IZOD IndyCar Series Hits the Mean Streets of Toronto

As the IZOD IndyCar Series returns to the road and street courses for the next month, nine races remain on the 2011 schedule. With Dario Franchitti holding a 20 point lead in the standings, it is beginning to get desperate in the IndyCar garages.

A pit road incident at Iowa cost Will Power dearly, as he was never a factor in a race that saw Franchitti open the largest lead to this point in the season. However, just as an artist works in oils or watercolors, Power works in street/road circuits. With six 'twisties' left on the schedule, the Australian will need to be better than Franchitti starting on Sunday.

While road and street circuits are often maligned for a lack of exciting racing, Toronto has consistently proven to be the exception to the rule during its 25 years on the open-wheel schedule. Close quarters make for thrilling side-by-side racing as the drivers seemingly play chicken over entry points into several turns. Last year's event saw six car drop out due to contact, while it was Power who avoided the carnage to collect the checkered flag.

Expect more of the same out of the festive atmosphere this year. With Power looking to catch Franchitti in the points, qualifying will be key for both drivers, as Power will not want to have to make up ground during the race if he can avoid it. Similarly, Franchitti will not want to risk being caught in an incident by starting anywhere other than the front.

What to Watch: After five consecutive races on ovals, we may have forgotten how treacherous double-file restarts on the street circuits can be. Power lost valuable ground at Long Beach when taken out, while contact between cars at St. Petersburg, Barber and Brazil left tempers short.

Midway through the year, you mix in the emotions of drivers who are beginning to feel the pressure, whether to move up through the pack in order to possibly save a job or to challenge for a podium, and toss in the close-quarters of Toronto, it's a recipe for flared tempers and choice words.

Who to Watch: If you're not watching Will Power on a road/street circuit, you're missing the boat. The defending Mario Andretti Trophy winner, Power is among the top drivers in the world (including Formula One) on the twisties. 

Aside from Power, driving in one's native country is always a special occasion. So for Paul Tracy, Alex Tagliani and James Hinchcliffe, the Streets of Toronto hold extra meaning. Tracy is from just outside Toronto and is always a crowd favorite, while Hinchcliffe is holding his own in his rookie season with Newman-Haas Racing. 

Championship Race: After nine races, it has become a two-man race for the IZOD IndyCar Series World Championship (barring an unforeseen occurrence). After Iowa, where he finished fifth, Franchitti climbed into first in the standings, holding a 20-point edge on Power. At Toronto last year, the two went one-two, with Power beating Franchitti to the line.

A third-place run at Iowa has Scott Dixon up to third, but he is 73 points in back of his teammate, Franchitti. Oriol Servia continues his strong season, just 16 points behind Dixon, while Tony Kanaan closed the gap with a runner-up finish at Iowa. The Brazilian is three points behind Servia. 

Picking a Winner(s): After spending the last two races picking Tony Kanaan to win, we'll go with chalk this time around. Will Power has to earn points back after a disastrous run at Iowa; the desperation pushes him to a dominant run at Toronto, where he will close the gap on Franchitti as the series crosses Canada over the next two weeks.

On the TV: IZOD IndyCar Series continues on Versus this week, with qualifications airing at 5:30 p.m. ET Saturday night. Versus will bring the festive atmosphere of Toronto to life on Sunday afternoon, when coverage starts at 2 p.m. ET for the Honda Indy Toronto.

Moving Through the Indianapolis 500 Field: 12-22

Three rookies, two would-be winners and a three-time champion are among the 11 drivers in the middle of the field for the 100th anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500.  With the 500 just three days away, it's time to focus on the drivers, and see if any of these drivers can become the 20th in 500 history to win between Row 4 and the inside of Row 8.

12. No. 4 - JR Hildebrand (R)Hildebrand was labeled 'Captain America' as he rose through the IndyCar ranks, on one hand for his solid driving (he was the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion), and on the other because he appeared to represent the limited number of young, talented American drivers in the open-wheel ranks. Driving the National Guard car for Panther Racing certainly does nothing to change the monicker, nor does Hildebrand's ability to get up to speed quickly at IMS, qualifying 12th, the best among any rookie drivers.

The car Hildebrand will pilot on Sunday is a known commodity at Indianapolis; Dan Wheldon and Vitor Meira have brought it to second place finishes in each of the last three years.  Expecting Hildebrand to continue that streak, or even to improve upon it may be asking a lot of the Californian, but he appears more than up for the challenge.

13. No. 06 - James Hinchcliffe (R)The Canadian was a scant .0047 second away from being the top rookie in the field. Another product of the Firestone Indy Lights, Hinchcliffe has been a godsend during the rainy days at Indianapolis, conducting numerous interviews with drivers and sharing the lighter side of Gasoline Alley with fans. Plus, he gave IMS planking, which managed not only to kill a rainy Wednesday, but also gave the news media something to talk about when they did exposés on the dangers of planking (seriously).

