Conway's Win Testament to Dallara

While the teeth-gnashing was underway about decisions from race control in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (and I share some of those concerns), another thought occurred to me as Mike Conway dashed and darted his way through the field to claim his first career IZOD IndyCar Series win - how about Dallara?

Without the manufacturer, is Conway even driving today?  Or is Will Power challenging for a second title, or Vitor Meira still competing with A.J. Foyt?  To be honest, I'm not sure.  In 2009 and 2010, each driver endured frightening wrecks - collisions with walls and/or other competitors that in years past, may have left them with far greater injuries than the broken legs and backs suffered.

Seriously, watch the Mike Conway wreck again (if you can).  It's a minor miracle he was not hurt worse.  The only thing left of Conway's car is the tub in which he is seated.

The common denominator, as it has been in the IZOD IndyCar Series over the last 14 years, has been the Dallara chassis.  The only manufacturer in the series since 2008 (and most of 2007), Dallara has staked its reputation on safety.  While some may clamor for a "sexier" looking machine, the Italian company's record of protecting drivers is strong, as Meira, Power and Conway can attest.

When Randy Bernard and the ICONIC Committee began looking at options for the future chassis of the IZOD IndyCar Series, several entrants came forth with sparkling ideas.  While Dallara's entry and sketches for future cars was not panned, it was not the flashy, fascinating designs submitted by others, such as Swift.  In fact, many fans were clamoring for something new and forward-thinking (though not as new as the Delta Wing).  While fans respected Dallara, maybe it was time for several new manufacturers to enter into competition with the staid, old company, was the basic argument.

Instead, the ICONIC Committee went back to Dallara, and with the company's track record for safety, reached a compromise.  Again, look at Conway's wreck - the tub became a cocoon around the Englishman, keeping him from further harm.  With this in mind, and the fact that Meira and Power were both able to return soon after horrific wrecks, the committee used the tub - the safety cell - as the building block for the 2012 chassis.  With ideas taken from other submissions, the safety cell/aero kit idea was born, allowing Dallara to continue what it does best: keep drivers safe.

Fans will have the opportunity to see the 2012 Dallara safety cell/aero kit package come together, as the manufacturer is presently constructing its American base of operations in Speedway, Ind., as part of the town's massive redevelopment project.  With the building not yet complete, testing will begin at the former Zipp Speed Weaponry building on Main Street.  In May, prototypes of the 2012 Dallara safety cell and fuel kit will be revealed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as over half million fans file through turnstyles during the month during practices, qualifications and the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.

As the competition continues to improve and drivers continue to run close together, open wheel racing is always going to have its share of wrecks.  But with Dallara building the safety cell (and one of at least three aero kits), those drivers involved in incidents will have the chance at future checkered flags, as Mike Conway became the latest to demonstrate on April 17.

Conway Shoots Through Field for Surprise Long Beach Win

(Note: this recap also runs at SBNation Indiana)
After qualifying third, Mike Conway was buried in 22nd place after a mistake on pit road 30 laps into the 37th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.  However, the second-year driver methodically moved through the field, picking off Ryan Briscoe with 13 laps to go and cruising to his first career IZOD IndyCar Series win.

After passing Briscoe, who led the majority of the second stint of the race, Conway dominated the closing laps, eventually winning by 6.32 seconds.  

Conway had been fast since joining Andretti Autosport in the offseason, but had not had the result to show, finishing 23rd and 22nd in his first two races with the team as a result of contact.

Just 11 months after a horrific accident in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 left him with a broken leg and back, Conway became the first driver to pick up his first career victory since Briscoe did so in 2008 at Milwaukee.  The driver was unsigned for most of the offseason before locking up a deal with Andretti Autosport, surprising many in the paddock.

In the post-race press conference, Conway reflected upon his last 11 months and the chance Michael Andretti took on him, saying:

I mean, initially I saw the injuries I had, and I just wasn't sure when I'd get back.  Yeah, things like that can definitely stop your career.  But I was just determined to not let it, determined to get back, back to fitness and back in a car. 

