MIlwaukee Preview

With Helio Castroneves starting second-to-last (Stanton Barrett crashed during practice and will technically start last, but I don't see him actually taking part in the race.), it seems to open up the ABC Supply A.J. Foyt 225 on Sunday at 3:30 ET.

While the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion will start 20th, his teammate and defending Milwaukee champion Ryan Briscoe will start on the pole. It was at Milwaukee last year that Briscoe turned his season and perhaps his IndyCar Series career around - beating Scott Dixon across the finish line after a wreck with three laps to go put "Poor" (it seems like everyone refers to Vitor as "poor Vitor" these days) Vitor Meira flying above Marco Andretti's car.

Briscoe's win was his first career ICS win and the first of three during the 2008 season. In 2009 Milwaukee qualifications, he was .2 mph quicker than his front row partner, Graham Rahl. The Penske and Newman/Haas/Lanigan teams were the only ones to crack 168.00 mph during qualifications, which should help them stay out front of the field, theoretically.

However, lurking in the inside of row two is Tony Kanaan, who has never finished worse than fourth at the one-mile ring, picking up victories in 2006 and '07.

Scott Dixon will start next to Kanaan, and I see him, Kanaan and Briscoe challenging for the lead most of the day.

I fear that Castroneves will either be too aggressive in passing his way through the field or use up too much of his car in doing so; however, I see a top 5 finish for him.

So, my predictions for the ABC Supply A.J. Foyt 225:

1. Tony Kanaan
2. Ryan Briscoe
3. Scott Dixon
4. Helio Castroneves
5. Dario Franchitti
6. Graham Rahal

Are the Rumors True? Who Knows...

Robin Miller of SpeedTV.com (formerly of the Indianapolis Star) is reporting that Tony George has been ousted as President of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (story here)

No one else is confirming this story as of yet, though a few twitterers also have reported the same (and if it is confirmed, I will give them credit for breaking the story).

UPDATE [1:37 p.m.]: Tony George spoke to Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star, telling him,

"I am still CEO and still president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, Hulman and Company, and CEO of the Indy Racing League."

For the full Cavin story, click here.

Regardless, I'll have more thoughts on this later tonight.

UPDATE No. 2: My Take:
Tony George may not be out as president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but when he makes a presentation to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway board later this year, he may be faced with a difficult choice: how to remain in power as the President of IMS and continue to grow the IndyCar Series.

For all of his pros and cons, it cannot be denied that George has overseen a time of massive improvement at IMS - all of which was done without a taxpayer paying a dime to support the renovations. From redoing seating to rebuilding the Pagoda to creating additional safety systems for drivers, George has made sure that the viewing public gets their money's worth when inside the gates at 16th and Georgetown.

Yes, some of the criticisms of George are warranted: it remains to be seen whether or not creating the Indy Racing League and subsequently reuniting it with Champ Car was worth the trouble (you could make an argument that we'd be watching Formula 1-style racing in which mega-budget teams dominate if he hadn't); some would argue that inviting NASCAR and F-1 to IMS was worth it (though it now brings people to Speedway and Indianapolis three times a year, further boosting the local economy).

So, obviously, George comes with his benefits and detractors, but I would argue that most of the moves he has made as IMS president have been for the benefit of the Speedway. IMS continues to be the world's most famous racetrack, and the Indianapolis 500 is still the biggest race in the world. That said, it may be becoming apparent that some on the IMS board would like George to begin focusing his efforts in one area - continuing the growth of the ICS.

In the statement released today by IMS, George's mother, Mary Hulman-George, said the following:

"There was a general discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing all of our companies and where most of our energies need to be spent. All of our properties are doing well, given the challenges of the current economy. The Indy Racing League represents our greatest growth opportunity and therefore deserves the most attention at this point."

So, what can we read from this? It seems like the board at IMS wants to grow the IndyCar brand, using it and the Indianapolis 500 to continue fueling each other's renewal and growth. It appears as if the board would like Mr. George to present a plan for how he feels that he could continue to be a source of growth for both without necessarily pouring the George Family's capital into both. If he can do that, then I would venture to guess George will stay on board as CEO of ICS and President of IMS.

Now, how can he do that? A quote from George is telling:

“This place wakes up every morning and eats money. We spend a lot of money keeping it in the condition we do. Certainly the Indy Racing League has in the past required a lot of capital to keep it going when there was two competing series — and a lot of money was spent last year trying to unify. We got that done and everybody’s hoping to catch a tail wind and then the economy’s in our face. We’re just dealing with that.”

