Dario Franchitti survived a crash-filled race, had a penalty against him reversed and then held off his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Scott Dixon, in the closing laps to win Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto.
The 85-lap race on the 1.755-mile temporary street course in Toronto’s Exhibition Place featured eight cautions, including several multi-car crashes and one for an incident involving championship contenders Franchitti and Will Power from Team Penske.
Soon after, Franchitti grabbed the lead from his other teammate, Graham Rahal, and then outran Dixon at the finish by just under one second for his fourth win of the season and the 30th of his IndyCar career. Franchitti also won in Toronto in 1999 (CART-sanctioned race) and 2009 (inaugural IndyCar event here).
“It was crazy, absolutely crazy,” Franchitti said. “Obviously, there was contact with Will. If he’s [ticked] off, he’s quite right to be [ticked] off.” Los Angeles Times
The win gives him a 55-point lead on Power in the standings.
The two rivals battled throughout the race until Franchitti nudged Power into a spin on the 57th lap that stalled the Australian’s No. 12 Team Penske car. Franchitti kept going and stayed with the leaders while Power had to try to recover from 18th.
Initially, there was confusion about whether Franchitti’s team had repealed a drive-through penalty, which would have cost Franchitti valuable position in the pack, but race officials later said the incident had been reviewed and no penalty had been issued.
That incensed Power, whose day was done nine laps later after getting banged into the wall from behind by Alex Tagliani. Power placed 24th in the second straight race he failed to finish after suffering a mild concussion in a crash at Iowa last month.
“We went into the corner and I gave (Franchitti) room and then he just drove into me,” Power said. “I understood he was going to get penalized, but then there was no call. I just don’t understand that.” The Associated Press
For his part Franchitti would admit that he bore some responsibility for the incident that sent Power spinning around the Turn 3 hairpin.
“He has a right to be pissed,” Franchitti said. “But he has to take at least 50% of the blame. He left me a lane and then he came down.
“It was like he opened the door for me to pass and then closed it — too late.”
Franchitti said that he was taken aback by Power’s accusation of dirty driving, something he insisted he has never done in his career.
“First of all, I believe if you ask anyone in the paddock, they will tell you that is not how I race,” he said. “I think what happened today was a racing incident.”
Franchitti said that he would make an attempt to talk to Power, but did not hold out too much hope the issue could be resolved to Power’s satisfaction.
“I have no control over what Will thinks or what he chooses to say,” he said. “I’m going to continue to race the same way that I’ve raced, certainly since I’ve been in America. Toronto Sun
Ryan Hunter-Reay finished third, while Marco Andretti, who snapped his lengthy winless streak in the series at Iowa, and Vitor Meira rounded out the top- five.
Danica Patrick was involved in two accidents. Takuma Sato got into the back of Patrick and turned her around in turn three on lap nine. She was also caught up in a three-car wreck that occurred in the same area of her previous incident with less than 15 laps to go.
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