History

Channeling the Donald Davidson inside of all of us by reminding our readers just what helped get the sport to where it is today.

INDYCAR Off-Season Has Already Experienced Highs and Lows

Posted by Chad Smith on December 9, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, News. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

The 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series season was a roller coaster ride. Following a traumatic conclusion in the finale, this off-season has also had its share of ups and downs.

It was just recently announced that the series will not be returning to Las Vegas next season. After the tragic death of Dan Wheldon, Randy Bernard seems convinced that the track just isn’t safe enough for Indy Cars right now. While I understand his reasoning, I find it hard to believe the sport will never return. NASCAR didn’t stop racing at Daytona after Earnhardt’s death, and they would continue to race at Indy if a driver was killed in the 500. I realize Vegas is not on the same level, but it’s the precedence.

Bernard does realize the importance of ovals on the schedule, and it is believed he is doing everything he can to get more of them. He did arrange for the Vegas race this year and California next year. He also got a deal done with Milwaukee and New Hampshire. They have also been discussing Phoenix as a possibility as well. The idea is to get some of the smaller ovals such as Richmond back on the schedule.

Another interesting possibility would be Nashville. The speedway does not have any contracts for 2012, so there shouldn’t be any conflicts. The size is perfect for racing, as well as the stands with about 50,000 seats. The opportunity to showcase the hometown talents of Newgarden should also perk up the interest in racing there.

Sadly, we saw Newman Haas Racing shut down their veteran team. Money has been hard to find for the team since the passing of Mr. Newman a couple of years ago. The team’s place in history is well kept though, as only Chip Ganassi’s team has won more championships since 1983, and only Team Penske has more race wins. They will be missed, but they can be proud of all of their accomplishments.

Brian Barnhart is out of race control, which has everyone celebrating. Although he had his fair share of rough moments during the season, it should be noted that his job was incredibly difficult. Unlike other sports, there is only one official during the event, which puts so much pressure on whoever it is. Randy Bernard is keeping Barnhart as president of racing operations, where he should feel more at ease. He lasted 15 years as the chief steward, and I don’t think the next one will last half as long as he did.

A few days ago Sarah Fisher Racing signed driver Josef Newgarden, a native of Nashville, Tennessee. Josef won the Firestone Indy Lights Championship this season after capturing five victories along the way, including the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While they are not able to do a full-season this year, Fisher said it was in the plans for the future. Newgarden signed a three-year contract.

On Thursday, Simon Pagenaud was finally confirmed as the driver for Sam Schmidt’s team for the 2012 season. He signed with the team during the season, which will reunite him with team manager Rob Edwards for the Indy-area team.

Finally, the celebrity Go Kart race at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is this Sunday. The Amateur racing starts at 1pm, while the pro race (4:30pm) will feature six NASCAR drivers, and six INDYCAR drivers. The six drivers from the IICS are Ed Carpenter, Tomas Scheckter, Alex Tagliani, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Jay Howard, and Josef Newgarden. Former INDYCAR driver and defending NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart will also be in the race.

There have been some interesting things happen already, and we haven’t even begun to talk about all of the driver and team changes for next year.  There is also the anticipation of the DW12 cars, and the new engine manufacturers. Stay tuned.

Newman Haas Racing Shuts Its Doors

Posted by Chad Smith on December 1, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, News. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

One of the most successful and most popular teams of the IZOD INDYCAR Series will not be competing in 2012.

Newman-Haas Racing, the team that carried the name of late actor Paul Newman, announced today that they will not enter cars for the 2012 season. In a statement released by team officials, they said that the economic climate no longer would enable the team to compete.

The team has been involved in open wheel racing since 1983. They won 107 races, 109 pole awards, and a total of eight series championships in that time span. Some of the greatest drivers ever to get behind the wheel had the honor of driving for Newman-Haas. Guys like Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Paul Tracy, Nigel Mansell, Cristiano da Matta, Sebastien Bourdais, Graham Rahal, and this year’s drivers Oriol Servia and James Hinchcliffe.

Servia had the best year of his veteran career, finishing fourth in the IZOD INDYCAR Series championship standings. Teammate Hinchcliffe also had an outstanding season, earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.

