first thoughts, post race:

Well, I am sitting in my hotel room in lovely Milwaukee on Saturday night. All my colleagues have returned to Indianapolis. It was actually funny seeing all of Champ Car rush out of there as quickly as possible following the Time Warner Cable RoadRunner 221, er, 225, presented by US bank. After reading some comments from crapwagon with regards to the race broadcast on television, I’m glad that it wasn’t only us PA announcers who were a little confused with the ending. We realized it was going to be timed, but didn’t know how many laps remaining, until we saw the white flag from the starter. All of a sudden we go from “AJ has a few laps left to catch him” to “AJ has to do it NOW NOW NOW”. Naturally, nobody is a fan of timed events. Even though 220 laps would make a fine event on its own, you still feel cheated of those last few laps. It could be the Milwaukee 750, you’d still feel cheated if it ended at 745. nonetheless, with any new companies trying to get back to prominence, they have to make sacrifices, and buying television time is the reality at this point. At least it was on network television, which is more than Champ Car has been able to say for the last couple of years. Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps.
You know that the IRL deal is strictly because of the Indianapolis 500. when you have that card in your deck, you hold a strong hand. ABC/ESPN is clearly willing to throw away many hours of airtime for IRL broadcasts in order to retain the rights that one broadcast in Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend. NASCAR is a different beast altogether at this point. They have reached point where networks want them. Same with football. You’ll notice a lot of the basketball playoffs are on cable television and, as mentioned on PTI, have been trounced in ratings by golf when going head to head. It’s a cyclical world. You need them at one point, they want you at another and eventually it comes full circle.

The race itself was more entertaining than last year’s race at the Mile. I always enjoy the races at the mile. The track has so much tradition and one mile ovals are fine for Champ Car. Nevertheless, if I was to critique the Mile for anything, it would be for the lack of the SAFER-barriers. They are one of the last major tracks remaining that don’t have it. I know it’s a public track and there is a lot of red tape when the state is involved, but we are talking about the safety of drivers. We all saw Ryan Hunter-Reay smack the wall very hard today. The last I heard, they were keeping Ryan at the hospital overnight and he was given a CT scan for precautionary purposes. He probably suffered a form of mild concussion, but that is it. He complained of stiffness in his neck, but again, that’s good news, all things considered. And I shouldn’t we all saw Hunter’s hit, cause I didn’t. let me paint the picture, because as a track announcer it was a horrible experience and quite embarrassing.

We had two scissor-lifts that we used as our ‘offices’ this weekend. After the pre-race festivities, I went to my lift and went up ready to call the race for the good folks in Milwaukee. As the drivers were taking the first ‘parade’ laps around, my colleagues were making their way up on the other scissor-lift. Well, just before going green, their lift hit some cords and essentially unplugged my microphone. So, silence during the start of the race as Tracy got off to that great start. Well, one of their microphone is working, but they aren’t really using it while I am yelling at the tech guys bellow us. Finally, my colleagues offer me their mic, which requires both of us to go back down, switch places and go back up. I have a television monitor in front of me, which I keep on the timing and scoring screen, so I can relay times and positions to the spectators. As I switch scissor-lift, the tech guys arrive and look for the problem. That keeps us on the ground. I have absolutely no idea what is happening. I see the television screen go yellow, but I have no idea why. Naturally I don’t jump to any conclusion, but nevertheless feel compelled to say something, so I spew something about it being too early for the backmarkers to pit. Finally, I’m told its Hunter. As I go back up on the scissor lift, I can’t see Ryan’s car from my vantage point and can’t make what the champ car officials are saying on the radio. All I see are a couple of safety trucks on the track. I switch channels on my television and to my horror I see Ryan being put on the stretcher. At this point, I mention how Champ Car’s safety team is the best in the business and that they will take him to the medical unit and that we will try to get an update as soon as possible. I am feeling horrible inside. These accidents need to be handled with care by officials and often, much like in this case, LOOK a lot worse than they end up being. Well, as we go back green, my heart is in my stomach, because Ryan was taken to the medical center and I had no clue what happened and how it happened and essentially couldn’t keep the spectators up to date on what, at the time, looked like an extremely serious accident. It goes without saying that I wouldn’t have run my mouth had I witness the entire thing, but I could have been more sensitive to the situation. What seemed like an eternity later, they fix Bill Michael’s mic and the moment he goes on the air, I rip my headset off and call a colleague to get an update. That’s when I was told that they were not life threatening injuries. I told her to call me and leave me a message the moment they have more updates. I then apologized to the nice crowd in Milwaukee, quickly explaining why we were silent at the beginning of the race and give an update on Ryan’s condition. A few moments later, I get another message to which I quickly relay to the crowd, that Hunter was awake and alert and was taken to the hospital for tests. After that I was able to get back into the race, enjoy it and call it.

