2011 Red Bull Indianapolis GP Preview

            
            The Red Bull Moto GP is back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the fourth time. Last year the race was won by Spaniard Dani Pedrosa.  In 2008 Valentino Rossi won and in 2009 his Yamaha teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, took the victory.

            

            This year Australian rider Casey Stoner comes into the race as the MotoGP points leader. Stoner already has six wins this year, but in two Indy starts his best finish is 4^th. Stoner said today in a press conference about the race on Sunday, “It’s a very challenging track, it’s not a normal brake, enter and exit the corner circuit, there are some tricky little sections to it and there are some faster sections that take more guts than some corners”.

Casey Stoner

            

            There are three Americans in the field and all consider this track to be a “home track”. The most successful of these Americans is Kentucky native, Nicky Hayden. Hayden won the 2006 Moto GP championship and has numerous wins but none at Indy. In three starts Hayden has finished second, third, and sixth. Ben Spies (from Tennessee) and Colin Edwards (from Texas) also represent the U.S.A. but neither has experienced the achievements that Hayden has. I thought this quote by Edwards about racing at IMS was interesting, “The track isn't too technical or demanding”. That’s quite contradictive of Casey Stoner’s thoughts on the track.

            

            If you’re looking at favorite for the race you can never count out Valentino Rossi. Rossi is a 9-time series Champion and goes by the nickname, “The Doctor”. Rossi won the inaugural race in 2008, crashed out in 2009, and finished 4^th last year.  Other popular choices include the only two drivers to win at Indy besides Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. They sit 5^th and 4^th, respectively, in the points standings.

Valentino Rossi(left) and teammate Nicky Hayden on their Ducati's

            

            Well I’ve talked about four of the top five in the points standings so why leave somebody out? Sitting in third place is Italian Andrea Dovizioso. He actually seems the most consistent of any driver at IMS. In three starts he’s finished 5^th, 4^th, and 5^th.

            

            I’ll wait to pick my favorites to win until Saturday night. Just like any race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where a driver qualifies places a serious part in how great their shot at winning is.

            

            Remember a few months ago when I wrote about how IMS was having the road course re-paved? Well this is the first time anybody will be driving on the new asphalt. Lap times and speeds are expected to be higher than they usually are. It’ll be interesting to watch if that is the case, or if any drivers have to accustom themselves to the new surface.

Harley-Davidson Test at IMS

            
            Harley-Davidson was back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in more than 100 years. Last Thursday and Friday the Harley-Davidson XCR1200’s had a testing session in advance of their race next weekend. These motorcycles race in a league called the AMA Vance & Hines Harley Davidson’s. The race is just one part of the Red Bull Moto GP at Indianapolis in which several events will be happening at IMS and all over Indy.

         
             I have never even heard of this series and most of you haven’t either. So here’s the basic rundown of the league.

“The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series is a spec-bike race series featuring specially modified Harley-Davidson XR1200 motorcycles. Vance & Hines is the title sponsor and official kit supplier for the class. The special kits consist of a Vance & Hines XR1200 exhaust system, a Fuelpak fuel management system, race bodywork including number plate, single-seat tail section and belly pan, 17- inch front wheel with matching front fender, steering damper, oil cooler relocator and race decal package. The cost for the complete kit, which does not include the price of the motorcycle, is $3,500.00.”

www.vanceandhines.com/xr1200series/about

Here's some pics I took during the Friday test

2011 Brickyard 400 Review

Paul Menard "kisses the bricks" after his victory Sunday

            The 18^th Brickyard 400 was all about fuel strategy, and the man with the best strategy on Sunday was Paul Menard. Menard won the first race of his career at the track that his father and he have been a part of for a very long time. Paul’s father, John Menard, has fielded cars in the Indy 500 for 35 years but had never been a part of a victory.

           

            If the Menard name sounds familiar, that’s because it is. John Menard owns the Menard home improvement stores and is one of the richest men in the world.  Many said Paul was only in NASCAR because his father was able to sponsor his car without Paul having to prove himself. One of those critics was Tony Stewart, when a few years ago he said “You can have your father buy a ride and write a big check, but you can't buy talent." But as Jeff Gordon said after the race, “You don’t win at Indy by fluke”. I had never been impressed with Menard before the Brickyard. After seeing him hold off a fast-charging Gordon was very impressive and conserve enough gas to finish was impressive.

