LEBANON, Tenn. — Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon are turning the IndyCar Series championship into a private two-man battle.
Dixon beat Franchitti by 2.24 seconds in the rain-delayed Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway for his second victory in as many weeks. In the process, he cut the Scotsman’s championship lead from 47 to 34 points, down from a season high of 65 points just two weeks ago.
With six races remaining, there may not be enough time for anyone else to get within striking distance. Dixon’s Ganassi Racing teammate, Dan Wheldon, is the only other driver within 100 points of Franchitti. He’s 97 points back. Tony Kanaan and Sam Hornish, Jr. trail by 103 and 105 points, respectively.
Franchitti and Dixon have combined to win five of the least seven IndyCar races.
“There is pressure because the two of us are starting to get away a little bit,” observed Dixon. “It’s nice to have a buffer, and 34 points is still a healthy margin. If he keeps running second, it’s going to take until the end of season for us to try and pass him.
“Dario has been very consistent this year, and he has been very fast on the road courses as well,” the New Zealander added. “But I like being in this position. We kind of have nothing to lose now. We were a bit too conservative at the start of the season and got a run of second places, and that’s what is hurting us. Now we can just go as hard as we possibly can and go for race wins.”
Franchitti certainly had the championship in mind when he didn’t force the issue while trying to lap Ed Carpenter as the race approached the halfway point.
Wheldon blew past on the outside, while Dixon took advantage on the inside.
“We’ve seen so many guys who get into the marbles who end up in the wall over the years here at Nashville,” Dario noted. “But we just got screwed in traffic all day today, and I backed off rather than trying to make the big outside pass.”