low on fuel in the final laps. He had to come in for a splash, dropping him to eighth.
At Chicago, a problem with the fuel-filling mechanism forced Power to make an extra stop, dropping him from third to 16th.
Despite these setbacks, Power’s performance at these races bolstered confidence in his oval-racing ability. At Kentucky Power qualified second and led 83 of the 200 laps. At Chicago Power ran up front all night. At Japan, the Penske driver challenged Dario Franchitti for second for the final few dozen laps.
Will Power has proven his mastery of ovals, but he has yet to prove his mastery of Dario Franchitti—the Penske driver has never finished ahead of his rival on an oval track.
Luckily for him, at Homestead he might not have to.
The Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 from Homestead-Miami Speedway will take place on October, 2, 2010. Tickets are still available through the Homestead-Miami Speedway website.
The race will air live on Versus, starting at 6 p.m. EDT.
In 2009, three drivers—Target-Ganassi’s Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, and Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe—came to the Homestead-Miami Speedway with a chance at the title.
2010 will be another Penske-Ganassi faceoff, with Will Power for Penske leading defending champion Dario Franchitti by twelve points, 587–575.
The number 12 is significant; the difference between first and second place is ten points, but there are three bonus points available—one for qualifying fastest, and two for leading the most laps in the race. If Dario Franchitti wins the pole, leads the most laps, and wins the race, then he will beat Will Power, no matter where Power finishes.
If Power, or anybody else, wins the pole, Franchitti will need to finish several places ahead of his rival to win his third IndyCar championship, and second in a row.
Fair Matchup
Both drivers have certain advantages heading to Homestead.
Dario Franchitti, a two-time IndyCar champ and a two-time Indy 500 winner, has a lot more oval experience. In fact, he won the 2010 A.J. Foyt Oval Track Trophy, having performed so much better than the competition that he won the trophy in Japan, with one oval race left on the schedule.
Franchitti has three wins this year, two on oval tracks. But he has only scored one pole, on the street course in Sao Paulo.
Will Power has been the dominant driver in IndyCar this season, with five wins and eight poles—but no wins and only one pole on an oval.
Power won the 2010 Mario Andretti Road Course Trophy; he is definitely a great road course driver. He has had some good performances on ovals; he is sure to win on an oval eventually.
But Power doesn’t need to win. If he can finish ahead of Franchitti, win the pole, or lead the most laps, Power can preserve his lead.
Go Fast or Go Home
Dario Franchitti must get maximum points from the race weekend. He will have to be aggressive from the first lap of qualifying until the last lap of the race.
In 2009 Franchitti won the championship at Homestead by conserving fuel, staying ahead of the rest of the pack and behind the race leaders, Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe, who were running flat out. When the leaders had to pit late in the race for a splash of fuel, Franchitti had just enough left in the tank to be able to stay out and take the win, and the championship.
Franchitti will not have that luxury this year. He needs to be out front for the bonus points.
The Target-Ganassi driver cannot count on Will Power making a mistake; Power and the Penske crew rarely make mistakes, and they will be at their best this weekend.
No Room for Error
Will Power will also have to go all-out all weekend. He cannot afford to let his rival gain the slightest edge. He knows well that his crew and strategist might help him, or might not.
At Japan the Penske crew gained Power several spots with fast pit work, getting their driver back on the track ahead of his competitors. But in the two races before, fuel strategy and fuel-filling problems cost the Penske driver heavily.
At Kentucky, Power ran low on fuel in the final laps. He had to come in for a splash, dropping him to eighth.
At Chicago, a problem with the fuel-filling mechanism forced Power to make an extra stop, dropping him from third to 16th.
Despite these setbacks, Power’s performance at these races bolstered confidence in his oval-racing ability. At Kentucky Power qualified second and led 83 of the 200 laps. At Chicago Power ran up front all night. At Japan, the Penske driver challenged Dario Franchitti for second for the final few dozen laps.
Will Power has proven his mastery of ovals, but he has yet to prove his mastery of Dario Franchitti—the Penske driver has never finished ahead of his rival on an oval track.
Luckily for him, at Homestead he might not have to.
The Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 from Homestead-Miami Speedway will take place on October, 2, 2010. Tickets are still available through the Homestead-Miami Speedway website.
The race will air live on Versus, starting at 6 p.m. EDT.