As soon as we were kind of talking to Michael [Andretti], it was really exciting times knowing that we could possibly be with such a good team like Andretti Autosport.  Yeah, for it to finally come together was awesome. 

Yeah, this year just full of energy and just all ready for the fight ahead.  A long season.  To get a win in the third race in, third race back, is awesome, and I can't think Michael enough for believing in me and the team for doing such a great job.

Conway's drive to his first checkered flag came just after a wild sequence saw Helio Castroneves take out teammate Will Power on Lap 66 after the field restarted following Justin Wilson's foray into the Turn 8 tire barrier.  Power was outside Ryan Hunter-Reay in a battle for second and tried to duck behind the No. 28; however, his teammate Helio Castroneves ran into the back of Power, putting both drivers out of contention for the win.

While Castroneves was punting Power, Conway shot through the space vacated by the two and Oriol Servia, eventually setting up a pass of Dario Franchitti.  Conway put the same move on Briscoe just a few laps later in Turn 6 and drove away for the victory.

Of cutting through the field, Conway remarked: 

As soon as we came out on the reds [tires] and kind of jumped a few people in the pits, [the] car kind of came to life again, and yeah, on the restarts the car was awesome.  Everyone else was kind of struggling for grip and we were just kind of charging through. 

Yeah, great we won, and Dario and Ryan I passed later, so it was nice to really fight for the lead there and a nice clean pass, and from there it was kind of just head down and try and pull away.

After the Turn 1 incident, it looked as if Hunter-Reay was poised to battle Briscoe for the win, but the defending champion at Long Beach suddenly lost power when his actuator broke down the front stretch, costing him a chance at a second straight win at Long Beach.  Hunter-Reay finished 23rd.

Briscoe rebounded from a sluggish start to the season with the runner-up result, while Franchitti picked up needed points to reassume the points lead from Power. James Hinchcliffe, after a fire in his car on Friday, used Servia's backup to take fourth and tighten the Rookie of the Year battle with JR Hildebrand, who was 17th.  Alex Tagliani briefly led en route to a season-best fifth-place finish.  

Servia, after spinning in the Power-Castroneves incident, took sixth, with Danica Patrick behind in seventh.  Tony Kanaan, who suffered a fuel pump problem in his first pit stop, came back for an eighth-place result, while Vitor Meira and Power rounded out the top 10. 

Five different teams were represented in the top five and seven of the top 10 drivers came from various teams.

Franchitti retook the points lead from Power and now leads by seven points.  Kanaan remains in third, 35 points in arrears.

After a week off, the IZOD IndyCar Series will resume on Sunday, May 1, hitting the streets of Brazil for the second consecutive year.  Coverage on Versus starts at 12 p.m. ET.

Finishing Order (starting position-driver-laps completed-reason for exiting race), courtesy of IndyCar PR:

1. (3) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

2. (12) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

3. (7) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

4. (11) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

5. (9) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

6. (4) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

7. (20) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

8. (10) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

9. (13) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

10. (1) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

11. (19) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

12. (6) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

13. (16) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

14. (15) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

15. (23) James Jakes, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

16. (25) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

17. (27) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running

18. (8) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 84, Running

19. (26) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 83, Running

20. (18) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 82, Running

21. (22) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 81, Running

22. (5) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 78, Running

23. (2) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 72, Mechanical                 

24. (24) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 66, Mechanical

25. (17) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 59, Contact

26. (14) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 37, Mechanical                  

27. (21) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Honda, 27, Contact

Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 88.676
Time of Race: 1:53:11.1000
Margin of victory: 6.3203 seconds.
Cautions: 3 for 12 laps
Lead changes: 7 among 6 drivers
Lap Leaders: Power 1-27, Tagliani 28-31, Briscoe 32-55, Hunter-Reay 56-57, Power 58-59, Dixon 60, Briscoe 61-71, Conway 72-85.
Point Standings: Franchitti 122, Power 115, Kanaan 87, Servia 80, Conway 74, Tagliani 73, Dixon 66, Briscoe 66, De Silvesto 66, Meira 64.

The Firestone 341.754

Everything is bigger in Texas.  It's fact.

