Wheldon had a sense of humor about the media coverage of the 2005 Indy 500.

Wheldon’s first victory at the Brickyard came in 2005, when he was 26 and beginning his third season as a full-time driver on the IRL IndyCar Series. That race made a star of one IndyCar racer, but it wasn’t Wheldon. Danica Patrick led 19 laps, becoming the first woman to lead at Indianapolis. Patrick was leading at lap 193 and finished fourth. Her performance was noteworthy not only because she was a woman but also because she was a 23-year-old rookie. Much of the attention the media gave Patrick was well deserved, but “Danica Mania” (which was an actual thing) kept Wheldon from getting the recognition that should have come to him.

Wheldon won his second Indy 500 this year, capitalizing on the misfortune of rookie J.R. Hildebrand, who slid into the retaining wall on the fourth turn of the final lap. Hildebrand, who could have cruised uncontested to the finish line, became the story of the 2011 race.

Hildebrand, who coasted (literally) to a second-place finish and claimed rookie-of-the-year honors, drove for Panther Racing, Wheldon’s former team. Wheldon drove for Panther in 2009 and 2010. Though he turned in two second-place finishes at the Indy 500, he failed to win a race in his two years with Panther, and the team decided to release him and replace him with the younger Hildebrand. Wheldon entered this season without a team, but found a ride for Indy. And he won, edging out the driver who had taken his job.

It was an incredible story, but it didn’t translate to Twitter and YouTube. To the average sports fan, the story of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 was reduced to “This Hildebrand kid had the race wrapped up and blew it.”

**********

Once upon a time, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner would have been a household name, regardless of the circumstances surrounding his victories. But Indy racing doesn’t command the attention it once did. IndyCar’s woes go back to 1996 when the Indy Racing League (IRL) broke away from CART, separating many of the sport’s best-known drivers from the sport’s premier race. The IRL merged with Champ Car (formerly CART) in 2008, but not before the split had done considerable damage to the sport’s popularity and ability to attract sponsors.

While ABC continues to air the Indianapolis 500, the rest of the IndyCar Series races are consigned to Versus. IndyCar ratings are consistently lower than those for NASCAR Nationwide races on ESPN2 and NASCAR truck series races on Speed. Indy’s ratings are even poor when compared to other niche sports on Versus.

But that happens. Sports go in and out of fashion. What doesn’t change is the devotion of the athletes. Regardless of a sport’s popularity, there will be athletes who are so dedicated to their craft that they are willing to risk their bodies and even their lives. While sports in general and auto races in particular are safer than they have ever been, there remain those rare occasions when a sport claims the life of one of its most devoted competitors.

**********

Dan Wheldon won 16 IRL/IndyCar Series races in his short career, including his two wins at Indianapolis. He won the series championship in 2005 and finished in the top 5 for 5 consecutive seasons, from 2004 to 2008. By any standard he was a great driver, even if the series he raced in struggled to attract viewers and sponsors. Unlike some of his peers, Wheldon didn’t reach a wider audience by winning Dancing With the Stars or marrying an A-list actress or starring in a Super Bowl commercial. Many American sports fans didn’t know the name “Dan Wheldon” until news of his death broke on Sunday afternoon. And that’s too bad.

Wheldon at the National Guard Youth Foundation 2010 ChalleNGe Champions Gala (Wikipedia)

Wheldon leaves behind his wife, Susie, and two young sons. And that sucks.

When Dario Franchitti won, a lot of people in the stands were disappointed.

Ashley Judd was not, in fact she went shoeless across the asphalt to meet her husband who won his second career Indy 500.

It could have been Dan Wheldon challenging Franchitti on the final lap, but Ryan Hunter-Reay and Mike Conway had a horrific wreck in between turns 3 and 4 putting the final lap under caution.

Franchitti drove his 10 Target Chip-Gannasi Machine ever so slow across the bricks for the victory with Dan Wheldon helpless not being able to pass under caution.

The fans wanted Tony Kanaan to win. They wanted the lovable racer, cast into the role of underdog this month to come from the 33rd starting position and by golly win the thing.

If not for a caution here or a pit stop there, Kanaan had a great shot to win it. He was right on Franchitti’s tail with five laps to go but had to make a dramatic late pit stop for fuel.  He’s got as much talent as anyone in IndyCar and as much personality too.

Franchitti is the San Antonio Spurs of Indy Car. He’s going to win but is not going to overwhelm you with personality the way a Kanaan an Helio Castoneves or Danica Patrick can.

Patrick who finished 6th and Kanaan who finished 11th, both proved detractors wrong Sunday. They can both compete for races even without perfect race cars.

It’s obvious Franchitti’s car was just about perfect this weekend.

Castroneves was the favorite to win before today’s race, and he could have become only the fourth four time winner of the race, but he was forced to pit for fuel with eight laps remaining. He finished ninth.

The drama was certainly there Sunday and well worth the 90-degree temps for all in attendance. The word around the track was it was 96-degrees, the hottest in the history of the race.

Franchitti was the fastest around the track most of the race and deserved to win.  He finished with 1.6 gallons in the tank. That’s not a lot. His team was incredibly smart and lucky.

Castoneves won the Pit Stop Challenge this afternoon. It’s more like a defacto drag race.  I wiggled my way to within five feet of Castroneves’ car at the start line for some audio of what an IndyCar sounds like taking off from a dead start.

Click here to listen to the MP3 of Helio Castoneves taking off in his No. 3 Team Penske Dallara-Honda

After the pit stop competition I made my way over to the ZZ top concert.

I acciendiently stumbled into a Miller Lite party and realized this wasn’t a concert. I look a lot like Opie Taylor some say and felt a little out of place.

But the Miller Light Babes could not have been more hospitable and were kind enough to pose for a photo (below) and treated me great.

I don’t know, I really felt some good vibes with those girls. So stay tuned.