Paul Menard(right) and his father, John

           

           

            The first third of the race was dominated by Red Bull Racing’s Kasey Kahne. Kahne led all the laps until the first round of pit stops at Lap 30, then took back over the lead and led until Lap 60 when Hendrick Motorsports took over. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson went back and forth from positions 1, 2, and 3. Then when a caution came out, the fuel insanity began.

           

            Some drivers came in, some did not. Some drivers took 2 tires and others took 4. Drivers with great cars were stuck in the back while drivers with mediocre cars were upfront. From this point on, Lap 100, the race was going to come down to strategy and fuel conservation. There were numerous different leaders including Brad Keselowski, Landon Cassill, and Paul Menard.

           

            With 20 laps left, Indiana’s Tony Stewart had the lead. He has won the Brickyard twice, but there was no way he could make it to the finish without getting gas. This was the same song for most of the drivers except ones who had pitted around Lap 125 during a caution; one of the drivers that did pit was Paul Menard. Stewart did eventually pit on Lap 145, and Paul Menard took over the lead.

           

            Menard lead with Mark Martin 2^nd, Jamie McMurray 3^rd, Greg Bifle 4^th, and Regan Smith 5^th. All of these drivers were pretty low on fuel and had to conserve to make it to the end.  The first driver in line behind these conservationists was Jeff Gordon. Gordon had to pit under green and was 10 seconds behind the lead group of cars with 20 laps to go.

           

            10 laps to go and Menard still lead with McMurray 2^nd, Martin 3^rd, Trevor Bayne 4^th, and Smith 5^th. Gordon was now only 8 seconds behind. With 8 laps to go McMurray took over the lead and looked like he had Menard beat, but Gordon was now only 7 seconds behind.  .

           

            4 laps left and Menard was given the message that he had conserved saved enough gas and could run flat out. He passed McMurray and took over the lead. Gordon was now 2 seconds back and in 4^th place. 3 to go and Gordon moved into 3^rd, then into 2^nd.  2 laps to go and Gordon was just one second behind Menard.  The white flag came out and Menard still held his lead. He made his last four turns and came down the frontstretch to take the checkered flag and win the 2011 Brickyard 400.

           

           

            Jeff Gordon definitely had the fastest car all day. I was really upset to see him not be able to seal the deal. Menard knows what it means to win at the Brickyard, so I’m happy he won. Kasey Kahne also had an incredibly fast car but got caught up in strategy and never saw the lead except for earlier in the race. My driver A.J. Allmendinger also had a fast car and if the race would have played out without the fuel strategy he would have at least had a top 5. Instead he finished 22^nd.

           

           

            My pick to win the race, Matt Kenseth, had a strong car all day and finished 5th. My other picks to win the race with their finishing position: Jeff Gordon (2^nd), Jimmie Johnson (19^th), Greg Bifle (7^th), and Carl Edwards (14^th). If you recall, I originally had Tony Stewart (6^th) and Kevin Harvick (11^th) instead of Kenseth and Bifle.  Neither Stewart nor Harvick had good cars; they just played the strategy right. The same could be said for Bifle too.

2011 Brickyard 400 Preview

            
            Finally, Brickyard 400 Weekend has arrived! This is definitely my favorite weekend of the summer, and second favorite of the whole year behind Memorial Day Weekend.  It’s always an awesome experience, and this year should not disappoint.

               
            The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the most difficult tracks to race on because of its low banked- turns and narrow straight-aways. The track was designed for open-wheel cars, and even they have a tough time getting around. The great thing about the configuration of the track is that only the best of the best win, as opposed to say the Daytona 500. 
            
            The past Brickyard winners are: Jeff Gordon(4), Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett(2), Ricky Rudd, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliot (the only one I couldn’t remember), Tony Stewart(2), Jimmie Johnson(3), Kevin Harvick, and Jamie McMurray. From that list, only Ricky Rudd, Kevin Harvick, and Jamie McMurray have not won the Sprint Cup Championship before.
               
