Odds and ends, and TG's suitability

The dog days of summer are drawing ever nearer to a close. IndyCar wrapped up its six consecutive race weekends at Edmonton, the first former Champ Car circuit where all the teams competed (Long Beach was split of course). Some musings about that and future series directions of note:

*For all intensive purposes, the IndyCar championship fight is over. When you consider Scott Dixon has won five races to Helio Castroneves' none, and 65 points is a lot to make up when Dixon has only twice finished outside the top four all season, the Brazilian's chances of his elusive first title are nil. Dixon nearly overcame a 65-point gap to Dario Franchitti last year but he had eight races to close it down, whereas Helio only has half that. Gentlemen, start your engraving...

*Paul Tracy's run to 4th was one of his best efforts the last three years. Driving a car for the first time, with a crew that hadn't doen pit stops since April, in a last-minute deal, Tracy made a number of fantastic moves while keeping his nose clean and earning Vision Racing's best result of the year. I originally viewed it as a mere PR stunt but hopefully this leads to more opportunities for PT in the future.

*The IndyCar Series schedule is due out tomorrow in all likelihood, given the timetables rumored the last few weeks, and an advisory on indycar.com's Up to Speed program some "big announcement" was coming in the next 24 hours. And no, it wasn't that Brett Favre has been traded, ending the month-long nightmare currently encapsulating the state of Wisconsin if not the entire football world. Not yet, at least.

*Finally, depending on what message boards you read, the IndyCar Series is either on the verge of some massive growth announcement or the brink of collapse altogether. Consider this - NASCAR's tire debacle at the Brickyard on Sunday could have far reaching effects beyond the farce it provided for the fans there. And it has a lot to do with power, something that all but killed open-wheel racing the last dozen years.

ESPN, NASCAR's bed partners now that they sold their souls to get back in the game of televising the 3400-lb billboard taxicabs, had one of their analysts Rusty Wallace blame the track for causing the tire issues, instead of Goodyear. The diamond-graining of the track's surface has not held up well to any rubber other than Bridgestone/Firestone, lest one forget the 2005 USGP when Michelin's unsafe tires caused their 14 cars to pull out. I was there and it was not a pleasant experience for my first, and to this point, only Grand Prix.

Put simply, Goodyear did not make a suitable tire for the event, just as they haven't at several other venues this season. They've been weeded out of open-wheel altogether and when a PR rep was asked if he could confirm this wouldn't happen again, he said simply, "No". That's consumer confidence for you.

Now what does this have to do with IndyCar, you ask? If NASCAR and/or its broadcast partner makes overtones to IMS that the track was the reason for the farce and not its own tire maker, what does Tony George do? TG isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, we all know that. And in part, his decision to allow NASCAR at the Speedway allowed the creation of the Indy Racing League in the first place and its catastrophic split of open-wheel.

One IndyCar Series, even with TG at the helm, is more of a threat to NASCAR's superiority complex that two was, and the divided fanbases could only help NASCAR for the last dozen years. If TG gives in to any NASCAR-issued demands, that could possibly impact the history of the track and the Indy 500 to suit NASCAR's benefit, he is only sacrificing himself and his open-wheel series, for the glory of the pre-eminent racing division in this country.

NASCAR's economy is bad but apparently so, too, is IndyCar's. The long rumors of a title sponsor paying $10 million for the rights now can apparently be had for half that according to a recent article in the Sports Business Journal online. And as number two on ESPN's pecking order, IndyCar has no negotiating rights other than the Indy 500, which apparently is all networks want to pay for. It's a case of, have Indy, and get the other races added on for grins and giggles.

ESPN is a catch-22 situation for IndyCar. Yes, it offers more exposure than any other major network because of the far-reaching avenues of coverage - three networks (ABC, ESPN, 2), ESPN.com, SportsCenter and the bottom line. But ESPN treats IndyCar as the unwanted stepchild, and for years has provided some of the most ill-produced and poor coverage, in terms of their on-air "talent" and production value. It's a losing proposition as it is, according to the ESPN execs.

