Dario Franchitti reinstated to podium

SCOTLAND’S Dario Franchitti won his appeal against a last-lap penalty at the Honda Indy Toronto race and was reinstated to the podium.

Franchitti finished third in the Toronto Street Circuit race at Exhibition Place but learned during the podium celebration that he had been stripped of the finish for blocking Will Power on the final lap.

His Target Chip Ganassi Racing team appealed, and the penalty was overturned roughly two hours after the race ended. The Ganassi team presented car data that showed steering and braking points from the incident. Race control also viewed additional video in restoring Franchitti’s third-place finish.

Scott Dixon won the race to move into a tie with his team-mate Franchitti, Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy for seventh on the all-time wins list with 31. It was his second consecutive victory.

Bourdais, who was second, suffered the embarrassment of dropping and shattering his trophy during the presentation.