            Looking at who has won it in the past can easily tell you who has the best chance to win this year. Here are my drivers with the best chance to win the 2011 Brickyard 400.


Jeff Gordon – Spent his childhood racing until he became a big name driver, so he knows s the history of IMS. He has won at Indy 4 times, and is having a good season thus far. He will be attempting to be the first person to win at IMS five times.

Jimmie Johnson- He has won three times in the past five races. People think he’s struggling this year, but my god, he’s 2^nd in the points standings! Plus he’s Jimmie Johnson; he has a good chance to win everywhere.

Tony Stewart- Born and raised in Indiana, he is always the crowd favorite (unfortunately). He is a two-time winner, but is struggling a little this season. He is always better in the summer and just came off a second place finish, so look for him to be upfront.

Kevin Harvick- He won his only Brickyard in 2004, but he has been strong all season as he has three wins.

Carl Edwards- The current Sprint Cup points leader has never won at Indy, or any track similar to Indy. He is obviously having a great season, and this could be the year he gets that first win at the Brickyard.

Juan Pablo Montoya- The 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner is struggling this year. He has not had any success all season, and just got a new crew chief, so their first race working together will be in Indy. He has absolutely dominated the past two Brickyards, but has never been able to get the win.


            Before seeing any cars practice or even qualifications, I’m picking Tony Stewart to win the race. I’ll update that pick Saturday night though.

GRAND-AM and Nationwide set for 2012

            The GRAND-AM and Nationwide Series will race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway starting in 2012. The official announcement was made on the frontstretch of IMS on Wednesday, July 5. The announcement was attended by Indianapolis Mayor, Greg Ballard, NASCAR president, Mike Helton, and several IMS dignitaries. The meeting was also kicked off with race car drivers Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, and Scott Pruett driving down the frontstretch in their cars behind a Camaro pacecar.

          

Here’s the schedule for next year’s weekend:

Thursday, July 26: NASCAR Nationwide Series practice.

Friday, July 27: GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge practice, qualifying and races.

Saturday, July 28: NASCAR Nationwide Series practice, qualifying and race; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying.

Sunday, July 29: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400 race.

           

         So much glitz and glamour for a decision that disgusts me. In fact, I have never been so offended by anything IMS has ever done. Maybe this whole “super weekend” will grow on me, but I doubt it. Here’s why I hate this whole gimmick.

1. Brickyard 400 weekend is special to me because it’s my weekend to see my favorite drivers, teams, owners and cars. I can stand outside the garage area and have every driver walk within spitting distance of me. Now, the Nationwide guys will be taking up space the whole weekend, and the GRAND-AM teams won’t be gone until Friday night. So instead of spending two days chasing down my favorite drivers for autographs, I’ll have one day. (It’s impossible to get autographs on race day).

          

           2. The price for each day will surely go up. I’m gonna spend $80 to get into the track on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this year. Three days for that price is an absolute steal. I have no idea what it will cost to go on Friday and Saturday next year, but I could guarantee it’s gonna cost more than $30 for each of those days.

           

          3. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the greatest race course in the world, reserved for only the greatest race car drivers in the world. The Nationwide and GRAND-AM drivers are nowhere near the title “greatest in the world”. The Nationwide Series is a developmental series for the Sprint Cup series. The GRAND-AM series has great drivers, but nobody that’s gonna be competing in IndyCar or Sprint Cup anytime soon.

           

         4. By bringing Nationwide to IMS, they are taking a race away from Lucas Oil Raceway (formerly O’Reilly Raceway Park). The races at LOR were always exciting and always allowed fans a real home-town feel. The track is a 3/8^th mile and only has room for 30,000 fans. It sits in the middle of farmland and there are no scoring towers or video screens. If you wanted to see the action on the track (and there always was that) then you had to watch the race. The race was ALWAYS a sell-out, now there will be those 30,000 people watching the race at IMS in a place that seats 250,000. That’ll look great on TV!