Eventually I found the concert area, as it was already three o’clock in the afternoon random and drunk people were being escorted away by the handful.

I practically crowd-surfed my way to the front of the crowd to get a photo of the band, along the way I saw some things that I wish I could forever erase from my memory.

A slip-n-slide was set up between the Brickyard Crossing golf course and the concert area.

Just to get close to the action I had to jostle with about 25 other dudes who had their cell phone cameras out screaming for the contestants to go topless.

The beer being poured on the plastic tarp was getting sucked up by the sun quicker than full cans of beer could be found and the result was some pretty brutal skin burns on the participants.

I’ll have full race coverage through out the weekend, stay tuned.

And she’s the most sought after person at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week, constantly being moved from one location to another.

Since breaking into IndyCar as a rookie in 2005, she has become the face of the IndyCar series. Her merchandise is more popular than the merchandise of three-time winner Helio Castroneves. She gets mainstream media attention and “Average Joes” talking about a racing series that could use the exposure.

With a third-place finish in last year’s 500, Danica has proven she can drive, but she is still considered by some as a part-time driver, full-time marketer.

Image source: Marlena Bielinska via SI.com

There are some believe that she is being disloyal to the series that made her by racing in NASCAR’s Nationwide series on a limited schedule. Doing so at a time when IndyCar needs her full focus on their business.

NASCAR will go on without her, and no one really believes she’s really competing in Nationwide races with the goal of going full-time. Most believe it’s more about extending the Danica brand.

Never was it more clear that some are tired of what they claim is her ‘act’, than last Saturday at qualifications. Danica was almost in tears when the fans booed her lousy qualifying time. She retorted over the public address, “It’s not my fault, the car is bad.”

ESPN analyst Eddie Cheever said Danica’s double-dip is futile, and it’s time she realizes it.

“From the arch of her career what she accomplished has been phenomenal, and she has focused incredibly well on building a brand,” Cheever said.

“This year, she was making steady progress, you could never discount and you still can’t discount Danica Patrick at the Indy 500. But she has taken her career on a path where she is trying to compete in NASCAR and in IndyCar. The last people to do that successfully are Foyt and Andretti.”

“That will add a lot of weight on her shoulders, and she’s accustomed to success here, so when she came here and to not be successful was probably an emotion she had not endured in the past. I’ve been in race cars for 30 years, and as a I’ve got a message to send to her ‘this will happen to you many times in your career.’

“She might try to take a step back and realize she’s try to do something impossible.”

Listen to Cheever’s comments: ESPN analyst Eddie Cheever comments about Danica Patrick

Say what you want to about the Daytona 500, but the Indy 500 is as good as it gets.

Don’t get me wrong, the Daytona 500 is an epic race, but it just can’t compare to the legendary race at the Brickyard.

Now I’m not going to pretend to be an Indy car racing fan, because I pay very little attention to the sport. But, every Memorial Day weekend, I make sure that I tune in to watch the king of races.

In 1911, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” was born. To put in perspective how long ago that really is, the Cubs had won a World Series just three years prior.

That’s a long time!

The first race was won by Ray Harroun (right), and since then, many of racing’s greatest drivers have followed in his footsteps. Legends such as Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, A.J. Foyt and Bobby Unser have all won the crown jewel of racing. Andretti and Foyt are the only two drivers in history to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.

As the 94th running of the race draws near, we all get to look back on the great moments of the Indy 500. The winner’s milk, the Borg-Warner Trophy, Al Unser and A.J. Foyt winning their fourth Indy 500s, Al Unser, Jr. beating Scott Goodyear in 1992 by a mere .043 seconds, these are just a few snippets of the Indianapolis 500′s greatness.

And this weekend another chapter in the glorified history of this historic race will be written.

It’s all a part of IZOD’s new role as the title sponsor of the IndyCar series.

IZOD wants to take IndyCar from 16th and Georgetown to New York and Hollywood; that is, make it hip with the younger demographic.

The Kardashian’s will be attending VIP only parties around the city over the weekend. No word on if they’ll actually be at the race. If they do appear expect to see them miles (literarlly, the track is 2.5 miles) away from the infield types and smooging it up with the cooporate sponsors.

Actor Jack Nicholson will be brought in to wave the green flag to start the field of 33.  The joke around the track is that instead of making Nicholson climb the flag stand, some sort of lift will bring him to the top, seriously that’s the rumored plan.

David Letterman is a regular at the 500, of course in recent years as part owner of Rahal-Letterman racing.

Other celebrities scheduled to make appearences this weekend at Indy500 events are: Mark Whalberg, Bruce Jenner, Jeremy Renner, Brian Geraghty, Adrien Grenier, Nathan Fillion, Bailey Chase, Eeric Close, Tim Daly.

Atheltes expected to make appearances in Indy this weekend are Detroit Lions No. 1 draft pick Ndamukong Suh, NFL Hall of Famers Lynn Swann, Anthony Munoz, Ozzie Newsome, Dan Fouts, Dan Hampton, Paul Krause.

I did catch Indiana Basketball coach Tom Crean with a big smile on his face as he was whisked around the track Wednesday on a golf cart.

Even without cars on the track, it was apparent that though the times are changing in terms of mechanical specifications, qualifying formats and the like, the spirit of the “Month of May” has remained the same.

Fans meet Penske driver Helio Castroneneves Wednesday May 26, 2010 at Community Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, Indiana (Dan Helrigel,IMS)

Community Day brought families to the track and into the pit area and garages which were open to anyone for the day.

A lot of of fathers and sons were at the track Wednesday.

‘The track” as we call it in Indiana, is where my dad took me and photographed me in front of about every semi-trailer there was when we would go every year.

About 15 years later I get the same feeling when I walk  the grounds of the 2.5 mile oval. The engines sound the same to me, (it doesn’t matter what chassi they use),  the beer still smells the same , and I got still get a sun burn.

