The world lost one of its greatest individuals today. The death of Paul Newman was inevitable due to an extended bout with cancer, but still very hard to accept.
Newman was one of the rare humans who used their celebrity not to their advantage, but almost hid from it. Instead, he served as a down-to-earth person who used their celebrity to charitable efforts.
His work as a philanthropist is immense and unmatched. The Newman's Own line of products by themselves have netted over $200 million in donations.
On top of that, Newman's Hole in the Wall Camps have served as a home for sick, injured and otherwise ailed children.
I only knew Newman the racer, not as the actor who lit up movie screens many years before my time. It was in 1996 that I first got into the sport, and the same year Newman's driver, Michael Andretti, led the CART series in victories with five. He only just came up shy of a title.
But the Newman/Haas Racing partnership succeeded in a way few formal rivals ever have - over 100 wins, 8 championships, and a staff of crewmembers that stayed largely intact through this year.
They have served as a pipeline for America's best who moved to F1, but also snatched the defending World Champion from the F1 ranks in 1993. Nigel Mansell's championship season in his rookie year was more-or-less the high point for CART.
But this is not a political issue. Newman the individual preferred his racing as much if not more so than his acting, and his time at the track was refuge from the bright lights of Hollywood. Once you catch the racing bug, it's an addiction you carry for the rest of your life.
I can only wish now I had taken the opportunity to introduce myself to Mr. Newman when I saw him in the pits on several occasions this year.
In 2008 the world has lost Tim Russert, George Carlin and now Paul Newman.
Both the entertainment and racing arenas have lost one of their alltime greats. Rest in peace, PLN.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Chicagoland Speedway musings
First time in almost a month since being on here, with school being the main priority naturally that takes precedence.
Anyway I was back on the IndyCar media trail this past weekend, covering the season finale at Chicagoland. Yeah, both titles were decided on the last lap of the last race - Rafa and Dixon as expected securing their championships - but there were two major things to come out of this weekend.
Milka and Marty-mania.
The maligned usual two that prop up the field can thank their engineers for their best runs of the season this weekend, but anything that is better than finishing last is a step up for each.
Roth qualified ninth, quickly dropped to the rear but finished 16th, only a few laps down.
Milka, shockingly, qualified 20th (ahead of her teammate and others), stayed on the lead lap all day, and even LED a few laps. Granted, four of the five circuits out front were under yellow but for one glorious lap, she held the lead under green. A pit stop that occurred just before a caution dropped her down the order a bit but 14th is a respectable result.
The funny thing of all this is that Duno's five laps led are one more than Danica's this season. Just found it interesting.
And for all the folks who think Danica has a good relationship with the media, think again. A quick question wondering how she got up to 3rd in practice was greeted with her taking off her shades, staring at my hardcard, and saying "I'm sorry, no interviews" in a catty, arrogant and snobbish manner.
I wasn't really expecting anything different but it going out of your way to be rude to the media who are nice enough to cover you says a lot about your character. Just saying.
Anyway I was back on the IndyCar media trail this past weekend, covering the season finale at Chicagoland. Yeah, both titles were decided on the last lap of the last race - Rafa and Dixon as expected securing their championships - but there were two major things to come out of this weekend.
Milka and Marty-mania.
The maligned usual two that prop up the field can thank their engineers for their best runs of the season this weekend, but anything that is better than finishing last is a step up for each.
Roth qualified ninth, quickly dropped to the rear but finished 16th, only a few laps down.
Milka, shockingly, qualified 20th (ahead of her teammate and others), stayed on the lead lap all day, and even LED a few laps. Granted, four of the five circuits out front were under yellow but for one glorious lap, she held the lead under green. A pit stop that occurred just before a caution dropped her down the order a bit but 14th is a respectable result.
The funny thing of all this is that Duno's five laps led are one more than Danica's this season. Just found it interesting.
And for all the folks who think Danica has a good relationship with the media, think again. A quick question wondering how she got up to 3rd in practice was greeted with her taking off her shades, staring at my hardcard, and saying "I'm sorry, no interviews" in a catty, arrogant and snobbish manner.
I wasn't really expecting anything different but it going out of your way to be rude to the media who are nice enough to cover you says a lot about your character. Just saying.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Trials and tribulations
With summer entering its final two weeks and having just returned from Road America, time in the year 2008 is quickly winding down. Lost in the shuffle of the RA weekend, which brought the crowds on Saturday, was an overlooked result of the open-wheel unification.
RA was one of the tracks that, although they lost their Champ Car race, was able to continue with its scheduled events for this season. As such, a plethora of feeder and sedan series stepped up to the plate on Sunday. The problem was, outside of the respective series officials, the media center was even deader than it was last year.
And the fan turnout was substantially less - in part due to ticket prices that were far more than they should have been due to what happened. $50 a pop for seven feeder series events is about double what the price of admission should have been.
A word also about the new television contract for the IRL IndyCar Series from 2009 forward. Versus, a.k.a. a channel no-one has ever heard of, gets the rights for 13 of 18 events for the next ten years. Contrary to many of the series' media, I am not only frustrated with the deal but fail to see how it can be beneficial to the series' growth in the long run. Moving a series from a network that is available in 20 million more homes (at the minimum), plus the avenues of SportsCenter, ESPN.com, and the Bottom Line, fails to catch my eye.
What incentive do sponsors have to commit to a series where so few races are available on network TV? CART/Champ Car tried this and failed - twice - though in both cases they were in a slightly worse situation by not only moving to a network that had less exposure (SPEED and then Spike TV, 2002 and '04) but paying for their airtime to do so. I'm all for better coverage and more exposure, but not on a network that a majority of the race fans don't get.