Regardless, Hinchcliffe and his Newman/Haas Racing team have been quick and relatively under the radar (as much as you can be when planking). With car coloring similar to that of Scott Goodyear's in 1992, Hinchcliffe will be looking for a similar result, albeit crossing the finish line first this time.

14. No. 30 - Bertrand BaguetteBaguette showed well as a rookie last year for Conquest racing, showing some surprising skills on the ovals given his road and street course background. The Belgian did not stay with Conquest, however, but upgraded his ride for the 500, signing on with Rahal Letterman Lanigan, where he has continued to demonstrate his talent on the most prestigious course in the world, qualifying in the middle of Row 5.

Last year, Rahal Letterman delivered a car that appeared to have a chance at winning before a black flag took the legs out from under the team; Baguette will have to make some moves to get to the front, but a top 10 or top five finish is not out of the question for this team.

15. No. 11 - Davey HamiltonHamilton was the first driver out in the 2010 500, with the Idahoan finding the wall on the opening lap. In his fifth consecutive 500 since missing five in a row due to devastating leg injuries suffered in 2001, Hamilton is starting in a nearly identical place to last year, the outside of Row 5 (in 2010, he was in the middle of the same row).

The highest-qualifying Dreyer & Reinbold car on the grid, avoiding trouble is a must if Hamilton wants to replicate his career-best finish at IMS, fourth in 1998. His his four races back at Indianapolis, Hamilton has completed all 200 laps just once, tallying a ninth-place finish in 2007, his first race at IMS since the 2001 edition of the 500.

16. No. 3 - Helio CastronevesThe three-time Indianapolis 500 champion has never started the race so low in the field, surprising many with a qualifying effort that left him on the outside of Row 6. There is good fortune for the Brazilian, however: in his first two wins at IMS, Castroneves did have qualifying runs that left him in Row 4 and Row 5, where he was able to navigate through the field.

Castroneves' modus operandi at Indianapolis has been to largely bide his time, work his way towards the front and then seize control of the race in the final 125 miles. Starting 16th will allow for plenty of time for this strategy to play out, so keep an eye out on the Shell V-Power/Pennzoil No. 3.

17. No. 43 - John AndrettiThe only Andretti Autosport car to make the field of 33 on Saturday, the local product is making his 12th career start at Indianapolis (in the 500). However, since coming back to IMS in 2007, Andretti has yet to record a finish better than 16th, completing 200 laps only once.

Still, Andretti Autosport has been fairly spot on with its setups for the 500, and Andretti figures to have the easiest route to the front, given that three of his teammates start in the last three rows. Asking for a top 10 from the Ritter H.S.-product does not seem out of the question for this team.

18. No. 59 - E.J. VisoThe only thing possibly complicated matters for Andretti (or those in Row 7) may be E.J. Viso, the talented but erratic young Venezuelan.  At times, Viso can be more pinball on the track than car, racking up incidents in two of the first races of the year.  Still, the talented youngster is also capable of running up front, as he did at Sao Paulo this year.

Having never finished better than 24th in three runnings of the Indianapolis 500, the pressure is beginning to amount on Viso to deliver results, rather than repair bills.  Oddly enough, Viso's 500s have all ended after 139 laps; getting past that mark would be the first step in achieving a solid result.

19. No. 22 - Justin WilsonLooking back at last year's 500, it is easy to forget that for a time, it was Justin Wilson who was leading the race. Dreyer & Reinbold's decision to stay out with 39 laps to go in the race came up one more yellow flag shy of potentially putting the Englishman in Victory Lane. A solid, if unspectacular qualifying effort puts Wilson on the outside of Row 7 this year.

2010 marked Wilson's first top 10 finish at Indianapolis. Traditionally a strong performer on the road and street courses, Wilson has not been up to his usual strong standards thus far. However, in his fourth run at Indianapolis, Wilson may be primed for a breakout on an oval, especially one where he could nearly taste Victory last year.

20. No. 20 - Jay Howard (R)Howard is in his first 500 in three attempts at qualifying for the 500. Perhaps the most veteran of the rookies at Indianapolis, Howard first arrived at the track in 2008, only to have his ride taken by John Andretti, who brought sponsorship to Roth Racing. Returning in 2010, Howard put his Sarah Fisher Racing car in the field, only to withdraw the time and fail to bump his way back into the field.

The Englishman left no doubts this time, sticking in the middle of Row 7 in a partnership between Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Rahal Letterman Lanigan. Having achieved his goal of running at Indianapolis, it will be interesting to see how Howard performs; given the pedigree of the teams he has partnered with, he should have a solid car on Sunday, putting him in contention for Rookie of the Year honors.

21. No. 07 - Tomas ScheckterIt has been a career of almosts for the South African. Controlling the 2002 Indianapolis 500, the rookie got high in Turn 4 with 27 laps separating him and a visit with the Borg-Warner Trophy. Consistently fast, Scheckter has never been able to consistently find a ride for more than a year or for one-off deals, bouncing from team to team in a nine-year IndyCar career.