          

           This move seems like IMS and NASCAR's last ditch effort to try and make more money off the Brickyard. I don't know why they can't just be happy with 100,000-140,000 people at the race. Do those two entities really need MORE money and attention? After this year, I'll be spending my money on the month of May watching IndyCar.

Road Construction

            This is the only road construction that will not only make a road safer, but won’t cause any headaches during rush hour.

            The Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course is getting repaved. This is the first time the course has been paved since it was first constructed for the first Formula 1 race in 2001. The course is 2.6 miles, and consists of 16-turns. It is planned to be finished in time for the Red Bull Moto GP event in late August.

            
            It is also thought that a reason the track is getting repaved is because the GRAND-AM series will race at IMS next year. Although that race has not yet been confirmed, there is no reason the track needed to be repaved so there could be just motorcycle races on it.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Moto GP course

Paving crews

 I took these pics on my cell phone, so I apologize for the graininess. In the last three pictures, the lower section of pavement is the Moto GP course, the upper section is the oval track. I’m not an expert on asphalt, but it looked like the course was still being prepared to be paved.

My Indy 500

This is kind of late, but I just wanted to get this out there and let you guys know how my month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was. Out of the 17 days of Indianapolis 500 activities occurring at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I was there for seven of them and spent approximately 34 hours at the track. I was there on Opening Day, Fast Friday, Carb Day, Race Day, and then some. I took 533 pictures, got some awesome autographs, and made memories I will never forget. There is nowhere else I would rather spend the month of May than on the Westside of Indianapolis, Indiana.

           

On race day, my entourage made up myself, my mom, my brother, and my girlfriend woke up at 4:00 am. We hopped into our car and headed basically right around the corner to Georgetown Road that runs right next to IMS. After almost 3 of waiting in line to get into the track (and several headaches) we were parked in Turn 3, the famed “Snake Pit”. We unloaded the car and headed to Turn 2, where we would be sitting on an infield mound.

We were set up and ready for the race by 8:00 am, but the race was still four hours away! So we sat there and listened to music, played Frisbee, played football, and tried to kill time as we waited for the pre race activities to start.

After the national anthem was sung, a rendition by Kelly Clarkson and Seal, the much more appealing song, “Back Home Again in Indiana” was sung by Jim Nabors. After hearing that song, I realized that I was just mere minutes from seeing my first Indianapolis 500 in person. I could feel the same electricity in the thousands of people around us.

The race began and was very exciting, but like all sporting events, it turned into a bore about half way through. In fact, my girlfriend fell asleep during the race. Embarrassing right? With about 40 laps to go, the race picked up and I stood for the rest of the race so I could get the best vantage point.

As the lead was swapped between drivers towards the end of the race you could feel the tension grow with each passing lap. Nobody knew who would have enough gas (or determination and strength) to win. When JR Hildebrand took the lead my brother and I erupted into cheer. My brother had picked him to win, and it was awesome to see an American just a few laps away from winning the race.

When J.R. took the white flag, everybody around us was on their feet, cheering him onto victory. He went by us and onto the backstretch. I watched him turn into 3 on the video screen, then into 4, then smack right into the wall. There was a moment of a about one second when the track was almost silent, except for the cars, as nobody could believe what just happened. When Dan Wheldon passed Hildebrand, the shock turned into happiness and appreciation for Wheldon and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Well, except for two people, my brother and I. I really thought Hildebrand was going to win. I told my brother with 10 laps left that if Hildebrand could get by then 2^nd place Dario Franchitti, then he would win. Hildebrand got by Franchitti and took the lead as the leader had to pit, and all he had to do from then on out was keep the car on the track and off the wall. He wasn’t able to do that, and he lost. I could feel his pain, for I had felt his excitement and anxiousness.

After the race, we headed back to our car and waited about an hour to leave the track, and finally made it home around 5. I had been up for 12 hours, I had been to my first Indy 500, and it was one of the greatest 500’s in history. It was quite an incredible day.

