INDY RACING LEAGUE

• Franchitti looking to make it three-for-four at Iowa

  Newton, IA (Sports Network) - Series: IZOD IndyCar. Date: Sunday, June 20. Race: Iowa Indy Corn 250. Site: Iowa Speedway. Track: 0.875-mile oval. Start Time: 2:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 250. Miles: 218.75. 2009 winner: Dario Franchitti. Television: VERSUS. Radio: IMS Radio Network/SIRIUS XM Satellite.

  The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to action this weekend at the 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway.

  Iowa is the last oval race before IndyCar runs its next four events on road courses -- Watkins Glen, NY, Toronto, Edmonton and Sonoma, CA.

  After winning the Indianapolis 500 last month and then finishing fifth at Texas earlier this month, defending series champion Dario Franchitti has claimed the points lead for the first time in 2010. Franchitti from Target Chip Ganassi Racing holds just a slim three-point advantage over Team Penske's Will Power, who sat atop the standings for the first six races this season.

  Franchitti has won two of the three races at Iowa. He missed Iowa in 2008 when he was competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series.

  "All races are tough, and the one at Iowa is no different," Franchitti said. "There's such a thin line to walk between getting it right and sticking the thing into the fence.

  You want to run up front, so we'll go there and do our best." Last year at Iowa, Franchitti took the lead following the last round of pit stops and then never looked back during final 50 laps for the win.

  Ryan Briscoe led a race-high 85 laps, but lost the lead to Franchitti after his lengthy pit time late in the race. Franchitti beat Briscoe to the finish line by just over five seconds for his second win of the season.

  In 2008, Dan Wheldon won at Iowa on the same day he turned 30 years old. Wheldon drove the final 90 laps without refueling and held off a hard-charging Hideki Mutoh in the final laps for his 15th career IndyCar victory. He has not won a race since Iowa two years ago.

  Wheldon drove for Target Chip Ganassi Racing at the time, but moved over to Panther Racing for the start of the 2009 season.

  Twenty-five teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Iowa Corn Indy 250.

  06/15 19:43:07 ET