Speed.com reported this evening that the team’s 33 employees were told they would be released effective immediately, with severance pay through December 31st. After that, the team will close its doors for good.

The team members will likely find some work for next season, but the fate of the two talented drivers is up in the air at this point.

Hinchcliffe has been eyed by many teams around the garage area, and with his ties to Honda, he might be a perfect fit for either Rahal Letterman Lanigan or A.J. Foyt Racing. Servia has also been linked to those teams, as well as Andretti Autosport. Since neither driver has significant personal backing, it would be hard for them to land anywhere else.

Both drivers were expected to return to the team in 2012, and the team was scheduled to receive the first of its new 2012 cars December 15th. After struggling to find enough sponsorship in the offseason to remain competitive, they made the difficult decision to shut it down.

Hinchcliffe’s Twitter account had the following tweet once the news broke: “Thank you all for the support. I’ll put my thoughts into words tomorrow. For now, the phone goes off. Going to update my Xmas wish list.”

While it is sad to see one of the most tenured teams of the sport have to shut down, there is no doubt that both of these drivers will find a ride for next season.

Servia’s fourth place finish in the championship shows what he can do behind the wheel if given the opportunity. He also led 18 laps in this year’s Indy 500, in route to a sixth place finish after qualifying on the front row.

Despite missing the season-opening race last season, Hinchcliffe went on to finish 12th in the final standings. He finished in front of talented drivers such as Takuma Sato, JR Hildebrand, Alex Tagliani, Vitor Meira, Mike Conway, and EJ Viso just to name a few.

The INDYCAR community lost one of its best teams today, but fortunately for the fans the drivers and crew members should be able to find jobs for the upcoming season.

Remembering Dan, The Man

Posted by Chad Smith on October 17, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, News. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 3 comments

The cliché has been heard all around us the past 24 hours. While it is true that race car drivers know the risks before they get into the car, we are never actually prepared when they never return.

Dan Wheldon got into his car for the final time on Sunday, all smiles of course. The accident shook everyone up as soon as it happened. We waited and prayed for good news on his condition, until we received the fateful words from Randy Bernard.

The press conference was eerily similar to that of Mike Helton, ten years ago when he announced that Dale Earnhardt was gone. NASCAR fans all across the nation wept for days, and weeks at the news of his departure. The loss of Wheldon was no different.

It is truly amazing how one man can touch so many people on this planet. Dan Wheldon was beloved by everyone he encountered. He could charm anyone with his quick wits and golden smile. Dan was a very happy man, and it always showed.

This wasn’t just a loss for the IndyCar Series. Drivers from NASCAR and Formula 1 were also shaken by the news of Dan’s passing. Soccer stars and other prevalent figures across the globe expressed their sadness on that day.

It is staggering to think how he and his family went from the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows in a mere five months.

Wheldon won his second Indianapolis 500 race this year, and was able to share this one with his family – his wife Susie, and sons Sebastian and Oliver. Dan won the greatest race in the world twice, and also finished in second twice, in addition to his series Championship in 2005.

As amazing and talented as he was on the track, he was even better off of it. Dan and his wife had their second son, Oliver, earlier this year. He had time off this season and was able to spend every day with them. He was truly as happy as a man could be.

It is impossible to find someone that didn’t like Dan. He was very well-spoken, and took time out of his day to visit with anyone and everyone that adored him. He would spend time at hospitals and other charity events that he wasn’t even asked to go to. He loved being around kids, and he cherished every moment he had with his family.

There is a memorial website that the IZOD IndyCar Series and GoDaddy.com put together. The website, www.danwheldonmemorial.com, salutes the person, the driver, and the friend that Dan was to all of us.

Wheldon was ready to replace Danica Patrick in the number 7 Go Daddy car for Andretti Autosport next season. He was going back to where he belonged, a full-time driver on a circuit that needed him as badly as he needed it.

On Sunday, you could hear millions of hearts breaking, all across the world.

Perhaps no driver had as much love, appreciation, and dedication to Indianapolis as Dan did. In 2010, Dan spoke with reporters at IMS, telling them “I’m not quitting this thing until I win it another time. If I have to race until I’m 86, I’m doing it. I love this race, man. I love it.”