RA was one of the tracks that, although they lost their Champ Car race, was able to continue with its scheduled events for this season. As such, a plethora of feeder and sedan series stepped up to the plate on Sunday. The problem was, outside of the respective series officials, the media center was even deader than it was last year.
And the fan turnout was substantially less - in part due to ticket prices that were far more than they should have been due to what happened. $50 a pop for seven feeder series events is about double what the price of admission should have been.
A word also about the new television contract for the IRL IndyCar Series from 2009 forward. Versus, a.k.a. a channel no-one has ever heard of, gets the rights for 13 of 18 events for the next ten years. Contrary to many of the series' media, I am not only frustrated with the deal but fail to see how it can be beneficial to the series' growth in the long run. Moving a series from a network that is available in 20 million more homes (at the minimum), plus the avenues of SportsCenter, ESPN.com, and the Bottom Line, fails to catch my eye.
What incentive do sponsors have to commit to a series where so few races are available on network TV? CART/Champ Car tried this and failed - twice - though in both cases they were in a slightly worse situation by not only moving to a network that had less exposure (SPEED and then Spike TV, 2002 and '04) but paying for their airtime to do so. I'm all for better coverage and more exposure, but not on a network that a majority of the race fans don't get.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
2009 IndyCar schedule
All told, it was always going to be difficult to put a positive spin on IndyCar's 2009 schedule release. The statement uttered at the unification press conference was that '09 would be a "clean slate", and in hindsight, that was not the greatest choice of words. And of course there were those Champ Car fans who, bless their heart, wouldn't support the IRL for anything unless some of their venues were added and their cars adopted.
Contracts more than anything stipulated who made it and who didn't for 2009. For 2010 and beyond, when several contracts expire, the slate should be more open.
The difficulty in that lies with temporary circuits, a la Cleveland and Houston, that have been abandoned for two years. Resuscitation of events such as these take years to ever restart, if at all, as Houston would know previously. One downtown, 90-degree corner boring circuit was on CART's schedule from 1998-01 and after it went away, it took until 2006 and the new Reliant Park circuit before racing there resumed. Miami 's variety of layouts were on and off on a couple occasions.
So in terms of those, don't hold your breath for 2010. Cleveland was a CART staple for 20 years but it is likely not going to make the cut in the future. Developers want to create high-rise apartments on the Burke Lakefront Airport location, and reportedly the last few years as a Champ Car event it was a financial burden.
Previously here, I suggested that future IndyCar schedules needed to maintain the most long-term financially viable events, and for 2009, it appears they have done so for the most part. Playing to 30 or 40,000 in a 140,000 seat arena such as Las Vegas Motor Speedway would have been an abomination, and I can only hope the marketing "geniuses" at IRL, Terry Angstadt and Zak Brown of Just Marketing, can drum up enough interest in the finale moving to Homestead.
That one more than any other threw me for a loop. The party line was that "Southern Florida is best known for hosting championship events". Okay, but running in Miami during October is asinine for a number of reasons. Mainly, there are other sporting events (Hurricanes football, Dolphins if they can still be considered a legit NFL franchise) going on, it's hurricane season, and it's only a month ahead of the NASCAR finale.
If they don't come to IndyCar to get the season going, what incentive is there for fans in the region to go to the event when NASCAR wraps up right after? Especially with a lack of promotion more than likely.
Another murky area is the Australia race. Its on-again, off-again stance for 2008 has been annoying at best, and while it does rake in a considerable number of fans over the weekend, whether it is in the best financial interest of the teams remained to be seen. Already this year one Aussie backer went belly-up (Conquest's Opes Prime) and in all likelihood, Aussie Vineyards wouldn't be around without this race for Will Power. Does the travel expense justify the return on investment? Just food for thought.
Permanent circuits are the only hope in terms of being added for 2010. It's already a year off but I would like to see races at New Hampshire (oval), Portland (northwest market), Cleveland and Road America added for 2010 with a couple events (Kentucky, Detroit, Homestead) dropped. I'd say I wanted Phoenix too, but I doubt ISC will budge in giving a date with two NASCAR races there.
For what it's worth, I will be spending the weekend with a plethora of great road racing up at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. Until next week, cheers.
Contracts more than anything stipulated who made it and who didn't for 2009. For 2010 and beyond, when several contracts expire, the slate should be more open.
The difficulty in that lies with temporary circuits, a la Cleveland and Houston, that have been abandoned for two years. Resuscitation of events such as these take years to ever restart, if at all, as Houston would know previously. One downtown, 90-degree corner boring circuit was on CART's schedule from 1998-01 and after it went away, it took until 2006 and the new Reliant Park circuit before racing there resumed. Miami 's variety of layouts were on and off on a couple occasions.
So in terms of those, don't hold your breath for 2010. Cleveland was a CART staple for 20 years but it is likely not going to make the cut in the future. Developers want to create high-rise apartments on the Burke Lakefront Airport location, and reportedly the last few years as a Champ Car event it was a financial burden.
Previously here, I suggested that future IndyCar schedules needed to maintain the most long-term financially viable events, and for 2009, it appears they have done so for the most part. Playing to 30 or 40,000 in a 140,000 seat arena such as Las Vegas Motor Speedway would have been an abomination, and I can only hope the marketing "geniuses" at IRL, Terry Angstadt and Zak Brown of Just Marketing, can drum up enough interest in the finale moving to Homestead.
That one more than any other threw me for a loop. The party line was that "Southern Florida is best known for hosting championship events". Okay, but running in Miami during October is asinine for a number of reasons. Mainly, there are other sporting events (Hurricanes football, Dolphins if they can still be considered a legit NFL franchise) going on, it's hurricane season, and it's only a month ahead of the NASCAR finale.
