A. chilly foggy morning slowly became a warm sunny day. I arrived at the track in time for Indy Lights qualifying. I watched from the Jackie Stewart stand, which is becoming my viewing spot of choice. When IndyCar practice began, I ventured to some other spots. I started at the bus stop then walked to the Carousel, turn 5. This is a very fast corner. The cars scream around it and head to the descent to turn 6. I decided to watch the Indy Lights race from the Argestener stand outside the track at the beginning of the esses. It gives a view of turn 1 and turns 2 and 3, but that is all. Very limited viewing. I went back to the Stewart stand for IndyCar qualifying.
What a messy situation. There were four penalties called, changing those who advanced. The penalty on Mikhail Aleshin seemed a bit marginal to be generous. Both Schmidt cars were penalized. Schmidt’s Indy Lights entry was also penalized in qualifying earlier in the day. Scott Di x on won the pole, obliterating the track record.
Then it was time for my hot lap ride. My two favorite rides to date have been Sonoma and Road America. Add this one to that list. The elevation changes were steeper and deeper than I expected. I felt a pull in my stomach climbing the hill in the esses. I felt the car write the letter S. The drop from turn 5 to 6 was a huge descent. The corners of the boot had us straining our seat belts. It was a great ride.
Tomorrow I think the winner comes from the first row. I see the field getting strung out quickly. I think there will w two full course cautions that will make things interesting.
As an added service, I’ll be tweeting out points as they run every lap and a half. I’m kidding of course. Tuesday morning will be my weekend wrap up. Have a great evening.
Come on, IndyCar, be fair. First I fall in love with Road America-madly, deeply, in love. Then you put Watkins Glen, on the schedule. Now that do I do? Can I be this in love with two tracks at the same time? Those of you who went to Road America for the first time this year, beware. The Glen is every bit as great.
Of course, it’s different. It sits on top of a hill instead of in a forest. There are still tree lined portions, but not as many elevation changes. It is an incredibly fast track. The views looking out from the the track magnificent. You can see for miles.
I am still exploring viewing positions. So far May favorite is the inside esses grandstand.. It offers a great view of turns 2-4. From the top row you can as l so catch a glimpse of turn 1 and also follow the cars as they approach turn 5. The Stewart grandstand gives a great view of turns 9, 1, and 11. You can also see the cars enter the boot and catch glimpses as they head back to 9.
The gift shop is very nice. They have a great clothing selection with many different and unique designs. It is centrally located.
I have a pace car ride tomorrow afternoon. It will p provide a better look at the track and allow a fairer comparison with Road America. I will share my findings tomorrow. Still dazed at all the home runs IndyCar has hit this year
What a great race at Texas! The last lap became a battle of the rocketships. A driver who lost a late lead here four years ago won. The points leader stayed on top and also extended his lead. It was a wild night at Texas Motor Speedway. The second great oval race in as many weeks produced the fifth closest finish in Indycar history. Here are some musings from this semi-authoritative source:
Rocketships-
During his ten minute practice, Graham Rahal referred to his car as a “(Not safe for TV) rocketship.” After the race, James Hinchcliffe called his car a rocketship. The two rocketships crossed the line virutally together. Rahal may have had a bigger margin if he hadn’t raised his arm in celebration before the stripe. He made a great over/under move to get to the bottom of the track to get ahead of Hinchcliffe.
Redemption-
Toward the end of the 2012 race at Texas, Rahal had a 10 second lead over Justin Wilson when he brushed the wall in Turn 4. He continued, but the car had lost its handling. Wilson swept by him to win the race. Saturday night, he slipped by the leader on the last lap to win. Some tracks seem forgiving in that regard.
Retention-
Simon Pagenaud just might have sewn up the title in this race. Even though he only added eight points to his lead, and the outcome is still very much in doubt, his decision to drop back from the four wide fight for the lead was a champion’s move. It was a very different form of points racing. Still, I admire his desire to fight for a win he didn’t really need until he decided it was best to settle for fourth.
