Bathgate’s Dario Franchitti won an incident-packed IndyCar race in Toronto to leapfrog his Ganassi team-mate Scott Dixon for the lead in the championship.
Franchitti, who started the street race from pole position, benefited from a perfect final pitstop and yellow caution flags to beat the Penske of Australian Ryan Briscoe by 1.6745secs.
“This is a big, big win for us,” Franchitti, who now leads Kiwi Dixon by just two points, said immediately afterwards. “The season is shaping up to be a dogfight between Scott and I and it’s crucial that when I get the chance to win races I take them.
“Sure the cards fell my way today with the yellow caution periods towards the end of the race, but I had to put myself in the right position to take advantage of them, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Franchitti took the lead ahead of Canadian Alex Tagliani when he completed his final pitstop under a yellow caution flag after local racer Paul Tracy crashed out after colliding with the Penske of Indy500 winner Helio Castroneves.
But the mayhem had started even before the green light to start the race. As the pack jostled for position, Graham Rahal and Will Power, who went on to finish third, made contact.
The incident punctured Power’s Penske and broke the Newman/Haas/Lanigan car’s front wing. Briscoe also collected a puncture as the pack jostled through the mess.
Later, Brazilian Tony Kanaan hit the wall in his Andretti Green car, Mario Moraes tangled with EJ Viso, and then Tagliani and Tomas Scheckter’s Dreyer & Reinbold collided at Turn 3, collecting Moraes’ already battered car in the process.
“God, it was like a demolition derby out there at times,” Franchitti, smiled. “I’m just glad to have escaped undamaged and with the win which boosts my championship hopes.”
JM