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 China is good for the sponsors involved, as well as for further raising the awareness of the series in that region of the world. Plus, it gives the drivers exposure to a large fanbase that has never seen them before...which actually may work out very well.
I just hope that they learned some lessons from the Japan race this year in the way it is presented back to us in the States. I know that the situation in Motegi was different due to the move to the road course because of the earthquake, as well as the knowledge beforehand that it was the series' final race at the venue. But the racing was bad, there were lots of empty seats and the TV ratings were horrible, which to many added to the running joke that some people perceive the series.
If they are going to take the series so far from home, they have to do it right. They need to build a course that will make for some great racing, they need to promote the hell out of it so that a large crowd shows up, and lastly, the TV issue needs to be addressed and somehow fixed.
How? Hard to say. With what will probably be a 12-13 hour time difference to most of the country during the summer, it's a little difficult to work out. The only other racing series that deals with time differences like this is Formula 1, but with a global audience and a more rabid following it isn't much of an issue. People will get out of bed and tune in at 2 a.m. for an F1 race, they won't do it for IndyCar. Motegi proved that when just 112,000 of us stayed up past midnight to watch it.
Someone is going to have to come up with a solution because the series can't afford to have throwaway races like this when it comes to TV viewership. In and around Qingdao, the race may be a total success, and it is very important for IndyCar to have as much of a global cover as it can. But if they put on a race and no one watches, does anyone care?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Amazing Alex Zanardi
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, and many of them haven't been duplicated since. Zanardi won 12 races in 1997-98 while winning back-to-back CART championships, and one of his enduring legacies to the sport is his post-race celebratory donuts at the start-finish line.
His accident in September, 2001 may have been the end of his high-level racing career, but it was the start of a new life that he embraced with his usual vigor and enthusiasm. Instead of feeling sorry for himself or lamenting the end of his successful (and more likely lucrative) career, Zanardi didn't see his own limitations, instead he worked at figuring out how he could make the most of his situation.
Within two years he was driving race cars with hand controls, and since 2005 has made 105 starts in touring cars, winning four times.
He took up handcycling (basically a three-wheeled bike that is powered by hand cranks) in 2007 and has won several races, with the hope of representing Italy in the 2012 Paralympics. If it has wheels, the guy can still make it go fast...I know if I raced handcycles and I were lining up for a race and Alex Zanardi rolled up next to me, I would probably conceed I was racing for second place.
The most amazing thing? If you do a Google search of Alex Zanardi photos you almost always see him with a smile on his face. For everything he has been through, he still sees the best in everything and still sees life as a gift, and something to be lived.
Like Greg Moore, Zanardi never raced at Indy, but if he had it's a good bet his face would be on the Borg-Warner Trophy. Still, he is an amazing ambassador to the sport and is a reminder to all of us that nothing is truly impossible.
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, and many of them haven't been duplicated since. Zanardi won 12 races in 1997-98 while winning back-to-back CART championships, and one of his enduring legacies to the sport is his post-race celebratory donuts at the start-finish line.His accident in September, 2001 may have been the end of his high-level racing career, but it was the start of a new life that he embraced with his usual vigor and enthusiasm. Instead of feeling sorry for himself or lamenting the end of his successful (and more likely lucrative) career, Zanardi didn't see his own limitations, instead he worked at figuring out how he could make the most of his situation.
Within two years he was driving race cars with hand controls, and since 2005 has made 105 starts in touring cars, winning four times.
He took up handcycling (basically a three-wheeled bike that is powered by hand cranks) in 2007 and has won several races, with the hope of representing Italy in the 2012 Paralympics. If it has wheels, the guy can still make it go fast...I know if I raced handcycles and I were lining up for a race and Alex Zanardi rolled up next to me, I would probably conceed I was racing for second place.
The most amazing thing? If you do a Google search of Alex Zanardi photos you almost always see him with a smile on his face. For everything he has been through, he still sees the best in everything and still sees life as a gift, and something to be lived.
