Helio Makes History

The 2021 Indy 500 was one for the ages, one I will not soon forget. Not only was it the largest sporting event since the pandemic began, with allegedly 135,000 fans in attendance (it looked like much more than that on TV), but we witnessed history as Helio Castroneves joined the four-time winners club. It is an exclusive club, with only three other members--AJ Foyt, Al Unser, Sr., and Rick Mears. Helio has tried for a long time to achieve this milestone, and go figure it happened in his first Indy 500 without Team Penske. Simon Pagenaud, along with others, have noted that the Speedway seems to pick its winner each year. I found myself reflecting on his comment this year and finding some truth in it. Helio was the perfect winner for 2021. He is a popular driver, this is a feel-good win and after the past year we could all use something to feel good about. It also seems appropriate to capture that elusive fourth win in front of fans. It felt like every driver in the paddock enthusiastically congratulated Helio during the longest trip to the Indy 500 Victory Lane we've probably ever seen. And what an amazing spectacle to see fans climbing the fence to salute Helio as he completed his victory lap. It was a special, special moment, and I think the ghosts of Indianapolis Motor Speedway chose the right winner this year.

Three Stars of the Race

#1 Star: Helio Castroneves

I had remarked about halfway through the race that we should keep an eye on Helio, who was running in P3 at the time. He started in the fast nine, has the experience needed in a long race of this caliber, and stayed near the front for the entire race. Somehow he was able to avoid the empty fuel tank issues that struck Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi on the first pit stop. After Stefan Wilson crashed in the pits on lap 34 (more on that later), the first caution waved and the pits closed. Dixon and Rossi both ran out of fuel and had to pit for emergency service. However, the engine wouldn't refire immediately, resulting in lengthy stops for both. Dixon eventually gained his lap back, but Rossi never did. Regardless, Helio never had to worry about this issue. He also displayed patience and mastery, timing his last-lap pass of Alex Palou perfectly. As Helio remarked in his post-race interview, 2021 has been a good year for the "old guys," with 40-year-old Tom Brady winning another "big game," 50-year-old Phil Mickelson capturing the PGA Championship, and 40-year-old Scott Dixon starting on the Indy 500 pole. Palou will likely be reliving the last few laps in his head for a long time, but he has nothing to be ashamed of, finishing second to a four-time champ in only his second Indy 500. The teacher schooled the student.

#2 Star: Mike Shank

It has been a long arduous journey to full-time IndyCar racing for Michael Shank. In 2012 he had a chassis but was unable to secure an engine for it. From there he had to slowly enter the series, starting with Indy 500-only entries, much like Paretta Autosport this year. Though he has had quite a bit of success in sports car racing, the team had primarily run a partial schedule prior to last year, consistently with Jack Harvey as its driver. A technical partnership with Andretti Autosport and a committed sponsorship from AutoNation and Sirius XM (with former CEO Jim Meyer co-owning the race team) allowed Meyer Shank Racing to field a full-time IndyCar for the first time in 2020 and add a second driver (Helio) for six races in 2021. They are no longer a small team on the sidelines, as Racer noted in an article after Harvey and Graham Rahal tussled at Texas, but are legitimate contenders. This was Meyer Shank Racing's first IndyCar win, and it certainly won't be their last. IndyCar needs these stories, they serve as inspiration for other teams aspiring to enter the series or find success on a smaller team.

#3 Star: Conor Daly

Daly received a HUGE ovation from the crowd when he took the lead on lap 50, and he ended up leading a race-high 40 laps. There was something very 'Murica with hometown favorite Daly leading in a U.S. Air Force car on Memorial Day weekend. Unfortunately Daly's good day was derailed when Rahal's loose tire clipped the front of his car, knocking the front wing out of balance and affecting the car's speed and aerodynamics for the rest of the race. Daly wound up finishing 13th, a result not really depicting the good car and drive he showed for much of the day. Hopefully he will get a podium and his first IndyCar win before the year is over.

Honorable Mentions: Sage Karam, who started on the last row and charged to a seventh-place finish, Simon Pagenaud, the highest-placing Penske driver who might have won had this been the Indy 502 instead of the Indy 500, and Santino Ferrucci, who now has three top ten finishes in three Indy 500s.

