My Take On the Canada Races

Toronto and Edmonton marked Races 10 and 11 in this year’s INDYCAR season. Because I’m lazy and never got around to giving each race my undivided attention (but I did watch both), I decided to combine the two.

Toronto

Pre-Race: I’m going to be short, sweet, and to-the-point when it comes to the Toronto pre-race – I have no comment. I didn’t get to see it! I continue to become more irritated with my local ABC as time goes on.

The Race Broadcast: I’m not going to bother with ABC. I’ve had enough both with my local affiliate and with the pair of commentators in the TV booth. I’m to a point where I barely listen to Marty and Scott anymore. The pit reporting, though, is good. Vince Welch and Rick DeBruhl are excellent but the biggest bright spot of any ABC INDYCAR broadcast is the lovely Jamie Little. She is simply fantastic. She shows so much enthusiasm every race and really knows who and what she’s talking about. Sending my well wishes to Jamie and her husband as they await the arrival of their first child, a son, next month.

The Race: The Toronto race was not too bad. It wasn’t the best twisty of the year but it was good. And the lack of carnage this year compared to seasons past was nice. Of course then they had that final restart (see below). But, all in all, it was good.

Final Restart Mayhem: Remember all the praise the drivers had been given most of the year for having pretty clean and non-eventful double-file restarts. Well, that came to an end at Toronto after what turned out to be the final restart of the race produced several incidents involving multiple cars. I really don’t have a full take on it. I don’t know what caused them to restart and drive like a bunch of crazy drivers. They’re better than the restart indicated.

Charlie Kimball Scores Best Career Finish: While Kimball is on the Ganassi “B Team”, he has had some respectable runs and has outrun both Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti on several occasions this season (yes, most of them have been due to their mechanical failures or crashes but you gotta give the boy credit). When the dust settled after the final restart, Kimball finished 2nd, his best career finish.

I was pleased to see Charlie score his first podium. I met at TMS last year (simply because we walked by the Novo Nordisk display and he was signing autographs at the time). Nice guy. Now I don’t expect him to be the next in line to take over the 9 or 10 anytime soon (I anticipate the ride going to Graham Rahal or Simon Pagenaud depending on when the ride is vacated) but you gotta give him props. With some more track time, he can be another American in contention to win every week.

Conway and Foyt Are On the Podium too: I’ll admit it – I was raised with the idea that A.J. Foyt was the best open wheel racer ever (now that I’m a young adult I agree with the statement). I always find myself rooting for the Foyt team. This first season with Mike Conway behind the wheel has not gone too well. While he’s had two previous top 10’s this season (7th at Barber and 9th at Belle Isle), Conway’s season can be summed up in two words – bad luck. The team has fallen victim to mechanical gremlins this year and who can forget the accident with Will Power at Indianapolis.

I was pleased to see the 14 car finish 3rd. As I said before, I like A.J. He’s a legend. I also like Mike Conway. He typically causes little drama and seems to be a nice guy but he’s had crazy things happen to him mostly not of his own doing. Hopefully, we will see more positive finish from this team and driver at the final races.

Other Notables: Push-to-Pass returned at Toronto and will be in use in the final road/street course events this season… The top 10 was represented by 10 different teams… Ryan Hunter-Reay led the most laps… Helio Castroneves scored only his second top 10 at Toronto (he finished 10th in 1998)… Simon Pagenaud was penalized 30 seconds post-race for blocking Josef Newgarden… Scott Dixon had an engine failure and has gone to a sixth engine (the limit is 5 with penalties for each additional change regardless of reason).

After the Checkers – Hunter-Reay Makes It Three-In-A-Row: I’m starting to sound like a broken record here. Ryan Hunter-Reay won at Toronto and snatched the points lead from Will Power. I can’t think of much more to say than that. It was a Hunter-Reay win which meant my brother (who claims to be a fan but owns a Marco Andretti shirt) suddenly expresses interest in INDYCAR. That’s the only thing new to say.

INDYCAR 36: The episode shown during the Toronto weekend featured the series’ only owner-driver, Ed Carpenter, at Iowa. I actually missed the first run but DVR’d it late one evening and recently watched it. Another good show. It was nice not only to see the at-track action but also see Ed, his wife Heather, and their two children (she’s expecting their third in December) at a local amusement park.

Edmonton

Pre-Race: I saw the Edmonton pre-race in its entirety. The Scott and Emma Dixon segment was the highlight for me. I love this INDYCAR couple. Robin Miller’s grid run was again poorly timed. Come on NBC. Time it as well as you did at Texas. That was the best one! Thank goodness none of the drivers who were interviewed were hard to understand with their helmets on!

The Race Broadcast: As for NBC Sports, they aren’t perfect but they are excellent at calling races. The “push-to-pass” talk was a little excessive but after hearing so little about it at Toronto, it was nice to see how it played into the race strategy at Edmonton (and it did). I look forward to listening to this group even as they cover next Sunday’s race at Mid-Ohio on ABC (thank you NASCAR for having your Cup and Nationwide races in two different locations next weekend).

The Race: This Edmonton race ranks (for me at least) as one of the best non-oval races of the year, right up there with Barber and Long Beach. While the race lacked cautions, the racing was excellent with quite a bit of passing and strategy mixed together. And it was fun to see two of the smaller teams run very strong though the race ultimately ended with a Penske victory.

No Cautions; None; Nada: Just weeks after Bruton Smith mentioned that he wanted to see more cautions in NASCAR to make the racing more exciting, INDYCAR went and had none at Edmonton and the result was a great race. While the drivers were drawn out, the racing was still excellent and push-to-pass plus the talent of this year’s field created some fantastic passes and entertained the fans. Take that Bruton!

