Hair today, gone tomorrow: Kanaan, Franchitti to sport new do's for IndyCar Championship in Miami?

IndyCar Series champions Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti—former teammates at Andretti Green Racing—are waging a hairdo hoo-hah that will culminate in South Florida during the Oct. 9-10 SpeedJam Championships at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Franchitti, race fans will recall, spent the 2008 season driving in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series and allowed his buzz cut to blossom into a full head of curly locks. Kanaan, however, is at the other end of the hair spectrum, maintaining his preferred a close cut. For the 2009 IndyCar campaign, the competitors have entered into a wager whereby if Franchitti was the first to win a race this season, the bald Kanaan would have to grow his hair until he wins an IndyCar race. Had Kanaan won, the long-haired Franchitti would have had to shave his head.

Well, with Franchitti’s win at Long Beach, he should be sporting his long locks as the series heads to Indianapolis. This from his weekly blog: “The thing is, you guys have all seen me with a shaved head,” Franchitti wrote. “But you‘ve never seen Tony with his full afro. When Tony lets his hair grow he’s got the world’s biggest ’fro—a giant disco afro at that. It’s unreal. Looks like an oversized costume wig.”

It’s anybody’s guess as to what these guys will look like when season concludes Oct. 10 with the SpeedJam Championships at Homestead-Miami Speedway. One thing that is certain: great seats are available for the Championship finale: Call (866) 409-RACE or click here

Ford Racing’s Carl Edwards is out to prove himself as a champion both on and off the track. Just a few hours after surviving a horrific last lap accident at Talladega in late April, Edwards and a team of drivers embarked on the “Ford Fusion Hybrid 1000-Mile Challenge,” a journey that sought to: a) demonstrate Ford’s commitment to build a car ranking among the best in fuel economy; b) highlight the crucial role NASCAR drivers play in maximizing fuel economy during a race; and c) raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

In late April, a team of Ford drivers that included Edwards surpassed their journey’s 1000-mile mark with more than a third of a tank remaining—averaging almost 80 miles per gallon on a trek that equated to driving from New York to Miami, home to NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend Nov. 20-22 (great tickets available here). For more information on the 100-Mile Challenge, click here.

The Grand-Am Rolex Series endured almost a three-month layoff after the season opener at Daytona, although teams did enjoy an opportunity to test in March at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the Grand-Am Champions will be crowned during the SpeedJam Championships Oct. 9-10. Entering the month of May, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates led in the Daytona Prototype class while The Racer’s Group Porsches were setting the pace in the GT category. This highly competitive series also welcomes regular visits by NASCAR and IndyCar Series drivers throughout the season. Look for a close finish in Miami come October.