tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77849676256700627182012-02-25T22:58:37.766-06:00...all the drama, just edited for televisionMike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.comBlogger1011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-43936285842054819962012-02-25T22:58:00.000-06:002012-02-25T22:58:37.776-06:00

I've had this weird thing lately that when I post stuff in the blog about races being added to the series, drivers looking for rides or teams looking for engines, that somewhere around that time it actually happens. I could say its because I am fully plugged into the IndyCar series (despite not paying enough attention to sign up for blogger night on Trackside Thursday), but it is more that I am

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-70765841326117961942012-02-24T11:38:00.000-06:002012-02-24T11:38:30.760-06:00

I had to work during the Gatorade Duels yesterday, so without Facebook, Twitter and other social media, my exposure to the races was to stream the first duel during my lunch and try to catch up on the second race later. As I got home from work and jumped onto Twitter in hopes of getting caught up, and lo and behold, there was a bunch of bitching going on. Ugh. Apparently Danica Patrick thanked

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-70037431272015394452012-02-23T23:43:00.000-06:002012-02-23T23:43:00.825-06:00

While IndyCar still has a couple weeks to go before the season opener in St. Pete, the Sprint Cup series gets underway this weekend with the Daytona 500. I thought in its honor this week's post should be dedicated to a few drivers who have driven (and had success) in both the Daytona 500 and Indy 500. * A.J. Foyt -- Along with winning Indy four times, of course, Foyt tasted victory in the

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-46250976310937261462012-02-21T21:21:00.001-06:002012-02-23T11:48:46.708-06:00

I'm sure most people who come to this site read many of the other blogs that are devoted to IndyCar. And if you don't, you should! Still, I want to direct, you, my fellow fans, to a couple of places that deserve your attention. The first is a new blog site called IndyCar Sponsors which lists and provides links to companies that have a vested interest in the series via their sponsorship dollars.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-88958707047076472902012-02-20T00:03:00.001-06:002012-02-22T11:11:12.010-06:00

I've been reading more and more lately that the development of the DW12 on ovals is improving, and it is now possible that Indy speeds this May could come close to reaching the levels that we have been seeing the last few years. Bobby Rahal mentioned in an interview that he could see the cars turning 230 mph laps by May. If that is the case, it's quite the testament to the work of the drivers,

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-46108668735410397032012-02-17T14:26:00.000-06:002012-02-17T14:26:37.638-06:00

Hard to believe that winter is starting to come to and end, and along with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, we are now officially less than 100 days away from the 2012 Indy 500. It's all downhill from here, peeps. There has been a lot going on in the IndyCar scene this past week, but most of it has been well-covered by my fellow bloggers. So in honor of cracking the 100-day

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-41073800599247016942012-02-13T00:19:00.000-06:002012-02-13T00:19:33.559-06:00

Kind of strange that after writing about what I believe is a make or break effort to keep the Milwaukee race alive, I come across a Facebook page dedicated to saving Nazareth Speedway. Doing some reading, I found that racing began on the site where the current track stands in 1910. After being purchased by Roger Penske in 1986 it was renovated and became a stop on the CART (1987-2001) and then

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-33602840211251864352012-02-12T17:33:00.001-06:002012-02-12T17:36:33.932-06:00

We asked, and received. We wanted more ovals on the schedule, and we got one. We wanted Milwaukee back, and they gave it to us. Now, what are we going to do with it? That's the question. Friday's announcement that Milwaukee will be back on the schedule as a 225-mile race on June 15 came as a nice surprise and good news to all. A great venue for open wheel racing, a favorite of the drivers and

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-23811408721665970382012-02-10T15:06:00.003-06:002012-02-10T21:54:42.702-06:00

Another Friday, the end of a crazy week. My trip to Cancun was "lovely" (as my mom likes to call things), stayed at a beautiful hotel, swam with the fishes (snorkeled in a beautiful national park) and drank lots of maragaritas. Oh yeah, I also got caught up in a riptide and needed to be assisted out of the ocean by a lifeguard, or as my girlfriend and I have now coined it "being baywatched".

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-67911369499611541392012-02-03T00:09:00.003-06:002012-02-03T10:36:10.195-06:00

My brain is fried from being in a Cisco training class all week, and what mind I have left is thinking about the plane bound for Cancun that I will be on in about 40 hours. But I figured a few random thoughts might be fun. So here we go... * Rubens Barrichello was all the rage this week, and with good reason as he tested well at Sebring and left Florida for Brazil in a pretty good frame of mind.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-50527784128925092372012-01-25T22:52:00.000-06:002012-01-25T22:52:19.940-06:00

There was a lot of great news in IndyCar today, most of it surrounding the official announcement of Justin Wilson to Dale Coyne Racing, where he will be reunited with engineer Bill Pappas, the man he teamed up with to pick up his lone series win at Watkins Glen in 2009. And since good things come in threes DCR also announced that Honda will be the team's engine supplier in 2012. With another

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-51527722615317891552012-01-24T14:33:00.000-06:002012-01-24T14:33:43.551-06:00

Danica Patrick answered one "big" question yesterday when she announced that she will be driving a Sprint Cup car instead of an Indy car on Memorial Day weekend. So ended a lot of speculation as to whether or not she would be back to try the 500 as a one-off effort. Previously the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte was not on her 10-race Cup schedule, but financing came through and she and her team made