Like Greg Moore, Zanardi never raced at Indy, but if he had it's a good bet his face would be on the Borg-Warner Trophy. Still, he is an amazing ambassador to the sport and is a reminder to all of us that nothing is truly impossible.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Team Penske Stays Intact for 2012
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, Power threw down his second straight outstanding campaign, winning six times and finishing second in points to Dario Franchitti for the second year in a row. A master at road and street courses, Power finally scored his first win on an oval at Texas, but low finishes (and some bad luck) at Iowa, Toronto and Kentucky were his undoing.
Castroneves, on the other hand, had his worst season in his 12 with the organization, finishing 11th in points, including nine finishes of 17th or worse, and failing to win a race for the first time this century. He also was at fault in several incidents early in the season, and spent a lot of time either apologizing or explaining his actions. But what made this season very un-Helio-like was the fact he was an absolute non-factor at Indianapolis. After qualifying 16th he drove around in the back of the pack all day and eventually finished a lap down in 17th place. It was the first time in his career that he finished the race but was not on the lead lap.
Briscoe finished the season sixth in points and posted four podium finishes in a season that looked worse on paper than it really was. Several of his poor early-season efforts were the result of incidents that weren't of his doing (like at Birmingham and Indy) and he might have only trailed Graham Rahal in the bad luck category in a couple of other races.
It's strange that Briscoe has been on the hot seat virtually since he started racing with Penske. It just seems like people put him as the odd-man-out whenever the discussion of a seat coming open on that team arises, even though he has seven wins in his tenure. Perhaps it is because his efforts at Indy have been disappointing, and next to championships a Penske driver is judged on their performace at the Brickyard. Who knows.
Still, what we do know is that Roger Penske likes continutity with his organizations, and more than anything that is reflected in the team staying together. Since the 2000 season, Penske Racing has employed just five full-time drivers: the current team, Sam Hornish Jr. (left for NASCAR) and Gil de Ferran (retired). He doesn't like change and tries hard to not play musical chairs with his drivers, which is a testament to his vetting process in the first place.
It's obvious that his team brings what he wants to the table. Power is working his way up the list of the world's finest drivers (figuring out ovals would make him an absolute superstar), you have to think Castroneves' season was an outlier, and even if it weren't, his Indy performance was, and there isn't any reason to believe he won't capture that magic again one -- or even two -- more times. I would guess that getting his fourth or fifth Indy wins in a Penske livery is important to the Captain. Briscoe's contribution to the team is that he shows flashes of brilliance and when his confidence is high he can compete with anyone.
Not to mention all are a sponsor's dream. They drive well, conduct themselves with professionalism and class and are bright and intelligent. And in this day and age of the sport that is almost as important as performance on the track.
If Roger Penske has proven anything in his four decades as an owner, it's that he doesn't miss very often. And with the current lineup, it doesn't look like he will miss in 2012, either.
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, Power threw down his second straight outstanding campaign, winning six times and finishing second in points to Dario Franchitti for the second year in a row. A master at road and street courses, Power finally scored his first win on an oval at Texas, but low finishes (and some bad luck) at Iowa, Toronto and Kentucky were his undoing.
Castroneves, on the other hand, had his worst season in his 12 with the organization, finishing 11th in points, including nine finishes of 17th or worse, and failing to win a race for the first time this century. He also was at fault in several incidents early in the season, and spent a lot of time either apologizing or explaining his actions. But what made this season very un-Helio-like was the fact he was an absolute non-factor at Indianapolis. After qualifying 16th he drove around in the back of the pack all day and eventually finished a lap down in 17th place. It was the first time in his career that he finished the race but was not on the lead lap.
Briscoe finished the season sixth in points and posted four podium finishes in a season that looked worse on paper than it really was. Several of his poor early-season efforts were the result of incidents that weren't of his doing (like at Birmingham and Indy) and he might have only trailed Graham Rahal in the bad luck category in a couple of other races.
It's strange that Briscoe has been on the hot seat virtually since he started racing with Penske. It just seems like people put him as the odd-man-out whenever the discussion of a seat coming open on that team arises, even though he has seven wins in his tenure. Perhaps it is because his efforts at Indy have been disappointing, and next to championships a Penske driver is judged on their performace at the Brickyard. Who knows.
