Franchitti finding success around every turn

COLUMBUS — There isn’t much Dario Franchitti hasn’t done this Indy Racing League season. He is the current points leader after 10 races, he won the coveted Indianapolis 500 this year for the first time, and in 10 starts this year, he has finished in the top 10 in every single one. Nine of them were top five finishes.

He’s won three races, the most of any driver in the IRL, and has made a cool $2,454,433. The one thing Franchitti is missing is a championship. He can get one step closer to that goal at the Honda 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 22.

“Mid-Ohio is a great track,” said Franchitti. “We have done well qualifying there, but we have never sealed the deal. It’s a brilliant track, I miss it.”

Franchitti has had success in the past on the Mid-Ohio course. When he participated in the CART series, he won the pole position twice. Even though he qualifyied in such a great position, he has not been able to win.

“Physically, it’s going to be difficult,” said Franchitti. “Mid-Ohio is already a difficult race track. When you are only doing four road courses a year with limited testing, it’s a lot harder to be fully prepared. It’s tough.”

Knowing Mid-Ohio is a very physical race, Franchitti has to train rigorously to ready himself, with workouts lasting several hours a day. He works with weights, focusing on the muscles he uses when driving. He works on his cardiovascular status by running every day, and also works on any other area he feels might not be in the best shape possible.

“My workout is pretty intense,” said Franchitti. “The hardest part is finding the time. The last month it’s been really hard to get the time in.”

Although he hasn’t raced at Mid-Ohio for five years, Franchitti still remembers the track. He can envision the race: The turns, the straightaways, the pit stops, everything about it.

“I can do a lap in my head right now,” said Franchitti. “With other things, I forget them in five minutes, so it’s really strange.”

Franchitti said he loves the twists and turns of Mid-Ohio. One of his favorite sections of Mid-Ohio is Turn 1.

“Turn 1 is a real ballsy corner,” said Franchitti. “Into the back straight, that whole sequence, a right, a left, another right. That’s what makes it so fun, but also what makes it so physical. Even to draw a breath is difficult.”

Frachitti hopes to continue his success at Mid-Ohio. With luck, good pits, and good race decisions, he feels he has a good chance. With a win here, he would bolster his chance at his ultimate goal — a championship.

“It would be nice to win a championship,” said Franchitti. “It’s gonna be hard. You have to take it one race at a time, give it your best. We aren’t really thinking championship, we are thinking one race at a time. You can’t have an off weekend; you can’t afford mistakes.”