Still, Scheckter remains one of the drivers called when a team wants to put a car in the 500 field, and this year was no exception when he hooked up with KV Racing Technology. Scheckter ran near the front for most of the 2010 500, eventually taking 15th, and KV would certainly be happy with any place above that for Scheckter.

22. No. 82 - Tony KanaanNearly without a ride in the season-opening race, Kanaan was thrown a lifeline by KV Racing Technology, Geico and Lotus. That Kanaan was able to muster a podium finish in his first start with the team shows both the talent of the driver and the potential of the team. Figuring out Indianapolis may present a bigger challenge, but Kanaan knows how to navigate traffic.

Last year, after a hellish weekend saw him start 33rd on the grid, Kanaan nearly pulled off the comeback, sitting in second place before a late pit stop was needed. Frequently one of the hardest chargers in the IZOD IndyCar Series, watching the green and yellow No. 82 (a tribute to Jim Clark's 1965 winning Lotus), will be a treat for fans. Always a fan favorite, sentiment will be with Kanaan to finally collect his first Borg-Warner Trophy.

The Greatest 33: No. 31 - Tony Kanaan

With 28 days remaining until the 100th Anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500, Drive Hard, Turn Left and SB Nation Indiana is starting its countdown of the Greatest 33, the ultimate Indianapolis 500 field. Fans can build their own field by clicking here. Today, Drive Hard, Turn Left & SB Nation Indiana profiles one of the most exciting drivers to hit IMS, Tony Kanaan.

The only driver to lead laps his first seven starts in the Indianapolis 500, Tony Kanaan has been one of the shining stars of the Indy Racing League/IZOD IndyCar Series era.  The 2004 IndyCar champion, Kanaan has been the victim of foul weather at IMS; without it, he may have been further up the rankings as a two-time champion at Indianapolis.

The effervescent Brazilian was nearly as hard luck a loser as the owner for whom he ran in eight of his nine 500 appearances.  In 2004, Kanaan led 28 laps and was running second to Buddy Rice when rain shortened the race to 180 laps.  Just three years later, rain, or the lack thereof, helped keep Kanaan from Victory Lane.

After 113 laps, Kanaan led the 2007 Indianapolis 500 when the skies opened, prompting the race to be halted.  With the 91st Indianapolis 500 over halfway, if rains had continued, Kanaan would have captured his first Borg Warner Trophy.  Instead, a small window opened, allowing officials to dry the track; alternate pit strategies saw Kanaan pit on Lap 151, and in his haste to get back to the front of the field, Kanaan spun upon catching lapped traffic.  15 laps later, it was Kanaan's closest friend, Dario Franchitti, taking the honorary swig of milk as the race winner.

Having led 214 laps in his nine-year run at Indianapolis, Kanaan's fans were never more on edge than in the 2010 Indianapolis 500.  A series of bizarre wrecks left Kanaan struggling to make the field of 33, and the driver took the green flag last in the field.  However, dashing and darting through the field (as is often custom for Kanaan), the Brazilian worked his way up to second place, trailing his friend, Franchitti.  Initially, the team reported that he could make the checkered flags on fuel, but Kanaan was forced to pit on Lap 191, preventing him from becoming the first driver to go from last to first in 500 history.

28 days from the 500, Kanaan is with a new team, KV Racing Technology-Lotus and will take Jim Clark's Lotus-colored No. 82 into IMS this May.

The Greatest 33:
33. Eddie Sachs
32. Michael Andretti
31. Tony Kanaan

Thank You, Tony Kanaan

It's been a rough year for me, sporting-wise.

The Colts lost the Super Bowl.  (ok, that happens, I reasoned.)

Butler damn near won the NCAA title, but their half-court heave missed by about 1 inch (man, the city of Indianapolis cannot catch a break this year I remarked in the media room that night.  To which I was reminded that the Indiana Fever lost in the WNBA championship, too.)

Tony Kanaan nearly restored my sporting faith on May 30, until a late pit stop cost him a chance at the most thrilling Indianapolis 500 victory many of us would have ever seen.  It also fueled some serious dehydration-related rage on my part for the better part of an hour.

I'm a Cubs fan.  They're miserable to watch most days, except for the 2-3 per week they actually play to their capabilities.

On Saturday, the high school baseball team I help coach lost 1-0 in 9 innings in the state finals.  (I'm still fairly numb over that one.)

Upon waking up on Sunday, I could not shake reviewing the play-by-play from the previous night.  I wasn't sure how I would get through the day, to be honest, other than to immerse myself in the fridge full of Miller Lite in the garage.

Thankfully, the IZOD IndyCar Series came through with their most thrilling race of the season later in the afternoon, helping lift the malaise (for a while, anyways).  Furthermore, Tony Kanaan won the race.  Not a Penske or Ganassi driver, but Tony Kanaan.  And while people talk about Andretti Autosport being one of the "Big Three," let's be honest: Ganassi and Penske have ruled this series with an iron fist since the 2008 season, I reckon.