If they don't come to IndyCar to get the season going, what incentive is there for fans in the region to go to the event when NASCAR wraps up right after? Especially with a lack of promotion more than likely.
Another murky area is the Australia race. Its on-again, off-again stance for 2008 has been annoying at best, and while it does rake in a considerable number of fans over the weekend, whether it is in the best financial interest of the teams remained to be seen. Already this year one Aussie backer went belly-up (Conquest's Opes Prime) and in all likelihood, Aussie Vineyards wouldn't be around without this race for Will Power. Does the travel expense justify the return on investment? Just food for thought.
Permanent circuits are the only hope in terms of being added for 2010. It's already a year off but I would like to see races at New Hampshire (oval), Portland (northwest market), Cleveland and Road America added for 2010 with a couple events (Kentucky, Detroit, Homestead) dropped. I'd say I wanted Phoenix too, but I doubt ISC will budge in giving a date with two NASCAR races there.
For what it's worth, I will be spending the weekend with a plethora of great road racing up at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. Until next week, cheers.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
BMW breaks through
Taking a break from IndyCar coverage this week to focus on Formula One, and a first-time winner in both driver and team. For the first time in three weeks I wasn't at a track, but in San Diego soaking up some wonderful weather.
F1 ran in Canada with Robert Kubica delivering a fantastic triumph for BMW Sauber. One year ago such a situation as occurred on Sunday in Montreal might have been unfathomable.
The first time one sees Kubica's terrifying accident last year, chills run down the spine. As recently as four or five years ago that would have meant serious injuries if not worse. Because of the forgiving nature of modern, new circuits in the series, there is usually plenty of run-off area to scrub off speed before making contact.
Where Kubica wrecked, it was a grass strip before head-on contact into the barrier that destroyed his chassis and launched him across the track, with carbon fiber shards spread everywhere.
What stayed intact was the driver's monocoque, and the second-year driver emerged solely with a bruised ankle. One missed race a week later and he was back in the cockpit, best of the rest not from Ferrari and McLaren in France.
A year later, the Pole returned to the circuit and was the only one remotely in the same zip code as Lewis Hamilton throughout practice and qualifying. Once Hamilton made a colossal pit lane error, the race was his and he thoroughly took advantage. To say it was a deserved result would be an understatement. As Bob Varsha said on the FOX telecast, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve owed Kubica his first victory.
Kubica has delivered, through seven races, on the promise he showcased as a rookie the second half of 2006. BMW's improved pace sees them finally challenging Ferrari and McLaren, and the win was the first not by either of those teams since Fernando Alonso won the last race at Suzuka in October of '06. BMW's former incarnation of Sauber was the eternal midpack team that always did the best it could with limited resources. As BMW has now poured money and its available resources into the game, the team has jumped up the grid.
It is a long season and Hamilton will no doubt rue his mistake. As Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen clearly obeyed the notorious Montreal pit lane red light, Hamilton lost focus and veered left into Kimi's parked car. Not often in modern F1 the two title protagonists take each other out (with Michael Schumacher in the field this wasn't such a rarity). Not only was there a lack of points from this race but Hamilton has now been docked 10 grid positions the following event in France, which should hinder his odds there.
Second and third in the race went to veterans Nick Heidfeld and David Coulthard. Neither's been very impressive this year - Heidfeld has lost his edge at BMW to Kubica - but the podiums were deserved for keeping their heads clean and avoiding the pitfalls and mistakes of their rivals.
For Coulthard, odds are this is the last time the Scotsman will crack the rostrum before he drifts into commentary work next year for the BBC. Nothing is confirmed on that front but with his style and expert opinion, as well as his age, all signs point to DC working the mike next year instead of a steering wheel.
It was also the last North American voyage for the European-based series this season. Rumors abound about the U.S.'s place in the series and given most of the manufacturers have their main market Stateside, and a pocket of 100-200,000 fans will always attend the race, Indy should come back if a title sponsor is found. But money talks and wherever Bernie can get his sanctioning fee paid is where F1 will race, whether Americans like it or not.
A word also about his partner-in-crime, embattled FIA President Max Mosley. He has retained his position through the end of his 2009 term despite the alleged sex scandal that has tarnished what little positive opinion of the man still existed. Only if his personal affairs interfere with his job at hand should Mosley have been booted, in my opinion, and by not cutting him loose for this marks one time I can agree with the World Motor Sport Council.
Mosley may be off the hot seat but most Americans aren't after a stifling heat wave currently stretching across the north and southeast; as well as in the deserts where it is always going to boil. That coupled with the crumbling economy, skyrocketing gas prices and political mudslinging means it is good to have distractions such as racing or stick-and-ball sports.
F1 ran in Canada with Robert Kubica delivering a fantastic triumph for BMW Sauber. One year ago such a situation as occurred on Sunday in Montreal might have been unfathomable.
The first time one sees Kubica's terrifying accident last year, chills run down the spine. As recently as four or five years ago that would have meant serious injuries if not worse. Because of the forgiving nature of modern, new circuits in the series, there is usually plenty of run-off area to scrub off speed before making contact.
Where Kubica wrecked, it was a grass strip before head-on contact into the barrier that destroyed his chassis and launched him across the track, with carbon fiber shards spread everywhere.
What stayed intact was the driver's monocoque, and the second-year driver emerged solely with a bruised ankle. One missed race a week later and he was back in the cockpit, best of the rest not from Ferrari and McLaren in France.