Still, what we do know is that Roger Penske likes continutity with his organizations, and more than anything that is reflected in the team staying together. Since the 2000 season, Penske Racing has employed just five full-time drivers: the current team, Sam Hornish Jr. (left for NASCAR) and Gil de Ferran (retired). He doesn't like change and tries hard to not play musical chairs with his drivers, which is a testament to his vetting process in the first place.
It's obvious that his team brings what he wants to the table. Power is working his way up the list of the world's finest drivers (figuring out ovals would make him an absolute superstar), you have to think Castroneves' season was an outlier, and even if it weren't, his Indy performance was, and there isn't any reason to believe he won't capture that magic again one -- or even two -- more times. I would guess that getting his fourth or fifth Indy wins in a Penske livery is important to the Captain. Briscoe's contribution to the team is that he shows flashes of brilliance and when his confidence is high he can compete with anyone.
Not to mention all are a sponsor's dream. They drive well, conduct themselves with professionalism and class and are bright and intelligent. And in this day and age of the sport that is almost as important as performance on the track.
If Roger Penske has proven anything in his four decades as an owner, it's that he doesn't miss very often. And with the current lineup, it doesn't look like he will miss in 2012, either.
Frenetic Friday: Post-Season Awards
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 pretty much played out the way we all thought, there was a nice mix of winners amongst drivers and teams.
So here are a few highlights:
Driver of the Year -- Dario Franchitti. I don't necessarily think that this award should always go to the series champion, and in this instance it was really a tossup between Dario and Will Power based on Power's unbelievable dominance on road and street courses. Still, Franchitti is just more consistent, outside of fuel issues and Indy and his crash at Loudon, he never finished lower than eighth. Yes he got a couple of favorable calls and yes he has the backing of the most powerful team in the series, but at the same time you still have to go out and drive and get the job done, which he did. No I don't like his whining, which thankfully seemed to lessen as the season went on, but right here, right now if you look at his ability to drive ovals, road and street courses well, he could be considered one of the Top 10 drivers in the world.
Drive of the Year -- Dan Wheldon, Indy. From my view in the stands it was about as perfect of a race as you could ever drive. In my mind, the only time you have to be leading the race is when you cross the finish line, so the 900 feet he was in front was more than enough. Fittingly, Dan broke a 99-year-old record for fewest laps led by a winner, and made it his own because it can be equaled but never broken.
Race of the Year -- Indy/Iowa/Kentucky. Yes, a three-way tie. Really, how do you decide? Indy had Wheldon's unlikely win, Iowa had an awesome 25-lap battle between Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan and Kentucky featured a similar fight between Franchitti and Ed Carpenter that gave both Carpenter and Sarah Fisher Racing their first-ever wins. Hopefully the first of a few for both!
Rookie of the Year -- James Hinchcliffe. Yeah, this one was obvious. J.R. Hildebrand had a couple of great finishes but Hinch was consistent and along with teammate Oriol Servia (more on him in a minute) brought Newman-Haas back from nowhere. Major props for that.
Most Underrated Driver -- Oriol Servia. I mentioned in a post back in the spring that when you look at the guy's record in CART/IndyCar I couldn't figure out why he didn't have a ride. He got one this year and roped in a solid sponsor in Telemundo and made the most of it, finishing fourth in the season standings, leading a lot of laps at Indy and posting three podiums and six top-5 finishes. I hope it works out that he sticks around the series for a while, he is a consistently good driver who is also intelligent and likeable, and represents the sport very well.
Most Overrated Driver -- Helio Castroneves. This absolutely pains me to say this, because I have been a fan of Helio's for a long, long time. But the fact of the matter is, when you drive for Team Penske you should not finish 17th or worse nine times during the season. He spent the first quarter of the season crashing into everyone and everything, and was a total non-factor at Indy, which was a surprise to everyone.
I probably could add a few more to this list, but my trophy budget only goes so far. I think 2012 promises to be a great season, and it can't get here soon enough!
