| Aside from a fiery crash at the end of the | | | | especially having gone away [to NASCAR] after |
| 500-mile race dubbed "The Greatest Spectacle in | | | | we won in '07. To be invited back was pretty |
| Racing," the 2010 Indianapolis 500 was relatively | | | | cool." |
| uneventful – that is to say, Dario Franchitti | | | | Another Indy 500 title was perhaps not in his initial |
| had it in the bag the whole time. | | | | plans, but the 37-year-old driver is taking it all in |
| Franchitti snagged his second career Indy 500 title | | | | stride. "To have won a championship and an Indy |
| on May 30, 2010, becoming one of 17 legendary | | | | 500, I didn't expect any of this," Franchitti told |
| IndyCar drivers to have ever won the prestigious | | | | ESPN. "I said before, I expected to be retired by |
| race more than once (his last win was in 2007). | | | | the time I was 35. This is all bonus, and it's pretty |
| The Target Chip Ganassi Racing superstar started | | | | cool." |
| in the first row of the grid after qualifying for the | | | | Dario Franchitti now has two Indy 500 wins to |
| race in third place behind Helio Castroneves and | | | | match his two career IndyCar Series |
| Will Power, easily snaking an early lead and | | | | championships, and he's currently (after the Indy |
| keeping it consistent throughout the 500-mile race. | | | | 500) in second place in overall point standings |
| IRL drivers Dan Wheldon, Danica Patrick and Tony | | | | behind Will Power. Franchitti has also taken the |
| Kanaan all made boisterous routes to the top of | | | | early lead in the competition for the oval title, and |
| the pack during the 2010 Indy 500, but ultimately | | | | his $2.75 million purse for winning in Indy is the |
| none could overcome the gaping lead Franchitti | | | | icing on the cake for the 2010 season thus far. |
| increasingly created throughout the day on May | | | | Franchitti's clean racing and dignified demeanor |
| 30. The No. 10 Target car zoomed into Victory | | | | have helped make him a fan favorite at IndyCar |
| Lane under the yellow flag but almost didn't make | | | | races, and the name Dario Franchitti has been |
| it to the end at all as Franchitti began to run out | | | | selling <a rel="nofollow" |
| of gas at the backstretch of the race. He took a | | | | onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' |
| big gamble by forgoing a late pit stop and | | | | outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" Racing League |
| ultimately coasted across the finish line at a | | | | (IRL) tickets</a> like crazy ever since his |
| measly 208 mph, barely fending off second-place | | | | infiltration into open-wheel racing. |
| finisher Dan Wheldon for the big win. | | | | Franchitti's only year off from the IRL came in |
| Franchitti's second Indianapolis 500 victory propels | | | | 2008, when he made a lukewarm foray into the |
| him into elite territory as one of very few drivers | | | | wide world of NASCAR, and his reemergence last |
| to win the prestigious Indianapolis race, but the | | | | year as an IndyCar hero for Target Chip Ganassi |
| modest driver expressed gratitude for the | | | | Racing has proven wildly successful ever since. |
| newfound comparisons after the May 30 race. He | | | | Franchitti is the defending IndyCar Series |
| told ESPN, "They showed me a list of two-time | | | | champion after winning the series in 2009, and his |
| winners [after the race], and those guys are | | | | 2010 Indy 500 victory is one more big win to help |
| legends. I'm so lucky to be driving for Chip | | | | propel him to the top of his game. |
| [Ganassi] and Team Target, getting in good cars, | | | | |