But perhaps AA is ready to take that step back into regular contention - they now have two wins this season (Ryan Hunter-Reay - Long Beach) - and if their road/street program is as good or better than they showed earlier this year (Kanaan, Hunter-Reay and Andretti have all been in contention in races), it's within reason to think that they could be back.

And, fortunately, Tony Kanaan helped restore my faith that 2010 won't completely be a lost sporting season for me.  Even if the Cubs continue to suck.

500 Predictions

(just to have them on record, in case I'm right for once.)

Winner: Helio Castroneves
Place: Dario Franchitti
Show: Scott Dixon

Fourth: Ed Carpenter
Fifth: Townsend Bell

Rookie of the Year: Takuma Sato
Most positions gained: Tony Kanaan
Top female finisher: Danica Patrick

Moving Through the 500 Field, 23-33

Now that the IZOD IndyCar Series has taken the field of 33 through an east-coast media blitz, it's to refocus on the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500, and breaking down just who can come away with the Borg-Warner Trophy.  Over the next three days, we'll move through the field, breaking down the chances (or lack thereof) of each driver.  Today, we look at the last 11 drivers in the 500.

Exhaustion (and how Paul Tracy Helps Legitimize Indianapolis)

I turned zero laps over the weekend.  But, like any strong competitor, I tuned up my body for May 30 and the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500.  Mainly by sitting at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for nearly eight hours over Saturday and Sunday with a box lunch and a beer or two.

There was zero tracking down of interviews, or autographs (until late Sunday).  Just venturing to Box 13 in the Paddock and catching some sun, playing "I am Indy," and enjoying the sights and sounds of IMS.

When Robin Miller says the Pole Day crowd was the largest he had seen since 1995, I'm inclined to believe him; turn 1 was nearly full, while the portions of the infield stands and paddock that were open we full of people.  40,000 (Curt Cavin's estimate) sounds about right.  The combination of great weather and an exciting new format seemed to bring more people to the track; around 4:15, it seemed like more people showed up prior to the "Pole Day Shootout," though they could have been arriving from the Eddie Money concert, too.

(Quick aside: the Money Man has some hits.  Don't sleep on that guy for a go-to 80's hit.)

More proof that fans want to see the big speeds return to IMS: the biggest cheer of the day was when Dave Calabro announced Helio's first lap at more than 228 mph.  An audible gasp went through the crowd as Helio figuratively gave the finger to the other eight competitors when dominating.

After Helio gave the shootout and Pole Day the much sought-after boost, Tony Kanaan did his level best to spice up Bump Day.

The Sunday crowd was definitely down from Saturday, though to be honest, the 90-degree temperatures might have played a small role in that.  Saturday saw plenty of people using the paddock boxes in which to catch some sun; Sunday saw virtually everyone in the shadows as the temperatures climbed.

The crowd was given a few things to cheer about early - local favorite John Andretti (the man is so down to earth, he shuns the golf cart to walk down pit road, helmet in hand) qualified early, while the Junk Man dropped a massive qualifying effort after just seven practice laps (he is a serious dark horse candidate, in my opinion).

Now, I'm a Kanaan guy - the hat and koozie reflect that - and it seemed like most, if not all of the crowd was pulling for the nine-time starter.  As the day crept along, Kanaan did not have the speed to get into the 500; my wife was pretty sure TK would not be in the race.  Bob Kravitz had the same thought in The Indianapolis Star today.  But the crowd would not be denied, as their biggest cheers of the late afternoon came for Kanaan whenever his car went down pit road.

However, by 5:00, Kanaan had found some speed as he turned a few laps in the high 224s.  He immediately put the car into line and qualified it.  Still, he was on the outside of row 10, and after Takuma Sato qualified his Lotus ahead of him, it appeared that TK might eventually be on the bubble.

By the end, both Paul Tracy and Jay Howard attempted to decide their own fates, with neither achieving their desired result.  And since I was critical of Alex Tagliani last year for sitting on his hands and not doing anything to defend his bubble spot in 2009, I can't fault Tracy nor Howard.

The tweets began pouring in shortly after 6 p.m., talking about Paul Tracy's emotional press conference.  And it's good to see just how much Indianapolis means to Tracy.  In an odd way, his not making the field of 33 helps further legitimize the race.  In 1996, the 500 was mocked for its field, versus the US 500's field (though that opening lap crash looked fairly silly for CART); as teams gradually came back to Indianapolis, the complaints about the field quality diminished, but grumblings about the 2002 500 remained among loyalists of one series or another.

And now, the face of the old guard, Paul Tracy, can't make the 500.  It's one of those shocking misses, not on the 1995 Penske level, but a big enough name that reminds everyone that Indianapolis cannot be taken for granted (not that Tracy did).  No gimmicks, amount of owners points, top 35 rules or anything like that can get you into the Field of 33.  It's pure speed, the way God intended it.

A Qualifications Primer

Until the 500/600 $20 Million Double occurs (and SI.com's Tim Tuttle nails most of it here), the biggest change to hit the Indianapolis 500 was the overhaul of the schedule for the month of May.  With a schedule closer to that of the 1998 500, teams have been prepping all week for the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 and stand to do their qualifying trim on Thursday.