So here are a few highlights:
Driver of the Year -- Dario Franchitti. I don't necessarily think that this award should always go to the series champion, and in this instance it was really a tossup between Dario and Will Power based on Power's unbelievable dominance on road and street courses. Still, Franchitti is just more consistent, outside of fuel issues and Indy and his crash at Loudon, he never finished lower than eighth. Yes he got a couple of favorable calls and yes he has the backing of the most powerful team in the series, but at the same time you still have to go out and drive and get the job done, which he did. No I don't like his whining, which thankfully seemed to lessen as the season went on, but right here, right now if you look at his ability to drive ovals, road and street courses well, he could be considered one of the Top 10 drivers in the world.
Drive of the Year -- Dan Wheldon, Indy. From my view in the stands it was about as perfect of a race as you could ever drive. In my mind, the only time you have to be leading the race is when you cross the finish line, so the 900 feet he was in front was more than enough. Fittingly, Dan broke a 99-year-old record for fewest laps led by a winner, and made it his own because it can be equaled but never broken.
Race of the Year -- Indy/Iowa/Kentucky. Yes, a three-way tie. Really, how do you decide? Indy had Wheldon's unlikely win, Iowa had an awesome 25-lap battle between Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan and Kentucky featured a similar fight between Franchitti and Ed Carpenter that gave both Carpenter and Sarah Fisher Racing their first-ever wins. Hopefully the first of a few for both!
Rookie of the Year -- James Hinchcliffe. Yeah, this one was obvious. J.R. Hildebrand had a couple of great finishes but Hinch was consistent and along with teammate Oriol Servia (more on him in a minute) brought Newman-Haas back from nowhere. Major props for that.
Most Underrated Driver -- Oriol Servia. I mentioned in a post back in the spring that when you look at the guy's record in CART/IndyCar I couldn't figure out why he didn't have a ride. He got one this year and roped in a solid sponsor in Telemundo and made the most of it, finishing fourth in the season standings, leading a lot of laps at Indy and posting three podiums and six top-5 finishes. I hope it works out that he sticks around the series for a while, he is a consistently good driver who is also intelligent and likeable, and represents the sport very well.
Most Overrated Driver -- Helio Castroneves. This absolutely pains me to say this, because I have been a fan of Helio's for a long, long time. But the fact of the matter is, when you drive for Team Penske you should not finish 17th or worse nine times during the season. He spent the first quarter of the season crashing into everyone and everything, and was a total non-factor at Indy, which was a surprise to everyone.
I probably could add a few more to this list, but my trophy budget only goes so far. I think 2012 promises to be a great season, and it can't get here soon enough!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Frenetic Friday -- Thank You, Dan Wheldon
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.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Media and Its Role in All of This
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 I have learned on the fly and have been lucky to have some great people to work with and look up to as mentors and examples of how to do it the right way.
Because I pretty much fell into the job (I answered phones and typed up scores until one day they sent me out to write), I view my writing career as playing with house money, that anything I get to experience is just icing on the cake. For all of the great things I've done, I feel like I only have one thing left to make my resume complete, and that is to someday cover the Indy 500. Until then, I live out that dream through this blog.
I take my job as a writer seriously, and always try as hard as I can to present a story as objectively as possible, without any slant or bias. I owe that to the people to read it, and I owe it to myself and my own personal integrity.
Over the last three days, I have been reading as much as I can about Dan Wheldon's tragic death in Las Vegas on Sunday. I've read some great pieces, in fact, many of the most thoughtful, heartfelt pieces have been written by my fellow IndyCar bloggers, who have blown me away with their talents.
I also think that the contributions of the drivers themselves, whether articles they have written personally or interviews they have done in print or on TV, have been great and shows the class, professionalism and quality of people we have in our sport. As a fan, I'm very proud of that.
I have to say I am also impressed with many in the NASCAR community who have used this as an opportunity to show their support and express the respect that they have for the drivers in IndyCar. I hope a certain faction of both fan bases takes that to heart.
