2010 IZOD IndyCar Champion - Power or Franchetti?

Will Power has to be looking over his shoulder as the IZOD IndyCar Series goes into its final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 2, 2010. Dario Franchetti trails Power by only 12 points going into the race which puts him in position to pull off another Championship. Last year, Franchetti entered the Homestead race 4 points behind Scott Dixon and 4 points ahead of Ryan Briscoe. In that race, Franchetti’s strategy of limiting fuel pit stops worked great and he ultimately won the race and IndyCar Championship in what turned out to be the first ever IndyCar event that went from start to finish without a caution.



While Power has secured the Road Course Championship (IndyCar earlier this year decided to do a Road/Oval Championship and overall Championship), he’ll need to race well at Homestead to take home the grand prize. Power has raced great this year on road courses, but sits in 10th place overall on oval courses with no oval course wins. In his only prior start at Homestead, Power finished 25th in the 2008 race due to mechanical problems. Franchetti must be fond of Homestead after last year, and this year he currently sits at the top of the Oval Course Championship standings with 2 oval course wins.


Both Penske Racing and Ganassi Racing have done well this year in IndyCar, but in the end, fans and insiders alike are giving the Championship nod to Franchitti due to his experience and prior oval wins. I would not be so quick to count Power out though. It was only in 2009 that he got a temporary job racing for Penske before being signed fulltime for the 2010 season. Power is a great competitor who has raced marvelously this year. I am sure that he and his Penske Racing team will have their sights set on his first oval win and the overall IndyCar Championship.