Two close championships, one was crowned and the other has just three races remaining.
The first fight for the championship was last Sunday as the IRL IndyCar Series held there season finale at Chicagoland in Joliet, IL with four drivers in the fight for the championship. Helio Castroneves was in the lead by one point over Sam Hornish Jr., while the two Ganassi drivers Dan wheldon in third with 19 points and Scott Dixon was in fourth with 21 points.
This finale was run in fastforward to me with the race making history as the third fastest in the IRL history. By the end of this one, all four points contenders were running 1-4 with Dan wheldon doing everything he could including locking up the 3 bonus points for leading the most laps.
All Sam Hornish Jr had to do was simply put, finish either 2nd or 3rd if Dan wheldon was leading to win the championship and thats just how this one would go. Dan wheldon who battled his teammate all race long held off Scott Dixon to win his second race of the year (his first win at the season opener in Homestead) and Sam Hornish Jr. would finish in 3rd creating a tiebreaker for the championship with Sam Hornish Jr. crowned the 2006 IRL IndyCar Series Championship with two victories over Dan wheldon. Helio Castroneves battled back from a speeding penalty to finish fourth in the race and third in the championship.
Thats it until Homestead next March for the IRL IndyCar Series.
The other fight for the championship is in Formula 1 between Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher, this battle will too come down to the finale in Brazil. But with four rounds remaining in the Formula One championship, it was Monza's turn and despite some problems with track in the eye's of the Formula 1, the championship would get even tighter as Michael Schumacher did just he needed to do, Schumacher took the lead from polesitter Kimi Raikkonen just after the first pitstop and never looked back as Schumacher won in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. On the flip side, Fernando Alonso would suffer a DNF in the closing laps as his engine would let go. Schumacher would close the gap in the championship to within 2 points of leader Alonso.
However, the championship would take a backseat as weeks of rumors would be answered with Michael Schumacher announcing in the post-race conference that he would retire at seasons end.
7-Time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher confirms his retirement,
With Michael stepping down from Ferrari, Ferrari later confirms Raikkonen, Massa for ‘07 season.
The next race is in a couple weeks time in China on October the first. Three rounds left, who will be the 2006 Formula 1 World Championship.
See Yeah!
