Dario Franchitti takes a 27-point lead over Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon into Saturday's Indy Japan 300, the final race to determine the inaugural A.J. Foyt Oval Championship Trophy winner.
Dixon won the race last year, and Franchitti was 1.4sec behind in second. Franchitti has accumulated 228 points from victories at Indianapolis and Chicagoland plus top-five finishes at Kansas, Texas and Kentucky. Dixon won at Kansas and had top-10 finishes at the other five ovals.
Dixon and Andretti Autosport's Tony Kanaan are the only drivers to complete all 1,278 laps on ovals this season. Panther Racing's Dan Wheldon is three shy.
The oval title-holder will be decided in Japan, but will be formally presented the trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway in two weeks. Team Penske's Will Power, who leads Franchitti by 17 points for the overall championship title, received the road/street course trophy from Andretti last month at Infineon Raceway.
Team owner A.J. Foyt did not make the trip to Japan for the second year in a row. However, his son Larry– who serves as A.J. Foyt Racing's team director – will be the race strategist for the team's No. 14 ABC Supply car driven by Vitor Meira.