How to Spice Up the Championship, Part III

Last week, Indycar.com's Dave Lewandowski got Indy Racing League President of Competition and Operations Brian Barnhardt on the record about the future development of chassis and engine packages for the IndyCar Series.

While Barnhardt still believes that the package(s) will be ready for the 2012 season, there is no reason this can't be rolled into the 2009 IndyCar finale at Homestead-Miami.

How, you ask?  Beneath the fold, I'll tell you.

How to Spice Up the Championship, Part II

Great.  Danica Patrick has re-signed with Andretti-Green Racing (name change tba later) for three years, according to Curt Cavin at The Indianapolis Star.

So now we can all put this behind us and move on.  Well, at least until Tony Stewart pops off again and then everyone can whip themselves into a frenzy speculating on the details of Patrick's contract and where she will be in 2013.

However, I say let's use Danica's signing as another way to pump up the championship at Homestead-Miami.

After the jump, you will find out how I plan to blow this out.

How to Spice Up the Championship, Part I

Ok, so there remains 17 days until the IndyCar Series Championship at Homestead-Miami.  Three drivers still have a chance to win the title, meaning once again, the championship will likely come down to the last corner of the last lap (without any contrived re-shuffling of points).

However, what will catch eyeballs and force extended highlights that night?  IndyCar will be competing with football for eyeballs, so what would cause ESPN and the network affiliates (outside of Indianapolis and Miami - will Miami TV stations air highlights?) to give the race additional coverage?

Follow me below the fold for an idea on how to raise the profile of The Haast Eagle.

What to do While Waiting for the Finale, Part XVIII

I came back from a baseball practice today (I coach, no playing for me anymore) and opened the mail.  Much to my surprise was a letter with an Indianapolis Motor Speedway address.

What could this be, I asked myself?  I hastily opened it to see what was enclosed, to find a confirmation of my renewal for 8 tickets for the 2010 Indianapolis 500 - fantastic news.

Oddly enough, I also received a reimbursement check for $20 - the money I had sent in along with my renewal that was supposed to guarantee rides around the track in a pace car for both my dad and I.  Unfortunately, I came home too late to call the IMS Ticket Office, but that will happen tomorrow.

Also coming up tomorrow - another idea to improve the IndyCar Series finale at Homestead-Miami.

An Update (24 Sept - 9:30 a.m.):  Called IMS - sounds like a clerical error occurred, and my $20 check for the laps was not properly processed.  Now I get to send back the check I received and get the 2 laps I bought.  So all is well.

"I guess we don't need a 'Chase'"

Fantastic quote from Dario Franchitti to Indycar.com's Dave Lewandowski (full story here).

(Though if Chase Bank would like to sponsor the IndyCar Series in some way, shape or form, I'd be open to it.)


Just look at the photo - it says: 

"What I say goes.  I know a contrived gimmick when I see one and the IndyCar Series sure as hell doesn't have one of those when it comes to a points chase."

Lewandowski is kind enough to break down the points scenarios entering Homestead-Miami - basically whomever is ahead between The Haast Eagle and The Scot would win the title if ahead of Ryan Briscoe.  For the Australian to win, here are some criteria:

• If Briscoe wins the pole and the race, he wins the championship.
• If Briscoe wins the race and leads the most laps, he wins the championship.
• If Briscoe wins the race, earns the pole and leads the most laps, he wins the championship.
• If Briscoe wins the race but doesn't score any bonus points, Dixon can win the title if he finishes second and leads the most laps.
• Dixon will win any tiebreaker over Briscoe.
  

So just keep all of that in the back of your mind over the next 3 weeks - I'm sure it will occupy your attention for the next 19 days, too.

Thoughts from Motegi (or, I'm a sponsor's dream)

Ok, I wasn't there, but I did watch the entire race last night.  How did I manage?

First, I prepared by working my full-time job - sports information directing a collegiate volleyball match.  During said match I began to drink a Venom Energy.  The Death Adder (fruit punch) was surprisingly good, didn't taste a drop like an energy drink.  Could be trouble if ever mixed with an alcoholic beverage.

Said energy drink was consumer by the time I arrived home at 10:00 p.m., leaving enough time to grab a pen and paper and a Miller Lite (the official beer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway), enclosed as ever in my Team 7-Eleven Tony Kanaan koozie.


(Special thanks to the lady in Kansas who sent me a box of 12 TK koozies a few years ago, instead of the one I was expecting).

Point being, if you sponsor IndyCar racing in some way, shape or form, I will try your product.  Anyways, on to the race...

The Haast Eagle Striketh

While you were comfortably asleep (I assume, since at 2:30 in the morning, I was), we saw the return of The Haast Eagle, who crushed the dreams of Mario Moraes (more than likely with its talons), picking up the Peak Pole Award and a vital point in his quest to catch Ryan Briscoe for the points championship.

(Yes, that's a Haast Eagle over there.  And those flightless birds it's about to devour are pretty large.  The lesson - Mario Moraes is lucky he lost just the provisional pole.)

Apparently Moraes was sitting on the provisional pole and Dixon was the final driver to go out for qualifications at Motegi.  Call him the Ice Man if you want, but his lightning-quick strike on Moraes' time and ability to snatch the pole was positively Haast Eagle-esque.  (No word on whether Moraes' pelvis was crushed when Dixon won the pole).
If you think this post is solely an excuse to use the phrase Haast Eagle as much as possible and push Dixon's new nickname, well, that's part of the reason (I have pledged to make Haast Eagle happen, as part of a pact with The Silent Pagoda).

Reason number two for the post resides in the fact that most people weren't awake at 2:30 this morning to watch qualifications on Indycar.com.  And, I won't be able to watch the Versus Qualifications show at 6 p.m. ET, as I'll be working (when you're a Sports Information Director and the college athletics season starts, so goes your free time).

However, I will be home in time for the race (10:30 ET), with beer in hand, to watch live and see if the legend of the Haast Eagle comes to fruition.