Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Recap

The first race of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series is in the books, and we started just as we left off last year--with Will Power in Victory Lane. In fact, Power has now won three races in a row and seems to have emerged from the slump he experienced at the beginning of last season. However, once again, Power finds his win mired in controversy. To recap, here are what I consider to be the top three stories from St. Pete:

1. Power's Restart: There are two schools of thought as to why Power did not accelerate on the first restart. If you are to believe Power, a chain of events led to confusion about when he actually was allowed to go at full speed. The pace car was not as far in front of Power as it probably should have been. Then teams got the command of "green, green, green," even though Power felt he had not reached the correct timing line yet. Thus, the cars behind him all began to accelerate while Power was patiently waiting for the official command. Okay, that's one thought, and it seems several other drivers felt this was true, too--most notably Scott Dixon, who surprisingly expressed understanding and support for Power. Had Dixon been one of the cars taken out in the race, one has to wonder if he would be so diplomatic.

The other school of thought says that Power intentionally waited to accelerate. Helio, who would seem to know Power best out of all the drivers, seemed to think this was a classic Will Power trick, one that worked very effectively. Reading some of the comments on the IndyCar homepage, it's apparent that some fans believe this to be true as well. Power is difficult to read. I never know if he's intentionally being aloof or if he really was confused. He certainly seemed exhausted after the race, and understandably so, after such long green-flag runs of leading the race. But you can't tell me that a talented, veteran driver who likes to win wouldn't be eager to get up to speed and lead the race again. Only Power knows the real truth of what happened. Obviously race control felt it was harmless enough not to penalize him. Or they just wanted to make sure the Verizon-sponsored car was in Victory Lane for the first race since being named title sponsor. I'll leave that thought for the conspiracy theorists.

Regardless of which side of the story you believe, this was definitely the top story of the race. Did it have a big impact on the outcome of the race? Possibly. Had Power accelerated as he should have on that first restart, Ryan Hunter-Reay or Helio might have made a move on him. We must also acknowledge that this would not have happened without IndyCar's new single-file restart requirement. With single-file restarts, the leader ultimately gets to pace the field, and he decides when it is time to go. We'll see how this plays out in the other races, particularly the road & street courses.

2. Rookie Performances: To me, the most impressive rookie was Jack Hawksworth. I know he was a controversial addition to the IndyCar paddock this year, but he showed me he has the skills to compete with the big boys. He made a smart move on Montoya, and likely would have finished in the top ten were it not for the aforementioned questionable restart. Results will show that Mikhail Aleshin was the top-finishing rookie in 12th place, but watching him was nerve-wracking. He would not back off of Ryan Hunter-Reay, even though RHR was well ahead of him and they were not battling for position. I fear that Aleshin will cause some sort of accident if he keeps up such ill-advised tailgating.

Though not technically a rookie, it appears that Juan Pablo Montoya still has some re-learning to do. He struggled for most of the race, ultimately finishing in 15th place. I was expecting more aggressiveness and impatience from Montoya, but perhaps Roger Penske talked some sense into him. Or perhaps he's just trying to get comfortable in an open-wheel race car again. I'm actually glad he didn't finish near the top. That shows these cars do take some skill, experience, and patience to drive, and not just anyone can jump in and finish strong in one.

3. Impressive Drives: Ryan Hunter-Reay showed he is ready to put 2013 behind him and prove he is not just a one-hit wonder. I expect him to contend for the championship again all season long, and I still argue he's the best all-around driver in the series right now. If I were to award a trophy for most impressive performance, though, I'd have to give it to Josef Newgarden, with an honorable mention to Graham Rahal for that amazing first lap where he passed ten cars! Newgarden managed to finish ninth after starting last. He is a rising star, and one who continues to improve each year. Imagine what he could do with a teammate?

Simon Pagenaud seemed to come out of nowhere to finish fifth. His name was not mentioned much during the race, but he continues to be someone to watch. He seems to fly under the radar when really he is a serious, legitimate championship contender. Keep an eye on him, folks!

Mike Conway was also impressive, but I would have to give him the "Most Disappointed" award. I thought it was strange when he was the only one who stayed out while everyone else pitted during the caution, and then we learned the reason: simple miscomumnication. He just didn't hear his team tell him to come in. Those are the kind of mistakes to be expected with a new team, though. He was running in third at the time, and I'm sure we'll see him up toward the front in future races again.

