Indy Car Houston has Power and Dixon

It happened again. In Indycar circles it's still too soon. Almost on the 2 year anniversary of the Las Vegas crash that took the life of loveable-limey Dan Wheldon, an horrific crash on the last lap of the Grand Prix of Houston.

Dario Franchitti, the 40 year old, 3-time Indy 500 winner was having a rotten racing day. It's like golfing though: A bad day racing is still a better day than anywhere else. Exception: when the fatal accident is your own. With a poor starting position, his team gambled and returned to the pits several laps after the start to top off their fuel. Several cautions later Franchitti was several laps down. By the time he was battling with Sato, it was for Sato's 10th position.

I first saw Dario race on the streets of Houston in 1999 as a member of Team Kool Green, a top-tier Champ Car team owned by Kim Green. Soon after he combined with Michael Andretti to form Team Andretti Green, but back then it was Dario Franchitti, the young scot, and Paul Tracy, the flash, the "thrill from Westhill".

At Andretti, first with Kim Green then with Michael, Dario put his car up front, winning a championship in 2007. Indianapolis wins came in 2007, 2010 and 2012 winning in a race shortened event. Dario also won the Championship in 09, '10 and '11


Married to Ashley Judd, Dario has been the 'darling' of the media but not all has been roses for the flying Scot. After a brief stint in Nascar, Dario left and rejoined Indy car after an ankle injury during a Nascar Truck race. He's broken his back multiple times, his pelvis as well as numerous concussions which kept him from racing temporarily.

Sunday during the last lap of the 2nd Indy Car race in Houston, the #10 Ganassi Honda was following the ABC car driven by Takuma Sato. Exiting Turn 4, Sato slowed, a fact confirmed when his crew chief tweeted that they were looking to see if the #14 had suffered a puncture causing him to lose speed and step out when Franchitti made to pass him during the long, fast sweeper right-hander around the iconic Astrodome. It was a moment when the car was most vulnerable: hit on the inside during a long turn when all the load is on the outside tires. Franchitti's car went airborne and struck the outside fence just as he was passing a grandstand, and the debris and pieces of fence were hurled into the grandstands. A track marshal and one other spectator were taken to Memorial Herman Hospital in Houston, along with Franchitti, while 11 more spectators were treated for minor injuries at the track. The video is violent. It is fast, scary fast.

When race winner Power and 2nd place Dixon came upon the scene, they immediately thought of Wheldon. It was still fresh in their minds and the debris and carnage was similar. Two years ago during the last race of the year, at Las Vegas motor speedway, the crowded field of cars went into chaos and Wheldon's car sailed over 350ft in the air before contacting the outside fence, at which point he suffered a fatal head injury.

Franchitti escaped with relatively minor injuries compared to Wheldon's, but the catchfence discussion is raging again.

Dixon took over the lead of Race 2, having won Race 1 on Saturday, when Helio Castroneves' car had gearbox problems and spent 27 laps in the pits before returning to save precious points. Power worked his way to harass Dixon during several restarts after caution, then finally passed him when Dixon's timing on the start wasn't as good as Power's. For several restarts, Dixon was able to hold the hard charger aat bay, but Power put a great start together and finally passed Dixon going into turn 4. Then it was Dixon's turn to harass Power, but it occurred to me that Dixon was in a great spot as it was with Castroneves out of the race, he could finish 2nd and not risk a DNF by trying to pass Power. Having said that, the last restart some 20 laps from the finish, Dixon tried hard to keep up with Power's Penske machine, but without being under attack from Hinchcliffe seemed resigned to settle for 2nd.

Ryan Hunter-Reay had a great car at times, and pressured the cars in front of him, but dropped back late to finish very far down the list. Tony Kanaan went out with a brake failure that forced him into the wall on the exit of a turn, damaging his suspension and ending his day.

Next week in Fontana will be the last race for Tony at KV Racing Technology owned by former Champ Car principle Kevin Kalkhoven and former Champ Car Series Champion (driving for Chip Ganassi) Jimmy Vasser. Kanaan is scheduled to join the Ganassi team at the beginning of next year while the Ganassi team also switches from Honda to Chevrolet power starting 2014.

Hard charger of the day goes to Sebastien Bourdais, the 4-time Champ Car Champ back from F-1, back from Le Mans, his hometown by the way, and driving for Dragon Racing. SeaBass (as his friends like to call him pt,), passed three cars on his way to breaking into the top 5 during a restart. From there he lost a spot then gained it back and finished 5th. That Newman-Haas car he drove all those years seems like it was the cream of the crop. No offense, SeaBass.

 

 

Takuma Sato had a good weekend except for the collision, he was on his way to a top ten finish after taking pole for the 1st race. Sato is getting great results for the venerable Texan's team, and A.J. Foyt was in attendance.Good Job, Sato!

 

 

We felt for the spectators injured and said a prayer for those who went to the hospital. As we were walking out, we passed the transporters and Sato's #14 ABC coyote was being lowered onto the hauler's ramp. There was a crowd gathered around. The #10 car was still being swept up out on the track.

 

-Katykarter