That's the lovely view of the field diving through Turn 1 on the first restart from Stand B, Box 18, Row F. Unfortunately, that seat was still about 30 yards away from the section I really want: Stand B, Box 25; that's a spot where the catch fence no longer stacks up to block the view of the front stretch and you can watch the cars from the exit of 4, through Turn 1, and into Turn 2. Let's hope for that big upgrade when the tickets come for next year.
One thing that was decidedly noticeable from my post at the entrance to Turn 1 was the fact that this car/engine on this track is not conducive to passing. The strange thing is that, just 4 years ago, Sam Hornish was able to catch a slipstream, follow Marco Andretti through Turns 3 and 4, then slingshot past on the third-mile stretch to the finish. The situation was made a bit better on the flat-out 1.5-milers with some tweaks last year, but something drastic needs to be done to get true slipstreaming back at the Speedway. I don't know if we need as drastic as CART's Handford Device, but there needs to be some sort of draft advantage for the following car.
Another issue this year was the supposed blocking. Generally, I have no issue with Barnhart calling drivers out for their blocks, but there seemed to be quite a bit of inconsistency in the calling of warnings and penalties. Certain drivers were clearly given warnings before the black flag fell, but there were other drivers claiming the warning call was never given. My best example of the inconsistency in penalties, though, has to be Graham Rahal. Graham was called out by Barnhart for something that could be construed as a block, but was kind of borderline. Then, after serving his penalty, Graham proceeded to use some interesting driving to keep from being lapped by Dario. It's one thing to maybe throw a block when you're fighting for position, but to maybe block the leader while being shown the blue flag is another -- to be called for the first, but not the second is ridiculous. Insert angry rhetoric about Brian Barnhart's race-stewarding abilities here.
In the late 1960's, a young sports car racer/team owner named Roger Penske showed up at the Speedway and upset the traditionalist apple cart with his organized and clean garages and similarly organized and clean-cut crews and racers; everyone was always politically correct and the cars always -- always -- looked good. For 40 years, Team Penske has been the epitome of discipline and organization at the Indianapolis "500", turning those traits into 15 "500" victories. Yesterday, Team Penske looked almost human: Will Power's crew made a critical mistake on a pit stop by not getting the fuel hose out of the car, Helio Castroneves stalled on the way out of the pits, and Ryan Briscoe simply put it into the wall coming out of Turn 4. I'm certain that Roger, in his own way, will make sure mistakes like those made yesterday don't happen again. It certainly didn't help to see Penske's main rivals at Ganassi Racing do so well on the day.
Now, let's turn to my predictions for the race...
When I picked Dario Franchitti to win the race, I did it under the assumption that Helio would be up there, fighting for win number four. I certainly did not expect the #10 car to be so much faster than the rest of the field. No matter who lined up in second position on a restart, no one could match Dario. The only time the second-place car was able to catch him was when Dario had to back way off at the white flag to save fuel. It didn't make for an exciting race, but the right car won. Many felicitations to the $2.8-million man, Dario.
My dark horse only got darker as the race moved on, as Alex Tagliani's FAZZT car just wouldn't show the speed it had throughout the Half-Month of May. Not only that, but his teammate, Bruno Junquiera, binned it in the Turn 2 wall. Tough race for that squad.
Tony Kanaan would have been a heavy favorite to win this race had he started near the front of the field. For the majority of the distance, TK had the second-fastest car on the track, and he used that speed to find his way towards the sharp end of the field. One of the most amazing things I ever saw was the green 7-Eleven car being shot like a cannon out of the race start and passing nearly a third of the field in less than half a lap. When the fuel strategists took over towards the end, Kanaan couldn't hold his position behind Dario because he needed to hit the pit lane.
As for the ladies...my goodness, I never predict their finishes correctly. Danica has the fortune of driving for a team that, no matter how they look during practice, are always fast when the green flag falls -- her sixth-place finish was well deserved. Simona de Silvestro was able to keep the car in one piece and even put on some very nice passes on her way to 14th place and Rookie of the Year honors (another prediction I got wrong). Ana Beatriz, who drove well as the day went on, had her day end as part of the incident coming to the white flag; she locked her brakes when all hell broke loose in front of her and she spun. Sarah Fisher is one of those drivers who probably is glad to see the month end, as her rough month ended with a brush with the Turn 4 wall.
And now, from beautiful Bloomington, Indiana, it's the second-annual Yellow Shirt Awards for 500-Mile Race "Excellence"!
The Lloyd Ruby "Tough Luck" Award: Everyone who did not have the good fortune of being in the #10 car. When all of the top crews were making strange mistakes, the #10 crew performed flawlessly. When the field would bunch up before a restart, they still wouldn't be able to catch #10. Heck, even when Dario had to slow down to save fuel, he was saved from the camoflauged goodness of Dan Wheldon by the north end of the track being showered in carbon fiber. Everything just worked for Dario and absolutely nothing that anyone else could do would put a chink in that armor. Tough Luck!
The Salt Walther "Holy @*%$!!!" Award: Mike Conway. Let's let the moving pictures do the talking here:
Luckily, as with many of the vicious wrecks we've seen over the last several years, Mike Conway survived with a busted leg and back and will likely be able to race again in 2011. A couple of fans also ended the day with new holes in their skin thanks to shards of carbon fiber.
Unfortunately, my awards show is a little light on substance this year because I can't think straight while watching the Stanley Cup Finals. If I can think of anything later, I'll write it up.
Finally, much consternation will be (and has been) had about the people who came to the race dressed as aluminum bleachers -- I would say there were about 20-30,000 empties around the track today, with the major problem spots being the North and South Vistas and the north end of the Tower Terrace. Here's the simple reason that those seats weren't filled: they're not that great, but they're about the same price as all the other non-penthouse seats. I've noticed that the pricing scale has changed a bit according to demand for the Brickyard 400, but it's about time to start doing that with the "500". Selling a seat for $50, as opposed to $80 or $90, is a lot better than not selling it at all.
So, that's it for another Month of May. We'll have just enough time to catch our breath before the IndyCar circus makes their way to the speedbowl at Texas. That race is Saturday night; see you then!
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