Looking back at a chaotic Sunday in motor-racing, including the IndyCar race at Houston and the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas, five things come to mind:
Dario Franchitti might understandably mull retirement now. This is mere speculation. But his frightening crash into the catch fence -- which left the Scot with a spinal fracture and broken right ankle, and injured 13 spectators -- might give him serious pause. After all, Franchitti is 40 and he's won all there is in IndyCar: Three
Don't count Helio Castroneves out of the IndyCar title hunt just yet. The three-time Indy 500 winner, seeking his first championship, had a disastrous weekend at the Houston doubleheader with mechanical problems in both races. He arrived with a 49-point lead over Scott Dixon and left trailing him by 25 points. Now it comes down to the finale at Fontana on Oct. 19. But remember: A year ago Will Power went to Fontana with a 17-point lead and lost the title to Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Let's hope
John Force will come to Pomona in search of more history. With his second consecutive funny car victory, this one in Reading, Pa., the 64-year-old Force now has a 65-point lead over Matt Hagan in the championship standings with two events left: Las Vegas on Oct. 24-27 and Pomona on No. 7-10. If Force can hold on to the lead, he'll break his own record and earn a remarkable 16th funny car championship.
The Formula One season is now an extended coronation of Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver won his fourth consecutive race in South Korea -- and his eighth on the year -- giving him a comfortable 77-point lead over Fernando Alonso in the title standings. There are five races left in the season, but the 26-year-old German is likely to lock up his fourth consecutive championship well in advance, almost certainly before the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 17.
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