Dario Franchitti awake and alert after last-lap crash at Grand Prix Houston

After a late yellow cost him a potential win on Saturday, Will Power was able to hold off Scott Dixon in the closing laps to take Race 2 of the Shell/Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston. However, the race ended with a frightening crash in Turn 5 involving Dario Franchitti, E.J. Viso and Takuma Sato. Franchitti and Sato made contact going into the turn, which sent Franchitti airborne and into the catch fence, sending debris everywhere across the track and over the fence as well toward the nearby grandstands.

Minutes later, however, Franchitti’s team owner, Chip Ganassi, said that Dario was awake and alert, even though his ankles and back were sore after the incident. “He’s gonna take a trip to the hospital, that’s for sure,” Ganassi told NBCSN’s Kevin Lee. “But he’s okay.”

INDYCAR’s Amy Konrath later confirmed that Franchitti, awake and alert, would indeed go to a local Houston hospital. The incident made for a muted Victory Lane as Power hoped that Franchitti was alright. “It just looked bad, I hate seeing that,” Power said. “I just hope he’s OK…But it was a very good day [on the track]. We were able to help Helio out a bit [in the championship], and I just hope Dario is alright.

“I think we had the quickest car for sure. We were a little bit skating on cold tires but I knew that any time I wanted I could pull a bit of a gap on Dixon. I was very determined to get him there.” Despite losing out to Power, Dixon was able to assume the IZOD IndyCar Series championship lead by 25 points after Helio Castroneves finished 23rd following a repair to the cracked gearbox housing on his machine early in the race.

Dixon also was thinking about Franchitti in the immediate aftermath, but did touch upon the massive shift in the championship. “Another win would’ve been nice,” Dixon said. “We came up a little short. Will was being pretty aggressive there and hit us before the restart and then hit us going into Turn 4, which sort of got me sideways and he got the run on me down the backstraight.

“It is what it is. He’s obviously trying to take away as many points for his teammate as he could. But all in all, a pretty decent weekend. A good turnout in the points for us, but it’s still gonna be a tough weekend at [Auto Club Speedway].”

James Hinchcliffe finished third after being knocked out yesterday off the standing start. Justin Wilson claimed a fourth-place finish, and Sebastien Bourdais rounded out the Top 5.

- Chris Estrada, MST, NBC Sports