In Indiana, we like to think of our State Fair as being one of the nation's best.  And with fried everything (peanut butter cups, snickers, coke, etc.), it comes damn close.  Texas's state fair?  They host one of the most anticipated college football games in the middle of the fair, though this year it moves to the Cowboys' gigantic stadium.  If the state of Indiana wanted to compete, they'd need to put the Indianapolis 500 in August, or move the State Fair to May.  I don't think either is happening.

And just six short days after another stirring Indianapolis 500, the state of Texas (and master marketer Eddie Gossage Jr.) continue in their attempt to make the Firestone 550 seem bigger than the 500.  Not necessarily in crowd size, or spectacle, but in distance.  And to be honest, I don't have a problem with it.

While most announcers won't reference it as a 550 kilometer race (the metric system is for sissies, most Texans would say, I'm sure), calling your race a '550' sounds a lot cooler than the "Firestone 341.754."

To be honest, Texas is a nighttime bull-ring of controlled chaos.  It's one of the fastest circuits on the IndyCar schedule, and one of the most supported, in terms of attendance.  And after a 500 that saw domination (Dario Franchitti) and chaos (Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway), it feels a little early to be hopping back on that horse.

At least in years past, the 1-mile oval of Milwaukee served to slow speeds and let everyone seemingly catch their breath before heading to the Lone Star State.  Now, with Milwaukee gone (hopefully temporarily), I feel like a college student on a Saturday morning, preparing to get back on the proverbial saddle after a long Friday.

So, Texas.  Bring me your chaos, your speeds, and your Saturday night racing.  We'll see if I can hold up the same as I used to five years ago.  

Moving Through the 500 Field: The Middle

With just over three days remaining until Jack Nicholson drops the green flag on the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500, we continue with part II of our look at the 500 field.  Today, we look at the middle of the starting grid. (for part I, click here)

The Poms Unite

Dreyer and Reinbold Racing has announced that Justin Wilson and Mike Conway will be their two-driver team in 2010.  Conway drove (often off the track) for DRR in 2009, while Wilson will always be the answer to the question, "Who was the only non-Penske/Ganassi driver to win in 2009?"

According to the release, Wilson brings his Z-Line Designs sponsorship to DRR, which leaves Dale Coyne Racing without a primary sponsor for the No. 18 machine.

Last year, Tomas Scheckter drove for Coyne at Indianapolis with his Mona Vie sponsorship; I wonder if they might reunite in the No. 18 car, while Coyne looks to fill the No. 19 Boy Scout machine as well (please just give the ride to J.R. Hildebrand).

Given that they have two Englishmen driving, I think we'll refer to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as "Poms United" for the 2010 season, in tribute to the English Premier League.

Ah, Youth

While Dario Franchitti was cruising to the second wire-to-wire victory in IndyCar Series history, something else happened - the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma turned into an exciting race (at times).

This occurs when you jumble the field via a first-lap accident and then let eight drivers - seven of whom have 3 years or less IndyCar Series experience - battle it out for spots 3-10 over the last five laps.

Look at the experience level (in the IndyCar Series) among the drivers who finished in the top 10:

1. Dario Franchitti - 7th year (8th if you count Surfers' Paradise in 2008, but I'm not)
   
2. Ryan Briscoe - 4th year
3. Mike Conway - rookie
4. Mario Moraes - 2nd year
5. Hideki Mutoh - 3rd year
6. Oriol Servia - 2nd year (9th year in top-level, American open-wheel racing)
   
7. Justin Wilson - 2nd year (6th year in American open-wheel racing)
   
8. Tony Kanaan - 8th year
9. Raphael Matos - rookie
10. Robert Doornbos - rookie

Just look at 3-7 in the final results. With all the young drivers looking to make a name for themselves and not caring about championship points, the "damn the torpedos" mentality took over and made for exciting racing. Sure, you look at Oriol Seriva and Justin Wilson not as "young" drivers, but they are both in their second season of IndyCar Series racing. Their previous experience in CART/Champ Car (and its road-only circuits) definitely served to spice things up at Sonoma.

