Indianapolis 500 Thought of the Day: Helio vs. Dario

For the first time since 1987^*, this year’s Indianapolis 500 figures to have two drivers vying for a record-tying fourth victory at the Brickyard.

Helio Castroneves, who won his first Indy two starts, and Dario Franchitti, who has won two of the last three 500s, each have a chance to match A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears.

Here’s the tale of the tape for these two:

 

Driver	Wins	Starts	Poles	Laps led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
Castroneves	3	12	4	231	5.75	7.5
Franchitti	3	9	0	329	9.7	7.5

 I quite was surprised that despite three fewer starts Franchitti has led nearly 100 more laps than Castroneves. (The reason for the disparity in starts is because Franchitti’s Indy debut came a year after Castroneves’; he did not compete in 2003 due to an injury and missed 2008 because he took a detour to NASCAR.)

The other thing that’s interesting is that despite their careers overlapping, their success on all different types of circuits and driving for powerful teams, Castroneves and Franchitti aren’t exactly rivals.

Which is too bad. One of the storylines for this year’s race should be Helio vs. Dario.

Heading into this year’s event, Franchitti may have the least amount of buzz ever for a reigning champion, or at least in recent years. His rock-solid consistency and results have eluded him for more than a year (Indianapolis notwithstanding).

Castroneves led the series points standings heading into the most recent event at Sao Paulo, Brazil, thanks to a second and a third in the first two races.

Each driver, along with their storied teams (Target Chip Ganassi and Team Penske), now find themselves suddenly caught in what appears to be a changing of the guard in the IndyCar Series.

Andretti Autosport continues to be the dominant player. James Hinchcliffe and reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay have won three of the first four races while Marco Andretti is a surprising second in the points.

What’s even more surprising is the points leader: Takuma Sato, winner of the season’s other race for A.J. Foyt’s team, which has struggled mightily since Penske, Ganassi and Andretti returned following the infamous split.

We’ll see if Castroneves and Franchitti can pick up the pace this month – something that would help each of them and this year’s 500.

*This gets a bit confusing. In 1987, both Al Unser Sr. and Johnny Rutherford were in the race, seeking a record-tying fourth victory at Indianapolis. Of course, A.J. Foyt also was in the field, seeking his fifth 500 victory. Foyt, Big Al and Rick Mears all raced in the 1992 500, with each vying for a record-breaking fifth Borg-Warner Trophy.

 

Photo credits: Jim Haines (Castroneves) and Dana Garrett (Franchitti) / Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis 500 Item of the Day: Ten Greatest, 1954 Style

I’m a sucker for the “Souvenir” editions The Indianapolis News produced to preview the Indianapolis 500 each year.

 

What I found interesting about this particular issue – which previews the 1954 race and is dated May 29, 1954 – is that it offers a top 10 in 500 history as selected by T.E. “Pop” Myers.

 

Myers, who served as an executive with the Speedway for a number of years, including vice president and general manager, had died March 13, 1954.

 

Here’s his top 10:

 

1.)         Ted Horn

2.)         Wilbur Shaw

3.)         Louis Meyer

4.)         Ralph Hepburn

5.)         Ralph DePalma

6.)         Bill Cummings

7.)         Mauri Rose

8.)         Rex Mays

9.)         Tony Bettenhausen

10.)      Tommy Milton

 

When the Speedway came up with its “Greatest 33” initiative a few years ago, I came up with a list myself, which included eight of these drivers. I did not include Hepburn or Bettenhausen.

 

IMS’ “Greatest 33” did not have Horn, Mays or Cummings.

 

Anyway, I think the list from 1954 reinforces the depth of talent that’s always competed in the Indianapolis 500, and that the names of great drivers from up to a century ago still endure.

Indy 500 Item of the Day: Kids Club Stuff

Sean has been a member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kids Club since its inception a couple of years ago, making him a charter member, I suppose. This year’s kit arrived earlier this week.

 

For $25 you get such items as a T-shirt (always useful), a knapsack (ditto), a kid-ential membership card, stickers, activity book and assorted other stuff.

 

It’s not bad, but there are some other rather obvious items that should be included as well:

 

·         Autographed picture of favorite driver

·         Autograph book with sharpie (included last year; makes no sense to not have these)

·         A diecast INDY CAR instead of a Hot Wheels Mustang

 

You can click here for more information.

2013 IndyCar Season Wish List

Photo credit: Chris Owens/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The first race of the IndyCar season is here. Of course, leave it to IndyCar to pick the same weekend as the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament to finally get going. Credit to the Detroit Free Press and writer Mike Brudenell for a nice season preview in Friday’s edition – they found room in a section that was understandably dominated by NCAA coverage of both Michigan State and Michigan playing at Auburn Hills.

Here are some things I hope to see this season:

1.) Activation, Activation, Activation. I want to see series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay staring at me from a display of Sun Drop all spring, summer and fall. And is there any particular reason why Target wants to keep Dario Franchitti’s Indianapolis 500 win a secret? As always, the series is wringing its hands about ways to reach new fans and how critical this is to growth. Here’s an idea: Let. People. Know. About. Your. Drivers.