Unfortunately, I've also come across several that I can only call hit-pieces. Many people have used Dan's death as an opportunity to spread their unfavorable agendas about open wheel racing and IndyCar in general. Many people are totally ignorant to the sport but think because they have a forum to do so they can spew out anything they want anyway.
It's like the line in the movie Wedding Singer, "well I have the microphone, and you don't, so you will listen to every damn word I have to say!".
I'm not talking about people who are asking legitimate, responsible questions...we all should be doing the same to figure out what happened and how we can avoid it happening again in the future. What I'm talking about are the media outlets that are questioning the safety of the series or implying that decisions made by Randy Bernard and IndyCar were made with greed and TV ratings in mind, rather than the well-being of the drivers. Many others are using it as an attempt to kick the series when it is down.
What raised my ire today is a piece in the International Business Times, which can be read here. The reporting, fact-checking, quotes and statistics used in this story might make this the worst piece I have seen about the tragedy. It is both irresponsible and unfair. If this writer wanted to blog this, fine, but to run it in what I believe is supposed to be a legitimate news source and to run it as a news story -- and not an opinion -- smacks of either a) an uneducated writer, b) a serious agenda or c) a huge combination of both.
Another item that has really gotten mine (and everyone else's) attention is the comment from Jimmie Johnson that IndyCar should stop racing on ovals. As soon as those words came out of his mouth, I knew they would take on a life of their own. I understood what he was saying, like many of us, he was invested in the situation. He knew Dan Wheldon and has plenty of friends in the open wheel community. In many places I have said that Dan "gets it" and Jimmie Johnson does too. He understands the history and tradition of the sport and the Indy 500, and wasn't speaking maliciously. He was emotional, it was personal, and all he was saying was he wanted something to be done so he didn't lose any more of his friends. I don't want that to happen either.
His saying what he did is no different than the drivers involved in the accident or ones that drove in the race saying they are thinking about quitting the sport, or Sam Schmidt's comment that he may end his career as an owner. Their emotions are riding high right now, and time and space will make them realize that this is their calling, their passion and what they do. No matter what they say now, you can bet all of them will be taking the green flag at St. Pete next spring because they are racers.
However, Johnson's credibility as a 5-time NASCAR champion gave people the opening to use that to push their opinions and agenda. Forget that Johnson has never driven an open wheel car, they don't care. They can attach his name to their story, and that works for them.
In a 24-hour, 1000-channel, 1,000,000 website media cycle, you have to do something to get to the top of the heap. I get that. But at the same time, throwing responsibility out the window is something that has really pissed me off the last few days. Too many people who know little about racing and the series in general have weighed in on their opinions.
As a friend once told me: you are entitled to your opinion, but you are also entitled to be wrong. The problem is that people who know little about the sport or just have a fringe interest can't separate the fact from the fiction. That's dangerous, especially if you believe like I do that the future of this series is at stake.
In today's world, everyone is an expert -- did I see someone post on Twitter they talked about the accident on 'The View'? -- and unfortunately if a media personality has a shred of credibility with a person, they will believe everything they say. Some people have built careers and fortunes over this premise.
A lot of that is going on right now. Too much bad information is being thrown around, and it's very damaging. I'm not saying that this is a specific case, it happens way too often any time a major event occurs. This time it just happens to be very near and dear to my heart.
Words are being twisted and quotes are being taken out of context just to prove a point or push an agenda. Somewhere there is a line between real reporting and opinion and speculation, but I no longer know where that is. And when I hear people say they get their news from the "Daily Show" I don't think they do either.
I will admit that this blog is written with a pro-open wheel, pro-IndyCar stance. I do this strictly for fun and the chance to do something different, as well as a chance to share my love of the sport with other people, who although I haven't met any of them I call them friends. If anyone ever tried to use this blog as a credible source, I would quickly set the record straight. It's not and isn't supposed to be.
That is the beauty of social media, the ability to connect with people all over the world who share the same interests you do, but its dark side is also being represented here. It's not fair to the sport, not fair to the people involved and certainly not fair the the memory of Dan Wheldon.
