FanHouse IndyCarSeries

INDIANAPOLIS -- The timing of the latest round of Danica Patrick-to-NASCAR reports isn't lost on those in the IndyCar world, where Thursday's major announcement that IZOD will be the IndyCar Series' first title sponsor in a decade has been forced to share headlines with its most famous driver's likely part-time foray into stock cars.

Recently crowned 2009 IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti -- a former Andretti Green Racing teammate of Patrick's -- said Thursday he's still confident she's staying in IndyCar next season.

"I believe she'll be back in IndyCar next year and that will help her with her goal of winning the Indianapolis 500,'' Franchitti told FanHouse. "If she does drive in NASCAR, I think it will be difficult to do both.''

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- It was as if Dario Franchitti never left.

The 36-year old Scot returned from a don't-look-back 2008 NASCAR experiment to reclaim the IndyCar Series championship trophy he took with him, sealing the deal on his second title Saturday night in nearly identical fashion to how he earned the first in 2007.

While Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe and Franchitti's Target Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon traded the race lead and led the most laps in the Indy 300 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Franchitti laid back in third position, saved just enough fuel and inherited the lead when Briscoe and Dixon was forced to pit for fuel in the waning laps of the series' first ever caution-free race.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- The Indy 300 -- the IndyCar Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway -- is Saturday. For the fourth consecutive season the last race on the schedule will decide the drivers championship.

New Zealander Scott Dixon leads his Target Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti by four points in the standings. Australian Ryan Briscoe, of Team Penske, is eight points behind Dixon. The three dominated the practice speed charts and will start in front of the grid today -- Franchitti on pole position, Dixon next to him and Briscoe on the second row.

The three men have accounted for 12 wins in 14 races and traded the championship lead 14 times. This is the second closest championship battle in the series history.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves stopped by for a live chat with FanHouse Friday, while he was track-side at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The former winner of the television hit Dancing With the Stars is ranked fourth in the IndyCar Series championship, which wraps up its season Saturday night.

Castroneves, who drives the No. 3 Team Penske entry, took your questions on everything from racing to dancing to whether he could ever see himself in NASCAR. Oh, and he also answered a question about Danica Patrick's phone number.

Check out what Helio had to say after the jump.

IndyCar Series championship contender Ryan Briscoe will join FanHouse for a live chat on Thursday at 11:30 AM ET.

Briscoe, 28, who drives the No. 6 car for Team Penske, is one of three drivers who will decide the IndyCar championship Saturday night in the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Only eight points separate third place Briscoe from leader Scott Dixon. Dario Franchitti is five points behind Dixon in the series' second closest three-man battle for the season title.

Join Briscoe as he takes your questions and discusses the biggest opportunity of his career in one of racing's most exciting championship scenarios.

Danica Patrick has signed a multi-year deal to stay in the IndyCar Series, according to a pair of published reports on Friday.

According to the Indianapolis Star and SI.com, Patrick signed a three-year contract extension with Andretti Green Racing (AGR). Patrick, nor the team, have confirmed the deal. There is nothing on her personal website addressing the situation.

"I think we'd all welcome her (to NASCAR), but I'm really happy for Michael (cousin Michael Andretti) and for his team,'' said NASCAR driver John Andretti. "That is great for them and maybe Danica can still try some of this stuff too and see what she thinks."

FH writers Holly Cain and Geoffrey Miller are taking part in both major American races this weekend. Here, they go Wheel2Wheel on some major issues facing each sport.

There's been lots of talk about Danica Patrick this week moving to NASCAR. We'll ask again: is this for real?

Holly Cain: While Danica is clearly enjoying her flirtation with NASCAR, I don't think it's a real option - yet as much as a bargaining ploy to land a good IndyCar ride.

Geoffrey Miller: I couldn't agree more, though a move by her would be a tremendous short-term gain for NASCAR in terms of a new character in the garage.

IndyCar driver, and perhaps more notably the former champion of TV's Dancing with the Stars, Helio Castroneves will have to wait at least two more days to learn the fate of his future.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion and driver for the esteemed Penske Racing operation faces charges of tax evasion, along with his sister Katitucia and attorney Alan Miller for what the Internal Revenue Service says was millions of dollars worth of evaded and unpaid tax returns.

And Friday, after both the prosecution and the defense finished their final statements, the jury deliberated for over two hours before closing up shop for the weekend.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. -- IndyCar Series sources said Friday that Richard Petty Motorsports, in conjunction with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, will field a car for John Andretti in this year's Indianapolis 500. A formal announcement is set for Monday at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A news release was issued Friday saying only that it would be a NASCAR team owner and NASCAR driver setting off speculation in the IndyCar paddock as teams prepare for this weekend's season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Every once and a while, I'll find an article that shines a completely different line of a topical subject and really makes you think a lot.

This week's example? A blog post by ESPN's Ryan McGee titled "The Fall of Al Unser Jr."

Unser Jr. -- in case you missed it -- made more headlines the way he hates to last week when an indictment involving a prostitution ring listed him as an extortion victim thanks a tape that supposedly showed the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion in a compromising situation.

The owner of the tape allegedly wanted $750,000 to keep the video from going public and Unser Jr., was close to paying it to avoid breaking a "morals clause" in a racing contract.

McGee's post, however, focused on nothing of like and instead talked about how far Unser Jr. has fallen from his incredible win over Scott Goodyear in 1992 Indianapolis 500 and his second in 1994.

In the post, McGee talks about how Unser Jr. could have had a legitimate NASCAR career and how the driver found himself living out of a motor home at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a just a few years ago.