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-80876849758108255232012-01-13T00:00:00.001-06:002012-01-13T00:00:01.924-06:00

Writing my post last week about the year 1972 really made me give a lot of thought about Gary Bettenhausen, who among the drivers I have followed over the last 40 years might have had one of the most star-crossed careers of them all at Indy.Gary made 21 starts in the 500 between 1968-93 and is one of only one of seven drivers to make the field 20 times, but is one of just two in that group (

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-11764825963523528762012-01-12T16:39:00.002-06:002012-01-12T22:16:00.357-06:00

...I found a couple of articles that would be required reading. In doing some research for a post about Gary Bettenhausen (that will appear tomorrow), I came across an excellent two-part series that appeared in the Los Angeles Times in May, 1991 that focused on the Bettenhausen and Vukovich families. I love great writing, and it seems that with the demise of newspapers it becomes more difficult

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-86646367545496933612012-01-11T18:43:00.000-06:002012-01-11T18:43:49.130-06:00

It was probably one of the worst-kept secrets in IndyCar over the last couple of weeks, but Andretti Autosport officially announced that James Hinchcliffe will be driving the team's Go Daddy-sponsored car this season. Good move, no make that, great move. Hinch, who drove for Newman Haas last season and had planned to do the same in 2012 until the team shut down operations a few weeks ago, is the

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-29427595815612679812012-01-06T23:43:00.001-06:002012-01-07T00:43:15.008-06:00

There are many arguments as to what represents the "golden age" of the Indy 500, where the race and its talent level, excitement and innovation was at its peak. For the generation of fans prior to me (my golden age was the 80s and 90s, but more on that someday), many point to the late 60s and early 70s as a time where the Speedway was shining in all of its glory. No doubt, big changes went on

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-83862997899263963492012-01-05T12:26:00.000-06:002012-01-05T12:26:31.190-06:00

A racing series hiring a new chief steward shouldn't be big news, but unfortunately the controversies (and I won't rehash them) that Brian Barnhart brought on over the last couple of years made it just that for IndyCar. Those decisions cost Barhart his job, and Beaux Barfield was tapped Wednesday as his replacement. The 40-year-old Barfield comes from the ALMS series and has an extensive

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-38937351436343774432011-12-30T16:01:00.000-06:002011-12-30T16:01:24.870-06:00

It is really hard to believe that I started this blog over a year ago. Certain things got in the way from my posting as much as I would have wanted to -- like I mentioned back in June...what kind of an idiot has an Indy 500 blog and doesn't make a single post in May? -- but hope to get back to where I would like to be in 2012. I've noticed that a lot of content that people liked mostly revolved

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-50600349999400255722011-12-19T13:06:00.001-06:002011-12-19T13:09:49.018-06:00

Over the weekend I finally had an opportunity to check out "Senna", the documentary on the life of the late Ayrton Senna that was released over the summer to very good reviews. I have to say the movie was excellent. As someone who has never followed Formula 1 racing all that much, I thought it was a good look into the life of a very complex man. On the racetrack, Senna was intense, fearless and

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-87586137425272763832011-12-08T12:20:00.002-06:002011-12-08T12:20:57.474-06:00

I think Sarah Fisher made everyone collectively hold their breaths a couple of months ago when she announced – in Victory Lane at Kentucky after her first win as an owner no less – that the primary sponsor that had just helped them get in the winner’s circle was more than likely leaving the team at the end of the season.Everyone can exhale now, as Fisher announced that she had formed a new

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-3637711000178984732011-11-23T22:11:00.002-06:002011-11-24T00:26:36.872-06:00

The Indy 500 lost one of its legends today as 1960 winner Jim Rathmann passed away at the age of 83. Rathmann was the oldest living 500 winner (Parnelli Jones now assumes that honor) and was one of the few drivers in the race's history to live 50 years beyond his victory. Many long-time fans of the 500 consider Rathmann's battle with Rodger Ward to be one of the greatest in the race's history.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-9718430318873551272011-11-11T13:06:00.001-06:002011-11-11T13:06:55.509-06:00

Quick, name the two (at least by my count) professional sports in this country that no longer regularly utilize the Chicago market. If you answered the PGA Tour and IndyCar, you are at least partly right! And I think that both of them are crazy! Hard to believe that any sport would bypass the third-largest television market -- not to mention one of the more rabid sports towns in the country --

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-28448416742717603772011-11-10T17:00:00.000-06:002011-11-10T17:00:02.109-06:00

The series announced today that IndyCar will race in Qingdao, China next Aug. 19 on a street course through the downtown of the city, with hopes that a permanent road course will be built sometime in the future. According to the Indy Star, Randy Bernard said that racing in China was a priority with sponsors, which was why the event is happening. I get that from a business standpoint. A race in

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-37082028722683343582011-11-06T22:22:00.000-06:002011-11-06T22:22:15.121-06:00

A little over 10 years ago, Alex Zanardi lost the lower half of both of his legs in one of the more horrific accidents in racing history. Today, he won the handcycle division of the New York Marathon. If the man doesn't inspire you, nothing can. At one time, Zanardi was one of the best, not to mention most exciting, drivers in the world. His daring moves on the racetrack are stuff of legend,

