- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
IndyCar
INDYCAR: Tensions Ease Between Title Contenders
"I find it tough to be nasty to people," said Team Penske's Will Power. "I can't help it. If I'm angry at someone and look them in the eye, I'll start laughing."
Smiles and a few laughs were shared between Will Power and Dario Franchitti last weekend. (LAT)
After a tense two weeks between Toronto and Edmonton, it appears the hatchet has been buried between Team Penske’s Will Power and Target Chip Ganassi’s Dario Franchitti.
The hit from Franchitti that spun Power in Turn 3 during the Toronto race led to a rather large disagreement between IndyCar’s two top drivers, but time and a chance encounter before Sunday’s Edmonton Indy race helped to bridge their divide.
"I think [we] broke the ice after [Sunday morning] warm-up," Power said. "[Franchitti] walked by. That was the first time we made eye contact. I started smiling. I put it behind me. I guess we were both playing a bit of mind games with each other there. But at the end of the day, you go out there and race how you race."
The thawing of the ice with Franchitti seems to have helped Power to shift gears leaving Edmonton.
"I find it tough to be nasty to people," Power continued. "I can't help it. If I'm angry at someone and look them in the eye, I'll start laughing. Even if he came up to me after Toronto, maybe I would have laughed about it, too. I can definitely be angry behind their back."
Power and Franchitti raced hard and clean on Sunday, with the Scot being visibly careful not to get too close to Power at the start or on restarts. After spinning him out of contention at Long Beach, Power’s teammate, Helio Castroneves, also left the Aussie plenty of room in the final laps at Edmonton. The message that Power preached after Toronto—that he wanted to be raced fairly—was obviously received.
The end result found Power earning his fourth win of the season and the 16th of his career, while Franchitti put in a storming drive to regain almost a dozen positions when he was delayed by a botched restart and contact that took place directly in front of him.
Franchitti managed to salvage a third-place finish, but Power’s win reduced the Ganassi driver’s lead in the championship from 55 to 38 and the reigning champion says he expects more points to change hands during the final seven rounds on the calendar.
"The points are going to ebb and flow, aren't they," said Franchitti. "That's going to happen throughout the rest of the season."
The new peace accord between Power and Franchitti will hopefully guarantee a contact-free run to the IndyCar finale in Las Vegas, but Power knows his main rival won’t be taking it easy on him. If anything, he knows the battles with the two-time Indy 500 winner will only get more intense.
"I predict that's exactly what's going to happen," Power concluded. "We need to keep finishing ahead of him to keep the points down. There's plenty of racing to go. [We’ve] just got to stay on track."
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. He also contributes to Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
SPEEDtv.com.au contributed to this story.
The hit from Franchitti that spun Power in Turn 3 during the Toronto race led to a rather large disagreement between IndyCar’s two top drivers, but time and a chance encounter before Sunday’s Edmonton Indy race helped to bridge their divide.
"I think [we] broke the ice after [Sunday morning] warm-up," Power said. "[Franchitti] walked by. That was the first time we made eye contact. I started smiling. I put it behind me. I guess we were both playing a bit of mind games with each other there. But at the end of the day, you go out there and race how you race."
The thawing of the ice with Franchitti seems to have helped Power to shift gears leaving Edmonton.
"I find it tough to be nasty to people," Power continued. "I can't help it. If I'm angry at someone and look them in the eye, I'll start laughing. Even if he came up to me after Toronto, maybe I would have laughed about it, too. I can definitely be angry behind their back."
Power and Franchitti raced hard and clean on Sunday, with the Scot being visibly careful not to get too close to Power at the start or on restarts. After spinning him out of contention at Long Beach, Power’s teammate, Helio Castroneves, also left the Aussie plenty of room in the final laps at Edmonton. The message that Power preached after Toronto—that he wanted to be raced fairly—was obviously received.
The end result found Power earning his fourth win of the season and the 16th of his career, while Franchitti put in a storming drive to regain almost a dozen positions when he was delayed by a botched restart and contact that took place directly in front of him.
Franchitti managed to salvage a third-place finish, but Power’s win reduced the Ganassi driver’s lead in the championship from 55 to 38 and the reigning champion says he expects more points to change hands during the final seven rounds on the calendar.
"The points are going to ebb and flow, aren't they," said Franchitti. "That's going to happen throughout the rest of the season."
The new peace accord between Power and Franchitti will hopefully guarantee a contact-free run to the IndyCar finale in Las Vegas, but Power knows his main rival won’t be taking it easy on him. If anything, he knows the battles with the two-time Indy 500 winner will only get more intense.
"I predict that's exactly what's going to happen," Power concluded. "We need to keep finishing ahead of him to keep the points down. There's plenty of racing to go. [We’ve] just got to stay on track."
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. He also contributes to Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
SPEEDtv.com.au contributed to this story.
Latest Gallery
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
LE MANS: Audi Leads Wednesday LM24 Qualifying
Audis 1-2-3 in incident-filled and shortened opening day of qualifying… -
LE MANS: Lotus LMP2 Returns To Track
Seized parts returned to Lotus LMP2, No. 31 car rebuilt and completes… -
SPEED, SPEED.com Plan Live & Continuous LM24 Coverage
In-car streaming of Corvette Racing highlights two-screen experience...… -
VIDEO: 8Star LM24 Wednesday vBlog
Rui Aguas checks into SPEED.com prior to the start of practice and… -
LE MANS: Corvette On-Board Pass Returns For LM24
Watch! Live in-car and garage cameras from Corvette Racing during… -
LE MANS: Lotus LMP2 Cars Seized By Court
BREAKING: Lotus T128 parts seized by local courts over financial… -
LE MANS: Taylor Brothers Continuing Family Tradition
Second-generation racers Jordan, Ricky Taylor seek victory at Le… - More News
