Triumph and Tragedy - IndyCar Racing in 2011

I've always been an open wheel racing fan. Growing up in NASCAR county, that hasn't always been the easiest thing. When I would mention that I had watched a race over the weekend, I would get quizzical looks when I mentioned cheering for Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, or Greg Moore (all IndyCar stars of the 90s). With the disastrous open wheel split of the 1990s and 2000s, NASCAR became the overwhelming leader in American motorsports and the only time open wheel racing would get coverage (aside from the Danica Patrick phenomenon) would be for fluke occurrences or for tragedy. Unfortunately, IndyCar made headlines for both in 2011 and both involved Dan Wheldon.

Even with the lowered profile of American open wheel racing, the Indianapolis 500 still gets significant media coverage every Memorial Day weekend. With the reunification of the IndyCar series and the leadership of IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, the IndyCar series has seen some gains, even if modest. This year's Indy 500 was indicative of the new era that the series faced. Every expert believed that the race would be a two-team show with the Penske and Ganassi teams dueling for the win. So, of course, everyone was shocked when Alex Tagliani won the pole position in the #77 Sam Schmidt Motorsports car. The #77 team was formed largely by Tagliani on a shoestring budget and then later sold to/merged with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Truly a case of the underdog rising to the occasion and competing with and getting the better of racing's juggernauts, Penske and Ganassi. Another underdog story for this year's Indy 500 featured 2005 Indy winner Dan Wheldon. At the beginning of the year, he was without a ride when his former team, Panther Racing hired Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand to drive the #4 car. As most of the top teams already had their driver rosters set, Wheldon was without a drive until his former teammate at Andretti-Green Racing (now Andretti Autosport), Bryan Herta, offered him a chance to drive his car (associated with Sam Schmidt Motorsports) at Indianapolis in a one-off attempt to win the Indy 500. While Alex Tagliani won the pole position, Dan Wheldon qualified the #98 car in a very respectable 6th position.

During the race, the Ganassi team of Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon led most of the race. Alex Tagliani's qualifying setup was much better than his race setup and he faded quickly. Dan Wheldon ran in the top 5-10 for most of the race, never running at the front. As has been common recently, the race turned into a fuel mileage race. Inexplicably, Franchitti and Dixon both had fueling issues on their last pit stops and were not able to stay at the front. As the cars cycled into the pits for a splash of fuel, JR Hildebrand found himself in the lead. In the most bizarre turn of events I've ever seen at Indy, Hildebrand ran wide in Turn 4 on the last lap and hit the outside wall. Dan Wheldon then sped by to take the lead and the checkered flag. It was the only lap he led of the race. Unlike in 2005, where Wheldon was with a dominant team, this was a definite upset and was afforded the type of media coverage due such an upset. Wheldon made the interview rounds from ESPN to Letterman and all media outlets in between.

However strong Wheldon's momentum was after the Indy 500, he still didn't have a ride. Bryan Herta still didn't have the funding to run full-time, preferring to focus on securing sponsorship for 2012. So Wheldon also decided to focus on 2012, by testing the new Dallara chassis for the IndyCar series. He also dabbled in commentary, working for Versus at a few races. Searching for more media attention, series CEO Randy Bernard had planned a promotion for the season ending race at Las Vegas, where a non-series regular driver would win a $5 million bonus (to be split with a fan) if they won the race. It was hoped that some NASCAR drivers or maybe some motocross stars would bring their fan bases (and corresponding TV ratings and buzz) to the series to add to the hype around the season finale. Well, NASCAR drivers like Kasey Kahne were not allowed by their teams to participate. Motocross/extreme sports ace Travis Pastrana broke his ankle at the X Games. This left the series in a bit of a bind. Enter Dan Wheldon. He was selected to be the sole participant in the $5 million challenge (to be sponsored by Go Daddy). The IndyCar series selected Sam Schmidt Motorsports to run the car for the challenge, squeezing Alex Tagliani out of his ride. In a strange twist of fate, Tagliani would indeed drive in the Vegas finale for Bryan Herta Autosport. Wheldon ran the season's second to last race at Kentucky, finishing 14th.