One of Sato’s Best Races to Date: Any minute I was expecting one of Takuma Sato’s many risky passes that could’ve potentially his and/or the leader’s race. I was proven wrong and was impressed with the way the Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan driver performed at Toronto. This was his best race of the year. He raced clean, did not make any (stupid) mistakes, and finished 2nd. This is a far cry from the Sato we saw early in his INDYCAR career where he (and/or E.J. Viso and/or Mario Moraes) were crashing race after race. He should be proud (as should RLL). If Sato can continue to race like this, that first victory should be coming his way soon.

A Local Boy Runs Strong but Fades Late: I loved the roar of the crowd when Quebec native Alex Tagliani took the lead from Dario Franchitti on lap 1 and was glad to see him led 49 of the 75 laps. At a single-car team in its first full-time season, the casual fan wouldn’t expect to see the Bryan Herta Autosport car up front much but since dumping Lotus before Indianapolis, they’ve only finished outside the top 10 twice (12th at Indy and a mechanical failure at Iowa).  Though the final pit stop caused Tagliani to lose the lead and tires caused him to fade to 5th by the end, the 98 team should be proud. They could easily score a win before this season is over.

Other Notables: Will Power came back from a 17th place starting spot following an engine change to finish 3rd… Ryan Hunter-Reay finished 7th but retains the points lead… Simon Pagenauad’s streak of 0 DNF’s came to an end after being turned by Charlie Kimball on the final lap, causing the rookie to finish 20th, his worst finish of the year… The only remaining drivers who have finished every race this season are Ed Carpenter and Helio Castroneves.

After the Checkers – Redemption is Sweet for Castroneves: I don’t think I have to talk about 2010 here. Most of the readers here know what happen (if you don’t know, search “Helio Castroneves Edmonton 2010” on YouTube; very entertaining deal). Most Helio fans (including myself) still feel that he won that race. Now, two years after making the ESPN highlight reel for several days, Helio finally won at Edmonton fair and square with no issues. The win was the 27th win of his career (28 to those who count Edmonton 2010). This win also showed that Castroneves is a title contender as he’s moved up from 3rd to 2nd in the points standings only 23 behind Hunter-Reay.

INDYCAR 36: As for the episode shown during Sunday’s action from Edmonton, one of the series Canadian guys, James Hinchcliffe, at his hometown race in Toronto. I really think this was the best episode and not just because I’m a resident of Hinchtown. The episode really showed Hinch’s true personality and it’s an entertaining one. This guy really can be a big star both on and off the track (look for him to be the recognizable face in the series after Helio hangs up his helmet).

Next Race: August 5

Honda Indy 200 at Mid Ohio

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Lexington, OH

1 PM ET (12 PM CT) – ABC (but broadcast by NBC Sports Crew)

Defending Winner: Scott Dixon

My take on Iowa

Iowa Speedway. I love this track and this INDYCAR series race. The racing has never disappointed and Saturday night was no exception.

Pre-Race: For the second race in a row, another pre-race/rain delay. I confess that I didn’t watch as much as I normally do because my mom and I were watching (and DVR’ing) the Daytime Emmys in the bedroom. Don’t judge! I keep up with two soap operas and an actress from each show took home trophies. Not to mention I was switching between the two televisions to see what was going on. From what I saw, NBC Sports and its broadcasters made do and we had a decent rain delay show but it could’ve been better. That’s actually one thing ABC can do better: make use of rain delays.

The Race Broadcast: Normally, broadcasts this year on the NBC Sports Network have been great but Iowa’s just wasn’t as good as the previous broadcasts. I did enjoy Tommy Kendall in the booth and would like to see him again. It was also a nice touch when Dario Franchitti came in after his troubles. Still, the broadcast of the race was not horrible and NBC Sports still beats ABC as the better INDYCAR broadcaster and I am again disappointed about Toronto being on ABC next week.

The Race: Two words – great racing. A lot of passing and a lot of “hold your breath” moments at times. But it was entertaining to watch. This was one of the more bizarre races this year and was crazy from beginning to end, but was fantastic. I found the Iowa Corn 250 to be the best race of the year so far just edging out the Firestone 550k at Texas.

Heat Races: The first time, the starting lineup for the Iowa Corn 250 was determined by three heat races, the first two determining odd and even numbered positions 9-25 and the final determining the top 8 starting positions – all set by practice speeds. The first heat set even-numbered positions 10-24 and was won by Graham Rahal. The second heat set odd-numbered positions 9-25 and was won by Tony Kanaan. The final heat was won by Dario Franchitti, who was awarded the pole position, but that was the highlight of his weekend in Iowa (see next section).

Though I did not like that they were tape-delayed, I enjoyed the heat races and hope they can eventually become the normal quialifying procedure for all non-Indy ovals. There does need to be something at stake – point and/or money – and I think the winners of the first two heats should also be able to run for the pole instead of positions on the 5th row.

Franchitti’s Race Ends Before It Begins: I think the 2012 Iowa Corn 250 wins an award for one of the most bizarre parade laps ever. First, Alex Tagliani stops on the track (something that has occurred before this season). Then, out of nowhere, Dario Franchitti is on the apron with a blown engine! This was just the latest in a season of mostly bad luck for this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner. I’m still sticking with my gut feeling that he will NOT be repeating this year. At this point, it would take a lot of podiums, especially wins, and there would have to be some pretty rotten things happen to those currently in the title hunt.