The point of that long-winded diatribe was this: the ball is squarely in Tony George's court. He got what he wanted, which was control of all open-wheel racing. But only he can make decisions that will impact where IndyCar goes in the future, and those decisions will determine whether IndyCar even survives at all. By not standing his ground, TG loses what little modicum of dignity he has left.

IndyCar needs stability in terms of the driver lineup and sponsorship, and inspired direction in terms of its schedule and future chassis and engine combination. It needs a leader who will not give in to demands of its rival, which would only ensure its demise. It needs a TV contract that not only gives exposure and good production value, but also a marketing team that showcases what good IndyCar has to offer, not Gene Simmons.

Put simply, it needs Tony George to become something he hasn't been for the better part of the last twelve years.

A leader with backbone.

Dark Knights and pit fights

I have failed myself. After going through the weekend not seeing the much-hyped and money-making phenomenon that is the latest Batman installment, The Dark Knight, I wonder just how to live with my decision.

In lieu of that, while my eyes weren't fixated on the silver screen, the tube did capture a wealth of attention for the 48-hour period. NASCAR's Sprint Cup division had its final off week before a brutal 17 consecutive race weekend stretch, so the racing fan had many picks to choose from.

The catch was, at some point or another, there was overlap between IndyCar and American Le Mans races from Mid-Ohio, F1's German Grand Prix, and the MotoGP stop at Laguna Seca.

Through the magic of DVR and the "last" button on the remote, I managed to capture viewing of most of those events.

One crucial event of the weekend, though, was the incident during practice for the IndyCar race with Danica Patrick waltzing down to Milka Duno's pit to confront the Venezuelan about blocking.

Ever the drama queen, the princess was actually in the right on this one, because sooner or later someone had to point out that a turtle might run quicker than Duno in a car on a road course, and blocking could have caused an accident. It didn't, but the point was taken.

But naturally, since this was the series' two female drivers in a disagreement, it was bound to raise attention. It was more interesting than the race - the start of which was skipped due to the 40 minutes of post-round coverage at the British Open. Duno throwing towels and yelling? She'll earn more attention for that than any of her on-track performances.

Look at it this way, though. Patrick's act of going up to any male was not only getting old but revealed a catty, disrespectful side where she could just get away with it. A man can't push back but Duno wasn't going to stand for DP going bananas. She can't drive much but she does have a fighting spirit. And a thousand-times better personality.

To outsiders, this will be something to generate attention and a PR buzz because it's already been played up on ESPN and FOX News, where Bill O'Reilly nominated Patrick for a "pinhead" award. O'Reilly is the pinhead emeritus for what it's worth, so it must of been nice of him to lose the crown for one show.

Should Danica be picking fights when she is not that quick on road and street courses to begin with? Not necessarily. Should she keep doing it to generate interest in the series for people that don't appreciate racing for the spectacle but do in case of a fight? Probably.

Would this have received any attention if these were two males? Of course not. One guy notorious for picking fights, Paul Tracy, is back for this weekend's event at Edmonton, to be run on Saturday to as not conflict with the NASCAR race at TGeorge's track. Until next week, cheers.

The subject of returns

Brief entry this week, as most of the local sports here in Wisconsin is engulfed by the fervor over a potential Brett Favre comeback. All I will say about that is both Favre and the Packers management team have done a terrible job of handling things from communications and professional standpoints.

To be fair, though, such a situation as is currently arising in Green Bay has been going on all year in the IndyCar ranks. One of, if not the most prominent absence from the series this year, has been Canadian Paul Tracy, whose experience, candor and aggressiveness is unrivaled anywhere in the paddock.

The will-he, won't-he race saga has gone on since Gerry Forsythe wouldn't let him out of his contract. Tracy limited his own options by saying, A. he wouldn't bring money to a drive, B. he would only consider the top teams (big three, Penske, Ganassi and AGR) and C. previous statements about the IndyCar Series after losing, controversially, the 2002 Indianapolis 500.

