Dario Franchitti--2009 IndyCar Series Champion

Saving fuel at 201.420 miles an hour? That (and a little bit of pit road strategy from the Ganassi Racing braintrust) won the 2009 IndyCar title and the Firestone Indy 300 season ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Dario Franchitti of Target Ganassi Racing--his second IndyCar title in three years.. Franchitti started the race from the pole...and got into a battle with Penske Racing teammate Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe. Those three cars were the class of the 201 mile an hour field--the first in the 14 year history of the IndyCar series to complete an event without a caution period, covering 300 miles in 1 hour and 28 minutes. At the checkers...Franchitti bested Briscoe by 4.788 seconds. Franchitti stopped earlier than Dixon and Briscoe--that made the difference.

Franchitti was emotional when he thought of his friend Greg Moore (who died 10 years ago this month in a racing accident at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California), and was also thoughtful when asked about winning the championship. He said that the team's disappointing finish at the Indianapolis 500 was a wakeup call and rallying point, and that those resu.lts galvanized the team to work harder. I guess five wins says a lot about the results.

In the Grand-Am Rolex Series Championship, Hurley Haywood and Joao Barbosa won the race...but by finishing 4th, Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney, won the Daytona Prototype title. Of the 100 laps of racing...a full 25 of them...to include the last 8...under caution. Haywood was a last minute substitution for Barbosa's usual co-driver, the now suspended JC France, suspended for an off track incident in Daytona Beach, FL, where police charged hiom with possession of crack cocaine, DUI and street racing. If his last name sounds familiar, it should. JC is the son of Jim France of NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation. There was no official mention of the incident by Grand-Am.

The race was sparsely attended--unseasonably hot (90 degrees vs 80 degrees) weather and humidity held down the crowds. The tweets at MSRnet explain a bit more.

We'll get back to our headquarters to regroup and get ready to return to Homestead-Miami Speedway to cover the Sprint Cup Championship next month.

Championship Trio Sweeps Top 3 Spots at Homestead-Miami Speedway

The championship contenders from left to right: Scott Dixon, the point leader who'll start 2nd, polesitter Dario Franchitti, who took a point from Dixon and has a 4 point gap, and Ryan Briscoe from Team Penske starting 3rd and 7 points back from Dixon.

Below the contenders, the Indy Racing League Championship Trophy.

Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney are the Grand-AM Rolex Series point leaders and pole sitters. Brian Frisselle and Max Angelelli start 2nd, Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett are 3rd and the defending champions.

Homestead-Miami Speedway boss Curtis Gray thinks "there's something sexy about South Florida." That quote in the context of describing how South Florida is accustomed to having championships decided in the major sports, and for the last few years, in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. South Beach, and some of the other beaches in the area may bolster Mr. Gray's assertion. We'd suspect a good crowd--and an even better Saturday race--where ticket holders will get to see two closely contested auto racing series decide their champions in the last event, in the last few laps--will raise the sex appeal in this part of Dade County, Florida.

We'll join you tomorrow with double championship blogging.

BS Detector Alert

Something about the NASCAR admission on 10/2 that the Rick Hendrick #5 and #48 Dover cars were legal--but just barely--and that Hendrick's brain trust (crew chiefs Alan Gustafson and Chad Knaus were told to never run them again doesn't pass the smell test. On the face, it is the same thing as when the police radar indicates you are going 65.001 miles an hour in a 65 mile an hour zone--legal, but within tolerance.

Where the "bovine scatology" comes in is this--NASCAR can, under its catch-all rule 12.A-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), do what it pleases (and can also do so because it is a private organization). If the violation was egregious enough to evoke that verbal warning-- then why were penalties not assessed? Isn't legal legal? Do the words publicity, sagging ratings on TV and controversy ring a bell? They ought to.

In the continuing saga of Jeremy Mayfield--celebrity attorney Mark Geragos has been hired to assist in the conduct of Mayfield's case. Geragos has defended some misbehaving Hollywood types in some high profile cases.

Is it not interesting that this admission was also revealed when the series was in Kansas City Kansas--a good size, but not major media market?

Again, do the words publicity and controversy ring a bell?

The NASCAR beat media is getting played like a snare drum on both these issues...and needs to call "BS"--"bovine scatology"-- on stories like this so it can once again be the fan's eyes, ears and the sport's mirror.

Checking In

I'm updating the blog since I haven't been on the road since August--the end of year trips to Homestead (twice) fairly devour travel budgets, and we're in business to make a profit.

We note with pleasure that Felipe Massa is getting back into the swing after his consult with Dr. Steve Olvey in Miami. The Ferrari F1 pilot, who was injured in Hungary, is getting back into karts to knock off the racing rust--his short term goal is to return to the Grand Prix seat by November...but 2010 is a better possibility.