Dan of course won the 500 the following year, his second win here.

Wheldon will always have a special place here in Indianapolis, and with all of the fans. This place was his holy grail, and he loved coming back every May. This race was the single reason why he chose to stay in IndyCar, instead of going over to NASCAR and/or Formula 1.

Sunday was supposed to be a day of celebration; A day to celebrate a Champion of the series. In a way, it was. It wasn’t Franchitti or Power, it was the 2005 Champion that everyone was thinking about.

He is here, but he isn’t here. He is gone, but he isn’t gone.

A video tribute in remembrance of a great husband, father, driver, and human being.

Hearts Break With Dan Wheldon’s Death

Posted by Chad Smith on October 16, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, News, Photos, Race Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 6 comments

The season-ending IZOD IndyCar Series race at Las Vegas did not go the way anyone wanted it to. Mayhem struck just 11 laps into the event, as 15 cars were involved in one of the scariest looking crashes in the history of the sport. Tragically, Dan Wheldon lost his life in the accident.

The 2005 series Champion and two-time Indy 500 winner came up behind a pack of cars in the wreck, and his car went airborne. His car spun end over end, and the cockpit went directly into the catch fence at 220 mph. Wheldon, who was just 33, is survived by wife Susie and two young boys.

Dan started at the rear of the field in 34th position, and if he won, he and a fan would have split $5 million. He had passed ten cars before the accident that claimed his life occurred on lap 11.

The day was supposed to be about the conclusion of the battle between Dario Franchitti and Will Power for the series Championship. Power was caught up in the accident, so we already knew that Dario had won the title for the third straight year, his fourth in the last five years.

This was one Championship that nobody wants to celebrate.

Drivers had been concerned about the high speeds on the 1.5-mile oval after they reached nearly 225 mph during practice. In addition to those speeds, there were more cars in this race than the Indianapolis 500, and the track is one mile smaller.

The race was red-flagged for over two hours, and a drivers only meeting was called just before we learned the fate of Wheldon. The race was officially ended, and the drivers chose to go back out and give Wheldon a five lap salute in a three-wide formation.

Dan had been testing the 2012 IndyCar that will now be the standard for all teams. Ironically, the new car design protects the rear wheels to prevent launches like the ones that Wheldon and Power experienced today.

Dan was excited about the opportunity to test the new car, and even helped out on some of the IndyCar broadcasts for the Versus channel. Whether he was behind the wheel or in front of the camera, he always had a smile on his face.

Michael Andretti announced earlier this morning that Wheldon had signed a contract to drive the GoDaddy car for his team in the 2012 season, replacing Danica Patrick.

The scene was described as “scary” and “unreal” by many of the drivers.  Davey Hamilton, who was seriously injured in a 2001 crash at Texas, said it was “Without a doubt the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my racing career.”

Ryan Briscoe had this to say about the incident; “I’ve never seen anything like it. The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something. I mean, there were just pieces of metal and car on first in the middle of the track with no car attached to it and just debris everywhere. So it was scary.”

Dan loved racing, and he loved Indianapolis. His love and appreciation for the Indy 500 is something we wish every driver had. His enthusiasm and excitement after winning his second 500 this year really proved that. He was overjoyed and charismatic in everything he did. He truly had an infectious personality that everyone loved.

Wheldon’s racing career began at the age of 4, when he began driving go karts. While racing in England, he won eight British National Titles, and moved to the U.S. in 1999. In 2002 he finally made it to the IndyCar Series, where he would go on to win 16 races, and the 2005 series Championship.

A few years later, NASCAR and Formula 1 were trying to land the rising star, but in the end he decided that the IndyCar Series was where he was supposed to be. “The biggest thing for me is the Indianapolis 500,” Wheldon said in 2005. “It would be really difficult to leave this series because of that race.”

That kind of appreciation and love for this sport is what made him so popular with fans, teams, and other drivers. He is already missed by us all.

I think Chip Ganassi described this somber day the best; “What can you say? We’re going to miss him. Everybody in IndyCar died a little today.”

