Final 2011 Brickyard 400 Preview

            After two packed days of on-track action, the field is set for the 18^th running of the Brickyard 400. Leading the field to the green flag will be David Ragan and Kasey Kahne. Ragan bumped Jimmie Johnson from the pole position on Saturday with a speed of 182.944mph, and then Kasey Kahne claimed the second spot with a speed of 182.927mph.

                                                     
                                                      Starting line-up

1- #6 David Ragan

2- #4 Kasey Kahne

3- #48 Jimmie Johnson

4-#22 Kurt Busch

5- #2 Brad Keselowski

6- #43 A.J. Allmendinger

7- #42 Juan Pablo Montoya

8- #24 Jeff Gordon         

9- #17 Matt Kenseth

10- #99 Carl Edwards

11- #13 Casey Mears

12- #5 Mark Martin

13- #31 Jeff Burton

14- # 11 Denny Hamlin

15- #27 Paul Menard

16- #1 Jamie McMurray

17- #47 Bobby Labonte

18- #16 Greg Bifle

19- #29 Kevin Harvick

20- #20 Joey Logano

21-#9 Marcos Ambrose

22-#99 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

23-#39 Ryan Newman

24-# 14 Tony Stewart

25-# 21 Trevor Bayne

26-# 33 Clint Bowyer

27-# 78 Regan Smith

28-# 00 David Reutimann

29-# 18 Kyle Busch

30-#56 Martin Truex Jr.

31-#83 Brian Vickers

32-#51 Landon Cassill

33-#36 Dave Blaney

34-#37 Scott Speed

35-#66 Michael McDowell

36-#87 Joe Nemechek

37-#34 David Gilliland

38-#60 Mike Skinner

39-#71 Andy Lally

40-#50 T.J. Bell

41-#7 Robby Gordon

42-#32 Mike Bliss

43-#23 Terry Labonte

             I’m extremely excited to see my favorite Allmendinger starting 6^th. I had not seen him even hit 180mph in practice on Friday or Saturday. Then he comes out and goes 182.445mph. I know he’s been working on his race setup, so he’ll be a contendor on Sunday.

                
            In my earlier preview I gave six drivers who I thought would be the biggest threats to win. Those drivers were: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, and Juan Pablo Montoya. After seeing how everybody did in practice and where they’ll be starting, I would remove Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick. Both are starting towards the back of the field

                
            I would then put in Matt Kenseth and Greg Bifle. These two are driving Fords and are a part of the Roush-Fenway Racing team. This is the same team as pole-sitter David Ragan and points leader Carl Edwards. Roush has never won at Indy, but this is the best chance they’ve ever had.  

                
            The significance of these guys driving Fords is the engine in their cars, the FR9. This new engine is able to perform at higher temperatures than other manufacture’s engines, which is vital at Indy with temperatures expected to be in the 90’s on Sunday. Plus all the extra horsepower that’s needed to get down the front and back stretch.

                
            So if I had to pick one driver to win who would I pick? My heart says Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson (or Allmendinger!), but my brain is saying Kenseth or Edwards. I’ll go with Kenseth as the favorite and Allmendinger as the underdog.

                
            Be sure to tune into the race! Green flag is at 1:20 EST on ESPN. Look for my girlfriend, brother, and me on TV too, we’re sitting at the end of Turn 4.

FOOTBALL IS BACK!

            
            The NFL Lockout came to an end early this week as the NFL Owners and Players Association came to a 10-year agreement. This was absolutely great news for everybody and anybody. Coaches, players, fans, team bus drivers, concession stand workers, limo drivers, gamblers, agents, are all making money now. It also means Super Bowl XLVI is coming to Indy!!!

               

                
            Going on a tangent here, hang on!

                
            The announcement was really unsatisfying to me. I was expecting ESPN and Sports Illustrated and other sports outlets to post on their websites celebratory headlines, stories and pictures. I was also expecting a set time as when it was over. Instead, it was made public knowledge Sunday night that the two sides would agree on a contract Monday. Then it was finalized Tuesday. Sure, there were many stories rejoicing the return of football, but there was nothing that was like my headline. Nor were there any stories about how long we’ve all waited for this decision to come.

                
            Most of the stories written after the decision were all about the teams signing draft picks and free agents (understandably). In fact, the Indianapolis Colts made moves immediately after the Lockout was over.  The Colts signed 12 undrafted players, but none of the players they actually drafted in April. A part of those 12 players were Nate Davis (Ball State), Darren Evans (Virginia Tech), Chad Span (Northern Illinois), and Mike Hartline (Kentucky). Davis and Hartline are both quarterbacks, and Evan and Span are running backs. I hope to God that Davis and Hartline turn out better than current back-up, Curtis Painter.

