It's time for one of the most exciting races on the IndyCar schedule! How do you make one of the most exciting races better, you ask? Well, you run it under the lights on a Saturday night!
Believe you me, if the Indy Lights race is any indication, we are in for some sort of show when the big cars take to the track. The only drivers in the entire FIL field that weren't consistently side-by-side were Daniel Herrington and Wade Cunningham -- and that's probably because they had gotten their fill of that earlier in the race. There was three-wide racing, and even some FOUR-wide racing in that event, and it held me captive for the entire hour.
As far as the big cars, here are my picks:
Winner: A Penske Car. Just pick one. They start on the front row, they're fast, and as long as Ryan Briscoe is ahead of the Target cars, he'll keep his championship lead. He knows that, and he'll follow Helio to the line if that's what it takes.
Dark Horse: Graham Rahal. I would really like to see this guy win the race. He's been strong at a lot of the other oval tracks, and it's entirely possible that he'll be near the front when the race begins to wind down.
Ninja Dark Horse: Ed Carpenter. After Kentucky, do you really have to question this pick?
Danica Watch: top five, probably. If she's not in the wall at some point, she should be strong here.
Let's repeat that thrilling FIL race; VERSUS' coverage is about to start up!
9:02, pre-race
I was all pumped up, and then they put that stupid "VERSUS and DirecTV are breaking up" crawl at the bottom of the screen. I really don't care right now, thanks. Sonoma carbon-fiber-fest being recapped currently.
9:04, pre-race
Killer Bee Dario talking up Chicagoland with Lindy Thackston, who is now a noted member of the blogoshpere. Recommended reading there, folks!
9:06, pre-race
Fans are huddled about Jack Arute to see if they can get radiative warmth off his fantastically bronzed skin.
9:07, pre-race
Dan Wheldon is the only repeat Chicago winner in the field? How about that for a little-known fact. Recap of how racy this track is....video of Dan Wheldon...THREADING THE NEEDLE in practice.
9:09, pre-race
Scott Dixon: "It's cold out? I hadn't noticed because I have semi-frozen boring running through my veins and have no feelings."
9:14, pre-race
A deep look with Robbie Buhl and Ed Carpenter on how it feels to be that awesome guy who nearly beat Team Penske.
Side note: it's not really a beer of the race, because my selection is nowhere near as classy as those of the pressdog, but I will be consuming a fair amount of Miller High Life tonight. Expect belligerent ranting by lap 150. Also, enjoy this.
9:18, pre-race
If you had RIGHT NOW picked for first mention of the Rookie-of-the-Year battle (which is good, by the way), you win....A CHINESE IPHONE!
9:20, pre-race
Tony Kanaan rips Jack Arute for not being on Twitter...also explains the spat of tweets between himself and Helio over the wreck at Infineon.
9:22, pre-race
Mad shout-out by Lindy to the FIL race today...which was 100% fantastic. Also, a quick note on the fact that Alex Tagliani will be driving....FAZZT next year!
9:27, pre-race
Professor Jon takes us through how ridiculously awesome the Delphi Safety Team is. Lots of computers, procedures, and tests involved.
9:29, pre-race
Mandatory re-living of Briscoe's ridiculous 2005 wreck at Chicago. Today's fun fact: Ryan Briscoe played rugby in Australia, could probably knock me OUT.
9:32, pre-race
Dang...I nearly passed out listening to Floyd's interview of Ryan Briscoe before driver intros. Why does the boring Penske driver have to be the one who's kicking ass this year?
9:35, pre-race
Danica really looks like one of those X Games female snowboarders with her giant Alpinestars beanie and petite self. Being native to these exact weather conditions, she's probably wondering what all the fuss is about.
9:37, pre-race
Jack Arute film noir interrogation of Danica Patrick. Will she spill the beans on next season? Probably not any more than she already has...and Jack Arute refers to her as a "commodity", which is obviously something she does not want to be called...
9:41, pre-race
Still doing the Danica black & white video...she seriously stares lasers at Arute every time the word "commodity" comes up...I gotta give her a lot of credit for being able to take the media attention in stride and still remain at least somewhat sane.
9:43, pre-race
I really should've checked the official schedule before watching...I probably could've napped for a while. SARAH FISHER! is on my TV right now, which wakes me up a bit because she is probably the coolest person in all of racing.
