Dario Franchitti Back on Track

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- It says it right there on the side of Dario Franchitti's car, on the back of his driver's suit. And in the smile on his face.

"It's good to be home'' is actually the slogan for Air Wick air fresheners, which is sponsoring Franchitti's car this weekend in the IndyCar Series season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. But it works on a number of levels.

The popular 2007 series and Indy 500 champion returned to his IndyCar roots after a half-year NASCAR foray looking every bit the form he was in when he left. Fine form. Franchitti topped the speed charts in Friday's opening practice on the 14-turn circuit along St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront and was third quickest in the afternoon session. Defending race winner, 20-year-old Graham Rahal, posted the fastest lap of the day.

"I'd rather be quickest tomorrow afternoon in qualifying and then in the race Sunday, but yes, it's a good way to start," said Franchitti, who had a steady visit of well-wishers stopping to pat him on the back or wave a congrats as he sat on the pit road wall after practice.

Franchitti stunned the open-wheel world when he walked away from a championship 2007 season with Andretti Green Racing to give the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series a try last year with the Target Ganassi team. But sponsorship woes and an injury ultimately sidelined Franchitti for good by summer and he never got a true shake at it. But before the season ended, Ganassi announced that he'd put Franchitti back behind the wheel of his IndyCar for 2009.

He's teamed up with New Zealander Scott Dixon, who finished runner-up to Franchitti for the 2007 title, but who answered with an Indy 500 win and championship last year. The combination is IndyCar's version of a Dream Team.

It's one of several compelling stories the IndyCar Series will provide this year, which like Franchitti, is picking up where it left off after unifying with the Champ Car series in 2008, ending a 12-year open-wheel divide.

Rahal, the son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, was among the group of Champ Car drivers that joined IndyCar last year. Many consider him America's next great open-wheel talent -- a legitimate Formula One prospect. His victory at St. Pete last year came in his first ever IndyCar Series start and made him the youngest winner (age 19) in series history.

"What brings it out of me here, I don't know," Rahal said. "I've always been a type of guy that loves street racing. I love it here. Of course I'm biased."

Overall, the series' first official race weekend started off smoothly, with the exception of a pit road incident. Former St. Pete winner, Panther Racing's Dan Wheldon, Panther Racing's former driver, Vitor Miera, and Andretti Green driver Hideki Mutoh had a close call on pit road. Mutoh was penalized for avoidable contact. Wheldon's car -- which had been fifth fastest earlier in the session -- hit pit wall and had to be towed off track with a damaged rear suspension. Danica Patrick had a spin on course during the second practice but still posted the 10th-fastest speed of the 22 cars.

Rahal's former teammate at Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing, Justin Wilson, turned in another feel-good story on the day.

Sponsorship problems for his car at NHL left Wilson looking for a job, even though he's considered to be one of the premier talents in the series. He signed with middle-of-the-pack Dale Coyne Racing in late February and has had little time preparing with the team.

"I'm trying to prove my point that I deserve to be in this series," Wilson said. "I think this (Friday effort) is great. and we'll take any small victory we can."

Qualifying for the Grand Prix will be held Saturday afternoon. And Sunday's race can't get here fast enough for Franchitti.

"Everytime I get in the car, it just feels great," said Franchitti, who won the pole position here in 2006. "The fans have been good. I'm happy to see my all my old buddies.

"This just feels good."