Pagoda on race morning

First 3 rows before the start of the race

 Besides going to the race, my favorite part of the 500 was being at the track on A.J. Foyt Day, the Saturday before the race. Throughout the day there would be drivers signing autographs; drivers that were past Indy 500 winners, drivers that had raced in the 500, and the current drivers. There was also the public driver’s meeting which I had never attended.

I woke up 7:00 am and left for the track. I got to the gates around 7:45am and stood in line until the official opening of the gates at 8am.

When it finally turned to 8am, the guy working the gate yelled “GO!” All of a sudden, I was in the middle of a stampede. People (mostly middle-aged) took off into the tunnel that leads under the track. I was getting pushed around and could hear little kids screaming. It was as close to “Running of the Bulls” as I want to get to. Eventually I realized I was going to have to join the madness, and took off running.

I emerged from the tunnel and inside the track. I made my way to the “Pagoda Plaza” and found that the first group of drivers giving autographs was the past Indy 500 winners. They were split up into 5 different tables from which I would only be able to choose just one to go. These tables were:

Johnny Rutherford, Parnelli Jones, and Tom Sneeva

Arie Luyendyk and Rick Mears

Mario Andretti and Kenny Brack

Al Unser, Bobby Unser, and Al Unser Jr.

Emerson Fittipaldi and Gil de Ferran

I jumped in the Arie and Rick line, as Rick’s autograph is one I’ve wanted for awhile. I stood there and talked to the people around me. The couple in front of me was from Florida and had been to several 500’s. The guy behind me had also been to several, and he and his father had so much memorabilia and stuff to sign it was borderline disgusting. All I had was a program, but by God, I will always cherish that $15 program.

While in line, I saw Johnny Rutherford standing next to a car that several past drivers were signing. I rushed over and got him to sign my program. I was also able to get Wally Dallenbach and his father’s autograph as well. I was soon told to “move back to the lines”, but didn’t care much because I got what I wanted!

Eventually I got Arie and Rick’s autograph, and told Arie that “You’re my parents favorite driver!” to which drew an almost dirty glance by the two-time 500 winner.

I attended the driver’s meeting that was happening on the front stretch of the track. Dario Franchitti and his owner were given awards for his 500 victory last year. There were other awards given but nothing too exciting. The best moment was when Al Unser Jr. introduced A.J. Foyt, when he said “Now to introduce a man with a record that is unsurpassed. Get it, Unser-passed?” The joke brought out a lot of laughs from people in the stands as well as the drivers in attendance. I thought it was pretty hilarious as well.

Program I got signed.Autographs: Johnny Rutherford, Arie Luyendyk, Rick Mears, Kenny Brack, Parnelli Jones, and Tom Sneeva

Rick Mears and Arie Luyendyk

A.J. Foyt

Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Sr.

GRAND-AM in Indy?

Rumors began to start early this week that there were talks between NASCAR and the owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway about having the Grand-Am Series race on the road course at IMS. The Grand-Am series, which I know as the Rolex Sports Car Series, is owned by NASCAR.        

On Wednesday, June 15, it was confirmed that IMS and NASCAR are seriously considering adding a Grand- Am race to the Brickyard 400 weekend, and possibly holding the Nationwide race at IMS too.

            

           The Rolex cars had tested at IMS a few years ago, but nothing ever came of it. I even asked one Indianapolis Star writer a few months ago if IMS would ever have a Grand-Am race; his response, in short, was no.

           This is all just rumors right now, but I’m not a big fan of any of this change, esp. the Nationwide switch. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is for the best drivers in the world, and to bring the Nationwide drivers would dilute that. The other part that upsets me is that the Brickyard 400 weekend is something I really look forward to. I get to see all the drivers, cars, and teams that I love. I don’t want to see them share the track with anybody else. Not to mention the ticket prices for the whole weekend would increase greatly.

            Here’s the low-down on the Grand-Am Series, because I know next to nothing about the series.

“GRAND-AM Road Racing has the largest sports car fan base in the United States, with nearly 20 million adults, and has also had the highest percentage growth of any major motorsports series on television over the past five years.

GRAND-AM sanctions the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the U.S. and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International.