It's easy to blame things on the current economy, but with a new engine package set to roll out in 2011, plus new races being booked internationally, more money will be coming into IMS and ICS, along with an increase in worldwide popularity (with ventures into Brazil, China and even India, the IndyCar Series seems poised to strike should Formula 1 fall flat on its face). Should the international dollars flow into ICS (and some of those conversion rates are pretty darn good), then perhaps the Georges' won't have to bankroll so much of the series.

Basically, it's the economy, stupid. If George is able to demonstrate a growth plan for ICS that displays a clear vision for how its growth will allow the Indianapolis 500 and IMS to continue its resurgence, then he'll stay on board in both places. If he can't, then the board will probably move to bring in someone who can work with George (who would presumably stay on as CEO of ICS) as the new president of IMS.

The View from the Paddock

If an IndyCar fan was asked what they desired from the 93rd Indianapolis 500, they may have wanted to see a Danica Patrick win, for history. Or to see Tony Kanaan, maybe the best driver to never win at Indianapolis, break his hard-luck ways. But, from a national perspective, Helio Castroneves' victory was just about as good as it could get.

From a national perspective, Castroneves is a name brand. His Dancing with the Stars win put him into more households than his first two 500 wins (2001, 2002), but with his third win (making him one of six drivers to wear the winners' wreath three times) he is poised to help continue the growth of the ICS.

The IndyCar Series is now able to market itself far better than it was when Castroneves took home his first two titles. Castroneves is one of the series most attractive stars and one whose name will draw a headline across the ESPN ticker or on an Associated Press feed. The improved marketing effort actually started when he won on Dancing with the Stars and the ICS continued to receive headlines during Castroneves' trial for tax evasion. Pundits claimed that if Castroneves was found guilty, it would be tough for the IndyCar Series to maintain its positive momentum and continue to make inroads in the sporting scene.

However, five weeks ago, Castroneves was acquitted on the all but one of the charges against him (the final one was dropped this week) and his comeback has been impressive. Always one of the most happy-go-lucky drivers in the paddock, Castroneves has had a continuous smile for the last 35 days; additionally, his smiles have translated into solid results on the track, as he is now just five points behind Dario Franchitti for the IndyCar Series points lead, despite missing the series-opening race.

As for the race itself, it was pretty much over after the last round of pit stops saw Castroneves come out in front without the Ganassi stable of Franchitti and Scott Dixon near him. Both cars had issues in the pits, which allowed Castroneves to put Dan Wheldon, Danica Patrick, Townsend Bell and Will Power between him and the strongest two cars remaining on the grid.

Still, the Brazilian navigated the corners brilliantly to pull away and win. Over the coming days and weeks, Castroneves will be whisked away for a media tour, allowing the man who entered into mainstream America's view in late 2007 to again enter homes and promote the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series.

Photos from the 2009 Indianapolis 500

Moving Throught the Field: Up Front

We've taken a look at the 22 least likely drivers to take home the checkered flag at the 93rd Indianapolis 500. So, with race day less than 4 days from now, it's time to look at the 11 drivers whom I think you may see in Victory Lane on Sunday:

11. Dan Wheldon (Car #4; Outside Row 6) – After Meira’s second-place run at Indy last year, most people assumed that Wheldon could improve upon it when signing with Panther in the offseason. However, the Englishman’s season has not gotten off to the best of starts and it continued into May, with Wheldon backing into the wall at IMS on Pole Day. The wreck cost Wheldon a probable first day qualifying result. The following day, Wheldon was just seventh-quickest among the second-day qualifiers. Panther and Wheldon have not shown the speed most expected them to have in the second half of the month, but they both have solid records at the track. Wheldon is the active leader in laps led at Indianapolis with 234, and with Panther’s background, they cannot be counted out on Sunday.

10. Will Power (Car #12; Outside Row 3) – Just a fantastic name for a racecar driver – straight out of central casting. Power missed the Kansas race because Penske chose not to run three cars, but they are doing so for the 500, giving Verizon Wireless some time on Power’s side pod. The young Australian has been sneaky quick during the month, placing in the top 10 times most of the month. As a rookie last year, Power worked his way up from a 23^rd-place start to finish 13^th. With Team Penske behind him this year, 13^th may be a disappointment for Power in 2009, but a top 10 should be expected.