Saturday will mark the biggest changes to the qualifying format - no, Brian Barnhardt will still talk to the drivers momentarily before the head out for their qualifying effort - with a "Pole Day Shootout" scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m..

From noon-4, the first 24 slots will be filled, based on speed.  After a half-hour break, the top nine speeds will then have a window in which to attempt to qualify for the pole.

The new format blends a bit of the "Firestone Fast Six" road/street qualifying format that fans have enthusiastically endorsed with the tradition of late-day pole runs at Indianapolis.

Now, whether or not this draws fans back to Pole Day remains to be seen.  While I don't see the massive crowds returning for qualifications until drivers are pushing 240-250 mph, last year's crowd appeared to be up from the previous year.  For the most part, the qualifying was good, albeit too spread out, as Alex Lloyd put together a late run to qualify in the top 11 in his Sam Schmidt/Ganassi car.

With two Ganassi machines (and a third in Townsend Bell's Schmidt/Ganassi effort), at least one quality KV machine (Mario Moraes), three solid Penske cars, two-five Andretti Autosport efforts (Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan have shown the most speed) and a Tagliani (he's been surprisingly quick in practice), some quality drivers are going to be left out, leaving some to scramble around 3:30 to try and make a run into the first three rows of the 500 field.

In any case, it should make for a more interesting Pole Day, with track activity guaranteed far more than in the past.

As for Bump Day, filling the final nine spots in the field should take little time, provided the weather cooperates.  And unlike past years, we won't see Jimmy Kite and P.J. Jones as the only cars attempting to bump their way into the field (now, after experiencing a two-seater ride, I have an immense amount of respect for any of those drivers, especially the ones trying to bump their way in with an ill-handling machine).

Based on the speed charts thus far, it looks like everyone's favorite driver, Milka Duno (hey, she is great with the fans, I'll credit her that), will be squarely on the bubble come Sunday.  And if that happens, keep a close eye on the AJ Foyt Racing garage, where I wouldn't be surprised to see another car prepared if Milka was sitting on the bubble late in the day.

How I See It

I'll keep the predictions short and to the point.  In any case, here is how I see the 2010 Izod IndyCar season shaking out:

1. 
   
   Scott Dixon.  Seriously, you're going to bet against the Haast Eagle?  A year after finishing second, I would be worried about an angry, giant bird of prey.  Add to it the combination of Chip Ganassi Racing's superior cars over the last few years and the hubris/bravado of the Chipster, and you have the recipe for a dominant season.
2. Ryan Briscoe.  I should like Ryan Briscoe more than I do.  He's Australian - I love the country I spent five crazy months in my junior year of college.  He overcame some horrific crashes, and who doesn't like someone who comes back like that?  But I can't quite pinpoint what it is that keeps me from liking him more - maybe it's the Penske sponsorship, or his bird-like features.  Maybe he just needs sponsorship from Bundaberg Rum (just a thought).  Either way, he's immensely talented, and I think he'll be right there at the end of the season again.
3. Will Power.  It'd be far too boring to pick Dixon-Briscoe-Franchitti-Castroneves in some order at the top, so it's time to spice things up.  The addition of Will Power to the Penske stable has only bolstered one of the two top teams in the series.  Power is already among the series' top road/street circuit drivers, and is progress on the ovals has been steady.  I think the Australian takes the leap this season.
4. Dario Franchitti.  He flies helicopters for fun.  He has a gorgeous wife and knee-buckling Scottish brogue.  And he is a two-time series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 champion.  Basically, Dario Franchitti is in the running to be either the most interesting man in the world or the man every other man wants to be.  Regardless, I see another fine season for Franchitti.
5. Tony Kanaan.  It could happen.  I think TK gets back to the front of the IndyCar pack after a trying 2009 season.  Remember, he led the points heading into Indianapolis last year, before his season went to Hell in a handbag.  If Andretti Autosport can stabilize their operations, I can see Kanaan picking up a win, maybe even that elusive Indianapolis 500 victory.
6. How I see the rest of it coming out: Helio Castroneves (I think Power steals a few of Helio's wins this year), Marco Andretti (same old, same old), Mario Moraes (a rising star), Dan Wheldon, Danica Patrick.

Chicagoland Comes Through Again

Looking to attend just one IndyCar race a year?  If you're looking for side-by-side racing and a high probability of a photo finish, the evidence is quite clear - you need to head to Chicagoland Speedway.  Once again, the track delivered, as Ryan Briscoe somehow passed Scott Dixon on the penultimate lap to win the race by .0077 second and build on his points lead.


Indianapolis has the spectacle, history and tradition (I will never miss this race); Kentucky has a similar setup to Chicagoland and camping; Iowa is a bull ring; Texas has a history of close finishes.  But Chicago has the most close finishes in series history (now three of the four closest in IndyCar Series history) and is close to Indianapolis (3 hours or so, allowing you to drive to it the day-of, like Kentucky) and is near Chicago if you want to make a weekend out of it.  Why I haven't been there yet is a failing on my part.  Next year I will correct this.