INDYCAR Mourns Loss of Beloved Chief Mechanic Mark Bridges

Posted by Chad Smith on September 22, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, News. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

On Monday, the world lost a great man, with an incredible life. Long-time Chief Mechanic Mark Bridges died from complications with his six-month battle with cancer on September 19, at the age of 60. Bridges was the winning co-chief mechanic with George Bignotti and driver Tom Sneva in the 1983 Indianapolis 500.

Mark was a lifelong Indianapolis resident who lived within a few blocks of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1973, car owner Dick Sommers and team manager Dick Northam named Bridges as the MVS team’s chief mechanic at age 22, calling the shots for driver Sam Sessions.

Bridges became part of the Vel’s Parnelli Jones squad, and was assigned to legends Mario Andretti and Al Unser. He was part of Andretti’s winning crew with the 1974 USAC Dirt Car series. Obviously he had his best days with Gordon Johncock and Tom Sneva, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1983.

It was widely believed that Bridges loved working with Johncock the most, because nobody drove harder and he never complained to Bridges about how to go about setting up the chassis.

One year after the monumental win in Indianapolis, Bridges nearly grabbed another win. This time he and driver Roberto Guerrero finished in second place in the 1984 race.

As if working with those talented people weren’t enough, he was a part of many other teams. He was with Patrick Racing with Gordon Johncock and Wally Dallenbach, the Machinists Union with Josele Garza and Kevin Cogan, Jack Rhoades with Chip Ganassi, Dick Simon with Scott Brayton, Forsythe with Teo Fabi, Playa Del Racing with Jaques Lazier, and many, many others.

Bridges moved to USAC racing in 1995, where he worked with Mike Devin as his assistant in the technical department. He had a similar role with Phil Casey in the Indycar Series. That didn’t last much longer though, as he got involved with his sons Michael and David in their quarter midget racing careers.

His sons eventually moved up to full midgets and sprint cars. In 2007, he was the chief mechanic for Ron Hemelgarn’s team in the “500″ with Richie Hearn. His sons were a part of the team as well, one working the air jack, and the other on the left rear wheel.

After that, he worked as part of the technical staff for the Indy Racing League during the week. On the weekends though, he worked on his son’s sprint cars.
He is survived by his wife, Marlene Bridges; his brother, Greg Littleton; children, Julie Wilkinson, David Bridges, Michael Bridges; grandchildren, Ashlie, Katie, Drake, and Alex.

Power, Team Penske Dominate Sonoma as Championship Tightens

Posted by Chad Smith on August 28, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, Race Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Will Power dominated the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday. For the second year in a row, he started on the pole, and won the race.

In what was largely an uneventful race, Power led 71 of the 75 laps. The four laps he did not lead came while he was making his pit stops. It was a great day for him in the championship standings, and he has his Penske teammates to thank for that.

Speaking of Team Penske, they had the perfect weekend at Sonoma. They qualified and finished first, second, and third. It was the first 1-2-3 finish for the team since 1994.

The best part was that the one driver they have in the Championship hunt, actually won the race. Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe were second and third, finishing just in front of Dario Franchitti.

Scott Dixon finished in fifth place, meaning that the top five drivers all finished in the exact same order they began the race.

There wasn’t much passing during the race, as it was mostly follow-the-leader. Tony Kanaan had a mechanical problem that took him out of the race on lap 40, and Marco Andretti and JR Hildebrand made slight contact late in the race, but neither of those events resulted in a caution.

The one caution that we did have, came with just ten laps remaining, as Ho-Pin Tung went off course while trying to overtake Alex Tagliani. The restart came with just six laps to go, but no passes were made between the top five cars.

Castroneves and Briscoe keeping Franchitti away from Power was big for him in the Championship, but he also helped himself out in a big way. By grabbing the pole (1) and leading the most laps (2) during the race, Power picked up three valuable bonus points.

Now with just four races remaining in the season, Dario’s lead over Power in the standings has been reduced to just 26 points.

There are two road/street courses (Baltimore and Motegi), and two ovals (Kentucky and Las Vegas) remaining on the schedule. Next weekend’s race in Baltimore is a brand new event, and it will play a huge role in determining the Championship.

