As I sit here on Christmas morning (otherwise known as Indy 500 Day), a thought-provoking question entered my mind. This year's race, like others, is full of storylines to follow: how will the aero kits hold up, can Honda compete with Chevy, will Helio finally join the 4-time winner club....just to name a few. But I got to wondering, what would be the biggest story on Monday? What would receive the most national attention and spark conversation among everyone, even non-race fans? I'm thinking positive stories here, not massive crashes or fatalities, which I know would unfortunately capture the interest of a national audience. I don't have a definitive answer, but I think that a woman winning the Indy 500 would be a huge news story.
For IndyCar fans, the biggest story might be Helio winning #4. For local Indy fans, it might be Ed Carpenter in Victory Lane. Graham Rahal winning would be a feel-good story, especially in honor of David Letterman's retirement. Ryan Briscoe winning in James Hinchcliffe's car would be an interesting, touching story too. But I think a woman winning the world's biggest race would be so unexpected and unique that the world would take notice. I became a full-fledged IndyCar fan in 1992, which was a thrilling finish. But one of the things that drew me to the sport was the fact that women like Lyn St. James, who was a rookie that year, could compete on the same level as the men. We see how excited announcers and fans get when Danica Patrick leads a lap in a NASCAR race. In NHRA, so many women have won that it's not even really talked about anymore. A woman winning the Indy 500 would be a fantastic story, and I hope I see it sometime in my lifetime. The two women in this year's race are also enormously popular drivers, so you'd likely hear a TK-like crowd roar of one of them crossed the bricks first.
So no pressure, Simona DeSilvestro and Pippa Mann, but this story is yours to finish.😉
