Franchitti Cements Place in IndyCar History

John Marshall, AP Sports Writer

Dario Franchitti hears the list of names and it still doesn't sound right: Foyt, Meyer, Shaw, Ward and ... Franchitti?
"I hear that kind of list and I hear these legends of the sport, and I don't feel part of that group, you know what I mean?" the Scot said this week during a teleconference.

Franchitti can be humble all he likes. After winning the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship in the same season for the second time, there's no doubt he's on that list of all-time greats in open-wheel racing.

A record-tying three IndyCar titles, including the past two, and two Indianapolis 500s show that Franchitti does indeed belong up there with the likes of A.J. Foyt, Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw and Rodger Ward the only other drivers to pull off the Indy 500-season title double twice in their careers.

Franchitti's not flashy, he's not one of those wow-he's-fast drivers, just the best all-around driver on the circuit, equally adept at winding through road courses or running all out on the ovals.

"Dario isn't the impresario that (Alex) Zanardi was, or he's not somebody that is referred to as blindingly fast like (Juan Pablo) Montoya was when he was in IndyCar," owner Chip Ganassi said. "But he's always one of these guys that he's always there when it counts."

The past two seasons, that's meant being within reach of the IndyCar Series title.

Last year, coming off an aborted NASCAR run, Franchitti was third in the points standings heading into the season finale at Homestead, Florida and walked away with the title after gambling on pit strategy to leapfrog New Zealand teammate Scott Dixon and Australian Ryan Briscoe.

Will Power of Australia led the points all season this year, only to have Franchitti start growing in his mirror with each race towards the end.

Nearly 60 points behind with four races to go, Franchitti whittled away at Power's lead, pulling within 11 points. He ended up capturing the pole at Homestead, led the most laps, then downshifted into preservation mode after Power labored in his scramble to catch up.

When it was over, Franchitti became the first driver to win consecutive titles since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2001 and 2002, and had won the last three IndyCar seasons he's entered.

"From 2007, it's all just clicked," Franchitti said. "I think when you figure out how to win one of these things, you've kind of got that knowledge to fall back on."

It wasn't a bad 2010 for Franchitti's owner, either.

Jamie McMurray won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 on the NASCAR side, and Franchitti's win at Indy made Ganassi the first owner to win all three races in the same season. His team also won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

"It would be very hard to have anything that will turn it into a not so good year," he said. "Practically nothing can happen to turn it into a bad year."

Especially when he has a driver like Franchitti in the garage.

The 37-year-old Scot has reached the peak of his powers, a tactician who can match road-course specialists such as Power turn-for-turn or switch to an oval and keep hard-chargers like Helio Castroneves at bay.

Calm and always cool under pressure, Franchitti doesn't make mistakes, simply waits in the rearview lurking, ready to pounce when someone else does.

"I'm very proud of my achievements winning the three championships and the two Indianapolis 500s," Franchitti said. "I just feel I'm a driver who has been lucky enough to drive some great equipment and gotten the job done."