Three Stories of the Race

#1 Story: Brake Issues

What in the world happened with the brakes in these cars? Four separate instances from four different teams caused problems for drivers having decent days, and they all reported the same issue: the brake pedal went straight to the floor. First, it was Stefan Wilson. Then it was Will Power, who spun around in the pits and could not recover, ultimately finishing 30th. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who had been running in the top five for much of the day and was a legitimate threat to challenge for the lead, had problems on lap 175 and also receive a pit speed penalty, effectively ending his day. He finished an unremarkable 22nd, the last car on the lead lap. Simona De Silvestro also spun in pit lane, clipping the pit wall and resulting in a DNF. Listening to Power's radio during the race, he claimed that the brakes were so bad that he would not be able to stop if there was an incident in front of him, which is terrifying. Thankfully we didn't have to worry about that, but these brake problems definitely need to be investigated further before the next oval (St. Louis in August).

#2 Story: Fastest Indy 500 in History

With only two cautions during the race, the 2021 Indy 500 set the record for the fastest ever, at an average speed of 190.690. The cooler temperatures may have helped, but I must also commend the drivers, mechanics, and teams. Other than the brake problems, there were no mechanical issues leading to DNFs. No engines going kablammo or electrical concerns as has been the case in some previous races. Now, Rahal's tire blunder was big, and frightening. It appeared that the left rear tire changer could not get the tire on, for whatever reason, but the jack dropped and Rahal took off before the tire was fully attached. It's not clear what or who was most to blame for Rahal leaving early, but his tire fell off as he exited the pits and he slammed into the wall on lap 119. What a scary moment, and a gutting feeling for Rahal, who was in an excellent position to win this race. He had been running near the front and making perfect fuel mileage. But the Speedway didn't pick you this year, Graham. Hopefully it will someday. 

#3 Story: Engine Battle

The Honda competitive edge was apparent throughout the entire month, yet somehow Ed Carpenter Racing with Chevy engines managed to put two cars into the Fast Nine. Pato O'Ward noted that his car did not seem to have the power or speed to catch up to Palou and Castroneves in the closing laps, though he was eventually passed by Pagenaud, also in a Chevy. Honda has now won four of the first six races, including the biggest one of the year, and Team Penske is still unbelievably without a win, so they hold the advantage for now. But you have to figure that Chevy is coming, especially with their hometown race in Detroit next up on the schedule.

It should also be noted that IndyCar now has six different winners from six different countries in the first six racing. The unpredictability and parity within the series is one of its most exciting assets. I predict we will have another different winner in Detroit. It would be fantastic if it was another first-time IndyCar winner too. 

Texas Two-Step

The first-ever IndyCar doubleheader at Texas Motor Speedway was a tale of two races. Saturday's snoozefest saw Scott Dixon take the checkered flag for his fifth victory at the track, after he led all but six laps. The race was largely a parade with very little passing, likely due to several factors. One, qualifying was rained out so the field was set by entrant points. Presumably this meant that some fast cars, like Tony Kanaan, would start at the back but be able to pass cars easily as they charged to the front. However, that did not happen because the PJ1 trackbite compound applied to supposedly help the NASCAR races proved to be too slippery for IndyCars. If someone tried to move up to pass on the outside, they had to either quickly back out of the attempted pass or risk hitting the wall. Lastly, the IndyCar aero package for ovals does not seem to encourage passing or close racing. The race became a track position affair with cars separated from one another and unable to close the gaps. It was probably the most boring race I have ever witnessed. I can't complain too much though because it was the first race I have attended since 2019, and whenever you can witness IndyCars in person it's a good day for me.

Sunday's race was far more exciting, though, and renewed my faith in the track. Pato O'Ward alone was worth the price of admission, as he daringly passed several drivers en route to his first IndyCar win. I watched him attempting to pass Will Power all day, as he seemed to have the faster car but couldn't pass (because of the PJ1 compound). I knew if he could figure out how to pass on this one-groove track, he would take off, and sure enough he did. Graham Rahal was also fun to watch, especially once he passed Dixon for the lead. These top three drivers stayed close together until the final pit stop, drafting to save fuel. Anytime you can see multiple passes for the lead and a first-time winner, it's a great race in my opinion, and that's what we were treated to on Sunday. Unfortunately the carnage at the start tore up a lot of race cars, but beyond that it was enjoyable and a reminder of what racing at Texas once was and could be again. I felt especially bad for Sebastien Bourdais, whose team worked late to repair the car after Newgarden bumped him and spun him out on Saturday, only to be taken out before the green flag flew on Sunday. 