More Thoughts on Texas-
Track president Eddie Gossage went all out in efforts to draw a crowd Saturday. He offered deeply discounted tickets and refreshments, free admission to first responders. It was great to see a track president tell fans he was sorry about the rainout and the delay in restarting the race, and then do what he could to make it up to them.
Kevin Lee did an outstanding job filling in for Leigh Diffey as the broadcast booth anchor. I hope he gets more opportunities in the future. It was another great broadcast by NBCSN. I really liked the camera on the wall that showed the cars flashing by. My only issue with the tv crew was talking about points as they run. That is by far my least favorite part of a race telecast. It is a totally irrelevant statistic that means nothing. The only points that matter are the points when they finish.
Was this Ed Carpenter’s last drive? After his accident he said he is excited to be back next year, but we will see. I think Ed will be a great owner, and that is where his focus should be.
Four of the five ovals on this year’s schedule had great racing. Phoenix was the lone exception. No one could pass, not even to get by to lap a car. I’m glad the other ovals worked out so well.
Points-
Pagenaud leads Will Power by- twenty-eight points now with two natural terrain courses left. Pagenaud and Power both excel on this type of track, so the battle for the title is still very much on.
Tony Kanaan is now third in the standings. Surprisingly, Josef Newgarden is only ten points behind Kanaan in fifth despite his last place finish at Texas and top ten runs by both Kanaan and Helio Castroneves, now fourth in points.
Fans packed the stands at Kokomo Speedway and waited patiently as light rain fell. The rain stopped, the sun appeared, and the celebration of Bryan Clauson’s life began. The dry window lasted just long enough for the essential part of the program to get in. Bryan’s father, Tim, and his fiancee, Lauren, shared moving stories. Levi Jones spoke about how much he enjoyed racing against Bryan. Robin Miller told the story he’s told before, how Randy Bernard found a way to get a sprint car driver to the Indianapolis 500. Then the rain began. It was not about to stop this time. The afternoon ended with tornadoes touching down south of the track. Although rain-shortened, the celebration was meaningful to those who were there. I talked to many out of state fans who had come to honor Bryan and stay for the Smackdown weekend.
There was irony in the celebration. It was the one year anniversary of Justin Wilson’s death. Like Justin, Bryan was an organ donor. His organs have saved or improved seven lives. The family has a goal to sign up 2,00 new organ donors. To register, go to RegisterMe.org/Campaign/BryanClauson.
I had planned to stay for the race last evening, but it was obvious that the program would be cancelled. I will make another trip there another time. The track was a soggy mess when I arrived, and the weather didn’t help. I hope the rest of the weekend’s program can be run.
Tim Clauson talks about his son, BryanLauren Stewart (L) speaks about Bryan’s fear of grasshoppers. Bryan’s mother, Diana, (R) waits to speak
Texas, Act II
Saturday night Indycar picks up on lap 72 of the rain delayed race at Texas Motor Speedway. James Hinchcliffe will lead the field back to green around 9:30 Eastern Time. The race is on NBCSN. 177 laps remain. The current running order contains some interesting things. The Pocono podium is in spots 2-4. Ryan. Hunter-Reay is second, Mikhail Aleshin third, and Will Power fourth. Points leader Simon Pagenaud is 15th at the moment.
Power could possibly leave Texas as the points leader, but I think he will need to wait until Watkins Glen for that to happen. Other things to watch for:
This is likely Honda’s last chance to get to victory lane this year. They missed a great opportunity at Pocono.
Will pit lane be kind to Helio Castroneves? The accident at Pocono was just one of the many pit woes that have befallen him this year. He has been caught by yellow flags three times and was hit exiting the pits by Townsend Bell at Indianapolis.
The 2017 Schedule
Four things are significant about the schedule release yesterday. First, it was released in August. This is great for team planning and approaching sponsors, who are just now planning next year’s advertising budgets. Second, the consistency of the same tracks as this year. Third, the consistency of dates. This is the first schedule in a long time with these consistencies.Fourth, adding the oval at Gateway. The 2018 schedule should be similar with one or two additions.