9. Mario Moraes (Car #5; Inside Row 3) – The second-year driver has been a revelation over the last two to three weeks, impressively qualifying seventh and even leading the speed charts on one occasion. KV Racing seems to have made up substantial ground at Indianapolis and Moraes does not appear to be the rookie who nearly walked away from IndyCar after his first oval test. Last year, Moraes led a lap via pit strategy before finishing 18^th after most people pegged him as one of the first drivers out of the race. The biggest question facing Moraes is whether or not he can completely cover the learning gap that occurs at Indianapolis. While I think he can make up a decent amount of ground over his first two years, his best chances at a win may be a year or two away.

8. Danica Patrick (Car #7; Inside Row 4) – Indianapolis has been Danica Patrick’s best track, arguably (she could put Motegi up there, too, since she won); it cannot be denied that the track launched her into another stratosphere of popularity after the 2005 race. While many have surmised that this Indy 500 could be Patrick’s year to break through and win, she has been disappointingly slow for parts of this month. A strong race strategy should put her in line for a top 10 finish and maybe help her contend, but that’s definitely not what Patrick had in mind when she arrived in Indianapolis at the beginning of the month.

7. Graham Rahal (Car #02; Inside Row 2) – Rahal obviously has the pedigree to win the 500, as his father did in 1986. Driving for the late Paul Newman’s team also adds to the storylines around young Rahal. While the youngster certainly has the talent and equipment to win a 500, I wonder if he possesses the focus needed for the race which requires near-perfect execution over 800 corners. Last year, starting 13^th, he was the first driver out, finding the wall in finishing 33^rd. While his inexperience at the track may not bite him this time, I think he still needs a few years to truly contend with the Penskes, Ganassis and select AGR drivers at IMS.

6. Marco Andretti (Car #26; Middle Row 3) – Andretti is familiar with the third row, starting ninth, ninth and seventh in his three prior starts. And in each of his starts he has led meaningful laps, so the third-generation of Andretti’s at Indianapolis has the talent to win the race. Andretti has finished second, 24^th (late wreck but ran up front most of the race) and third. One of these years, he will win the 500. He hasn’t been as quick as expected this month (along with most of AGR), but look for him up front – if he can get into the lead, he’ll be tough to move off, but he will have trouble catching the Penskes and Ganassis.

5. Ryan Briscoe (Car #6; Middle Row 1) – It’s not that I don’t think Briscoe can win – he has been one of the quickest drivers all month and has the right equipment (Penske). I’m just not sure he has the ability to go 200 laps without a mistake at this point in his career. With Luzco Dragon (and Penske backing) in 2007, he was fifth after starting seventh. In 2005, he finished 10^th after opening the race 24^th. Last year however, he was in the same position as this year but ran into Danica Patrick on pit road, regulating him to a 23^rd-place result. Since then, Briscoe has been lights out, but I still question whether he can go 200 incident-free laps. If he can, the Australian could begin to establish a Bledisloe Cup-level rivalry with New Zealander Scott Dixon.

4. Tony Kanaan (Car #11t; Outside Row 2) – Needing to use his teammate Hideki Mutoh’s tub from Kansas just to find speed this month, Kanaan has made the most of the change, often placing among the top five-six times on the Indy speed charts since qualifying sixth on the grid. In each of his first seven Indy 500 starts, Kanaan has led laps, and could have won both the 2004 and 2007 500s, losing both due to rain. If Kanaan can get to the front late in the race, he will be tough to move off the lead; the problem could be getting the chance to lead the race late with the quality of drivers who seem to have slightly better gear right now. A win for Kanaan would help him move towards a second IndyCar Series title, which he won in 2004 – the last two 500 winners have won the points title (Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon), which Kanaan currently leads.

3. Scott Dixon (Car #9; Middle Row 2) – Indianapolis has seen only four repeat winners in the 93 years of racing at the track (Al Unser, Mauri Rose, Helio Castroneves and Bill Vukovich). While Dixon certainly has the backing to win the race again, the amount of good fortune, combined with skill, needed to win in consecutive years is staggering. Dixon will have a chance and will be near the front towards the end, but I see him falling just short of Indianapolis 500 win number two.

