Everything's Bigger in Texas...Including the Crashes

I attended the race at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, as I have every year since 2012, and I have to say it was the most entertaining race I have seen at the track--NASCAR included. I know some may disagree, calling it a "demolition derby" or unsafe and scary--not altogether untrue. But I don't know how you could say that race was boring, unlike some of the other stinkers IndyCar has run this year (Phoenix anyone?). It was not perfect, with two wrecks in particular that took out innocent drivers, and a yellow-flag finish. But it was exhilarating. I still can't stop thinking about it two days later. I have so much to say about this race I'll try to corral my thoughts.

Three Stars of the Race

#1 Star: Tristan Vautier

Now some will say Vautier, in his first IndyCar race since 2015, drove a bit recklessly or aggressively. I have to disagree. He was the first one to try a second groove in Turns 1 & 2 and make it stick. He wisely knew when to back off, too. I don't know the mechanics that have been working on the #18 Dale Coyne car this year but they are doing one heck of a job because that car has been fast in multiple races. Vautier showed he could hang with the top dogs and thrilled the crowd with his side-by-side challenges for the lead right from the get-go. He was the most exciting driver to watch in this race. I also probably have a soft spot for Dale Coyne now because he has had to spend far too much money this year rebuilding broken chassis. I feel like we really do need to consider starting a gofundme page for him!

#2 Star: Will Power

Will won for the second time at Texas, and since the first win was a shortened "twin-175" race this was really the first true victory. He went to the front courtesy of some good pit stops and restarts, and once Will gets in the lead he tends to hang onto it. He's really good up front, and leading 180 of 248 laps in this race showed that. He drove a clean race and managed to stay out of trouble (some of this was luck, some of this was because he was up front due to good driving). He looked so happy in Victory Lane, even though he has criticized this type of "pack racing" before. I think he enjoyed himself, and he was a deserving winner on a night of attrition and stupidity. Had Sato not wrecked Dixon, though, I think Dixon might have been wearing the cowboy hat again.

#3 Star: Simon Pagenaud
Tough call here, as there were several other standouts in this race: Gabby Chaves, who finished fifth in only his second race of the year; Ed Carpenter, who had the save of the year on lap 103 (and even made Sportscenter because of it!) and Graham Rahal, who survived what seemed like an ill-handling racecar to finish fourth. But I have to say Pagenaud drove the smartest race of all. He was content to just hang behind Will in second place (he finished third, somehow behind TK, which I'm sure infuriated many in the paddock). He didn't try to force a pass or risky side-by-side move. Last year Townsend Bell called it a "championship move" when Pagenaud backed out of a pack situation. He just may have done it again.

 Three Stories of the Race

#1 Story: The Return of Pack Racing

I'll be honest, I didn't watch a lot of IndyCar racing in the mid-90's so I didn't see a lot of this so-called "pack racing." I did see Fontana in 2015, though, when many drivers and fans alike cried that "we shouldn't be doing that anymore."  My feelings now are the same as they were after that race: mixed. I understand that this type of racing is risky and dangerous, not to mention expensive. I also think it's the most thrilling, entertaining type of racing out there. As you had in 2015 with Fontana, drivers from other series were watching and commenting how much they enjoyed it. I was there in the stands Saturday night when I overheard someone say it was the best Indy race he'd ever seen. The crowd cheered when the race ended even though it was under a yellow flag. They loved it! Most of the fans I saw and/or heard were on the edge of their seat. I mean, you literally could not look away. I have been to a few Texas races where you feel like you're in a trance, one that might put you to sleep. Saturday's race was the exact opposite of that. The problem was not the pack racing itself, but the unnecessary risks some drivers took. Did the repave cause the pack racing? Was it the aero kit? The tires? All of the above? It seems that everyone is overreacting a bit to what happened on Saturday because there were so many crashes. And maybe IndyCar does need to find a healthy balance between close racing and a processional race. But let's analyze the problem before we start implementing solutions. For example, before the "debris caution" on lap 138, I noticed the field was starting to get more spread out. The track temperature was dropping, changing racing conditions. It was not pack racing. Cars were close together but they were not side-by-side as they had been earlier in the race. The caution bunched everyone up again, which led to faster cars trying to get by slower cars. I watched "the big one" unfold before it happened. Hinch was three-wide or nearly three-wide coming out of Turn 2 and I remember thinking, "uh-oh....this could lead to trouble." Sure enough it did. Did they not talk about driving respectfully and safely in the drivers' meeting? I think some of these wrecks could have been avoided with some short reminders about this type of racing. More on the accidents below.