GRAND-AM Road Racing showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers.

GRAND-AM was founded in 1999. The organization's first race was February 6, 2000, at Daytona International Speedway - the 38th Rolex 24 At Daytona.”

http://www.grand-am.com

Apparently it’s spelled “GRAND-AM”, not “Grand-Am” like I was writing it.

When something is announced officially, I will post it on here ASAP!

Rolex Sports Car Series cars. The first two are "Daytona Prototype" class cars, the third one is a "GT" class car.

IndyCar on the rise?

            Could IndyCar be on the rise? If you judge it off the series’ biggest race, the Indianapolis 500, then the answer would be a resounding “Yes!”

But before we talk too much about the future, how about a history lesson?

            

            During the 1990’s, CART, the Championship Auto Racing Team, was the premier open-wheel racing league in America. CART was run by several legends of racing, including Roger Penske, Bobby Rahal, and Paul Newman. Tony George, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was also on the board of owners, but played a minor role.

            

            George became fed up with “political differences” between himself and the sanctioning body. George said the differences were driving the sport away from its “American-bred oval roots”; others say it had more to do with money and power. I believe the former, and still believe that IndyCar needs to get back to those roots.

            

            In 1995, Tony George created his own racing league; a league that was more affordable, and that centered on the Indy 500.

            

            The result nearly destroyed both leagues. CART took the big names, while IRL held onto the biggest race. For the following years the two leagues battled to try and destroy each other, striving to find the best drivers and best teams. Eventually, Penske, Ganassi, Michael Andretti, and Rahal all returned to Indy, and the Indy Racing League.

            

            In 2008, CART had nearly reached bankruptcy so they agreed to merge with the Indy Racing League. That resulted in what we know today as IndyCar.

           

            

            The 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 was a near sellout, bringing more people since the 1995 race, which was the year before the IRL/CART split. The race also produced a higher television rating than last years, rising from a 3.6 to 4.0. Tickets are being sold at tracks across America at a faster rate than previous years, showing that people are taking interest in the league and its drivers.

            

            Next season, IndyCar will introduce all new cars. There will be an oval car and a road/ street course car. These cars have customizable parts that will allow the car makers to create different looking cars than their opponents.

            

            Along with these new cars will be Chevrolet and Lotus, along with Honda, all making cars for specific teams. This means that there could be three different looking race cars on the track all on once, reminiscing to the early days of the Indy 500 where car companies pushed for innovation and speed.

            

          These new cars will also attempt to get rid of the “spec” racing that has become synonymous with all racing leagues. The term refers to how all the cars are made exactly the same, and look exactly the same, i.e. NASCAR and Formula 1. This was also a problem for IndyCar, as the cars have been the same since 2003.

           

A model of the new cars for 2012. The top is the road course car. The bottom is the oval car.

            The biggest change coming to IndyCar is the loss of its most popular driver, Danica Patrick. Patrick will be moving to NASCAR after this season to compete in the Nationwide Series. To me, this is a positive; it is time for IndyCar to forge its own identity, one that isn’t based on just one driver. You watch Sportscenter, and the only thing that would be covered in the highlights is Danica Patrick and the winner of the race. That’s not a good thing.

-There has been no formal announcement made on this issue, but everybody is expecting Danica to leave IndyCar.

            
            The time is right for open-wheel racing to re-emerge on the sports scene. The series has been dormant far too long, and the men running IndyCar want it to be a premier racing league. NASCAR has shown a decline in popularity, some NFL teams are struggling to sell tickets, and that league may not even have a 2011 season. Plus the economy, which drives racing, is improving, and large corporations are crucial as they sponsor cars, drivers, and tracks.

2011 Indy 500: Post-race

Start of the 2011 Indianapolis 500

 The 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 may have produced the best finish of any 500 ever. It may have been one of the best finishes of a race ever. It was definitely the best Indy 500 I have ever watched.

                

            Besides the first double-file restarts in the 500, there was little to be desired during the first 100 laps. Ganassi teammates Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon traded the lead back and forth the entire time. Pole sitter Alex Tagliani led some laps too, but later hit the wall coming out of Turn 4 and ruined his race.