The 2011 IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas was not your garden variety season ending race, even if the $5 million prize were not considered. There was a close championship battle between Dario Franchitti and Will Power. There were a series record 34 entries, as this was to be the last race for the current iteration of the Dallara chassis. After all, upon the completion of the race, all cars would be obsolete. Therefore, many team owners ran their spare cars. Some owners chose experienced drivers like Tagliani or Paul Tracy. Others ran less experienced drivers hoping to find out if their development drivers could compete with the established IndyCar elite. The week of the race featured an unprecedented PR blitz. There were so many driver appearances that it was difficult to keep track. All of the cars were taken to the Vegas Strip. Overall, just an incredible effort to get the word out about the race. The on-track action also made headlines. The practice and qualifying speeds were very high, with Tony Kanaan's pole speed over 222 mph. Dan Wheldon qualified 29th, but by the stipulations of the $5 million challenge, he had to start 34th and last.

I woke up the morning of the race with an uneasy feeling. Maybe it was just stress from work manifesting itself, but I thought a lot about Greg Moore and the accident that took his life at California in 1999. I just felt that with the cars becoming obsolete that the drivers would be more aggressive than normal. I went into work to catch up on some projects while the DVR recorded the race. Then I received a text from one of my non-racing fan friends asking if I was watching the race. Instantly I knew it was bad. My response was, "Recording on the DVR, did someone get killed?", almost like I knew already. At that point, nothing was definite, only that there was a horrific accident with severe injuries. Then it became a festival of Twitter following, hoping, and praying.

We all know the results: open wheel racing lost one of its best drivers and best people. There have been many, many articles, blogs, tweets, etc. speculating on how the accident occurred, why the accident was fatal, and what could be done to prevent such accidents in the future. That process is still going on. The media cacophony of what is wrong with open wheel racing is almost laughable when one considers how little some folks pay attention. Criticism from folks like Jimmie Johnson is valid because he knows racing, he lives racing. However whenever tragedy strikes in racing, there are always the blowhards who couldn't name 3 drivers and all of a sudden knows exactly what the IndyCar series should do. What is important is that the racing community has rallied around the Wheldon family. An online auction has raised a great deal of money to help support the family. The new chassis for the IndyCar series, renamed the DW12 in Wheldon's memory should help prevent cars from interlocking wheels on ovals.

This has been a bit of a ramble. For those of us who are long-time fans of IndyCar racing, the 2011 season really did run the gamut of emotions, from first time winners like Ed Carpenter and Mike Conway, to another back and forth championship battle between Dario Franchitti and Will Power. However, it was the triumph and ultimate tragedy of Dan Wheldon that defined the series in 2011 and will shape the future of American open wheel racing, hopefully, a safer one.

Kick The Tires And Light The Fires! - Formula 1 and IndyCar Preview

That's right, faithful reader, it's time for yet another niche sport that I watch and you don't... open wheel racing. I got hooked on open wheel racing when I was a kid and ESPN was desperate for programming so they would show live Formula 1 (F1) races from Europe. As time went on, I began to watch the CART series race here in the US.

IndyCar Series Preview:

The State of American Open Wheel Racing:

Since the mid-'90s, open wheel racing in the US has fallen off the veritable cliff thanks to the disastrous CART-IRL schism. I mean, even Gary Bettman (commissioner of the NHL and generally reviled by everyone except his mother) thinks that IRL founder Tony George is a poor promoter and manager of his sport. Eventually, CART's business model failed and Tony George's deep pockets (thanks to his family's ownership of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway) prevailed. Well, thanks to a power play at the IMS board, Tony George is now out as the head honcho of the IRL, replaced by Randy Bernard. The series has struggled with sponsorships for the teams, and consequently, many teams are forced to accept lesser drivers who bring sponsors with them. Quality North American drivers like Graham Rahal, Paul Tracy, and Buddy Rice are rideless (at the present time) and backmarkers like Milka Duno have full season commitments thanks to the funding issues. After all, no bucks, no Buck Rogers.