9:46, pre-race
Hideki Mutoh, still painfully single (from all indications), graces the VERSUS broadcast, and TK shows up to talk up the "Find Hideki A Date" campaign. Kanaan is going to pick some lucky girl to go to Homestead and the awards banquet as Hideki's date...and E.J. Viso is apparently Hideki's wingman, which may or may not be a good thing.
9:51, pre-race
Willy T. Ribbs moment! It really was cool when he stuck that bright yellow car on the 500 grid...shot of Silent Pagoda's trash can fire at their happy, beautiful campground.
9:54, pre-race
Video of how TCGR wins mondo races. The secret: be very very boring over the radio. Robbie informs us here that the aero tweaks "are going to work." God help him if he's wrong...
9:56, pre-race
NEWS FLASH! It's chilly and windy in Chicago! As opposed to the winter, when it's downright unreasonable and windy...
9:59, pre-race
What really makes the new ApexBrasil ad legit is that it's voiced by Indianapolis radio personality Laura Steele, who lends that sultry voice to stuff like the Bob & Tom Show, many local advertisements and Q95...oh, and the IMS PA system...and that's a good thing
10:01, pre-race
Time for the command! Well done, boring boring man with long corporate title from Advance Auto Parts!
10:02, pre-race
In order to maximize pre-race boredom, the league is keeping the cars on the grid longer and giving them an extra warm-up lap to get the cars nice and toasty for maximum performance.
10:04, pre-race
Starting grid: Briscoe, Castroneves, Franchitti, Kanaan, Rahal, Dixon, Andretti, Moraes, Servia, Patrick, Wheldon, Carpenter, Mutoh, Scheckter, Wilson, Conway, Matos, Hunter-Reay, Fisher, Viso, Duno, Doornbos, Lazier
Lap 1
GREEN GREEN GREEN! Sort of decent start. Lots of side-by-side-by-side already...Briscoe leads the first lap.
Lap 3
We're already watching Danica zing around the back...near pass for the lead through Turn 4.
Lap 5
Ed Carpenter, with killer ownage around a huge group of cars....bright yellow = fast.
Lap 8
Dixon had been relatively slow...suddenly not so much as he goes after Briscoe for the lead.
Lap 10
Too much excitement! Must have ad break! What with the floodlights and the various flourescent-colored cars at the front, the side-by-side is a blur of brightness.
Lap 17
Back from commercials. Steady Eddie blew by Helio and is FOURTH now.
Lap 20
Apparently, AGR re-geared all of their cars this morning. from what we've seen so far, that may not have been the best idea. Their drivers are grabbing gears mid-corner and losing position.
Lap 24
Here's something that's probably not a surprise: Tomas Scheckter is wildly fast right now...SCYTHING through the field (yes! I got to use that word!)
Lap 27
Rahal and Servia are 6th and 7th. Good on ya, N/H/L!
Lap 29
Let's do a quick top ten update: Briscoe, Dixon, Fran-fisher (it's the yellow car), Carpenter, Helio, Rahal, Servia, Moraes, Scheckter, Wilson. Kanaan just lost a TON of spots.
Lap 34
OMG moment in the VERSUS booth as Rahal nearly pops the front wing off Moraes' car. Good evasion by Moraes; warning to Rahal from IHJ.
Lap 38
Good job by the VERSUS behind-the-scenes people, working with prof. Jon to explain aero differences between various cars...definite Steve Matchett moment there.
Lap 43
Nothing gets the blood going quite like watching T&S during a full-screen ad break!
Lap 45
RHR, about to set the pick and cause some silliness, and we cut away as fast as possible for pit stops.
Lap 48
LOTSA pit stops. Briscoe, Carpenter, and someone else in and out. Briscoe makin' it happen FAST!
Lap 50
At the quarter post! Battle for the lead coming...who exits the pits first? Scott Dixon may be the big winner here, but the Penske cars are stalking him.
Lap 52
Trafficus Maximus behind Ed Carpenter. He appears to be single-handedly making the race interesting right now.
Lap 55
Marco Andretti trying the REALLY outside line, looking to go three wide in the back of Trafficus Maximus.
Lap 57
Battle for the lead! Dixon and Briscoe...SIDE-BY-SIDE! Neither man giving an inch here as their respective posses catch up behind them.
