A week after leading from flag-to-flag in California, Bathgate’s Dario Franchitti will line up third on the grid for the latest round of the IndyCar Championship at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway.
The 36-year-old Scot, who clinched his 2007 IndyCar title at the D-shaped oval in dramatic fashion when his only rival Scott Dixon ran out of fuel at the final corner of the race, starts behind championship leader Ryan Briscoe.
“It’s obviously not ideal because I would have liked to have started ahead of Ryan, plus he’s picked up the extra championship point for getting pole position, but I can still win the race from here,” Franchitti said today.
While Franchitti’s best average speed in qualifying was 214.973mph, Aussie Briscoe — who now leads the Scot by just five points — registered a best of 215.364mph. Briscoe’s Penske team-mate Helio Castroneves starts second with Dixon sixth.
JM