It was also particularly hard to see Ryan hit the wall and be taken to the hospital during the race, because I got to spend some time with Ryan this weekend, more time than I had before. I interviewed him for our ‘this and that’ feature and had the most fun of any drivers I talked to. He even mentioned how it was ‘good’ after it was all said and done. I spoke with him during the autograph session and shook his hand to wish him luck before the race. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s the most I talked to him of any other race weekend and got to know him better. I found him genuinely hilarious, much more ‘open’ than he sometimes comes off on television. He’s got a great personality and I wish him a speedy recovery. And I’ll definitely put up my ‘this and that’ feature with him sometime this week and I hope he sees it and enjoys it as much as I did.

just got back from the Press conference, where I had a chance to talk to some of the drivers, as were the other members of the media. Naturally, I wasn't going to ask them about the track, their teams, yada yada yada. No, I concentrated on much more important issues in a feature that I call "This or That". Check the website early next week for my "this or that" with AJ, Ryan, Oriol, PT, Marcus as well as a surprised and, certainly good sport Mr. Dick Eidswick.
I think i'll eventually chase down all the drivers for the silly little feature. A huge thank you to Lee Ann for taking time out of her busy schedule and volunteering to be my cameraperson!

Overheard at the Track will be a challenge this week on account of my PA duties. I thought I could sneak off during the first few minutes of tomorrows practise, but it looks like my partner Dean has some meeting to go to, hence leaving me alone there with you folks. However, i'll be looking at a couple of more things to film and should have two or three of these "this or that" anyhow.

Oriol seemed pretty excited about the opportunity to join the big boys club, not that I can blame him. but he certainly knows the pressure attached to this opportunity. There is a press conference tomorrow around noon with the announcement of a champcar driver/team/sponsor. Now, don't quote me on this, cause I didn't get too many details, but its taking place after or during the first and only real practise session, so if it is just to announce Dale Coyne's driver, then he or she would miss a lot of practise time. So, hopefully its bigger than that, i.e. a new driver or whatever. We shall see. If your at the track, i'll make sure to relay the message to ya'll as soon as I hear the news myself.

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!

so....

looks like Mr. Oriol Servia is taking Junquiera's place over at Newman/Haas. tough to argue with Oriol's skills as a driver and this is certainly a dream opportunity for him. a great chance (don't know for how long though) to truly make his mark on the sport. nobody would ever question whether he derserves to be in the series or not. But now he has a chance to play and compete with the big boys, except this time he has the best equipment. there is also a lot of pressure on him to deliver. Had Newman/haas gone with a less experienced driver, then a timeline could have been established. But with Oriol its definitely now or never. he's been in the league for some time now. he's seen all the tracks more than once and he's competed with different teams, thus learning bits and pieces everywhere he went.
"here's the ball Oriol, run with it"

Now, who replaces him at Dayle Coyne? many names have been sprouting up on the internet, but I think its safe to say that after the surprise announcement of Oriol, nobody knows for sure what is going on. Plus, its not like Dayle Coyne has always been in much hurry to announce anything. Nevertheless, whoever gets that seat must prove himself worthy of it. Last year, (as I mentioned earlier. that's right, technically I had already chosen Oriol as a potential spoiler this weekend. look down. SCORE!!) he did very well in Milwaukee. So whoever gets that seat has himself (or herseld) a car that, although not a real potential for many podiums, can perform, as proven by Oriol. I certainly look forward to hearing who the replacement will be.
This is assuming there is one. I've lost track of how many drivers we have now. :)

the eagle has landed!

I just got to Milwaukee, I am setting up for some driver interviews tomorrow (if anybody wants to be my cameraperson, I would love it!) and getting ready for the Time Warner Cable Roadrunner 225 presented by US Bank. what I mean is I am practising saying that fast and clearly, not to mentioning throwing in the bridgestone presents the Champ Car World Series powered by Ford in there too. Its a mouthfull, but that just means more sponsors and there ain't nothing wrong with that!

Looks like Bruno is out for the season, based on what I read. That's a terrible shame, but from his quote, he seems very positive and upbeat and boy is he ever going to tare it up next year! Whatch out baby! And, spoken like a true driver, the first thing he said (according to the quote anyway) was that he had a good car! that shows you where his passion lies and where his dedication lies. He also says thayt Foyt didn't see him, which again is a very classy thing to say. he could have blamed his inexperience, he could have blamed Foyt's team (or lack thereof), but he took the high road. what a guy!! I've always had the upmost respect for Bruno, but I assure you now it went up a few more notches. take care my friend. we'll see you soon.

the drivers have a 2 and a half practise session on Friday. its their only 'real' practise session of the weekend. Its an abundant amount of time to get to know the track and which line is working for which setup. However, with all that practise time, tire wear becomes an issue. It'll be interesting to see how teams maximize their practise time all the while trying to conserve as many sets of bridgestone as possible. Drivers also have to start the race with the tires used in qualifying, so that adds to the strategy of the race.