Shortly after Helio Castrone3ves and Ryan Hunter-Reay went off the course in separate incidents, the IndyCar Racing gods decided to spice up Sonoma, creating controlled (and sometimes not controlled) chaos in the last five laps. Justin Wilson was attempting to carve through the field on fresh Firestone Firehawk red tires, and while Jack Arute may have been overstating it a bit to say he could climb from seventh to the podium, Wilson's attempt at running through the field and subsequent spin was exciting to watch.

Wilson wasn't the only driver in the top 10 to spin. Raphael Matos went wide in the final turn, giving away two spots to Wilson and Tony Kanaan. Then Marco Andretti spun Scott Dixon, dropping Dixon to 14th temporarily; the racing stewards eventually put him in 13th and dropped Andretti to 14th.

And maybe most exciting over those final few laps was the drive of Mike Conway. Always a candidate for the "Good Qualifying Effort, Only to be Undone by Driver Error," Award, Conway showed what he is capable of if he keeps his nose clean. The best may have come in the post-race interview, when Conway broke down his pass of Hideki Mutoh by describing it as a "dummy" move of Mutoh. Versus captured the aerial shot of the pass, and when Conway gave the play-by-play, you could see exactly how he dummied Mutoh (showing left then ducking inside the turn) to record his first career podium.

Besides the final five laps, Sonoma presented plenty of drama, just not in the front of the field. You had Kanaan getting into Castroneves, possibly setting in motion Castroneves' suspension failure later in the race. Richard Antinucci and Franck Montagny got together, ending Montagny's day in his only IndyCar start for Andretti-Green.

And you had the cluster at the beginning of the race that allowed several of the young drivers to move up through the field, simply by avoiding the wreck. Kudos to Mario Moraes for admitting as much in post-race interview, in which he was praised for advancing seven spots on the first lap. Moraes, whose fourth-place finish was his career best, some something to the effect of: I didn't have to do too much, just avoid the wreck, to advance.

To top it off, the game of Championship Hot Potato continued, as Dixon fell from 1st to 3rd in the championship hunt. Though being moved to 13th helps, Dixon is now 20 points shy of Ryan Briscoe, who sits in first. Franchitti, who refused to share throughout the weekend (taking the pole position, leading every lap and claiming every bonus point possible) is four points behind Briscoe entering the final three races of 2009.

In any case, the recipe for creating an exciting road course race has apparently been found:

• Create chaos early in the field
• Create alternate tire strategies for teams
• Off-sequence pit stops for some teams
• Late yellow flag, bringing the field back together
• Let the youngsters try and drive all over each other in the final laps

It's not a bad way to go, all things considered. With Sonoma serving as the last road/street circuit of 2009, the IndyCar Series will have three ovals over the next 5 weeks to wrap up the season. But if the ICS can bottle the excitement of the final five laps of Sonoma (or barrel them) and use them as a catalyst towards the road/street course set ups of 2010, then things are looking up for the series.

The Mini

I'll be running in my fourth straight (I think it's four, it could be just three) Mini-Marathon on Saturday. Overall, it's my sixth Mini, as I ran a couple when I was in grade school - I ran better times back then, too.

I didn't do any specific training program - I've just been working out since November in an effort to cut a few pounds, and running the Mini again seemed like a good idea. We'll find out on Saturday, though I'm not as optimistic as I've been in the past. However, I attribute this to knowing how a 13.1-mile race makes one's body feel. I ran a 5k last Saturday, and my legs were locked up most of Sunday (though not stretching probably didn't help).

The nice thing about the Mini in recent years is that actual IndyCar drivers are participating. Last year E.J. Viso ran the race, crossing the line in 1:36.16. That's ridiculous - he was 1,091st overall in a field of over 30,000 runners. The fun part was it was Viso's first-ever look at the track.

On Saturday, two more IndyCar drivers will look to tackle the Mini - Will Power and Mike Conway. I have a feeling they're in much better shape than me, and in a sea of 30,000 people, who knows if we'll see them (though Conway's red hair may help), but best of luck to them. For Conway's sake, I hope he's in better shape than I, since he'll have to go through Rookie Orientation at the Speedway on Wednesday. You don't want to do that with legs still sore from Saturday.