Lap 60
What if all four of these guys crashed right now? Wouldn't that just be ridiculous?
Lap 62
On my list of "Things That Would Make This Battle Better", the IZOD music is pretty low. Briscoe snatches the position, finally. Helio looking to follow.
Lap 65
Marco is HOOKED UP. He's the only guy consistently running the waaaay outside line and making it work.
Lap 68
The current situation: big two are running together, then five second back to a MASSIVE CLUSTERBOMB! That led by Carpenter, still.
Lap 70
A "debris caution" would really spruce things up here...not to say that the racing isn't exciting, but i'd like to see it be exciting for the lead.
Lap 72
Marco in the pits?! Oh man, he didn't get a full tank on his first pit stop...his totally awesome race: OVER...probably.
Lap 75
MASSIVE gaggle of lapped cars causing issues with the leaders. Briscoe goes THREE WIDE to get by all of them.
Lap 79
Dario looks to challenge Dixon in the traffic for second? Helio catching back up to the Target guys.
Lap 83
I've been calling the wrong leader and fourth place for some time now. Maybe it's because the Penske cars look...EXACTLY THE F**KING SAME.
Lap 88
Gap from 4th to 5th now over 8 seconds...the leaders caught traffic and GAINED ground.
Lap 92
YELLOW YELLOW YELLOW! Painfully single Hideki Mutoh catches the wall with the back of the car. If you just pitted, you're screwed. If you haven't pitted, you're gravy. If you're Marco Andretti, you wonder why your tank was half-filled back on lap 40-something.
Lap 95
No conclusive replays on the Mutoh wreck...judging by where it happened and the past reputation of the team, I'd say something broke on the backstretch.
Lap 96
PIT STOPS! It's Dixon, Helio, Dario, Carpenter, Scheckter (!) out on the top. Briscoe had a fuel fill problem..caused by him missing the mark in his box. Wheldon looks to be blowed up...looks like in the half-shaft region.
Lap 100
Halfway through, we are! Still under yellow. Briscoe's mishap puts Fran-fisher in the championship lead by all of a point.
Lap 101
We are...GREEN! Carpenter with an immediate challenge for third. Dixon rockets off. Moraes and Scheckter goin' at it for fifth.
Lap 104
Dixon and Helio doin' it for the lead right now...the field is starting to catch up and make this one FUUUUUUN. Moraes for fourth!
Lap 106
Moraes for THIRD! Side by side, three rows deep, now THREE WIDE in the third row!
Lap 109
Scheckter and Moraes battling for THIRD! YELLOW YELLOW! Marco's very high line takes him a touch TOO high...white-walled the tires, but the suspension is all straight from what I can see.
Lap 111
OOOH! DirecTV is upping the ante on Comcast, callin' those greedy jerks (who own VERSUS) for making "unreasonable demands". This is some real, high school-level drama here.
Lap 112
RHR hit pit lane with the unreasonable thought that the pits would be open after three laps of yellow for what amounted to nothing. Those sorts of thoughts are dangerous, boy!
Lap 113
PIT STOPS...? Lotsa guys in, but not Scheckter. Moraes beat EVERYONE. Matos did well too. Carpenter the big loser on this round.
Lap 115
Order when the restart finally rolls around: Scheckter (!), Kanaan, Moraes (!), Fran-fisher, Matos, Dixon, Helio, Carpenter, Rahal, Patrick
Lap 117
GREEN GREEN GREEN! Kanaan looking for the lead. Fran-fisher jumps on Scheckter for second, Matos tryin' THREE WIDE!
Lap 118
Eddie under Moraes for fourth. BIG FIGHT FOR POSITION!
Lap 122
Carpenter, Moraes, Dixon THREE WIDE for fourth. This...this is good stuff.
Lap 125
This would be the perfect time to not go to an ad break, thanks. Seriously...is VERSUS that poor?
Lap 130
The Target guys have hooked up for the top spot and Moraes is chasing them down...fourth on back is a massive CLUSTERBOMB!
Lap 132
The Penske cars have, miraculously, fallen prey to Danica, who is in 12th.
Lap 135
We've gone to....ANOTHER AD BREAK! And this one's a fullscreen! HUZZAHHH!
Lap 138
In spite of all the dumb crap that's happened to him so far, Marco is up to 13th, on the lead lap...that's just crazy.