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-28310910296481847312011-11-04T00:54:00.000-05:002011-11-04T00:54:34.636-05:00

Team Penske officially announced Thursday that all three of its drivers: Will Power, Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves, will return to the team next year. That is hardly a surprise, for sure, because short of sponsor issues there really wasn't a reason for any of the seats to change hands, despite what many consider a less-than-Penske-type season from two of the three participants. Of course,

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-83863509170521955942011-11-04T00:00:00.002-05:002011-11-04T00:00:02.390-05:00

The tragedy in Las Vegas no doubt finished the season on a down note (and rightfully so). With a little time and healing it's been good to step back and reflect on the 2011 season. All-in-all, it wasn't too bad for what many considered a "throwaway" year due to the final season of using the current equipment. There was some outstanding racing at many of the stops and while the season points

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-12711266964961519972011-10-20T22:26:00.000-05:002011-10-20T22:26:12.375-05:00

For giving me one of my greatest Indy 500 memories and for showing my 15-year-old son why I think this place is so special. I'll talk about his dominant (yes, dominant, I'll explain later) run this year and his role as a Greatest 33 party crasher next week, but for now I just want to relive a wonderful, wonderful moment.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-64948529382881902812011-10-19T12:13:00.002-05:002011-10-19T15:17:00.734-05:00

Along with this blog, I am a sportswriter. In my 12-year career I have been blessed to have covered sports from the high school to professional levels, along the way dealing with some great people (and not so great ones) and having some amzing experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I didn't go to journalism school, and didn't begin my writing career until I was 31 years old, so

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-76737802168229979282011-10-16T21:04:00.002-05:002011-10-16T21:30:36.678-05:00

Like everyone else in the IndyCar world, I am numb right now. When the green flag dropped today I was full of excitement. With all of the other activities leading up to the race, everything was so...perfect. It seemed like for once everything was going to go right for the series and Randy Bernard's magic touch was going to send us into 2012 on a high note and continue IndyCar's climb back to

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-55932904159436207942011-10-08T19:58:00.000-05:002011-10-08T19:58:14.036-05:00

It was more than disheartening to read about the putrid ratings the IndyCar series pulled for the races in Japan and Kentucky. While you can try to paint it any way you want...Motegi was late at night, Kentucky ran up against NASCAR and the NFL. I say, blah, blah, blah, when the country's top level of open wheel races draws a COMBINED 300,000 viewers for the two races, something has to be done.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-25957485613939881132011-09-29T23:47:00.000-05:002011-09-29T23:47:16.753-05:00

As the Indy Star reported today, Al Unser Jr. was picked up early this morning on DUI and reckless driving charges after allegedly street racing his Suburban at upwards of 100 mph. It's just another issue in a string of post-retirement problems for Little Al, who seemed to have figured things out after facing similar charges several years ago. IndyCar has responded to the charges by suspending

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-92200054379537868532011-09-27T13:04:00.002-05:002011-09-27T14:07:30.436-05:00

Fuel mileage has been a hot topic almost all season in both IndyCar and NASCAR, and for some reason it has taken a more front-and-center stage over the last couple of weeks. In IndyCar circles, it was much-discussed on the TV broadcast from Japan, especially when several teams admitted going into conservation mode almost from the time the green flag dropped. In Cup, Tony Stewart winning on fumes

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-41036184028597399832011-09-22T16:09:00.000-05:002011-09-22T16:09:54.907-05:00

But as poor of a perception as the drivers and IndyCar fanbase has about the guy, he is better off keeping his mouth shut or letting some PR wizard handle his stuff. In an e-mail to the Indy Star (see the story here) he defends his handling of the Dario Franchitti incident and believes the correct penalty was handed out. "The basic concept of our penalty is we want the offending driver at the

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-7083069833382194992011-09-20T09:22:00.001-05:002011-09-20T10:42:27.844-05:00

I don't know if it was because it was midnight on a Saturday, but the race just had a weird vibe to it. While I'm glad they made the most of the situation and went to Motegi one final time, for some reason it just felt like a lot of people spent the weekend going through the motions. The racing seemed benign and conservative for the most part, and if it weren't for the hilarious,

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-8816410496789937022011-07-31T23:36:00.000-05:002011-07-31T23:36:04.077-05:00

I have to admit that for a long time I wasn't a big fan of Dan Wheldon's. I don't know why, so I'm not even going to offer an explanation. But over the last year or so I have really become a fan, and the main reason is because he honestly gets it. He really has a passion for the sport, the series, and the Speedway. My respect for him really grew in the off-season when no matter what was thrown

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-6196000005604377632011-07-20T19:00:00.005-05:002011-07-20T19:09:55.567-05:00

Interesting, but not surprising, news today that X-Game legend, rally car driver and all-around adrenaline junkie Travis Pastrana has committed to becoming one of the five non-IndyCar drivers to accept a seat in the race for the $5 million prize to the driver who can win the season finale in Las Vegas. You can read about it here. "For me to not do that, I would regret it for the rest of my life

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-57739004048050681152011-06-27T23:59:00.001-05:002011-06-28T14:54:22.306-05:00

