George Phillips of Oilpressure (Oilpressure.wordpress.com) recently asked “Where have all the bloggers gone?”. I’m here George, I’m here! I just haven’t wrote a new post since the end of the IndyCar season. I have no excuse, well no good one. I write posts in my head all the time but just don’t take the time to put them down. So even though I am a bit pressed for time this morning (in a fun way, we are on our annual trip to Wisconsin with family for Eagle watching) I’m going to write a couple things that have been on my mind.
I say it all the time but I’m so thankful for Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee. They keep me updated on all the IndyCar news all year long. I love listening to the podcast.
If you are reading this I’m sure you are reading George’s blog- Oilpressure. He is the king of bloggers. He is so faithful posting three times a week all year long. 99% of the time I agree with him, very seldom I feel I have a different opinion. The other blog you must follow is The Pit Window (formerly The First Fifty Races are the Hardest) by Mike Silver. Mike updates regularly and gives his thoughts on the news in IndyCar. My favorite posts from Mike though are when he recalls a race or event from his 50+ years of being a fan. He has met some legends and his post about meeting Harry Hartz is among my favorites. Also keep an eye on Mike Knapp, 15 Days in May. He has also started writing for Beyond the Flag. Mike is another good friend and I always enjoy his insights.
On to IndyCar news- some not so new (each of these deserve their own post but that is what I get for procrastinating)
AJ FOYT RACING- This team once again is starting fresh with all new drivers. Lots of people have lots of thoughts about the decision and so do I- both good and bad. The good- Tony Kanaan moving to AJ’s team is amazing! Sure the team has struggled but once they built some continuity they will figure some things out and win races again. I have no doubt about that. They have good employees in place and the competition is so close, they aren’t that far off, never have been, they just need that little extra bit. I think TK will help with that a lot. Many say racers end their career at Foyt Racing and I expect the same will be true of Tony but for different reasons- he will retire before too long. I though an very thankful he has a ride for 2018. I love that my current favorite driver is racing for my first favorite driver. Tony did not have great years at Ganassi Racing but he is still competitive and I expect great things. The fan girl in me (she is quite prominent if you haven’t figured that out) has played out the scenario where TK wins The 500 for AJ and both enjoy that wonderful drink of milk many times. That would be amazing.
The bad- I have nothing against Matheus Leist but I was so incredibly disappointed that Conor Daly was not returning. I don’t agree with that decision at all. Conor just needs another season with the same team and we will see results. I hate the idea of him not driving in IndyCar. Dale please hire him! I begged Larry at Gateway (long before we knew who would be driving in 2018) to keep Conor. Can’t believe he didn’t listen to the crazy fan telling him what she thought the team should do. Well okay I didn’t expect him to listen but I’m still so very disappointed. Conor and TK would have been an amazing team.
NEW QUALIFYING RULES AND INDY 500 QUALIFICATION POINTS- Qualifying order on the ovals will now be determined by entrant points. While qualifying order is not super important on an oval I’m not thrilled with this decision. The drivers in the points lead will go last almost guaranteeing they win the Pole. I prefer a random draw and a chance for any team/driver to win the Pole.
Indianapolis 500 qualification points will be significantly less than they have been in the last few years but still offer more than other races. They were too high before but I do think qualifying for Indy is much more important than any other race so I never had a problem with it. I do think the new points are better though. Somewhere in between would be about perfect for me.
DANICA PATRICK- Danica announced she would run the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 before retiring. It was big news and while some wish she would just go away others were quite excited and saw it as a good thing for IndyCar. I’ve always liked Danica so I was excited to see her back at The 500. However, she is struggling to find a ride. This infuriates me. Why was IndyCar so willing to kick Stefan Wilson out of his seat to make room for Fernando Alonso but no one will lift a finger to help Danica. Many say that having Danica race will help ratings and be big news (same things said about Alonso) so why is it so hard for her to find a seat? There are 33. However, so help me if anyone even looks at Stefan’s car Andretti Autosport will never hear the end of it from me. I get that Danica is not as big as Fernando Alonso but I still don’t get it.
REALITY TV- Arie Luyendyk Jr is The Bachelor. This show is a bit ridiculous but I’ve always liked Arie. IndyCar and Racing have played a prominent role on the show. Two weeks in and we’ve seen Arie Sr. on both episodes and Robby Gordon on the second. I will never understand why you go on a reality show and compete to win the guy but for now I’m watching- that is a true fan.
Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly are on The Amazing Race. This show is one I already watch. So far we haven’t seen much of Rossi and Daly but there are several references to them as the IndyCar drivers. Curt Cavin has implied that they stick around for awhile. I’m enjoying watching and love that I can get my IndyCar fix.
So to answer George’s question- I’m still here and plan to stay. I will never be a three time a week blogger but I do love doing it and sharing my thoughts and experiences. Thanks George for the kick in the butt to post.
Extra note- I didn’t mention my cousin, Randy, in my end of year post. (He made sure I heard about that) He accompanied me to both Indy 500 Pole Day and the race at Gateway last year. He enjoyed both and looks forward to attending more races. I think I made a new fan. Thanks Randy for putting up with me- and here is your mention on my blog lol.
Also Steve bought me a scanner and headset for our 20th wedding anniversary. He is not a fan but always supports my IndyCar addiction. He was good to me at Christmas with many IndyCar gifts and topped it off with the awesome gift of the scanner. Can’t wait to break it in.
Thank you all for reading!
ikissedthebricks 