The day before the Indianapolis Motor Speedway officially opens for practice for the 96th Running of the Indy 500 seems like the perfect day to chronicle the success of the greatest IndyCar and Indy 500 racer of the last five years: Dario Franchitti. Dario Franchitti is a four-time defending champion of the IZOD IndyCar Series (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) when taking into account his year in NASCAR in 2008. Since returning to open-wheel racing with Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009, the Scot has been at or near the front of each race in the IndyCar Series.
His dominance is most evident at Indianapolis, leading laps and challenging for the race win in each of his last five Indy 500s. This makes him the favorite again heading into this year's race, and the perfect racer to analyze heading into the beginning of the 2012 Month of May festivities.
The quickness of the Flying Scot is evident in qualifications at Indy. He has qualified on the outside of the front row four times ('04, '07, '09, '10), including sitting on the pole with less than ten minutes left to go in the session in '07. He had a huge chance at the pole last year in 2011, but ran out of fuel (yes, ran out of fuel in qualifying!) on the third lap of his qualifying run. His teammate Scott Dixon ran out of fuel on the last turn of his qualifying run, but still managed to qualify 2nd. Franchitti, however, would start as the slowest of the "Fast 9" this year, where he was surely fast enough for the pole.
The 2007 race added a new level of strategic planning, as rain is expected throughout the day. After battling a mishandling car early, Franchitti cycles his way to the lead on lap 74, and holds the lead for 15 laps before he needs to make his stop. As he pulls into the pits, race officials warn that rain is imminent, making the already crazy racing even more hectic! A restart on lap 107 has Tony Kanaan passing Marco Andretti for the lead. The racing in the back of the pack is just as crazy, as rain is moments away. A turn one spin brings out the yellow, and before the track can get cleared, it begins to pour. It appears that the fan favorite Tony Kanaan finally will get to Victory Lane in Indianapolis. He has two Andretti-Green teammates in second and third, but his fourth teammate of Franchitti is in 5th place.
The rain lasts only about thirty minutes, however, and the sun comes out for a few seconds! There is a window over Terra Haute! Three hours later, the course is dry and the race is resumed. Right as the green flag drops to resume racing, there are reports of more incoming rain. Being so late in the day, any more rain would certainly end the race. What ensued is the most intense green flag racing seen at Indy in many years. Knowing the race could end literally any moment, every position counts.Franchitti had pitted before the green flag waved again, dropping down to 14th place. He proceeded to pass cars one at a time, "like the gentleman driver" he is. There's less than thirty minutes until rain returns when a caution comes out on lap 151. Franchitti stays out with a few other drivers, hoping rain will end the race shortly. He leads on the restart, but as the green comes out, Kanaan gets tangled in traffic and spins in turn four, somehow not making any contact.. The field assembled behind Franchitti again for what is certain to be the last restart of the day on lap 162. Again, craziness on the restart as every position matters RIGHT NOW. With Franchitti in the lead still, Dan Wheldon and Marco Andretti make contact on the backstretch, flipping Andtretti, and bringing out the caution. Before Franchitti can even make it back to the crash site, the track is flooding with rainwater. He coasts around slowly in the pouring rain to win the 500.
His 2010 race was one of pure dominance, but also with a bit of strategy. He led 155 laps, in front nearly the entire race. However, on the last green flag stint, it was uncertain who would win the race. The race goes back to green on lap 165 with Franchitti (amongst others) in the middle to back of the pack after making a pit stop. They hope to make the mileage to go the rest of the way.
Four racers did not pit, and attempted to stay out and make ridiculous mileage (with the help of a caution or two) to win the race. All four ended up pitting early, cycling Franchitti back to the front on lap 192. Franchitti and former teammate Kanaan (who started 33rd) both are on the same strategy, both pitting before the lap 165 restart. Kanaan is catching Franchitti as the laps trickle away. With five laps to go, Kanaan needs to pit for a splash of fuel. Franchitti appears to be in the clear, but now there's a question of whether Franchitti has enough fuel to make the finish.
Franchitti slows to speeds around 200 mph trying to save fuel. He cannot slow too much, though, as Panther Racing's Dan Wheldon is quickly catching up and is good to go on fuel. Wheldon is only three seconds behind when Franchitti gets the white flag. Will he have enough fuel? Will Wheldon be able to catch him in 2.5 miles? The world will never know, because as that white flag flies, Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay touch in turn 3 are involved in one of the most spectacular crashes ever at the Speedway. Franchitti can coast to the checkered flag and his second Indy 500 victory.
A similar scenario played out in 2011. Franchitti pitted from the lead with just under 40 laps to go, trying to play the fuel numbers again. With Franchitti now in second place down the stretch in fuel-conservation mode, behind Bertrand Baguette who has to pit. Franchitti cannot hold off Panther's J.R. Hildebrand this year. Instead of making the fuel number like he did last year, Dario has to pit on 199 for fuel and finished 12th.
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| Franchitti will still have the Target colors this year, but will drive the #50 car in honor of Target's 50th anniversary. |
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