 This week I've written a pair of back-to-back columns for today and tomorrow. Both columns feature IndyCar's Izod championship contenders Will Power, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves. Today they discuss their epic Penske vs Ganassi championship battle. Tomorrow the conversation shifts to IndyCar's new formula and what the drivers would like to see in the new car and engine as far as power, performance and safety. Early last month we learned the basics of the new 2012 turbocharged engine formula and on Wednesday, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Randy Bernard will reveal the 'Iconic' Committee's decision on the Indy car of the future.
Of course, over the past year and a half the Penske and Ganassi teams have dominated, winning all but one race last year and seven of nine races run so far this season. TCGR won consecutive championships with Dixon in '08 and Franchitti last year and Penske decided to tackle Ganassi's powerhouse operation by expanding to a three-car operation this year. Will Power joined Castroneves and Briscoe on a regular basis and in his fourth year racing in the United States and second year with Penske, Power has emerged as the man to beat.
Power won the year's opening two races in Sao Paulo and St. Petersburg and added a third win at Watkins Glen a week ago so that he leads the championship at mid-season with 327 points followed by Indy winner Franchitti (295), Dixon (287), Briscoe (280) and Castroneves (273). The only other drivers to win races at this point of the season are Andretti Autosports' Ryan Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan who are sixth and seventh in points. Power says this year's champion will be the driver who makes the fewest mistakes.
"It'll come down to not the guy who wins the most races but the guy who makes the least amount of mistakes," Power remarked. Read more (gordonkirby.com)
If you enjoy Gordon's articles, please check out his work in his following list of books, most recently 'Thanks' with Rick Mears. Also be sure to read his articles as the US Editor in Motorsport magazine, and blogs at http://www.motorsportmagazine.co.uk/
- The Art of Motor Racing with Emerson Fittipaldi, Nutmeg Productions, 1987
- Unser--An American Family Portrait, Anlon Press, 1988
- Bobby Rahal--The Graceful Champion, David Bull Publishing, 1999
- Greg Moore--A Legacy of Spirit (with Dan Proudfoot and Jim Taylor), Whitecap Books, 2000
- Mario Andretti: A Driving Passion, David Bull Publishing, 2001, winner of the 2002 Motor Press Guild Dean Batchelor award, and the 2002 Independent Publishers Book Award in the sports/recreation division
- A Winning Adventure, Honda's Ten Years in CART, co-authored with John Oreovicz, David Bull Publishing, 2003
- Rick Mears-Thanks' the story of Rick Mears and the Mears Gang published by Crash Media Group/Autocourse in May, 2008
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