First ‘N Foremost… Hats off to the entire ICS grid for running their own respective races and NOT interfering with or taking out the three title contenders… As fortunately Hulio didn’t pull a “Bryan Herta” and cause a Yellow flag in order for teammate Ryan “Burnin’ Inferno” Briscoe to make the necessary fuel mileage to claim his first Indy Car crown, but I digress… As this would turn out to be the very first race in IRL history to go caution flag free and the second quickest ever completed event at a skosh over 201mph.
Dario Franchitti (1st: 2009 ICS Champion)
As Y’all may know, I was rootin’ for Dario “REO Speedwagon” Franchitti to win his second Indy Car crown the majority of the season… As he seems to be the liveliest of the three Championship combatants Yet, I changed this tact when I wrote Dario-speak where I thought he uncharacteristically threw his Pit crew “Under the Bus” and hence changed allegiances to Ryan Briscoe…
So I found it most ironic that Dario won the 2009 Indy Car title Saturday; as I’d previously asked Mary Ellen over the course of our Maryhill excursion if she thought Dario remembered that it would be his friend Greg Moore’s 10yr Anniversary of his death this Halloween… Especially since reportedly it was Greg who introduced him to Ashley Up North, Eh? In Vancouver, BC at a party; as thus the irony dripped even further over Mwah when Dario dedicated his '09 ICS title to Greg Moore, saying this "Juan's for him as it was 10yrs ago that Juan Pablo Montoya beat me (for the CART crown) and we lost Greg... And when asked if he started thinking about it before the chequered flag, Dario responded; Greg would have KICKED MY ASS if I'd started thinking about it before winning the race!
And before Y’all make any Dario backing into it a la Princess Motegi comparisons… As Dario was quick to point out that they went for a fuel mileage race… Its worth noting that Dario’s taken five Pole positions this season along with five victories; so Congratulations Dario!
Scott Dixon (2nd; -11pts)Don’t know why, but for some strange reason I wanted anybody but The Iceman 2.0 to win a second consecutive title and third overall this year, as Scott just seems to be the most “Vanilla” of the three drivers and Thank Goodness I wasn’t playing some sorta drinking game for every time he said the word Target this season; Aye Karumba!
And its even funnier yet that I feel this way since I should be rooting for him as he’s originally a PacWest CART Boy, which after all was my Home team for several years… Yet Dixon still has plenty ‘O time to break all of Sam Hornish’s IRL records and I’m guessing he’ll be even hungrier next year, eh?
Ryan Briscoe (3rd; -12pts)As Y’all ready know… This was the driver I spent the whole race chanting GO RYAN! At the Telescreen as I kept saying you’ve gotta lead the most laps plus win the race as Scott Dixon was making things difficult for him once again…
And Ryan did his very best, by clinching the two points bonus for leading most laps and seemingly being the driver to beat, but it wasn’t to be, as Dario slyly worked his way forwards from third to first in the final laps, going on to win the title…
Yet I found Ryan to be the most impressive of the three and I really enjoyed his openness and humbleness throughout his “Twenty-Oh-Nine” IRL campaign, as he seemed to be the most improved driver of this Championship trio, so Hats Off to Ryan, who’ll possibly beat his former Boss next year, eh?
And it was most impressive how these three combatants left everyone in their dust, by lapping the entire field by two laps as you cannot ask for anymore of a season finale, Yet since these three drivers claimed a total of 16 of the 17 Indy Car race victories this season, you’d have to expect them to be the Championship front runners… So perhaps it was fitting that the number 10 racecar captured victory and the Championship on the tenth day of the tenth month of the year, ten years after having lost a title and a very good friend, eh?
And I've just learned that it was also TCGR's 10th victory of the season... Coincidence?
