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Indy 500 Pre Race Notes

Well, Tony George got the Bump Day drama that he hoped for Sunday, as nail-biting attempts by Buddy Lazier and Mario Dominguez made the bumping process a bit more meaningful than it?s been in recent years. Though some thought that perhaps 7-8 cars might fight to earn a place in the 33-car field, the 3-4 that did try added drama to a day that before the open wheel split was the best of the four qualifying days. This column hopes that there won?t be too much manipulating of the qualifying process in the future. We believe that eleven open spots in each of the first three days allows fans to see a variety of teams each day. But with rain a continual irritant during practice, we do hope that there will be more track time available, with rookie testing moving earlier in the month, and a full eight days of practice available to the field prior to pole day. The closing of the track for several days is not acceptable, especially when it was noted by Speedway officials that several charity and social events were scheduled when the track is closed, and despite the rain that plagued the track this month, no new practice days would be opened up. Gentlemen, are we here to socialize, golf, and raise charity funds, or is this a racing event?

Things You Should Watch For And Think About As You Watch The 500:
? Ryan Briscoe. His crash in post-qualifying practice, coupled with a series of incidents in 2005, make his first row starting spot a place to watch early in the race.

? Female drivers are becoming a common part of the open wheel scene. Danica is now a weekly contender to win, and Sarah Fisher?s financial effort to fund her own team has been one of the better stories during May. But Milka Duno is still an unproven quantity with only seven IRL starts. Many remember Ashley Judd?s scathing comments about Duno after the Chicagoland finale in 2006.

? Will a team other than Ganassi, Penske, or AGR find their way to Victory Lane in 2008? Even Rahal-Letterman and Newman-Haas-Lanigan have to be considered as dark horse possibilities to win at best. With little oval racing experience, Graham Rahal, driving for NHL might be the best of the rest. NHL has oval track experience, albeit not with this IRL car. The team has 105 Champ Car wins and five series titles, but has never won the 500. Rahal is our dark horse pick if the Big Three encounter problems. And wouldn?t it be nice to have the aging Paul Newman in the Winner?s Circle with Rahal?

? Check the crowd, as the 500 will be the first good test of the impact that open wheel ?unification? has had. Once an instant sell-out each year, it?s been quite a while since every seat at the Speedway was sold. Look in the third turn and the short-chute between turns 3-4, the most likely place for empty seats. A sell-out would go a long way toward showing the racing world that open wheel racing is on the road to recovery. Pole Day crowds were up a bit, but this will be the first chance to show what direction the sport is going in the eyes of the ticket-buying public. The series? small TV ratings have been up for the first races of 2008. A jump in the ratings for the 500 would also be an indication of increased interest in the unified series. Ratings are announced on Tuesday.

? Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Speedway. Track management promises a series of celebrations in 2009, in 2011 for the anniversary of the first race, and in 2016 for the 100th race. A return of Formula 1 to the track next year would certainly enhance that celebration. Though the return of that event is contingent upon finding a major sponsor, a Speedway employee was overheard discussing the FOUR races she?d have to work in 2009. Not exactly a press release announcement, but something to watch for in the future.

? Many tracks that previously ran races in the Champ Car series were left without events after unification was announced. Elkhart Lake, Cleveland, Toronto, and Portland were four of many that would like to be on the 2009 schedule. Only Edmonton, Long Beach, and Australia were CCWS holdovers in 2008, and IRL officials have promised somewhat of a clean sheet of paper for ?09. Milwaukee has drawn smaller crowds than many thought they would since the IRL came to the Mile in 2004. The June 1st Milwaukee event needs to draw a strong crowd in order to guarantee a spot on the 2009 schedule. It?s well known that Texas promoter Eddie Gossage covets the weekend after Indy for his always sold out IRL race. With Chicago and perhaps Road America on future IRL calendars, will the IRL really want three events in such a small area? We?ll find out soon.

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