Despite falling from second to third position on the very first lap, Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing ran a perfect race and used intelligent team strategy to capture victory in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the first time that the Indy Racing League participated in the race in more than twenty years.
Last year’s unification of two open-wheel racing leagues brought a collection of the most talented drivers in the sport to Long Beach, making for one of the most thrilling Grands Prix in years.
Franchitti’s victory earned him redemption points after leaving the IRL for NASCAR last season in what would turn out to be the most difficult year in his professional life. The Scotsman, who had won the 2007 Indy 500 and league championship, struggled to find a sponsor for his stockcar and was forced to fold the team before the end of the season.
But none of that mattered on Sunday, as Franchitti sat atop an open-wheel podium once again.
“It’s great to finally win here in Long Beach,” he said in the post-race press conference. “It really feels good to win an IndyCar race as a unified series. It was a great crowd for the race, and really for the whole weekend.”
Franchitti, who has raced in Long Beach several times but never won, said the enthusiasm around the race this weekend was just like old times.
“I went out for dinner a couple of times over the weekend, and the buzz was amazing,” he said. “The stands are getting bigger here again, and I can tell you that the drivers and the teams are loving being back.”
Franchitti dedicated the victory to his wife, actress Ashley Judd, on her birthday.
Third place finisher Tony Kanaan pours champagne down the racing suit of winner Dario Franchitti – the two have a long history of playing pranks on each other. Photo by Russell Conroy
Polesitter Will Power finished in second place despite constant problems with his team radio and telemetry systems, making this the third straight Long Beach Grand Prix with Power on the podium. Power began reporting trouble with his radio early on in the race, and said that he could only hear his team when driving through a brief stretch of the long Shoreline straightaway.
It may have cost him the race, as Power held the lead when he thought he heard his team say that the race had gone under full caution, meaning drivers must slow down. Power eased off the gas and was passed by two cars, a position that he would never regain.
“Suddenly two cars come cruising past me and I realized that it wasn’t [a full caution],” Power said. “[Losing radio contact] was just a little wiring problem. This happens in cars. You know, I did my best.”
Defending champion Will Power leads the pack early in the race. By Russell Conroy
Power certainly impressed with his runner-up finish, considering the challenges that were thrown at him all weekend. He ran a nearly flawless practice session on Friday, tuning his Penske #3 car to perfection in preparation for Saturday’s qualifying session. But the return of teammate Helio Castroneves, after a Friday morning acquittal on counts of tax evasion, forced Power to give the #3 car back to the two-time Indy 500 winner. Penske provided a new car and a new crew team in the #12 Verizon Wireless car, which the crew tuned using the knowledge Power had gained in the #3 Penske. Even with a brand new car, Power managed to set Saturday’s fastest lap and earn pole position for the race. If that weren’t enough, the radio situation may have cost the 2008 Long Beach Grand Prix winner a chance at a repeat.
“I think we were good enough to win today,” he said. “Things just didn’t work out that way.”
Tony Kanaan came in third after beginning in eleventh, and teammate Danica Patrick jumped from twenty-second place to finish in fourth. Both drivers race for Andretti Green Racing, which looked to be dead in the water after a dreadful weekend. But the team earned major points with the race performances, Patrick in particular beginning in 22nd place and finishing in fourth.
Danica Patrick recovered from a troubled weekend to finish in fourth place. By Russell Conroy
In just his second day being in a race car since October 2008, Castroneves earned seventh place.