Last summer, I bought a 12-pack of RC Cola with Marco Andretti on the side; ditto some cereal with Scott Dixon and Franchitti. But that’s about all I’ve seen. Maybe if Detroit had a race, you would see more activation in stores. Oh, right.

2.) Product, Product, Product. Related to the above, I want to see IndyCar SOMETHING in stores. Diecasts. Shirts. Hats. Handkerchiefs. I’m talking to you Meijer and Target. Please.

3.) Rivalries, Rivalries, Rivalries. For the past 10 years or so, rivalry in the IndyCar series has been team-based: Penske vs. Ganassi for the most part, with a bit of Andretti sprinkled in here and there. Everyone has been holding their breath until they’re blue in the face waiting for something between Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal to develop. At this point, frankly, our faces are more blue than a Smurf after eating a blueberry pie.

4.) Turbo, Turbo, Turbo. As in the new movie from DreamWorks about a snail who competes in the Indianapolis 500. (I’m sure we all have our own jokes about this: “Hey, this sounds like the year XXXX when XXXX XXXX was in the 500.” Because this is the start of the season and we all should be optimistic, I’m not going to fill in the blanks today.)

I’m not sure what, if anything, “Days of Thunder” had to do with spurring national interest in NASCAR in the early 1990s (I would give most of that credit to then-new phenom Jeff Gordon, with perhaps some to the Brickyard 400), but it didn’t hurt, either.

Today, of course, when you mention racing to the average American, it is defined by NASCAR. If a new generation can start to at least consider IndyCar as an alternative, “Turbo” will have helped. You can learn more about the movie, arriving in theaters July 19, HERE

5.) Two for four. I really hope the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has some sort of plan to draw attention to Helio Castroneves and Franchitti trying to become four-time winners this May. Like Hunter-Reay’s championship, this obvious storyline has been kept under wraps for some reason.

Instead, fans were “treated” to an off-season about findings from a consultant group, a tax break/enterprise zone around the track and, oh yes, yet another IndyCar leader who was black-flagged.

Still, spring is here – even if springlike weather is still in the garage. (Maybe it was sequestered.) Here’s to a good season.

IndyCar Memories: 1993 Opener

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

We still have a week to go before the IndyCar season (finally!) gets under way with the race at St. Petersburg.

Twenty years ago, almost to the date, the season started in Australia with the reigning world champion, Nigel Mansell, joining the circuit.

For 1993, Formula One and IndyCar essentially “traded” top drivers as Michael Andretti, series runner-up to Bobby Rahal in 1992, left Newman-Haas for McLaren.

Andretti, to say the least, had a difficult season overseas. Mansell, on the other hand, jumped into Andretti’s Lola-Ford and won the IndyCar championship in dominating fashion – clinching the title with one race left in the season. For a week, he was simultaneously the Formula One and IndyCar champion.

Mansell won the season-opening race at Surfers Paradise, in part by taking advantage of a stop-and-go penalty to make a fuel stop. A cagey move, and one that was outlawed soon thereafter.

In May, I’ll revisit Mansell at the Indianapolis 500, which was one of the most interesting stories I ever covered during my sports-writing days.

1995: When Subway was in IndyCar

Last week when Carl Edwards won the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix (in a Subway-sponsored car, no less – probably just one of those NASCAR coincidences), it got me thinking about back when Subway sponsored an Indy car.

Behold the No. 99 (same as Edwards’ number) of Dean Hall. This diecast is from 1995; unfortunately Dean failed to make the Indianapolis 500 that year. In fact, his attempt at the Brickyard may well have been his last appearance in Indy car period. The 1995-96 Autocourse yearbook shows no other appearances for him the rest of the season, citing evaporation of sponsorship. Who knows, maybe Jared and his size-62 pants had something to do with it.

What I’d really like to know is the story behind this sponsorship. How’d he land it? It wasn’t like Hall was a household name – he made his only start at Indianapolis in 1990, finishing 17^th driving for Dale Coyne. By 1995 Hall was with Dick Simon, who more often than not got his cars into the field. Just not this time.

At least he was in good company – Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi also famously failed to quality that year as well.

Indianapolis 500 Memories: 1981, Part Two

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

 

While the selection of engines was not nearly as diverse as chassis for the 1981 Indianapolis 500 – just about everybody had a Cosworth – there was one notable challenger.

 

That would be the Pepsi Challenger of Mike Mosley. This Dan Gurney Eagle was quite narrow at the front before fanning out wide at the rear. With its bright yellow paint scheme trimmed in white, it looked like a lawn dart (if you remember those) hurtling down the straightaway.

 

And then there was the sound of the Chevrolet engine. Loud. Really loud. You knew when this car was on the track – no matter where you were. The Cosworths had a higher-pitched whine or shriek while the Chevrolets had a distinctive deep roar. Instead of investing in aero kits, maybe something could be done to the engine noise of today's Hondas and Chevrolets to make them more distinctive.


Mike started second in his penultimate Indianapolis 500 appearance and, befitting his usual foul luck at the Brickyard, finished last after mechanical failure.

 

The story goes that he blew his race engine during practice. According to Carl Hungness’ 1981 Indianapolis 500 Yearbook: “Two weeks after this year’s 500 he went to Milwaukee with the engine intended for Indianapolis and won the race from last place.”