Super Dario

Dario Franchitti openly admits that he is probably one of the 'invisible men' of the IndyCar Series. However, last Sunday people had no choice but to take notice of the Scottish driver, as he earned the right to drink the most famous milk in the world after winning the Indianapolis 500.

The race may have been disrupted by rain on more than one occasion, but that didn't make Franchitti any less a deserving winner, and while he didn't climb any fences, or do a back flip off of his car in celebration, this time he was guaranteed to make the headlines.

For a man who has been racing, and winning, in America for a decade, it seems bizarre that Franchitti would be able to stay out of the spotlight, but it's a role that he's happy with.

"Sometimes I do feel like the invisible man of the series, but I'll just keep doing everything I can in the car," he said. "We always know what we have and what we are capable of."

Another man often placed in the 'invisible' category is Scott Dixon, and as the Kiwi followed Franchitti across the finish line in the rain on Sunday, the irony was not lost on the race winner.

"When I saw Scott behind us I thought, 'this should make people sit up and take notice of us,'" Franchitti said after the race. "We flew under the radar all month, and we have done all year really."

Dario Franchitti (Andretti-Green) and Scott Dixon (Ganassi) © LAT

Despite the success that the pair enjoyed at Indianapolis and the fact that both of them are now in the top three in the championship, Franchitti doesn't believe that keeping a low profile is much of a benefit.

"Flying under the radar doesn't really make a difference," he said. "We always just have to do our best, and the unknown is just what everyone else can do."

Throughout the month leading up to the Indy 500, it had been clear that Franchitti was going to be a major player in the race. Qualifying had been an agonising process for the Andretti Green driver, as he set a fast time early during pole day, and then watched on as it stood until the closing minutes of the day.

Eventually Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan bumped Franchitti down to third place, and their laps came so late in the day that he was left powerless and frustrated heading into the race.

"Qualifying was frustrating because we were so fast," he said. "I would have loved to go again, but the team told me that we weren't sacrificing a front row position and I had to go along with it. But if someone had beaten us earlier in the day, I would have definitely had another go."

Andretti Green's performance as a team at Indy this year was reminiscent of their 2005 performance, when Dan Wheldon won the race, but Kanaan and Franchitti had also been strong.

After dominating the championship in 2004 and 2005, Andretti Green struggled by their standards in 2006 when the whole field switched to Honda engines, and the team lost their special relationship with the Japanese manufacturer.

"We underestimated the horsepower advantage we had in '05," admitted Franchitti. "I think the team really got caught napping, and halfway through the year we realised that we needed to step it up."

However, the tough times in '06 played their part in Franchitti returning for another crack at Indy. The difficult year had left him even hungrier to taste success again, and now he has won the biggest prize of them all, it's got him all fired up for more.

"When we sat down at the end of 2005, I wasn't sure how much more I wanted to do," he said. "But with the average year in 2006 my motivation was stronger than ever, and I don't see myself quitting any time soon."

Dario Franchitti looks for the likeness of Jim Clark on the Borg-Warner trophy © LAT

Dan Wheldon has never made any secret of his love for the Indy 500, but the magnitude of the race had never truly hit Franchitti until he realised that his opportunity to win the race might have slipped through his fingers on Sunday.

"Winning the Indy 500 is the pinnacle of my career," he says. "It's massive, and it only really hit me when the race was stopped for rain after 113 laps, and I thought it was all over. I was happy that the team were running one-two-three, but the selfish side of me wanted them to restart it."

Franchitti got his wish, and while the end result was not as strong for Andretti Green as it would have been after 113 laps, the Scot's victory was a popular one throughout the team's five-car garage.

2007 has been a good year all round for Franchitti, though. The 34-year-old has not only enjoyed a return to form in the IndyCar Series, but he's been able to dabble in sportscars, and celebrate the success of another family member.

Franchitti enjoys a close relationship with his cousin Paul di Resta, and he is taking a lot of joy from watching the youngster perform so well as a rookie in the DTM, where Dario himself once plied his trade.

"I've always thought Paul was a special talent, and he's proving it," he says. "Norbert Haug compared his achievements to those of Lewis Hamilton in F1, but the difference is Paul is in a two-year-old car."

Franchitti also raced for Mercedes when he was in the series more than 10 years ago, and he believes that di Resta is well placed to continue progressing in his career.

"I know the DTM is a good training ground," he says. "It's good because it's not a one make series like GP2, and you can get involved with a manufacturer and learn about developing a car.

"I'm on the phone most days with Paul, and he's doing a really impressive job. What he's doing is excellent, it's amazing."

Franchitti also made an appearance in the Sebring 12 hours in March, where he drove an LMP2 Acura for Andretti Green. He has been out in the car again since, and some good performances have helped boost his morale.

Dario Franchitti drives the Acura-Lola LMP2 in Long Beach © LAT

"That car is a blast to drive," he says. "It's so much fun, and it's bloody quick too. I've always tried to drive different things, but for the past 10 years I've driven Champ Car and IndyCar pretty much exclusively.

"The Sportscar thing has been a breath of fresh air, and I'm sure the success rubs off a wee bit over here. It's just nice to get into something different."

So, with the biggest prize in American open wheel racing under his belt, you could be forgiven for expecting Franchitti to make that breath of fresh air a full-time occupation in 2008. However, it appears that his victory might have swayed him the other way.

"Right now I'm enjoying the IRL, because we're competitive," he says. "I'm not sure what the future holds right now. There's a few good years left in me though, and maybe a championship too."

Winning a championship would be the perfect way for Franchitti to call time on his open-wheel career in America. While he has been flying under the radar in recent years, there may be a few people that have probably forgotten how close he ran Juan Pablo Montoya for the 1999 Champ Car title.

It would be fitting if they could have their memories jogged before Franchitti eventually does leave the open-wheel scene.