Franchitti not thinking of titleposted in INDY13 | 10 | 2011
BATHGATE'S DARIO FRANCHITTI heads into this weekend's final IndyCar race of the season in Las Vegas pledging not to gamble on his third successive, and fourth of his career, championship.
The 38-year-old Scot heads into the race leading the Penske of his only rival, Aussie Will Power, by 18 points after finishing second last time out in Kentucky.
But the Scot, who has won each of this three previous titles in final race scenarios is taking nothing for granted as he heeds into the showdown. Power can still be champion if he wins from pole and leads the most laps, with Franchitti lower than second.
The Kentucky turnaround came a fortnight after Power had taken the points lead with a second place at Motegi, where Franchitti triggered a multi-car collision in his Target Ganassi racer.
"It just shows how quickly things change. You never give up," Franchitti admitted. "Until it's mathematically impossible, you haven't lost it or you haven't won it.
"It's certainly nicer than the position we were when we left Motegi, no doubt about it. It can change in a second. So we'll just go to Las Vegas with an open mind and see what comes of it."
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And Franchitti confirmed said he had not let news of Power's problems at Kentucky — the Aussie struggled to 19th after a pitlane collision with Ana Beatriz — distract him during the race.
"It changed my mood in the car a little bit, I can tell you that, but it didn't change how I raced," Franchitti continued. "I think at that point we were leading.
"I see this car up ahead, starting to catch it. I'm thinking, 'Damn, that looks like the No12 (Power).' A little closer, 'it is the No12'. When I got within about five car lengths, the yellow came out. By that point, I knew he was in trouble.
"I don't need to know what's happening with Will or any of the other guys because I'm just focused on doing my job."
And the Scot stressed he would not be getting overwhelmed by the potential significance of winning another championship just yet. He has been champion in every IndyCar season he has contested since 2007 — his run only interrupted by his unsuccessful 2008 foray into Nascar.
"I suppose that's something to think about when I retire and not really yet," he said. "I'm not thinking about what's happened before. I think if you get too distracted thinking, 'Oh, man, three championships', whatever, you're losing focus.
"So I'm just thinking about Vegas now, what I have to do there to get number four. When eventually I retire, I'll think about things in that wider picture."
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Jim McGill