I hope after this year, Phoenix can move to right after Long Beach. that would be a great expense saving for the teams. There is still a late summer gap between Mid-Ohio and Pocono, suitable for adding a race in the west. Mark Miles continues to talk of an early season race overseas. I’ll believe it when the first car rolls out of the pits for practice wherever it may be.
With Gateway, the schedule has six oval, six natural terrain, and five street circuit races. This is a perfect mix, one third of the schedule of each type of track. When new tracks are added, I hope Indycar keeps the proportions of track types in mind. This schedule is the best in a long time.
Power won when power was lost. Will Power found the right downforce adjustment and took the lead late to win the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. What looked to be a duel to the finish between Mikhail Aleshin and Ryan Hunter-Reay failed to happen when Hunter-Reay lost power on lap 164. He was able to coast to the pits and get restarted, but his chance at victory was mostly gone. An Aleshin/Hunter-Reay duel would have been a fight between the pole sitter and the car that started last. This was one of the best races of the year.
Mikhail Aleshin appeared to have his first IndyCar victory well in hand, but he seemed to not be getting the fuel mileage the Chevrolets were. Most of stints were less than 30 laps. Will Power had early handling issues in traffic, but the car and the race came to him. He won the race off pit road on the last stop and held off a hard charging Aleshin to win.
What can you say about Ryan Hunter-Reay? He started last and came through the field to lead by lap 49. He was then in contention all day until an electrical hiccup on lap 64 put him down a lap. Hunter-Reay then got his lap back with the late yellow and charged back to finish third. Basically, he passed the entire field twice. I know many fans don’t care for him, but I think he is one of the most under appreciated talents in Indy car. He can put a car pretty much anywhere and isn’t afraid to do it. He was definitely the driver of the day.
The worst incident of the day was a scary crash in pit lane on lap 64. Helio Castroneves was very fortunate Alexander Rossi’s car hit him where it did. A few inches more toward the cockpit would have been disastrous. I watched the replay several times. Rossi’s car was not as close to Castroneves’ cockpit as it first seemed. I saw several people on twitter calling for cockpit coverings. While I think some type of protection needs to be added, I’m not sure any device would be strong enough to keep an entire car out of that area. I am not in favor of completely enclosing the cockpit.
Power and Simon Pagenaud each now have four wins this year. Whoever wins his fifth race first will most likely win the title. Pagenaud’s oval woes continue. With one more oval next Saturday his twenty point lead could totally vanish heading to the final two races. Power has now finished first or second in six straight races. I think he has to be considered the title favorite now.
Notes:
Mikhail Aleshin has suddenly become a rising star in IndyCar. After his horrific crash at Fontana two years ago and sitting out last year until Sonoma, he is doing a fantastic job this season. His story is an inspiring comeback that is flying under the radar.
Will Texas be Ed Carpenter’s last race as a driver? He has not had a great year in the car, although Josef Newgarden continues to shine. Ed seems to reaching the point most owner-drivers eventually come to- step out of the car and run the team.
Andretti Autosport is unveiling a new sponsor and livery for next year at noon today.
Thursday is the highly anticipated announcement of Gateway Motorsports Park’s return to the IndyCar schedule. I expect a night race in August.
Tomorrow is the Celebration of Life for Bryan Clauson at Kokomo Speedway. The celebration is at 1 pm, followed by racing at 6:30pm the entire day is free. Please bring towels and/or blankets to the celebration to help out the local humane society. Chevy and Stew thank you. Although admission is free, a pit pass for the evening is $30. I will share my experience there later this week
Indycar makes a bittersweet return to Pocono this weekend. Many are still feeling the sting of Justin Wilson’s fatal accident last year, compounded with last week’s loss of Bryan Clauson. This is the first race since Mid-Ohio three weeks ago, so it’s great to be racing again. Pocono begins the season’s final stretch of 3.7 races.