I don't think IndyCar should completely abandon this style of racing. It was exciting and I think it will get more people in the seats next year. IndyCar needs that. Let Firestone have more time to test its tires, find a balance and let drivers learn from this.

#2 Story: Competition Cautions

I detest competition cautions. It's one of the reasons I have not watched much of a NASCAR race this year. At one point in this race, Power, Scott Dixon, and Takuma Sato were all battling for the lead--it was intense, dramatic, exciting...and then there was that mandatory yellow. I get why they implemented this "rule," though it seemed to be made up on the fly. Firestone had not had enough time to test its tires on the newly repaved surface and found that several drivers' tires were blistering badly. They speculated that this blistering led to some of the crashes, and because they did not have time to analyze all the data, they decided to err on the side of caution and implement competition yellows. But I agree with what Paul Tracy said on the telecast: warn all the teams that blistering seems to be occurring after every 30 laps or so, and let them decide when to pit. We did not see one green-flag pit stop all night, which is a shame. I have never seen IndyCar resort to competition cautions, and there seemed to be a great deal of confusion regarding them, especially after Josef Newgarden crashed in the middle of one of the 30-lap stints. This just seemed like another hasty decision made because a few drivers decided to make some ill-advised moves.

#3 Story: The Blame Game

OK, let's go crash by crash here. First, Alexander Rossi became an innocent bystander in a (as he put it) Ganassi sandwich. He was in between Dixon and Tony Kanaan going into Turn 3, and as we learned all night, you cannot and should not go 3-wide at Texas. I see Dixon as most responsible for this crash, as he was the last one on the scene and seemed to push something that wasn't there. It's a shame for Rossi, who has really impressed me this year both on and off the track. So count it: Dixon, an experienced, excellent driver, had a role in this crash.

Two, Helio's crash. This was the result of a broken part, perhaps caused by Hinch taking him out in pit lane. But I also noticed after I watched the telecast that Mikhail Aleshin seemed to touch Helio at least three times before he hit the wall. So who knows what caused this incident. It was a single-car accident, thankfully, though Helio seemed shaken up afterwards.

Three, the Big One. I've seen so many different interpretations of this crash. I loved Hinch's reaction when told that Chip Ganassi blamed him: "I think that's adorable." I don't think you can put the blame on any one person. Like I said, Hinch was three-wide coming off of Turn 2. TK seemed to turn up into him going into Turn 3. Aleshin was the last one on the scene, trying to take the high line but leaving Hinch nowhere to go when TK started to turn into him. Again, don't go three-wide at Texas, lesson learned. And play nice with your teammates! So probably all three had something to do with this. TK's spotter may also share some of the blame, if he didn't warn TK not to stay low. To his credit, TK owned up to his mistake and apologized. But wow, these three took out a lot of racecars and unsuspecting drivers with this crash. Count it #2: TK and Hinch, two experienced and good drivers, had a role in this crash. And Aleshin is...Aleshin. He has a history of aggressive driving.

Four, Josef Newgarden's crash in Turn 4. Josef admitted it was a bad decision to try and pass on the outside, where the track had not been fully cleaned. Again, do not go three-wide at Texas. Count it #3: Newgarden, normally a clean driver, and a good one at that, admitted his own mistake.

Five, and finally, Sato taking out Dixon and Conor Daly on lap 244. This was Sato being Sato. He tried a similar move on Dario in the Indy 500 but this time I can't really say he was squeezed. He tried to pass on the grass, a la Ryan Hunter-Reay in the 2014 Indy 500. The difference was, he really did hit the grass! I'm not sure if he didn't realize he was that low or if he was just going to give it a try anyway, but that was another bad decision. (Although, do these tracks really need grass in the first place?) Dixon was understandably fuming after the race, because I think Sato cost him his first win of the year. He had just about caught Power and was setting something up for the final laps, similar to what Graham Rahal did to Hinch last year. So again, count it #4: another accident caused by questionable driving. How many of these accidents were caused by experienced, normally good drivers? You could say all of them. Even Helio's may have been due to Hinch's pit lane spin-out.