                

           The excitement began when Ryan Briscoe crashed on lap 168 and brought out the yellow flag. All cars would have to pit just once more, but just Dario Franchitti and J.R. Hildebrand came in and pitted.

-This was something that I didn’t understand. Why not pit now? I knew at this point that it would either be Franchitti or Hildebrand that would win.

                

            With 20 laps left, Scott Dixon came into pit road and surrendered the lead to Danica Patrick, with Tomas Sheckter in 2^nd, Ed Carpenter 3^rd, Bertrand Baguette in 4^th, Marco Andretti in 5^th, Franchitti 6^th, and Hildebrand 7^th.

                

            15 laps left and Danica still lead, but was being caught by Bertrand Baguette. Baguette took the lead over with 12 laps left. At this point, Sheckter had made his pit stop, so Andretti moved up to 3^rd; Franchitti was 4^th, and Hildebrand 5^th.

                

             10 laps left and Baguette still lead the race. Patrick and Andretti came in for their pits stops, which meant Franchitti was in 2^nd and Hildebrand was 3^rd.

-At this point you could actually hear that Franchitti was running about half throttle. I told my brother that Hildebrand was catching up and running full out, which you could see and hear. I knew that all Hildebrand had to do was pass Franchitti and he would win. We were both ecstatic.

                

             5 to go and Baguette still lead, with Franchitti in 2^nd, but Hildebrand was right behind him.  Hildebrand got around Franchitti right as Baguette came into pit.

                

             4 to go, 3 to go, 2 to go, and finally the white flag. The 300,000 thousand fans in attendance were about to see history be made. JR Hildebrand drove his car around Turn 1, then Turn 2, then onto the backstretch, with the crowd going crazy. He dove into Turn 3 and came into Turn 4 on the high line to pass a slower car. Then WHAM!

                

             Hildebrand was in the wall. Hildebrand was had crashed in Turn 4. For just those few seconds as the thousands watched, there was a humongous “gasp” and silence. Then Dan Wheldon, who had come from nowhere, crossed the finish in 1^st place. He had won the 2011 Indianapolis 500.

                

            Hildebrand’s car slid across the finish line in 2^nd place. He climbed out of his wrecked car and just sat on the ground. It’s impossible for me to imagine what was going through his mind. He could see the checkered flag, he could see the $2.5 million paycheck, and then he saw it all disappear.

               

For two hours after the race, race officials met and talked about the finish of the race. They finally declared Wheldon the official winner, but it would have been kinda awkward to take the victory away after he celebrated. The controversy was that Hildebrand’s crash could have, and maybe should have, brought out a caution immediately. Instead, Wheldon passed Hildebrand, and then the caution flew.

In my opinion, the IndyCar officials let the finish play out, and threw the yellow flag when Wheldon passed Hildebrand. I’m not sure what would have happened had the yellow been thrown immediately when Hildebrand crashed. He still would have crossed the finish line, but not much besides that. I think the right decision was made though, Hildebrand made a mistake, and Wheldon capitalized.

                

           The victory was Wheldon’s second Indy 500 victory and the first for team owner Brian Herta.  Wheldon said after the race, "It's obviously unfortunate, but that's Indianapolis”. Truer words have never been said. It is Indianapolis, where the unexpected always happens.

Dan Wheldon passes JR Hildebrand

Teams Penske and Ganassi had complete opposites of days. Ganassi drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, finished 12^th and 5^th, respectively, and lead for a combined 124 laps. Ganassi-affiliated drivers Graham Rahal finished 3^rd, and lead six laps. Charlie Kimball finished 13^th.

                

            No Penske driver finished in the top 10, and led no laps. This had to be the worst 500 for Penske ever, except the year none of his drivers made it into the race.

It turned out to be a decent day for Andretti Autosports, which only had four of its five drivers in the race, one of which was in a car owned by another team. Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick finished 9^th and 10^th, respectively. John Andretti finished 22^rd, and Ryan Hunter-Reay 23^rd.