A Shakeup In the Championship Battle: (note: I am only focusing on the top 8 because I feel that a combination of one or more in this group will be in the championship title fight at the final race)

In my opinion, we might be going to back to Iowa to remind us why a certain driver or drivers is or is not in the title hunt come Fontana. This race really shook up the points with Will Power and James Hinchcliffe’s on-track incidents and Dario Franchitti’s engine failure and Ryan Hunter-Reay, Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, and Tony Kanaan all having good nights.

While Power retained his tight grip on the points lead, Hunter-Reay, Dixon, Castroneves, Hinchcliffe (despite his accident), and Pagenaud are all within 40 points of the top spot (a maximum number of points a driver can earn per race is 50). At this point, any of these six, depending on each other’s performance in Toronto, could go into the second race North of the Border with the points lead. Kanaan and Franchitti both have the chance, especially with their experience, to add themselves to the group, but will have to win and rely on their competitors struggling to make themselves legitimate title contenders.

So, the top 6 consists of the guy who really played Jean Girard in Talladega Nights, “The Mayor” and GoDaddy Guy, the only driver to own a mirror ball trophy in all of motorsports, “The Ice Man,” the only American in contention for the title, and the king of the road and street courses with Mr. Ashley Judd and INDYCAR’s fittest driver with the biggest nose right behind. Who’s your pick?

Pagenaud Pulls a Kanaan: If you really think about it, did you think that Simon Pagenaud would be this strong on ovals this season? Me neither. After starting last in the field (25th) due to an engine change, Pagenaud made up 20 positions to finish 5th but ran as high as 3rd at one point. This Tony Kanaan-esque performance (for those who don’t watch frequently, Kanaan is known for runs from the back like this) was impressive especially for a rookie with very little oval experience. With INDYCAR returning to road and street courses events from Toronto through Baltimore, there is a high possibility that this “rookie” (I’m starting to doubt the classification because he’s run so well and should be named “rookie of the year” come Fontana) will be making his first of many trips to victory lane.

Other Notables: The first 9 laps were run under caution… Marco Andretti finished 2nd, his first podium and best finish of the year… Tony Kanaan finished 3rd, his second podium finish of the year… Helio Castroneves, who was credited with starting 1st after Franchitti’s engine problems, led the most laps with 133, finishing 6th due to tires fading at the end... The race ended under caution due to an accident involving Katherine Legge

After the Checkers – Hunter-Reay Makes It Two-In-A-Row: At the end of the race, it was Ryan Hunter-Reay scoring his second win in a row. Does two-in-a-row make him a championship contender? It all depends on how he does at the final races this season. He is 2nd in points behind Will Power and within 3 points of the top spot. Yes. There is an chance.

INDYCAR 36: This week’s featured driver was Charlie Kimball. I have yet to watch the entire episode but from what I saw, it was good. I like Charlie but he has struggled so far in his INDYCAR career so far. That does not take away from his seemingly pleasant personality (I met him at Texas Motor Speedway last summer and he was very nice) and his inspiration for those whose life is affected by diabetes.

Next Race: July 8

Honda Toronto Indy

Streets of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

1 PM ET (12 PM CT) - ABC

Defending Winner: Dario Franchitti

INDYCAR 36 – July 8

Featuring Ed Carpenter

7:30 PM ET (6:30 PM CT) - NBC Sports Network

Replays at Various Times Throughout the week

At the Halfway Point...

This was suppose to be up late last week. I wrote this pre-Iowa and only considered the races up through Milwaukee.

I admit that I am SO disappointment to say that the conclusion of race EIGHT marks the halfway point of this year’s INDYCAR season (hopefully, this will change in 2013). Since we’re at the halfway point, I thought I’d give a few little “Halfway Through The Season” awards as well as make my predictions for who I think will be in the hunt Fontana (at least I think it’ll be Fontana).

Best Race – Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway

This race had it all – passing throughout the field, no pack, intriguing twists and turns, and just plain good racing. It was far from the pack racing that was feared in the weeks leading in. Not to mention we had an unexpected winner that did NOT come from Penske or Ganassi – Justin Wilson from Dale Coyne Racing.

Worst Race – Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle

After a pretty exciting Indy 500, this race failed in terms of action, passing, and track maintenance. The race was shortened by 30 laps due to track issues that caused a two-hour delay that also led to the race being shifted from ABC to ESPNEWS. Talk about getting the shaft.

Best Story – The DW-12 Has Provided Some Good Racing Almost Everywhere

Everyone went into 2012 not sure how the new car would perform. Who knew that halfway through the season, we would mostly be talking about how interesting the racing was and how much passing we’ve seen this year. Hopefully as the year progresses will see more of this fun racing.

Worst Story – Michael Shank Fails to Obtain Engine Deal for Indy

He had a car, driver, and sponsor, but could not get an engine deal with a competitive manufacturer. That was the issue that kept Michael Shank from running a career at this year’s “500,” a huge disappointment for both the team who won the Rolex 24 in January and for Jay Howard, the driver he had hired. Hopefully next year, Michael Shank Racing will finally make their big debut.

Most Shocking Moment – Justin Wilson Wins At Texas

I gave the race at Texas “Best Race” and one of the elements that put there was that Justin Wilson, who was considered a “road course racer” up until this season, went to victory lane. It was his third career win.