Beyond that, no title gives the weekend justice. As someone who is part-Iowan (I was born and lived for a while in Davenport and my family's roots in the state go back over 125 years), I was really proud and impressed by the way people came out and supported the event. I was at the Midwest League All-Star game (low Class A) in the Quad Cities on Tuesday and they did the exact same thing.Very cool

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-28817577140333421462011-06-10T20:08:00.001-05:002011-06-10T20:09:58.633-05:00

...starts an Indy 500 blog and doesn't post anything about the Indy 500? Ummm, that would be me. What can I say, lots going on in both my professional and personal life left little opportunity (or motivation) to write any more than I already was. But I have finally had my fill of writing baseball stories and nothing else, so here I am again. While my May didn't work out the way I had planned, I

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-15265965047143668832011-04-24T20:50:00.000-05:002011-04-24T20:50:26.726-05:00

The weather is getting better and the days are flying by. The 15 Days in May are almost here! Row 5 was a bit of a challenge, and at times it would have been a better idea to have listed drivers in no uncertain order! But, it's all for fun (and debate) and it's an opportunity to learn more about the 500 and its heroes. Inside Row 5: Mauri Rose Rose's career was a bit interesting because he is

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-30459079158030212352011-04-19T17:36:00.000-05:002011-04-19T17:36:38.731-05:00

Sunday's Grand Prix of Long Beach really surprised me in how much I enjoyed watching the race. What I've always liked about Long Beach is its history and community involvement, and how that's a pretty cool thing. But I will admit I've never been a fan of the racing. It's a tight course that in the past hasn't always led to good racing, but I watched both qualifying and the race itself and thought

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-62730797588792308142011-04-12T00:46:00.001-05:002011-04-12T01:12:32.290-05:00

I've been up to my neck in learning about VOIP phone systems (and yes I'm still confused!) so everything else has taken a bit of a back seat lately. But through some miracle I was able to watch Sunday's race and have a few thoughts, in no particular order: * Will Power is just better than everyone else right now. Yes he has the best of everything behind him, but you don't do what he does on road

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-74388435035650767872011-04-01T16:41:00.000-05:002011-04-01T16:41:14.174-05:00

I've seen some discussion recently about where 1996 winner Buddy Lazier fits among the roster of great drivers in 500 history. I think everyone can agree that Lazier wouldn't make it on anyone's Top 33 list. But I do take exception to people who say he is either not worthy of consideration because of the era in which he had his succcess or he is overrated because of the circumstances that were

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-18270684431363459992011-03-19T12:56:00.001-05:002011-03-19T12:58:48.818-05:00

Yesterday I shared my initial thoughts about the Greatest 33 website. I've spent some more time on the site and really like it for a lot of reasons, the biggest being that it brings back some great memories. As I mentioned, I took a little exception to a few of the drivers on the list. Then as I did some more research to see who I would include on the list I came to a strange conclusion: it

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-2612653532273865702011-03-19T01:04:00.003-05:002011-03-19T02:05:27.385-05:00

Actually this post should be sub-titled "Where the Hell Have You Been?", but with the release this week of the Greatest 33 website I figured I'd better get in gear! Row 4 includes a couple of three-time winners and another guy who won twice and might have won more if not for personal problems and missing several races in the prime of his career. Inside Row 4: Helio Castroneves The popular

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-42528837365535437622011-03-18T11:57:00.002-05:002011-03-19T11:32:55.250-05:00

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway officially unveiled its Greatest 33 website this week. The site is very slick, and I think it is a great place to learn more about the Speedway and the drivers themselves. I also like the place where fans can share stories and memories of their favorites. Still, the starting list of 100 drivers is sure to cause some discussion. Debate the rest of the list all

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-294229976181869632011-03-16T00:47:00.000-05:002011-03-16T00:47:20.589-05:00

Ralph DePalma has always been a driver that has fascinated me. By all accounts, he was one of the most dominant drivers of his era, and was a front-runner in several of the earliest runnings of the 500, leading 612 laps (second-most all-time) and winning the race in 1915. According to his bio with the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, DePalma won more than 2000 races in his career, and is

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-22818861114659186092011-03-06T02:19:00.000-06:002011-03-06T02:19:28.142-06:00

I have seen this picture of an exhausted Bill Vukovich collecting himself after winning the 1954 500 a couple of times and it is just amazing. From the Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo archives, it was posted recently on their blog. This photo just totally captures what racing was like for drivers of that era, and the effort it took to drive one of those cars. Though they were beautiful to look

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-37043868484253853522011-02-25T11:55:00.000-06:002011-02-25T11:55:14.283-06:00

The debate is finally over, Row 3 is finally in the field. Just as a review, here's a recap of my first two rows, linked in the event anyone wants to re-read them several times for fun. Row 1: Rick Mears, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Row 2: Bill Vukovich, Bobby Unser, Wilbur Shaw As I mentioned in my recent Johnny Rutherford post, the further back you go in the field, the harder it is to pick drivers.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-23585684256840701922011-02-23T16:46:00.001-06:002011-02-23T17:35:56.763-06:00

Which is why Randy Bernard choose to officially announce the season-ending Vegas race while in Las Vegas yesterday. Yes, I know that race announcements take place in the city in which it will be held, but the point is that Bernard has been on such a hot streak that it made it all that more appropriate. While setting the date of Oct. 16 was a bit anticlamactic given we all knew about that,

