It seemed just like old times.
Paul Tracy and Helio Castroneves traded paint for position. Eight other cars were damaged so badly that they could not continue. And when the checkered flag had been claimed, veteran driver Dario Franchitti was once again the one spraying Champagne from atop the podium.
After a one-year layoff - and a 13-year absence from the Indy Racing League schedule - open-wheel racing returned to the streets of Toronto Sunday.
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Franchitti, who was the champion here in 1999, won the renamed Honda Indy Toronto after starting first on the grid. The Scottish-born driver of the Target Chip Ganassi Racing finished ahead of Team Penske’s Australian-born Ryan Briscoe and Will Power in the 85-lap race.
“It’s been 10 years since my first one here and it felt good,” said Franchitti, who celebrated with a victory kiss from his actress wife, Ashley Judd.
The win, which was Franchitti’s third of the season, puts him in first place in the drivers’ championship with 347 points. Teammate Scott Dixon of New Zealand, who finished fourth, is two points behind in second.
“I don’t think there is a better thing to be fighting for the championship than with your teammate,” said Franchitti. “One week Scott is going to be better than me, [the next] I’m going to be better than him. And we’ll go out there and have fun and go racing and try to beat each other.” National Post
Franchitti was headed for pit road on lap 59 when Graham Rahal bounced Ed Carpenter off his line to draw a full-course caution. Race officials not only allowed Franchitti to pit without penalty, they allowed him to be ahead of hometown hero Paul Tracy when he returned to the track.
“Paul and I were really close, me on pit road, him on the track,” Franchitti said. “I guess the timing line showed I was ahead.”
Ryan Briscoe called Franchitti “lucky,” although it’s worth noting that the Scotsman had that situation go against him last month at the race in Richmond, Va. Indianapolis Star
Paul Tracy of Scarborough was eliminated when he collided with Helio Castroneves and was classified 19th.
At a post-race press conference, Franchitti said he’d been hoping Tracy would be able to finish second.
“When I won this race here 10 years ago, P.T. and I were teammates (at Team Kool Green) and we finished one-two that day. I was kind of hoping that would happen again.”
It was not to be.
Tracy’s car was bashed into the wall at Corner 4 on Lap 66 of the 85-lap event when “the Thrill from West Hill” was trying to pass the Dancing With The Stars celebrity and three-time Indy 500 champion Castroneves.
If Tracy had been able to complete the pass, he would have moved into second place behind then-leader Franchitti.
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Franchitti, as the result of today’s win, moved into first place in the Indy Racing League standings. Scott Dixon is second, Briscoe is third, Castroneves fourth and Patrick is fifth.
It was a barn-burner of a race right from the start and one of the most competitive Indy car races on a street course seen in years. There was lots of passing and lots of tire-rubbing and car-to-car contact.
In short, there was never a dull moment. Toronto Star
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