Franchitti looks to extend streak at Iowa Speedway

Normally, all good things must come to an end, and that is also true of win streaks.

Dario Franchitti is well aware that inevitably his stretch of success at the Iowa Speedway will snapped, but he'd like to extend it a bit longer. Franchitti won both races at Iowa's 7/8-mile race track.

“The problems with those kind of statistics of being undefeated is that unfortunately at some point it all has to end,” Franchitti said in a teleconference last week. “I'm hopeful it's not going to be this year.”

Franchitti will attempt to claim his third victory in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 on Sunday at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. The race begins at 1:30 p.m.

The defending IndyCar Series driver champion and Target Chip Ganassi Racing team member won his previous two appearances in this race, capturing the checker flag in 2007 and 2009. Franchitti did not race in the 2008 event, competing in NASCAR instead of the open-wheel IndyCar Series full-time.

For obvious reasons the Scotland native is fond of the Central Iowa. He's run extremely well there, qualifying fourth last year and leading 68 laps. In the inaugural Iowa Corn Indy 250, Franchitti started third and led 96 laps en route to the championship. He also appreciates the atmosphere the fans bring to the event.

“Iowa is a track I enjoy driving and I've been lucky enough to have two great cars there,” Franchitti said. “It's always fun to race in front of packed grandstands like we get there and passionate fans.”

Few racers have had as much success at one track as Franchitti has in the short history at Iowa Speedway. The formula to success isn't structured around one specific aspect, but a mixture of elements. All have to click for a racer to be victorious.

“Like any race it's a combination of factors,” Franchitti said of his success at Newton. “it's a combination of having a fast car, great team and you're doing the job behind the wheel. All those things and a little bit of luck involved, too.”

Franchitti's team has been able to find a successful setup for this race. He said it was a benefit the last two Iowa Corn races, despite having to endure a small imbalance in the car last year. Modifications will be key to conquer a track that alters as it gets older.

“The track changes every year as it ages a little bit,” Franchitti said. “The grip level changes. Hopefully, we can find that magic setup again this year.”

Similar to 2007, Franchitti enters the race as the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion. He claimed his second win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30 in impressive fashion, leading the field for a whopping 155 laps of the 200-lap competition. Winning the prestigious open-wheel race once was a great experience, but it was surpassed by the “incredible” moment of his second victory lane visit.

“I got a tremendous feeling of satisfaction from doing that and that feeling of joy of crossing the finish line, coming into victory circle and see your family, friends and all the members of team target standing there and the emotion that everybody was going through,” Franchitti said. “That was a special thing for me. That was really the moment that sticks in my mind about the whole thing.”

Franchitti is a two-time IndyCar Series driver champion and took over the points lead after a fifth-place finish in the Firestone 550K at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6. He leads Will Power by three points in the season standings. Drivers vying for a series championship have to be consistent and can't be off their game for a race.

Iowa Speedway's uniqueness makes a good showing that much more important.

“That's one of the tough things about our championship. You've got to be strong every weekend in order to win the IZOD IndyCar Series,” said Franchitti, who is married to well-known actress Ashley Judd. “It's just the way things are. You can't afford a bad weekend.

“Iowa is the only short track in this year's schedule, but it almost runs like a super speedway so it presents some challenges. It's going to be tough.”

Sure, a third win in three tries at Iowa Speedway would be great according to Franchitti, but the challenges of the track and the rest of the IndyCar lineup must be conquered first. That's the immediate focus.

“My mindset right now is more about how am I going to get to victory lane and what do I have to overcome to do that,” Franchitti said. “Rather than thinking of the end result I'm thinking about the work that has to go in to make that result happen.”