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The racing people have no manners :-)...part of the racing scenery changed dramatically after this week's edition of Race-Talk was produced, and while I drove out to Indianapolis:

• H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler is out as day to day boss at Lowe's Motor Speedway...he reportedly clashed with O. Bruton Smith, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman and uber-boss. The announcement of his retirement was as sudden as any we've seen. Without his vision, competence, wisdom and good humor (you may thank Humpy for unleashing Robosaurus on NASCAR Nation), NASCAR style racing would still be a regional staple and sometime national curiosity. Conventional wisdom has Marcus Smith (Bruton's son) taking up the mantle of Lowe's leadership.
• Kentucky Speedway has been acquired by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. There are implications with the anti trust suit appeal, and the possibility of awarding a Sprint Cup date from some other track in the SMI galaxy (which has been ruled out by Jerry Gappens of New Hampshire, and Ed Clark of Atlanta), or, as garage area wags speculate...from the purchase of an independent track. Indianapolis is not included in that talk...Pocono or Dover come to mind in that scenario.
• Some of the most important attributes of a race driver include the ability to give good feedback to the team so changes to the car can be made quickly enough to go faster, and good judgement in situations. Penske Racing's Tim Cindric says the American LeMans Series brings that out in a driver--that's where Ryan Briscoe ran in 2007...and American Patrick Long runs in the second Porsche Spyder LMP2 car. Cindric confirms my assertion that the ALMS is the most technologically advanced series that runs in North America, even including Formula One.
• Tom Wurtz, Penske Racing's Team Manager for the 14 time Indy 500 winning Penske Racing Squad agrees. The three word explanation for Roger's success in racing: "Attention to Detail".
• The Carb Day final practice started, and was rain delayed...with Dan Wheldon running almost 224 miles an hour before practice was halted. The skies are brightening ever so slightly...the practice still on hold.