|
|
|
 |
|
(Editor's
note), aXe is a veteran Midget and Sprint Car builder, still
involved with the "antique" aspect of the sport. He
has agreed to cover the events at IMS for us this month. I look
forward to his thoughts and pictures. Thanks aXe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All O/IRR photo's
by aXe
|
|
aXe is old school,
he likes the vintage and reproduction cars and so do I. The #60
is one of the last of the turbine cars, aXe didn't say if it was
still turbine powered or not. The picture below from Camp and
Brew, shows Lee and Tyler, aXe's son and grandson.
|
|
|
|
|
My
wife and I will be heading for
Texas
this
afternoon, the speed plant at
16th St.
and
Georgetown
Rd.
is quiet
now, the dust is settling at IMS as the trash from hundreds of
thousands of race fans is being hauled away. We are finally
going home, the whole month was great. I’ll have to find a way
to get more sleep, falling asleep making the 5 or 6 mile drive
to or from the speedway doesn’t get it, I’m lucky I
survived.
The
race was one of the better ones. Lots of unforeseen and
unexpected stuff went on as usual.
Buddy Lazier was the highlight of the race for me. If it
weren’t for a few glitches and far too much contact, he may
have challenged for the race lead and eventual win.
I
was surprised that Danica Patrick had such a hard time passing
not only lapped cars, but cars that were obviously slower than
her that she was stuck behind after stalling the engine in the
pits. She needs to go to Draft-Passing 101, but near the end of
the race she became a lot better at it, she must be a very quick
learner (Editor’s note, after the race Danica admitted that
she “learned a lot about setting drivers up for passing).
As for Sam Hornish Jr., what can you say, he’s too nice a guy,
Sam said, "I gave him (Bourdais) all the room I
could," that is until Bourdais ran Sam up into the marbles
and into the fence… Tony Kanaan didn’t have the speed he
needed when it counted as the race wound down, after setting the
fastest single lap speed in the race at 228 mph plus. (Darn, I
had Tony in a “pool,” and missed out on the pot)! Helio
Castroneves sure had his hands full keeping that car going in
the right direction; and he did a heck of a job dodging the
Larry Foyt car after it bounced off the SAFER… As for “Sea
Bass,” did he miss getting in the way of anybody out there, he
finally even managed to crash himself out of the race and ruin
whatever chance there might have been for Vitor Meira to make a
last lap pass of Wheldon on the backstretch for the win… Hey
Scott Sharp, I see you got your 20 foot wide ride back. What, it
wasn’t that wide; Brian Barnhart must have thought so. I guess
you just kept the extra width in reserve in case you needed it
late in the race. You must have felt the grass on the
backstretch needed mowing, and thought Buddy Lazier was the man
for the job…
We ended up with a great 500 winner in Dan Wheldon, who just so
happens to be on a roll, winning four of five IndyCar events
this year. Dan knows his 500 history, and knows who his fellow
countrymen were that have also won the Indy 500. In Dan Wheldon,
I think we are looking at the next IndyCar Champion, he isn’t
the crasher he was when he first joined the series, and the
Honda engines are as reliable as they come.
What a Great start we had to this years 500, with everyone in
almost prefect alignment; I had almost forgotten what that
looked like. I sure hope they get to do this again next year,
I’m thinking there are those that will tell you that TG has
lost so much $$ this month, that it might be a problem getting
more than 300,000 people to return next year, but somehow I
think he’ll manage. I hope to return, but for now I’m
heading back to the
Texas
and in two
weeks I’ll be at TMS for the Bombardier Learjet 500.
|
|
|
|
Friday
was Tom Carnegie Day at IMS, and O/IRR's track reporter and
photographer aXe sent this picture of "The Voice,"
taken yesterday...
|
|
|
O/IRR photo by
aXe
|
|
Well
Fast Friday has come and gone and quite a few never noticed it
was also Tom Carnegie Day. When this guy ends his 60-plus year
career at IMS, he will surely be missed. What a voice, it will
never be duplicated or replaced by anyone else. Just to hear him
say "and heeeee's on it!" is an Indy experience one
will never forget.
There
is also that other phrase he started, "annnnd it’s a
neeewww traaaack reecccord” that we don’t hear much any more
that will surely missed by all.
My feelings about that are to bring it back by just having a
“formula” record, you know, a record for the 3 liter, 3.5
liter, 4 liter engines, “turbo” and normally aspirated
engines as well. Then ya have to throw in a whoosh-mobile record
too. It would surely be nice to hear Tom saying that phrase
again.
The
record books have no way of telling you how the cars stacked up
against each other without this direction. There have been cars
there with engines of 300-plus ci., and also those with 91 ci.,
how can the track record be a blanket deal if it doesn’t take
this into account? How 2,500 pound car with over 300 cubic
inches compared to a 1,500 pound “light-weight” is such too
tough a call to make. What is the 3 liter, light-weight record
now? I'd say the fast speeds set on Pole Day Sunday, because the
entire field will probably qualify faster than the pole speed of
2004. Old Tom might lose his voice saying those famous words so
often, but it would be fun to hear him do it.
|
|
|
|
|
Well,
on My first visit to opening day there was surprise and
disappointment both. Only 8 cars taking to the track was the big
disappointment.
The
other big surprise was that it was Mothers Day, and even with
only a few rookies running, there had to be a somewhere between
5 and 10 thousand people wandering around the grounds.
In my opinion, the REAL opening day should be for the “big
guns”
to begin to show their stuff. ROP should be held sometime on the
week preceding opening day, so the rookies can partake in the
real opening ceremonies, but only after passing their test.
Not much to talk about here except that Danica Patrick seems to
be right-on with her team’s program. Fastest on the first
day of ROP, I watched her and it seemed to me she was getting
most of her speed from the “big tow” off the cars in front
of her. This morning (Monday), she is quite a bit faster and
it’s all been done with out a tow. Her engine seemed to be
“laying down” somewhat yesterday, so it may have made her go
for the “big tow” in order to go fast.
Well
enough of ROP, the “big guns” will start to fire up
tomorrow, and I cant wait!!!
The
garages seem to be filled and the crews are all busy making last
minute adjustments and running the cars through tech inspection.
I hope there are as ready as I am to see big-speeds by more than
just a few cars. Lets get this show on the road, it’s two days
past time to go all-out!
|
|
|
|
