(RacingWire) - Here is the transcript from a teleconference with Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti.  The teleconference was held to preview the upcoming IZOD IndyCar Series race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Dario, your win in Sonoma last year was one of those dream weekends when you started from the pole, led every lap and took the win.  Can you talk about last year’s race and your expectations for next weekend’s race at Infineon Raceway?

DF: If only they were all like that, it’d much be easier.  It really was a dream weekend last year.  To start up front is very important at Infineon Raceway and we managed to get the pole position in the final moments of qualifying.  We had a very fast car, made no mistakes, made great pit stops and we got the victory, and we were right in the thick of the championship hunt and that made a big difference to the points score. We also had over 300 guests from Target, so it was really a great weekend.

This year, you have to keep the expectations in check because, yeah, we did great last year, but each race you go to, no matter what you did the race before or the race last year, you’ve got to start from zero again and get the car working right, and everybody’s got to go out and earn it again.  We need to go out and focus on working hard, rather than on what we did before.

What are your thoughts on the push-to-pass?

A. Actually, the difference is very, very difficult to feel because it’s such a subtle difference, but when you look at the lap times afterward, it’s definitely worth a considerable amount.  I think some of that comes from that in the IZOD IndyCar Series right now with us all running the same stuff, we find it’s very difficult to find an advantage.

After your time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, do you think there are any lessons from NASCAR that IndyCar could learn?

A. There are definitely things that both series do well, and there are things that both could improve on.  Obviously the IndyCar Series had a tough time with the split and everything, but getting back together in 2008 was a big step in the right direction and adding IZOD as title sponsor, I’m just feeling good momentum. Having Randy (Bernard, IZOD IndyCar Series CEO) in charge is a good step, too.  We need to have our own identity as a series, too.  There are some things we could use from NASCAR, but I think there are things the IndyCar Series does better than anyone else in the world.

What are some of the things you think IndyCar is doing right?

A. I think if you look at value for money, particularly for the sponsors.  In this difficult economy, we had 27 cars at Mid-Ohio last weekend. That’s as many as I remember for a long time, other than the Indy 500.  In these economic times, while many series are shrinking, the IndyCar Series is actually getting bigger.

Do you feel that the series is getting fans back since the unification?

A. Absolutely.  The crowd at Mid-Ohio was very impressive, and we’ve got to work hard to give the fans what they want, ultimately.  We’re racing because of the fans, and they make the sport go round. Without them, I’d be racing go-karts back in Scotland.  It’s very important to give them what they want, and bit by bit we’re doing that.  I think the product on track is very good. I do think we need to improve the visibility on television, which I think is very important, and something we’re working on.

There have been a lot of changes with the addition of IZOD and Randy Bernard, and the new car for 2012.  Which changes do you like best?

A. With IZOD coming on-board, they’ve done a tremendous amount to market the series, and that’s been a very welcome addition.  Not only the sponsor dollars they provide, but the activation, as well. That’s really been a plus for the series.  I think Randy has a really good vision of where he wants the series to go. He doesn’t understand that much about the sport yet, but he understands marketing and how to make this sport work.  It’s early days, but I’ve enjoyed being involved in the process and watching how it’s going in the right direction.

Have you been impressed by Will Power’s comeback since his accident in Sonoma last year?

A. I think Will’s had a terrific season, and, having come back from a broken back myself, I kind of know what he went through last year. It’s a tough road, but I think it makes you more motivated and more driven to succeed, and I think you can see that with Will.  Our job at team Target is to beat him to that championship.

With two Target Chip Ganassi team cars, does that affect how you approach the points battle?

A. Right now it doesn’t change too much.  We just need to be finishing ahead of all the Team Penske cars, and if we can do that, then we’re in good shape.  That’s something we did last year.  Last year we won 10 races between us, Scott and I, and this year we’ve only won four so far, so we’ve got to get on with it.

Will Power has been really dominant on the road courses this year, will he be the one to beat in Sonoma?

A. I think he’s definitely one of the people we’re going to have to fight with to win the race, but we have to focus on our job and make the Target car as fast as possible.  We’re testing there (in Sonoma) on Friday, and when we come back for the race and the track conditions change a bit, I‘ve got to be on top of my game and get the car perfect, and have good pit stops during the racer, all those things.  Plus, we need to have a little bit of luck, and then we’ll see how we get on.

We’ve seen more women drivers in the series.  Do you treat them the same as other drivers or with more respect?   Would you like to see more women as competitors?

A. I think that’s one of the things that been very impressive about the women drivers in motorsport. In other forms of sport, there’s ladies’ golf and basketball, whereas in our sport they’re competing with the men on equal footing.  I think that in the series right now, three of the four women drivers competing absolutely deserve to be there and they’ve worked very hard, and you don’t even notice whether it’s Simona, Danica or one of the guys driving the car, it makes no difference at all.