Wednesday fans got a chance to meet the drivers and get autographs.  Helio Castroneves drew long lines.

I don’t ever remember getting an autograph as a kid,  but I remember coming home with the same cloth checkered flag each time and tons of SWAG long, before we called it SWAG.

Cars like 1982 Rick Mears car from the Indianapolis 500 Museum were on display on pit row Wednesday.

Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser Jr and Micheal Andretti were idols when I was a kid.

Helio is the closest thing in my mind those guys.

Thursday we’ll have interviews with the drivers that make up the field of 33 for this Sunday’s race (1 p.m. ET ABC).

Our coverage will continue all the way up until the winner chugs from the bottle of milk Sunday afternoon.

The photos below are courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Photo by Dan Helrigle IMS

Photo by Chris Jones IMS

(Photo by Bret Kelley IMS)

(Vitor Meira is uninjured by a pit lane BBQ during the Indy 500 – photo from Gawker.com)

Dateline: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By now, if you have interest in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, you already know the highlights of the event. On the World’s biggest stage, Helio Castroneves becomes part of an elite group of race car drivers who can say they have won the Indy 500 three times. Only three men: Rick Mears, Al Unser and AJ Foyt have won it more with 4 victories.

It’s not much of a story that the fastest guy all month, the pole sitter, the pit stop champion, and a two time winner gets to drink the milk in victory lane. That’s the way it should go down, especially on one of the sports wealthiest teams in Team Penske. What makes this 500 one that will go down as a legendary race? The fact that just 7 weeks ago, Helio Castroneves was submersed into a Tax Evasion trial with the Internal Revenue Service, helps a bit. On the day those verdicts were read, if Helio would have been found guilty, he could very well have been in a Federal Prison on Memorial Day. Instead, he ran a brilliant race and stayed near the front all day. With about 50 laps to go, he made a pass for the lead and was off to the races. No one would be able to catch the fiery Brazilian, but it didn’t even matter that he won by nearly 2 seconds over Dan Wheldon, it was the victory itself that was so mesmerizing.

Also of note is that Danica Patrick, who finished third behind Wheldon, became the highest finishing female driver in Indianapolis 500 history. If she could have gotten around Wheldon, who knows what she would have had for Helio…but she didn’t and wound up in third. Major MSF props go to Danica and the Boost Mobile #7 of Andretti Green Racing. You guys were fun to watch all day long.

Alex Tagliani, who was inserted in the 33th position when he replaced Bruno Junquiera in the Conquest Racing car, finished 11th and walked away with Rookie of The Year honors. Way to go TAGS!

The race was slowed by over 60 laps of yellow flags from accidents and debris, but fortunately most of them were single car accidents. One of the not so lucky ones was Vitor Meira (pictured above). Vitor Meira and Rapha Matos tangled going into turn one and Meira took a hard impact into the SAFER barrier, sliding alongside the wall on two wheels. He stopped skidding in front of where we were seated in the entrance to turn two. Vitor is out for the year, he suffered a broken back which is not going to require surgery, but will have him in a back brace and therapy until the 2010 season. Matos escaped with little injuries. Tony Kanaan was involved in a very heave single car accident when something in the right rear of the car broke, throwing his 7/11 Andretti Green car into the retaining wall. He suffered a few broken ribs and some pretty rough bruising from the accident.

The weather, almost always a factor on race day, was perfect. Sun shined on turn two for the majority of the event and I have the sunburn to prove it. The forecast had called for as high as a 60% chance of rain throughout the day, yet in reality we didn’t get a drop of rain until Monday morning. This year’s weather is just another thing that made the race so special. When the forecasters, just the day before, are concerned about the race getting in…or being delayed because of weather, you can always feel a bit of apprehension in the crowd. From the moment we arrived in the “Coke Lot”, the weather would not be an issue…and was just perfect.

In the theater of drama, known commonly as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there are so many things I take away when we leave the famous intersection of 16th and Georgetown behind, and head for home on the north side of Indy. This year, I will remember sitting by my sister the most. Though she has been to the 500 before, we had not sat together until Sunday. I think, that’s the thing about Indy. It’s a race…it’s a party…and it’s a family. My family has three generations that have now been to that wonderful place during the month of May, and it really is a special place to us. As Taps began to play, just minutes before the command to start engines, I got teary eyed. I looked over at my sister, sitting to my right, and saw she too had teared up. We smiled, wiping our eyes dry, thinking quietly that I couldn’t believe we were crying because of a race…but I know it’s much more than that. In many ways, it’s who we are.

Here are the full results of the 93rd Running of the Indianapolis 500.

