Power's once-healthy lead has melted considerably as Franchitti has outdone him over the last three races. But as the final battle looms, the Toowoomba, Australia, native continues to maintain the even-keeled poise that he's exhibited throughout his stellar campaign this year.
"I remember the race in Japan, I said to (team owner) Roger (Penske), 'I feel very kind of relaxed about the whole thing,'" Power said on Wednesday. "Yeah, I mean the thing is in all those races, we've been at the front. I led at Chicagoland. I led at Kentucky. Been there, it just hasn't worked out.
"The anxiety level, I'm actually quite relaxed. I think when it comes down to it. I'm very focused on what I want to do, and if it comes time to be very aggressive, I will. If not, I'll just race my normal race. I'll be aware of exactly what I have to do on the weekend."
But his adversary has been through all of this before. Multiple times, in fact.
In 1999, Franchitti and Juan Pablo Montoya wound up tied for the CART championship. But Montoya's seven triumphs trumped Franchitti's three, and thus, the Scotsman lost out. Eight years later, Franchitti finally claimed the crown as Scott Dixon ran out of gas in Turn 4 on the final lap at Chicagoland. Then, with an ill-fated trip to NASCAR in 2008 behind him, Franchitti utilized fuel strategy to outlast the more aggressive Dixon and Ryan Briscoe in the final race at Homestead. It was enough to earn him the 2009 title by 11 points.
But through it all, he's kept the same approach despite the inherent differences of each duel.
"We know how to get the job done," said Franchitti. "The guys at Team Target know how to win it, too. We're not going to go out and change our game plan. We're going to go out to win the race. We've got to make up the points.
