Three Stars of the Race
#1 Star: Ryan Hunter-Reay
It's unusual to name someone who finished 10th the number one star of the race, but there was no doubt that RHR was the most exciting driver to watch. He vaulted from 12th to 5th at the start of the race, and continued his daredevil passing on every restart after that. Unfortunately he was the unlucky recipient of some ill-timed yellows; otherwise he would have finished in the top five and maybe even secured a podium. He was thrilling to watch in this race.
#2 Star: Scott Dixon
Even the desert can't cool off the Iceman. He drove a smart, consistent race once again, and secured his place in IndyCar history with another win. Team Ganassi clearly had the setup figured out, as Tony Kanaan, Max Chilton, and even Charlie Kimball had strong races. Dixon was the fastest of the field for most of the race, and no one could catch him.
#3 Star: Graham Rahal
Honorable mention to rookie Max Chilton, who had an impressive oval debut, and to Will Power, who bounced back nicely after an inner-ear infection that kept him out of the season opener. He will still be a championship contender despite missing that race. But Rahal was the top Honda, finishing fifth and making a few bold moves of his own. Considering the disastrous qualifying effort from this team, Rahal's charge from 19th to 5th was even more remarkable. He is picking up where he left off last year, and will be someone to watch all year.
Three Stories of the Race
#1 Story: Chevy Dominates Again
In qualifying and in race trim, Chevy proved once again that they have the fastest cars. Graham Rahal called out Honda after the race, noting that the "other cars" seemed about 5 mph faster than theirs. And he's right. It's not even close right now, and that's very discouraging. RHR and Rahal made the best of the situation but other than on restarts, they were never able to challenge the leaders. I am rooting for Honda to succeed (even though I drive a Chevy) because I want them to stay in IndyCar. It's unfortunate that the manufacturer battle is so one-sided. Let's hope the test this week in Indianapolis restores some confidence.
#2 Story: Lack of Passing
The #2 and #3 story are somewhat related because they both bring attention to the same issue. Perhaps because of Chevy's dominance, there were few opportunities to pass cars besides restarts. Many of the drivers, including race winner Dixon, acknowledged that they can put on a better product for the fans. Phoenix is not Fontana; it's a short track that's a lot more narrow. I admittedly was a little nervous about the speeds and the excessive G-forces, but drivers proved their skill and stamina as always. Sure, there were a few incidents, as one would expect. This was IndyCar's first race in Phoenix in many years. Since we already know that IndyCar will be returning to PIR next year, they will have more time to figure out a package that's entertaining, safe, and competitive. I'm hopeful for the future.
#3 Story: Twitter Trash Talking
Sadly, one of the race storylines did not take place on the track. Instead, it took place on social media when one NASCAR driver commented:
At first glance, it appeared that Johnson was criticizing IndyCar. It also appeared that he was saying NASCAR was better than IndyCar. So naturally IndyCar fans got defensive and engaged in a Twitter war of words with the 6-time champ. The official IndyCar twitter account even got involved. I will admit I got a little riled up myself because this seemed like a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. A NASCAR driver is complaining about a lack of passing? I'm pretty sure most NASCAR races within the past few years have been snoozefest parades--even fans of that series would agree. There's a reason the ratings have plummeted this year, and that's with lower downforce and some close finishes. And how long did it take NASCAR to make these downforce changes?I'm so thankful @nascar is taking the downforce off our cars. These @IndyCar guys haven't made a competitive pass yet. #LowDownIsTheWay🤘— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) April 3, 2016
But then I calmed down. True, Johnson could have worded his tweet in a more respectful way, and I understand why trash-talking ensued. It's like when someone criticizes the state in which you live. People have a lot of pride in their state--and often their work, so when one feels like it's being attacked one defends it. I'm guessing Johnson didn't see Fontana last year, or Indianapolis the past three years. But at least he and Brad Keselowski were watching the race, and I guess he was suggesting a way to make the racing better. He certainly didn't make a fan out of me with that comment, though. It's unfortunate that we have to have this we-versus-them mentality. I prefer IndyCar for so many reasons (one of which is that it usually has much more exciting racing and passing than other series), yet I will watch or attend the occasional NASCAR race too. For the record, I watched a little of the Martinsville race today and I noticed a few passes, yes. But not enough to keep me on the channel for the entire race. I am happy that AJ Allmendinger finished second though!
All in all IndyCar had a strong return to Phoenix. They'll get it figured out next year--and I hope all those NASCAR drivers will be watching.
