That said, Scott Dixon was in the same category of Tony Kanaan coming into Sunday as a veteran that kept the IRL going during the lean years...A guy who is a very good driver that I really wanted to see on the Borg Warner trophy. So, I'm very pleased about the outcome of this year's race. But, most of the passing seemed to occur in the straights and the pit crews did great jobs making up positions during the race...so we didn't see as much racing as in quite a few of the previous races I've seen. With the exception of Dan Wheldon jumping all over Dixon following yellow flags (which I didn't understand), the passing was minimal in turn one. The drivers further attested to this by calling one "hairy" and extremely tough this year. It could be the fact that they've remodeled the corner so aggressively to prepare for the Moto GP race in September. I don't know...but the passing was sparse in our area...so were the wrecks which is always a good thing. But overall, there was plenty of sloppy driving that led to a lot of avoidable yellows.Graham Rahal, who I find talented but very arrogant along with the less-than-talented Marty Roth both lost control of their cars in similar fashion in four. TK got into the marbles, and no-thanks to his team mate Andretti, couldn't recover and collected the innocent bystander Fisher in the mess. That wreck could have been catastrophic as these cars are not made to withstand nose-to-side impact...Luckily, Fisher avoided a much harder collision by acting quickly and braking while diving to the inside. Most notably because of Danica's antics, Ryan Briscoe left his pit and lost his tailend into the #7 Motorola machine of the cute-but-bitchy Patrick. She of course stormed down pit road and I guess was preparing to rumble with Briscoe, but security wouldn't allow it much to the chagrin of the 400K in the stands.
My feelings about Danica are these: If she's going to push and shove other drivers (a la Wheldon in '06) and get in their faces following mistakes on the course, she had better bring her brass knuckles because when guys like Paul Tracy, A.J. Foyt and others have acted that way in the past, things have escalated. Once you physically address someone, you've decided to take it to the next level...and she's done that on multiple occasions. She may eventually see her pretty face get bruised if she's not careful in coming months/years.Sorry for the J-Money-esque length of this entry...but I'm not done yet.
Onto the greater Spectacle...
Alright, IMS, for me, is like Ross Ade stadium. I grew up there and have been fond of the place since I can remember. My family had a rule that we couldn't go to a race until we turned 10...Since then, I've missed two races- one because I had to move my wife out to the Northeast following our nuptuals and the second because my cousin got married on the day of the race. Outside of the 21 races I've attended, I've been to days of practice, quals and numerous carb days...I love this form of racing. Furthermore, I must...because honestly, I can't stand many of the elements within IMS during the events. The fact that I am guarded taking my wife to the track says a lot...On a recent visit, a guy that looked like the lead man of House of Pain heckled my sister-in-law as we left the track. I can't stand that garbage...and if people want to be trashy, good for them. But, when their drunk behavior spills over into other people's witnessing of the event, that's a bad deal.
It seems that about a third of those who attend events at the track have no idea that cars are even involved at the venue...but they keep coming back sadly. I'm on the other end of the spectrum, I'm a racing dork. I love prognosticating about whose car is going away as the race progresses or watching drivers size another up for an imminent pass. The racing, the speed and even the smell of rubber and now Ethanol combined are all parts of the event that keep me coming back.
That said, what occurs before the race might be equally important for me. I love the fact that Memorial Day is an important part of race day. Real heroes are paraded around the 2.5 mile circuit...Some old, some young, but all worthy of more cheering than a New Zealander, Brazilian or American who is only circling the same track for their own recognition. The playing of taps, the fly over and the singing of God Bless America always bring me to tears...as I feel so blessed to have been born where I was born when I was born. Even Jim Nabors welcoming me home gets me sobbing.
Now, following the meaningful pageantry of honoring America's fallen fighting men and women with the fact that the race is electric is an amazing emotional reversal for me. I have to gather myself, dry my wet eyes as they announce the command for the machines to roar to life. The parade laps are great, as we wish the drivers well...But the first time the field of 33 rips through one, it's like a roller coaster ride for me. The flash of color, intense loud noise, the sheer speed of the machines, the aroma in the air and the possibility of danger all make my heart pound.
