FONTANA, Calif. ? Gil de Ferran has more to think about than just trying to win another championship.

One of five drivers locked in an intense battle for the Indy Racing League title — separated by only 41 points heading into Sunday’s race at California Speedway — de Ferran has only two races left before he retires from the cockpit.

“I have no second thoughts,” de Ferran said Friday between practice sessions for the Toyota Indy 400. “I’m sure there will be times when I feel itchy and wish I was back in (the car), but I’m comfortable with my decision.”

That decision, announced last month, also has given the Brazilian driver a little extra motivation.

“I have to get the job done in the next two races,” said de Ferran, who won consecutive CART championships before moving to the IRL with Penske Racing in 2002.

He finished third in last season’s championship, despite missing the final race with an injury, and would love to take another title into retirement.

It’s not going to be easy.

Teammate Helio Castroneves leads the championship, 12 points ahead of Scott Dixon, 14 ahead of Tony Kanaan and 17 in front of de Ferran. Two-time defending IRL champ Sam Hornish Jr., on a late season tear, also has moved into the title picture, although he remains a long shot with a 41-point deficit and four other drivers to overcome.

“I guess my chances are as good as anybody’s,” de Ferran said. “Certainly we’ll have to improve our form a little bit from the performance we had in Chicago.”

He was a disappointing 12th in that race two weeks ago. Other than a 14th-place finish early in the season in a race in Phoenix in which he crashed — forcing him to miss another race with an injury — that Chicagoland outing was de Ferran’s only finish outside the top 10.

Two of those top-10 finishes have been wins, including the Indianapolis 500.