Franchitti Collects Million Dollar Bonus
A few days after winning the 2007 IndyCar® Series championship, Dario Franchitti was honored for his first open-wheel title in the United States. Franchitti and Indy Pro SeriesT champion Alex Lloyd - along with other drivers, teams and manufacturers - were recognized during the Indy Racing League Championship Celebration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operations division of the Indy Racing League, sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series, presented Franchitti with a $1 million championship bonus check and a mini IndyCar Series championship trophy. A mini IndyCar Series championship trophy also was awarded to Andretti Green Racing owners Michael Andretti, Kim Green and Kevin Savoree.
"The championship means a lot." said Franchitti, who earned an IndyCar Series-record $4,017,583 this season. "It's been kind of elusive. I've been over here 10 years and I've won a lot of races, but to finally win it means a lot. I didn't realize what it did mean until I crossed the finish line (Sunday). I'm just so happy. To do that and the 500 in one year, I'm really proud."
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. Jeff Grahn, chief mechanic for Franchitti's No. 27 Canadian Club Honda-powered Dallara, accepted the Hitachi Power Tools IndyCar Series Chief Mechanic of the Year Award and its $25,000 prize. Ryan Hunter-Reay of Rahal Letterman Racing accepted the $50,000 Bombardier LearJet Rookie of the Year Award. Tomas Scheckter of Vision Racing accepted the Xtrac Championship Award and its $5,000 prize.
Champ Cars Will Race Laguna Seca
The Champ Car World Series announced today that its 2008 race in northern California will move from the streets of San Jose to the road course at historic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey. “We’re pleased that Champ Car will be able to maintain a strong event in northern California,” said Steve Johnson, Champ Car President & CEO. “While it’s always tough to leave one city for another, in this case, it makes sense strategically for us and works for San Jose given the on-going developments of their downtown. We enjoyed three great years in San Jose, and certainly anticipate that the fans there will head south to enjoy Champ Car racing at the beautiful Monterey Peninsula’s Mazda Raceway circuit.”
Considered one of the finest permanent road courses in North America, the 2.238-mile Monterey Peninsula’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will host its 23rd Champ Car World Series event next year at a date to be announced later. The first Champ Car event was held at Laguna in 1983, and though its long run of races ended the past three years, Champ Car returned there this year to conduct its pre-season testing. The testing also served as the official kick-off for the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s 50th Golden Anniversary season this year. Organizers of the Grand Prix of San Jose recently informed the Champ Car World Series that on-going residential developments in and around the 1.5 mile downtown track would hamper next year’s race. For 2008, new housing developments on Balbach Street would affect the back straightaway, while upcoming construction in the Boston Properties lot would mean the loss of the race’s main “Gold Grandstands” on Almaden Boulevard.
The Grand Prix provided the city of San Jose with world-wide exposure as part of the Champ Car World Series. Broadcast internationally in each of its three years, the city of San Jose estimated that the economic impact to America’s 10th largest city was approximately $70 million over the three-year period. Champ Car’s announcement that they would race in Laguna Seca in 2008 is the first of what is expected to be several exciting announcements in the months ahead regarding 2008 race venues. The full 2008 Champ Car World Series calendar will be announced later this fall.
Indy Pro Series Award Winners
Alex Lloyd accepted the Firestone Firehawk Cup along with a $5,000 award from Lincoln Electric, the $5,000 prize as the winner of the Oxley Financial Group Lap Leader Award and a $5,000 "Securing Tomorrow Award" from Gregory & Appel Insurance for winning the most races of any driver. "It's really been such a great year for me and for the team," said Lloyd, who won a series-record eight races.. "I'm just so appreciative of Sam Schmidt and the entire team for the great job they did for me the whole year. They really made my job easy." - John Roof Jr., chief mechanic for Lloyd's No. 7 Lucas Oil/Isilon/Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry, accepted $5,000 as Mo'sGold Chief Mechanic of the Year. Hideki Mutoh of Super Aguri-Panther Racing won $10,000 as Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year, while Jaime Camara of Andretti Green Racing/AFS Racing, Inc., claimed the Sunoco Most Improved Driver and its $10,000 prize for improving the most total positions during the 2007 season.