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-2421993150120466052011-02-22T17:01:00.000-06:002011-02-22T17:01:20.203-06:00

(Editor's note: I'm totally having fun with this, just remember as you read this post to not take it seriously. Well, for the most part.) First off, my confession: I watched both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Daytona this weekend. My defenses were down as it's been a long winter and it is racing (well, sort of). Then again, a confession (and subsequent penance) is not necessary I know a

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-81757865474283090882011-02-20T00:28:00.000-06:002011-02-20T00:28:53.822-06:00

After easily coming up with my first two rows (which were pretty much no-brainers) I have been vigorously debating Row 3 for quite some time. Not really, I've been busy with real life, but I have found that the further back in the field the harder it gets to sort out the great drivers. I've tried to weigh wins over everything else when it comes to putting drivers on the grid, but there are

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-24227521694852623432011-02-13T17:34:00.002-06:002011-02-13T17:43:07.672-06:00

I am a huge baseball fan, and like most I have a fascination with the numbers and statistics that have made the game's history. I am finding I have that same curiosity about the 500, and recently I was looking at the number of drivers who had just a "cup of coffee" of a career at Indy. In baseball, the term refers to a player who made it to the big leagues but played just a handful of games

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-40629326344993042542011-02-12T01:43:00.000-06:002011-02-12T01:43:54.803-06:00

Like everyone else, I was very stunned by the news of the passing of Tom Carnegie today at the age of 91. It's a sad day for the Indy 500, as yet another one of the Speedway's greats has left us. Though I never met Tom, like everyone else I always felt like he was my friend. His way of announcing what was happening on the track had that style. It was like he was talking to each of us

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-52497540739038668732011-02-08T09:39:00.007-06:002011-02-08T09:44:50.859-06:00

I don't like to bash on NASCAR...really. I have no issue with NASCAR, and admit to enjoy watching some of the races. I'll probably watch Daytona, and like watching races on any of the non-1.5 mile tracks. But sometimes they throw something out there that is so ridiculous it needs its own response. And this is one of them. According to this article on ESPN.com, with the race less than two weeks

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-26436377805708529712011-02-05T00:13:00.000-06:002011-02-05T00:13:53.007-06:00

(Editor's note: It's still Friday somewhere!) Quick, name the seven men who have made more than 20 starts in the Indy 500. The first six are fairly easy as they involve former winners, famous last names, or a combination of both. Of course A.J. Foyt leads the way with 35 starts, and Mario Andretti is second with 29. The list also includes Al Unser Sr. (27), Gordon Johncock (24), Johnny

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-74745562691932727112011-02-01T22:38:00.002-06:002011-02-01T22:41:21.960-06:00

One of the best things about this blog is that in doing research for my posts I have come across many other great writings that have taught me so much about the history of the 500 and the Speedway. We are all very fortunate that there are so many passionate fans of the race, and how they are able to share that with others through their writing. In reading up on the legendary Wilbur Shaw, I came

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-46402429005672753642011-02-01T21:54:00.011-06:002011-02-02T14:42:32.021-06:00

As part of the Speedway's Greatest 33 vote, I'm putting together my own field of legends. Tonight is row two. Inside Row 2: Bill Vukovich blog.indianapolismotorspeedway.com Vuky's Indy career was a lot like that of  Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax -- very short but utterly dominant. When he was killed while in the lead on Lap 57 of the 1955 race, Vuky had completed just 676 laps in

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-47669680352757540412011-02-01T15:04:00.003-06:002011-02-02T01:55:50.185-06:00

With most of us getting ready to ride out the blizzard at home over the next couple of days, Andretti Autosport gave us something to talk about by announcing today that Mike Conway has signed with the team for 2011, joining Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Danica Patrick to complete the expected four-car team. http://www.modified.com/ Sponsorship will be announced at a later date. The 27

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-70021985312839145572011-01-30T00:59:00.002-06:002011-01-30T08:31:19.617-06:00

The Indy 500 has been around for 100 years, and for 82 of those that race was the only event held on the hallowed grounds. When NASCAR arrived with much fanfare (and hand-wringing from traditionalist fans) in 1994, Formula 1 followed a few years later in 2000 and finally Moto GP took the track way back to its roots when motorcycles began racing there in 2008. Now the Speedway has multiple

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-77365202518910926642011-01-28T10:51:00.000-06:002011-01-28T10:51:11.970-06:00

For a while there, it was common to see a driver do double duty and race in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on the same day. John Andretti was the first driver to attempt the feat in 1994, while Robby Gordon doubled up four times and Tony Stewart ran both races twice. Stewart is the only driver to finish on the lead lap in both races (1,100 total miles) by finishing

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-88370966304774500462011-01-27T22:21:00.001-06:002011-02-02T14:41:38.357-06:00

Voting begins later on in the spring for the Speedway’s Greatest 33. With a pool of 100 drivers to choose from, whittling it down to the best of that group will be an interesting process. veer.com I’ve started assembling my field, and some of my choices as to where each driver “qualifies” is even a bit surprising to me! But over the course of the next few weeks, I will be revealing my choices,

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-13332737477892394882011-01-26T17:50:00.000-06:002011-01-26T17:50:45.301-06:00