Lap 140
Dixon, Fran-fisher, Moraes....fourth on back still ridiculous.
lap 143
I really wish DirecTV and Comcast would stop posturing via my TV screen...I'M TRYING TO WATCH SOMETHING HERE.
Lap 147
Things have calmed down a bit...we still have one pit stop before things go nutty...another ad break!
Lap 150
At the three-quarter pole, it's Fran-fisher, Dixon, Moraes, Briscoe, Kanaan, Servia, Carpenter, Rahal, Wilson, Andretti.
Lap 152
Remember the '06 500, when Hornish had a catastrophic pit stop, then came back to win? Yeah, Briscoe is on pace to easily do that.
Lap 153
Scheckter, who didn't pit on the last yellow, does so now. Kanaan follows.
Lap 159
Fran-fisher pits! Briscoe took second while I was spaced out. No one else looking to pit just yet...
Lap 162
N/H/L teammies side by side for what is now third...Servia dives for the pits, though.
Lap 164
Dixon has an alternate identity...which is an oil refinery. Seriously, nobody "makes fuel" like Scott Dixon.
Lap 166
Dixon and Helio in! Dixon out ahead of Helio...will he have the lead? Looks like he's got it by miles and miles. Briscoe was in lapped traffic while trying to catch Dixon.
Lap 170
30 to go! Will anything ridiculous happen?
Lap 173
We could totally use a "debris caution" here....the boredom is intense now.
Lap 175
Marco Andretti trying his damndest to make this race interesting. Still has the waaaay outside line owned. Currently in seventh, is he.
Lap 180
Moraes, Eddie, and Marco, three wide for fifth...MUCH better than the lead pack (or lack thereof...)
Lap 185
15 to go...YELLOW YELLOW YELLOW! Helio crashes out of third! We were watching the battle for fifth, looking for the wreck. Instead, Helio's suspension very obviously broke and shoved the car into the wall.
Lap 186
The last stretch of this race...will be interesting, to say the least. Obviously, Helio was target of the IRL snipers, out in force to make this race interesting.
Lap 188
They are running an ungodly slow pace under yellow here. Under 70 MPH. I applaud this, as it will give us more awesome at the end.
Lap 192
Nine laps of racing to go, and we are...GREEN GREEN GREEN! Front three in line, Rahal holding up the rest of the pack in fourth.
Lap 194
Rahal now catching back up to Fran-fisher...now trying for third!
Lap 196
Rahal really takin' the battle to the big guys with FIVE to go!
Lap 197
Briscoe, trying for the leeeead!
Lap 198
THREE WIDE FOR THE LEAD! RAHAL RAHAL RAHAL!
Lap 200
Rahal fell back, Briscoe and Dixon for the lead!
Checkered Flag!
BRISCOE AT THE LINE! Dixon (+.0077), Moraes (!), Fran-fisher, Rahal (!), Carpenter, Servia, Scheckter, Matos, Wilson, Andretti, Patrick, Kanaan, Fisher, Hunter-Reay, Conway, Viso, Doornbos, Lazier, Castroneves, Duno, Wheldon, Mutoh.
We'll count that as the fourth-closest finish in league history, and what a finish it was. I really thought Grahamburglar would have the run off the way high line towards the end, but he wiggled a bit and fell back. Moraes was real strong on that very last lap and might've had another shot if the race were 201 laps long. History will show the big teams took the top spots, but once again, it was all about who was coming along behind them. Fantastic racing for little guys KV and N/H/L.
My predictions were actually not too shabby: a Penske car won and Rahal made a really strong late run before finishing fifth. Carpenter was decently strong, but couldn't break top five in the end...still, not too bad. Danica Watch was waaaaay off, with Lady Danica finishing outside the top ten.
All in all, a pretty damn good race. The circus has a couple weeks off before it hits the big oval in Japan, Twin Ring Motegi. Of course, channel 603 may be going dark for me on Tuesday, but whatever...I don't know that I'll even be awake for Motegi, so I won't concern over it too much.
Midnight is upon us (on eastern time, at least), and the weekend's racing has just begun! F1's most excellent event (Belgium) early in the morning (Speed), ALMS from Mosport out in Ontario (Speed), MotoGP from Indianapolis (FOX). All great, world class events, and highly-recommended viewing. Ciao!
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