                
            On Wednesday, Indianapolis re-signed cornerback Melvin Bullitt and kicker Adam Vinatieri. There are still 10 unrestricted free-agents (players that are not under contract and are allowed to look elsewhere for a place to play). Those include running back Joseph Addai, offensive lineman Charlie Johnson, linebacker Clint Session (he may end up with the Jacksonville Jaguars), and defensive tackles Dan Muir and Antonio Johnson. Owner of the Colts, Jim Irsay, has indicated that Addai and Johnson are his top priorities right now.

                
            How could I forget the other free agent? Mr. Peyton Manning. It was expected by everybody in the western hemisphere that his contract would be completed very soon. It is now a few days after the Lockout’s end and Manning is still not really an Indianapolis Colt. There is no doubt that he will not be a Colt, but I would feel better if there was a legal agreement backing that up.

Less than 200 days away!

Construction of the Dallara Plant

            Construction is under way to build the new $7 million Dallara factory just across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The building will be home to Dallara, who has built the race cars used by IndyCar since 1997. The building will also house the Indy Racing Experience. This offers visitors the chance to ride in a two-seater IndyCar on the streets around IMS.

                                                                             

            The building is part of re-vitalization of the area around IMS. South of the track is mostly concrete parking lots with a couple of strip malls and old stores that have seen better days. The building of the Dallara plant should lure companies involved with racing to build their shops around the track as well.

The front of the Dallara Building

Side view

Side view looking a little farther left

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.

News for the week of 7/17/2011

            It’s been a hectic week for Indianapolis sports fans. There was big news for Colts fans, racing fans, and even Pacers fans.

           

            Hoosier NASCAR drivers Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart finished 1-2, respectively, at the race in New Hampshire on Sunday. Newman recorded his first win of the season and his first win since last April. It was also the first 1-2 finish for the Stewart/Haas racing team. The strong finish by both drivers was much needed as both are sitting on the bubble of Chase drivers. All Newman has to do is stay consistent, as his one win basically guarantees him a spot in the postseason.

Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman at New Hampshire

           

            Head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Frank Vogel, announced that Jim Boylen will become an assistant coach for the team. Boylen has spent the past four years at the University of Utah. In the NBA, he has coached for Houston, Milwaukee, and Golden State, the latter two being NBA Championship teams. Boylen will join Brian Shaw and longtime Pacers assistant, Dan Burke.

Jim Boylen

            There has not been anything to write about the Indianapolis Colts since the NFL Draft in April. Fortunately(or maybe unfortunately), that changed earlier this week. Defensive end, Jerry Hughes, was arrested Sunday morning in Dallas, Texas. Hughes, the Colts first round draft pick in 2010, was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication. Hughes was with two of his teammates from college. I have not heard of any possible repercussions for Hughes, neither criminally or from the Colts. I do know that the NFL has said all penalties against players during the lockout will be on hold into the lockout is over, so maybe he will face repercussions when the season starts.

            
            The single most important thing to the state of Indiana, besides corn and basketball, also made the news this week. Peyton Manning is recovering from neck surgery he had in May, and will miss a few days in training camp. It is unknown how long he will be absent; it could be just a week, or the whole camp. Manning is meeting with Colts doctors, so it should not be long before we know how much time he will miss.

Peyton Manning

           

            The NFL Lockout is, according to all reports, nearing an end. The two sides, the NFL Owners and Players Association are finishing up smaller differences, such as the rookie wage scale. I really thought it would be over by last Friday, but anytime before training camps are scheduled to start will make me happy.  

           

            
            I have not heard ANYTHING about the NBA Lockout, but I do know that their situation is way worse than the NFL’s. I really hope they can end their lockout soon too, because no season for the Indiana Pacers would really damage everything they have worked so hard for in the past couple of seasons.

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

The starting 11 for the United States Women's Soccer Team

            
            The 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup was America’s to lose, and lose they did. The Americans made it all the way to the championship game against Japan on Sunday, and ended up losing in penalty kicks.

            
            In soccer, there are two 45-minute periods with a continuous clock. In the championship game Sunday, nothing exciting happened at all in the first period. There was a lot of passing, dribbling, and missed shots. The perfect example of why soccer (football everywhere else in the world except the U.S.) is not too popular here in America. 
      
            The second period was the exact opposite. It was full of excitement and great plays, the perfect example of why soccer is a wonderful game.

            
            In the 70 minute of the game, American player Alex Morgan got a long pass from teammate Megan Rapinoe and kicked the ball into the right side of the net from 17 ft. out to score the first goal of the game. At the 80’mark, the Japanese scored their first goal of the game, due in large part to lackadaisical play by the Americans. The score was then tied at 1-1 with just ten minutes to play. Those next ten minutes saw each team ferociously going back and forth trying to get the go-ahead goal.

            
            After 90 minutes the score was still 1-1 and the game went into overtime. Overtime in soccer consists of two 15-minutes periods, with no “golden goal”. In the first period of this overtime, Abby Wambach scored her 4^th goal in 6 games. Her goal put the U.S. ahead, 2-1, going into the second period of overtime.