On the track, the dominance of Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon) and Team Penske (Ryan Briscoe, Helio (Dancing With The Stars) Castroneves, and Will Power) have been overshadowed by the marketing phenomenon known as Danica Patrick. She is a good driver, perhaps very good on the ovals, but the overwhelming amount of attention she gets (especially in her NASCAR foray) really does start to take away from those who might deserve it more. Last year, Dario Franchitti beat out teammate Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe for the championship in the last race in Homestead. Will this year bring new blood in victory lane or more Penske/Ganassi dominance? I'll break the series down by team...

The Contenders:

Target Chip Ganassi Racing:

Dario Franchitti (10):
The defending champ and Mr. Ashley Judd. He came back to Indycars after his disastrous foray into NASCAR in '08. He can win on road courses and ovals. He's won the Indy 500. Really has few weaknesses. Top team and equipment.

Scott Dixon (9):
The 2003 and 2008 series champ. Won the Indy 500 in 2008 as well. Like Franchitti has very few weaknesses. He did have a couple of accidents last year which may have cost him the title.

Team Penske:

Ryan Briscoe (6):
Lost out on the championship by mere points. Excellent on the road courses and getting better on the ovals. The likely favorite this year.

The Darkhorses:

Team Penske: Helio Castroneves (3) and Will Power (12):
Castroneves won the Indy 500 but struggled most of the rest of the season. Power is recovering from a broken back. He will be a force on the road courses but most likely not good enough on the ovals.

Andretti Autosport: Tony Kanaan (11):
Had a horrible 2009 season but is capable of winning on any track. Will the team give him a good enough car, though?

The Others That Can Win:

Andretti Autosport: Danica Patrick (7), Marco Andretti (26), and Ryan Hunter-Reay (37):
Danica can win on ovals, but is really bad on road courses. Andretti struggles with crashing. Hunter-Reay is in his first year with good equipment. He's won in the past on road courses.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: Justin Wilson (22):
He's dangerous on any road course and can and should win a couple this year. The big question is the quality of equipment he'll get.

Panther Racing: Dan Wheldon (4):
Good driver, just can't seem to get it done with this team.

Sarah Fisher Racing/???: Graham Rahal (67): Should be in a better car with a better team. If he ever gets with a top team, look out. Still crashes too much, especially on ovals.

Others of Note:

KV Racing: Takuma Sato (5), E.J. Viso (8), Mario Moraes (32), Paul Tracy (15):

Sato is an F1 vet. Viso and Moraes are young drivers who will be race winners someday. Tracy deserves a fulltime ride in the twilight of his career. Still has more personality and balls that the rest of the field put together.

The Predictions:

• Ganassi and Penske win 14 of the 17 races including the Indy 500 (I'll say Franchitti wins it).
• Justin Wilson and Will Power each win twice on road courses.
• Danica Patrick makes more headlines than anyone else due to her flirtations with NASCAR and ticks off drivers by doing so. She has one podium, three top 5s and no wins.
• Tony Kanaan wins a race, as does Graham Rahal.
• There is one surprise winner, I say Dan Wheldon at Texas.
• Scott Dixon edges Ryan Briscoe for the series title.
  

Formula 1 Series Preview:

The last two years have provided good racing on the track and political upheaval off of it. Cost cutting measures were proposed. Existing teams and manufacturers threatened a breakaway series. In the end, nothing happened. There is new management in the series, featuring former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt.

