By: Jonathan Brazeau, sportsnet.ca
TORONTO — Dario Franchitti said it was still the “same old Toronto.”
Franchitti was talking about the surface changes to the track but he could have easily been referring to the front-end of the grid for the Honda Indy Toronto.
The three-time Toronto winner claimed pole position for Target Chip Ganassi Racing on Saturday, clocking in with a time of 59.3510 seconds around the 11-turn, 1.75-mile track.
Franchitti isn’t the only past champion of the temporary street course up front with Power (2007 and 2010 Toronto winner) starting next to him on the front row followed by Justin Wilson (2005) in third and Sebastien Bourdais (2004) starting forth.
Despite Franchitti’s previous success in Toronto, he still felt lucky coming out on top.
“As much the satisfaction as anything is beating guys of this calibre,” Franchitti said. “Putting one together, we’re capable of it. You look at the spread between getting past the first round (of qualifying) and it’s so close. It doesn’t even take a mistake, it just takes leaving something on the table.
“I was breathing hard after that one. It doesn’t get any easier.”
THE BIG PICTURE: Franchitti hopes to gain ground in the standings but he’ll have to keep his eyes in his mirrors with points leader Power right beside him.
The four-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion currently sits in eighth in the points as he’s struggled with his car all season long.
“All we can do is show up with a fast car and play with the hand we’re dealt in the race,” Franchitti said. “I’m trying to think of any races where we haven’t had some form of issue and I can’t. Maybe Barber but apart from that you just have to roll with the punches and get on with it but at least the Target cars are fast.”
If Franchitti claims a fourth Toronto victory, the 39-year-old from Edinburgh, Scotland, will pass Bourdais and Toronto’s Paul Tracy for seventh on the all-time open-wheel racing wins list. Franchitti enters Sunday’s event with 31 career wins.
HOW THE CANADIANS DID: James Hinchcliffe already had an uphill battle in front of him because of a 10 grid spot penalty due to an unscheduled engine change after Friday’s practice. The Oakville, Ont., native reached the second round of qualifying but could do no better than ninth, meaning he’ll start 19th on the grid Sunday.
“There’s no doubt that missing practice yesterday hurt us a bit,” Hinchcliffe said. “But from where we are now, 19th on the grid with the engine penalty, we’ve got to be very flexible tomorrow. We’ve got to be able to adapt to different strategies, see how the yellows fall, if accidents happen, try to stay out of trouble and hopefully we can be there at the end of the day.”
While Hinchcliffe was able to practice with his new engine on Saturday morning, overnight rain had left the track damp and wet and he didn’t get enough of a feel to really test the power of his Chevrolet-powered GoDaddy.com car.
“These weekends, we have so little track time as it is that to lose an entire session is tough and then this morning’s session over half of it was in the wet so dry laps, I haven’t had that many so far this weekend, which so far makes it a bit more of challenge,” Hinchcliffe said. “But that’s why they pay us the big bucks and when the going gets tough, the tough gets going so hopefully it means we can get our act together and be up there on Sunday.”
Alex Tagliani, from Lachenaie, Que., qualified sixth and will start 16th on the grid also due to a 10 grid spot penalty for an unapproved engine change.
But Tagliani was quick to point out that others have had the penalty in the past and still have had good results.
“This race is a race of survival,” Tagliani said. “You can still make it to the front with different strategy, tires, so I don’t think we can count ourselves out of the race because we have the penalty.”
NEW RULES IN PLAY: The push to pass makes its return to the series at Toronto, giving the drivers a limited number of speed boosts. The new passing rules this year will also play a factor as last year’s race saw Power and Franchitti collide in what was simply brushed as a “racing incident.” Power said things will be different this year and, “if someone takes me out of the race this year I’m probably going to smack him across the chops.”
NOTES:
–Wilson said Friday’s accident with Bourdais in the pits that saw two crew members taken to hospital still lingered on his mind. “I went down this morning to see the guys and make sure everyone was okay so it’s never a nice experience but we had to pick up and carry on with the job and the job was to be in the top six today,” Wilson said. “I’m really pleased that we made it and I’m also really happy that Sebastien also made it as well because it’s fitting for the weekend.”
–Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay, who entered Toronto as the winner of the previous two IndyCar races, brushed the wall during the first round of qualifying but was still able to lay down a fast enough lap to advance. Hunter-Reay just missed out on qualifying for the fast six but will start sixth on the grid anyway due to Tagliani’s penalty.
–Power got caught up in traffic near Lake Shore Boulevard, a common Toronto problem any other time of the year. Power wasn’t stuck in grid lock though, rather it was Takuma Sato. Power raised his hand and said he gave Sato “an Australian hello” when he was finally able to get by. Sato was penalized with the loss of two of his fastest laps and will start ninth.
SPORTSNET.CA’s Jonathan Brazeau will be reporting all weekend from the Honda Indy Toronto. Follow him on Twitter (@jonathanbrazeau) for all the latest race updates.