But at least we have an Indy 500 to talk about! So what if, instead of marking the unofficial beginning of summer, it's marking the unofficial end! So what if there won't be any fans in the stands (although they were still planning on having limited attendance until a few weeks ago)! And, we already know it's going to be historic. Because this is the first time in Indy's 109-year history that the race isn't being held in May.
I wonder how much those two differences will be a factor. The empty grandstand likely won't matter that much. They're in a car going more than 200 mph. They can't see the crowd during the race anyway. The different time of the year could definitely have an impact, though. They're right smack in the middle of the summer heat, so the track will get hotter and act differently than it does in May.
The race is also scheduled for a 2:30 start time, which means it will end around 6. It normally starts at 1. The reason cited was avoiding the summer heat. Obviously there's more sunlight at this time of year, so if the weather's nice that makes absolutely no difference. But any sort of delay could push it into twilight, when the track conditions will change (I also don't think Indy has lights).
NBC also has an interesting scheduling situation. The NASCAR race in Dover is on NBCSN at the same time as Indy, so they'll be directly in competition with themselves. Indy, of course, is usually the middle race of that Memorial Day Weekend tripleheader, with NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 serving as the nightcap and starting about an hour after Indy ends. (Speaking of NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson has indicated he wants to race Indy next year, which would be awesome!)
All of these changes make this race incredibly hard to handicap (just like the Kentucky Derby, French Open and Masters will be). Even the Indy veterans have never experienced a race week like this. So no one knows what to expect. Which should at least make for an exciting race!
For the first time this century, there won't be any female drivers in the field, which is certainly disappointing. There weren't even any women entered. In fact, there were only 33 entrants total, which at least guaranteed a full field. And that field includes eight former winners, as well as five Indy 500 rookies.
It's the legacy, Marco Andretti, who's on the pole, though. His family is one of the legendary families in the sport, but the only Andretti ever to win is still Marco's grandfather Mario 51 years ago. Since then, the Andretti family hasn't found its way to Victory Lane despite competing in every race (Andretti Autosport has been very successful as a team, however). Marco has eight top 10s in 14 prior Indy starts, including three third-place finishes and second place (in the third-closest Indy 500 ever) as a rookie in 2006.
Maybe this is the year the Andretti Curse is broken and Marco makes his way to Victory Lane. He had only the 28th-fastest time in the final practice session, though, so you have to wonder how the car will actually perform. Will it be the one that had the fastest time on both days of qualifying? Or will it be the one that went seven mph slower on Friday? Or will some other crazy thing happen that keeps him from being the first across the Yard of Bricks?
Former winners Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato join Andretti in the front row, while the second row features a rookie (Rinus VeeKay), a former champion (Ryan Hunter-Reay) and another talented, yet unlucky guy (James Hinchcliffe). Hinch will most likely have a car that's good enough to win, but have either an accident or mechanical problem that knocks him out and finish somewhere in the 20s.
Another driver who hasn't seemed to match his qualifying success with success in the race is Graham Rahal. This is his 13th Indy 500, and he has as many last-place finishes (two) as he does top fives. And the interesting thing is that when Rahal has a good starting position, he finishes towards the back, but the two times he's started 30th, he finished in the top 10. So, with Rahal starting eighth, the trend would indicate he won't be in the mix at the end.
Don't be surprised if someone who starts in the back ends up being a factor, either. There are four former winners in the final four rows, including defending champ Simon Pagenaud. Last year, he dominated the Brickyard. He qualified on the pole, had the fastest times all month, and won the race. This year hasn't quite gone as well. But don't count him out, either.
Helio Castroneves, meanwhile, makes his 20th consecutive Indy 500 start. He'll become just the seventh driver in history to be at the starting line for 20 different Indy 500s, let alone 20 in a row (A.J. Foyt's record is an incredible 35!). He won as a 26-year-old rookie in 2001, making him one of the youngest winners in Indy 500 history. If he wins his fourth this year (to tie the record for most victories), he'd be one of the oldest. His most recent win was in 2009, so if he wins this year, the 11-year gap would be the second-longest in history. I'm not saying Helio is going to win, and his place in Indy history is already secured. But the record he is setting and the others that are possible are simply remarkable. Especially when you consider this race was first held in 1911!
And, this is a stat that I can't go without mentioning. Helio, Pagenaud and Will Power are all former winners who drive for Team Penske. Team Penske has won the last two races, three of the last five, and 18 overall (including eight since 2001). So, you could say that Roger Penske "owns" Indianapolis. And that's now literally true. Penske bought the Speedway, the Indy 500 and the IndyCar Series last November, and this is the first Indy 500 under his ownership.
Will that make a difference? Probably not. But, seeing as his four drivers are three former winners and the defending series champion (Josef Newgarden), it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see Penske celebrating his first year of ownership by joining one of his guys in Victory Lane.
In fact, I do think it'll be one of the Penske guys who ends up winning the 104th Indianapolis 500. It won't be one of the three who already has, either. Which means my pick for the winner of the race is Josef Newgarden.
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