Roger Penske has a lot to celebrate this weekend. The 1-2-3 finish on Sunday for his IndyCar program came just hours after his Sprint Cup driver, Brad Keselowski, won at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Despite Danica’s Announcement, Power Remains the Focus at Sonoma

Posted by Chad Smith on August 25, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, Race Previews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

The IZOD IndyCar Series is back in the spotlight this weekend as they head to California for the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. Danica Patrick finally announced the worst kept secret in racing today, revealing her plans to head to NASCAR after this season. Still, Will Power will without a doubt be the focus of this weekend’s events.

There are many reasons why Power will be the center of attention this weekend. There was the “gesture” that he gave IndyCar officials two weeks ago at New Hampshire, which resulted in a $30,000 fine. On a more positive note, he is the defending winner of this race, having won from the pole last year.

This is also the place where he saw his life flash before his eyes in 2009 when he collided with Nelson Philippe, who had come to a stop in a blind corner of the track after spinning out. The result for Power was a concussion, fractures of the L2 and L4 vertebrae, and some chipped teeth.

As if that weren’t enough, he is trying to chase down rival Dario Franchitti in the Championship standings, with just a few races to go.

The most important of these is obviously the chase for the Championship, so he will need to stay focused all weekend on running up front, and getting the Peak Pole Award. The main objective will be to finish in front of Dario, so strategy may come in to play near the end of the race.

Minimal points are given to the pole winner, so that will be another interesting battle between the two rivals on Saturday. Besides that, the last three winners of this race all started from the pole position.

It will be difficult for him to not think about what happened here in 2009. Everyone is going to be asking him about it, even though it was two years ago. Team Penske will have to turn their focus to the number 12 car for the rest of the season, which shouldn’t be too much to ask given the up-and-down seasons that Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves have had.

The frustration that Power displayed at the end of the New Hampshire race two weeks ago came as a surprise to most people. Normally he doesn’t let things get to him as much as that situation did. He is laid back and likes to laugh things off, but he was clearly upset with how things turned out there, even though the officials made the right call after the fact.

Some people are beginning to think that the pressure is getting to him. Most people though, believe he will have a strong weekend, and close the gap even more between him and Dario.

While those two will likely battle it out for the title once again, there is a snake in the weeds just watching all of the action. He is waiting for his time to strike, and it may be coming this weekend. Scott Dixon has had a feast or famine type of season, but he is still in it. This weekend at Sonoma, he could finally strike, making it a great three-way battle for the Championship.

A Thank You To A.J. Foyt

Posted by Christopher Leone on May 28, 2011
Posted in: History. Leave a Comment

A.J. Foyt - the man. Photo credit: Chris Jones, IndyCar Media

We all have somebody who introduced us to motorsports. Those folks who brought us into the world of racing, showed us the exhilaration, told us the great stories of the past, enticed us into sticking around and prying into it.

For me, that was my father. He fostered an undying love of the sport in me that clearly burns to this day. From infancy, I heard about the feats of Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Mario Andretti – all the greats from his childhood. But none ever stood out more than A.J. Foyt. A.J. was his favorite, no doubt. I always regretted that I was never able to watch him drive.

My dad’s followed my fledgling motorsports journalism career from the beginning, while trying to get off the ground as a writer himself. So this year, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Foyt’s first win, I asked him to write about the driver he grew up idolizing. So without further ado… Continue Reading

IndyCar Debate: Is Series as Competitive as Standings Say It Is?

Posted by Chad Smith on April 22, 2011
Posted in: Chad Smith, History, News. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Franchitti and Dixon

The speculation around the IndyCar Series this year is that it is more wide open than it has been since the merger. While it might feel that way right now, time will prove otherwise.

As they sit right now, there are eight different teams represented in the top ten of the season points standings. While that may be a strong argument for those that believe there is a lot of parody, it may be somewhat smoke and mirrors. There have been many factors that have led us to where we currently stand.

First off, we have only had three races this year. It is still too early to speculate as to how much parody there actually is in the sport today. We have not yet completed a quarter of the races on the schedule, and as we all know, drivers perform better at certain venues than others. For instance, Long Beach is one of the most demanding circuits on the schedule, both mentally and physically. As a result, some drivers are better suited for this course than others, while it may be the other way around for another driver.

