THE LINE

October 14, 2009

   Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing. Dario Franchitti and his Target Chip Ganassi team outfoxed Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe last weekend with a fuel economy-based race strategy to capture his second IndyCar Series championship by winning the Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Franchitti (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda-powered Dallara/Firestone) finished 4.788-seconds ahead of championship contender Ryan Briscoe (No. 6 Team Penske) and his teammate Scott Dixon (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing), the other title contender. Franchitti finished the season with 616 points, Dixon with 605 and Briscoe with 604. It was the second consecutive title for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, as Dixon won in 2008. Franchitti won his first season championship in 2007 with Andretti Green Racing. The three title contenders led 198 of the 200 laps, basically running against each other, but Briscoe and Dixon were forced to pit for fuel in the last eight laps, Dixon on Lap 192 and Briscoe on Lap 194. Franchitti was able to stretch his fuel over the last 50 laps for his fifth victory of the season, a career best. Franchitti's average speed was 201.420 mph, the second-fastest race in series history. It was the first caution-free race in series history. Franchitti received a $1 million championship bonus check and a mini IndyCar Series championship trophy. A mini IndyCar Series championship trophy also was awarded to Target Chip Ganassi Racing owner Chip Ganassi. "In '07, there was a lot of satisfaction in getting that one done, and now to come back from where we were a year ago is very satisfying," said Franchitti. "I think that's what makes it sweeter is we've got everybody together, and you've got a more balanced schedule, as well. That gives me really a lot of satisfaction, having to beat guys like ‑‑ look down the list. Look at the drivers we're competing against, Ryan (Briscoe) and certainly Scott (Dixon) at the top of that. To beat those guys and to beat Scott on team equipment, you've had a great year." In addition to the championship bonus, Franchitti accepted the $10,000 Bosch Platinum Award and received a $100,000 diamond-encrusted champion's timepiece from Ritmo Mundo. Kevin O'Donnell, chief mechanic for Franchitti's No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda-powered Dallara, accepted the IndyCar Series Chief Mechanic of the Year Award. Congratulations to Dario, Chip, and the entire Target Chip Ganassi Racing organization.

(Dan Helrigel/IRL) 

Dario Franchitti tried NASCAR with Ganassi for a year and it went poorly, even getting himself injured in the process. Then his NASCAR team lost its sponsorship on top of everything else, which made matters even worse. But when he returned to major league open-wheel racing this season he discovered it was where he belonged all along. The IndyCar championship was even sweeter the second time around for Dario Franchitti.

(Shawn Payne/IRL)

Teammates Scott Dixon (No. 9) and Dario Franchitti flying in formation early in the race.

(Dan Helrigel/IRL)

Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe help Dario Franchitti celebrate his championship.

(Jim Haines/IRL)

Dario hangs on to the huge IndyCar champion's trophy.

(John Thawley - Copyright 2009)
Gil de Ferran closed out his professional driving career with a victory in his final race as he and co-driver Simon Pagenaud (No. 66 de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a) won the Monterey Sports Car Championships presented by Patrón at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last Saturday afternoon. Patrón Highcroft Racing's Acura finished second in class and third overall, securing the LMP1 driver championship for David Brabham and Scott Sharp, and the team title for Patrón Highcroft. The championships were the first for all. Luis Diaz and Adrian Fernandez closed their LMP2 championship year with yet another win, tying a class record for victories (8) in a season with their Acura. Lowe’s Fernandez Acura also won the prototype portion of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge and also came away with the season-long championship in the competition that measures overall performance, energy efficiency and emissions. The GT2 finish was wild, with Jörg Bergmeister finishing 1.037 seconds ahead of Corvette Racing’s clearly quicker Jan Magnussen after he put Magnussen into the outside wall just before the start-finish line. Bergmeister and Patrick Long won the class for Flying Lizard Motorsports in their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, a victory enhanced by driver championships for the pair and the second straight team title for the team. It also gave Porsche its 100th Series class victory, a first for any manufacturer. “I’m definitely sorry Jan went into the wall,” Bergmeister said. “I didn’t want that to happen. But it was a banging game. I’m glad he’s OK. It was tough racing. The Corvette passed me the first time at the hairpin but he went in way too deep and I was able to get back around him. He was a little quicker I have to say. I wasn’t trying to figure out where he was gaining time on me. I was trying to stay on track and in front.” It was the last in a number of moments between the two cars in the final hour. The two cars swapped positions numerous times and ran nose-to-tail for much of the final half-hour. IMSA released this statement about the incident on Monday: "Following the closing laps and finish of the GT2 race Saturday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, IMSA officials placed Jörg Bergmeister and Jan Magnussen on a two-race probation period for the start of the 2010 season with a minimum two race suspension in abeyance. Should either driver commit further offenses in the first two rounds of 2010, the participant will receive at minimum a two-race ban from competition by IMSA, which sanctions the American Le Mans Series." The second Flying Lizard Porsche of Johannes van Overbeek and Seth Neiman won the GT trophy for the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge and also claimed the season-long title. Read our friend - and roving AE motorsport correspondent - A.J. Morning's ALMS weekend wrap-up below, and click here to see a gallery of scintillating images from old friend - and photographer extraordinaire - John Thawley here. Also, click here to see John's video from the weekend.