93rd Indianapolis 500 – Race Results
Rank	Car No.	Driver	Car Name	Laps/Retired	Grid	Laps Led	Points
1	3	Hélio Castroneves	Team Penske	200	1	66	51
2	4	Dan Wheldon	National Guard Panther Racing	200	18	0	40
3	7	Danica Patrick	Boost Mobile/Motorola (Andretti Green Racing)	200	10	0	35
4	8	Townsend Bell	Herbalife–KV Racing Technology	200	24	0	32
5	12	Will Power	Verizon Wireless (Team Penske)	200	9	0	30
6	9	Scott Dixon	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	200	5	73	30
7	10	Dario Franchitti	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	200	3	50	26
8	20	Ed Carpenter	Menards/Vision Racing	200	17	0	24
9	15	Paul Tracy	GEICO/KV Racing Technology	200	13	0	22
10	27	Hideki Mutoh	Formula Dream (Andretti Green Racing)	200	16	0	20
11	36	Alex Tagliani (R)	(All Sport) Conquest Racing	200	33	0	19
12	19	Tomas Scheckter	Mona Vie (Dale Coyne Racing)	200	26	0	18
13	99	Alex Lloyd	HER CGR/SSM Racing	200	11	0	17
14	16	Scott Sharp	Tequila Patrón Panther Racing	200	20	0	16
15	6	Ryan Briscoe	Team Penske	200	2	11	15
16	41	A.J. Foyt IV	ABC Supply/Foyt-Greer Racing	200	19	0	14
17	67	Sarah Fisher	Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing	200	21	0	13
18	24	Mike Conway (R)	(Purex) Dreyer & Reinbold Racing	200	27	0	12
19	43	John Andretti	Window World (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Richard Petty Motorsports)	200	28	0	12
20	23	Milka Duno	CITGO/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing	199	30	0	12
21	14	Vitor Meira	ABC Supply Co. A.J. Foyt Racing	173 (Contact)	14	0	12
22	2	Raphael Matos (R)	US Air Force Luczo Dragon	173 (Contact)	12	0	12
23	18	Justin Wilson	Z-Line Designs (Dale Coyne Racing)	160 (Contact)	15	0	12
24	13	E.J. Viso	PDVSA HVM Racing	139 (Steering)[39]	29	0	12
25	00	Nelson Philippe (R)	i drive green HVM Racing	130 (Contact)	31	0	10
26	17	Oriol Servia	The Rahal Letterman DAFCA Special	98 (Fuel Pump)[40]	25	0	10
27	11	Tony Kanaan	Team 7-Eleven (Andretti Green Racing)	97 (Contact)	6	0	10
28	06	Robert Doornbos (R)	(Hole in the Wall Camps) Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing	85 (Contact)	23	0	10
29	44	Davey Hamilton	Hewlett Packard (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Kingdom Racing)	79 (Contact)	22	0	10
30	26	Marco Andretti	Team Venom Energy (Andretti Green Racing)	56 (Handling)	8	0	10
31	02	Graham Rahal	McDonald’s Racing Team (Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing)	55 (Contact)	4	0	10
32	21	Ryan Hunter-Reay	IZOD/William Rast/Vision Racing	19 (Contact)	32	0	10
33	5	Mario Moraes	Azul Tequila–Votorantim–KV Racing Technology	0 (Contact)	7	0	10
Race average speed: 150.318 mph (241.913 km/h)

Next Up:

The ABC Supply Co. AJ FOYT 225 at Milwaukee

Qualifying: Saturday May 30 (6pm on VERSUS)

Race: Sunday May 31 (3:30pm on ABC)

We will have a pre-race update right here on Midwest Sports Fans!

The weekend has finally arrived and we want to present one last post on the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, giving you some insight into the actual details of this year’s event as well as the story behind this blogger’s obsession with the Indianapolis 500.

My first memory of IndyCar racing is the thrilling end to the 1982 race where Gordon Johncock and Rick Mears battled the last few laps and ended with Johncock winning his 2nd Indianapolis 500. As a 9 year old boy, I could hear the drama…and the engines and excitement on the TV, but I didn’t get the bug in 1982.

In 1989, my father told me we were going to go the Indianapolis 500. Living in Cincinnati, that meant a 2 hour drive to something I wasn’t really sure I would enjoy. I thought about getting up early, leaving at 6am and heading off to this big old loud place where I would sit for 500 miles and hope my dad was enjoying himself.

I was certain he would be the only one.

Our tickets that year were in the Backstretch Bleachers, and our ticket price was $18.00. Our seats were on the top row, and we had an amazing view of of the infield and the madness that happened back then. It’s certainly a lot more tame these days. In fact, in 1989, I saw a woman on top of an RV that was parked in the infield, surrounded by drunk men on the ground, undress completely. This was still 2 hours before the race, and was about the time I started to feel at home.

As a 15 year old boy, I was in my happy place. But that alone wouldn’t have been enough to keep me coming back…and it’s a good thing, because that was the last time I would witness such an exhibition.

My real love for the speedway came as the cars went by for the first time. They took their warm up laps and I will never forget hearing the engines roar as the cars crept by. Seeing them weave back and forth, bringing warmth into the tires and hearing them hammer the throttle just a touch was incredible.

After a few warm up laps, the field of 33 cars got into formation and heading out of turn 2 and down the backstretch I saw 11 rows form up into the most beautiful pack of machines I had ever seen. They passed by me around 90 miles per hour and it seemed like slow motion to me. I remember smiling and feeling the hair on my arms standing straight up. The flag went green and the race was on. In many ways, my life would never be the same again.

My father and I will celebrate our 21st consecutive Indianapolis 500 this Sunday. This will be the third year in a row where we sit apart at the speedway. Once I moved to Indianapolis in 2006, logistically and socially it became more difficult to retain the tradition of sitting together. But on this Sunday, as in the 21 previous race days, I will think of all the great memories we have shared there.

I will remember why I am there, and who took me back in 1989 and gave me a passion that can carry me through life’s difficult moments. No matter how bad it gets, there’s a hell of a man behind me…and there’s always the Month of May.

Dad, this post is dedicated to you for being a tremendous father, a legendary man, and a great race day partner for all these years. Thanks.

Here is all you need to know for the 2009 Indianapolis 500, the 93rd Running.

When: Sunday May 24th 1pm Eastern

TV: ABC pre-race starts at noon. Versus will cover Post Race duties immediately following.

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Weather: As of 10:30am on 5/22: 30% Chance of Isolated Showers with more rain later in the day. Rain looks to arrive, if it will around the 2pm hour. I am relatively confident we will get the race fully completed. If the race gets to 100 laps, and rain hits the speedway it could be called as an official race. IF rain comes less than half way, and it gets called, it would go on the next possible day. I am hoping that’s just trivial information, more than something we will need to understand.

Starting Field:

Here is the official starting field for the Indianapolis 500.