PT wasn't at Indianapolis; the only sign of him was a phone call to the most notable open-wheel writer of note, Robin Miller, on bump day. Frankly, racing only one event, as he will in Edmonton in two weeks, is nothing more than a PR stunt to gain publicity for the promoters.

It's unreasonable to expect that in a third car for Vision Racing in conjunction with Derrick Walker that PT will run competitively, or even be in a shot with a win/top five. Conspiracy theorists will claim, though, that there were certain agendas in earlier wins this year by Graham Rahal at St. Pete and Danica Patrick in Japan, and wouldn't be quick to discount a PT triumph north of the border.

I've been fairly critical and not overly optimistic about the unification, but when two egos this big join forces, especially as each has been on polar opposites of the open-wheel divide the last twelve years, come together, this is HUGE. It may only be for one event, but it signals a hatchet between these two is buried.

It's racing's ultimate irony. Imagine if W. Bush and Al Gore collaborated on environmental policies. Or Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump going into business ventures. PT and TGeorge on the same team?? Seriously?

When I first got into open-wheel in 1996, I knew there was a greater chance of seeing one open-wheel series again then these two teaming up. BOTH are happening in the same season. Who knew?

Some other notes to pass on in the ranks - Alex Tagliani is in line for a drive at Conquest Racing at Edmonton if not sooner based on Enrique Bernoldi's apathy and lack of results of late. Nashville seems a casuality of the desire to incorporate more road and street course events. And Tracy's sponsor, Subway, may comprise a bigger role in the marketing division of ICS down the road.

Stay tuned on those fronts. Until next week, cheers.

Patience is a virtue

The title reflects a belief that I am trying, desperately, to hang on to. But there are doubts about the long-term health of the one IndyCar Series that no-one seems to be reporting. Good things take time to build, yes, and after the blending this year there still remains much work ahead.

I just question, though, whether a series that has not made strides in several areas ever will.

Put simply, I had never been as bored watching a road course race as I was for the IndyCar's at Watkins Glen this Sunday. The unfathomably unattractive Dallara chassis, of course designed for ovals, is a dog of a car on road and street circuits. The engine sounds awful as well but again, that's not going anywhere for a while either. Everyone knows it but there will be at least two more years of that before it changes.

TV coverage was pathetic of a race starting late in the day. There was almost no passing, shown or otherwise, something that was a staple of close competition during Champ Car events. The former Champ Car teams incurred a rash of mechanical issues that prevented them from winning despite great qualifying runs.

Then there was Race Control. Most oval events this season have suffered far too long of full-course cautions, i.e. 10 laps at Richmond last week after Ryan Hunter-Reay spun, corrected it and didn't hit anything.

But on Sunday, RC did nothing to penalize Scott Dixon more than a slap on the wrist. Having passed two cars from 4th on the grid, Dixon was only ordered to drop one spot. He promptly passed that car back within a couple laps.

Later when Danica made a glaring error by crashing in the pits, she received a drive-through penalty. Is that all you can do? She has made several pit errors this season, highly amateurish of someone competing in a series claiming to be the top open-wheel division merely by default.

And under caution, there were, count 'em, three accidents! First A.J. Foyt IV ran into Milka Duno. Nepotism met attractiveness on that account, but frankly neither should be out there based on their prior credentials or speed. There was Danica's pit shunt, and then there was the series points leader, Dixon, spinning while warming tires! His mess claimed Ryan Briscoe, a hapless victim who was one of the contenders all day.

At least Dixon apologized and took full responsibility, and each of their interviews had class. But all told, a race was boring for 40 of 60 laps and was only spiced up thanks to some very amateurish driving and RC work the last third of the event.

Was it a necessity to merge? Probably, given how the IRL made it through last year without the same internal turmoil as Champ Car, and how the latter effectively killed itself by a thousand of its own cuts. But things aren't as rosy as people want to make them out to be.