A year later, the Pole returned to the circuit and was the only one remotely in the same zip code as Lewis Hamilton throughout practice and qualifying. Once Hamilton made a colossal pit lane error, the race was his and he thoroughly took advantage. To say it was a deserved result would be an understatement. As Bob Varsha said on the FOX telecast, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve owed Kubica his first victory.
Kubica has delivered, through seven races, on the promise he showcased as a rookie the second half of 2006. BMW's improved pace sees them finally challenging Ferrari and McLaren, and the win was the first not by either of those teams since Fernando Alonso won the last race at Suzuka in October of '06. BMW's former incarnation of Sauber was the eternal midpack team that always did the best it could with limited resources. As BMW has now poured money and its available resources into the game, the team has jumped up the grid.
It is a long season and Hamilton will no doubt rue his mistake. As Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen clearly obeyed the notorious Montreal pit lane red light, Hamilton lost focus and veered left into Kimi's parked car. Not often in modern F1 the two title protagonists take each other out (with Michael Schumacher in the field this wasn't such a rarity). Not only was there a lack of points from this race but Hamilton has now been docked 10 grid positions the following event in France, which should hinder his odds there.
Second and third in the race went to veterans Nick Heidfeld and David Coulthard. Neither's been very impressive this year - Heidfeld has lost his edge at BMW to Kubica - but the podiums were deserved for keeping their heads clean and avoiding the pitfalls and mistakes of their rivals.
For Coulthard, odds are this is the last time the Scotsman will crack the rostrum before he drifts into commentary work next year for the BBC. Nothing is confirmed on that front but with his style and expert opinion, as well as his age, all signs point to DC working the mike next year instead of a steering wheel.
It was also the last North American voyage for the European-based series this season. Rumors abound about the U.S.'s place in the series and given most of the manufacturers have their main market Stateside, and a pocket of 100-200,000 fans will always attend the race, Indy should come back if a title sponsor is found. But money talks and wherever Bernie can get his sanctioning fee paid is where F1 will race, whether Americans like it or not.
A word also about his partner-in-crime, embattled FIA President Max Mosley. He has retained his position through the end of his 2009 term despite the alleged sex scandal that has tarnished what little positive opinion of the man still existed. Only if his personal affairs interfere with his job at hand should Mosley have been booted, in my opinion, and by not cutting him loose for this marks one time I can agree with the World Motor Sport Council.
Mosley may be off the hot seat but most Americans aren't after a stifling heat wave currently stretching across the north and southeast; as well as in the deserts where it is always going to boil. That coupled with the crumbling economy, skyrocketing gas prices and political mudslinging means it is good to have distractions such as racing or stick-and-ball sports.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Mile/IndyCar report card
Villainized one week ago, and criticized to no end by members of the media and all the Danica fans, Ryan Briscoe thoroughly served up several helpings of humble pie with his win this weekend. His drive through the field at the treacherous Milwaukee Mile, the first race at the track with 26 cars since 1999, was masterful as he worked the high line to his advantage. Then, when Scott Dixon closed to within striking distance, Briscoe held off all challenges and then narrowly avoided a catastrophic crash in front of him.
The Aussie had his head held high after the controversial pit incident a week ago and from replays it appeared as though he had pulled into the outside lane. But after letting the incident set in for a week, it is apparent the only reason he found himself in as much trouble as he did was because it was Danica. Had that been any other driver, chances are it would have been an afterthought.
A week ago I will admit a petition for Tomas Scheckter to be placed in Briscoe's Penske seat. Scheckter would be a natural fit in a full-time seat especially as he ran so well in limited time with the Penske offshoot, Luczo Dragon Racing. Briscoe's not off the hook by any stretch of the imagination but Roger believes in him now and several more good runs/finishes should quiet the doubters, myself included.
There was a bigger crowd than in recent years for either IndyCar or Champ Car races at the Mile, and the largest car turnout in nine years. Milwaukee's place on the schedule should not be in doubt.
Reflecting on the first several events so far, IndyCar has definitely gained momentum to the general public, if not immediately on the TV ratings front. A 4.5 rating at the 500 was not something to crow about when it was still outdone by the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600.
What drove Champ Car to its grave more than anything else was a lack of stability on all fronts. IndyCar has to do everything it can to maintain some of the assets picked up in their acquisition as well as some of their strongholds.
They must keep their manufacturer (Honda) happy and invite competition, and it appears steps are being taken in both directions. Honda re-upped for five future seasons with a roundtable of manufacturer execs to be assembled later this month to discuss new entries. Given Toyota's rampage in NASCAR it would not be a surprise, in my opinion, to see GM or Cosworth return. The latter is KV Racing co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven's company after all...
The new formula for 2011 must coincide with the changes in road cars, to be technologically relevant and environmentally friendly. Ethanol is a good start and after speaking with someone well-versed in the field in Indy, it was brought up that cellulostic ethanol would be viable. Engines must be turbos, a smaller block of 2.4 or 2.6 liters that is pleasing to the ears.
Long Beach and Edmonton have secured races for five more years at least, but former CC strongholds Cleveland, Toronto and Road America must come back. Portland could be added as well to give the series a race in the Pacific Northwest, a market NASCAR has not yet cornered. Some of the awful ISC 1.5 milers must go - the Kansases, Nashvilles and Kentuckys of the world.
The driver lineup cannot change but for a few spots. Period. The driver carousel of rotating European and Latin American pay-drivers doomed continuity in CC and already reared its ugly head a few races in once the talented French driver Franck Perera was jettisoned for the moneyed Brazilian Jaime Camara. Paul Tracy, Robert Doornbos and Nelson Philippe were CC winners but as they wanted to be paid, could not find seats in the merged series. Sometimes, the more things change the more they stay the same. PT is the most notable loss of the three.
