Dario Franchitti captures 3rd IndyCar title

HOMESTEAD, Florida — Dario Franchitti, who signed a contract to return to IndyCar on a napkin, etched his legacy in stone by claiming a third series title on Saturday. Franchitti dominated when he had to at Homestead, then expertly avoided trouble after points leader Will Power faltered, eventually finishing eighth behind Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon to edge Power by five points. "It's a pretty good haul, isn't it?" Franchitti said. The two-time Indy 500 winner gave Ganassi his fourth championship in eight years with the kind of flawless performance that has become the 37-year-old Scotman's hallmark. "He knows what it takes to win a championship from the first race," Ganassi said. Franchitti is pretty good in the last one too. A year ago, he used some savvy pit strategy to leapfrog Dixon and Ryan Briscoe for the title and cap his comeback from an ill-fated trip to NASCAR. This time, there was no such drama. Franchitti started from the pole and with Dixon serving as a bodyguard, led a race-high 128 laps to pick up two valuable bonus points and increase the pressure on Power at the 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) oval. Power, who'd led the points race virtually the entire season thanks to five road-course victories, blinked. He scraped the wall on lap 135 and spent five long minutes in the pits while his Team Penske crew furiously worked to repair the damage. By the time Power returned to the track, the points lead he'd held for four months was long gone. He limped around for a couple of laps before heading back to the pits, his otherwise remarkable season ending in disappointment. "When you brush up against the wall, you're pretty certain it's over and done with," Power said. With his rival watching the final laps unfold on TV, Franchitti became the first driver since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2001 and 2002 to successfully defend his title. Once Power retired, Franchitti's focus turned from winning the race to finishing in the Top 10. It turned out a little more interesting than he'd hoped. His championship hopes flickered for a brief second when Milka Duno spun out in front of him with 24 laps remaining. He powered through the smoke as Duno hit the wall then delicately guided his car through traffic while Dixon beat Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan to the checkered flag. Franchitti celebrated with a trademark burnout while Ganassi shared a hug with Franchitti's wife, actress Ashley Judd. Such scenes seemed far-fetched during the summer as Power's series lead swelled to 59 points after winning at Sonoma in August, the same track where the Australian's career nearly ended following a horrific crash a year earlier. Franchitti, however, never panicked. He spent the last month of the season slowly chasing Power down after the schedule moved to ovals. "At no point did I freak out," Franchitti said. "I was very aware that I might not win the championship, but there was no point in freaking out about it." Franchitti's methodical dismantling of Power's lead over the past month was masterful. He called his second-place finish at Motegi two weeks ago one of the finest races of his career. He may have been even better during the series' final visit to Homestead. Power joked earlier this year he heard the theme from "Jaws" whenever he saw Franchitti in his rearview mirror. Ganassi said Franchitti should be regarded as one of the sport's all-time greats, but the Scotsman is leaving the discussion of his place in history to others. "I'm just going to enjoy it," he said. "I'm just going to let it sink in." —AP