All roads lead to NASCAR.

As I sat down to watch the Indy Racing League’s final race Sunday, I was disgusted to learn that Dario Franchitti is rumored to be headed to NASCAR next season.

Pardon me while I throw up.

I realize that American championship racing (and by that I mean open wheel) has been relegated to an afterthought in this NASCAR nation we live in. Now it seems that all roads lead to NASCAR. Indy cars are becoming just another stop on a driver’s path to the land of over-commercialization and boring competition.

I can’t say as I blame a driver for the career path. Dario earned a one million dollar check for his IRL championship yesterday. While a million is nothing to laugh at, its pocket change compared to what drivers can make in NASCAR. Cruising and collecting is what keeps those 43 car fields full.

Oh, I suppose I should mention that it was a fantastic race at Chicagoland Speedway. Franchitti won the points championship over Scott Dixon on the last lap when Dixon’s car ran out of fuel.

For the second year in a row the championship came down to the final race, and this time on the final lap. NASCAR can keep their contrived Chase; I’ll stick to gutsy racing without any manufactured-for-TV drama.

I did think the Indy Racing League’s post race celebration left a lot to be desired. Neither Brian Barnhart, the Chief Operating Officer for the league, nor IRL President Tony George were present when Dario claimed his trophy. I realize it’s about the driver, but it might have looked better had one of those guys been there to present it to him on behalf of the IRL, especially while the ABC cameras were still on.

The one downside to Franchitti winning was being forced to watch three hundred camera shots of his wife, Ashley Judd. Usually an interview with her is like nails on a chalkboard, but she did bring up a valid point that I actually agreed with.

In a post-race interview for ABC TV, Judd criticized the “23 car” driven Milka Duno, and claimed she has no business in an Indy Car. I agree with that. The IRL allowing Duno to run that slow is both dangerous to herself and everyone else on the track. It’s sad the IRL is so starved for cars they’re willing to allow that to happen.

Even the normally vanilla Scott Goodyear quipped during the telecast that if Duno was any slower, she’d need a zip code.

Ouch.