Because I pretty much fell into the job (I answered phones and typed up scores until one day they sent me out to write), I view my writing career as playing with house money, that anything I get to experience is just icing on the cake. For all of the great things I've done, I feel like I only have one thing left to make my resume complete, and that is to someday cover the Indy 500. Until then, I live out that dream through this blog.
I take my job as a writer seriously, and always try as hard as I can to present a story as objectively as possible, without any slant or bias. I owe that to the people to read it, and I owe it to myself and my own personal integrity.
Over the last three days, I have been reading as much as I can about Dan Wheldon's tragic death in Las Vegas on Sunday. I've read some great pieces, in fact, many of the most thoughtful, heartfelt pieces have been written by my fellow IndyCar bloggers, who have blown me away with their talents.
I also think that the contributions of the drivers themselves, whether articles they have written personally or interviews they have done in print or on TV, have been great and shows the class, professionalism and quality of people we have in our sport. As a fan, I'm very proud of that.
I have to say I am also impressed with many in the NASCAR community who have used this as an opportunity to show their support and express the respect that they have for the drivers in IndyCar. I hope a certain faction of both fan bases takes that to heart.
Unfortunately, I've also come across several that I can only call hit-pieces. Many people have used Dan's death as an opportunity to spread their unfavorable agendas about open wheel racing and IndyCar in general. Many people are totally ignorant to the sport but think because they have a forum to do so they can spew out anything they want anyway.
It's like the line in the movie Wedding Singer, "well I have the microphone, and you don't, so you will listen to every damn word I have to say!".
I'm not talking about people who are asking legitimate, responsible questions...we all should be doing the same to figure out what happened and how we can avoid it happening again in the future. What I'm talking about are the media outlets that are questioning the safety of the series or implying that decisions made by Randy Bernard and IndyCar were made with greed and TV ratings in mind, rather than the well-being of the drivers. Many others are using it as an attempt to kick the series when it is down.
What raised my ire today is a piece in the International Business Times, which can be read here. The reporting, fact-checking, quotes and statistics used in this story might make this the worst piece I have seen about the tragedy. It is both irresponsible and unfair. If this writer wanted to blog this, fine, but to run it in what I believe is supposed to be a legitimate news source and to run it as a news story -- and not an opinion -- smacks of either a) an uneducated writer, b) a serious agenda or c) a huge combination of both.
Another item that has really gotten mine (and everyone else's) attention is the comment from Jimmie Johnson that IndyCar should stop racing on ovals. As soon as those words came out of his mouth, I knew they would take on a life of their own. I understood what he was saying, like many of us, he was invested in the situation. He knew Dan Wheldon and has plenty of friends in the open wheel community. In many places I have said that Dan "gets it" and Jimmie Johnson does too. He understands the history and tradition of the sport and the Indy 500, and wasn't speaking maliciously. He was emotional, it was personal, and all he was saying was he wanted something to be done so he didn't lose any more of his friends. I don't want that to happen either.
His saying what he did is no different than the drivers involved in the accident or ones that drove in the race saying they are thinking about quitting the sport, or Sam Schmidt's comment that he may end his career as an owner. Their emotions are riding high right now, and time and space will make them realize that this is their calling, their passion and what they do. No matter what they say now, you can bet all of them will be taking the green flag at St. Pete next spring because they are racers.
However, Johnson's credibility as a 5-time NASCAR champion gave people the opening to use that to push their opinions and agenda. Forget that Johnson has never driven an open wheel car, they don't care. They can attach his name to their story, and that works for them.
In a 24-hour, 1000-channel, 1,000,000 website media cycle, you have to do something to get to the top of the heap. I get that. But at the same time, throwing responsibility out the window is something that has really pissed me off the last few days. Too many people who know little about racing and the series in general have weighed in on their opinions.
As a friend once told me: you are entitled to your opinion, but you are also entitled to be wrong. The problem is that people who know little about the sport or just have a fringe interest can't separate the fact from the fiction. That's dangerous, especially if you believe like I do that the future of this series is at stake.
In today's world, everyone is an expert -- did I see someone post on Twitter they talked about the accident on 'The View'? -- and unfortunately if a media personality has a shred of credibility with a person, they will believe everything they say. Some people have built careers and fortunes over this premise.