While the olive branch was extended to the Champ Car teams who wanted to be a part of it, the fact is there have been vastly more parts failures for those teams than established IndyCar efforts. Because the economy is currently in a standstill those teams couldn't even bring over some of Champ Car's big guns, and had to settle for whoever brought the biggest checks.

And what appears to be a half-hearted effort to get Paul Tracy in a seat for Edmonton and possibly additional events is nothing more than a PR spin job. Tracy has never been kind to the IRL and perhaps his words have cost him in the long run. But a third Vision Racing car, prepared by Derrick Walker, is never going to contend with the leaders as the resources just simply aren't there. PT hasn't even driven the latest Dallara once.

Put simply, the IRL has to address flaws within their product sooner rather than later or this post-unification high everyone is on will dissipate quickly.

Uphill struggle

By anyone's standards, choosing to include or not to include the Champ Car finale at Long Beach, it is fair to say that the first season of a unified IndyCar Series has reached its midway point.

I entered the year with a veiled optimism about the deal, skeptical that something with Tony George's leadership couldn't advance past the lengths of his own ego given his fracturing of the sport in 1996 had led it down its tortuous demise the last dozen years.

There are some definite signs of improvement, but there remains a substantial climb as IndyCar repairs its open wounds.

As has been mentioned here previously, crowds were on the up at Indy and Milwaukee, sold out in Iowa, and looked better at Richmond. Much of the latter, though, was due to the track only opening its front stretch grandstands and packing all the fans into that space. It looks odd and surreal when half the track is a sea of aluminum.

It appears there are former entities that are looking forward to returning to the ranks. Last week, a closed-door meeting of manufacturers included roughly nine engine providers and six builders, who all expressed their proposals and first steps towards the new formula that will debut in 2011. At least one or two need to join the series to provide a level of competition.

Secondly, the Speedway Motorsports Inc. duo of Bruton Smith and Eddie Gossage (Texas promoter), have made it abundantly clear they would like their other two circuits included in a future IndyCar schedule. Las Vegas and New Hampshire, those tracks, each produced a handful of entertaining races in the early to mid-90s, but it was apparent once the split hit the fans left and pitiful crowds were the staple of post-96 events there.

The risk IndyCar takes in potentially returning to those circuits is a repeat performance. Without fans, a race can't turn or a profit or possibly break even. Champ Car tried twice to resuscitate a Vegas race, both at the Speedway and a downtown street course, but could barely muster the same number of fans as a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race.

With the economy as it is in its current tailspinning state, IndyCar's future schedule must only include the most viable, long-term economic markets and races. Saying it is easier than doing, obviously, but most of the series is centered around Indianapolis and the Hulman/George family. Propping a series up on their own dime only works so well for so long, just ask Kevin Kalkhoven and Jerry Forsythe.

The beginning of the year had much excitement and a wealth of new sponsors, Coke and DirecTV taking on major partnership roles with the league. Since, several teams have lost sponsorship and have had to resort to the nuisance of pay-drivers. The smaller teams, those who emigrated from the sinking SS Champ Car, are far from financial freedom and once TGeorge stops the TEAM program if he so chooses, they are done. I hate to say it but just like in any other sport, over time, only the strong survive.

Has anyone brought up that the potential American savior of the series, Graham Rahal, has been running a blank, unsponsored car for the whole season? Hole in the Wall Camps is the ailing Paul Newman's personal sponsorship, as is McDonald's which has increased its signage but still isn't on for any other reason than providing the Newman's Own product.

That Roth Racing, who finally restored Jay Howard to a seat while Marty, sadly, still drives, has two blank cars this year? That Conquest Racing jettisoned a talented driver for a Brazilian personal friend of Tony Kanaan? That the exciting E.J. Viso is running on the other Venezuelan oil tab of PDVSA?