Most Refreshing Change – Beaux Barfield Replacing Brian Barnhart

It was obvious as the 2011 season wound down that there was a change needed in Race Control. There was just too many issues with Brian Barnhart and many were unhappy with many of his decisions. In comes Beaux Barfield, who has worked in the American Lemans Series. Other than the issue at Milwaukee with Dixon, he has been a huge upgrade and his approaches have been interesting. I expect more from him in the future.

Biggest Disaster – Lotus

I could write a short story if I wanted to tell of all of the issues Lotus has endured this season – some self-caused and some just bad luck. Hopefully, they can improve and pull off a few decent finishes in the second half of the season with their lone final team – HVM Racing with Simona de Silvestro.

Most Improved Team – Andretti Autosport

They had three victories last year with Mike Conway at Long Beach, Marco Andretti at Iowa, and Ryan Hunter-Reay at New Hampshire, but most of Andretti Autosport’s 2011 was one to forget. Half of the team DNQ’d at Indianapolis and just struggled. 2012 has been a major improvement with the addition of James Hinchcliffe to the lineup with Hunter-Reay and Andretti. They had great runs at Indy and have been consistent so far this year. Though Andretti has struggled some, Hunter-Reay and Hinch have had some very good finishes and could be contenders for the championship come Fontana.

Best Tribute (tie) – Helio Castroneves at St. Pete and James Hinchcliffe at Indy 500 Pole Day

It was difficult to choose one winner of this award because both winners were so deserving. In the excitement of victory at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Castroneves made sure that Dan Wheldon was not forgotten as he climbed the same fence that held the “Dan Wheldon Way” sign in honor of the city’s adopted son. Greg Moore never got the opportunity to race at Indy but a pair of his famous red gloves did as Hinchcliffe qualified with them tucked in his fire suit, earning him even more respect from the fans, especially “North of the Border.”

Most Improved Driver – Helio Castroneves

2011 was the worst season of his career. No wins. No poles. A handful of decent finishes. He was never a factor at Indy. There was talk of Castroneves not returning to Team Penske for 2012, but he was re-signed for another season and has shown the Helio many fans know and love. He won at St. Pete in March and has had multiple podiums, top 5’s, top 10’s, and pole this season. If it weren’t for some issues in the pits, he likely would’ve been in the hunt late at Indy. I think he should be good to go with Penske for 2013.

Biggest Surprise – James Hinchcliffe

The newest GoDaddy.com guy has really shown what he can do this season. He was signed to this car this past winter and expectations were mixed. Hinch has done what many didn’t expect. Other than a crash at Detroit because of the track, he has been Mr. Consistency this season. This has him 2nd in points with a shot at the championship if he can score some wins and outrun “twisty track” ace and current points leader, Will Power.

Biggest Disappointment – Dario Franchitti

He may have won his third Indy 500 in May and finished runner-up to Dixon at Detroit, but the three-time defending series champion is likely not going to score his fifth title with the kind of season’s he’s had. In five out of eight races, he has finished 10th or worse. After years of dominance, is a shock to see him struggling. But the fact that a new champion might soon be crowned is a nice small consolation prize.

Most Surprising Performance – Simon Pagenaud

In the words of Ricky Bobby’s buddy, Cal: “Frenchy can driver.” Pagenaud has exceeded many expectations in his rookie season, including mine, on the road and streets courses (not a huge shock) and on the ovals (very surprising considering his lack of oval experience). He has proven his talent and that he is serious about open wheel racing. A win in the second half of the season would no surprise at all.

Most Underrated Driver – Oriol Servia

What does this Spaniard have to do to get noticed? Last year, he quietly had an excellent season, placing the highest in points among the Penske and Ganassi drivers. He’s managed to score some respectable finishes for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing in both a Chevy and even a Lotus. In the right situation, he could contend for a victory later this season.

I have decided to make predictions on who will be the rookie of the year and champion at the close of this 2012 INDYCAR season. Here they are and why I think they’re going to win:

Rookie of the Year Prediction – Simon Pagenaud

How soon can we give this to him? He’s been amazing this year. This honor is his unless some bizarre occurs.

Championship Prediction – Will Power

It just feels right. Not to mention a majority of the second half is road and street courses. Power is pretty good at those. If he can keep his nose clean at Fontana, the title will be his.

My Take On Milwaukee

First of all, a big “Thank You” to Michael Andretti and the rest behind INDYCAR’s return to The Milwaukee Mile this year. I was not in attendance but from what I’ve heard, this year’s IndyFest was a huge success and am glad that they will be returning in 2013.

Pre-Race: Or should that be more pre-race/weather delay coverage? Anyway, thanks to a “lovely” rain shower, the race was delayed for a little while leaving plenty of time to discuss whatever and talk to some drivers. Over the delay, 21 out of the 25 drivers in the field were interviewed with Simona de Silvestro, Mike Conway, Takuma Sato, and Marco Andretti.

I must admit that the rain delay coverage was good despite the team broadcasting the Milwaukee race. That is something that ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNEWS/Wherever Else They Send Their Less-Preferred Sporting Events can do.

The Race Broadcast: Again, disappointing just like St. Pete, Indy, and Detroit (minus the delay for the track coming up). I groaned in annoyance like I do watching a NASCAR race on FOX.

Speaking of NASCAR, I feel for those who do not have ESPNEWS. Still disappointed (but not shocked) by the switch at the top of the hour for the Nationwide Series race. Especially since I could clearly see the difference between the INDYCAR broadcast on ABC and on ESPNEWS. Much to my surprise, ESPNEWS on our DISH Network tier is not in HD which meant a much lower quality picture.

Anyway, I am off of the treatment the race got by the networks. Now on to the people who called the event from the booth and pits.

