The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Some serious hardware in Colin Edwards' collarbone (Thanks to www.motorcyclenews.com)

The information lines of the sports world are taut today with criticism of LeBron James after the heavily favored Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the NBA Finals. LeChoke was a common name used for James after he disappeared in the fourth quarter of games in the Finals just 11 months after “taking his talents” to South Beach in “The Decision” show on ESPN, one of the worst PR decisions ever made by an American athlete.

LBJ compounded the ire from fans by saying after the game that he didn’t care about fan criticism of his lackluster play in the Finals. Really? Didn’t LeBron say he was following all of the fan criticism last summer after his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami and an unlimited number of titles? Then LeBron all but inferred people were jealous of him because he was a superstar and they had to return to their sad, pathetic lives today after the Finals ended.

Enough of that megalomaniacal clown King James and his tarnished crown. Instead save the royal treatment for an American athlete who flat-out delivered Sunday in a way that few could have imagined just a week ago.

American MotoGP rider Colin Edwards finished third Sunday in the Grand Prix of Great Britain. It was the 12th podium finish of his nine-season MotoGP career, which isn’t a world-beating stat at first glance. But when you consider that Edwards beat MotoGP World Champions Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo and 10 other of the world’s best riders Sunday, just eight days after having a titanium plate screwed into his shattered collarbone, that’s the stuff of legends.

Read that again. That’s right: Colin Edwards finished third in arguably the most physical form of major circuit-based motorsports in the world — hanging on to a two-wheeled, angry bucking bronco for 45 minutes — just nine days after breaking his collarbone in five places in a crash during practice at the Catalunya Grand Prix at Barcelona, Spain.

Incredible. A supreme display of what SPEED Formula One analyst David Hobbs like to call “large attachments.” Some serious courage, to be proper.

And “The Texas Tornado” delivered when his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team needed it. His teammate, Cal Crutchlow, also suffered a broken collarbone in a crash this weekend at Silverstone in his home race, leaving Tech 3 with just Edwards on the grid.

Then Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies crashed a lap apart during the rain-soaked race. Guess who was the only Yamaha rider left in the race to score vital Manufacturers’ points? A 37-year-old “old dude” with a shattered collarbone held together with hardware, having the ride of his life.

When it came time to flourish, a healthy LeBron James choked and caved in mentally when his team needed him the most on the sunny shores of South Beach. When his team and manufacturer were down, a wounded Colin Edwards carried them to unexpected glory in a cold, English rain at Silverstone.

One of those guys is returning to his mansion with a private chef and a garage full of Maybachs and Ferraris. Another is heading home to Houston to see his wife, three kids and prepare for another round of happy riders at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp this weekend.

I think we all know who the true superstar is.

The Novi engine in 1964

Throughout its 100-year history, there have been many great cars that have competed in the Indianapolis 500 – cars that ranged from cutting-edge innovation to legendary performance. But it’s likely the most popular car in Indianapolis 500 history is one that never won the race – the Novi.

Ask any longtime fan that has come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedways in the last 60 years, and they will never forget the Novi. That’s because it was so loud it would leave the spectators ears ringing long after the race had concluded.

“It was a one of a kind car – it had a sound to it that never ended,” said famed Novi car owner Andy Granatelli. “The Novi had such a sound to it that whether there were 32 other cars in the race you could hear it above all the other cars. When the other cars were on the backstretch, you couldn’t hear them at all, but you could hear the Novi. The Novi had a sound to it that you wouldn’t believe. People would hear that car and say the hair on the back of their neck would stand up. It was unbelievable. I was in love with the Novi, which is why I bought them.”

The Novi was ahead of its time in many ways. It was a double-overhead cam V8 with a bigger bore and a shorter stroke that made its first appearance in the 1941 Indy 500 when Ralph Hepburn drove the Bowes Seal Fast Special to a fourth-place finish.

“That was 20 years before Detroit even thought about that and 50 years before they built the double-overhead cam so that was way ahead of its time,” Granatelli said. “The other cars turned 4,000 or 5,000 rpm, and the Novi turned 10,000 rpm.” [More]

Roger Penske, left, and Bobby Allison in 1973 at Indianapolis

Throughout his career, Bobby Allison has always been known as a “racer’s racer.” Even at the height of his stardom as a NASCAR stock car driver, Allison still competed at the local short tracks throughout the United States so that he kept in touch with “his people” – the grassroots race fans who idolized the leader of the “Alabama Gang.”

From the “grassroots,” Allison made it to the “hallowed grounds” by racing in the Indianapolis 500 in 1973 and 1975 for famed team owner Roger Penske. And while his NASCAR career was legendary, earning him a place in the second induction class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame this week, his time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway did not include similar success.