Other Items of Note:
IndyCar fans will also be talking about the television coverage, and the new-and-improved ABC broadcast team. I do think it was much improved, but there were still some problems. I'm not sure if it was their fault or not, but it seemed like the pit reporters didn't quite know what was happening when it was their turn to talk. There were big delays on the broadcast, and the information provided was not as helpful as it has been in the past. And at times ABC would cut away from a good battle to focus on the leaders again, so some things never change. But overall I was pleased, and Allen Bestwick was a welcome addition to the booth. We can't expect perfection or miracles, so this was pretty darn good.

Unfortunately now we must wait two more weeks for the next race, but all in all I think we've started strong this season. There looked to be a good crowd in St. Petersburg, and fans everywhere were treated to a safe race that featured some drama, good passing, and balanced competition. Seven different teams finished in the top ten, and the top ten was equally split among Honda and Chevy. We're all set for a close fight again this year!

And We're Back!

Just like the newly-minted Verizon IndyCar Series, so too am I returning from a long hiatus. I have no other explanation for my hiatus other than that life, busy as it gets both professionally and personally, sometimes gets in the way. But my commitment to and passion for IndyCar racing is unwavering, so I welcome it back this weekend with open arms.

As the IndyCar season revs its engines once again, there are a lot of storylines to watch. We've had a lot of good news during the off-season, with the best news of all perhaps coming from the name of the new title sponsor. We've also had some sad news, with the passing of some key IndyCar supporters, and some frustrating news, such as the decision to award double points for 500-milers and the Panther Racing lawsuit. That said, it's difficult to pinpoint the top three stories to watch over the course of this season, but I will do my best! Here's what I'll be keeping an eye on this season:

1. Verizon's Impact: When it was first announced that Verizon would be the new title sponsor, many IndyCar fans rejoiced. We saw this as a tremendous marketing opportunity to have a company with a) dollars to spend, and b) the desire to promote IndyCar drivers and technology. We must be cautious about labeling Verizon the series savior, however, and about getting our hopes up too high. We've thought other sponsors would have more impact, too. But this time, I think we will see a difference. Verizon has already done a lot to promote IndyCar racing, by featuring its drivers in a commercial and by having one of the best fan zone tents at races. It will take time to see an impact, but I imagine it will happen. Verizon should increase IndyCar's visibility, and hopefully they will see a good return on investment. I for one am especially proud to call myself a Verizon customer now, with no plans to switch for the next ten years at least!

2. New Faces, New Teams: Understandably, we lament the loss of Simona de Silvestro and the fact that there are no full-time female drivers in IndyCar for the first time in a long time. I'm highly disappointed in that, because as a woman, that's one of the things that drew me to IndyCar as opposed to other racing series: women could compete with the men on equal terms. But we also have some new, fresh faces to welcome to IndyCar. After last year's runner-up Indy 500 finish and his thrilling, daring run at Fontana, I think we're all excited to see what Carlos Munoz can do. We also welcome back Juan Pablo Montoya, who I suspect will give IndyCar some buzz and give some drivers a new rival. It also sets up an intriguing, renewed battle between Penske (the team who pilfered him) and Ganassi (the team who let him go). Speaking of Ganassi, Tony Kanaan's arrival brings added intrigue. Not only is he the reigning Indy 500 champion, he is taking the place of a legend in the (unfortunately) retired Dario Franchitti. This is probably TK's swan song, so it will be interesting to see how much he can deliver for his new team. We'll also be keeping a watchful eye on his teammate Ryan Briscoe (a controversial addition to the team, but one I fully support) and rookies Mikhail Aleshin, Jack Hawksworth, and Carlos Huertas. If any of those guys beat out Munoz for rookie of the year, I will truly be both shocked and impressed.

3. Engines: Ganassi made the surprising switch from Honda-powered engines to Chevy, forcing Andretti Autosport to switch from Chevy to Honda. Undoubtedly this will bring some growing pains as drivers and teams grow accustomed to the new engines. The manufacturer battle was incredibly close last year, coming down to the final race, and we can only hope we will see a similar contest this year. With Honda now also using twin-turbo engines, the competition has grown more equal. So will we see the same parity we saw last year? If St. Pete qualifying is any indication, with seven different teams in the top twelve, one has to think yes we will! Hopefully IndyCar can maintain that suspense; it really is a mystery as to who will win each race. That's why I never predict race or season winners, and I'm not going to do it this year, either. I will say that Will Power ended last season on a high note, so I would expect to see him carry that momentum into this season, too. But it's anyone's championship to win. Start your engines, fans--IndyCar is finally back!