Where in the world did Marty Reid and Scott Goodyear get the idea that Dario Franchitti is battling for the championship? He’s really not been a factor most of the year. And could they PLEASE show some kind of emotion and express even a touch of interest? One plus they have; they do talk about what’s going on the track.

While my patience with the play-by-play commentators is wearing thin, I do enjoy the pit reporting from Rick DeBruhl, Vince Welch, and Jamie Little, especially Jamie, who always expresses interest and enthusiasm in whatever racing she’s covering and knows exactly what she’s talking about. I can always trust her to be the bright spot in any ABC broadcast.

The Race: I recorded Saturday afternoon’s race (I had to get out and get some last-minute Father’s Day gifts) and am so thankful my brother was home to switch and hit “record.” I finally watched the recording over the weekend and finished today (only fast-forwarding through some commercials and some of what I didn’t feel was important) and liked what I saw on the track.

This was still probably my least favorite of the three oval races we’ve had so far (Texas was the best followed by Indy). I think a part of it was that we had so many series of green flag pit stops (fine on a road or street course but sometimes a little irritating on an oval especially a short track).

But it really wasn’t that bad. It was not the worst race of the year (that would be Detroit), but it was not the best. I’d say it was in between.

Dixon’s Penalty: Can I admit that I was sick of hearing about the penalty on Scott Dixon about as soon as I was sick of hearing about Dale Jr. winning again? I watched and played back the restart(s) that showed what was going on and I’m about as confused as everyone else. Still, a penalty is a penalty. Dixon served it and just wasn’t competitive enough to get back to the front. I feel for him and all but he’s a great racer. He’ll be going to victory lane a lot more as his career continues.

So I have a more important question – why are so many calling for Beaux Barfield’s head? Within hours, he admitted there was a mistake (both human and technology errors) People have to remember that it is only Beaux’s first year as chief steward and that he will make mistakes. He’s been a huge upgrade for INDYCAR after Brian Barnhart, who was being criticized on almost a daily basis.

The last thing I’ll say about this is good job to Beaux for doing a pretty good job so far. Keep it up. And of course, Scott Dixon, thank you for being so classy in your post-race interview. You continue to remain one of the calmest drivers in the series.

#HinchForChampionship: If he can continue his very consistent streak and win a few races, we could be using this hashtag come championship weekend. James Hinchcliffe may have zero wins to Will Power’s three, but he has easily been the most consistent this season finishing every race but Detroit, and scoring his second podium Saturday with a third place finish.

As of right now, he is the only one who can end the dominance of Penske and Ganassi and become the first driver not from either team to win the title since Franchitti did with Andretti in 2007 (who pretty much has no shot at repeating this season).

Serrrvia – INDYCARRR’s Superrr Passerrr: Like he was last year, Oriol Servia continues to be one of the most underrated drivers in INDYCAR especially after he and Dreyer and Reinbold Racing ditched Lotus for Chevrolet before Indy. He has passed 80 cars throughout the season so far and will likely pass more as the second half begins. Servia finished 4th on Saturday at Milwaukee.

Other Notables: Tony Kanaan finishes 2nd, his best finish of the year so far… EJ Viso finished 5th, his best finish of the year so far... Rubens Barrichello finished 10th, his best finish of his INDYCAR career so far in his first full season… No drivers from Ganassi or Penske finished in the top 5 for the first time since 2008; the closest to the top 5 was Helio Castroneves, who finished 6th… JR Hildebrand, Josef Newgarden, and Justin Wilson all retired from the race due to mechanical issues… Simona de Silvestro, Takuma Sato, James Jakes, and Dario Franchitti retired due to accidents.

After the Checkers – One of the Promoter’s Drivers Takes the Win: After the final restart following a caution due to Franchitti’s accident, it seemed almost certain that Ryan Hunter-Reay was going to victory and he did. He led the most laps and was near the front almost the entire race. It is his first win since New Hampshire last summer.

Congratulations to Ryan, the #28 Sun Drop/DHL team, Andretti Autosport, and, of course, Beccy Gordon, who is a big supporter in her husband’s career and helps in a majority of their causes including Racing For Cancer.

Coming up next is Iowa, one of my favorite races on the schedule. Marco Andretti won last year. We’ll see who can take the checkered flag in the race along with the three heat races scheduled to take place Friday and will be shown on NBC Sports Network between the Indy Lights Race and the INDYCAR race.

Next Race: June 23

Iowa Corn 250

Iowa Speedway

Newton, IA

10PM ET (9PM CT) - NBC Sports Network

Defending Winner: Marco Andretti

INDYCAR 36

Featuring Charlie Kimball

12PM ET ( 11PM CT) or following the Iowa Corn 250 - NBC Sports Network

Replays at Various Times Throughout the week

My Take on Texas

I swear I was headed to Texas until about four weeks ago when my dad was scheduled to undergo heart surgery. So instead I got to watch home. At least it was some good racing. Hope last night’s race will help keep INDYCAR at Texas Motor Speedway.

Pre-Race: Another good pre-race show but I could’ve done without two things – the picture of last year’s Vegas crash and the track worker in the background being treated for injuries sustained after an issue with the driver intros stage.

Robin Miller’s “grid run” (thank you Dan for suggesting that this wonderful idea continue) was the best this season and the most well-timed. He got several interviews including Randy Bernard, Helio Castroneves, and others. Shame the ones he tried to find who qualified in the top 10 were not present. Other than that, great and hilarious grid run.

Also, Mr. A.J. Foyt gave the best pre-race command ever, “Boys and girls, start your engines!”

