Franchitti earns IRL title

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Dario Franchitti basked in victory lane, getting showered by an enormous amount of red, white and blue confetti.

Yellow, nowhere to be found. How appropriate, because on a day when no caution flags came out, Franchitti reigned supreme over the IRL IndyCar Series again.

Franchitti emerged victorious from one of the closest points races in series history Saturday, winning the season-ending Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the first caution-free IRL race.

He used a significantly different fuel strategy than the other two title contenders, Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe, and was rewarded with his second championship in three years.

"I still can't believe it," said Franchitti, the scent of champagne obvious on his soaked racing suit an hour after the checkered flag came out in his honor. "Really, I can't."

Maybe it was all in the numbers: On the 10th day of the 10th month of the year, Franchitti's No. 10 car won a championship — the 10th victory of the season for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

"There's a lot of guys who can win races," Ganassi said. "There aren't as many who can win championships."

Franchitti sat back in third place, about 25 seconds behind Dixon and Briscoe, saving fuel over much of the final 50 laps. When his two fellow contenders pitted late, the title was his.

Only a caution could have saved Dixon and Briscoe, but that flag wasn't needed.

"How great is my husband at being fast while saving fuel?" said actress Ashley Judd, Franchitti's wife, who shrieked and raised her arms high in triumph when the race was over.

How about greater than anyone else in the field?

"I'm thinking, 'C'mon, baby, don't run out of fuel here,' " Franchitti said. "And she didn't."

Dixon, Franchitti's teammate in the Ganassi garage, was second in the points standings. Franchitti finished with 616 points, Dixon had 605 and Briscoe — who led 103 of the 200 laps for Penske Racing — finished with 604.

The average speed of 201.420 mph was the second quickest in IRL history, behind the 207.151 mph at California in 2003.

Franchitti jumped to NASCAR after winning the IRL title in 2007.

He won't toy with that again.

"I'm absolutely where I should be," Franchitti said.

Danica Patrick was 19th in the race and a career-best fifth in the standings this season. She gave her strongest clue yet she is returning to the series in 2010 when she said, "We know what we need to do, and we'll be ready for next year."

NASCAR: Logano triumphs

FONTANA, Calif. — Joey Logano held off Brian Vickers to win the NASCAR Nationwide Copart 300 at Auto Club Speedway, his fifth series victory of the season and second in two weeks.

The 19-year-old Logano started on the pole, but fell well back after an incident with Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., on Lap 50 of 150.

Biffle put Logano's No. 20 Toyota into the wall, a move Biffle hinted at over the radio beforehand.

Logano steadily worked his way to the front and caught a break when Biffle and Denny Hamlin collided with fewer than 10 laps to go. Biffle finished 14th.

NASCAR officials pulled the annual credential of Logano's father, Tom, after he confronted Biffle after the race. A NASCAR spokesman said Tom Logano walked up to Biffle's car on pit road and had a verbal altercation with the driver.

"I think this is the best way to get him back," Joey Logano said of Biffle in victory lane.