“My Indy deal was not really very good,” Allison said. “Donnie’s was great, and mine was just the opposite. The first time there I blew up on the pace lap. That was a heartbreak, especially after devoting a month to it and missing three NASCAR races to get the preparation done. Two years later, Roger Penske begged me to go on back, and I gave it another try. I actually led the 23^rd lap in 1975, but then the car had all kinds of problems. It got a lap down from a bad fuel leak and I was getting my lap back at halfway, and then the engine blew up again.”

Allison’s brother, Donnie, preceded Bobby’s appearance in the Indianapolis 500. Donnie Allison finished fourth and was named Rookie of the Year at Indy in 1970. He finished sixth in 1971.

“Donnie went up there and did well, and I was proud of him,” Bobby said. “At the time, Indy-car racing was different from so many standpoints. There were several guys that wanted to run very limited schedules, and I wanted to run everywhere. There were guys who were used to getting paid a lot of money just to be there and at that time I wasn’t getting paid money just to show up. Roger Penske insisted that I run that test. At the time, I was driving for my own team in NASCAR.”

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Casey Mears, left, and Roger Mears

As the eldest member and leader of the famed “Mears Gang,” Roger Mears took a unique path to the Indianapolis 500.

He actually followed his younger brother, Rick, to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In fact, Rick – who is 5 years younger than Roger — had already competed in four Indy 500s and scored one victory before Roger made the starting lineup for the 1982 500 Mile Race.

“Rick came over to Indy cars and did very, very well, and that opened the door for me,” Roger said. “I was actually headed toward stock cars and off-road at the time. I feel very fortunate that I did get the opportunity to run there for a few years. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to run as long or as much as I would like, but I did what I could and did what I had to work with.”

The “Mears Gang” was among the best off-road racers that ever drove through the desert, and after the 1983 CART season, Roger had the opportunity to return to off-road where he continued an impressive career.

“Some opportunities opened up for me to go off-road full time, and I felt I had a better shot at making a full-time career out of it, which I did,” Roger said. “I rode the off-road wave that took off in the early 1980s and rode it into the 1990s and had the time of my life.”

Roger Mears’ career included stock car racing in the Bakersfield, Calif., area in addition to off-road racing. Rick was a noted off-road race but branched out to Formula Fords and Super Vee racing in the 1970s. That opened the way for Rick to head into Indy-style racing.

“We raced every weekend to have fun and we just loved doing it, and all of a sudden it turned into a career, which was a dream come true for all of us,” Roger said.

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Note: This begins a series of blogs about important figures in Indianapolis 500 history by veteran motorsports writer Bruce Martin.

The Wood Brothers revolutionized pit stops at Indianapolis with their work on Jim Clark's winning car in 1965.

When Jim Clark drove the Lotus Powered by Ford to victory in the 1965 Indianapolis 500, it ushered in an era of innovation that continues to this day as Colin Chapman’s cigar-shaped creation as the first rear-engine car to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” While that car was innovation on the racetrack, there was also innovation on pit road from the most famous pit crew in NASCAR at that time – the famed Wood Brothers.

Four brothers – Glen, Leonard, Delano and Ray Lee – along with fellow crew members Kenny Martin and Jim Reed were responsible for the pit stops that day for not only the race winning car driven by Clark but also Lotus teammate Bobby Johns. Chapman and Clark had been serious contenders to win at Indianapolis in 1963 and 1964 but lost both years. They determined one way to get an advantage in 1965 was with superior pit stops, and that is when John Cowley of the Ford Motor Company contacted Glen Wood to bring the famed Wood Brothers of Stuart, Va., to Indianapolis.

Despite being from NASCAR, the Woods made the most of their trip to the 500 Mile Race.

“I’m thinking here we are going into a foreign team, and how are they going to accept us?” said 76-year-old Leonard Wood. “After they welcomed us being there, it worked fine. Then we took over the pit stops. They gave us a free hand to do what we needed to do on that end of it. We had already won the Daytona 500 in 1963, so what you do then is get your mind set on preparing the car for a pit stop. Indianapolis was a big event with 300,000 people and all the people crowded around you, but we concentrated on doing our thing.”

The Wood Brothers were the first in NASCAR to determine that races could be won and lost in the pits. At that time, pit stops could last 45 seconds to one minute while fuel was emptied into the race car and giant hammers were used to get the dial-pin off the old “knock-off’ wheels. But the Woods developed a way to get an advantage with the gravity-flow refueling system.