A lot of that is going on right now. Too much bad information is being thrown around, and it's very damaging. I'm not saying that this is a specific case, it happens way too often any time a major event occurs. This time it just happens to be very near and dear to my heart.
Words are being twisted and quotes are being taken out of context just to prove a point or push an agenda. Somewhere there is a line between real reporting and opinion and speculation, but I no longer know where that is. And when I hear people say they get their news from the "Daily Show" I don't think they do either.
I will admit that this blog is written with a pro-open wheel, pro-IndyCar stance. I do this strictly for fun and the chance to do something different, as well as a chance to share my love of the sport with other people, who although I haven't met any of them I call them friends. If anyone ever tried to use this blog as a credible source, I would quickly set the record straight. It's not and isn't supposed to be.
That is the beauty of social media, the ability to connect with people all over the world who share the same interests you do, but its dark side is also being represented here. It's not fair to the sport, not fair to the people involved and certainly not fair the the memory of Dan Wheldon.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
I Can't Believe This Has Happened -- Dan Wheldon, 1978-2011
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 respectability.
And then the bottom fell out. The carnage began and when it was over one of the greatest drivers in Indy 500 history and one of the most popular and marketable names in the sport was gone.
I think I was not the only one who became a Dan Wheldon fan over the past year or so. Years ago, I bought what the media fed me, that he was a party guy, and at times a cocky punk. I was wrong, incredibly wrong. From all accounts he was a kind and thoughful person, a great friend and family man.
Seeing the devistation on the faces of the people in the series' inner circle today, you knew that he was respected and loved. And as I mentioned in a post a few months ago, I think I know why. The guy got it, big time. He understood the history of the Indy 500, and understood the responsibility he had as one of its fortunate champions. He knew how important it was to promote the series at every turn, and that the fans are the series' lifeblood. He gave off the impression of a man who knew how lucky he was to be doing the job he did, and how important it was to pay that forward.
Despite not having a ride he made himself visible to the fans, and for a guy who spent much of this year unemployed, looked like he was having the time of his life. He was a natural in a race car and as we found out, a natural in front of the camera as well. I learned a lot about the series and the mindset of a driver thanks to his eloquent commentary as an announcer for Versus.
That all ended in a 15-car pileup today, and I just don't know what to do. In one sense, it isn't fair. People like Dan Wheldon aren't supposed to die -- they are superheroes -- they can do anything! Unfortunately, the older we get, the more we know that isn't true. They are human just like the rest of us, it's just they have an incredible skill that we don't, and it is that skill why we look up to them.
Personally, Dan provided me with one of my greatest memories as a racing fan. This year was finally the year I was able to take one of my two sons to the Indy 500 for the first time. I have great memories of going to the Speedway with my dad, and one of my dreams in life was to be able to pass my love for the track and the race to my two boys, just like my dad passed his along to my younger brother than me.
His win no doubt but a huge exclamation point on the Centennial, and while I felt for (and still feel for) J.R. Hildebrand, the drama that was the race's final quarter-lap was the perfect way to introduce someone new to the sport.
After the race Matt and I went to the museum to see the winning cars display, and on our way back to the Coke Lot we walked through the Pagoda area. Up on the balcony/walkway was Dan Wheldon finally finishing up his interviews and finally having the opportunity to celebrate his amazing day with his family and friends. We all started cheering, and he turned to us and smiled and raised his hands into the air. He had the look of a man that was just loving life. At that one moment in his life he seemed to have everything he could ever want.
Though his life ended too soon, we should all strive in our own lives to feel how he did that day. Wow, what an incredible feeling that may be!
As race fans, we understand the risk that they take when they get into a car, and those of us who have been around this sport long enough know that some of them are going to strap themselves into a car, fire the engine, leave the pits and not return. But why Dan Wheldon? And why now?
It shows us two things: 1) life is completely unpredictable and 2) that racing will never, ever truly be safe. It sucks that things like this have to happen to jolt our minds into that reality.
