BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Franchitti confident of title bid



By Ed King BBC Sport Online

Scot Dario Franchitti believes he can challenge for the Cart title this year, despite trailing well behind runaway leader Cristiano da Matta in the championship.

Franchitti won his first race of the season in Vancouver on 28 July, ending a year-long victory drought.

And Franchitti told BBC Sport Online that the confidence that the win gave him and his team can help them claw back the Brazilian's 38-point advantage.

Franchitti triumphs in Vancouver

Franchitti believes Da Matta's Newman-Haas team had a performance advantage at the start of the season, but that his Team Green outfit are getting back on terms.

The win was psychologically important for the mechanics

Dario Franchitti

"There was a gap between the teams, believe me. There was a reason he was winning all those races," Franchitti said.

"Da Matta had a performance advantage in the first half of the season, he took advantage of that and good luck to him.

"They (Newman Haas) had the car working incredibly well for his driving style, and we just couldn't compete.

"His confidence is high now; when one guy can dominate Cart like that it's very impressive."

But Franchitti is also keen to stress that much of his team's lack of performance was down to misfortune.

Team Green have been beset by a variety of technical faults, and Franchitti believes they had begun to doubt their abilities.

"The win was psychologically important for the mechanics because it showed them they could do it," Franchitti said.

Franchitti discusses tactics with his technical team
Team Green's mechanics have had a torrid season
"We've had so many small problems this year so that gives them confidence.

"The pit-stops in Chicago and the engine blowing up in Cleveland were examples of mistakes we've made this year.

"But hopefully that is all in the past now though and we can go out there and compete with him."

Franchitti, who finished the 1999 season level on points with champion Juan Pablo Montoya, believes the next four races are crucial to his team's chances.

He races three times in the USA and once in Canada before crossing the Atlantic for the event at Rockingham in the UK on 14 September, which he sees as his "home" race.

"We can lose or win the championship in the next four races," he said.

"It's critical to get the performance right to allow us to run up front and finish races, but the best way is to win races - because they win championships."


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