Dario Franchitti’s forced smile couldn’t mask his back pain last year in the IRL IndyCar® Series race at Pikes Peak International Raceway. On Aug. 22, his smile was broader and relaxed.

Winning made the difference. Franchitti beat Adrian Fernandez to the finish line by 2.2429 seconds to win the Honda Indy 225 on the one-mile Pikes Peak International Raceway oval. His Andretti Green Racing teammate, Dan Wheldon, was third and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Darren Manning fourth.

The June 2003 race was Franchitti’s first start since suffering back injuries in a motorcycle accident in April. He started seventh and finished fourth in the No. 27 Archipelago/Motorola Dallara/Honda/Firestone - the highest in his three-race campaign. Franchitti decided to curtail the season to undergo a procedure in which surgeons would insert pins to stabilize a cracked vertebra in his lower back.

So it was gratifying to Franchitti to win here. Actually, it’s gratifying for the Scotsman to win at any track in 2004.

“We were strong here last year, but a lot of things have happened since last year,” he said. “We were strong at Milwaukee, and my engineers at did a great job to give me a good car here. I got into a good rhythm, and these low-grip situations suit my driving style."

Andretti Green Racing drivers have won all three races on one-mile ovals this year (Kanaan at Phoenix in addition to Franchitti).

It was Franchitti’s second victory this season on a one-mile oval. His initial IndyCar Series victory came July 25 at The Milwaukee Mile, and he has six top-10 finishes in 12 races.

After exchanging the lead with Sam Hornish Jr. early in the race, Franchitti pulled into the pits for a routine stop on Lap 85. After being waved out, fueler Mike Miller had difficulty disconnecting the coupling from the car and was clipped by the left rear tire. Miller suffered a twisted knee and Franchitti lost 10 valuable seconds and three spots.

But a yellow flag for debris on Lap 120 allowed Franchitti to catch the lead pack. He passed Hornish on Lap 132 and, despite being challenged by Fernandez and Kanaan late, held on. Franchitti, who started fourth, led a field-high 128 laps.

Fernandez, who picked up his maiden IndyCar Series victory last week at Kentucky Speedway, had another impressive run in the No. 5 Quaker State Telmex Tecate Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone.

“It was a fantastic day, especially following last week’s result,” said Fernandez, who started seventh. “It was one of the most challenging races of the year, at least for me. The track was changing consistently through the whole race. At some stages, I had too much push. When I was very balanced at the beginning of the run, and I was going to be very loose at the end. You needed to adjust to those things, and be patient and just take care of your tires.

“My car was responding and I was getting one guy at a time. Eventually we just couldn’t get Dario. He was very strong. I think if we could’ve gotten in front of him we could’ve won the race, but that was the trick. My guys did a fantastic job in the pits, but still not enough to get Dario. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic result for us, and we carry some good momentum.”

Wheldon recorded his third consecutive third-place finish. The 2003 Bombardier Rookie of the Year started on the front row next to pole sitter Kanaan and ran with the leaders the entire race.

“It was good fun,” said Wheldon, driver of the No. 26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone. “It was a good result. Any time you finish on the podium, it’s good.”

Manning just missed out on his first podium finish of the season. Fourth place matched his season high.

“I’ve very pleased with this fourth-place finish because we worked so very hard to get it,” said Manning, driver of the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone. “We lost a lap because of a refueling problem on our first stop, so we took a gamble on fuel strategy and it paid off for us. We got a yellow just at the right time, and by getting our lap back I was able to ride the momentum right to the end.

“This Target team just never gave up, and that is just so important. They gave me a good car, and I was able to adjust it throughout the stint.”