So who do we blame for such high attrition? Some may blame the tires, arguing that led to the pack racing. But then you fall into a chicken-egg dilemma because the repave led to the call for a new tire. The drivers also shoulder some of the blame for being too aggressive at times and not backing off when they should have. (See this article from the local newspaper with some interesting quotes by TMS president Eddie Gossage.)  It's not fair to point fingers at just one person. Chalk this one up to a learning experience, and thank God no one was hurt in all these wrecks. The more I read comments from this race, especially from people who weren't even there the more frustrated I become. (Just stop with the "sparse stands," "no one was there" crap, OK? The place holds 200k people so looks can be deceiving. And trust me I sat in traffic for a long time after the race Saturday so I know there were plenty of people there. The crowd was bigger than last year in my opinion and they promoted the hell out of this race locally.)  It seems there is no pleasing IndyCar fans. No, don't have a red flag in Detroit! But...but...but...we want the race to finish under green in Texas. No, let's not have processional, boring, parade-style racing. But pack racing is too dangerous and dumb! It's a no-win situation. Here's the bottom line: Texas always seems to bring uncertainty and question marks every year--and perhaps next year it will bring more than ever. That's what makes it so compelling. I just hope we can have another entertaining race, with a little more safety sprinkled in.

Detroit Double-Up

Once again, the Dual in Detroit was a less-than-thrilling showcase for IndyCar in the week following its exhilarating Indy 500. How I wish they would wise up and move this race to another date. I would also be fine with just one race in the Motor City rather than a grueling doubleheader for teams and drivers following a busy, stressful month of May. Alas, I'm sure Graham Rahal enjoyed the weekend immensely.

Three Stars of the Weekend

#1 Star: Graham Rahal

In capturing the pole on Saturday and winning both races in Detroit, Rahal earned all but one of the available points from the weekend and catapulted to sixth in the championship standings. One word was used repeatedly to describe Rahal's performance but there really is no better label for it: He completely dominated the weekend. I'm not sure where this all came from, though some speculate it's because he finally had a teammate (and a great one at that) in Oriol Servia to share data with. Servia had a dismal weekend, though, so if was sharing feedback it might have been what not to do. Rahal has shown marked improvement over the past two years, and continues to impress for a (normally) one-car operation. He took great pride in taming the Penske beast in both races, as he should.

#2 Star: Scott Dixon

I'm never one to count out the Iceman, but Dixon displayed tremendous moxie by finishing second on Saturday and sixth on Sunday with an injured foot. As Josef Newgarden did last year, Dixon let adrenaline take over and downplayed the pain he must have been experiencing. One race alone would be punishing on broken body parts, let alone two in as many days--on a bumpy, twisty track no less. Thanks to his consistency, he sits atop the standings even though he has yet to win a race this year. You know a victory is just around the corner. There's a reason the other drivers, in their pointed comments toward Lewis Hamilton, argued that Dixie would be an F1 champ in a Mercedes. He's just that good--on all types of tracks and races.

#3 Star: Josef Newgarden

Newgarden turned the fastest laps on both Saturday and Sunday and was shaving off about a second per lap of Rahal's lead on Sunday before the red flag flew (more on that later). Newgy provided a bright spot for a startlingly disappointing performance for the Penske team on Saturday, though they rebounded nicely on Sunday. Newgarden was neck and neck with Hinch in the closing laps on Saturday, which unfortunately (but not surprisingly) ABC neglected to show us. I liked Newgarden better when he was with ECR (I think he's gotten too serious and corporatized now that he's with Penske) but it's great to see him doing well in his first season with the Captain. He is showing Roger that he definitely made the right choice in hiring him.

Honorable mention to Takuma Sato, who captured the pole on Sunday and followed up his Indy 500 victory with a strong performance, finishing eighth on Saturday and fourth on Sunday. Indy 500 winners have historically not done well in Detroit, probably because of the busy sleep-deprived week leading up to it but Sato was the exception. He's a real contender for the championship.