While the Camara change isn't a move at the front of the field necessarily, it is a symbol of what could happen if teams can't secure the necessary backing on their own and have to resort to the services of less able pilots. Hopefully the new teams can find the financial wherewithall to survive past this year when they are in essence, racing on Tony George's dime with the TEAM enhancement program. Otherwise, the increased car count could drastically drop.
And the drivers need to be in advertisements with their sponsors. Why Marco Andretti has not yet dropped off a movie at a Blockbuster in his IndyCar is beyond me. Why Graham Rahal isn't saying "I'm lovin' it" at McDonald's is inexcusable. These two are the future of IndyCars as they continue to mature. Why Red Bull isn't on Buddy Rice's car is pathetic. Rice is a badass American, former Indy 500 winner, and able to turn a smaller-budget operation in Dreyer & Reinbold into a top-ten contender.
Finally, the TV package needs to change. ESPN or SPEED should be able to find a 1/2 hour, once-weekly timeslot for IndyCar Live! or something of the sort to return. Half-hearted projects were abandoned after a few years but had good ideas - the CART Friday Night show that ran during 2002 was great as it featured highlights of the race weekend atmosphere that you could get if you were there and could inspire new fans to come to the events.
Put together the media members of IndyCar, Robin Miller for sure and a couple others, together for a 6-8 minute roundtable segment to discuss the week's race and talking points. Bring the Up to Speed! online show to the TV airwaves, as it has the potential to capture a broader audience for the casual viewer who might be flipping through channels. If ESPN can re-air boxing matches from 30 years ago, or hours upon hours of World's Strongest Man, World Series of Poker and sanctioned gluttony (hot dog-eating contests), then certainly they can promote a series that blows NASCAR out of the weeds in terms of speed, technology, and variety.
The Aussie had his head held high after the controversial pit incident a week ago and from replays it appeared as though he had pulled into the outside lane. But after letting the incident set in for a week, it is apparent the only reason he found himself in as much trouble as he did was because it was Danica. Had that been any other driver, chances are it would have been an afterthought.
A week ago I will admit a petition for Tomas Scheckter to be placed in Briscoe's Penske seat. Scheckter would be a natural fit in a full-time seat especially as he ran so well in limited time with the Penske offshoot, Luczo Dragon Racing. Briscoe's not off the hook by any stretch of the imagination but Roger believes in him now and several more good runs/finishes should quiet the doubters, myself included.
There was a bigger crowd than in recent years for either IndyCar or Champ Car races at the Mile, and the largest car turnout in nine years. Milwaukee's place on the schedule should not be in doubt.
Reflecting on the first several events so far, IndyCar has definitely gained momentum to the general public, if not immediately on the TV ratings front. A 4.5 rating at the 500 was not something to crow about when it was still outdone by the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600.
What drove Champ Car to its grave more than anything else was a lack of stability on all fronts. IndyCar has to do everything it can to maintain some of the assets picked up in their acquisition as well as some of their strongholds.
They must keep their manufacturer (Honda) happy and invite competition, and it appears steps are being taken in both directions. Honda re-upped for five future seasons with a roundtable of manufacturer execs to be assembled later this month to discuss new entries. Given Toyota's rampage in NASCAR it would not be a surprise, in my opinion, to see GM or Cosworth return. The latter is KV Racing co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven's company after all...
The new formula for 2011 must coincide with the changes in road cars, to be technologically relevant and environmentally friendly. Ethanol is a good start and after speaking with someone well-versed in the field in Indy, it was brought up that cellulostic ethanol would be viable. Engines must be turbos, a smaller block of 2.4 or 2.6 liters that is pleasing to the ears.
Long Beach and Edmonton have secured races for five more years at least, but former CC strongholds Cleveland, Toronto and Road America must come back. Portland could be added as well to give the series a race in the Pacific Northwest, a market NASCAR has not yet cornered. Some of the awful ISC 1.5 milers must go - the Kansases, Nashvilles and Kentuckys of the world.
The driver lineup cannot change but for a few spots. Period. The driver carousel of rotating European and Latin American pay-drivers doomed continuity in CC and already reared its ugly head a few races in once the talented French driver Franck Perera was jettisoned for the moneyed Brazilian Jaime Camara. Paul Tracy, Robert Doornbos and Nelson Philippe were CC winners but as they wanted to be paid, could not find seats in the merged series. Sometimes, the more things change the more they stay the same. PT is the most notable loss of the three.
While the Camara change isn't a move at the front of the field necessarily, it is a symbol of what could happen if teams can't secure the necessary backing on their own and have to resort to the services of less able pilots. Hopefully the new teams can find the financial wherewithall to survive past this year when they are in essence, racing on Tony George's dime with the TEAM enhancement program. Otherwise, the increased car count could drastically drop.
And the drivers need to be in advertisements with their sponsors. Why Marco Andretti has not yet dropped off a movie at a Blockbuster in his IndyCar is beyond me. Why Graham Rahal isn't saying "I'm lovin' it" at McDonald's is inexcusable. These two are the future of IndyCars as they continue to mature. Why Red Bull isn't on Buddy Rice's car is pathetic. Rice is a badass American, former Indy 500 winner, and able to turn a smaller-budget operation in Dreyer & Reinbold into a top-ten contender.
Finally, the TV package needs to change. ESPN or SPEED should be able to find a 1/2 hour, once-weekly timeslot for IndyCar Live! or something of the sort to return. Half-hearted projects were abandoned after a few years but had good ideas - the CART Friday Night show that ran during 2002 was great as it featured highlights of the race weekend atmosphere that you could get if you were there and could inspire new fans to come to the events.
