Pre-Race Musings from the Soggy Brickyard

Milka Duno (above) says she's ready to start her first Indianapolis 500. Milka starts 29th. The last starter is rookie Phil Giebler.

Musings:

• Penske Racing can never be counted out. They are masters of showing one facet, and concentrating on another to get one of their drivers up front...see 2006, when Sam Hornish won. By the way, 2 time 500 winner Helio Castroneves starts from the pole.
• Ganassi Racing is another contender, with IndyCar Series point leader Dan Wheldon, and Scott Dixon (who is one of my best Indy Car drivers who haven't won the 500)
• Andretti-Green has two sentimental favorites named Andretti (Michael, who has come so close in past years and says he'll hang up the helmet after Sunday and son Marco, who came so close in 2006). They have a dark horse in Tony Kanaan (another of the best drivers who haven't won Indy).
• My dark horse sentimental picks would be, in order, Sarah Fisher and John Andretti.
• I think, however, that Penske and Helio pick up another "Baby Borg" for winning the 500.

Posted at 11:58 am local time

Carburetion Day Snapshots/91st Indianapolis 500

Top--AJ Foyt giving guidance and motivation to his crew during the Carb Day run. AJ has 2 cars entered..the #14 of Darren Manning and the #50 of two time Indy winner, Al Unser, Jr.

Center--Al Unser, Jr. getting ready for the Carb Day run...he shook down the #50 (numbered in honor of Foyt's 50th year in the sport) with a fast lap of 217.158 miles per hour.

Bottom--Roger Penske looks over the telemetry while polesitter Helio Castroneves shakes down the pole winning car for the last time. The two time Indy 500 winner was 4th on the practice chart with a speed of 223.527 miles per hour.

Top Five Speeds on Carburetion Day:

1. Tony Kanaan/#11--225.467
2. Dario Franchitti/#27--223.807
3. Michael Andretti/#39--223.575
4. Helio Castroneves/#3--223.527
5. Jaques Lazier/#21--223.468

Other Past Champs:

• Sam Hornish, Jr./#6--222.981 7th Fastest
• Dan Wheldon/#10--222.199 13th Fastest
• Buddy Rice/#15--221.161 17th Fastest
• Buddy Lazier/#99--218.149 30th Fastest
• Al Unser, Jr.--/#50--217.158 31st Fastest

The Ladies:

• Danica Patrick/#7--222.862 8th Fastest
• Sarah Fisher/#5--218.173 29th Fastest
• Milka Duno/#23--211.658 33rd Fastest

Pit Crew Competition Results to follow.

Updated at 1:36 pm local.

Penske Racing and Helio Castroneves' crew win the Pit Crew Competition over his teammate Sam Hornish, Jr. Couple that with Ryan Newman's Pole at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and it's been a good 24 hours for Team Penske. See you Sunday.

Updated at 7:36 pm local

Random Thoughts/Indy and Nextel Cup

• Happy Harvick (Kevin, Daytona 500 winner from Richard Childress Racing/RCR) took the money at Lowes Motor Speedway and spanked "The Beast of the Southeast" at the Nextel All Star Challenge...if Hendrick Racing stumbles next weekend...Happy will get happier.
• Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and RCR are going into a joint engine program...wonder who will get the best motors...methinks Harvick and AT&T driver Jeff Burton (NASCAR lost this latest round in Federal Court to keep AT&T off the Burton car) and another driver for Childress will get the best (AA grade) and DEI gets darn good (AA-) engines.
• We wonder who's got the biggest bankroll to pay lawyers...AT&T or NASCAR...even Vince McMahon backed off when he had the dispute with the World Wildlife Federation.
• Almost 10 per cent of the Indianapolis 500 field (9.1% or 3 out of 33 starters) are women. Wonder where the NASCAR "Drive for Diversity" took a wrong turn--or are we impatient? Humpy Wheeler was ahead of his time when he arranged for Janet Guthrie to get a ride in the Coca-Cola 600 some 30 years ago.
• On Armed Forces Day, May 20: The men and women in the Armed Forces do something every day that 98.5% of the population can't or won't do--serve in the active defense of our way of life. They will, unfortunately, never get the respect they deserve in most outlets--except here.

Dan Wheldon & Sam Hornish Qualify 1-2 @ Homestead Miami Speedway for the IndyCar opener

Dan Wheldon--214.322 mph

Sam Hornish--214.298 mph (28/1000ths of a second slower)

Sarah Fisher starts 9th--212.501 mph

Danica Patrick, 14th--211.431 mph

Ethanol not a issue...better fuel mileage allows for smaller tanks 22 gallons vs. 35 last year.

We'll have more tomorrow once we get some sleep.

Paul Kaminski

3/23/2007

Indy Cars at the "World Center of Racing (tm)"

We don't get excited about testing. 2 time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was second fastest to his Brazilian friend, Tony Kanaan in the first day of road course testing at Daytona International Speedway. "Spiderman" says the 5th through 8th turns on this are rather bumpy...not unlike the temporary road/street course in St. Petersburg, FL.

Danica Patrick still wants that first win so badly, she can just about taste it. And she has not yet fallen victim to the "merry pranksters" at Andretti-Green Racing.

Sarah Fisher returns to the Dreyer & Reinbold team for the ovals in 2007--her teammate is 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice.

Helio has a full slate of parties in Miami...he says he'll rent a couch to Tim Cindric (Penske Racing Boss) for the Super Bowl weekend.

Paul Kaminski

1/31/2007