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AUTO RACING

Franchitti's Future A Hot Topic In Richmond

Published: Sep 9, 2007

RICHMOND, VA. - On the eve of the Indy Racing League's championship-deciding finale at Chicagoland Speedway, the biggest story involving the IRL was Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti's apparent decision to compete in NASCAR next year.

It was also a hot topic at Richmond International Raceway before Saturday night's race.

The Associated Press, citing an unnamed source, reported final details were being worked out on a deal that would have Franchitti replacing David Stremme in Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 40 Dodge. The open-wheel veteran would be a teammate of former CART and Formula One star Juan Pablo Montoya.

If Sam Hornish Jr. moves to NASCAR within Penske Racing as the parties have discussed, the IRL could see two of its stars defect to stock car racing in one offseason.

RACING ROYALTY: Former world champion and two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi attended his first NASCAR race Saturday as a guest of Chevrolet. He said he's always followed stock car racing, particularly when his nephew Christian competed sporadically during the 2001-2003 seasons. His son-in-law, sports car driver Max Papis, also has competed in several NASCAR road course events.

Fittipaldi said he wasn't surprised about the current rash of open-wheel defections to NASCAR.

ALMOST A MERGER: The next evolution of Robert Yates Racing will look a lot like a new branch of Roush-Fenway Racing.

With veteran car owner Robert Yates announcing Friday he's retiring at the end of this year and his son, Doug Yates, poised to take full control, the Yates organization is set to take a new direction.

That direction is a tight alliance with Roush-Fenway Racing in which Ford's flagship organization will provide the new Yates Racing with cars, engineering and even help shop for sponsors. The organizations will continue to build engines together.

Roush couldn't simply add or absorb the two Yates teams because of NASCAR's four-car cap on team ownership.

"Jack [Roush] is going to help us with all the hardware, all of the things similar to the relationship Hendrick [Motorsports] has with [Haas CNC Racing]," Doug Yates said Saturday. "It'll be a relationship similar to that, but hopefully tighter knit."

Travis Kvapil, a former Craftsman Truck Series champion who had faltered in his first shot in Nextel Cup, will take over the No. 88 Ford for retiring Ricky Rudd, and David Gilliland will return in the No. 38 Ford.

"Travis came to Cup and had some struggles," Doug Yates said. "He went back to the trucks, and this year he's won three races and is in contention for the championship, and I think his confidence is ready to move back to Cup in a competitive car."

HOT, HOT, HOT: Juan Pablo Montoya was involved in the Cup Series' second fiery race accident in as many weeks. Although Montoya's accident wasn't as spectacular looking as Michael Waltrip's flaming car last week, the fire destroyed Montoya's No. 42 Dodge.

"It was just smoke everywhere," Montoya said. "I just got pushed, hit the guy in front and the next thing I hear is my spotter saying, 'Get out, get out, it's on fire!'"

INSULT TO INJURY: Former champion runner-up Greg Biffle had hung around the Chase bubble for weeks before being eliminated from contention two weeks ago. That didn't make Saturday's accident in the opening laps any easier to swallow.

"I qualified bad and that's what you get when you qualify bad, you start in the back with all the donkeys and the guys that can't drive," said Biffle, who started 37th and was collected in an accident on lap 24.

Tony Fabrizio, Holly Cain