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Donald Davidson

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson has been the expert on the history of the Racing Capital of the World since he arrived in Central Indiana in the mid-1960s. Now 2010 Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee Davidson is answering your questions periodically in this blog!

Q: How many times has the race been “red-flagged” for reasons other than rain, i.e., for accidents?

—Rick Johnson, Lynnwood, Wash.

A: Other than for rain, I can only think of six times total, a mere three of which were after the race was off and running. Those would be for the second-lap accident in 1964, which took the lives of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald; the Lap 58 accident in 1973 which ultimately resulted in the demise of Swede Savage; and the final lap of 1967, when A.J. Foyt had to pick his way through the debris of a multi-car accident to reach Pat Vidan’s simultaneous checker and red. The other three would be due to accidents right at the start of the 1966 and 1973 events, plus a stoppage on the 1970 pace lap when ninth-starting Jim Malloy spun out of Turn 4 (due to a suspension failure, miraculously to be missed by everyone) just as the field was heading down for the start. All of the other red flags were due to weather-related issues, plus of course to wave in all other cars at a race conclusion. In 1974, when the policy was still to let the cars run for five more minutes after the winner had completed the distance, the red came out after only three and a half minutes when infield fans began running out onto the track to salute winner Johnny Rutherford.

Q: I believe the first “500″ was started with the wave of a RED flag, which at the time signified a clear track?

—Racenutdon

A: True. In fact it was not until a revamping of virtually all of the flag meanings in 1930 that green took the place of red. Prior to that, green had meant one lap to go.

Q: I have heard that Tommy Milton had no sight in his right eye, which makes winning two “500s” even more amazing?

—Dave Watts

A: That was the word. You’ll note that in virtually all photographs of the cagey and even secretive 1921 and 1923 winner, he usually has a pronounced squint. The late Charles Lytle, perhaps the most eminent of all the historians on early American racing, once asked a Milton contemporary, “Do you think he really only had one eye?” to which the contemporary fired back, “One? Hell, he had at least five in the back of his head!”

Q: Was it Kosuke Matsuura in 2004 or 2005 who was shocked to learn that the start was three abreast and that he had not had that particular experience before?

—PatTheIceman

A: Actually, that was Tora Takagi in 2003. The Indianapolis Star had a studio set up on the grounds, for taking head shots of all the drivers for the starting lineup in its race souvenir edition, designed in such a way that each head shot would have precisely the same lighting and so forth. Over to one side of the room there was a “mock-up” to show what the finished page was going to look like. The word is that Takagi, a “rookie,” causally strolled over for a look, and that after a few seconds his eyes slowly grew as wide as saucers when it dawned on him what the design implied. He then turned to his interpreter and, with a look of great concern, subtly held up three fingers and raised his eyebrows. When the interpreter nodded in the affirmative, Takagi, who went on to finish fifth and win the Rookie of the Year award, is said to have spent the next many seconds staring at the floor with a look of astonishment on his face. Apparently, he had not been previously aware that the “500″ employs three-abreast starts.

When my alarm sounded this morning about 6:15 a.m. my mind immediately starting thinking about the many things that need to be accomplished in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.  Then I remembered the storm … the ice … snowpocalypse!

As about 6:45 AM IMS employees were notified that, along with majority of businesses and schools in central Indiana, our offices would be closed due to the massive amount of ice and snow that had accumulated over the last 48 hours.

After working most of the day in the office at the house, I thought about what was taking place at IMS and decided I needed to get the facility.  I knew there were people working to get the facility ready for tomorrow’s work day and I wondered what this 100+ year old motorsports shrine looked like wearing a layer or two of solid ice.

At my heart, I am a fan of the IMS.  It has been engrained in my DNA for as long as I can remember.  Because of that, I know how IMS fans are … we love this place all year long.  Like many of you, I remember how cool it was the first time I saw Gordon Johncock’s IndyCar parked on pit lane in the snow 20+ years ago.

So, about 2:45 PM I closed my laptop, kissed my wife, said goodbye to the boys and jumped into the car to get some close up shots of what the Indianapolis Motor Speedway looks like when it is covered with ice!

IMS Snow Scene from February 2011

When I arrived, I met up with Paul Riley.  Paul has worked for the IMS for 30+ years and there is nobody more passionate about the facility than him.  Paul had been at the track since 4:30 AM and was still several hours from going home.  I took my place in his Tahoe and went on rounds as he checked on the team clearing snow and ice at the IMS admin building, the Hall of Fame Museum and the INDYCAR offices.

Most of the place was covered in two inches of solid ice. The east parking lot of the Hall of Fame Museum would have been perfect for hosting the NHL Winter Classic.

