Special IRL Column - The Franchitti Interview
14/08/2007
Dario Franchitti’s IndyCar season has been a rollercoaster ride – in a couple more ways than one. In the first 10 races, the Scotsman finished on the podium nine times, and held a healthy points lead.
Then it turned upside-down, literally. At Michigan, he came together with former teammate Dan Wheldon, and went on a scary 200mph fly-by that saw him land on championship rival Scott Dixon, amazingly without injury to either driver.
It wasn’t the way he wanted to end the day, but the Andretti Green Racing driver made the headlines, and held on to his 24 point lead.
“When I went upside down, I thought that was it,” he says, “but then I hit Scott on the way down. I have to thank Scott because he definitely softened the blow.”
Then, unbelievably, he made the news again just six days later with another terrifying flip at Kentucky – after the race had finished. But this time he saw his championship lead over Dixon shrink, now to just eight points.
The 34-year Scot has had an incredible season, starting with a class victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring sportscar race, and then winning the landmark Indy 500 in May, emulating his hero Jim Clark.
He is renowned for being one of the most technical guys in the paddock, and a lynchpin in the success of Andretti Green Racing. But despite the two big crashes, Franchitti isn’t planning to hold back for the final three races of the season – two of which are on road courses.
"That's what I do,” he says. “I race cars. I've no fears about the safety of the cars and I owe a huge thanks to the guys who build the cars at Dallara. The car absorbed all the impact. It clearly did its job and it's the work of the guys at Dallara that saved me. Mr Dallara is a personal friend of mine and I guess I owe him a decent dinner after what he did for me these last weekends."
Two races ago, the championship seemed to be between Franchitti and Dixon. But suddenly, on the rails, has appeared Tony Kanaan by winning the last two races.
“At Indy, nobody was thinking about Dario and Dixon,” says Kanaan. “They all talked about me and Sam Hornish and Helio Castroneves. And look what happened. They finished 1-2,"
"Now everybody's talking about Dario and Dixon, and nobody's talking about me, so I like that. I like that. I don't have that pressure. I still have no pressure.
"The best thing I can do now is keep winning races and see what's going to happen. From now on, they're being chased by me," Kanaan added.
"If somebody makes a calendar, I think Scott Dixon should be hot in June, and Dario in July. And I should be in August, basically."
Franchitti though is firm in his approach to the last three races. “I love Tony like a brother, but I’m not gifting him anything.”
Andy Hallbery is a former editor of Autosport and currently edits RACER magazine in California.