2. Dario Franchitti (Car #10; Outside Row 1) – Franchitti’s comeback to IndyCar has been overshadowed by that of Helio Castroneves, but is just as impressive. Franchitti won at Long Beach in his second race back and is among the points leaders coming to IMS. With Ganassi Racing behind him and three top 10 finishes in his last three starts at Indianapolis (including the 2007 500 title), look for Franchitti to be there at the end.

1. Helio Castroneves (Car #3; Inside Row 1) – Castroneves’ return to IndyCar seems to be out of a made-for-tv movie. Win the Indianapolis 500 twice, become a national celebrity on a dancing show, be arrested and tried for tax evasion, receive an acquittal. All that’s left is to find national redemption with his third 500 victory. The pole position has been the ticket to winning on 19 occasions, and when you combine the starting position with Team Penske’s ability to win at Indianapolis (14 times), Castroneves is the man to beat at Indianapolis this year.

So, with all this, I'll post exactly how I see the race unfolding (with results from 1-33) tomorrow, because let's face it - if all these drivers are up front at the end of the race, we will have witnessed one of, if not the greatest Indianapolis 500 ever.

Raceday Activities (besides the 500, of course)

The gates for the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 open at 6 a.m., so people need plenty to do before the 1 p.m. (ET) start of the race. With that in mind, here are a few ideas for those of you heading to the track:

1. Visit the IMS Hall of Fame Museum. Yes, it's open race day. Check it out, especially in the Centennial Era, to get a feel for what has happened at IMS over the last 100 years. Adults cost $3, while kids 6-15 are $1. Anyone else is free.
   
2. Get there early and watch the sunrise over the Pagoda. Sunrise is scheduled for 6:23 a.m. on Sunday. So if you can get a good view, just take in the sun rising over the track and snap a few good photos.
3. Start a pool. Find some folks sitting around you. The Indianapolis Star will sell a special 500 section on Sunday - tear out the drivers into 33 boxes, put them in a hat and draw. For a bit of money (say $5 a driver), let everyone pick out a name or two. Last place (or whomever draws Nelson Philippe) gets their money back, while the winner gets the pot. It'll still conversation throughout the race and help you cheer for drivers you otherwise wouldn't. In my block of 4 tickets, we have one seat cushion that we found after the 2007 race. The winner of our pool gets the seat cushion the following year.
4. In the event of rain (and it's rained in two of the last six years: 2004, 2007), have a deck of cards (well, if you're covered) and break out a game of euchre. The card game is easy to pick up for someone who's never played and just like the Indianapolis 500, is an Indiana tradition.
5. Play the "I am Indy" game. Much of the activities on race day revolve around the consumption of alcohol. With this in mind, we have invented "I am Indy," which plays off of one the IndyCar Series' slogans. Anyone with a cooler can play, young or old. Find a demographic who fits the "I am Indy" model - it could be the man with jorts and a mullet, or it could be the preppy couple with checkered flag shorts and popped colors. Either way, once a member of your group spots "Indy," they must call out "I am Indy." Everyone else in the group must take a sip of their beverage to acknowledge the find.

If you have any other pre-race activities, just post them in the comments.

Moving Throught the Field: The Middle

Last night, we posted the back end of the 2009 Indianapolis 500 field. So, in our effort to provide a guess as to who will be up front come lap 200, we move to the middle of the field. The final 11 drivers should go up tomorrow, and then I'll attempt to make an educated guess at who will win the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 Friday or Saturday.

Thus, here is the middle of field, in terms of chances to win:

22. Sarah Fisher (Car #67; Outside Row 7) – The fan favorite finally has good funding behind her, thanks to sponsorship from Dollar General. She’s been consistent throughout the month of May, but whether or not lady luck is on her side on Sunday remains to be seen. In eight career starts, Fisher has not finished better than 18^th in her career at IMS.

21. Robert Doornbos (Car #06t; Middle Row 8) – “Doorknobs” crashed twice in a 24-hour period earlier this month, preventing him from qualifying until the second weekend. Had he looked better on the first weekend of qualifying, perhaps I’d move him up the list. The Dutchman was quick early in the month, and he has a quality team behind him at Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing. With Arie Lyuendyk serving as his driver coach, I think Doornbos has a shot to be the Rookie of the Year; however, he’ll need to avoid collecting any cars as he attempts to navigate his way towards the front.

