Honda Grand Prix of St. Pete Pseudo-Live Blog

Well, I woke up a little late and had to catch the end of the Formula 1 race on my DVR...more on that in another post. Let me just say that if it rains like that in St. Pete, I am going to be PISSED!

I turned on the St. Pete coverage on VERSUS and almost thought I was watching an ABC race; there was Jack Arute schmoozing Danica Patrick on the starting grid. Then I realized I was watching an actual pre-race show and remembered that, maybe, the IndyCar Series is seeing better times for its TV coverage. I will point out that having Jack Arute actually host the pre-race is pretty damn good. He might act completely ridiculous at times, but he's pretty damn good at what he does.

Luckily, it looks like the Malaysian Grand Prix used up all of the rain for today, and the weather in St. Pete looks like...well, the weather in St. Pete. More to come as the race actually gets moving.

2:35, pre-race
The VERSUS people have made their picks for the race win, along with introducing their fly new nicknames. "Roulette" Arute picks Graham Rahal, "Action" Thackston picks Dario, "Full House" Floyd picks Kanaan, "Professor" Beekhuis picks Rahal, "Dice" Buhl picks Kanaan, and "Black Jack" Jenkins has Justin Wilson. Cheers on the nicknames AND having the reporters pick winners (take notes ESPN).

2:39, pre-race
I think VERSUS' transformer-esque intro is really cool. Much better than ESPN's.

2:40, pre-race
"Drivers, start your Honda engines!" And we've got race control radio calling that all of the cars have started.

2:42, pre-race
Cars are rolling for the first time in '09! I'm getting the jitters just watching it!

2:46, pre-race
Nice helicopter shot of the pyros following the cars down the pit stretch on the warm-up laps.

Lap 1
Green, for the first race of 2009! Justin Wilson leads a 4-wide charge into the first turn, Graham is spun out but continues. Mike Conway parks it in the outside wall in T2, but hit lightly enough to continue with help from the safety crew. YELLOW!

Lap 2
Replay from Kanaan's front wing camera shows that he is the culprit that hit Rahal. No fault of his...it's the first turn on a street course. From the #9 car's onboard, it is obvious that Mike Conway's first race will end with a broken right rear suspension.

Lap 4
Still yellow. Rahal and Kanaan both changing front wings as Kanaan punted Rahal and Rahal had been grazed by Tagliani. Conway is wheeled back to the garage.

Lap 5
Back to green! Single-file restart works nicer than the original start. Kanaan and Rahal blitzkrieging the field from the back.

Lap 8
Since we're early on in the race, there's not much happening in the way of overtakes. ESPN's side-by-side has been renamed "IndyCar Non-Stop" for VERSUS. pretty much the same story as side-by-side.

Lap 13
I haven't seen the black-and-blue #7 once in the race. Instead, they're focusing on Tagliani, Doornbos, and any other team starving for attention and sponsor money.

Lap 14
Speak of the devil! First mention/focus on Danica for this race. She's on the "red" tires, but it's not helping right now.

Lap 16
When I see Franchitti following Wilson around, I hear the theme from "Jaws" in my head. It looks like it's only a matter of time...

Lap 19
Lapped traffic time! Sure, Marty Roth is gone, but that blue #98 of Stanton Barrett is filling in nicely. Hideki Mutoh makes an early pit stop.

Lap 21
Viso in the pits as well. Lindy Thackston explains that Viso did not like the red tires, so he used them early. Jon Beekhuis adds that a lot of the drivers feel the same as Viso.

Lap 22
Lindy also lets us know that Justin Wilson will be in the pits in about 6 laps. We also learn that the TCGR guys will be in about five laps after that. Vitor Meira pits.

Lap 24
VERSUS did a cool lead-in to a commercial break with the IMS Radio Network call of the first turn smash. It always seemed like the ESPN people thought the radio broadcast was some sort of plague to be avoided.

Lap 27
Kanaan and Rahal are P14 and P15 now, following Matos and Moraes around. Kanaan is having a hard time getting past Moraes.

Lap 29
As a TV camera op myself, I have to say I like the use of a jib camera in Turn 1. Nice view down the front stretch and of T1, with the bay in the background of it all. Did ESPN ever do that.

Lap 30
Kanaan is slowed by Moraes and Rahal is getting a bit impatient. Wilson still hasn't pitted. Doornbos slides around in front of Danica.

Lap 31
I hate it when commercials rip "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" and change the words. Leave it alone, damnit. Firestone's "Take Me Out To The Brickyard" ad is no exception. Bring back the one from the last couple of years.

Lap 33
Briscoe and Wheldon start the pit road parade. Matos finds the wall hard at the 11/12 complex. YELLOW!

Lap 34
Turns out Matos got opportunistic trying to go around Danica Patrick, and those two found their way HARD into the tires in Turn 12. Danica, who vowed to be "not as angry" in pre-race, was seen giving Matos a piece of her mind and glowering at him -- and rightly so, I might add.

Lap 35
Replay shows that Tagliani got a flat tire somewhere along the way on Meira's wing endplate. Moraes spun out as well ('cause of Mutoh), nearly collecting Justin Wilson from the lead.

Lap 36
Pit stops! Will Power misses his box, Scott Dixon has to brake to miss Power and gets delayed, moving waaaay back. Briscoe has the lead after all is said in done. Wheldon second. Viso third.

Lap 40
Green again! Not much drama on the restart.

Lap 46
Marco Andretti pits. Routine stop. Justin Wilson and E.J. Viso working on Dan Wheldon for second.

