By Andrew Cutler
October 11 2009

The 2009 IndyCar Series season is now history, and Scotland's Dario Franchitti is a two-time series champion. The three title contenders were the class of the field all race long, putting everyone else at least two laps down by the 2/3 race mark (two drivers would finish just one lap down at race's end).

Dario got the worst start of the three as he struggled with an ill-handling car in the early laps. Managing to stay on the lead lap, he conserved fuel until he entered a pit window that would allow him to make the race in three stops. Meanwhile, Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe battled furiously up front, exchanging the lead several times - and burning too much fuel to make the distance without a "splash & go" in the closing laps.

That was all that Franchitti needed to cycle to the front with less than ten laps to go, and he drove off unchallenged from there. He was no doubt helped by the fact that the whole of the 300 mile/200 lap event went down without a single caution flag; a first in the fourteen year history of the Indy Racing League.

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ps:

Sorry for the brevity of this story; I am at a family function right now, & am pressed for time. I will do a more complete run-down of the race/championship results in a couple of days.