The 2010 American Le Mans Series Schedule (with TV network assignments)

March 20 - Sebring International Raceway, SPEED
April 17 - Long Beach Grand Prix, SPEED
May 22 - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, CBS
July 10/11 - Miller Motorsports Park, SPEED
July 24 - Lime Rock Park, SPEED
August 7 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, CBS
August 22 - Road America, SPEED
August 29 - Mosport International Raceway, SPEED
October 2 - Road Atlanta, SPEED

“California’s been good to me,

Hope it don’t fall into the sea…” – Tom Petty

by A.J. Morning

Salinas. Years from now, when racing cars will be powered by happy wishes or some form of government-mandated recycled sunshine, we’ll look back on the glory days of racing – when horsepower and driver skill meant everything. The old days, when the test of man and machine was all about speed, danger, and fire shooting from the exhaust pipes – not who could program a vehicle to go round a road course with the least amount of offense to groundhogs and snakes and spotted advertisers.

As we saw this past weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the old days aren’t yet gone. In fact, the horsepower war, even in these supposedly dreadful economic times, is still quite alive and well – and it’s moving nicely into the future.

The track itself is most famous for its palpitation-inducing downhill curve, the Corkscrew.  No other race course in North America has a twist quite like it – both challenging to racers and amazing to spectators – it’s the one physical element that makes the track stand out most.

With Audi and Peugeot currently back home in Europe and planning their assaults on Sebring and next year’s Le Mans, the time was right for the American Le Mans Series regulars to finish up their business, run the final race of the year, and get a couple of championships sorted out.  The fact that two of the three ALMS classes were not decided until the final race, shows just how close the competition has become.

In the P1 class, of course, we had Acura vs. Acura. Two brilliant teams, Patrón Highcroft and de Ferran Motorsports, both provide Honda Performance Development with a strong case to maintain its presence in the series into the next year. Having split most of the year’s victories between them, the Patrón Highcroft team came in with a points lead over de Ferran – and needed to complete at least 70% of the race in order to seal the deal for 2009.

Meanwhile, Gil de Ferran and his team entered the race with more than the title in mind. Without firm control over the championship, all they could do is go at it the way we do in the good old days – hard, fast, unrelenting. Team owner and driver de Ferran won his first Indy Car race at Laguna Seca, with the ride provided to him by the legendary Jim Hall.  Thus, as de Ferran brought his driving career to a close, he turned once again to Mr. Hall – this time with a tribute. 

De Ferran’s Acura, typically not what we’d call a very eye-catching machine, was done up in livery closely resembling the “milk white” #66 of Hall’s famous Chaparrals.  Not only were the Chaparrals on-hand for the event, but Mr. Jim Hall himself was at the track – signing autographs, shaking hands, answering questions, and even taking one of his old steeds out for a parade lap. 

Timeless and as visually stunning today as they were decades ago, just seeing a Chaparral on the course and hearing it rumble by is a great treat… and something even the kids in the crowd hold in awe.

Meanwhile, in the production-car-derived GT2 class, another championship battle had yet to be resolved. The #45 Flying Lizard Porsche group held a lead over the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari, and, as with the Highcroft team, needed to complete a certain percentage of the race just to hold on to the title.

Holding on, however, is a relative term. Sometimes, holding on to a bull for 7 seconds is all it takes. Racing four hours in chilly and damp air for a class win – championship or no – is like taking those 7 seconds on the bull and doing it hundreds of times over the span of half a night.

The results spoke for themselves – while Patrón Highcroft won its first ALMS championship by staying out of too much trouble and finishing well, de Ferran started from the pole, took off like a shot, and never looked back. The gorgeous white 66 negotiated every curve flawlessly, and it almost seemed as if Gil de Ferran and co-driver Simon Pagenaud were just along for the ride. Not to take anything away from either driver – both are among the worlds best – but the car looked as if it was on rails around the 2.238 mile circuit.

