Dario Franchitti Wins at Long Beach

It was a weekend of comebacks for the IndyCar Series culminating with 2007 series champ Dario Franchitti, winning Sunday's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and taking the championship lead in only his second race back after spending most of last year in the NASCAR ranks.

Helio Castroneves, who starred in the weekend's other high profile comeback story, finished seventh in his return to the circuit after being acquitted Friday of federal tax evasion charges. His laps in Saturday 's practice and qualifying sessions marked his first time behind the wheel in six months.

"If you can't beat em, join em,'' Franchitti joked in victory lane about his first win with Target Ganassi Racing -- his former nemesis when claiming the 2007 title as a member of Andretti Green Racing.

Will Power finished second to Franchitti even after hastily switching to a third Team Penske car with Castroneves' sudden return on Saturday. The Australian, who was filling in while Castroneves stood trial, will miss the series next race in Kansas this weekend despite being ranked second to Franchitti in the standings. He will compete in a third Team Penske entry in the May 24 Indianapolis 500.

Andretti Green Racing lead driver Tony Kanaan rounded out the podium and scored his series best 11th consecutive top-10 finish. He'll have to make good on a hair-raising bet with his good friend Franchitti. The former AGR teammates made a friendly wager that if Franchitti was the first to win this season, the bald Kanaan would have to grow his hair out until he won.

Had Kanaan won, the long-haired Franchitti would have had to shave his head.

Kanaan's teammate Danica Patrick was fourth, followed by former series champ Dan Wheldon in his new ride with Panther Racing.

The series moves to Kansas next week before heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the month of May and that track's historic 100th anniversary celebration.