Now isn't the time to wonder what this does to the future of the sport, although we will all probably address that in the future. Now is the time to remember Dan Wheldon and keep his family, friends and loved ones in our thoughts and prayers. The harshest part of all of this is that he leaves behind a wife and two children, brothers and sisters and other people who cared about him.
On July 31, I wrote a post about Dan Wheldon and said how lucky we were to have him as a part of IndyCar. Those words still ring true today. We were so lucky to have Dan Wheldon in our sport, and hopefully the memory of his enthusiasm of the sport and the love he had for life will keep us going into what is sure to be a much longer off-season than it was already going to be.
And then the bottom fell out. The carnage began and when it was over one of the greatest drivers in Indy 500 history and one of the most popular and marketable names in the sport was gone.I think I was not the only one who became a Dan Wheldon fan over the past year or so. Years ago, I bought what the media fed me, that he was a party guy, and at times a cocky punk. I was wrong, incredibly wrong. From all accounts he was a kind and thoughful person, a great friend and family man.
Seeing the devistation on the faces of the people in the series' inner circle today, you knew that he was respected and loved. And as I mentioned in a post a few months ago, I think I know why. The guy got it, big time. He understood the history of the Indy 500, and understood the responsibility he had as one of its fortunate champions. He knew how important it was to promote the series at every turn, and that the fans are the series' lifeblood. He gave off the impression of a man who knew how lucky he was to be doing the job he did, and how important it was to pay that forward.
Despite not having a ride he made himself visible to the fans, and for a guy who spent much of this year unemployed, looked like he was having the time of his life. He was a natural in a race car and as we found out, a natural in front of the camera as well. I learned a lot about the series and the mindset of a driver thanks to his eloquent commentary as an announcer for Versus.
That all ended in a 15-car pileup today, and I just don't know what to do. In one sense, it isn't fair. People like Dan Wheldon aren't supposed to die -- they are superheroes -- they can do anything! Unfortunately, the older we get, the more we know that isn't true. They are human just like the rest of us, it's just they have an incredible skill that we don't, and it is that skill why we look up to them.
Personally, Dan provided me with one of my greatest memories as a racing fan. This year was finally the year I was able to take one of my two sons to the Indy 500 for the first time. I have great memories of going to the Speedway with my dad, and one of my dreams in life was to be able to pass my love for the track and the race to my two boys, just like my dad passed his along to my younger brother than me.
His win no doubt but a huge exclamation point on the Centennial, and while I felt for (and still feel for) J.R. Hildebrand, the drama that was the race's final quarter-lap was the perfect way to introduce someone new to the sport.
After the race Matt and I went to the museum to see the winning cars display, and on our way back to the Coke Lot we walked through the Pagoda area. Up on the balcony/walkway was Dan Wheldon finally finishing up his interviews and finally having the opportunity to celebrate his amazing day with his family and friends. We all started cheering, and he turned to us and smiled and raised his hands into the air. He had the look of a man that was just loving life. At that one moment in his life he seemed to have everything he could ever want.
Though his life ended too soon, we should all strive in our own lives to feel how he did that day. Wow, what an incredible feeling that may be!
As race fans, we understand the risk that they take when they get into a car, and those of us who have been around this sport long enough know that some of them are going to strap themselves into a car, fire the engine, leave the pits and not return. But why Dan Wheldon? And why now?
It shows us two things: 1) life is completely unpredictable and 2) that racing will never, ever truly be safe. It sucks that things like this have to happen to jolt our minds into that reality.
Now isn't the time to wonder what this does to the future of the sport, although we will all probably address that in the future. Now is the time to remember Dan Wheldon and keep his family, friends and loved ones in our thoughts and prayers. The harshest part of all of this is that he leaves behind a wife and two children, brothers and sisters and other people who cared about him.
On July 31, I wrote a post about Dan Wheldon and said how lucky we were to have him as a part of IndyCar. Those words still ring true today. We were so lucky to have Dan Wheldon in our sport, and hopefully the memory of his enthusiasm of the sport and the love he had for life will keep us going into what is sure to be a much longer off-season than it was already going to be.
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