This week and next week at the resumption of the Texas race are Honda’s last two best opportunities to get victories this year. The ABC Supply 500 will also determine if Will Power has any chance at catching Simon Pagenaud for the series title. Simon struggles on ovals, while Will usually finishes well. Last year at Pocono Graham Rahal’s title hopes were crushed when he was involved in a crash.
Rain is in the forecast for Sunday afternoon. Will some teams have a half race strategy? This race really needs to get in officially this weekend, Monday at the latest. With the Texas postponement to next weekend, there is really no place to resume this race within the season. Would a resumption at a future date end up being the actual season finale? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
I was as surprised as everyone else that Pocono has renewed for two more years. Attendance has not been great since its return to the schedule. I’m glad it happened though. Keeping Pocono and adding Gateway next year means there will likely be two consecutive ovals on the schedule in August. I can definitely live with that.
Next Wednesday I plan to go to Kokomo Speedway for the Bryan Clauson Celebration of Life and stay for the racing program that evening. If you’re going, Chevy Clauson is asking that you bring towels and blankets to donate to the humane society in Kokomo. I will report on the events later next week. I’ll be back Monday with a race review. Enjoy the race.
First-As we all are, I am still stunned and saddened by Bryan Clauson’s death. I only spoke to him once, when he was kind enough to give me an autograph while at a charity event in 2012. I admired his talent mainly from afar. I was planning to go watch him race later this summer. Sadly, the three 500’s I watched him drive in will be my only memory of his racing. My condolences to his family, fiancee, and dogs.
Bump day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway meant a driver needed to be one of the fastest thirty-three drivers or go home. Your car did not get multiple attempts- one four lap run and you lived with it. While the car was done after that, a driver could find a different car if he were to be bumped. After a usually furious Pole Day, action on the other three days followed a more laid back pattern. A couple of cars would make attempts early in the day. Everyone else then waited for the five o’clock shadow to cover the front straight before going out for their run. Things were running as usual in 1963 on Bump Day. The shadow appeared at its appointed time. Then things got strange.
As the magic hour approached, some stars were in danger of not making the field. Troy Ruttman, winner of the 1952 race, qualified just before 5 to bump Ebb Rose. Len Sutton, runner up the previous year, had also been bumped. He was trying to find a new car to drive, as was Rose. The last hour congestion began in pit lane, with thirteen or so cars lining up to get a try.
Ralph Liquori then bumped Masten Gregory, who had qualified one of Mickey Thompson’s cars.. Thompson had entered five cars, but only two would make the race. Liguori getting in was good news and bad news. He had a faster speed than Gregory, but he was now the slowest in the field. Sutton found a new car and took to the track. His qualifying run started well, but at the finish, he and Liguori were tied at 147.620. Thirty- four cars had the thirty- three fastest speeds. In these pre-computer days, the officials had to do some hand figuring to carry the speeds to next decimal place. All they really had to do was wait until Ebb Rose went out again in A. J. Foyt’s spare car.
Rose, owner of a trucking company in Houston, had entered his own car, which Ruttman had bumped. In Foyt’s car, with about ten minutes to go, he comfortably beat Liguori’s and Sutton’s time. In effect, he bumped two cars at once. A new track record! It turned out that Sutton had a better time than Liguori after the time was figured to the ten-thousandth place. Sutton would be first alternate.
This was not the only tie in speed that weekend. The day before, Bob Christie and Lloyd Ruby also had the same average speed. Christie started eighteenth and Ruby nineteenth, based on the tie -breaking fourth decimal place. They were separated by six ten-thousandths of a second.
The race was dominated by Parnelli Jones from the pole. Jim Clark in second began closing in late in the race when oil on the track became an issue. Many thought Jones’ oil tank was leaking. Colin Chapman, Clark’s car owner, pleaded with officials to black flag Jones. They didn’t, and Jones won easily as Clark decided to back off on the slippery track.
