Rivalries

Alright, so I gave qualifying another chance today and it's not that bad I suppose. But it still seems like too many cars out on the track at once. However, if the race tomorrow is anything like the practicing and qualifying we've seen so far, we're in for a slippery, possibly caution-filled but exciting event!

As much as I dislike Dario, it is good to see him and Honda getting on the right track. He normally is quite competitive and it's good for the series. What's even better for the series is when he and Will Power get into it. Those kind of "friendly" rivalries do help (just look at all the attention NASCAR gets for its silly antics). As much as I hate saying this, if IndyCar wants to grow its fan base, it needs more interesting stories for the casual fan to follow, such as a heated debate between drivers and manufacturer battles. Personally I watch for the entertaining racing but I'm already a fan and they don't need to sell the product to me. So congrats to Dario on winning the pole for Long Beach, and for Honda for finally having matching Chevy with three cars in the top six.

I think it's good to have Mike Conway back at Long Beach, where he's a previous winner. I was surprised that he performed so well in qualifying, especially when his teammates couldn't seem to match the speed he had. That sets up some potential intrateam rivalry. The number of cars on the starting grid continues to grow each race, with Long Beach now starting 27 cars. It does seem like the series is on an upswing, but maybe that's just hopeful optimism from this fan.

One last observation: Sunday's race is called the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. I am intrigued that Toyota is sponsoring a race with cars featuring rival manufacturer engines (Honda, namely). Makes me wonder why Toyota does not have any engines in IndyCars. Perhaps Toyota should throw its hat (or engine) into the ring next year. How great would it be to have two cars from each engine manufacturer in the Firestone Fast Six? Let the rivalries begin!