Beyond the Flag
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IndyCar: Ranking the Past 10 Series Champions

By Asher Fair

Sep 18, 2016; Sonoma, CA, USA; Hewlett Packard Enterprise driver Simon Pagenaud (center) celebrates his win and the title with Verizon Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya (right) and Steak’n Shake driver Graham Rahal (left) after the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Sonoma, CA, USA; Hewlett Packard Enterprise driver Simon Pagenaud (center) celebrates his win and the title with Verizon Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya (right) and Steak’n Shake driver Graham Rahal (left) after the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 22, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Three time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti along with car owner Chip Ganassi work in their pit box during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Three time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti along with car owner Chip Ganassi work in their pit box during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 5 – Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing, 2009

The 2009 season for Dario Franchitti was as good as it could have possibly been without being flat-out dominant. He came into the season finale with four victories, but he was in 2nd place in the championship standings. The only reason he wasn’t running away with the championship was because two other drivers had had equally great seasons up to that point. The top 3 in the standings were separated by just nine points heading into the season finale.

As we well know, Dario Franchitti, who is now one of only two four-time IndyCar champions and three-time Indianapolis 500 winners, knows how to win in the clutch when it matters most. With the championship battle being a three-driver battle at Homestead, that was no different.

The three drivers involved in the 2009 championship battle, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe, had separated themselves by over 150 points to 4th place in the standings heading into the season finale. Naturally, they all finished in the top 3 in the season’s final race. Dario Franchitti came out on top, which propelled him to his second career championship.

While he did finish the season just 12 points ahead of 3rd place in the championship standings, Franchitti’s 2009 season truly was a great one. In fact, just one driver was within 210 points of the top 3 in the standings, so minus Dixon and Briscoe, Franchitti was in a league of his own all season long with five victories.