          Tony Kanaan was the sole bright spot for his KV Racing Technology team. Kanaan finished 4^th, but his teammates finished 32^nd and 33^rd.

Now, I’m sure you are all wondering how my predictions went.

I had picked Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, and Alex Tagliani to win. Well obviously that was a bit off. But those three combined to lead 144 laps and were running 1-2-3 for awhile.

I guaranteed no Penske driver would finish in the top 5, and that was right.

In my list of 8 drivers (excluding Ganassi or Penske) that had the best chance of winning, I failed to mention: JR Hildebrand, Graham Rahal, Tony Kanaan, Bertrand Baguette, Tomas Sheckter, all finished in the Top 10.

Heartbreak

Only a few hundred race cars drivers have known what it's like to take the green flag in the Indianapolis 500. An even fewer have actually won. JR Hildebrand just about joined that exclusive club Sunday afternoon, but it was not meant to be.

            

Hildebrand had the lead on the last lap, but coming out of Turn 4, he passed a slower car on the outside and hit the wall. Dan Wheldon then passed Hildebrand’s damaged car and went on to win.

           
            I know the excitement myself and my brother had those last few laps, and I know the disappointment we both felt. I can’t imagine how the rookie, JR Hildebrand felt.

            
            On the NASCAR side, Dale Earnhardt Jr. experienced a very similar situation in the Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He had captured the lead due to cars running out of fuel. On the last lap, in the last turn, his car ran out of fuel. Right before crossing the finish line, Kevin Harvick passed him and won.

            Ironically, both drivers were sponsored by the National Guard, and both lost on their last turn. How fitting would it have been for American and auto racing had these drivers gone on to win? The first American to win the 500 in several years, and Dale Jr. finally getting his first win since 2008.

-There will be more formal posts coming. 

2011 Indy 500 predictions

Artist Thomas Kinkade's rendition of 100 years of the Indianapolis 500

           Since 1970, the winner has started pole position 13 times, and the winner has started 2^nd or 3^rd a combined nine times. Going further, the winner has started outside the top 10 in only seven races. That means in the past 29 races, the winner has started in the top 10 23 times. So what does all that mean? I’m not sure, because statistics don’t mean much to me. I just looked all that up to impress you and your friends.

Alex Tagliani starting on the pole has me thinking this might be the year somebody other than Penske or Ganassi gets the win. Most people will have him as an underdog pick, and maybe as the favorite. If you’re making a sensible pick though, you have to go with a driver from one of the two most successful IndyCar teams ever, Penske or Ganassi.

The Penske drivers are: Helio Castroneves, #3, and a three time winner; Will Power, #12, no wins on an oval course; Ryan Briscoe, #6. Castroneves is starting way back in the field, but he’s Helio, and I have confidence that he can win from anywhere. Ryan Briscoe is starting 27^th, and I’m guaranteeing he won’t even finish in the top 5.

The Ganassi drivers are: Dario Franchitti, #10, a two-time winner; Scott Dixon, #9, a one-time winner. Both drivers are starting in the top 9, and have a far better chance of winning than the Penske drivers.

So besides those five drivers, who has the best chance of winning? For me, there are several drivers that have great chances at pulling an upset. They are in order of who I think has the best shot at winning.

Alex Tagliani- #77. Starting 1^st. Obviously has a quick car.

Vitor Meira- #14. Starting 11^th. Finished 2^nd in two Indy 500’s.

Dan Wheldon- #98. Starting 6^th. Former Indy 500 winner.

Danica Patrick- #7. Starting 26^th. Indy is definitely her best track.

Oriol Servia- #2. Starting 3^rd . 3^rd in the IndyCar Championship.

Ed Carpenter- #67. Starting 8^th. Has been fast all month.

Marco Andretti- #26. Starting 28^th. Lost the 2005 Indy 500 by less than one second.

Buddy Rice- #44. Starting 7^th. Former Indy 500 winner.

My three picks for the winner of the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500:

Dario Franchitti, Alex Tagliani, Scott Dixon

-Yes, I picked three. I’m allowed to do that, it’s my blog!

Comment and let me know who you think will get to drink the milk after 500 miles!