Courtesy of teammate Helio Castroneves, who suffered suspension failure for the second straight race, Briscoe was aided in catching the Target-Chip Ganassi cars of Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti.  The duo had built an impressive lead after green-flag pit stops, and Briscoe used most of his push-to-passes getting back to third place.  His work was inversely proportional to blog favorite Tony Kanaan, who entered the pits in fifth and when everyone had cycled through was in 12th.  That's probably why he tweeted:

Morning, very frustrated night. Not happy at all. Let's turn the page and move on.

(UPDATE, as of 12:30 p.m., Aug. 31:  Tony Kanaan says he wasn't upset at Marco Andretti when he went to talk to Michael Andretti after the race, he was upset about the race strategy, which included him losing several spots during green-flag pit stops after he stayed out while most of the field pitted.)  From @TonyKanaan: 

To clear things out here guys, I went to talk to Michael after the race about the strategy, nothing happen btw me and Marco.

With Dixon well out front, Castroneves' crash was just what Briscoe needed to bunch the field and get around the Target cars.  And with a lap to go, he did just that.  The yellow flag also created the closest 1-13 finish in series history - just 0.8269 second separated Briscoe from Kanaan.

Now Kentucky was a fantastic race because of the racing throughout the field, with drivers trading places most of the night.  Chicagoland was exactly the same, if not more exciting, as multiple cars were going three-wide throughout the night.  Honestly, who didn't think that the combination of Mario Moraes, Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti going three-wide in the closing laps would not result in a wreck?  Amazingly, it didn't.

Even with Versus seemingly cutting to commercials every 10-15 laps (seriously, you don't have enough ads for this.), it is apparent that the IndyCar Series is back on track with their oval racing setup (though admittedly the late yellow really helped after the field separated themselves in green-flag stops).  

As usual, Chicagoland proved to be the grounds for exciting races.  Let's hope Motegi (get excited - it's 3 weeks from now!) and Homestead-Miami deliver the goods as well.

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.

Ah, the Indiana State Fair

As I slowly emerge from the food coma induced by the Indiana State Fair ($2 funnel cakes will do that to you), I came across this video on Indycar.com - Tony Kanaan at the Indiana State Fair. It's fantastic, and it'll give you good insight into why Kanaan is one of IndyCar's best ambassadors (along with being able to survive car fires, and dropping large amounts of cash at carnival booths).

Just watch it by clicking here (tip of the cap to The Silent Pagoda for the footage).

Whither Andretti Green?

The good news coming out of Edmonton for Andretti Green Racing is that Tony Kanaan will be ok to drive at Kentucky after a frightening car fire in the pits during the Rexall Edmonton Indy.

Is it in poor taste to call the subsequent coverage of the incident somewhat positive for the league? After all, a report on Kanaan's condition was on the front page of ESPN.com on Tuesday - I don't think it's "good" per se, when the highlights and headlines show a car fire, but then again, people are seeing IndyCar highlights on a network that has largely shunned the sport most of the season.

In other words, I'm not sure. But, after seeing Kanaan on the "Five Good Minutes" segment of Pardon the Interruption yesterday (even if it was just 2-and-a-half minutes), I'm inclined to think that this is kind of good for the series, in a morbid kind of way. It's certainly not good to set your drivers on fire, and I would not advocate it, but the series is receiving attention because Kanaan survived the experience and is more than willing to talk about it and promote the ICS, so that's good.

Right now, nothing seems to going well for Andretti Green Racing - at one point on Sunday, Versus ran a graphic showing where the Penske Racing cars stood - it was at 1st, 2nd, 4th. When the network showed the AGR stable, it read something like 10th, 11th, 14th, Out. So, for one of the league's premier teams to struggle so much, so consistently, is puzzling.

This certainly wasn't the season the team envisioned when the 2009 IndyCar Series season began. With Kanaan returning to lead the team, Danica Patrick building off of her first career win, and Marco Andretti seemingly poised to emerge as a threat to win more races, AGR had to be thinking they were in good shape to renew most of their contracts for 2010, but also to retain the sport's biggest free agent in Patrick.

However, as things look right now, Andretti Green has free-fallen from a perch near the top of the ICS mountain, regularly failing to challenge for wins, qualifying poorly, and not resembling the team that at one point set the standard for success in the IndyCar Series. That said, let's examine their season to this point and see how AGR might begin the climb back to success in the IndyCar Series.

We'll begin by looking at the team's veteran and leader, Tony Kanaan. I don't know the source of Kanaan's struggles since May (and I certainly hope it's not the fact that I openly root for him and own a Team 7-Eleven hat and koozie), but it seems like Kanaan's chassis have not been as good as they were in the beginning of the year. He openly criticized his first chassis at Indianapolis, used another one to qualify and then wrecked that car when something mysteriously broke in his car. Then, the slow Indianapolis chassis was used at Milwaukee, where it caught fire. Good times.

Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar Series champion, led the points chase after three races this season, posting a 5th at St. Pete, 3rd at Long Beach and a 3rd at Kansas. However, including the crash at Indianapolis (where he was running 3rd at the time), Kanaan has failed to finish five of the eight races in which he has participated, twice catching fire (though the Milwaukee status is listed as "mechanical") and dropping out three times due to contact (including once after leading 48 laps at Iowa).

His top finish sine Kansas is a 6th-place finish at Richmond, where he qualified 17th.

So what would help Kanaan return to form (aside from a change in luck)? Perhaps better qualifying, where he might not run as many risks of contact. Over his last six races, Kanaan has qualified an average of 13th, and in that time has not finished the race on three occasions (Iowa, Toronto, Edmonton). In his first five races, Kanaan qualified an average of 6th and finished three of those races. So qualifying better may help, but marginally it appears.

Curt Cavin, in his Indianapolis Star blog, speculated something similar, saying that Kanaan is hurt by not having another veteran on the team, saying:

Truthfully, I think everyone at AGR would be better off right now if they had a Herta or a Franchitti to help Kanaan with the setups. I'm just not sure Danica, Marco and/or Mutoh have enough experience for that.

AGR also addressed this at Edmonton, bringing in Oriol Servia to serve as a driver coach for Kanaan. Could it be that Servia finds his way into the AGR stable in 2010, adding another veteran to the team? I wouldn't be surprised.

Kanaan is a truly talented driver and one of the IndyCar Series' biggest personalities. His success helps the league, and while the summer of his discontent rolls on, I think he's due for a change in luck. Maybe that's all he needs.

With Kanaan addressed, let us look at the bright spot in the AGR season: Danica Patrick. Without actually competing for race wins thus far, Patrick has put together the type of consistent season a championship contender needs to win. Her consistency has resulted in top-10 finishes but not in podium finishes (except at Indianapolis, where, you will notice, they don't have a post-race podium).

In her 11 races so far, Patrick has placed in the top 10 eight times and the top 5 on five occasions. However, due to the consistency of her counterparts at Penske and Ganassi Racing in placing near the podium, Patrick has all but been mathematically eliminated from the championship chase.

In those 11 races, Patrick has led a grand total of 24 laps - all at Iowa. Outside of that date, the veteran has not led a race in 2009, another reason why she trails in the points chase.

I'm of the mind that Patrick's free agent status has not affected her or her team this season. With Michael Andretti calling her race strategy, Patrick has appeared to maximize her results this year, given that AGR seems a step behind both Penske and Ganassi when it comes to race setup.

With Patrick looking at all of her options in both IndyCar and NASCAR, I have trouble believing that she will jump to NASCAR without winning the Indianapolis 500. Because of this, I have trouble believing that she will stay with Andretti Green, too.

While AGR helped Patrick reach a career-best, third-place finish at Indianapolis this past May, the team appears to be moving backwards right now. On their best day, they may be able to compete with the red cars, but more times than not, a fifth-place finish is as good as it gets for AGR.

Which is why I see Danica Patrick moving to Ganassi Racing this offseason (so do plenty of other people, too.)

Ganassi shouldn't have a problem bringing Patrick on board - she will bring plenty of sponsorship, and I'm sure Target will love having her on the team (talk about sponsor activation, I think this might be a great fit). Patrick, on her end, will be moving up in teams, whether Ganassi becomes a three-car team in 2010. Ganassi, over the last ten years, has been a contender to win at Indianapolis, winning twice.

If Patrick can win at Indy, then moving to NASCAR in 2011 or 2012 and cashing in becomes a distinct possibility. And Ganassi just happens to own a NASCAR team (as does Roger Penske, but he already has a third driver in the stable). It almost makes too much sense to not happen.

So, we've eliminated one of AGR's drivers for 2010. We'll touch on possible replacements later.

Let's move on to Hideki Mutoh, who over the course of two weeks in June, looked like he was getting the hang of racing short ovals. Then the road and street courses came, and Mutoh has slid back to being the fourth-best driver at AGR.

The funny thing is, Mutoh has led the second-most laps of any driver at AGR in 2009. His 74 laps out front is second only to Kanaan's 80 laps led. Unfortunately for Mutoh, all of those laps came at Richmond, where the yellow flag breaks didn't go his way. In fact, in 11 starts, he has placed in the top 10 just five times and finished on the podium once (at Iowa - 3rd place).

The Japanese driver's best performance came in back-to-back weeks at Iowa and Richmond, when it was rumored that his Formula Dream sponsorship was in jeopardy of being pulled and given to former Formula 1 driver Takuma Sato.

However, the road and street courses continue to plague Mutoh - his average finish on those courses is 15th, while he is averaging a 9th-place result on ovals.

Given his seeming lack of progress in two-plus years, I question whether it is worth AGR's time to hold on to Mutoh. I know having sponsorship can supercede talent in today's racing world, but it might be time to cut bait with Mutoh at Andretti Green. Whether they can continue their partnership with Forumla Dream remains to be seen.

