Already securing the bonus point for winning the PEAK Performance Pole Award, Dario Franchitti had two other goals in the Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 to earn the IZOD IndyCar Series championship isntead of standings leader Will Power. Leading the most laps bonus was was achieved on Lap 118 of 200 and he was on the pace to win the race. But on Lap 135, Power's No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car brushed the Turn 4 wall on Lap 135 while running 4rth, and Power, who posted five victories in his first full season with Team Penske, suffered his first DNF of the season in the most important race of his career gifting the 2010 Indycars title to Dario Franchitti.After retiring the race Power commented in a huge disapointment:
“The championship is won over 17 races, not one. Obviously, I’m very disappointed with the outcome. I really wanted to win this championship. It was at a point in the race where I felt I really had to push because Dario had led the most laps and was leading the race.
I was trying to get around (Ryan) Hunter-Reay and I got up a little too high and brushed the wall and bent the suspension. The Verizon team had a great season and we have a lot to be proud of. This has been the best season of my career in motorsport and I've learned so much. We'll be coming back to win this thing next year.”
Team owner Roger Penske added: "It was a tough ending to a good season for Team Penske. Will and the Verizon team did a great job all year. Our congratulations go out to Dario and Chip (Ganassi) for winning the championship. We will be back strong next year."
Franchitti, who entered the race 11 points behind, earned the title by five points aftsecuring a trouble-free 8th-place.
The Scottish who matched Sam Hornish Jr. with three titles in 3 consecutive seasons he commented.
"I'm just going to let it sink in, enjoy it. But I'm very proud of the achievement. I do believe the competition level in the series is going up. For whatever reason, we at Team Target both Scott (Dixon) and myself maybe didn't have the speed advantage we had last year. In some cases, we have to work harder to finish in the top five at races.
So to come away with a championship after a season like that is very satisfying. And we look back to Iowa and think to that gear box (18th place), that took a lot of points away, and from then on it was a real struggle. But nobody on the Target team gave up. We did our best every single week.
We find ourselves here again tonight. It was pretty cool. Great to be out there enjoying that feeling and that moment with my family, my friends, my teammates, it doesn't get any better than that."
It was the fifth consecutive year that the championship was decided in the final race, and the fifth time in the past six years that the Indianapolis 500 winner also won the series championship.
Dixon, who started on the front row, and won the race, holding Andretti Autosport teammates Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan who finshed with a gap of 0.0111 of a second). Briscoe finished 4rth and Helio Castroneves was 5th.
Dixon's third victory of the season helped the two-time series champion hurdle Castroneves for third in the championship standings.
“It’s a big deal trying to get to third,” he said. “With so many yellows, it turned into a fuel race and we had a few rough restarts. This was a huge night for us, but more importantly for Dario for taking another championship. We definitely had a rough year and a lot of missed opportunities, but everyone is very excited about the outcome.”
Danica Patrick also commented:
“After I crossed the line, I said it wasn’t a win but it sure felt like one. This was a great way to end the season. We have had our high points and low points and the GoDaddy crew pulled it together for a strong end to the year. Hopefully we can continue to improve the car to be better for next year.”
Vitor Meira finished a season oval-best sixth, advancing 15 positions in the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. car for A.J. Foyt Racing, and Marco Andretti was seventh in the No. 26 Team Venom Energy for Andretti Autosport. Dan Wheldon, driving the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car, and Graham Rahal in the No. 02 Quick Trim entry for Newman/Haas Racing also were in the top 10. Alex Lloyd clinched the Rookie of the Year award – a first for Dale Coyne Racing -- with a 12th-place finish. Ex F1 driver Takuma Sato finished the season in the 21st position but undoubtetly he demonstrated his future racing potentila in the series during the whole season .