Lap 51
Past halfway, we are. Graham Rahal is working on Dario, who's working on RHR for 5th. The leaders have spread out a bit.

Lap 52
Viso slips in Turn 1, Wilson passes him for 3rd in Turn 4.

Lap 54
Giant mess of cars behind Stanton Barrett in the Turn 10 braking zone. Everyone makes it through fine.

Lap 55
Stanton Barrett is inexplicably parked. YELLOW!

Lap 56
Not many takers for pit lane. Will Power and E.J. Viso decide to come in...fuel strategery perhaps?

Lap 57
Restart. Wilson nearly catches up Wheldon on the way to T1 for second. Couldn't quite make it happen, though. Briscoe...runs awaaaayy.

Lap 60
I would like to point out that the last yellow was only TWO LAPS! Is the IRL learning how to clear the course, finally?

Lap 66
Viso in again. Trouble getting the fuel hose out AND Viso is on the reds he doesn't like...interesting...

Lap 67
Power in as well. He throws on the alternates as well.

Lap 68
Briscoe and Wheldon in from first and second. Wilson and Hunter-Reay take the lead. Kanaan in as well.

Lap 69
Viso, way behind now, almost didn't allow Wilson to lap him. Replay shows Mutoh and Tagliani nearly running over Graham Rahal.

Lap 70
Rahal, Franchitti, and Meira in the pits. Rahal pulls directly in front of Scott Dixon...near calamity.

Lap 71
Wilson in and out, and manages to come out in front of Briscoe. Briscoe can't get him in Turn 4. Great stuff for the Coyne crew.

Lap 72
IndyCar Non-Stop shows that someone has contacted the wall in a bad way. It's a yellow car, so I think it's Carpenter. YELLOW!

Lap 74
It is indeed Carpenter, who spun at Turn 3 and found the wall. There is no replay, apparently. He was the only driver who hadn't pitted yet, so who knows.

Lap 75
As we parade around during the cleanup for Carpenter, the top ten is: Wilson, Briscoe, Hunter-Reay, Franchitti, Kanaan, Andretti, Mutoh, Power, Doornbos. Viso in the pits again; looks like they're having trouble making that car work now.

Lap 77
Viso interviews with Lindy, says his steering was messy during the last several laps, shows his blistered hands. As the cars get ready for the restart, Briscoe will certainly be looking to get the jump.

Lap 79
Restart. Not much at the very front, but the battle for 3rd was NUTS. Everyone passed Wheldon, Franchitti got crossed up, Kanaan ended up in fourth and Ryan Hunter-Reay beat everyone to third.

Lap 80
Replay shows that RHR and Dario three-wided Wheldon, then RHR got loose and Dario had to back off.

Lap 81
Franchitti past Kanaan. Dixon in the wall in Turn 3. YELLOW!

Lap 82
Replay shows that Dixon got hit by Mutoh as Dixon tried to pass him, breaking something in Dixon's left-front. Cars don't turn right very well if the left-front is broke.

Lap 87
Restart. Briscoe gets a good restart, Briscoe to the lead in Turn 1. Doornbos tries to get inside Wheldon in T4, Wheldon finds the outside wall and Marco Andretti gets wedged under him. Mutoh also found some contact. YELLOW!

Lap 88
Replay showing Wheldon lost momentum trying to pass Kanaan, Doornbos got a little opportunistic and caused the problem. Mutoh's broken car found the wall somewhere else on the course. RHR apparently got by Wilson before all the chaos broke out, so he's in second.

Lap 91
Highlight package of the Indy Lights races, which were both won by Junior Strous (huh?). Replay shows Wilson sliding loose and RHR passing him before the wreck.

Lap 93
Restart. Ryan Hunter-Reay nearly makes the move on Briscoe in Turn 1. Great restart for RHR, but he couldn't quite get it.

Lap 96
Five to go. Briscoe holding a steady advantage over Hunter-Reay. Real battle is for third, where Franchitti is all over Wilson.

Lap 97
Tagliani and Andretti tangle in Turn 10. Andretti stalls in the middle of the track. YELLOW! Replay shows Tagliani trying a move he couldn't have possibly finished and Andretti getting caught out.

Lap 98
There was no contact, so no debris. Can we get a quick yellow and a restart? I'd like to see RHR get another shot...

Lap 99
Restart. Single-file into T1, with Wilson thinking about making a move for 2nd. Briscoe looks to be in good shape.

Lap 100
White flag is out! RHR not close enough in Turn one to make the move. Can he bonsai towards the end of the lap?

Checkered Flag!
Briscoe makes a solid drive to take the victory! Hunter-Reay second, Wilson third, Franchitti fourth, Kanaan fifth. Twelve cars take the checks, including Doornbos and Stanton Barrett, who had their troubles earlier in the race. Tagliani, in tenth, may have a visit to the stewards in order by the end of the day for his incident with Andretti.

The small guys tried their best, but Briscoe and the Penske team were just too good. Much credit to Hunter-Reay, who turned his first laps with Vision Racing on Friday, and Wilson and the Dale Coyne team, who have certainly had their struggles of late.

As for my predictions: Dario was good in fourth, but he couldn't get by my dark horse, Justin Wilson, for third. Ninja dark horse E.J. Viso was defeated by a broken steering rack and ultra-blistered hands. My Danica Watch turned out to be 100% correct -- she had a fairly low starting position and got knocked out by Matos' rookie uber-mistake.

That's it for St. Pete 2009. Many congrats to Ryan Briscoe, who is obviously in strong form. The IndyCars are in Long Beach, CA, in two weeks. Bye y'all!