Greg Anderson is one of the stand-up guys in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing. He made a big move to third in Pro Stock points with his Dallas win, behind Mike Edwards.

Some major props to the Patron Highcroft American LeMans Series LMP1 team, for building one of those LeMans Prototypes from the tub up at the track, after a nasty crash by Scott Sharp destroyed the primary mount in pre-race practice. Sharp was uninjured; he and teammate David Brabham now lead DeFerran Racing by 21 points, and have all but clinched the LMP1 title after the rain shortened Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta.

Rookie Joey Logano's wreck at the "Monster Mile" (a/k/a Dover International Speedway) is a wake up call to remind all of the NASCAR apologists that drivers can still get hurt--or even killed--in the new design Sprint Cup race car. It is less likely, thanks to safety improvements, but it is still possible.

Finally, why is the melody from "Won't Get Fooled Again" (The Who) running through my mind when I see the three time and defending Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson run toward title number 4 ("Meet the new boss...same as the old boss...")?

"Wiiings Over The Irish Hills--Brian Vickers Wins The CARFAX 400"

Our winner's snapshot is of Brian Vickers' Red Bull Toyota Camry getting fueled after winning at Michigan International Speedway. This happens as part of the post race inspection. As you saw by our Tweets (you did sign up to follow us at http://twitter.com/MSRnet ,right?) Vickers won when then leader Jimmie Johnson's gamble on fuel came up a few laps short. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr finished 2nd and 3rd.

This is the first ever win for Red Bull Racing in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition. It's Vickers' 2nd career win in Cup racing, and more importantly, it brings Vickers to within 12 points of 12th place Mark Martin (finished 31st) for the post-season championship chase. It will likely help move Vickers' negotiations with Red Bull supremo Dieter Mateschitz along.

Other Notables: Pointleader Tony Stewart finished 17th...and has a 284 point lead over Jeff Gordon (3500 to 3216) who's now second. Jimmie Johnson (three time and defending Sprint Cup Champion) is third in points. Martin has four wins.

The Daly Planet (http://www.thedalyplanet.tv) had two interesting days of live blogging on the quality of ESPN's coverage of Nationwide and Sprint Cup racing. Those who watch that coverage are very vocal about their likes and dislikes. John Daly is a TV veteran who's been on our Race-Talk program before, and runs the blog, where strong feelings are expressed in a manner that's safe for the family--hard to do in the blogosphere. If you have ever been frustrated by the quality of the coverage (or perceived lack thereof), this is your blog.

We are back in the office on Tuesday evening and will be staying close to our base until the last race to the Chase, at Richmond's Action Track on September 12--three races away.

"No Dents or Dings in Practice"

One of the great story lines in the 2009 season has been the ability of the Darian Grubb-led #14 Old Spice/Office Depot Stewart-Haas Racing team to battle back from adversity and turn it into a top 10 or better finish. That, and a bunch of driving ability, is why Mr. Stewart is presently leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup points. Not having to roll out backups, jack in the track setup and otherwise stress out whether the setup was right goes a long way for Grubb and "Smoke's" crew, and bodes well for Stewart improving his 18th place starting position.

Blue Funk for the Blue Oval Gang--Bill Elliott has the best starting position of all the Ford Fusions entered in today's contest. "Awesome Bill", a 7 time winner here in the Irish Hills, starts 9th. Next closest is Greg Biffle, starting 17th.

Back-benchers: Kyle Busch starts 39th. After his dust-up with Brian Vickers in Saturday's Nationwide Race, "Shrubby" will make things entertaining, no doubt.

Ram Tough Beer Wagon Battle: Kurt Busch in the Miller Lite Dodge starts 6th for Roger Penske; Kasey Kahne hopes the 10th place Budweiser Dodge will run faster than the beloved Clydesdales.

More later; Tweets as events dictate; and definitely a last snapshot of the CARFAX 400 Sprint Cup winner from the Joe Dowdall Media Center, before the wrecking ball strikes on Tuesday.

"Triple H Day in the Irish Hills"

Looking at the hauler of Mark Martin, you see what will be needed today and tomorrow--stacks of Goodyear racing rubber, and even more stacks of water, waiting to get dunked into a tub of ice. Welcome to Michigan International Speedway, and "Happy Hour" for the Sprint Cup cars, headed by polesitter Brian Vickers. The aforementioned Mark Martin (with five wins here on the 2-mile D-shaped Michigan oval) starts alongside Vickers.

Weather forecasts call for heat in the mid to high 80's.

We'll keep our eyes and ears open, Tweet when events dictates, and rejoin you on the blog tomorrow.