Still no word on the replacement of Junquiera, but with the announcement that Bruno is out likely for the season (6 months according to what I read), Newman/Haas have a significant decisions on their hands. I don't know that having someone for a one-off is the right thing to do. If they found a driver to fill that seat for the rest of the season, he (or she) could potentially be a contender, having only missed two races. But to have a one-off and then have only 11 races left, the new driver is pretty much out of contention. Of course, can you pick a driver for the full season in only 4 days? short answer no with a but, long answer yes with an if.

anyway, I think I will venture off to the track and snoop around. I guess it is only Wednesday, but i'll see if I can find anything out. maybe I can have the 'scoop' on who will replace bruno!

Champ Car baby! champ car for life!

There’s a plethora of activities going on this weekend at the Mile, all culminating with the Time Warner Cable Roadrunner 225 at noon on Saturday (thanks Keith). But if you are planning on attending the race, make sure to not miss our pre-race show, which is all military-themed, so you KNOW its going to be cool. Check the listings to find out all the activities taking place, or go the our website or milwaukeemile.com for complete schedules. Boy its going to be fun. The two-hour practice session on Friday is going to be a treat. All the cars on the track, battling for qualifying order, which on a track like the Mile, is very important. Its going to be interesting to see how those Europe-based drivers handle Lady Mile. I suspect they’ll do well. Nigel Mansell won in 1993 in his rookie campaign, and despite his luck at the Mile, Bourdais has shown he can run on any ovals. Bjorn, as mentioned yesterday has the #4 HVM car, which is likely the best car going-in into the weekend. Timo had a hard run at Milwaukee during testing and was even taken to the hospital. Nevertheless, a guy with his grapefruits won’t let one incident slow him down. If anything, it’ll motivate him even more so.

Last year’s winner obviously returns, but 2nd and 3rd place finishers are not here this weekend (unless the weak-rumored of Carpentier going to Newman/Haas turn out to be true), so it leaves a lot of room at the top. Jimmy finished 4th last year and has even better equipment along with the most experience in the field at this particular track. Could this be Jimmy’s year? I hope so. He won it in 1998 so he’s due. Plus, I wasn’t around in 1998. do it for me Jimmy!

Since the CART/Champ Car era, only 7 pole sitters have gone on to win the race. So, we know the pole is important in terms of the points standings and setting the early tone of the race. But, it’s a long race, so no matter where one starts, if there car is there at the end, they have a chance. Which brings me to Oriol Servia. He’s had success at this track, he knows how to be patient and calm and if Dale Coyne can find the proper pit strategy, I look for big things this weekend from Mr. Servia.

I really look forward to the pit strategies, now that Champ Car has gotten rid of the mandatory pit window. It should be very interesting this weekend and I can’t wait!!

By the way, what a picture of yours truly on the champcar website! I look both angry and confused. Well, they captured the last part correctly at least.
Champ car baby! Champ car for life!

I hate that Bruno’s out of competition for a little while, and naturally we all hope for a speedy recovery and for him to get back in that cockpit as soon as possible. There is a pretty darn good seat available at Newman/Haas as a result of this and the guessing game begins as to who will fill that seat.
If the seat should go to anyone, it should be John Forgaty. But his commitment to the ALMS likely won’t make it happen. I do like the idea of Buddy Lazier taking his seat. Buddy is a worthy competitor and should have the chance to drive a real racecar for a real team. Its always fun to have a ‘buddy’ in the series.

But all speculations aside, it’s a real shame that Bruno will be out for a little while. We all know the ‘bridesmaid’ label that is associated with him. This season he wanted that championship more than ever. The saddest part is that he did exactly what he needed to do this season to get it. A quick start. Traditionally, though he finds himself on the podium at this time of the year, he never got those early season wins that you need. This year, he got it two weeks ago in Monterrey. His confidence level must have been sky high, another attribute needed to be a champion. It’s a real shame. Like I said in yesterday’s blog, the IRL just can’t fill a field of 33 quality drivers anymore without Champ Car guys and some NASCAR guys. You don’t want to touch tradition, but the bottom line is that 33 is more than just a number, it’s also a liability now.

Now for Milwaukee:

Conditions matter on this track. A slight change in temperature can change the entire structure and performance of your car. No two cars are the same year in, year out. The reason I say this? Well, technically Bjorn Wirdheim has Ryan’s #4 car from last year. Take nothing away from Hunter-Reay’s drive, but on an oval, the set up of the car is more important than on any other track. The HVM team can technically set the car up exactly like it was last year and take off early, go see a Brewer’s game or something. But alas, the race isn’t in the evening this year, its at noon. That changes a lot. Nevertheless, the team did find something in that car last year and this year have displayed great fuel mileage. So, my pick for this year’s race, you guessed it…Ronnie Bremer!

