Dario Franchitti’s fourth IndyCar title awaits in Las Vegas

SPARTA, Ky. -- Jimmie Johnson has won five consecutive championships, yet doesn't always get the proper recognition -- in NASCAR and across all professional sports -- for such a remarkable feat.

The same could be said about Dario Franchitti.

Franchitti moved a step closer to his fourth IndyCar title Sunday with a second-place run at Kentucky Speedway. He overcame a poor qualifying effort to lead a race-high 143 laps before losing a wheel-to-wheel race to the finish line with Ed Carpenter.

But the strong run, coupled with a pit-road accident that ruined Will Power's day, sends Franchitti into the Oct. 16 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an 18-point lead in the standings. It was a huge swing for Franchitti, who began the day trailing Power by 12 and now has a third consecutive title in sight.

Franchitti can use these next two weeks to consider a strategy for Las Vegas, while Power admitted after the race that his only remaining chance is "putting 100 percent focus on getting the pole, leading the most laps, winning the race ... just working even harder to make sure we turn up with something special at Las Vegas."

In one breath, Power admits he has to be perfect in the final race to dethrone Franchitti. In the next, he credits Franchitti's success -- specifically the 2009 and 2010 championships -- to a long lucky streak.

Franchitti won the 2009 title by conserving fuel in the finale, then he overcame an 11-point deficit to win last year's championship when Power brushed the wall with 66 laps remaining.

"Dario has had very good luck, and we have had very bad luck," Power said Sunday. "The guy has just been unbelievably lucky when you look at the championships he's won."

Sounds a little like a backhanded compliment, no?

It also sounds a lot like the chatter that clouds Johnson's record run through NASCAR. Those who don't respect his five titles have a litany of excuses for his success: Johnson drives for the best team, he has the best crew chief, he benefits from the championship format, on and on the list goes.

The reality, though, is that Johnson puts himself in position to win and doesn't make mistakes that take him out of contention. He's also got a laser-sharp focus and ability to concern himself only on what he needs to do to be successful.

Franchitti is much the same way. He knows what he's got to do, how to approach the task at hand and how to manage the highs and lows of motor sports.

"He's very much got a 'been there, done that' attitude, and that adds a lot to when you are in a battle like the one we are in right now," team owner Chip Ganassi said. "I would think there's more to it than luck. Dario doesn't drive for the best team, so that's something right there that Jimmie Johnson has on him.

"But it takes a total team effort, and Dario has a great ability to make his team want to work hard for him."

Maybe that comes from age or experience, and it's probably no coincidence that Franchitti's first title came in 2007, his 10th season in IndyCar. Maybe it took him a decade to figure out what it takes to be a champion at the top level, but once he had that title, he considered his resume complete and bolted to NASCAR with Ganassi.

Only 2008 was a horrendous year for auto racing, which was reeling from the economic collapse, and a lack of sponsorship forced his Sprint Cup Series team to shutter after 10 starts.

Franchitti went back to IndyCar the next year and claimed the next two championships, so if not for that one-year hiatus, he maybe could have been looking for a fifth straight title next week.