There are so many very, very cool things in the works to celebrate the Centennial in May, and the Speedway recently gave fans a taste of a new website that is sure to spark a lot of conversation and debate.It’s called The Greatest 33, and it will be a site where fans can vote on who they think would make up the best 11 rows of three of all-time.In all, 732 drivers have competed in the 500, and

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-85562780600489628482011-01-24T00:57:00.000-06:002011-01-24T00:57:08.826-06:00

In an interview on the Trackside radio show Thursday night, Marco Andretti told hosts Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin that he was feeling pretty confident about his 2011 season. He has reason to be optimistic as 2010 was arguably the best of his five-season INDYCAR career. Though his best finish of the season was third (Indy, Texas, Chicago), he scored a career-high number of points with 392 and had

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-10400775991549702212011-01-22T18:57:00.000-06:002011-01-22T18:57:26.257-06:00

During the decades of the 1970s and 80s, there were a handful of exciting drivers that when they were on the track brought fans to the edge of their seats. Checkered flag or crash, they were pure entertainment.It seems like that era had its share of hard-charging, all-or-nothing drivers, and leading the way was “The Gas Man” – Tom Sneva.His 18-race career was nothing short of spectacular, and one

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-31113588688230459212011-01-20T22:31:00.005-06:002011-01-20T22:40:50.324-06:00

Like all of us, Jake Query loves the Indianapolis 500. But unlike the rest of us, he's fortunate enough that it’s also his job. A part of the IMS Radio Network since 2007, the North Central High School and Indiana graduate gets to spend his month of May at the Speedway, and also gets paid to do it. Needless to say, he likes his gig a lot. After two years of working as a pit reporter, Query moved

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-68686157861868415532011-01-20T09:02:00.000-06:002011-01-20T09:02:34.284-06:00

It's been a long week here and just no time whatsoever to get anything posted. But once I get back to it I'm excited about some of the content that I have planned. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for: * Q&A with Jake Query, a member of the IMS radio race day broadcast. * Profiles on drivers I've enjoyed watching over the years and those who are my favorites (in no certain order). Look

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-70533140841181381172011-01-16T19:18:00.015-06:002011-01-16T19:23:55.317-06:00

There has been a lot of talk about restart procedures in the INDYCAR series since it was announced last week that the races will go to double-file restarts on ovals beginning at either Indy or Texas. Many of the drivers have expressed their concern about the change, and they all have their reasons. But playing devil's advocate here...I can understand their feelings, but at the same time, they

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-194382437389051972011-01-13T23:23:00.000-06:002011-01-13T23:23:45.073-06:00

In other sports, it is common for teams to retire numbers to symbolically recognize great players or historical moments. It would be a neat addition to the Centennial celebration if the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would "retire" a few significant numbers in the race's history. Here would be a great place to start: 1 -- For decades the car that won the "national" championship the previous season

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-44051160604394959952011-01-12T21:27:00.001-06:002011-01-12T21:39:06.003-06:00

I have been happy and amazed at the response to my original Green/White/Checker post from a couple of days ago. Thanks for reading and commenting, that's what this blog is here for. So with that in mind, I thought I would share IndyCar operations man Brian Barnhart's comments in an excellent piece posted on More Front Wing as part of their coverage at the State of IndyCar event on Tuesday.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-89483149654913823692011-01-12T09:21:00.000-06:002011-01-12T09:21:58.793-06:00

Since many of my fellow bloggers were able to attend State of IndyCar function and did a fantastic job with both their live and follow-up coverage, I'm not going to get into a large-scale roundup of the plethora of information that was passed on Tuesday in Indianapolis, other than to say I'm extremely jealous and wish I had been there! In all, it was just a great day for the series, and Randy

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-53972788554011397342011-01-11T01:22:00.000-06:002011-01-11T01:22:02.218-06:00

With Randy Bernard's State of IndyCar address coming later today, I've seen thoughts and ideas thrown about as to how to improve the series and to make it more appealing to the fans. Which in turn would drive up attendance and TV viewership while making all of us who have stood tall in the bad times very happy. Some I'm OK with, but one that I don't is the idea that I've seen thrown around

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-43178606658565895892011-01-08T00:52:00.002-06:002011-01-08T10:38:58.593-06:00

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway posted a great video of the 1961 duel between Eddie Sachs and A.J. Foyt. Great stuff: Apologies for the formatting issues. I promise I'll do better next time! Anyway, I watched the video and couple of times and here is what got me thinking...A.J. Foyt is one of (if not the) best race drivers who ever lived. But do you know that three of his record four wins came

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-19450422962306998412011-01-07T00:00:00.002-06:002011-01-07T00:00:03.891-06:00

I'm heading to Florida and Disney World for the weekend. So in honor of that a little old-school IRL action at Walt Disney World Speedway. Too bad the Indy Racing Experience is sold out!