Thanks for reading our 2009 Indianapolis 500 posts this week. To see the entire list of posts we’ve published, look up near the top of the sidebar. I hope they help you enjoy this weekend’s race just a bit more. I am looking forward to my 21st 500, and hope there are at least 21 more in my future. God Speed to all race fans making the journey…and to the 33 drivers in the race.

And God Bless the troops who protect this Nation with their lives.

For pictures and more on Race Day: set your twitter radars here and follow me all day long.

Check Back Tuesday for our 2009 Indy 500 recap.

The Loading screen:

I was impressed with the loading time of the application. From click to the home screen it took less than 2 seconds to load the application.

Home:

From here, which is really ground zero for the application, you can see access to the other tabs at the bottom. The Breaking News section is a mobile version of IndyCar.com right on your iPhone. Using the iPhone’s ability to scroll down through dragging your finger on the screen it will bring into view: recent activities, next race and tv schedule, weather forecast, etc.

Video:

The video section will be updated as activity warrants it, and I was impressed with the variation and production quality of these video clips. The picture clarity will depend on whether you are an Edge, 3G or WiFi user. On my 3G iPhone, there was only a three second load time for me to start watching the “Hunter-Reay makes the field” video show above. The clarity of video and sound was normal when compared to viewing YouTube videos on the device and using the AT&T 3G network.

Leaderboard:

Here in my opinion, is where those $.99 cents will be an absolute steal. Using state of the art technology, the IndyCar Series will not only show you real time positions during the race, they will also show you the gap in seconds updated continuously. The tradeoff here, is that it WILL KILL your iPhone battery, so be sure to use it only in short spurts. Whether you’re at the track, or stuck in a car and running errands, you will know in real time where your favorite driver is, and what the field looks like. Notice the Track Map icon?

Track Map:

Though specific details are sketchy here, I assume this is where you will see the Gap in a visual representation. Without there being a race to actually watch yet, I cannot be sure of this but from the layout it makes sense. If that doesn’t happen here, worse case scenario is that you can view the map of the course during the race. Sunday, the 93rd Running of the Indianapolis 500, will be the applications debut with live racing action.

Standings:

The standings tab is pretty self-explanatory. This tab will show you the current standings for the IndyCar Series. Want more information on a particular driver? Just tap the cursor out to the far right.

Driver Information:

This is where you can see the quality of the application itself. Driver info, team information, and a drivers biography. Using the iPhones touch screen, scroll down to read more about each of the drivers that compete in the IndyCar Series. Want to learn more about a team mate? Click on the name, for ex. Danica Patrick…and it takes you to her specific page.

Summary:

In this race fan’s opinion this application hits an absolute home run. Fans of IndyCar racing will love it’s flexible features and unending content that will be pushed out from the IndyCar servers. The price tag is certainly easily swallowed after looking through the pages and information contained inside this powerful handheld application. The looks are stunning, the touch control works flawlessly, and there is little lag time switching between the pages. I am EXTREMELY excited this application has made it’s way to my iPhone and I think you will be too.

Check back tomorrow for more of our continuing Indy 500 preview as we get ever closer to the 93rd Running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

(Pictured: Milka Duno, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick)

Dateline: Indianpolis Motor Speedway

The Women:

Once again there will be three women starting the Indianapolis 500. In this edition of our Indy 500 preview we will take a look at those women as well as their starting positions and my opinions on there chances of winning the Indianapolis 500.

Pos. 21

Sarah Fisher

Car # 67
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.082/2:42.1022

Sarah Fisher is back for her 8th Indianapolis 500, and her second as team owner. She carries a solid sponsorship program this year as Dollar General has signed on for a series of races in the 2009 season. One of my standout memories of Sarah Fisher unfortunately came from the 2000 race when she collided with the other woman racer (Lyn St. James) taking them both out on lap 74. It was probably the worst case scenario for both drivers, as their were jokes all along the front straight after the accident. But this year she is back and ready to compete. Her qualifying speed of 222.082 puts her just 1/2 a second behind the pace for the Pole sitter, Helio Castroneves. If things go right for her, and her pit crew is able to adequately and quickly service her car and get her back out to the speedway, I would look to see Sarah with a solid top 15 finish.

Pos. 10

Danica Patrick

Car # 7
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 222.882/2:41.5205

Darling Danica gears up for her 6th Indy 500. Her previous best finish was 4th in 2005, where she became the first woman to ever lead the Indianapolis 500. She also became the first woman to win a major league open wheel racing event in 2008 where she won at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. Back again with the Andretti Green team and with rumors abound of a jump to NASCAR at seasons end, I expect to see Danica finish in the top 5. She has done well here, and when she controls her outcome she has an average finishing position of 6. Last year due to contact and the infamous pit lane stroll down to Ryan Briscoes pit stall after some contact, she finished 22nd. If there were ever to be a woman to win the Indianapolis 500, I think it could be Danica. So if you’re looking for a longshot, look no further than the #7 car sponsored by Boost Mobile.

Indy 500 coverage continues right here as we take a look at the other notables in this years race. Stay tuned to MidwestSportsFans.com for up to date Indy 500 coverage.

(Pictured: The starting lineup in 1911, the first and only time there has been a rookie only starting field.)

Dateline: Indianapolis, Indiana

The Rookies:

In the first of a four part look into the field for the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 we will take a look at the drivers who are making their Indy debut this coming Sunday. In later editions we will look at the past winners, the women in the 500, and finally a look at the other notables in this years race.