The Race Broadcast: Yet another great broadcast from NBC Sports after two races of ABC (though I give ABC props for their excellent red flag coverage). With Wally Dallenbach Jr. off “on assignment” along with Marty Snider (also known as covering NASCAR on TNT), Miller stepped in as a sort of pit reporter (minus a fire suit) and Bob Jenkins and Jon Beekius were joined in the booth by Tommy Kendall.

I do admit that I don’t know a lot about Tommy’s racing career but from his tweets and from what I’ve seen on TV, I like him. He, Bob, and Jon all were great in the booth. I would definitely at Mr. Kendall to a list of people I would like to see in the booth next year following Bob’s retirement.

Another race, another great broadcast on NBC Sports Network. Makes me sad to know that Saturday’s Milwaukee race is on ABC.

The Race: Four words is all I need to describe the race and they’re all four-letter words – Best. Race. This. Year. I was entertained throughout the broadcast. There was action throughout the field and the camera angles were great.

Dear ABC, what was shown Saturday night is what should be shown on TV.

Ganassi’s Bad Luck: It was an up and down night for Chip Ganassi’s entire team. Half the team struggled throughout and the other half had much better nights and one even finished 2nd. But the night still ended with three out of four Ganassi cars with damage (I have no idea if the 10 had some or not).

It all started with Franchitti simply having a bad night. He was not up front at all and ended up several laps down. Charlie Kimball was involved in an accident. Scott Dixon was headed to victory until crashing late. That left Graham Rahal who was likely going to win until he hit the wall with two to go, still finishing 2nd.

With 2nd, 14th, 18th, and 23rd place finishes Saturday, the Ganassi team is looking to step it up for the Milwaukee Mile.

Kanaan v. Power: One of the biggest stories of the night came late in the race when Tony Kanaan made an attempt to pass for the lead and things got a little crazy. The replay shows the obvious – he was chopped by Will Power. While some blocking (also known as defending) is allowed this season, Power’s move was one that could have caused an accident and was penalized.

While there was obvious displeasure with the move (Kanaan) and penalty (Power), both handled it in a professional manner post-race with Will even admitting that he screwed up.

I still wonder – which of these two would win in a fight? Hm.

“The Mayor” and “Jean Girard” Continue to Stick With Penske/Ganassi Guys: The top 6 in points at this point in the season, halfway after Milwaukee on Saturday, consists of four of the usual suspects – two of Penske’s drivers (Power (1st) and Castroneves (4th)) and two of Ganassi’s (Dixon (2nd) and Franchitti (6th)). Separating Scott, Helio, and Dario are two young 20-something’s with about 2 season’s worth of starts between them.

Sitting 3rd is James Hinchcliffe who has had an impressive season thus far. With a 4th place finish Saturday night, he’s finished every race but Detroit (blame the track) and has finished in the top 10 at every race he’s completed in 2012, 3 of those being top 5 finishes including his first podium finish at Long Beach. He’s been very consistent in only his second year and first at Andretti Autosport and could actually be higher in points (or at least closer to the points lead) if it hadn’t been for Detroit.

The driver 5th in points has probably been one of the biggest positive surprises this year in only his first full season of INDYCAR competition. In only his second oval start Saturday evening, Simon Pagenaud finished 6th after falling behind due to a pit road penalty for hitting a tire in his pit box.  At this point in the season, he has 2 podiums, 3 top 5’s, and 5 top 10’s, finished every race, and has completed all but one lap run, the most of any driver. He is also leading the rookie points.

Two young drivers with very little experience (especially compared to the rest of the top 6) have a chance at a championship after seven races. There’s still plenty of racing to go, but it does not hurt to keep an eye on both “The Mayor” and “Jean Girard.” I know I will be.

Other Notables: Ryan Briscoe finished 3rd, his best finish of the year… 6 drivers finished on the lead lap (Justin Wilson, Rahal, Briscoe, Hinchcliffe, J.R. Hildebrand, and Pagenaud)… Katherine Legge, who is now splitting driving duties for Dragon Racing with Sebastien Bourdais, finished 15th, her best finish of the season… Rubens Barrichello and Simona de Silvestro did not start the race due to mechanical problems discovered before pace laps.

After the Checkers – Wilson Ain’t Just Good On Road and Street Courses: At the end of a fun and crazy 228 laps, there was a different face and team in victory lane – Justin Wilson with Dale Coyne Racing.

Yes. There was a penalty handed down earlier this week for a rules violation that may have or may have not helped the 18 get to victory lane but that should not take away from Justin’s driving all race long. He was in or near the front the entire time. This was not a “lucked into” victory. He was going to be leading whether or not Rahal hit that wall.

Over the years, many of labeled Justin as a “road course expert” but this year he has run better on ovals that road or street courses with a 7th place finish at Indianapolis and his win this past Saturday. Not to mention that the two finishes have resulted in him leading the points for the oval championship.

Congratulations to Justin, Dale, Bill Pappas, and the entire DCR team on being the most recent non-Penske or Ganassi team to go to victory lane since Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (then just Sarah Fisher Racing) won at Kentucky last fall.

INDYCAR 36: While I missed the airing of INDYCAR 36 this weekend (I was at a banquet), I DVR’d and watched it after I returned home later. This episode covered Indy and one of the most experienced drivers in the “500” field this year, Helio Castroneves. Now I am a huge Helio fan and loved watching him that Saturday and Sunday in Indy but I think I would’ve enjoyed it if I was a non-fan as well. INDYCAR 36 again provided a fascinating and interesting behind-the-scenes look.