3 new teams have entered this year's championship. A fourth, American based USF1, could not produce their car in time. Last year's Constructors' Champions (Team Championship), Brawn Mercedes, have re-badged themselves as Mercedes GP. They managed to lure Michael Schumacher out of retirement. This is much like Michael Jordan coming out of retirement to play in the NBA. We'll see if Schumacher is the Bulls' Jordan or the Wizards' Jordan. Last year's champion Jenson Button switched to McLaren Mercedes. Two time World Champion Fernando Alonso has gone to Ferrari. There are many other changes up and down the grid. I'll summarize in the predictions.

The Teams:

Title Contenders:

McLaren Mercedes:

Jenson Button (1) / Lewis Hamilton (2):

Both Brits and the last 2 World Champions. Can they coexist on the same team? McLaren is famous for allowing its drivers to duke it out amongst themselves. McLaren had an awful car at the beginning of 2009, torpedoing Hamilton's chances from the beginning. If they get a good start, look out. Button leaves last year's champs and looks to stake his claim as England's hero... unless Hamilton does it first.

Ferrari:

Felipe Massa (7) / Fernando Alonso (8):

Like McLaren, Ferrari struggled at the beginning of last year. Massa missed the latter part of the year due to inuries sustained when a bolt from another car flew off and hit him in the helmet. Can he return to form? Alonso is a great driver, but impatient if things don't go as he expects them to.

Red Bull Renault:

Sebastian Vettel (5) / Mark Webber (6):

Vettel was the runner-up last year. He just could not overcome the overwhelming lead Button amassed during the first part of the season. He might be the favorite this year. Webber had reliability issues, both with car and driver last year.

Mercedes GP:

Michael Schumacher (3) / Nico Rosberg (4):

They are only listed as contenders in deference to Schumacher's amazing career. At 41, can he recapture the magic? Rosberg is a classic Schumacher #2 driver. There are no questions whose team this is.

Podium Contenders:

Williams Cosworth:

Rubens Barrichello (9) / Nico Hulkenburg (10):

Barrichello can run at the front in any given weekend providing the car runs well. Hulkenburg is a rookie.

Renault:

Robert Kubica (11) / Vitaly Petrov (12):

Kubica has won races for BMW in the past. Petrov is a rookie. Not much expected of him.

The Others

Force India Mercedes:

Adrian Sutil (14) / Vitantonio Liuzzi (15):

Sutil has run up front in some races. Liuzzi is a former Toro Rosso driver.

Toro Rosso Ferrari:

Sebastien Buemi (16) / Jaime Alguersuari (17):

Young drivers, both have shown promise.

Lotus Cosworth:

Jarno Trulli (18) / Heikki Kovaleinen (19):

Veteran drivers, new team. They'll get the most out of the car which probably won't be enough to get many points.

HRT Cosworth:

Karun Chandhok (20) / Bruno Senna (21):

Bruno is the nephew of F1 legend Ayrton Senna. Never heard of Chandhok. This team will be a veritable moving chicane in some races.

BMW Sauber Ferrari:

Pedro de la Rosa (22) / Kamui Kobayashi (23):

de la Rosa is a veteran test driver. The BMW name was only kept due to some weird rule. They'll struggle.

Virgin Cosworth:

Timo Glock (24) / Lucas di Grassi (25):

Glock is an F1/Champ Car vet. Driving for a new team will certainly test his patience.

Predictions:

• McLaren wins the Constructors' Championship in a close fight with Ferrari and Red Bull.
• Hamilton and Button take enough points away from each other for Vettel to win the World Drivers' Championship. Alonso also factors into the title fight. All 4 drivers are in contention at the final race of the season.
  
• Schumacher wins one race.... in the rain.
• Drivers complain a lot about the new teams being too slow and a race or two may be affected by them.
• All races are won by the top 4 teams (McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes).

There you have it, the longest blog that you'll never read. Enjoy, kids, and as the great Murray Walker once said, "In Formula 1, anything can happen and it usually does!".