Franchitti Wins IRL Race and Championship
Dario Franchitti overtook Scott Dixon in Turn 3 on the final lap when Dixon ran out of fuel and went on earn the victory and his first career IndyCar Series championship.
Dixon led Franchitti by half a car-length as they crossed the start/finish line for the white flag. But as they ran side-by-side along the backstretch, Dixon's car gasped for fuel.
Franchitti, who led Dixon by three points entering the 200-lap race, won the championship by 13 points. Had Dixon, who led 41 laps, prevailed, he would have won by seven points.
Sam Hornish Jr. finished third and Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves was fourth. Scott Sharp closed fast for fifth place.
Franchitti is the third consecutive Indianapolis 500 winner who also wound up as series champion. He delivered the third series title for Andretti Green Racing, a series record. It is the seventh time that the title points margin has been 20 points or less.
This is Dario Franchitti's fourth win of the season and the eighth of his IndyCar Series career. His last win came at Richmond in June.
This is Andretti Green Racing's 32nd win in the IndyCar Series, the most by any entrant in the IndyCar Series.
Scott Dixon finished second. His 13th top-five finish of the season.
Hideki Mutoh finished eighth in his IndyCar Series debut.
This is Dario Franchitti's first IndyCar Series championship.
Dario Franchitti become the third consecutive Indianapolis 500 winner to go on to win the IndyCar Series championship in the same season.
The 637 points Franchitti scored is the most points by a series champion. The previous high was 628 by Dan Wheldon in the 17 race 2005 season
This is the third IndyCar Series championship for Andretti Green Racing. The team won the title in 2004 with Tony Kanaan and in 2005 with Dan Wheldon.
Andretti Green Racing becomes the first team to win three IndyCar Series championships. Team Menard, AJ Foyt Racing, and Panther Racing have won two championships.
For full results...
(Speed News Now)
Logan Gomez Get First Win At Chicago
On Sunday Sept. 9, rookie Logan Gomez held off a final-lap charge from Indy Pro Series champion Alex Lloyd to win his first Indy Pro Series race by 0.0005 of a second. The time and winner's 188.627 mph closing lap on the 1.52-mile oval equates to a margin of victory of 1.65 inches. The difference was the closest in the six years of the series -- and in Indy Racing League history.
This is Logan Gomez' first career Indy Pro Series win. His previous best finish was second at Nashville earlier this year.
This is Sam Schmidt Motorsports' 22nd win in the Indy Pro Series. Gomez is the sixth driver to win for the team. Alex Lloyd (8), Thiago Medeiros (6), Travis Gregg (3), Jay Howard (2) and Jaime Camara (2) are the team's other race winners.
The margin of victory was .0005 of a second. The closest finish in Indy Pro Series history and closest finish in Indy Racing League history.
Alex Lloyd finished second, his 13th top-five finish in 16 starts this season.
Robbie Pecorari finished third, his fourth top-five of the season.
For full results...
(Speed News Now)
Franchitti On Chicago Pole
Dario Franchitti will have a head start of a few feet in his attempt to wrap up the IndyCar Series championship. The points leader secured his third earned AAMCO Transmissions Pole Award of the season with a lap of 214.646 (25.4931 seconds) on the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway oval in qualifications for the PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 presented by Mr. Clean. The Team Penske cars of Sam Hornish Jr. (214.492) and Helio Castroneves (214.380) will provide an initial buffer between Franchitti and the other title contenders, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan. Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, will start sixth (214.217) and Kanaan (214.310) will start fourth. Dan Wheldon (214.246) will share Row 3 with his teammate. Franchitti holds a three-point lead over Dixon and a 39-point advantage over Kanaan. None of the contenders have won at Chicagoland Speedway, which has produced the closest 1-2 and 1-2-3 finishes in IndyCar Series history.
Dario Franchitti earned his seventh front-row start in 2007 and fifth consecutive front row start.
This is Andretti Green's fifth earned pole this season and its 19th pole position in the IndyCar Series.
IndyCar Series championship contenders Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon qualified fourth and sixth, respectively.
Darren Manning qualified eighth, his best effort on an oval this season.
This is Dario Franchitti's third AAMCO Transmissions Pole Award this season and the sixth pole position of his IndyCar Series career. His last pole came at Infineon Raceway last month.
