It's easy to create a race track -- to lay a ribbon of asphalt, concrete, or dirt in a pre-determined layout and distance and run fast cars on it. What's difficult to create is an event -- a true spectacle.
Consummate showman Carl Fisher was an expert in how to create the latter. As Indianapolis' dealer for the Stoddard-Dayton automobile company, he strung a big S-D sign and an engine-less car to a gas balloon and floated across Indianapolis, then made it seem as though he drove the same car away from the landing site. Needless to say, Stoddard-Dayton received some business in Central Indiana. He also convinced the masses that the strip of sand in the ocean east of the port of Miami, Florida, should be turned into a center of tourism and entertainment -- that dream lives on today in the pastel, art-deco buildings and highly-trafficked sands of Miami Beach.
When attendance was dwindling and companies not showing up to Fisher's massive new automobile testing facility in Indianapolis, Fisher knew he needed an event. On the 30th of May, 1911, Fisher held his event: the first 500-mile sweepstakes race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The novelty of running automobiles for 500 continuous miles, with the winner receiving a massive amount of prize money, brought out a massive crowd. On into the 1910's, '20's, and '30's, the sense of occasion around Fisher's 500-mile race continued to grow.
The man who grew the event the most -- "saved" the event, many would say after fixing the track's disrepair after World War II -- was a man who, in many ways, was the complete opposite of Carl Fisher. Tony Hulman was a wise businessman, but he wasn't particularly outgoing or nearly as eccentric as Fisher. In spite of his reserve, Hulman knew who to surround himself with and knew how to turn their advice into a return on investment. Beginning in 1946, the greatness of Fisher's event turned into something else -- something bigger than the word "event".
When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network began to take off in the '50's, lead announcer Sid Collins needed an out-cue to lead into commercial breaks. A staffer at WIBC coined a phrase for him that, while simple, summed up what the 500-Mile Race had become so well that it became an official tagline: "Now, stay tuned for 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing"
For the 55 years since the term was coined, many races have come and gone, some with more publicity and pomp than others. However, of all the 500-mile races out there, there's only one that is THE 500-Mile Race; of all the speedways that have been built since 1909, there is only one that is THE Speedway; of all the spectacular auto races, there is still only one that is THE "Greatest Spectacle".
It's again time for that tradition like no other. It's time for "On the Banks of the Wabash", "Back Home Again in Indiana", and "(Ladies and) Gentlemen, Start Your Engines". It is time for the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.
My predictions:
Winner: Dario Franchitti. When I see that someone is a wild, runaway favorite to win a race like the "500", I tend to think it's too good to be true. Helio Castroneves has indeed had a great month, drives for a great team, and has that pole position run into Turn 1. Remember, though: A.J. Foyt had to endure 10 years of tough luck before his fourth win, Al Unser wasn't even scheduled to drive the year he won his fourth, and Rick Mears had to pull off an unthinkable pass to take his fourth. The main theme in nearly all "500's" is unpredictability; I find Helio to be too much of a favorite and something will go wrong with his bid for four. Dario has been right there on the speed charts all month and is as savvy a driver as anyone out there; Ganassi Racing will have him riding around near the front all day and he'll be in prime position to lead the field across the bricks on Lap 200.
Dark Horse: Alex Tagliani. Yes, I know. There's no reason that Tags should still be considered a "dark horse". However, I still can't put anyone outside of Team Penske and Ganassi Racing into the category of "favorite" at this point, and I still find the speed of Tags' FAZZT team completely mind-boggling. Tags has been quick and competitive the entire season and, should the car remain in one piece, there's no reason Tags shouldn't be sitting in the top 5 with a chance to pull the upset.
Ninja Dark Horse: Tony Kanaan. The highest number of positions gained over the course of an Indianapolis "500" is 32 (33rd to 2nd, Tom Sneva (1980) and Scott Goodyear (1992)). After switching chassis between qualifying and the race, the latest candidate for the worst-to-first honor will be one of the wisest and most patient drivers in the field. A little luck and a lot of good driving -- not to mention avoiding being caught up in someone else's accident -- could very well place Tony Kanaan at the head of the field.
The Ladies: There are a record four lady drivers taking their turn at the "500" this year. Sarah Fisher is a very competent driver, but her own worst enemy may turn out to be herself -- or rather, her self-owned team and it's lack of competitive equipment. Simona de Silvestro will likely held back a bit by HVM's lack of high-quality equipment as well, but she should definitely finish in the top 20 could jump into the top 15. Ana Beatriz should hit the top 15, as Dreyer and Reinbold Racing has looked fairly good this year and she is a very capable driver. Finally, Danica Patrick, regardless of how her team has done this month, is far too good at driving this race to be kept far down the leaderboard; I see a top 10 for Danica and a few more smiles than we've seen earlier in the month.
Rookie of the Year: Ana Beatriz
So there we have it; final preparations are being made to the cars, the drivers are about to go through the 500 Festival Parade before getting rested and focused, and the party has started out in the Coke Lot -- The 500-Mile Race is upon us!
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