Pos. 33

Pos. 31

Nelson Philippe

Car # 00
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 220.754/2:43.0778

Nelson Philippe is a French driver who also got his start in go karts. Racing go karts from 1998-2002 gave him enough seat time and experience to move up to the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 2003. He finished the season with one podium and four top five finishes. In 2004, Philippe became the youngest to ever drive a Champ Car when he was signed to the Rocketsports team at age 17. With experience in the Champ Car series he has experience on ovals and road courses and now finds himself in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Pos. 27

Mike Conway

Car # 24
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 221.417/2:42.5889

Mike Conway comes to the Indy 500 from the GP2 series. This English driver also got his start in karting around 8 years of age. With experience in UK Formula Ford he moved up to the Formula Renault UK championship in 2003. In 2004 he was the Formula Renault UK Champion and moved up to the British F3 championship in 2005. In 2006, he won that Championship and had been in GP2 until this season when he made the jump to the IndyCar Series. One thing of note, Mike Conway has yet to run an oval race this season without ending up in the wall during the race. He will be one to watch our for from a fan perspective…and one to stay away from if you’re a driver.

Pos. 23

Robert Doornbos

Car # 06T
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 221.692/2:42.3877

This Dutch driver started racing in 1999 in the Formula Ford 1800 Benelux series. He started as a semi-professional tennis player in the Netherlands when he was invited to attend a Formula 1 Grand Prix. There he met former Formula 1 champion and Indy 500 champion Jacques Villeneuve and he recommended that Robert try a Formula Ford, as he was too old to start karting. Obviously “Bobby D” took to the type of racing as he moved from Formula Ford to Formula 1 in just 6 seasons. He spent 205 and 2006 in the Formula 1 championship and moved to Champ Car in 2007. In 2008 he raced in the Superleague Formula as well as representing the Netherlands in the A1GP. He makes the move to IndyCars and the famed Newman Haas Lanigan racing team.

Pos. 12

Raphael Matos

Car # 2
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 223.429/2:41.1252

“Rapha” got his start in karting in his native Brazil. He came to the States in 2002 and competed in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge championship which he won in 2003. He went to the Star Mazda series for 2004 and 2005. He again found himself a Champion in 2005 and made the transition to the Champ Car Atlantic Series in 2006 and 2007. He won the Championship in 2007 and moved to the Firestone Indy Lights Championship in 2008. He was once again successful in the new series and was the Champion for 2008. In 2009, he comes to the IndyCar series with the Luczo Dragon team which is owned by Jay Penske. Jay is the youngest son of Team Penske owner, Roger Penske. If there is a rookie who has a legitimate shot at winning this installment of the 500, I would put a big checkmark next to Rapha on your race day program.

Check back for the next installment in our four part series on this years field. Next, we will take a look at the previous winners of the 500 who are in the 2009 edition and look at their histories and chances for once again drinking the milk in victory lane.

Editor’s Note: Before jump into the latest updates from EJ on the 2009 Indianapolis 500, here is all of the need-to-know information for race day:

• Indy 500 Date: Sunday, May 24th
• Indy 500 TV Schedule: TV coverage begins at 12:00 ET on ABC
• Indy 500 Start Time: The race starts at 1:00 ET
• Miller Lite Carb Day: May 22nd, beginning at 8:00 AM | Click Here for Carb Day Tickets
• StubHub Tickets: Indy 500 Tickets
• RazorGator Tickets: $15 off on purchases of $100 or more with code take15off

Dateline: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The starting field for the 93rd Indianapolis 500 is full after a dramatic bump day yesterday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During the last 5 minutes of qualifications there were two successful qualification runs and left out three very qualified drivers. Buddy Lazier, Stanton Barrett and Alex Tagliani were the three left out of the show as the final gun sounded ending qualifications and therefore sealing the field for the race. Or, so it seemed.

Late on Sunday night, Conquest Racing announced that they were going to pull Bruno Junqueira from the qualified machine for Conquest, and insert Alex Tagliani into the entry. Though there was much controversy from fans regarding this move, it all comes down to a few things.

Eric Bachelart, the team owner, is the one who will look like the bad guy after it’s all said and done. He is the one who poorly played his hand yesterday, he is the one who had to tell Bruno that he was out, and he was the one who kept his second machine out of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Tagliani’s machine appeared to be quick enough to make the show solidly, and therefore the Conquest group would have two cars in the show. However, and for whatever reason, they didn’t put Tags into the qualifying line early enough to give him a chance to requalify with some of their new found speed. As the gun sounded, the primary driver for the team found himself out of the Indy 500. What does primary driver mean? Pure and simply: Money. Alex Tagliani’s machine was full of sponsorship for the King Tut exhibition that is now travelling the country. For the team to have a driver in the show that didn’t have a lot of sponsorship money behind him just did not make sense. They had to have their primary car, with their primary driver, and the primary funding in the show. To that end, the decision was made to replace Bruno with Alex.

Do I agree with the decision? Not really…I feel very bad for Bruno who signed with the team on Saturday morning, put it in the show with limited practice time, and on Monday morning finds himself without a ride in the largest single day sporting event in the world. That has to be a helluva hangover for a driver to nurse.

Regardless of my feelings on the issue, I am glad that Alex Tagliani is in the Indianapolis 500. He has a great racing history in the CART series and is a classy guy who is polite to fans. I was fortunate enough to see him on Pole Day at the track, and he stopped to pose with my kids for a picture. I love the guys who know why they are there. Sure, its the money and prestige of winning the Indy 500, but without 400 thousand of my closest friends on race day…there is no race, no prestige, and no money. Give ‘em hell Tags!

(picture above, Tags on Pole Day)

MidwestSportsFans.com will have a lot more on the Indy 500 as the week continues.

Click here to receive $15 off on Indy 500 ticket purchases
of $100 or more with code take15off

Here is the STARTING FIELD!!! The changes that happened late last night haven’t yet been updated on the speedway’s website. When they are updated…I will update the post here. [Editor's Note: EJ has recently posted the updates. Follow the link to view the final 2009 Indy 500 starting field.] The changes will result in Bruno being pulled. Tagliani will start 33rd, and Milka, Nelson, and Ryan will move up one spot.