I saw a lot of fans on social media calling for IndyCar to leave Texas Motor Speedway, either forever or until the track can either be repaved or the PJ1 compound removed. Most of these calls came after Saturday's parade. So let me get this straight--we decry that IndyCar doesn't have many oval races anymore, but here is an oval track that actually wants IndyCar and supports them year after year, even when attendance wanes, and you want to get rid of them? Sunday showed that we can have decent racing at this track, particularly if drivers are willing to push the limit a bit to pass. Let's hold off on the "cancel Texas" clamors for a little while, OK?

I'm not sure if this race will return to its usual June date next year or not, but I loved not sweating my ass off at the track for once! Once the rain cleared on Saturday, it was quite pleasant. I'm glad Texas was a doubleheader this year, because if IndyCar had left after Saturday's snoozer, we might never want them to return. They got another chance on Sunday and totally redeemed themselves with good racing.

As I said, this was the first race I attended since 2019, and I'm not sure how other tracks are handling the pandemic, but there was definitely a minimalist fan experience this time compared to previous years. There were no team trailers, no IndyCar merchandise tent, no driver autographs, no touring the garages after the race, no concerts, no race scanners, and no flyover. Rain nullified qualifying, and there was no qualifying on Sunday (though there probably should have been; I agree with Alexander Rossi on that one), so you were really just there for the race and that's it. There were a few trailers and "spin-the-wheel" type booths where fans could get prizes, but those were all outside the gate so you didn't even need a ticket to access them. I understand this may be a one-off and things will return to "normal" next year, but oval tracks need to have more for the fans. It's no wonder attendance is so poor at oval tracks compared to road and street courses where there is action on track all day, and games and activities throughout the venue. Fans lament the lack of ovals on the schedule, but if we have little to watch or do at the track and are treated to single-file parades, no wonder they are disappearing from the schedule.  I'm not giving up hope yet. As long as my health cooperates, I will return to Texas Motor Speedway if they have an IndyCar race next year, whether it's in May, June, or some other date.

Three Stars of the Weekend

#1 Star: Pato O'Ward

Pato was truly a treat to watch, especially on Sunday. He earned his first IndyCar victory, and it was awesome to see his genuine joy in Victory Lane. He had a massive contingent of fans cheering for him, so I hope he stays in IndyCar for a long time.

#2 Star: Scott Dixon

What else can you say about the master? He had a definite advantage starting on the front row Saturday and on the pole Sunday, but he still drove like a champ and leaves the weekend with the championship lead once again. He's just a damn good driver. Period.

#3 Star: Graham Rahal

With an honorable mention to rookie Scott McLaughlin for earning his first IndyCar podium in his first-ever oval race, Graham was truly a star during both races. He had a great car and made some slick passes, especially on Sunday. I enjoyed watching him, Pato, and Dixon at the front, wondering who would blink first and take the lead. He looks like a strong contender at Indy, coming off two top-five finishes, and is in the hunt for his first championship. 

Three Stories of the Weekend

#1: Lack of Qualifying

The lack of qualifying definitely seemed to be a factor in Sunday's opening lap crash. I haven't watched the telecast yet, so I'm not sure if Dixon really did brake-check the field, but you also had faster cars starting toward the back, which is a recipe for disaster. TK was fastest in practice but had to start in the back. I would've liked to see what he could've done had qualifying taken place, and he sat on pole or the front row. It might have been a completely different weekend. I know that IndyCar chose to follow the rule book instead of adding a qualification session on Sunday, but surely this rule can be amended on a doubleheader weekend when quals are rained out, no? I hope they consider a revision in the offseason. They had time to qualify on Sunday, or at least practice to give the fans more of a show.

#2: PJ1

This was the drinking term of the weekend, and IndyCar and Texas will have to work together to figure out how best to improve the racing at this track. This topic has been addressed ad nauseum so that's all I'll say for now.

#3: Youth Movement

Aside from 40-year-old Dixon, the other three races this year have been won by younger drivers, including two first-time winners (Alex Palou and O'Ward). St. Pete winner Colton Herta was also fun to watch on Sunday; I saw him carve his way through the field a bit. It is exciting to watch these young guns make their mark on IndyCar and keep the veterans on their toes. I just hope the series can keep them around for awhile and not lose them to the allure of F1.

Here are a few photos from the weekend: