October 2009
Contact             About              Site Map            Privacy                          Copyright © 2009  IndySpeedway.com   All Rights Reserved   
Latest news is at the bottom
Franchitti Collects Million Dollar Bonus
Oct 11 - IndyCar's last race of the season was at Homestead yesterday
evening.  Three drivers were vying for the season championship.
Dario
Franchitti
, Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe needed to win.  Franchitti's
fuel-saving strategy payed off when the race went the entire distance without a
single caution!  Dixon and Briscoe, who had been leading, had to pit.  

This is the first time an Indycar race has never had a single caution. The
200-mile race average speed was over 200 mph!

A day after winning the 2009 IndyCar® Series championship, Dario Franchitti
was honored for his second title in three years.

Franchitti and Firestone Indy Lights® champion
J.R. Hildebrand - along with
other drivers, teams and manufacturers - were recognized during the Indy
Racing League Championship Celebration poolside at the W Hotel on South
Beach.
Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operations
division of the Indy Racing League, sanctioning body of the
IndyCar Series, presented Franchitti with a $1 million
championship bonus check and a mini IndyCar Series
championship trophy. A mini IndyCar Series championship
trophy also was awarded to Target Chip Ganassi Racing owner
Chip Ganassi.

"In '07, there was a lot of satisfaction in getting that one done,
and now to come back from where we were a year ago is very
satisfying," said Franchitti, who won by 4.788 seconds to clinch
the championship. "I think that's what makes it sweeter is we've
got everybody together, and you've got a more balanced
schedule, as well.

"That gives me really a lot of satisfaction, having to beat guys
like ---- look down the list. Look at the drivers we're competing
against, Ryan and certainly Scott at the top of that. To beat
those guys and to beat Scott on team equipment, you've had a
great year."

In addition to the championship bonus, Franchitti accepted the
$10,000 Bosch Platinum Award and received a $100,000
diamond-encrusted champion's timepiece from Ritmo Mundo.
Kevin O'Donnell, chief mechanic for Franchitti's No. 10 Target
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda-powered Dallara, accepted the
IndyCar Series Chief Mechanic of the Year Award.

Raphael Matos of Luczo Dragon Racing accepted the
$25,000 Apex-Brasil Rookie of the Year Award.
Ryan Briscoe
of Team Penske won the Raybestos Road & Street Challenge
while
Dan Wheldon of Panther Racing was awarded the Xtrac
Championship Award and its $5,000 prize.

Hildebrand accepted the mini Firestone Firehawk Cup along
with a $10,000 award for the Raybestos Road and Street
Course Challenge for scoring the most points on road and
street courses, a $5,000 prize as the winner of the Lucas Oil
Frequent Pole Sitter Award, a $5,000 "Securing Tomorrow
Award" from Gregory & Appel Insurance for winning the most
races, the $5,000 Palmer Family Frequent Podium Award and
the $10,000 Sunoco Most Improved Driver Award.

A Ganassi or Penske driver won every race this season except
for Watkins Glen, where
Justin Wilson gave Dale Coyne
Racing its first win.
IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti
Button New World Champion
Oct 18 - The F1 championship has ended with one race to go.  
Rubens Barrichello started from pole at his home grand prix
in Brazil.  Once again, he failed to win it, to the crowd's chagrin.  
The first lap resulted in several accidents around the track.  
Then as some cars came out of the pits, one took off with the
gas hose still attached, spraying gas all over
Kimi
Raikkonen's
car, whose hot exhaust instantly ignited a plume
of fire around his car briefly.  The first laps was quite exciting.

Mark Webber won the race, but Barrichello and Sebastian
Vettel
, who were in contention for the championship, were
unable to overcome Button's point lead.
Todt Will Run FIA
Oct 23 - former Scuderia Ferrari CEO and Ferrari F1 team
principal
Jean Todt was elected President of the Federation
Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for a four-year term by the
FIA General Assembly at its annual meeting in Paris, France.

The FIA is a non-profit organization that oversees International
events with sporting regulations and safety issues. Todt will
replace
Max Mosley who announced his retirement this year.
Mosley was elected president of the FIA in 1993.

The freshly elected president has the important and daunting
task to negotiate a new Concorde Agreement, an agreement
between FIA, FOTA, FOM and Capital Partners (CVC), which is
vital for the survival of Formula One.
Ross Brawn &
Jenson Button
Jean Todt
Rossi Takes #9 in MotoGP
Oct 25 -Valentino Rossi finished third on the podium for the
Malaysian GP, earning enough points to claim his ninth MotoGP
World Championship title. The polesitter was scored has low as
tenth in today's wet race, before fighting his way back to the
final podium spot. Rossi earned his seventh crown in the
premier class in superb form, even risking all to pass Fiat
Yamaha teammate
Jorge Lorenzo.

The Doctor said, "It's a fantastic feeling to take this title with
Yamaha again and I also must thank Bridgestone, who have
done a great job with the tyres all year. My celebration was
because in Italy we say an old chicken makes good soup but
can no longer lay eggs! I am like the old chicken - 30 years now
- but I have made another egg! That's nine!"

The flamboyant 30 y/o driver asked Ferrari for a test drive in
their Formula One car to celebrate.

MotoGP will wrap the season up with a race in Spain.
RACE NEWS & VIEWS