Three Stories of the Weekend

#1 Story: The Red Flag Controversy

As you might expect, the decision to throw the red flag with less than 10 laps remaining in Sunday's race was met with both cheers and boos. I appreciate the series' effort to entertain the fans, especially in a race that, let's face it, nearly put us all to sleep. And I know it may be gimmicky but IndyCar is not NASCAR...yet. There's no "lucky dog," no competition cautions, no dividing the race into stages, and no post-race fist fights. Motorsports of all kinds are hurting for fans both in the stands and in front of the television. So they need to do whatever they can to keep people engaged. It's either that or they become extinct. The race was not lengthened, thus preserving some integrity. The result ended up being anticlimactic, thankfully, because if Newgarden had been able to overtake Rahal on the restart I think even he would feel bad about it. I do wonder if Newgarden would have been able to catch Rahal without a caution flag. The real loser in the decision appeared to be Conor Daly, who was in the top ten after looking strong all weekend (even with a mechanical failure in Race 1). Helio allegedly made contact with Daly on the restart, pushing him back to a 12th place finish. Helio made some questionable passes in Race 2, so I don't doubt that he did something sketchy on the restart.  All in all I don't have a problem with the red flag. Sports, after all, are entertainment.

#2 Story: Tires

I was quite fascinated with the different tire strategies, especially on Saturday when Daly was the only one to start on blacks. The black tires seemed to be faster and more preferred by drivers, and after watching how Daly was able to charge through the field early on Saturday, I thought it was a great choice to start on them. Several other drivers, including Alexander Rossi, must have felt the same way because they tried it on Saturday. Had Daly not experienced his mechanical problem in Race 1, I think he would've been right there with the leaders at the end. He was running in seventh at the time. Unfortunately we'll never know but it was fun to watch while it lasted.

#3 Story: Two Snoozers

Most of the race accounts that I've read seem to think that Sunday was the better race. I have to disagree, though I'm not sure why. True, there was a little more passing in Sunday's race, particularly early on, but the one pass for the lead happened in the pits when Rahal was able to stay out a lap longer than Sato and leapfrog him. I often judge a race by how much I tweet during it. If there's a lot going on, I have a lot to say and thus to tweet about. On Sunday I had little to say. I felt like we were just going through the motions, waiting to crown Rahal the victor again. I nearly dozed off at one point, and I NEVER do that during an IndyCar race. Saturday's race intrigued me with Daly's off-strategy, the Penske struggles and the all-Honda podium in a Chevrolet-sponsored race. I just felt there were more storylines to follow. But that's just me, and admittedly both races lacked excitement.

Now we move on to Texas, where I have no idea what awaits us. I doubt we will see the close finish of last year (though that would be awesome!) but with a repave and lowered banking, I think we're in for a surprise. I just hope it's a safe race and we don't have the scare we did last year with Newgarden's crash. I'll be there Saturday night to watch it all play out!

Indy 500 2017, or the Race that Alonso Ran

I have finally found the time to return to writing, hooray! If my mind was a keyboard, I'd have written every week because IndyCar is always in my thoughts. Maybe someone should invent such a thing... Well no better time to get back into it than to recap the exciting 101st running of the Indy 500.

Three Stars of the Race

#1 Star: Takuma Sato

Sato captured sweet redemption for 2012, when he crashed trying to pass eventual winner Dario Franchitti for the lead. (I still contend Dario squeezed him, but we move on.) The Andretti cars were strong all month, so it seemed inevitable that one of them would be in Victory Circle. I have to admit, I was half expecting Sato to crash again as he and Helio battled in the closing laps. But he showed patience and maturity as he held on to win his first Indy 500 and his second IndyCar race. Sato is a likable driver, full of energy and positivity, making this a popular win--especially in his native Japan. If you haven't seen the video of Japanese commentators calling the race as he crossed the bricks, check it out. It will make you smile.

#2 Star: Ed Jones

Despite not winning the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year (!?), Jones was a shining star on Sunday. He started 11th, fell back to 30th or so with some technical difficulties, then charged to the front again late in the race. He had a real shot to win. I have been impressed with Jones all year. It appears some media members still hold a grudge about Jones's "team orders" Indy Lights championship last year--either that or they were so enamored with Fernando Alonso they couldn't see any other drivers on the grid. Jones should have at least been a co-rookie of the year. He was a bright spot for Dale Coyne Racing in an otherwise depressing month.

