Franchitti sixth at Kentucky

Two years after he finished the race with his car spearing towards the sky after colliding with the No55 of Kosuke Matsuura, Bathgate’s Dario Franchitti returned to the Kentucky Speedway for the latest round of the IndyCar Championship.

And having started second on the grid alongside his Ganassi team-mate and defending champ, Kiwi Scott Dixon, the 36-year-old Scot had to satisfy himself with a frustrating sixth-place finish on the 1.5-mile speedway.

“It’s not the result I wanted or anticipated,” Franchitti, who now slips from second in the title race to third, said today, “but at least I finished the race on four wheels rather than flying through the air.

“The car just wasn’t right at the start of the race and I lost too many places and time. By the time we got the car dialled in correctly for balance and grip it was too late to catch the guys in front.

“Still, it’s another healthy points haul and we’re still in there battling for the championship. There’s still a long way to go and a lot can happen. Now though we’re focussed on winning next weekend in Mid-Ohio.”

In a blanket finish, the race was won by Ryan Briscoe. The Australian’s Penske finished just 0.0162-seconds ahead of American Ed Carpenter’s Vision car. Brazilian Tony Kanaan was third for Andretti Green, 0.1614s behind Briscoe.

The Australian now leads the championship by eight points from Dixon, who finished seventh, and 11 from Franchitti.

JM

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