Late collision gives Dixon green light
A late-race collision between teammates Dario Franchitti and Marco Andretti yesterday at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., left both drivers fuming and gave Scott Dixon a victory and a narrow lead in the IndyCar Series championship with two races remaining.
Although Franchitti, who came into the race with an eight-point lead over Dixon in the championship, refused to openly criticize his 20-year-old Andretti Green Racing teammate, he said, "Marco was out there trying to win the race and we were out there trying to win a championship.
"A case, I guess, you know, he had his priorities, I had mine. I'd really like to look at the accident, talk to him before, you know, making further comment on it. Right now, I've got my side of it and he's only got his."
Andretti wasn't as tactful after a quick visit to the infield medical center.
"I gave racing room and I was hoping he would race me clean," said Andretti, whose only IndyCar win came on the Sonoma road course last year. "I hate to think he'd do anything intentional."
Dixon held off Helio Castroneves to take a four-point lead over Franchitti heading into next week's race at Belle Isle in Detroit.
Team co-owner Michael Andretti, Marco's father, said Franchitti should have been more patient. Told about that remark, Franchitti shrugged.
"Michael is in an awkward position, I guess, being a team owner and a father," the Scotsman said. "Sometimes he doesn't have as clear a view as he should have as a team owner, maybe."
Formula One -- Ferrari's Felipe Massa won his third race of the year and his second consecutive Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul by beating teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Two-time defending Formula One champion Fernando Alonso of McLaren was third.
Overall leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren had been in third place but dropped to fifth after shredding a tire on the 43d lap. In the overall standings, with five races left, Hamilton's lead was cut to five points over Alonso, 84-79. Massa is third with 69 points and Raikkonen is next with 68.
Champ -- Sebastien Bourdais won Champ Car's inaugural Belgian Grand Prix for his sixth victory this season. Bruno Junqueira was second on the 2 1/2-mile circuit at Zolder.
NASCAR -- Carl Edwards clinched a berth for the Chase for the Nextel Cup championship by winning Saturday night's race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
