Beyond the Flag
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IndyCar: Ranking the Past 10 Series Championship Battles

By Asher Fair

Aug 30, 2015; Sonoma, CA, USA; 2nd place IndyCar Series driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, first place IndyCar Series driver Scott Dixon and 3rd place IndyCar Series driver Charlie Kimball raise their respective trophies after the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2015; Sonoma, CA, USA; 2nd place IndyCar Series driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, first place IndyCar Series driver Scott Dixon and 3rd place IndyCar Series driver Charlie Kimball raise their respective trophies after the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 22, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Verizon Indy Car owner Chip Ganassi talks with three-time Indy 50 winner Dario Franchitti during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Verizon Indy Car owner Chip Ganassi talks with three-time Indy 50 winner Dario Franchitti during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2 – 2007 Championship Battle

Coming to the finish of the 2007 season finale at Chicago, just two cars were on the lead lap. Those two cars happened to be driven by the two legitimate championship contenders, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti. Whoever won the race would go on to win the championship based on the points situation.

Dario Franchitti did not have the speed to compete with Scott Dixon, so he gambled by saving fuel prior to the end of the race. With one turn to go on the final lap of the race and in the season, that strategy looked like it was not going to pay off. But it did.

Franchitti coasted to his first career IndyCar championship as Dixon ran out of fuel in the final turn of the final lap of the final race of the 2007 season. Franchitti literally won the race and his first career title by one cup of fuel, making the 2007 championship battle literally come down to the final few yards of the entire season.