Put together the media members of IndyCar, Robin Miller for sure and a couple others, together for a 6-8 minute roundtable segment to discuss the week's race and talking points. Bring the Up to Speed! online show to the TV airwaves, as it has the potential to capture a broader audience for the casual viewer who might be flipping through channels. If ESPN can re-air boxing matches from 30 years ago, or hours upon hours of World's Strongest Man, World Series of Poker and sanctioned gluttony (hot dog-eating contests), then certainly they can promote a series that blows NASCAR out of the weeds in terms of speed, technology, and variety.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Return to the blogosphere
Welcome to the first and hopefully not the last "Feelin' Dizzy" blog, now here on Blogspot. For most of 2007 and the first month or two of 2008 I wrote on a weekly basis over at myracer.com, only to find readership lacking and the site overhauled by a plethora of amateurs and PR posters merely just trying to advertise their product. It will be nice to offer my youthful perspective on the fascinating world of motorsports, mostly open-wheel but whatever is making news over the course of the weekend, in this space for the weeks and months to come.
And that said, what a perfect time to compile thoughts from the weekend just passed. I just returned to my adopted hometown of Milwaukee - famous for its beer and frigid winters, especially the one just completed - after attending my first Indianapolis 500. Suffice to say this was a better experience than the last time I visited the Speedway, for the ill-fated fiasco disguised as an official Grand Prix, the 2005 U.S. Bridgestone tire test for six well-prepared cars.
Arriving at the track still gives one chills, even if the notorious "Yellow Shirts" are directing you into a lot as far as possible from the media center. At least this was only for one day. My counterpart for the 11 days I was here, and bless his heart for putting up with me for that long, had all sorts of colorful comments about the speedway staff whose egos far outweigh their competency at performing their tasks. Perhaps the legendary '93 Chrysler Lebaron that he was piloting wasn't worthy of being parked near our workplace on this particular day.
Bump day had its moments, particularly the final half-hour when first Mario Dominguez, then Buddy Lazier compiled the necessary efforts to get in the show. Particularly gut-wrenching was when Dominguez's absolute last-ditch effort had the speed but not the longevity to bump his way back in. And of course the driver notorious for his affinity with walls during his Champ Car days found the barriers on this run, for the third time during the month and second time in a little over 24 hours.
His team, Pacific Coast Motorsports, has always done a lot with a little, but this had to have set them back both psychologically and financially despite the always upbeat attitude of team owner Tyler Tadevic. If only the rest of the owners could always see the silver lining as much as Tyler does, and a fitting reward to see him take the tough luck "Jigger" award at the AARWBA breakfast the next Saturday morning.
Much as I hated it for PCM, Roger Yasukawa, and Max Papis, it was great to see the emotion of making it in return for the first time in years. Not the faux drama that has been exposed the last couple years, i.e. the Tony Stewart bluff a few years back and then Paul Diatlovich's still ridiculous comment last year that by not giving Jimmy Kite a car fast enough to qualify, he was letting down "one of the greatest drivers to ever grace the Indianapolis Motor Speedway." I'm not kidding.
Lazier needed his shades to conceal the tears, and for a previous winner of the 500, just qualifying was reward enough for his last-ditch, last-weekend effort. He wouldn't do anything on raceday other than spin out an improved Milka Duno, but hey, at least he made it. More importantly, Mrs. Lazier got to stick around for another seven days...
There were a number of great events during the week, Wednesday's Community Day festivities featuring old cars and tours of normally exclusive areas and the Speedway's Centennial plans at the gorgeous and historic Allison Mansion in particular standing out. There's something unique about being the youngest person in the latter arena, and naturally to me, it appeared all eyes in the area had just one target.
It was particularly nerve-wracking once Speedway board chair Mari Hulman George decided to shun a front row seat and sitting next to one Tony George, to sit next to another Tony (me). Next to her was Jim Nabors.
Good golly, sargeant.
So, no pressure, right? Just dropping a crumb at this place as IMS President/COO Joie Chitwood delivered the speech introducing a new logo and events for the next three years would have gotten me kicked out faster than the first guy Britney Spears married. Shockingly, Mrs. George speaks and initiates conversations. From years of watching on TV, I was under the impression she was racing's groundhog - she'd see her shadow giving the command to start engines on raceday and then go into hibernation for another year. Proud to report that isn't the case.
The Indy Star's Curt Cavin referred to me from that point forward as "Mari's new best friend." She hasn't yet returned my phone calls...
Friday was my first Carb Day experience, and even with the rain that plagued all but ten minutes of on-track activity, it was still something to behold. I had never seen so many beer cans littered all over the place. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure IMS goes to great lengths to keep the place in shape but Carb Day is when that all goes out the window. That is quite possibly the only reason why all on-track activity wasn't canceled sooner than it was. Chitwood saying this was a "successful day" is slang for "we sold a helluva lot of alcohol." At least the Stone Temple Pilots concert went off OK...
Saturday was the Indy Lights race, and after seeing the dashing Swiss miss Cyndie Allemann several times over the course of the week, it was a personal letdown to see her plummet down the order from her 8th starting position and then drop out completely with mechanical woes. Another lad I saw a lot, the Italian-sounding Englishman Dillon Battistini, held off all comers to score a deserved win from pole. Also a shout to Mike Potekhen, who cut his starting position (26th) in half by the time the race was over in a one-off race. I went to his shop earlier in the week and he is arguably one of the nicest guys out there, considering I talked to many drivers over the course of the week.
Sunday had to come eventually and after an hour and a half waiting in traffic to go ten miles in our Lebaron - the Indy cops didn't let a soul go eastbound on 30th and Georgetown - we finally arrived in our seats at the media center. Watched the F1 race and of course when I ventured out to take pics of the B-list celebs (at best) that waltzed the red carpet, missed the moment when poor Adrian Sutil was taken out of a sensational 4th place.