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-87021976328937478922011-01-04T22:46:00.000-06:002011-01-04T22:46:18.849-06:00

I don’t know why this is, because my interest in racing was waning a bit at the time, but Greg Moore’s death in October, 1999, hit me about as hard as the sport losing a driver ever has in my lifetime. I’m sure part of it was the fact he was only 24 years old, that the way he lost his life was so violent (his car was pulling 154gs at the time of impact) and that a career was full of so much

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-3955589291648585312011-01-03T12:32:00.000-06:002011-01-03T12:32:31.547-06:00

Just the other day my little site recorded its 1,000th page view. It's so amazing that there are IndyCar fans all over the world, and that we have a way to share our passions for the sport. I was curious as to why I'd had so many views and so few comments, since I see some great insight and opinions to posts on other sites. I found out that I had it set for registered IDs only. OK, so I'm not

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-15600779818163061802011-01-02T03:07:00.009-06:002011-01-02T03:41:54.195-06:00

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway released that as its 2011 centennial race slogan, and for a place that understands and reveres history so much, I have to question their decision. (Its cheesiness can be covered elsewhere) With the positive forward progress the IndyCar series has made recently, it is the most important of the current era, I'll give them that. The series is in a prime position to

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-15528636931381156442010-12-31T01:49:00.001-06:002010-12-31T01:50:38.242-06:00

Probably the most significant move IndyCar made in 2010 was bringing on Randy Bernard as the CEO back in the spring. The success he had with building up the Professional Bull Riding series was impressive, but given the fact by his own admission he had never even seen a race prior to his hiring, it made people wonder if he would have the ability to figure everything out and start moving forward in

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-13164621753976193992010-12-30T01:10:00.001-06:002010-12-30T01:15:11.704-06:00

Speaking of Pole Day, this year represented the first time my 14 and 10-year-old boys had been to the Speedway. After enduring a 3-hour car ride from Chicago and sitting in the afternoon heat, the first question my little one asks when we got back to the car: "When do they have time trials again so we can go?" His brother then nodded. Hopefully I've started passing along my love for open wheel

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-58465998520235810262010-12-30T01:00:00.000-06:002010-12-30T01:00:40.849-06:00

Despite the dominance of the red cars in 2010, I felt like there were actually a lot of great moments and some memorable highlights to the IndyCar season. But the one that sticks out in my mind is Helio Castroneves' performance during Pole Day at Indy. Being there that day I think is what sets it apart for me. To be able to feel the temps (pushing 80) and how the sun was beating down on the

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-6391027145832458732010-12-29T02:20:00.000-06:002010-12-29T02:20:16.097-06:00

...but I couldn't go without a mention of the new Indy 500 commemorative stamp. Wow. This is really cool! I've always loved the Wasp and while I know it probably can't be done, I wish a team could paint up their car and run No. 32 this May. Consider it like a throwback jersey!

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-22122671002417376682010-12-27T14:37:00.005-06:002010-12-27T14:47:28.948-06:00

According to several sources (and I'll list one here) it was announced late last week that Simona DeSilvestro has secured a multi-year agreement with HVM Racing that includes the all-important full sponsorship. "Yes, we’ve signed a multi-year agreement with a sponsor to secure Simona’s future," team owner Keith Wiggins told SpeedTV. “We’ll have an official announcement and press

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-34759566207482601782010-12-24T00:21:00.017-06:002010-12-24T11:21:03.215-06:00

Great post on IndyCar Advocate today about three defining Indy 500 moments: http://www.indycaradvocate.com/ Like many, the Speedway is special to me...a living, breathing place that has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. I have so many memories, of waking up on Pole Day and driving down from Peoria, IL, living just a mile from the track for a couple of years, so close that I could

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-82575767877620009832010-12-22T01:40:00.013-06:002010-12-22T11:46:41.900-06:00

Indy Star racing guru Curt Cavin recently remarked in his Ask The Expert blog that his favorite Indy 500 was Jacques Villeneuve's 505-mile win in 1995.That’s a pretty good call, and probably in my own personal top-5, along with Emerson Fittipaldi’s duel with Al Unser Jr. (1989) and Sam Hornish’s last lap pass of Marco Andretti to win in 2006.But which race in the Mike Knapp Era (since 1979) is my

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-44006272671021808812010-12-21T17:44:00.000-06:002010-12-21T17:44:48.200-06:00

(Second in a two-part series) When Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball were introduced as Target Chip Ganassi's newest drivers last week, Ganassi made a strange comment that really got me thinking. "As a company, we need to stay competitive and on the forefront," he said last Thursday. "I think you have to be constantly looking at what drivers are coming along. I'm not pushing (Dario) Franchitti

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-72050757972910221312010-12-21T00:01:00.007-06:002010-12-21T00:20:27.138-06:00

(Part one of a two-part series) During the summer I cover a minor league baseball team (Kane County Cougars, a KC Royals affiliate) and when I was thinking of the angle I wanted to take with Chip Ganassi expanding his team and bringing in Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball, I kept thinking about conversations I have with pro scouts, coaches and front office guys. The more thought I gave this, the

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-31699908107991073722010-12-19T11:43:00.000-06:002010-12-19T11:55:26.329-06:00

By now it is pretty much common knowledge that Tony Kanaan is heading to DeFerran Dragon Racing for 2011. That's a great signing and will be a great partnership as TK is the guy that can take that team to the next level. The administration part of the organization has always been solid with Jay Penske in charge, and was even strengthened when de Ferran came on last season. Now they have a guy

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-84522894382208113252010-12-17T12:49:00.000-06:002010-12-17T12:50:21.505-06:00

Friday is upon us once again, and today is about post-season awards. I’ve mailed everyone who appeared in a race this year a participation trophy, because they are all winners, darn it (!) and the guys listed below get the special awards, plus a free chicken dinner at the 15 Days In May banquet. Hope they can make it! Driver of the Year: Dario Fanchitti. Will Power won more races (5) and

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-87824528262900883842010-12-16T13:01:00.000-06:002010-12-16T13:01:29.206-06:00

Let's revisit his 2006 win. This is actually from the ESPN Deportes broadcast. I can barely understand a word these guys say, but excitement and enthusiasm always translates. Just some funny stuff.