Again, driver and sponsor stability will be key to keeping the series afloat, and keeping the names recognizable enough to where they can build fan followings and more TV ratings. Ultimately that is the measure.

And say nothing of the trickle-down effect the "mergification" has had on all the junior series. The Atlantic, Star Mazda, Formula BMW and SPEED World Challenge ranks were all aligned with certain Champ Car events but once those were canceled, so too were all the junior events, leaving series principals scrambling for last-minute deals of races. Tireless efforts by the outstanding leader of Atlantic, Vicki O'Connor, secured a 2008 season at 11 races and just now sanctioning by IMSA. And they don't even have a TV deal in place yet.

Drivers are left with their own summer vacations, unfathomably long breaks that would in any other arena leave the competitors out of commission. Atlantic raced at Long Beach in April, a month later in Monterey, and another month later just last weekend at Mont-Tremblant. Star Mazda is in a two-month break at the moment.

Returning to IndyCar though, and the most unsung heroes of the whole season are all the crew members. These guys have worked hours on end with little to no appreciation by the general public, save for their drivers giving them a brief shout during interviews. Over half the field was torn up in last week's Richmond debacle, 15 cars incurring damage in one way or another on a track more or less unsuitable for 26 cars at 160-170 mph speeds.

It's easy to say kumbayah and sip the wines of success and victory with the one series. And there have been some good signs.

But easily, this line from Milwaukee's local FOX sports reporter sums up how far IndyCar has to go, which was uttered earlier on tonight's newscast. "Today, Dario Franchitti is switching from open-wheel to NASCAR, having just signed with Chip Ganassi a day after his Andretti Green contract expired."

Um, one catch. Franchitti, last year's IndyCar and 500 champion, was in the news today. But that was because Ganassi is shutting the doors on Franchitti's failing No. 40 Cup program. Having only once finished better than 32nd, and without primary title sponsorship all year, he wasn't in with a sniff at the top-35 in points and is now the second ex-open wheeler (Jacques Villeneuve) to get the shaft from NASCAR this year.

No-one else will have caught the sports guy's blunder and frankly won't care. They couldn't tell a Dario Franchitti from a Mario Battali.

Oh, well. Next week, IndyCar hits the road course of Watkins Glen with F1 in Britain, where Hamiltonia will run rampant, and NASCAR goes restrictor-plate racing in Daytona. Until then, cheers.

Bizarro world at a NASCAR race

With a busy racing weekend in store, the southern circus that is NASCAR rolled into my adopted hometown of Milwaukee this weekend. Not the Sprint Cup Series mind you, but the junior-league Nationwide and Craftsman Trucks were in town.

It's been years since I have attended one of these such races and as a primarily road-racing and open-wheel fan, there was a wealth of culture shock to be embraced. Friday I paid visit to the racing trucks event.

Like the occasional rip on Texas, attending a NASCAR race is like "goin' to a whole other country."

I must say I was getting a bit comfortable going to IndyCar events with my media credential so having to show up at the track, search for a parking space and pay for tickets out of my own pocket was not much fun. The difference in attending races as a younger kid was that my dad took care of both said items.

The fanbase is completely different, as could be expected. The middle-class, hard-working, beer-drinking, mostly accented people comprise the "group of folks" there. Seated right behind me was a fan club rooting for Erik Darnell, who took liberty with NASCAR's decision to not throw a yellow flag at one point when a slower truck was on the racing line and out of fuel. A rash of four-letter words could be heard at any level in the particular grandstand.

To boot, with over 120 laps completed (these Trucks are some six seconds a lap slower than IndyCars), the race took longer and a little over two hours into the experience, lightning strikes and some drizzles were present around the track. I bolted, as did most of the half-capacity crowd, for the exits. A forty-minute delay later and the race resumed.

It was a good thing that IndyCar easily had more fans than the Trucks at the Milwaukee Mile, and probably as many if not a little more than the Nationwide race on Saturday night. There's still much work to be done though in those ranks and a roundtable meeting of potential manufacturers being held this week is a step in the rebuilding process.