But from there it was time to walk the grid. Still gives me chills now even writing about it. Just seeing all the people, whether in the stands or the pit lane, packed all into one place simultaneously is truly something to behold from a "being there" standpoint. Yes, forgive me for the cliche, but it cannot be comprehended from watching on TV.
To be honest the race was a bit anti-climactic in my opinion; as Scott Dixon was fastest all month, it would have been a tad unfair had he not won the race. Often times the fastest car doesn't earn the spoils, drink the milk and embark on an endless media tour, but fittingly Dixon did this year. The wrecks were a bit amateurish at times and really showcased the lack of practice time.
My take on the two big hits for the AGR teammates. Marco's pass was ambitious, sure, but given the difficulty passing during the day since the cars are so aero-dependent, I don't blame him for making the run. There's no rule saying you can't race/pass your teammate, just don't wreck him. And since TK would have been fine had Sarah Fisher not been there after he spun, I would classify it as more of a racing incident that just happened to be between teammates.
The Danica accident, in my opinion, was clearly Briscoe's fault. With two lanes, Briscoe could have easily pulled into the middle lane to get up to speed and then fall back into line. That's not saying he should just yield to Ms. Patrick, but anyone just leaving goes into one lane and then over to the next once there is room to merge. The tank-slapping, rear-ending that tagged Danica was a result of Briscoe's exuberance when he could have been patient.
She doesn't get off easy, though. That was one of the most unprofessional things I have seen when she waltzed down pit lane to pick a bone with Briscoe. Rivalries and fights are good, but as she should know having created a melee earlier this month - and been completely absolved of blame - you can't walk down a hot pit lane during on-track activity and expect to get away with it! Lest we forget that back then Danica ploughed Dale Coyne crewmember Charles Buckman when he was on pit road and sent him to the hospital with head injuries. For her own safety if nothing else, she should have hopped from her car and gone behind the pit wall to have a word with Briscoe. Who was to know a car wouldn't come in where she was walking? Her emotion can seem legit, but still a tad over-dramatized at times.
As for Briscoe, his days at Penske's IndyCar team should be numbered. Whether they are or not is a different matter. His speed is there, obviously, but then again anyone could jump in Penske equipment and qualify well. With three crashes and no top-five finishes from five starts this year, he is far from Penske material and perhaps Roger should take a look at who his son, Jay, has employed of late: Tomas Scheckter.
A driver who has matured exponentially since his early years in IndyCar, yet still bounced around like a pinball, Scheckter was the darkhorse who ran in the top five all day for the part-time Luczo Dragon effort and probably could have won with a bit of luck and another break. The only break he incurred was that of his driveshaft. Afterwards he seemed the most thankful of all for his opportunity. He's been in the wrong place at the wrong time throughout his career - Ganassi when they were the transitioning team from Champ Car, Panther on the decline from the Hornish title years, Vision when they were a two-car team with capable resources for only one.
Given his natural skills and experience, something Briscoe appears to have shunned since earning the seat at the beginning of the year, the South African would be a great choice to return to the series full-time.
Enough musings and ramblings for this week; up next is the fantastic Milwaukee Mile event with 27 cars on a short-track, just like the old days. Until then, cheers.
And that said, what a perfect time to compile thoughts from the weekend just passed. I just returned to my adopted hometown of Milwaukee - famous for its beer and frigid winters, especially the one just completed - after attending my first Indianapolis 500. Suffice to say this was a better experience than the last time I visited the Speedway, for the ill-fated fiasco disguised as an official Grand Prix, the 2005 U.S. Bridgestone tire test for six well-prepared cars.
Arriving at the track still gives one chills, even if the notorious "Yellow Shirts" are directing you into a lot as far as possible from the media center. At least this was only for one day. My counterpart for the 11 days I was here, and bless his heart for putting up with me for that long, had all sorts of colorful comments about the speedway staff whose egos far outweigh their competency at performing their tasks. Perhaps the legendary '93 Chrysler Lebaron that he was piloting wasn't worthy of being parked near our workplace on this particular day.
Bump day had its moments, particularly the final half-hour when first Mario Dominguez, then Buddy Lazier compiled the necessary efforts to get in the show. Particularly gut-wrenching was when Dominguez's absolute last-ditch effort had the speed but not the longevity to bump his way back in. And of course the driver notorious for his affinity with walls during his Champ Car days found the barriers on this run, for the third time during the month and second time in a little over 24 hours.
His team, Pacific Coast Motorsports, has always done a lot with a little, but this had to have set them back both psychologically and financially despite the always upbeat attitude of team owner Tyler Tadevic. If only the rest of the owners could always see the silver lining as much as Tyler does, and a fitting reward to see him take the tough luck "Jigger" award at the AARWBA breakfast the next Saturday morning.
Much as I hated it for PCM, Roger Yasukawa, and Max Papis, it was great to see the emotion of making it in return for the first time in years. Not the faux drama that has been exposed the last couple years, i.e. the Tony Stewart bluff a few years back and then Paul Diatlovich's still ridiculous comment last year that by not giving Jimmy Kite a car fast enough to qualify, he was letting down "one of the greatest drivers to ever grace the Indianapolis Motor Speedway." I'm not kidding.
Lazier needed his shades to conceal the tears, and for a previous winner of the 500, just qualifying was reward enough for his last-ditch, last-weekend effort. He wouldn't do anything on raceday other than spin out an improved Milka Duno, but hey, at least he made it. More importantly, Mrs. Lazier got to stick around for another seven days...