IMS Snow Scene from February 2011 - Ice and Snow Storms struck the Midwest

IMS Snow Scene from February 2011

After an hour or so with Paul, he dropped me off at the admin building and I tried to work at the office for a bit, but the track kept calling me.  So I packed up, and decided to take my own car on my own tour – where I thought as I fan I would want to go!  It was closing in on sunset and all I had was the camera on my phone, but I think I got a few shots that my fellow fans might appreciate seeing.

IMS Snow Scene from February 2011

IMS Snow Scene from February 2011

IMS Snow Scene from February 2011

Find even more snow scene photos on Flickr by clicking here.

Tony and his girlfriend, Carla, at IMS

The special relationship between fans and drivers has been a hallmark of the Indianapolis 500 since the inaugural race in 1911. But it never gets old to learn of a bond formed between a current INDYCAR driver and a passionate follower of the sport.

Tony Laurenzana, 24, from Bedford, Ind., recently shared this story about his history with IMS and his passion for 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon.

***

I grew up at IMS, from 1986 to 1995. My dad was one of the contracted electricians for Moran Electric during that timeframe. I presumably was the first baby in the garages after they were rebuilt in 1986, as I was born in Feburary 1986, but that cannot be confirmed. My dad had an office in the garages, and growing up there for nine years gave me a ton of memories. Meeting drivers, hanging out all day with my mom at the track while dad worked, all developing a passion for auto racing.

I now live in Bedford, Ind. My mom works as a dental assistant down here. The dentist’s daughter married someone within the racing industry, and he knows a ton of drivers in many racing series. They are currently very good friends with Scott and Emma Dixon.

The dentist’s daughter works as a hygienist in her father’s office and was cleaning my teeth in September 2010. In between the suction being in my mouth, we talked about our experiences at IMS. My mom had mentioned to me before that they were guests at the Dixon’s wedding, vice-versa, so I thought it was fun that I knew someone close to a famous race car driver.

Autographed ticket

After the 2008 Indianapolis 500, I purchased the 1/18 scale race-won Dixon car from the IMS Gift Shop. I started using it as a centerpiece for my living room, since I recently bought my house and furnished the living room in IMS memorabilia, past and present.

While at my appointment, the dentist’s daughter mentioned the cool photos I took of Scott’s car during the 2009 Indy 500, and I told her I bought the car, etc. She offered to take the car and have Scott autograph it when he and Emma got back from Homestead in October. She then told me whatever I had, go ahead and give it to her and Scott would sign it. I had my ticket from 2009 with Scott’s image on it, and the lanyard and ticket holder with the Indy 500 logo on it.

Autographed diecast car

Once Scott got back, over dinner he was handed an IMS Gift Shop bag full of those things, and he signed each one. About two weeks later, I received my car, lanyard, ticket holder and ticket — all signed. I rushed out to buy a thank you card, and added a personal message. She delivered it to both Scott and Emma.

Before this I really wasn’t much of a fan of his; I never knew why. I have always liked Dario Franchitti since his days in CART/Champ Car. I can at least say Scott has gained a new fan. He could’ve easily said, “Don’t bother me with that.”

They are still in my living room predominantly displayed for all my guests to see, and a story to tell.

This is INDYCAR.

Welcome to 2011. No, Splash And Go is not working on the Roman or Julian calendar. It’s just getting quite busy around here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as preparations for this season — especially the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 — are pedal to the metal.

Everything is just as hectic in the world of INDYCAR, where good news continues to be generated at a breakneck pace. The first big change is the elimination of the old Indy Racing League name and the creation of a new logo. INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard is right — the old name conjures too much bad mojo, too many memories of the split.

So INDYCAR it shall be. You won’t see any mention of Irrelevant Racing Lingo (IRL) around here anymore. Big-time open-wheel racing in North America is INDYCAR, baby.

That was just the start of the news surrounding INDYCAR during a major summit with teams, drivers and sponsors Tuesday, Jan. 11 in Indianapolis. Among other IZOD IndyCar Series nuggets, Edmonton is back on the 2011 schedule, engine displacement is being reduced from the planned 2.4 liters to 2.2 liters in 2012, double-wide restarts on ovals in 2011 will start at Indy, restarts will take place closer to the start-finish line and more.