20. Tomas Scheckter (Car #19; Middle Row 9) – The young South African has always been fast at Indianapolis, leading 148 laps in his career at IMS. However, he has been prone to not finishing, failing to finish four of his seven starts at Indy. Having been in his Dale Coyne Racing machine for about nine days come race day, look for Scheckter to be exciting early, but flip a coin when it comes to whether or not he will finish the race.

19. Townsend Bell (Car #8; Outside Row 8) – Bell confuses me. He seems to drive well wherever he runs, but he can’t find a full-time ride. With KV Racing, he has been consistently quick over the last two weeks, and the KV team appears to be right behind Newman-Haas-Lanigan in terms of the former Champ Car teams that unified with ICS. With a 10^th-place finish last year, Bell could take another step towards a full-time ride if he can replicate the effort at Indy once again.

18. Justin Wilson (Car #18; Outside Row 5) – For a brief moment on Pole Day, Wilson was on the provisional pole. Then his car was disqualified for being underweight, and that seems to be the last we heard of the Englishman. When Wilson was a surprising third at St. Pete, he commented that hopefully the team would make up ground on the ovals as well as they did on road/street courses. With little to no testing on ovals thus far, however, Dale Coyne Racing still needs to make up ground before Wilson’s true racing talents shine on all courses.

17. Raphael Matos (Car #2; Outside Row 4) – Matos, based on speed alone is the odds-on-favorite for Rookie of the Year. After crashing out at St. Petersburg, the rookie has done well for Luzco Dragon Racing, finishing both the Long Beach and Kansas races. With Jay Penske’s pedigree, the team has been fast at Indy – his qualifying time of 223.429 is actually the seventh-quickest in the field. Still, Matos will need some significant breaks to get to Victory Lane, though a top 10 performance is not out of the question.

16. Hideki Mutoh (Car #27; Inside Row 6) – The second-year driver from Japan was the weakest of the four Andretti-Green cars in qualifying, needing to go into the first Sunday of qualifying to make the field. While he posted a top-10 finish at last year’s 500, it was fairly non-descript, as he finished on the lead lap but did not lead a lap. Japan will need to wait another year to have a chance at their first Indianapolis 500 winner.

15. Ed Carpenter (Car #20; Middle Row 6) – If not for a couple pit mishaps last year, Ed Carpenter may have been in a better position to win the 2008 500. As it was, Carpenter finished a surprising fifth in the bright yellow Menards machine. The car colors remain the same in 2009, but Carpenter hasn’t appeared as quick as a year prior, qualifying 17^th on the grid. Carpenter will need to use some quality pit stops and race strategy to come anywhere near his finish in 2008.

14. Paul Tracy (Car #15; Inside Row 5) – The runner-up in the 2002 race, Tracy has not had good luck in any of his other five starts to the 500. From 1992-95, Tracy finished 20^th, 30^th, 23^rd and 24^th, respectively, failing to go more than 136 laps in any start. Just as Team Green was in 2002, Tracy is with a solid team in 2009; but again, Tracy was with Penske and Newman/Haas Racing in his prior starts. So which roll of the dice will Tracy pick up in 2009? His ‘bat out of hell’ mentality can get him to the front, but will it wear down his KV Racing machine? I think it will get him eventually, somewhere around lap 170.

13. Alex Lloyd (Car #99; Middle Row 4) – Lloyd has been the talk of Gasoline Alley for most of the month due to two things: his surprising run into the top 11 of qualifying on Pole Day and his pink car, with HER energy drink sponsorship. Contracted to Chip Ganassi, Lloyd has the equipment to contend up front, but also will be working in partnership with relative 500 newcomer Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Schmidt, who is a touching story in his own right, dominates the Firestone Indy Lights Series, but can his team step it up in the 500? I think a solid top 10 finish would qualify as a step up and hopefully bring Sam Schmidt’s team into the IndyCar Series in 2010.

12. Vitor Meira (Car #14; Middle Row 5) – Fun Vitor Meira fact: he has never finished worse than 12^th in any of his six previous 500 starts. That 12^th-place result came in 2003; since then, Meira has placed 6^th, 2^nd, 10^th, 10^th and 2^nd. Not too shabby. Obviously, Meira knows his way around the track and has benefitted from strong cars and strategy. Last year, ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Racing helped Darren Manning to a surprising run, and with Meira on board, more of the same should be expected from the Brazilian.