Ok, we've now gotten rid of two drivers from Andretti Green. Should we push it and propose eliminating a third?

Honestly, I don't see it happening. Marco Andretti, even though he is a free agent, does not have the options that Danica Patrick possesses. And as the co-owner's son, he will be given chances that will not be afforded to others on the team (see: Mutoh, Hideki). And quietly, Marco is putting together a season remarkably similar to Patrick's: In 11 starts, he has eight top-10 finishes and two top-5 results; to compare, Patrick has eight top-10s and five top-5s.

So, why is no one gushing over Marco Andretti and his consistency? Maybe it is because he set the bar high with his Rookie of the Year result in 2007, coming within a straightaway of winning at Indianapolis and capturing a win at Sonoma. Some of it has to do with his lineage - when you're the son of Michael Andretti and the grandson of Mario Andretti, people expect you to show up, qualify well, and win - consistently.

I don't know if AGR's equipment was better this season that Andretti would be near the front of more races, but he has been remarkable in his ability to finish races, bowing out of just two starts this year - a late wreck at St. Pete and the Mario Moraes-induced crash at Indianapolis. Young Marco has been running at the end of every other IndyCar race in 2009.

Looking ahead to 2010, where could Marco go? It probably depends on his sponsorship - more than any other driver at AGR, Andretti seem to bounce his primary sponsor around from week to week, indicating to me that he might not have the money to bring to another team. In the last three weeks, his primary sponsors have been Venom Energy Drink (Watkins Glen), NYSE/iShares (Toronto) and Mott's Clamato Cesar (Edmonton; what's a clamato caesar, you ask? I know I did, so I looked it up - click here for the details). I suspect he'll have his Meijer sponsorship this weekend at Kentucky.

Since many of those sponsors work with AGR as a whole and are not direct sponsors of Andretti (even Venom is owned by Dr. Pepper/Seven Up), I doubt Marco could make a move to another team work unless he finds new sponsorship. If he were to move, I would suggest that Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing take a look at him.

Think about this for a moment: if NHL Racing added Andretti and kicked Doornbos to the curb (even though his dad funds everything), they would have the most marketable young American driving tandem in years. Plus, both Marco's father and grandfather drove for the then-Newman/Haas Racing in the 1990's. The story lines and marketing potential this team could have, not to mention the rivalry they have and could build, would jump start some interest in the IndyCar Series. Plus, every weekend, fans could follow the Marco vs. his father's team story line.

Now, I have no knowledge of if this could happen, but it would certainly stir the pot and add some intrigue to the 2010 season.

The only other fit I see for Andretti is to explore the USF1 project, designed to put two American drivers into Formula 1 in 2010. Whether this actually happens or not is up for debate - without a F1 race in either Canada or the United States, I think securing sponsorship (and enough sponsorship to be competitive) will be difficult. My advice: stay away, for now. If you continue to improve, and USF1 is able to start up, you will have the chance to race F1 down the road.

So, Andretti stays (as much as I like the NHLR potential), along with Kanaan. We've sent Patrick to Ganassi Racing and Mutoh to wherever. AGR is a two-driver team as it stands. I am not going to advocate AGR returning to a four-car team - in this economy, I think their resources may be spread too thin as it is; but I think a three-car team could be successful. So, whom should they add?

If they want to add from within, they could simply promote IndyLights driver J.R. Hildebrand. The guy knows how win on the road and street courses (stats) and has posted three wins in 10 starts this season. If he and/or AGR can secure any sponsorship, he would be a solid choice.

If AGR wants to look outside, I would consider adding Oriol Servia or Takuma Sato. Though I suspect AGR would add Sato only if they absolutely needed to continue their Formula Dream sponsorship. (Another rumor - let Formula Dream sponsor Greg Beck's operations - he has had success with Roger Yasukawa and other Japanese drivers in the past - the team could use the money, too).

Seriva is currently serving as a driver coach for AGR and looked pretty good while driving for Rahal-Letterman Racing in the 2009 500. In 2008, he was one of the top newcomers to the series with KV Racing Technology. As a veteran, he could work easily with Kanaan and Andretti on race setup, providing more insight into the cars than Sato probably could. The only question with Servia would be one of sponsorship, but if Andretti-Green can get Mott's Clamato Ceasar to sponsor a car, then they can find sponsorship for Oriol Servia.

Given the choices between Hildebrand and Servia, I vote Servia. Let Hildebrand continue in IndyLights and finding sponsorship. If the economy continues to recover, AGR could return to a four-car operation in 2011, adding Hildebrand.

So there, we've tried to find a way to solve AGR's problems moving forward. Basically, I think they are spread too thin right now, hampering their results since they don't have the veteran experience they enjoyed in the Kanaan-Franchitti-Herta days. Creating a three-car team (and increasing their resources for those teams) with Kanaan-Andretti-Servia in 2010 seems to be their best option moving forward.