While on the topic of the schedule, it is also important to note that we have yet to even see our first event on an oval. With so many new drivers and teams, it is impossible to predict how they will fare on the ovals against the top teams like Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti Autosport. When people talk about the equipment advantage that those three teams have over most everyone else, it applies even more when talking about the ovals. The dominance that those three teams have shown on the ovals, especially Indianapolis, is really the main thing you want to look at when considering how much parody exists.

Since 2000, only one team other than Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti has won the Indianapolis 500. That was 2004, when Buddy Rice won it with Rahal/Letterman Racing.

Buddy Rice

The growing perception about this season is that some of the smaller teams are finally able to step up and compete with the “big three” with new drivers. Veteran Tony Kanaan is now with KV Racing, Newman/Hass has seen a revival, Dreyer & Reinbold is looking to get into the mix with Justin Wilson and Ana Beatriz, and some of the one-car teams have had success as well.

KV Racing has probably seen the biggest improvement this season, not only with T.K. leading the way, but Takuma Sato has been impressive as well. E.J. Viso continues to find different ways of hitting the wall and other cars, collecting more DNFs, but the team is still doing much better than any previous season. Experienced driver Oriol Servia has been one of the biggest surprises this year, and rookie driver James Hinchcliffe has been living up to the hype so far in just two races.

All of this does add up to more excitement for the series, but just how legitimate are the results just three races in? We have to start with Ryan Briscoe, and his horrible luck in the first two races. He was one of the victims of that lap 1, turn 1 embarrassment at St. Pete. The next week at Barber, he was having a great run in second place for most of the day before he got taken out by a terrible move by Ryan Hunter-Reay. He rebounded nicely last weekend, but those first two races cost him dearly.

Helio Castroneves has not been himself in any race this year, and with the points getting away from him and the Indy 500 just around the corner, I think he is going to return to form. He has one more race to prove it before Indy, but even if he doesn’t do it next weekend he will probably still be lightning quick at Indy. The third Penske driver, Will Power, has looked good in the first three races. The ovals cost him the championship last year and he will not let that happen again.

Looking at the two (sorry Kimball and Rahal) Ganassi guys, there really is no cooler pair than Franchitti and Dixon. These two are quite the pair, on and off the track. While Franchitti has been his normal dominating self this year, Dixon has had some bad luck in two of the first three races. The first lap accident in St. Pete took him out of that, and after finishing in second at Barber, he got into Helio’s mess at Long Beach. Both he and Dario are two of the best at Indianapolis and these two know how to get it done on the other ovals.

When talking about bad luck, you also have to mention Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Both of these drivers have had a couple of DNFs so far this season. Marco was flipped upside down in that first lap crash at St. Pete and RHR also got some damage that ended his day. Ryan also had some bad luck last weekend at Long Beach where it looked like he would win another one there, only to have mechanical problems end his run. Marco ended his day when he turned into another car leaving pit road.

On the same topic of Andretti Autosport, you have to look at Mike Conway. Despite winning last weekend’s race, his first two races went south fast. He got tangled up in the opening lap crash at St. Pete and then had another accident at Barber that took him out of the race. It was great to see him rebound and get that win in Long Beach, which was really an impressive run.

The fourth driver at Andretti Autosport, Danica Patrick, has surprisingly been the quietest of them all. She has had mediocre runs in every race, but has been able to finish them all, to her credit. The spotlight will return to her once we hit the ovals, and as the midpoint of the season comes around where all anyone wants to talk about is her contract and future plans. She should be better once we get to the ovals, and she knows her way around Indianapolis.

Basically, the next few races are really going to show us if guys like Hinchcliffe, Servia, Sato, Wilson and Silvestro are going to be able to keep this up. Outside of the Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti teams, there are a few people that I think will be able to hang near the top. Veterans and proven drivers like Tony Kanaan, Alex Tagliani, and Justin Wilson should be in the mix at the end.

There are some fresh faces and people in new places, but that doesn’t always translate into parody, especially in a sport that has been dominated by two or three teams. It was great to see some new blood like Conway win a race, but I don’t know if we will see much more of that this season. I would like to be wrong, but it’s hard to count out the big boys already.