I am unsure who the next featured driver is yet but there going to be a new episode of INDYCAR 36 sometime Iowa weekend. I will try and find that information and include it in my post-Milwaukee blog.

PLEASE Come Back to Texas! I end my race recap with a plea to Randy Bernard, INDYCAR, Eddie Gossage, and others involved in the decision of whether or not to return to Texas Motor Speedway in 2013 – PLEASE DO IT!

This race was one of the best in years and provided so much excitement for fans watching at home or in the stands at the track. Not to mention that after several expressed concern early in the week about the race (the first 1.5-mile oval since Las Vegas), a majority of the drivers were very happy post-race.

Also, TMS has been on the schedule for at least one event since its first year (1997). I feel like it’s a staple for the series. It’s no Indy or Long Beach, but it feels right for INDYCAR to be at Texas.

I just hope to see this series at Texas Motor speedway again in 2013 (and be in the stands as well). Make it happen please.

Next Race: June 16

Milwaukee IndyFest

The Milwaukee Mile

West Allis, WI

1 PM ET (12 PM CT) - ABC

Defending Winner: Dario Franchitti

My Take On Brazil, Indy, and Detroit

I sincerely apologize for my lack of posts since the off-week between Long Beach and Brazil. Since the end of April, my schedule’s been nuts. I finished the final assignments and projects needed to finish my sophomore year of college, had finals, then my dad underwent a quadruple bypass on May 18th (also known as “Fast Friday” this year to us Indy fans). He was home within a few days and continues to recover and feel better. Last weekend my brother graduated from high school (Dad was in attendance) and Friday night I attended a banquet for the local press club (I received a scholarship from them).

I have kept up with all of the races though and am set to watch all the others this year. It’s been a pretty good season so far and hope this continues.

Since I don’t have enough time (or a good enough memory) to take apart and recap the three races leading up to Texas along with a few small notes.

My Take On Brazil – Power Wins Another (Yawn): What can I say about Brazil besides the fact that Will won again. Kind of boring if you ask me. The highlight for me was Takuma Sato’s third place finish. I thought that was more exciting than another goofy (and slightly disturbing) leap off the car from Power.

My Take On Indy – It’s Now a Fight to Four: Up until last night, this was the best race of the year. A lot of passing and a lot of twists and turns. Justin Wilson impressed. Marco Andretti impressed. James Hinchcliffe Impressed. Sato impressed and was on his way to victory… until the spin on the final lap. In the end, it was Dario Franchitti scoring his third “500” victory followed by Scott Dixon, and Tony Kanaan.

While Indy was wonderful, Dan Wheldon’s absence was felt by all. I was glad to see that once the green flag waved, the “sad” tributes stopped and was replaced with great racing – just what Dan would’ve wanted. Not to mention three of his closest friends finished 1-2-3.

It’s now a fight between Dario and Helio Castroneves to see who wins his fourth “500.” I know some have said Franchitti’s the one, but I’ve seen what happens when you issue “Spiderman” a challenge (Did anyone see how he nearly snatched the champion from Dixon in 2008?). These two will fight it out for four and the best man will score it first. When? Who knows?

My Take On Detroit – A Long Day: Well. INDYCAR returned to Detroit for the first time since 2008. After multiple exciting and good races, this one failed to impress. The highlight was after the long red flag to repair the track. Multiple cautions but Dixon led all through the shortened race and went to victory lane.

Power Still Leads Despite Indy Crash: Winning three out of five road and street course events really helps one who is not as good on ovals keep his points lead.

Like it has before, Power was involved in someone else’s crash. After a pit road incident, Mike Conway suffered a broken wing and went back out on the track. Not long after, Conway suffered another scary Indy crash and took Power with him.

Other than his Indy crash, going into Texas, Power continues to hold the points lead which makes me wonder, “What if we had a more math-friendly points system?” I’ll offer my version of an answer that question later in the season.

“Mayor Hinch” Continues to Impress: The term “sophomore slump” is not in the vocabulary of nor describes James Hinchcliffe’s second season in INDYCAR. Other than his crash at Detroit (which was in no way his fault; it was the track’s), Hinchcliffe has scored a podium finish, two top 5’s, 5 top 10’s and sits fourth in the standings going into Texas.

Now if we can just get him on the GoDaddy.com homepage (go and vote if you have yet to do so).

He Sure Doesn’t Drive Like a Rookie: He didn’t win the Indy 500 rookie of the year (the honor went to Rubens Barrichello whom I also feel should be in this overall fight), but Simon Pagenaud has had one of the best INDYCAR rookie of the year campaigns in a long time. Watching him, you would think he’s had years of experience not nine races under his belt.

Going into to Texas, his second oval race, he has two podiums, three top 5’s, and four top 10’s with a respectable 16th place finish in his first oval race. He’s finished every race so far this season and sits sixth in points.

Are we absolutely sure he’s a rookie? Also, did you know that he was Jean Girard in “Talladega Nights” but is not gay? Yeah. Me neither.

I Promise This Won’t Happen Again: Again. I apologize for my lack of updates but I’m sure many of you understand why. This won’t happen again.

Stay tuned for “My Take On Texas” coming soon (I mean it for real).

The Next Big Thing?

French. Talented. Handsome (the opinion of some female racing fans including myself).

These and other words can be used to describe rookie, Simon Pagenaud, who is currently 3rd in INDYCAR points standings behind only Will Power and Helio Castroneves and is well on his way to being named series Rookie of the Year over Josef Newgarden and Katherine Legge. While loyal fans know who this young man is and at least some of his background, the casual fan might. Here is a taste of his history (mostly racing) and also what I think about the fast Frenchman and whether or not he is the next big thing in INDYCAR.