While de Ferran appeared to coast to an easy victory, the battle in GT2 was as hard fought as anything since… well, the GT2 finish at Sebring a couple of years back. In the closing laps of the race, Jan Magnussen seemingly willed his Corvette Racing C6.RGT to the front of the pack, and gave Flying Lizard Joerg Bergmeister (whom had already wrapped up the GT2 championship during the race) two hands full of a challenge.  Mags relentlessly chased the silver and red Flying Lizard Porsche around the track during the last few laps, passing him briefly and then yielding the lead back to Bergmeister, before closing in on the final corner of the last lap. The Corvette nudged the Porsche once or twice, then dove to the narrow gap between the Porsche and the inside retaining wall.

The champion Bergmeister was having none of it, and drove Magnussen into the concrete, before Mags propelled the ‘Vette forward – contact with the Porsche again – and suddenly Mags is hard into the outside wall with the Porsche showing brake lights before taking the checkered flag.

Clearly, these two teams have a rivalry that seems to be mounting with each race – and while the forum fanboys from either side will each assign blame to the other side, the truth is it was racing. Neither driver would yield an inch, and neither one should. You simply can’t manufacture a finish as good as we saw in GT2 at Mazda Raceway the other night – and with the rules for 2010 becoming a bit more consistent, we’re likely to see the same kind of excitement from these two teams all year long.

The one remaining class title, P2, had already been secured during the rain-shortened Petit Le Mans a couple of weeks ago. With the title wrapped-up, Adrian Fernandez and co-driver Luis Diaz brought the Lowe’s Acura to a last-man-standing class win in P2 – hot on the heels of de Ferran, and missing the overall win by just 0.662 sec. 

Fernandez was one of the first to sign on when Acura entered the series a few years ago, and has always been a consistent performer. It seems bittersweet that this season, as he finally takes the P2 championship, it’s his last in the series.

Elsewhere in P2, Dyson Racing’s Butch Leitzinger and Marino Franchitti had a great-looking car (the ARCO/Mazdaspeed Lola #20) die suddenly early on, while the team’s second car – the BP-liveried #16 of Chris Dyson, Guy Smith, and Ben Devlin was one of the quickest on the track.  The 16 was running a blend of petrol, ethanol, and bio-butanol, and it was fast. Damn fast. And, because the fuel is not yet officially approved for competition, the team’s efforts made for what amounted to a very good test session. Expect to see this alternative fuel OK’d for use in the future, though, as it shows lots of promise.

Off the track, Marino, Butch, Ben, and Guy were being adopted – as those were some of the names given to dogs and cats (as well as other animals) from the local SPCA. It’s no secret that racers love animals, and it seems quite a few tracks have animal shelters close-by, if not across the street. To that end, the Mazdaspeed team took advantage of running on their “home track,” teamed up with the SPCA of Monterey County, and offered a number of animals for adoption who had been named for various drivers, crew, or even Mazda’s corporate motto: “Zoom-Zoom” the cat. A great move by Mazdaspeed, the SPCA, and the fans they helped connect with animals needing good homes.

That’s it until Sebring – I’ll see you at the next pit stop.

Luis Diaz, Doug Fehan. Diaz, reigning LMP2 champion, received the Most Popular Driver Award, while Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager, won his second straight "From the Fans" award, awards voted on by fans of the American Le Mans Series. Both honors, based on input from Series fans worldwide through americanlemans.com, were among many special honors presented at the Series’ annual awards banquet in Monterey, Calif.

Ed Brown. The CEO of The Patrón Spirits Company, received the second annual Promoter’s Trophy for his efforts and those of Patrón in the promotion and support of the American Le Mans Series. The premium spirits maker is a leading Series partner and also sponsor of the LMP1 championship-winning Patrón Highcroft Racing effort.

(SCCA Pro Racing/Mark Weber)
James Sofronas (No. 14 GMG Porsche 911 GT3, above), of Newport Beach, Calif., captured his second SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship Presented by Toyo Tires win of the season in the Applied Computer Solutions Monterey Sports Car Championship Presented by Bondurant last weekend. Sofronas averaged 82.342 mph over the 28-lap, 62.664-mile race distance edging out Randy Pobst (No. 1 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60), of Gainesville, Ga., by 4.297 seconds. Eric Curran (No. 30 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette), of Easthampton, Mass., finished third. Brandon Davis (No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions/SunMicro Ford Mustang GT, above), of Huntington Beach, Calif., claimed his first World Challenge GT Championship by finishing fourth. Sofronas’ victory gave the SPEED World Challenge GT Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine to Porsche, the German marque’s eighth Title. Porsche finished 14 points ahead of Ford (67 to 53). Volvo was third (48), followed by Chevrolet (45) and Viper (18). This race will air on SPEED, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m. (EST).

