Soon to join Dario Franchitti's collection of racing mementos will be the inaugural A.J. Foyt Oval Championship Trophy, which the Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver secured with a runner-up finish in the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. He posted two oval victories (Indy and Chicagoland Speedway) and three other top-five finishes to outpace Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon.
Foyt, the first four-time Indy 500 champion who leads the all-time Indy car racing list with 67 victories, did not make the trip to Japan with A.J. Foyt Racing and will present the gleaming trophy to Franchitti at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"The A.J. Foyt Trophy, I'm proud of that,” said Franchitti, who will attempt to win the overall IZOD IndyCar Series title on the 1.5-mile oval on Oct. 2. “It's great to share with my team and especially named for A.J. and for Mario Andretti, two great champions to name trophies after.”
Will Power, who leads Franchitti by 12 points for the series championship, earned the Mario Andretti Road Championship Trophy with five victories and four other top-five finishes. Now the race to decide the series' overall champion comes down to the top oval and road/street course point-scorers.
“I'm privileged to win (the oval award), and now it's off to the big one,” Franchitti said.