Ruttman finished twelfth and Rose came home fourteenth. They both completed all 200 laps. Al Miller, the fastest last day qualifier, finished ninth. It was a pretty good day for some starting at the back of the field. Three rookies in the field, Jim Clark, Bobby Unser, and Johnny Rutherford, would go on to win the race in subsequent years.
In 1963 sixty-six cars were entered. Today it is a struggle to get to thirty-three. Granted, we don’t need two qualifying weekends, and cars do need limited multiple attempts. Indycar is still struggling to find the correct qualifying format for the race. I miss the old format, but I realize it doesn’t work with as few cars as there are now. 1963 provided the drama we all seek out of qualifying.
Top photo: Parnelli Jones (L) passes Ebb Rose, the last driver to qualify, during the 1963 500. (Photo from 1964 500 Mile Race program)
Mid-Ohio is all about what happens in the pits. Timing is everything. Execution is crucial. In 2014, Josef Newgarden had the race in hand until a botched last pit stop handed the race to Scott Dixon. Dixon started last and pitted during a yellow at the start to get to the front. Even then, he ran out of fuel just after getting the checkered flag. Last year Graham Rahal won by pitting just before a caution that caught out the leaders trying to stretch their pit window. Charlie Kimball used a stop on lap 10 in 2013 to take the checkered. This year, the pits were unkind to Mikhail Aleshin. He had cycled to the lead after the second round of stops and was maintaining a healthy lead. When the yellow came out for Jack Hawksworth’s accident, everybody pitted for the final time. The vrew released him into the path of Newgarden. Aleshin hit Newgarden’s car and bumped a crew member from Juan Pablo Montoya’s team. Conor Daly had the lead and the pace, but not enough fuel. He salvaged a sixth place finish after stopping late. The race then returned to the usual suspects.
Simon Pagenaud made a great move on Will Power coming out of the carousel to get into position to win. It has been several years since a driver has won more than three times in a season. Pagenaud slightly slowed Power’s momentum, increasing his lead to fifty-eight points, although Power has three wins and two seconds over the last five races. I wouldn’t count him out yet. Power is stronger than Pagenaud on ovals. There are still 3.7 races left, two of which are ovals.
Overall, it was a better than average Mid Ohio race. There was plenty of drama, and different pit strategies to keep the outcome in doubt for most of the race. Scott Dixon’s early retirement was an atypical error on his part, maybe showing a little impatience. That is not the best place to attempt a move like that. I thought Race Control made a good decision not to go full course yellow with three laps to go after Bourdais ended up in the sand. I do, however, wonder why the start of the race wasn’t waved off. Simon had a Helio-esque jump coming to the line
A New Fan’s Hot Lap Ride-From Boredom to Let’s Go Again in Two Minutes
My girlfriend Marti had her first hot lap ride Sunday. This was just her second Indycar race. She began the ride with no expectations. In fact, Marti thought it would be boring. By the keyhole she began to appreciate the track. When she had to grab the passenger assist bar, she understood why she had to sign a waiver. Her excitement suddenly began to build. The lap helped her understand how drivers race- the acceleration, braking, and the approach to each turn. She tried to imagine how she would take each section. Her favorite part was the esses. As the car pulled into the pits, Marti was ready to do a few more. Overall, the hot lap allowed her to briefly see the track from a driver’s perspective. She now has a better understanding of racing. Marti is eager to take a 2-seater ride now. Amazing how someone’s attitude can change in just a couple of minutes.
Sebastian Bourdais collides with Takuma Sato and ends up stuck in the sand
Notes:
Mid Ohio continues to have one of the best crowds of the season. The esses area seemed fuller than last year.
I noticed several new concessions areas this year, including a bar at the foot of the bridge just before Turn 1.
Conor Daly got very lucky after missing Turn 4. he drove across the grass and nearly collided with Charlie Kimball on re-entry.
The start of this race, when all 22 cars are packed together in the space between Turns 4 and 5, is one of the most thrilling parts of the season. Amazing that they usually all get through most years.
R. C. Enerson had an impressive debut weekend. He was competitive in practice and was running well in the race until botched fuel strategy put him well back in the field.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 