IndyCar, after a week off, resumed at Iowa this past weekend. As usual, both no-hope drivers Marty Roth and Milka Duno crashed in practice, with Roth withdrawing before the race for the third time this season. Duno retired after 26 laps with the politically-correct "handling" issues, slang for being slower than a turtle in racing terms.

With 60 laps to go, fuel-mileage came into play as three drivers stayed out (Dan Wheldon, Hideki Mutoh and Danica) while the rest topped off their tanks. The former two stayed in their 1-2 spots with Danica fading to 6th by the checkers. For all the efforts of ABC/ESPN to promote the heck out of her, she has no top-five finishes this season with the exception of her fortunate first win in Japan.

Elsewhere I got to see an F1 race for a change, as Time Warner Cable's basic lineup doesn't include SPEED. The French GP, broadcast on FOX, featured a Ferrari 1-2 with Felipe Massa ahead thanks to a faulty exhaust pipe that derailed Kimi Raikkonen's race. As usual there was little of entertainment other than a gripping battle for third late in the going between Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, Trulli eventually prevailing there.

Next week, NASCAR's main series returns to ovals following their one week road course jaunt to Sonoma, while IndyCar takes on its shortest track at the three-quarter mile Richmond bullring. Until then, cheers.

Father's Day weekend

My so-called "month on the road", where I didn't spend more than 10 consecutive days in any one spot, has come to a conclusion. Stops in Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Scottsdale and San Diego have all accumulated and now for an extended period of time I will be in one base.

A big sports weekend on Father's Day, racing not necessarily at the forefront. Most of the country was encapsulated by the riveting U.S. Open golf match between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate, which Woods ultimately won. It wasn't for a lack of effort on Rocco's part. Ordinarily I wouldn't glance at golf - and playing isn't my forte either after swinging clubs with my dad Sunday morning was abysmal at best.

The NBA Finals were nearing their conclusion amidst the referee-fixing scandal brought about by the disgraced con ex-ref Tim Donaghy. Only now they have just wrapped up, Boston beating the Lakers with a drubbing in game six to win their first title in 22 years.

And racing-wise, Junior Nation got their answer to their never-ending question of when their homeboy would return to Victory Lane. On a fuel mileage gamble, which eventually led to extra laps after a late-race caution, Dale Jr. stayed out on his crew chief's call to hit Victory Lane for the first time in 76 races.

The symmetry of that number is profound - that was Dale Sr.'s number of career victories - and this was also Rick Hendrick's "adopted son" scoring his first win for what Forbes estimates is the highest valued team in the series. While Dale has lost his father, Rick has lost a son, and it was fitting this would be the day these two finally won a points race together. He has genuinely been the best of the four-car Hendrick armada this season and a legit championship contender come the fall.

On the subject of wins and losses, though, while politics would usually be a far stretch to fit the parameters of this blog, I can't go through this week without a mention of Tim Russert's passing. As a young would-be journalist myself, and I mean that in terms of motorsports writing and not as a blogger, there's always a lot to learn from the veterans of this profession and perhaps none was more fair and fitting to the standards of it in a political sense than Tim.

He could ask the tough questions without coming off as rude or overbearing, and had a genuine passion for his job that few seem to display on the outside. Politics in this country is a dirty game more often than not, the mudslinging of both parties leads many to apathy and/or negativity. But Russert, having originally worked for Sen. Moynahan of NY, knew the inside of his work before becoming a "voice of the people".

And at its core, something I continue to study throughout my college career, that is the essence of this field, even as it changes with new technologies. A journalist should be someone who can eloquently but not pompously convey the questions and thoughts of their constituents for the betterment of that particular field. Russert was that to his core, and his loss is a difficult one to swallow.

For me, Sundays encompassed two interchangeable things - racing from February through September and football from that time until January. But always on before that was Meet the Press, and now it won't be the same without hearing those words from the ultimate family and fellow Jesuit-educated man.