(Mark Weber/SCCA Pro Racing)
Pierre Kleinubing (No. 42 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Acura TSX), of Coconut Creek, Fla., led Sunday’s Applied Computer Solutions Monterey Sports Car Championships Presented by Bondurant from start-to-finish and captured his fifth SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Presented by Toyo Tires Championship. Teammate Peter Cunningham (No. 1 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Acura TSX), of Milwaukee, Wis., and James Clay (No. 36 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i), of Blacksburg, Va., completed the podium at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Kleinubing beat Cunningham to the stripe by 0.610-second, averaging 72.615 mph for his second victory of the season and the 29th of his career. Kleinubing clinched the Drivers’ Championship and the Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine for Acura. Acura earned its eighth Manufacturers’ Championship, the 13th for American Honda in total. It finished with 72 points to Mazda’s 65. BMW finished third, with 42. This race will be broadcast on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific on SPEED.

(Dan Helrigel/IRL)
Mario Romancini (No. 5 Revita/Win Brazil/Allied/RLR/Andersen) won the Homestead-Miami 100 Firestone Indy Lights race last weekend. 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand (No. 26 ARPRO) was second and Sebastian Saavedra (No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. ) finished third.

(Grand-Am photos)
Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney (No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley) finished fourth to capture their second Daytona Prototype championship in Saturday's Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season-ending Grand Prix of Miami. Joao Barbosa and Hurley Haywood (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche-Riley) won the race. It was Barbosa's first Daytona Prototype victory, and Haywood's his first win since winning a pair of races at Homestead and Phoenix in 2003. "This is a testament to the Brumos legacy," said the 61-year-old Haywood. "To put an old guy in the car with hardly any practice time, and to have Joao bring the car home in the dramatic fashion he did, well, that is Brumos. I don't think anybody thought we could win today - it's just overwhelming." It marked the second Daytona Prototype championship for Fogarty and Gurney. "We fought harder this year," said Gurney, who joined Fogarty in winning seven races in the 2007 championship run. "This one was a little more rewarding." They finished six points ahead (337-331) of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, who finished second in the No. 01 TELMEX Lexus Riley. Brian Frisselle and Max Angelelli entered the race second in the standings but finished seventh in the No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara. They finished the year third in the championship with 325 points. The race ended under caution following a multi-car spin on a restart with six minutes remaining, when Jared Beyer was turned around in front of a pack of cars - eliminating Beyer while damaging many of the GT contenders. That gave the Acxiom GT victory to Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards in the No. 07 Team Drinkin' Mate Pontiac GXP.R, while Leh Keen and Dirk Werner (No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3, below) captured the championship with a third-place finish. "We started the year with the one objective - the championship," said team owner Greg Loles. "We were very fortunate, because we were up against a very good group of people, like the No. 07 team. This championship is more special. We won in '07 with our consistency, but we won more races (four, including three in a row) this year, and I couldn't be happier." Added Werner: "For me, it is awesome to win a second championship in only three years here in the States. It was only possible with this team and I'm very happy."

(Ford Racing Photo)
This is the new CoT-based Nationwide car from Ford and Roush Fenway Racing that will be driven by Colin Braun and sponsored by Con-Way Freight. Note that it will be identified as a "Mustang" by its front-clip graphics.

Publisher's Note: Many AE readers wrote in to inquire why I didn't say anything about the road incident involving J.C. France and a pal fooling around on the street in some sort of impaired hooliganism. I guess the assumption was that I would tee-off on France, but instead I chose not to beat on the obvious. The interesting thing about this situation? In the "old" days of NASCAR, this incident would be viewed fondly and re-told for years to come - okay, minus the drug angle - but today? Not so much. We lament the fact that the drivers of today aren't characters but rather stereotypical, programmable robots, and here's an incident where someone clearly wasn't that and all of a sudden the hand-wringing and name calling begin. Now granted, J.C. France is part of the holier-than-thou France family, who routinely treats this sort of thing as abhorrent behavior and doles out severe punishment for it, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out in this case, but still, it's a fine line. Let's not forget that Curtis Turner once landed his plane on the main street of a small town to pick up some more booze at a liquor store back in the formative days of NASCAR. Just a little perspective, folks... - PMD

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