            
            In the second period, Japan scored. The ball was just inches from American goal Hope Solo’s gloves, but slipped by and went into the center of the net. The goal tied it up at 2-2, and that’s how overtime ended, thus forcing penalty kicks.

            
             The penalty kicks format is basically a best -of -five shootout. A player from each team tries to get the ball around the goalie and into the net from about 40 ft. away. This is how the penalty kicks went:

O-goal

X- no goal

            
U.S.   -  X X X O 
Japan-   O X O O

            
              That may look like what you see in your bowl of Apple Jacks, but it also means Japan won. They win the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in PK’s, 3-1.

            Finishing second is not necessarily a bad thing for Team U.S.A., but it’s not a good thing. This was a team that should have won it all. They were so close to winning, and had fought so hard to get to the championship game. Their win against Brazil in the quarterfinals was one of the most exciting sports events I’ve ever seen. With just one minute left in the game, Abby Wambach got the ball in the goal and forced the game into penalty kicks. Then American goalie, Hope Solo, was able to block two kicks, and Team U.S.A. won the game. Their next opponent in the semi-finals, France, was defeated easily with a score of 3-1.

           

            On the Women’s National Team were two young women who were both born in Indianapolis, Indiana. In fact, they both went to high school within a few miles of where I currently reside. It is pretty awesome to see players from the “west side” representing the United States on the international stage.

            
            Lauren Cheney was born in Indianapolis and attended Ben Davis High School. She is now 23 and has been a part of the U.S. senior team since 2007. In 2007 she was named the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. Cheney played on the Women’s Olympic Team in 2008 and won a gold medal. In the 2011 World Cup Tournament she has scored 2 goals and tallied 3 assists.

Lauren Cheney

            
            The other Hoosier is Lori Lindsey, the 21-year old graduate of Pike High School. Lindsey earned All-State Honors all four years in high school, and then went on to play at the University of Virginia. She didn’t make an impact in any of the games in the tournament, but she is young and will be called upon again in four years for the next World Cup. 

Lori Lindsey

FUN FACT! Apparently Lori Lindsey refereed indoor soccer games that Lauren Cheney played in during high school. Going further, that indoor soccer facility is where my brother and I used to play dodge ball at!

Sprint Cup at Half-way Point: Part 2

            Even though we are halfway through the season, there are numerous question marks that remain for next season. A big one being, where will Carl Edwards be next year? This is the last year on his Roush-Fenway contract, and he has been speaking to other teams. In fact, he visited the Joe Gibbs Racing garage last week.

            
            One place that some thought Edwards would end  up was Red Bull Racing. Well that’s not looking like a plausible plan because Red Bull has said they are selling their team after this season. This was announced a few weeks ago and rocked the world of NASCAR, as Red Bull is a name and brand known all around the world. The team has not had a lot of success in NASCAR, esp. compared to their Formula 1 team, which is the best in that league.

            Hendrick Motorsports driver, Mark Martin, is also unsure on his future. Next year he will be replaced by Kasey Kahne. He has said he wants to continue to race, but nobody knows for certain where he’ll be and if it’ll be full-time. It’s possible he may go into ownership with his friend Jay Frye, who is the president of the Red Bull Team, and also race for the team. If that were to happen, Red Bull could still be a part of the team as a sponsor. That’s a lot of “if’s” though, the only certain is Mark Martin will not be at Hendrick.

            Another result of the Red Bull departure is Brian Vickers. Vickers has always been a consistent driver. He won at Michigan and made the Chase in 2009. His 2010 season was cut short due to a blood clot, and it’s still unsure how healthy he is. Red Bull leaving is really a blow to Vickers’s career. He has raced with Red Bull since the team’s creation in 2007, and has stuck with them through their struggles. It’s disappointing to think Vickers may not have a ride next season.

            Other drivers with contracts up after season include; Greg Bifle (Roush), Jeff Burton (Childress), Clint Bowyer (Childress), and Juan Pablo Montoya (Earnhardt-Ganassi). I haven’t heard a lot on these drivers, but I expect all of them to be resigned. Burton is having a rough season, but is a popular driver and will probably be given an extension on his contract. Bowyer, Bifle, and Montoya are all having decent seasons and will probably given extensions as well.

My predictions for the next 8 races before the Chase starts:

            

            Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart will all make the Chase. Hamlin and Jr. just have to defend their Top 10 positions, but Stewart will win a race and knock his teammate Newman out.

            

            Juan Pablo Montoya will get a win and make it into the Chase as a wildcard. He has excelled at three of the upcoming tracks; Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, and Atlanta.

            

            As for that other wildcard spot, well who knows? All I can guarantee is that it’s going to get wild. Drivers are gonna be trying incredibly hard to get a win and further secure their chances of getting into the Chase.