First, the basics: Simon is from Pointiers, France, almost in the center of the country (I’m serious; I got bored and looked for it on a map one time). He chose racing over eventually running the family business. He wears a ring on his left pinkie finger, a family heirloom given to him by his grandfather. He will turn 28 on May 18th, Fast Friday. His nickname is “Jean Girard” after Sacha Baron Cohen’s character in Talladega Nights with one exception: Simon prefers women.

As for racing, he raced karts, Formule Renault, and World Series Renault in France and other parts of Europe and was very successful. When he came to the U.S. in 2006, he made a name for himself in open wheel cars and sports cars. In 2006, he won both the rookie of the year title and championship in the Champ Car Atlantic Series. The following year, 2007, was his rookie year in Champ Car where he raced for Team Australia with Will Power as a teammate.

After reunification in 2008, Simon was one of the Champ Car drivers left out when some teams made the move to the IndyCar Series. Enter two-time CART champion and 2003 Indianapolis 500 champion Gil de Ferran who was making his return to racing in the American Lemans Series and searching for a co-driver. Ironically enough, both drove for Derrick Walker at points in their careers which likely led to Simon signing with de Ferran Motorsports for all but the first three races of the season. While they didn’t win, they came very close with two podiums - a 3rd in their debut at Miller Motorsports Park and a 2nd at Leguna Seca Raceway - both with Simon behind the wheel for the final stint.

The following year, 2009, the only accomplishment not made by de Ferran Motorsports was not winning the championship and only because Simon and Gil failed to score points in two races. They won five out of ten races including four in a row. Simon was behind the wheel when the 66 crossed the finish line at both Miller Motorsports Park and Lime Rock. All through the season, there was talk that the team might make the move to the IndyCar Series.

But alas, that did not become reality. For 2010, Simon moved to Highcroft Racing who was his former team’s championship rival the year before. The team scored 4 wins (including Long Beach where Simon chased down and passed Adrian Fernandez’s Aston Martin for the victory in the final laps) and the title. Simon also won the 1000km of Spa with the Peugeot team.

In 2011, due to lack of funding, the Highcroft team only ran at the 12 Hours of Sebring and scored a 2nd place finish. He also raced for Peugeot at Silverthorne (where they won) and at the 24 Hours of Lemans (and scored a 2nd place finish). He also raced a V8 Supercar at the Gold Coast 600 and finished 3rd in the second of the two races held that weekend. Simon also got a taste of the series he’d been working hard and waiting patiently to join. He ran 3 INDYCAR races last year, all filling for drivers - two due to injuries (Ana Beatriz and Justin Wilson) and one due to issues with customs (Simona de Silvestro). He used these opportunities to his advantage. He took three not-as-competitive cars and scored reasonable finishes, including a top 10 in his first INDYCAR race at Barber Motorsports Park.

His performance caught the eyes of several teams for their 2012 programs. At the end of the summer, the rumors started swirling that Simon was going to race for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. In December, the worst-kept secret in INDYCAR was revealed and Simon was officially named the driver of the 77. So far this year, Simon has netted 3 top 10’s and 2 top 5’s including a 2nd place finish at Long Beach where he led 26 laps. He also appeared in the Firestone Fast 6 once and probably would have had an even better finish in the season opener at St. Petersburg if it weren’t for a 10-grid position penalty following an engine change. Going into Brazil, he is both the top rookie contender and top Honda driver and has the potential to have another good run.

Simon’s ultimate test will come next month at Indianapolis. He has almost no oval experience but is officially licensed to race on them after a recent test at Texas Motor Speedway. He does have the benefit of racing for the team that won the pole and provided some technical assistance to the race winning team, Bryan Herta Autosport. Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports is also adding a second car to its “500” lineup and the driver is rumored to be Townsend Bell, who has run fairly well on ovals in the past.

Now here’s my take on Simon - I love him and have since 2007. One of my goals if I make it to the Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway in June is to meet and take a picture with him. I find him to be both talented and easy on the eyes as well.

I first noticed him back when he was a rookie in Champ Car. I lost track of him after reunification, though, for a few months until I watched Petit Lemans and saw that he was in the field. Since then, I’ve kept a eye on his career. From the moment I heard he hoped to one day race in INDYCAR, I crossed my fingers waiting for a team to hire him. I am glad that Dreyer and Reinbold (twice) and HVM gave him his first opportunities and that Schmidt-Hamilton hired him for this season. Simon has shown speed everywhere he has raced this year and I think with some track time on the ovals, he will run well.

As for the question "Is he or is he not the next big thing?" I think we'll just have to see. So far, I'd say yes but time will tell whether or not Simon will one day be an INDYCAR champion or eventually become the 4th (or 5th if you say French-born) Frenchman to win the Indianapolis 500.

The end of last season was tough on Sam Schmidt and his race team with the sudden passings of Indy Lights team manger Chris Griffis and driver Dan Wheldon within a few short weeks. Both men’s memories are not far from the minds of anyone on the team and even its newest driver. My fingers are crossed that 2012 continues to be a year of great accomplishments for Schmidt-Hamilton Racing and they celebrate some wins on the INDYCAR side (it nearly happened at Long Beach), a rookie of the year title (highly possible), the Mario Andretti road course championship trophy (if he can get past his old buddy Will), and maybe even contend for the overall title (as of right now, it’s looking like a big possibility).