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-85164226158121876392010-12-16T12:54:00.000-06:002010-12-16T22:19:16.945-06:00

There are rumors, reports or otherwise wishful thinking that have Sam Hornish coming back to run the Indy 500. While these rumors have been around since he left for the greener (pun intended) fields of NASCAR after winning the race and series championship in 2006, they seem a little more plausible this year, given his lack of sponsorship and funding for the 2011 Sprint Cup season. He certainly

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-58619830008707369422010-12-15T23:29:00.000-06:002010-12-15T23:34:40.134-06:00

The guy is total entertainment on the track and it looks like he might be just as much fun to watch when he is at the keyboard. Blogging for the first time on the IndyCar website, he pulls very few punches. http://blog.indycar.com/ Scheckter has a lot to say on several different issues, and while he is on point with some things and a little off on others, I like the fact that they are his

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-4530004164120466032010-12-14T14:37:00.000-06:002010-12-14T14:37:44.212-06:00

Congrats are in order to Ryan Briscoe for finishing the Kiawah Island Half-Marathon last Saturday in a time of one hour, 53 minutes, 39 seconds! If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm a runner. A very fat, slow runner, but one nonetheless. I have a few marathons and half-marathons under my belt, so I take particular interest in the drivers and their workout routines, especially the guys who like

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-30049922440031187312010-12-14T01:44:00.000-06:002010-12-14T01:44:21.641-06:00

Not the way the series is going now. The good news keeps coming in droves for the IndyCar series, and continued today with the announcement of J.R. Hildebrand officially joining the fold at Panther Racing. Also being reported is that Graham Rahal has a seat in a new partnership between everything-he-touches-turns-to-gold Chip Ganassi and drag racing legend Don Prudhomme. Joining Rahal will be

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-26395110745455287272010-12-12T23:06:00.000-06:002010-12-12T23:06:20.578-06:00

Look for me on my new Twitter account: @15daysinmay You can also find me on my personal accound: @knappieruns262

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-29628104372391443542010-12-12T17:37:00.000-06:002010-12-13T00:03:13.863-06:00

Though I can't find the direct quote, motorsports writer Brant James tweeted from a Performance Racing tradeshow roundtable discussion that IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said that he wants to bring the speed back to the Indy 500, so long as it can be done safely. I've been waiting for a long time to hear something like that! Bernard has been saying and doing plenty of the right things lately, and

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-31853060530646405822010-12-10T14:56:00.000-06:002010-12-10T15:03:36.065-06:00

Since Fast Friday is more than likely trademarked (and we don't want to step on anyone's toes here at 15 Days...especially if those toes have lawyers), the Frenetic Friday portion of the program involves little known facts, statistics or my very own opinion on a particular subject. Today is little-known facts about 500 winners:  1) 1911 winner Ray Harroun may have won the 500 in his only

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-39167378359581828832010-12-09T15:18:00.000-06:002010-12-09T22:57:44.473-06:00

Major props to Pressdog, who welcomed me into the IndyCar blogosphere with an absolutely hysterical post on his site today! http://pressdog.typepad.com/ He's fantastic and his race day blogs are an absolute riot. Becoming a fan of his site was one of the reasons I thought it might be fun to do this. Oh wait, I'm not supposed to be having fun! LOL I appreciate the response and once my blogging

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-2008989404570767812010-12-07T13:56:00.000-06:002010-12-09T23:01:49.814-06:00

This is what my blog is all about. "Just thinking about the Indy 500 gives me goose bumps, raises my heart rate and gets me more excited than any kid could possibly get about either Thanksgiving, Christmas or meeting his/her favourite superhero." -- Alex Tagliani The rest of his blog post is here: http://blogs.canoe.ca/tagliani/general/thankful-for-indy-500/

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-11791257652524609612010-12-06T16:15:00.000-06:002010-12-10T14:58:25.310-06:00

Those of us who happen to remember Bowie Kuhn as the commissioner of baseball back in the day might remember his blocking of certain deals and contracts as not being in the "best interests of baseball". Does IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard have that power as well? Because if he did he might want to use it. Penske Racing had made two prior sponsor announcements in the last few days (Shell Oil and

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-28671070408931041852010-12-06T09:07:00.000-06:002010-12-06T09:07:13.502-06:00

As I sit here with below-zero windchills outside, it's hard to think May will EVER get here! But we are halfway there, so here are a few highlights to keep us going through the winter:

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784967625670062718.post-15033727964557738742010-12-03T14:59:00.000-06:002010-12-04T00:59:01.003-06:00

No, not really. But it is what gave me the idea for this blog. Racing broadcaster Jack Arute invited me to post a "guest blog" on his website. Of course I obliged, and you can read my engine manifesto here... http://blog.jackaruteonsports.com/indycar/another-fans-opinion.html

Mike Knapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772828680622049166noreply@blogger.com0