The dramatic buzz created by these changes and other positive developments is catching the eyes of the INDYCAR blogosphere and media. Robin Miller at SPEEDTV.com pays tribute to Bernard’s role in INDYCAR’s resurgence, while Tony Johns at Pop Off Valve talks about the vital, smart decisions Bernard has made in the last 10 months. Mike Knapp at 15 Days in May mirrors the optimism of nearly every INDYCAR fan, while Christopher Leone at Open Wheel America looks at the importance the strengthened Mazda Road To Indy ladder system will play in INDYCAR’s future.

These are Timbuk3 times for INDYCAR. (Remember the classic one-hit wonder, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades?” Yeah, they sang it.)

The good news could keep on rolling on the television front, as a proposed merger between NBC and Comcast could signal a significant change for the IZOD IndyCar Series TV package.

NASCAR also is on the verge of a major change, as NASCAR.com reported Jan. 11 that drivers will be forced to choose one of the three major series in which they want to earn championship points in 2011. This could reduce the number of Sprint Cup drivers dipping into the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, as they won’t be eligible for championships.

This proposed move is going to take some digesting, just like the big Christmas meal I enjoyed. The ramifications are huge.

Will it reduce the marquee value of the Nationwide and Truck series if fewer Cup drivers participate? How can a driver who performs regular double or triple duty, such as Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, lure or keep a sponsor for the two lower series if he’s not running for a championship? How will that effect race teams in Nationwide and Busch owned by Cup drivers?

In another change, California Speedway is reducing its spring race distance from 500 to 400 miles. Halle-freaking-lujah. Here’s to hoping other tracks follow suit. Forcing fans to sit in front of a TV for a 500-mile race is just too much in the ADD world in which we live, especially when prominent drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. even admit the middle stages of those long races are nothing but parades to cut down laps to get to the final fuel stint. Five-hundred milers should be saved for a few special places and special races.

Dustin Long remains one of the top writers on the NASCAR beat, and he came up with this interpretive gem: It seems more and more Cup teams are hiring younger drivers, but the average age of participants in the Chase for the Sprint Cup continues to rise. Age and experience always can overcome youthful exuberance, I guess.

INDYCAR and NASCAR weren’t the only series with big news this week. MotoGP seismographs jiggled Tuesday when Valentino Rossi made his official debut as a Ducati rider at the annual VROOM winter media gathering in the Italian Alps. Former American MotoGP standout John Hopkins may resurface this season in British Superbikes after an injury-ravaged spell in World Superbikes, and 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen looks set to stay in the World Rally Championship for another year.

Finally, CNN reported Tuesday that 49 of the 50 U.S. states were under snow. That’s not exactly a race fan’s dream. So unless you’re into ice racing or snowmobile racing, watch this incredible high-def video of Richie Tobias in a big-block modified last October at Syracuse to keep your racing fires stoked until the snow melts.

With all apologies to Led Zeppelin, it’s been a long time since we’ve rocked and rolled at “Splash And Go.” There has been plenty of news since the North American season officially ended with the NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale Nov. 21, so it would be a bit tedious to review all of that.

Let’s just pick up with the last week or so, shall we?

The IZOD IndyCar Series season ended two months ago, but it seems that no series in America has more mojo right now than Randy Bernard and Co. The good news keeps coming and coming, putting more than a decade’s worth of acrimony due to “The Split” deeper and deeper into the rear-view mirror.

Mazda joins the party!

The Road To Indy ladder system for INDYCAR, consisting of Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda and USF2000, received a major boost this week when Mazda announced its title sponsorship of the program. The Mazda Road to Indy will provide scholarships to the champion of all three developmental classes to jump to the next level the next season.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. There’s no other way to describe this, on so many levels. The scholarships provide a legitimate carrot for aspiring open-wheel racers at all levels, and the addition of another manufacturer bullish on the future of INDYCAR racing is fantastic.

Combine the Mazda Road to Indy with the recently announced program to grant a Firestone Indy Lights oval program to the USAC National Drivers Championship winner, and few — if any — sanctioning bodies in the world have such a clearly defined road to the pinnacle as INDYCAR.

Team Penske continued to add sponsors to its stable, as series sponsor IZOD came on board this week. IZOD will use Penske driver Ryan Briscoe as its new poster boy, and the best series sponsor in INDYCAR history — by about 1,000 miles — already is activating both its series sponsorship and support of Briscoe through new TV commercials filmed in the desert with a live soundtrack provided by rock band Weezer. No more racing to the party, I guess. I shed no tears.

The addition of IZOD continued a hell of a capitalistic run for Penske, which also snared Shell/Pennzoil as an Indianapolis 500 primary sponsor for three-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves, AAA of Southern California as a primary sponsor for Castroneves at Long Beach and Texas and Midwestern grocery store chain Meijer as an associate sponsor for all three of its cars.

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