For Starting Lineup...
(Speed News Now)
7-Eleven Renews Sponsorship of AGR & Kanaan
Officials with 7-Eleven, Inc. announced Sept. 6 that it will extend its sponsorship of Andretti Green Racing and 2004 IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan's IndyCar Series car. "Tony has been a winner for 7-Eleven, both on and off the track," said Kevin Elliott, 7-Eleven senior vice president of merchandising. "Our employees and franchisees can be proud of 7-Eleven's association with Tony and the AGR team. He is a competitive, aggressive and principled driver as well as an enthusiastic supporter and customer of 7-Eleven. We look forward to our sponsorship of Tony and to AGR's Racing Team 7-Eleven in its drive to a championship in 2008."
It will be sixth-consecutive season that 7-Eleven has sponsored Kanaan, who won the IndyCar Series championship in 2004 and is one of three drivers still eligible to win the 2007 IndyCar Series crown. "One of the most important components in racing is consistency, and having 7-Eleven continue as the primary sponsor of the No. 11 car is a key to us winning another championship in 2008," Kanaan said. "I've really enjoyed being a part of the 7-Eleven family since 2003. I believe in their philosophy of customer service and appreciate all the support I receive around the world from management, franchisees, customers and vendors. Our goal each season is to win the championship and the Indy 500, and I look forward to giving 7-Eleven a shot at both in 2008."
7-Eleven has been Kanaan's sponsor since he began racing in the IndyCar Series, and sponsored AGR co-owner Michael Andretti at the Indianapolis 500 in 2003. As part of the extended agreement, Andretti, his son Marco Andretti, as well as AGR driver Danica Patrick may appear in 7-Eleven's 2008 marketing campaigns. In addition to the Team 7-Eleven sponsorship, 7-Eleven will have a brand presence on Andretti Green's entire stable of IndyCar Series entries. "The popularity of the Indy Racing League is growing among our customers, so we believe there is a natural marketing fit for us," Elliott said. "Also, Tony and Team 7-Eleven can showcase some of our signature products that they enjoy like daily prepared fresh foods, coffee, Slurpeee and Big Gulp drinks plus our recently branded 7-Eleven gasoline."
ABC To Have Live Coverage of Dramatic IndyCar Series Season Finale
After a season of tense and competitive racing on oval tracks, road courses and street circuits across America, as well as an event in Japan, the IndyCar Series championship comes down to the wire this weekend with one of the tightest points battles in series history. ESPN on ABC will have live, flag-to-flag coverage of Sunday’s PEAK Antifreeze IndyCar 300 presented by Mr. Clean at Chicagoland Speedway at 4 p.m. ET. Three drivers enter the season finale of the 17-race series with a mathematical chance of winning the championship, but the numbers favor series points leader Dario Franchitti and runner-up Scott Dixon, separated by just three points. Tony Kanaan is third, 39 points out of first.
“These drivers have the same mind-set going into the championship that they have going into the Indianapolis 500,” said Scott Goodyear, analyst for ESPN on ABC’s IndyCar Series coverage and a former winning driver in the IndyCar Series. “It’s the risk vs. reward ratio, and at Indy they’re willing to take big risks and go for it. The feeling is it’s all or nothing. They will try to win the race knowing that’s essentially what they need to do to win the championship.”
Marty Reid, who will call the race from the ESPN booth, expects some gamesmanship from the top contenders. “I guarantee you they will say that they’re just going to go out and race and not worry about the points, but that will be an absolute lie because that’s exactly what they will be worried about,” Reid said. “They will be concerned about lapped traffic and just something silly that might cost them a championship. The pressure will really be on the crews. As always in motorsports, it will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. When you’re running one race for a million dollars, the pressure will be very high.”
Goodyear pointed out that some lingering hard feelings from the season also could come into play during the Chicagoland race. “It’s not just these teams against each other, because it could be these teams against the rest of the teams,” he said. “There are a lot of long memories in that paddock. “At Chicago, you really have to have a machine underneath you that’s capable of being at the front. If one of the championship contenders doesn’t have that, then just what kind of strategy will come into play? What will the teams do? That will make it very interesting.” -- Joining Reid and Goodyear on the coverage team for ESPN on ABC will be pit reporters Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch.
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