There were a number of great events during the week, Wednesday's Community Day festivities featuring old cars and tours of normally exclusive areas and the Speedway's Centennial plans at the gorgeous and historic Allison Mansion in particular standing out. There's something unique about being the youngest person in the latter arena, and naturally to me, it appeared all eyes in the area had just one target.
It was particularly nerve-wracking once Speedway board chair Mari Hulman George decided to shun a front row seat and sitting next to one Tony George, to sit next to another Tony (me). Next to her was Jim Nabors.
Good golly, sargeant.
So, no pressure, right? Just dropping a crumb at this place as IMS President/COO Joie Chitwood delivered the speech introducing a new logo and events for the next three years would have gotten me kicked out faster than the first guy Britney Spears married. Shockingly, Mrs. George speaks and initiates conversations. From years of watching on TV, I was under the impression she was racing's groundhog - she'd see her shadow giving the command to start engines on raceday and then go into hibernation for another year. Proud to report that isn't the case.
The Indy Star's Curt Cavin referred to me from that point forward as "Mari's new best friend." She hasn't yet returned my phone calls...
Friday was my first Carb Day experience, and even with the rain that plagued all but ten minutes of on-track activity, it was still something to behold. I had never seen so many beer cans littered all over the place. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure IMS goes to great lengths to keep the place in shape but Carb Day is when that all goes out the window. That is quite possibly the only reason why all on-track activity wasn't canceled sooner than it was. Chitwood saying this was a "successful day" is slang for "we sold a helluva lot of alcohol." At least the Stone Temple Pilots concert went off OK...
Saturday was the Indy Lights race, and after seeing the dashing Swiss miss Cyndie Allemann several times over the course of the week, it was a personal letdown to see her plummet down the order from her 8th starting position and then drop out completely with mechanical woes. Another lad I saw a lot, the Italian-sounding Englishman Dillon Battistini, held off all comers to score a deserved win from pole. Also a shout to Mike Potekhen, who cut his starting position (26th) in half by the time the race was over in a one-off race. I went to his shop earlier in the week and he is arguably one of the nicest guys out there, considering I talked to many drivers over the course of the week.
Sunday had to come eventually and after an hour and a half waiting in traffic to go ten miles in our Lebaron - the Indy cops didn't let a soul go eastbound on 30th and Georgetown - we finally arrived in our seats at the media center. Watched the F1 race and of course when I ventured out to take pics of the B-list celebs (at best) that waltzed the red carpet, missed the moment when poor Adrian Sutil was taken out of a sensational 4th place.
But from there it was time to walk the grid. Still gives me chills now even writing about it. Just seeing all the people, whether in the stands or the pit lane, packed all into one place simultaneously is truly something to behold from a "being there" standpoint. Yes, forgive me for the cliche, but it cannot be comprehended from watching on TV.
To be honest the race was a bit anti-climactic in my opinion; as Scott Dixon was fastest all month, it would have been a tad unfair had he not won the race. Often times the fastest car doesn't earn the spoils, drink the milk and embark on an endless media tour, but fittingly Dixon did this year. The wrecks were a bit amateurish at times and really showcased the lack of practice time.
My take on the two big hits for the AGR teammates. Marco's pass was ambitious, sure, but given the difficulty passing during the day since the cars are so aero-dependent, I don't blame him for making the run. There's no rule saying you can't race/pass your teammate, just don't wreck him. And since TK would have been fine had Sarah Fisher not been there after he spun, I would classify it as more of a racing incident that just happened to be between teammates.
The Danica accident, in my opinion, was clearly Briscoe's fault. With two lanes, Briscoe could have easily pulled into the middle lane to get up to speed and then fall back into line. That's not saying he should just yield to Ms. Patrick, but anyone just leaving goes into one lane and then over to the next once there is room to merge. The tank-slapping, rear-ending that tagged Danica was a result of Briscoe's exuberance when he could have been patient.
She doesn't get off easy, though. That was one of the most unprofessional things I have seen when she waltzed down pit lane to pick a bone with Briscoe. Rivalries and fights are good, but as she should know having created a melee earlier this month - and been completely absolved of blame - you can't walk down a hot pit lane during on-track activity and expect to get away with it! Lest we forget that back then Danica ploughed Dale Coyne crewmember Charles Buckman when he was on pit road and sent him to the hospital with head injuries. For her own safety if nothing else, she should have hopped from her car and gone behind the pit wall to have a word with Briscoe. Who was to know a car wouldn't come in where she was walking? Her emotion can seem legit, but still a tad over-dramatized at times.
As for Briscoe, his days at Penske's IndyCar team should be numbered. Whether they are or not is a different matter. His speed is there, obviously, but then again anyone could jump in Penske equipment and qualify well. With three crashes and no top-five finishes from five starts this year, he is far from Penske material and perhaps Roger should take a look at who his son, Jay, has employed of late: Tomas Scheckter.
A driver who has matured exponentially since his early years in IndyCar, yet still bounced around like a pinball, Scheckter was the darkhorse who ran in the top five all day for the part-time Luczo Dragon effort and probably could have won with a bit of luck and another break. The only break he incurred was that of his driveshaft. Afterwards he seemed the most thankful of all for his opportunity. He's been in the wrong place at the wrong time throughout his career - Ganassi when they were the transitioning team from Champ Car, Panther on the decline from the Hornish title years, Vision when they were a two-car team with capable resources for only one.
Given his natural skills and experience, something Briscoe appears to have shunned since earning the seat at the beginning of the year, the South African would be a great choice to return to the series full-time.
Enough musings and ramblings for this week; up next is the fantastic Milwaukee Mile event with 27 cars on a short-track, just like the old days. Until then, cheers.
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