Row 1
Pos. 1 Helio Castroneves Car # 3 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.864/2:40.0967	Pos. 2 Ryan Briscoe Car # 6 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.083/2:40.6546	Pos. 3 Dario Franchitti Car # 10 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.010/2:40.7068
Row 2
Pos. 4 Graham Rahal Car # 02 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.954/2:40.7470	Pos. 5 Scott Dixon Car # 9 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.867/2:40.8098	Pos. 6 Tony Kanaan Car # 11T D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.612/2:40.9934
Row 3
Pos. 7 Mario Moraes Car # 5 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.331/2:41.1958	Pos. 8 Marco Andretti Car # 26 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.114/2:41.3522	Pos. 9 Will Power Car # 12 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.028/2:41.4146
Row 4
Pos. 10 Danica Patrick Car # 7 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.882/2:41.5205	Pos. 11 Alex Lloyd Car # 99 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.622/2:41.7093	Pos. 12 Raphael Matos Car # 2 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.429/2:41.1252
Row 5
Pos. 13 Paul Tracy Car # 15 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.111/2:41.3545	Pos. 14 Vitor Meira Car # 14 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.054/2:41.3958	Pos. 15 Justin Wilson Car # 18 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.903/2:41.5051
Row 6
Pos. 16 Hideki Mutoh Car # 27 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.805/2:41.5764	Pos. 17 Ed Carpenter Car # 20 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.780/2:41.5942	Pos. 18 Dan Wheldon Car # 4 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.777/2:41.5969
Row 7
Pos. 19 AJ Foyt IV Car # 41 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.586/2:41.7355	Pos. 20 Scott Sharp Car # 16 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.162/2:42.0441	Pos. 21 Sarah Fisher Car # 67 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.082/2:42.1022
Row 8
Pos. 22 Davey Hamilton Car # 44 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.956/2:42.1942	Pos. 23 Robert Doornbos Car # 06T D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.692/2:42.3877	Pos. 24 Townsend Bell Car # 8 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.195/2:42.7524
Row 9
Pos. 25 Oriol Servia Car # 17 D/H/F Speed/Time: 220.984/2:42.9079	Pos. 26 Tomas Scheckter Car # 19 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.496/2:42.5308	Pos. 27 Mike Conway Car # 24 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.417/2:42.5889
Row 10
Pos. 28 John Andretti Car # 43 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.316/2:42.6635	Pos. 29 EJ Viso Car # 13 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.164/2:42.7753	Pos. 30 Bruno Junqueira Car # 36 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.115/2:42.8114
Row 11
Pos. 31 Milka Duno Car # 23 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.106/2:42.8180	Pos. 32 Nelson Philippe Car # 00 D/H/F Speed/Time: 220.754/2:43.0778	Pos. 33 Ryan Hunter-Reay Car # 21T D/H/F Speed/Time: 220.597/2:43.1934

Again, more to come from MidwestSportsFans.com throughout the week. Stay tuned.

Also, you can follow me here on Twitter for updates throughout the week and on race day from the track!

Dateline: Indy 500 INDIANAPOLIS

You like drama? Last second, hair raising, edge-of-your-seat drama? Then you had to love the action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the first weekend of qualifications for the 93rd Indianapolis 500.

On an overcast windy day in the month of May, a Brazilian race car driver, who just weeks ago was waiting to hear from a Federal jury regarding his incarceration or his freedom, stood the test of time and was known as the fastest in the land. Helio Castroneves, the two time Indy 500 winner and winner of 2007′s Dancing With the Stars, proved that he was too fast. Driving a four lap average of 224.864mph, Helio took his car to the top of the pole. In doing so, he edged his Team Penske team mate Ryan Briscoe and slid the #6 car into P2.

Shortly before the gun to end the first day of qualifications, Ryan Briscoe withdrew his P2 entry and went back out to re-qualify the #6. It was a gutsy move, but it showed once again the meaning of this race to the entire Penske Organization. For any other race, a one-two qualifying order is pristine…but at the 500, it’s a whole new level. Briscoe ended up P2 after the 2nd attempt. It was a gamble, but it didn’t hurt them at all after it was all said and done.

Justin Wilson, who had taken the first qualification attempt of the day, only to be bumped later in the day went out for the final run of the afternoon. As the gun sounded, Wilson didn’t have the speed to qualify on day one. The first 11 had qualified.

SUNDAY: DAY 2 of Qualifications

Another day of drama waited for the next 11 to qualify. There were several moments of drama and a lot of bumping as the fastest 11 of the 2nd day tried to get into the show. There were two moments, I will never forget about the 2nd day of qualifications this year.

Paul Tracy in the 2nd KVRT entry had qualified at 222.7 earlier in the day. Due to concerns in staying withing the teams budget for the month, they had intended to go out, qualify for the show and save tires for close to race day for practice and tuning. A few hours before the 6pm ending to the day, the GEICO team of Paul Tracy sent a text message to the CEO of Geico telling him they know they could do a better lap and push themselves further up the grid. The text message came back and said something to the effect of, “Go get ‘em”. This was a risky move for the Canadian who had already solidly qualified for the race, in a car where he was running on a shoestring budget. If he had put the Geico machine into the wall, who knows what could have happened for the rest of the month. But being risky, is what Paul Tracy has come to be known for. They KV Racing team withdrew Paul’s qualifying time of 222.7 and sent him back out. He ran four solid laps and did in factpush his spot up further into the grid. At 223.111mph he drove the second quickest qualification time of the 2nd day and move up 4 spots from where he had previously qualified. For GEICO, andthe CEO who authorized the second attempt, it was a brilliant move. These teams pay a lot of money for sponsorship, andto let a thousand dollars ( about a set of new Firestone Firehawk Indy tires) keep your 220mph billboard in the garage would have been a shame. Instead that red, white, and blue GEICO machine rolled through the 2.5 mile oval and placed himself solidly in the Indianapolis 500. Money well spent, if even a few people switch to Geico.