#3 Star: Harding Racing & Gabby Chaves

It was a tough decision for third star, which is to be expected when you have 33 drivers in the race. I actually considered giving it to Dallara for building a safe car that saved Scott Dixon (more on this below). But this was Harding Racing's first-ever IndyCar race, and to bring home a top ten finish deserves recognition. Former rookie of the year Chaves started 22nd and finished 9th, so they have to be encouraged as they hope to join IndyCar full-time in 2018. It will be great to have new drivers & owners in the series.

Three Stories of the Race

#1 Story: Honda, Honda, Honda

Yes, Honda won the race. They clearly had more giddy-up than the Chevys, because Helio was unable to pass Sato in the last three laps. But three blown engines for drivers who were leading the race at one point does not make them look like a reliable company. Let's face it, this was not a great marketing campaign for them and some non-race fans watching may actually be reluctant to buy a vehicle with a Honda engine. We all knew it was only a matter of time before one blew because Honda admitted the engine was faulty, and unfortunately Ryan Hunter-Reay was the first to go. RHR had looked like a strong contender before that, and was considered a favorite to win the race. The fact that he was not interviewed on camera after exiting the race tells me he was (understandably) incredibly frustrated. Next to go was Charlie Kimball, then Alonso. Alonso led 27 laps; Kimball 5. It's just a shame that they were out of the race through no fault of their own or their team's.

#2 Story: Alonso Mania

Some would consider Alonso's IndyCar debut to be the top story, but I think I got sick of hearing about it so I bumped it down a spot. And after seeing the dismal, record-low ratings, clearly having an international F1 star in the greatest spectacle in racing did not move the needle as many expected it to. However, when I first learned Alonso would join the lineup, I was excited. Good for him, and good for IndyCar, I thought. He impressed both on and off the track, by quickly getting up to speed (albeit with a strong Andretti team), leading the race, and by being courteous and gracious with both fans and the media. Would an Alonso victory have made the series look inferior to other motorsports? Possibly. We can't deny Alonso's skill and talent, but it does give one pause that a "rookie" can jump into an IndyCar for his first oval race and nearly win it. I think Alonso caught the Indy 500 bug, and I would love to see him return for another shot at the Borg Warner trophy. If and when he does, he will be a strong challenger to win. I'm not so sure he'll want to be in a Honda, though.

#3 Story: Dixon's Crash

Unfortunately, no matter who won the race, the story that was going to capture the most national attention was the terrifying crash of polesitter Scott Dixon. I had a difficult time watching the replay, and I don't want to see it again. Jay Howard, who was 7 laps down at the time of the crash (and who inexplicably blamed the wreck on Hunter-Reay), hit the wall, lost control and smacked into Dixon. Dixon's car went airborne into the catch fence and the SAFER barrier but miraculously he was able to walk away without serious injury. The impact hit in all the right spots to save Dixon's life, thank God. And thank you to Dallara for building a car to withstand that impact. I was amazed at how calm and lighthearted Dixon was after the crash, saying simply "It was a wild ride." Race car drivers, huh? What a week for Dixon. Robbed at gunpoint the week before the race, then taken out by a backmarker after winning the pole. I think he's ready to move on to Detroit.

Other stories of note: I observed that many of the wrecks started with drivers who were non-series regulars and were only competing in the Indy 500. I understand that 33 drivers is a tradition not to be messed with, but perhaps we should be more selective in choosing the drivers who race. It's an unfortunate reality of modern racing that if you have money, you can drive a race car (talent be damned) and I wish it wasn't that way. In spite of all the yellow flags, the race was once again an exciting spectacle. Tons of passing and no clear winner until the very end. There were a record number of different leaders (15), including some surprises (Chilton?).

We have now had our sixth different winner in six races in the IndyCar season. Because of the double points awarded at Indy, Helio Castroneves now leads the championship, followed by a three-way tie of Dixon, Sato, and Simon Pagenaud for second. Anyone can win, which is one of the many exciting reasons to watch IndyCar. Stay tuned for more!