Last week was a tough race between you and Will Power, and the pit crews helped decide the race.  Will pit stops be as critical in Sonoma, or is there more opportunity to pass here?

A. Any race we do, whether it’s an oval or a tighter road course, pit stops are critical and the whole team has to do its job. The Target boys did a phenomenal job getting us out ahead of Will.  We were surprised because we weren’t even sure if we could get the car into the pit box on our marks and get out with Will in his pit box in front of us, as they’re the smallest pit boxes we’ve ever used.  We all did our job on that one, but our boys nailed it and it’s going to be the same at every race.  We’ve all got to do our job.

What do you think about the rule on the restarts, as it pertains to blocking?

A. It wasn’t just the restarts, there was a no-blocking rule in the IndyCar Series and there has been for at least five years.  I don’t think we did a very good job of getting that across to fans or media, and I don’t think the television did a terribly good job of explaining it either, so it was confusing and that’s not what we want.  The rule is there for a reason, and I agree with the rule. There are definitely a few folks out there who would drive you into the walls or the grass, if there were no consequences.  One of the downsides of the cars getting safer, some people think that they are invincible and can do anything, so the rule is there to protect us from ourselves in some ways.  While it doesn’t allow maybe a pure form of racing, but the other side of that, is weaving and driving somebody onto the grass a pure form of racing?  I don’t think so.  If you look back through the decades, it wasn’t done before because if they touched tires, they’d get hurt or killed.  Unfortunately, some of the guys we’re racing with don’t see it that way.

Looking back on your career, what do you remember most about the early days?  Any particular goals for later in your career?

A. Back in the early days, it felt very similar to what it feels like now.  Getting to the track and doing that job and trying to make the car as good as it can possibly be and trying to drive every corner as good as I possibly could.  It’s good to have more experience, but a lot hasn’t really changed since I was 10 years old driving go-karts.  I still love it.  I remember from the race at (this weekend) at Mid-Ohio that I felt that I was really having a good time doing this because normally you’re so focused on what you’re doing that you don’t realize how much you’re enjoying what you’re doing until you pull into the pit lane. For me, I want to just continue winning races. That’s what it’s about.  If I can keep doing that and keep enjoying what I’m doing because for me, the two are definitely linked because I definitely enjoy myself more when I’m winning.  That’s what keeps me motivated to keep doing this.

Would you like to do more races with your brother, Marino?

A. Marino and I have definitely talked about that.  We’d love to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans together, and more sports car races.  That’s something I’d love to do in the future. I’d like to go back to Sebring where we won our class in 2007.  Driving for team Target and Chip Ganassi, he loves us to come do the 24 Hours of Daytona with him, and I’d love to go back and win that one again, too.

With some of the younger drivers coming up in the series, have any of them come to you for advice?

A. Some of the young drivers will come up and ask for advice.  I remember being at that stage and how new everything was, and so it’s a tough thing to learn because it’s not just the road courses, but the aspects of the ovals, and that’s one of the reasons it’s so challenging to compete in the championship. I think some of the young guys have done a good job. I look at my teammate Scott Dixon, and he’s already won a couple of championships and the Indy 500, and he just turned 30 a couple weeks ago, and I still consider him a youngster.

Is there anywhere in particular you like to do when you come to Sonoma?

A. Normally we don’t have time when we come up for the races, it’s just in and out and focusing on the races. The nights are all about sponsor functions. We have a huge Target event, and I’ve just done a watch with TW Steel watch, so we have an event for that, so we’re kept pretty busy.

What are your thoughts on the 2010 IndyCar and the freedom that the builders will have?

A. I think with a turbocharged engine, the push-to-pass will have a much bigger affect. That’s one of the challenges that Honda was faced with was making a push-to-pass device.  As far as the new car, I’d like to see more freedom with the mechanical side of it, too.  I think we need to open it a bit more to get some difference between the cars.  With almost a one-make formula, I think that benefits the bigger teams almost, so I think we need to get more differences mechanically, as well.

Can you talk a little about Chip Ganassi and what he’s done this year with winning the Daytona 500, Indy 500, Brickyard, and having such success?

A. As long as I’ve been in America and racing in IndyCar and CART, the Target team was the team to beat, and that hasn’t really changed.  Now that I’ve become a member of the outfit, I understand why.  Chip gives the guys in charge the freedom to do what they want with the organization and doesn’t micro-manage the organization.  One thing that’s common throughout the whole team is the will to win, and with Target we have the resources to do the job.  That’s one of the reasons why they’re so successful.  It’s great to see the success going over to the Sprint Cup team, too, because they really struggled, especially the year I was there, unfortunately.  It’s great to see them having so much success with Jamie (McMurray) winning the Brickyard and Daytona 500.  This is probably the most successful year Chip’s had so far, but I think like all of us, he’s looking at the next race and not the last one.