The second moment I will remember came just before the end of the day. With just minutes remaining, Scott Sharp and the PATRON machine rolled into the qualification line. There were two cars ahead of him, and time wasn’t on his side. Scott Sharp is also a full time driver in the American Le Mans Series andthey have a race next weekend…he needed to get in now. EJ Viso, who was in line in front of Paul Tracy had already qualified and could have gone out to try to re-qualify and kept Scott off the grid. However, great sportsmanship ensued, and as the gun was being cocked, Scott Sharp rolled out onto the famed speedway. With a four lap average of 222.162, Scott Sharp secured his spot in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, and will be able to continue with his commitments to the ALMS. My hat goes off to EJ Viso and HVM racing for a move that was 100% class.

It was a great weekend of qualifications and now there are 22 qualifiers in the show. They are:

Row 1
Pos. 1 Helio Castroneves Car # 3 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.864/2:40.0967	Pos. 2 Ryan Briscoe Car # 6 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.083/2:40.6546	Pos. 3 Dario Franchitti Car # 10 D/H/F Speed/Time: 224.010/2:40.7068
Row 2
Pos. 4 Graham Rahal Car # 02 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.954/2:40.7470	Pos. 5 Scott Dixon Car # 9 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.867/2:40.8098	Pos. 6 Tony Kanaan Car # 11T D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.612/2:40.9934
Row 3
Pos. 7 Mario Moraes Car # 5 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.331/2:41.1958	Pos. 8 Marco Andretti Car # 26 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.114/2:41.3522	Pos. 9 Will Power Car # 12 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.028/2:41.4146
Row 4
Pos. 10 Danica Patrick Car # 7 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.882/2:41.5205	Pos. 11 Alex Lloyd Car # 99 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.622/2:41.7093	Pos. 12 Raphael Matos Car # 2 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.429/2:41.1252
Row 5
Pos. 13 Paul Tracy Car # 15 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.111/2:41.3545	Pos. 14 Vitor Meira Car # 14 D/H/F Speed/Time: 223.054/2:41.3958	Pos. 15 Justin Wilson Car # 18 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.903/2:41.5051
Row 6
Pos. 16 Hideki Mutoh Car # 27 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.805/2:41.5764	Pos. 17 Ed Carpenter Car # 20 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.780/2:41.5942	Pos. 18 Dan Wheldon Car # 4 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.777/2:41.5969
Row 7
Pos. 19 AJ Foyt IV Car # 41 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.586/2:41.7355	Pos. 20 Scott Sharp Car # 16 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.162/2:42.0441	Pos. 21 Sarah Fisher Car # 67 D/H/F Speed/Time: 222.082/2:42.1022
Row 8
Pos. 22 Davey Hamilton Car # 44 D/H/F Speed/Time: 221.956/2:42.1942

So, with 22 of the 33 drivers filled in here is the schedule for the 2nd week of Qualifications.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – NO TRACK ACTIVITY

Thursday, Friday – PRACTICE from 12-6pm

Saturday – Day 3 of Qualifications. The next 11 qualify to fill the field.

Sunday – Day 4 of Qualifications. BUMP DAY! For the drivers who haven’t yet found the speed to make the show, this is their last chance.

Check back next Monday for the Indy 500 Preview and follow me on Twitter for any breaking news or updates pertaining to the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500.

DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS

The 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 is less than three weeks away and the excitement is building. Midwest Sports Fans will have at least a weekly update leading up to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. In this first edition we will discuss the week aheads events.

Tuesday May 5th:

The Rookie Orientation Program begins tomorrow. Their are 5 rookies entered into the 500, and they will gain some valuable track time tomorrow and Wednesday in preparation for the rest of the week. On Wednesday afternoon, the track will switch from the ROP, to the full field’s opening day of practice.

The Rookie Orientation Program is a training ground for first time drivers at the speedway. If a driver has not been in an IndyCar this season until the month of May they may also participate but their completion of the program isn’t a requirement. It can be merely a refresher. The ROP is split into different phases at increasing speeds to insure the drivers can get comfortable as the speeds increase from the mid-100′s to the 200 mph phases. All of this hopefully, prepares them for their qualification runs.

Wednesday May 6th:

Wednesday will be the conclusion of the ROP and will be the first time all entrants are able to stretch their legs around the 2.5 mile oval. As of this posting, there are 31 drivers entered. A total of 40 cars have been entered and we will see the TBD’s turn into drivers as we get closer to the event. It is not uncommon for drivers and teams with a limited budget come in during the second weekend of qualifications to get in the show.

Thursday May 7th:

Full Field Practice

Friday May 8th: (FAST FRIDAY)

Full Field Practice

Saturday May 9th: POLE DAY!

Qualifying starts, spots 1-11 are filled this day. They allow qualifying beyond the first 11 and some drivers will be bumped into the 2nd day of qualifications. Only the fastest 11 will have secured spots come Sunday, the 10th.

Sunday May 10th: 2nd day of qualifications

Qualifying leaves off where it ended on Saturday. The main difference is that the best driver on Sunday can only start at the 12th position. Spots 12-22 will be filled on Sunday and bumping will begin when the 22nd qualifier is in the field. By the end of the weekend 22 spots will be full, and the rest will wait until the next weekend.

Weather:

The weather is always an issue during the month of May in Indianapolis. This first week of track activity is proving to be no exception. As of 4pm on Monday, the forecast is calling for a beautiful day tomorrow, but strong chances of rain on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The Pole Day forecast is currently mid 70′s and only a 10% chance of rain. It’s early still, but the weekend looks like it could be very dramatic with such limited track time.

I will be at the speedway a few days this week, and also for Pole Day. Set your twitters radars here for updates and pictures from the track.

Check back next week for a recap of the weekend, a look ahead to the next set of activities on the schedule.