I've brought people to the race that simply don't understand my excitement for the event...that's alright...but my love for it hasn't ebbed and flowed even as I watched Mario retire or Marco race his first. To me, this event, this spectacle is greater than any single driver and always will be. Media outlets have told me the excitement is back at Indy...I don't know what they've been watching, but for me, it never left.
12 comments:
The Indianapolis what now?
I can appreciate your love for the event itself, but I think that F1 courses are much more exciting to watch as opposed to the IMS or the typical NASCAR track. More turns equals more passing equals better racing equals more excitement.
I just saw a bunch of yellow flags. I got bored and turned it off. Didn't see any passing, either. Glad it was way better in person, though.
Never been to the race, but grew up in Indy. My dad volunteered for USAC in the 70's, but we never went because of the profane nature that takes up residence at the track.
But we always listened to the race. Even after I moved away from Indy, I always wanted to listen to the radio coverage over whatever the TV talking heads were blathering about.
I'm not a big race fan, but I get choked up every year by the pagentry. Taps, Mary Hulman George, Jim Nabors, the fly-over, the Purdue AA Marching Band. Great stuff. I'd rather catch the beginning of the race than the end of it. Is that wrong?
And Danica? She put on quite the show. If you're gonna pick a fight, pick a fight. Don't make frumpy faces and then turn away when you feel that the cameras have sufficently caught your 'angry face'.
Tim, they simply never pass in F1...but they do turn a lot...I'll give them that.
It's like any other sport; either you're a fan of it or you're not. Very few sports can be acquired unless one is forced into it a la a spouse or abusive lover like J Money.
I understand why someone thinks the "event" is as big as the rest of the race...but I wish the whole summer was open wheel racing in Indy.
I can't get into NASCAB like Indy Car...that's just me. I'll watch IRL, Le Mans or the necks on TV though...can't stand F1 on TV or in person.
Danica will move to NASCAR soon enough.
I'm in a similar boat. Grew up down in E-ville, but this was 500 #17 for me. My family was a little more generous than yours, though - I got to start going when I was 7. I've missed two since then: once because they ran it on a Tuesday after a rainy weekend (and I had school, of course), and once because my family was dabbling in NASCAR and went to Charlotte (we call that the dark experimental days and don't talk about it much)
One beef - be careful about pinning the incident in the pits on Danica. I was sitting right across from there (A Stand, Box 42, Row HH, a-thank you), and I've seen replays. It was 100% Briscoe's fault. He gunned it too hard on the exit from his pit box and fishtailed into Danica, who nearly put herself into the wall to avoid him (just wasn't enough). Briscoe is a supremely talented driver, but he absolutely deserved the chorus of boos he got when they wheeled him back to Gasoline Alley.
Say what you want about Danica - and she certainly does have a tendency to stomp and pout - but Briscoe had the bad luck of taking out the series' most popular star in the sport's marquee event. The only question now is whether he'll have a ride once his current deal with Penske is up...
amt,
"Ryan Briscoe left his pit and lost his tailend into the #7 Motorola machine..."
Sounds like I'm blaming Briscoe...which I do. Danica will be completely blamed for her actions as well. She's a GOOD driver, not great good...I'd like to see her treated as such so guys like Kanaan, Castroneves, Wheldon & Dixon can get what they deserve.
Good for you for admitting the NASCAB phase as a dark period for your family...sadly, much of the nation is hooked. That said, being an Indy Car fan right now is kind of like being a Purdue fan- there aren't a ton of hangers-on at this point, which I think is a good thing.
Another great post! I made it up again this year from Atlanta (from Indy originally) and think I've been most years since '91 (minus a few here and there).
I had a very different experience this year than you guys in regards to the racing/accidents. My brother and I sat high up in the apex of Turn 3 and could see a good portion of the track and saw Marco's pass (looked clean to me) as well as Graham and Marty get into the marbles.
Always a great time and am already looking forward to next year.
Agree about Danica. It's laughable the way she confronts these other drivers because they aren't going to hit her. She can throw a tantrum without any risk of being harmed. She deserves to be clocked in the face if she's going to go after people like that.
If you haven't seen it, this makes for an interesting read. F1, not really Indy Car. Still, it is a good way to burn a few minutes.
http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels/magazine/16-06/ff_formulaone
Excellent, excellent post
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