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Franchitti won't comment on future

If it's true, Dario Franchitti isn't saying

Franchitti wouldn't confirm or deny published reports Saturday that he is headed for NASCAR in 2008. After his pole-winning run for Sunday's Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, Franchitti declined to answer questions regarding reports that he had signed a five-year contract to drive Chip Ganassi's No. 40 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next year.

"I'm not thinking about nor am I going to talk about next year," Franchitti said. "I'm going to focus on this race and winning this championship."

Speculation about Franchitti's possible move to Ganassi's Cup team began Friday afternoon, when reports from Charlotte indicated David Stremme, the driver of the No. 40 car, was released from his contract with Ganassi. More reports Saturday indicated the deal with Franchitti was already done and covered five years, but Franchitti wouldn't confirm it.

"I'm just focused on this weekend," Franchitti said. "I've got a small brain, and it takes all my brainpower to focus on what I'm doing right now."

The blockbuster news came on the eve of the IndyCar Series season finale with Franchitti engaged in an intense championship battle with Scott Dixon, who drives for Ganassi. True or not, the story surprised many around the IndyCar paddock, including Franchitti's teammates at Andretti Green Racing.

"If it's true, then yes, I am surprised," said Tony Kanaan, one of Franchitti's teammates with Andretti Green Racing and one of his closest friends. "I didn't think he was going to go anywhere else except in Indy cars. Yes, I was a bit surprised, but what can you do? You get good surprises and bad surprises. Being selfish as a teammate, I want him back."

When asked if he tried to talk Franchitti out of the move, Kanaan said: "He never spoke to me about it. I can't talk him out of something I didn't know he was going to do. I tried to work it out that he would renew with the team, but I never said don't go here or don't go there."

Ganassi and team officials declined to comment on the story. When asked about the possibility that his championship rival might become part of the same racing operation, Dixon joked.

"It's him, not me," Dixon said. "I have no idea. If you talk to both of them, they'll probably tell you it's been in the works for a couple of years."

While rumors swirled and the reports remained unsubstantiated, the notion arose that the story could be a hoax to improve Franchitti's bargaining power in future negotiations. Franchitti reportedly is not happy with AGR, namely with Michael Andretti, who blamed Franchitti following a crash last month at Infineon Raceway.

"As a big family, we don't agree all the time," Kanaan said. "I didn't agree with Michael at Mid-Ohio, and Dario didn't agree with Michael at Sonoma. We sat down and talked about it. It's normal to have a little tension.

"It's not flowers and roses every day. We have issues, and we address those issues. Everything is cool. If he's leaving, I don't think that's what made his decision."

Some drivers doubted the story, saying it's common for drivers to feign interest in other teams or types of racing to bargain up their asking price, a trick Franchitti has applied in the past. Ganassi, who has been occupied in a bitter championship battle with AGR, also has been known to enjoy such games.

"I'll believe it when I see it, I guess," said Sam Hornish Jr., himself the subject of going-to-NASCAR rumors this season. "A lot of people think it's easy to pick up and go over and do it, but if you're going to have any shot of being competitive at it, there's a lot that is involved with that. We'll see what happens."

Danica Patrick used the NASCAR bargaining chip to her advantage before signing with AGR last season. She said she didn't know about Franchitti's plans for 2008.

"If it happens, I'll wish him good luck," Patrick said. "He's a great driver, and great drivers do great."

If true, the move would put Franchitti in the same team with Juan Pablo Montoya, with whom he battled for the CART championship in 1999. That duel went down to the final race, with Montoya winning on a tiebreaker after the two drivers tied in points.

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