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Ganassi Sweeps The Motorsports Weekend As Franchitti Wins At Mid-Ohio

Lexington, Ohio (Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010) – Dario Franchitti is beginning to
chip away at Will Power’s IZOD IndyCar Series points lead. The Scotsman held
off Power to score his second win of the season at the Honda Indy 200 at
Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

It was the first victory for the Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver at the
2.258-mile circuit, where he holds the track record and won his first pole
12 years ago. By holding off Power over the final 15 laps after a Lap 70
restart to win by 0.5234 (the third-closest road/street course finish in
series history), Franchitti closed to 41 points of the overall championship
leader. Next up, after the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, are four oval races to
close the season.

Though it was too little, too late to take the Mario Andretti Road
Championship Trophy from Power, the Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver was
satisfied with the outing on the physically demanding course.

“I think the key to the race, obviously, was the Target car was very fast,”
said Franchitti. “I drove every lap like it was a qualifying lap today,
whether I was behind Will or ahead of Will. But the key was that first pit
stop by the Target boys to get me out ahead, especially a 35-foot pit box.
It’s the tightest we run. In practice, we couldn’t get the thing out of the
box with Will parked in his or get it in properly. But when the race win was
on the line, it didn’t seem quite as difficult and managed to pass him. I
think that was the key today, because we were incredibly evenly matched on
the track.”

That brief stop for tires and a 22-gallon load of ethanol – during the first
full-course caution period of the race – came on Lap 25. Alex Tagliani, who
pitted three laps earlier, assumed the point and led the next 30 laps.

Franchitti and Power, running 1-2, both pitted on Lap 60 under green – with
Franchitti again slipping out a tick of a second quicker. “Dario, he just
got out before us,” said Power, whose pit stall was the first at pit-out. “I
mean, that was it. I couldn’t do anything about it. Obviously those guys did
a really good stop. Initially, I thought they might have short-filled some.”

Power remained on Franchitti’s rear wing for the closing laps, never more
than 0.6157 of a second back.

“I was trying really hard at the end to make him make a mistake, letting him
see me in his mirrors, letting him know if he made one little slip-up, I’m
going to get him,” Power said. “That was the only way I was going to get
by.”

Power’s Team Penske teammate, Helio Castroneves, finished third and Tagliani
finished a season-high fourth in the No. 77 FAZZT Race Team car. Scott Dixon
was fifth in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry.

Also Sunday Martin Plowman scored his first career Firestone Indy Lights
victory, leading the Mid-Ohio 100 flag-to-flag. Plowman is the fifth
different race winner in Firestone Indy Lights this season.

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