Ronnie Bremer? What kind of pick is that?? Okay, maybe its more of a darkhorse pick than a straight up pick. Nonetheless, he found himself on the podium last year in Milwaukee, and though he didn’t show much love for the ovals, like a lot of Champ Car driver, he still mastered that track despite his lack of experience. This year, with a good setup and a smart drive, look for him to be there at the end.

Of course, on ovals its all about the setup, therefore much of the onus is on the engineers and mechanics. The driver has to find the right line and more importantly, keep his nose clean (especially during yellows…burn!). That means that lots of teams will have a good chance this year. You can practically include just about every entry as a contender. All the more reason to come out on Saturday and enjoy the fastest and most exciting racing you’ll see at the mile all year!

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!

Indy 500 notes.

Non-stop Danica talk. It’s too much. It’s ridiculous. 20 minutes into the broadcast, I have NO idea who is sitting on the pole.

3 doors down, playing their only hit “kryptonite”. Meanwhile Tony George having to use the porta-potty, choses the one that’s 3 doors down.

I’m fairly certain the announcer said Kenny Brack was 1999’s indian winner.

They announce her as Rookie sensation Danica Patrick during the driver intro!! Wow it must be nice to be a rookie or a young driver in that league, knowing that for as long as she’s there, you can win every race in a year, it won’t matter. Its all about Danica. Just ask Dan Wheldon.

Stealth fighter= freakin’ cool!

Love the cialis ads! “If the special moment turns into the right moment, will you be ready?” All the parents watching with their kids quickly mute the commercial and tell their kids it’s an ad for double mint gum.

I do like the Sin City parody of “Speed City”. Not sure I like all the horrific accidents shots, but that will draw people in, for better or worse.

I think that Bev is hotter than her daughter. Maybe it’s because she actually smiles.

Props to the ABC hype machine. They did a great job hyping the ‘importance’ of this race.

Colin Powell driving the pacecar is cool. Plain and simple.

Is it possible to suffer effects from watching 1100 miles of racing in one day? I’m about to find out!

(quote) “the buzz is back at the brickyard!!” What???

Russell Crow wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs hat??? That’s aaiight.

You are kidding me???? A dancing reality show with B-celebrities coming to ABC??

Open-wheel cars have no place on a 2.5 mile track anymore. Sorry. Its just not a viable option anymore. Cars are too sophisticated, too fast and too ‘open’ to have safe races. Yes, crashes are part of the sport, but they don’t have to be ‘serious’ crashes with life-threatening consequences. Unless they seriously restrict the speeds, get the cars out of there. Your heart shouldn’t skip a beat every time there’s a yellow. That’s what racing on these big tracks with these cars does. Short ovals are better. But definitely not 2 and a half mile tracks.

Are there spotters in the IRL?

We can only hope that Bruno heals as quickly as possible and that Newman/Haas rethink about entering the race next year. Is it worth losing a chance at the championship for a one-off at Indy? Good luck in your recovery and rehabilitation my friend.

Dan Wheldon wins the Indy 500. good race on his part. He started 16th, kept his nose clean and was there when it counted.

I understand that ABC and the IRL needed to hype Danica as much as possible. It’s the only race of their season that casual viewers may actually watch, so they need to hype hype hype! But at one point, it can be too much and that could end up working against her. I like Danica, I think she’s a fine driver. I liked her answer at the end of the race where she said she made a lot of rookie mistakes. But at one point in the race, I started rooting against her, simply because I wondered what ABC would talk about if she had retired. Everything was about her. You can have too much of a good thing and I think ABC blew her up too much, focused on her too much. At the end of the day, she drove a decent race, but had INCREDIBLE fortune. She took out four drivers during her yellow incident and she stalled during her pit stops. I am not sure what happened with Bourdais at the end. she's the real deal, no question. but now that puts her in the same category as the top drivers in that series. let's talk about the other guys too.
I only hope that David Letterman and Bobby Rahal remember that they had a guy on the PODIUM!!!!!!

The main problem with the Indy 500 these days is the entry field. In the old days, you could be assured of 33 quality drivers. If both Champ Car and IRL drivers bid for those 33 spots, you would have a quality field. But with the exclusion of Champ cars and NASCAR notables, the IRL can’t fill the grid with quality driver. Therefore the risk factor is increased tenfold. Watching Hornish and Kanaan battle side by side during the race, coming within a whisker of each other’s car was exciting. They are experienced drivers who have the ability to keep their mind focused at those speeds under those conditions. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the field and most of the incidents today were the cause of bad driving. Or dangerous driving. Or mental-lapse driving. Whatever you want to call it, that league doesn’t have 33 drivers good enough to make it a safe field.
Now to settle back and watch another 600 miles of racing.