Growing up in Indiana, I learned to love racing, and as such, was sent to cover the event.

As much as I like racing, the actual race was secondary. While I was there, I got to meet Matthew Hansen: national hero. I was also able to meet Rodney Atkins and attend his concert from fewer than five feet away before the race.

While covering the event, Crown Royal had me and several other writers participate in a scavenger hunt. I teamed up with Tracy Pendergast (The Smoking Jacket) and Brett Singer (Daddy Tips) in the contest.

Mike, my rival, is on the far right. Matt Kenseth is front and center.

The deal was this: The winning team would win a trip to Las Vegas where they would get to hop into a NASCAR and race against Matt Kenseth.

Of course, we finished in last place…by less than one item on the list. But Crown Royal decided to reward us all (for what, I don’t know; they did this purely out of the goodness of their hearts) and send us all to Las Vegas.

This past weekend, nine of us writers partook of the once in a lifetime opportunity to race against Matt Kenseth in a NASCAR at the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Las Vegas.

Crown Royal paid for everything. They put me and my wife up at the MGM Grand and also took us out to spectacular meals at restaurants each night. I even visited a Wolfgang Puck establishment.

On Saturday morning, we drove to the track. After a crash course regarding the ins and outs of driving a NASCAR at over 100 MPH, we donned our jumpsuits and walked out to the track. The rules were simple: Follow your instructor as closely as possible. If you kept up with him, he would drive faster; if you lagged behind, he would drive slower and your time would suffer.

They told us that our cars were capable of driving about 170 MPH, but we would be limited to the 130-135 range. The blogger with the fastest time would receive a $2,500 check to give to a selected charity of his choice.

Obviously, my competitive juices started flowing immediately. Two of the charities were directly involved with the military, and I’m a HUGE supporter of our brave heroes that protect our freedoms every day.

Seven other bloggers ended up participating:

• Mike Arone (The Rugged and MikeAroneFitness.com)
• Tracy Pendergast (The Smoking Jacket and The Man. The Legend)
• Kaitlyn Vincie (Hot for NASCAR)
• Justin Korkidis (Complex)
• Josiah Schlatter (Bleacher Report)
• Brett Singer (Daddy Tips)
• Z Smith (Nascar Race Mom)

To be honest, I instantly narrowed down my competition to two guys: Mike and Justin. I knew if I could beat them, I had a great shot of winning it all.

Unfortunately, the cards were stacked against me in Vegas (pun completely intended), as everyone else received two breaks that I didn’t. First of all, I was placed in the unenviable position of driving first. Obviously, this is not ideal in a racing situation. The second break was less obvious.

We all looked fat in those helmets...I promise I don't normally look like that.

Apparently, the number of real men in America is falling, because I was the only person of the bunch that could drive a stick. That meant that everyone but me would be getting a push start. How would that work against me? Let me explain:

The instructor took me aside and told me that I should shift gears when the car reached 4000 RPMs. As soon as the instructor drove by me, I slammed the car into gear and followed. I had two goals: stay on his butt, and get the car into fourth gear as fast as possible.

Unfortunately, these two goals were mutually exclusive.

If you have never driven a NASCAR before, you will be surprised to find out that the cars can move pretty quickly. In fact, the cars can move pretty quickly in first and second gear.

As I came off of turn two and started accelerating, I was shocked to see my car still lagging at about 2500 RPMs. I was fewer than three car lengths behind my instructor, and as touchy as the accelerator was, it wasn’t possible for me to get the car up to the required 4000 RPMs without slamming into the back of him (obviously, an undesirable scenario).

By the time I had finished my first lap, I was going 90 MPH…in SECOND GEAR. I had to make a decision, and fast. I took my foot off the gas, allowed some space to get between us, and then quickly accelerated in order to get the car into fourth gear. By that time, two of my ten laps were wasted and I had lost valuable time.

Every other driver was aided by a push start. He could place the car into 4th gear on pit road, and then receive a push until the car reached about 50 MPH where they could slide the car into gear easily. Everyone was at full capacity a lap and a half before me.

Even so, I would not be denied. I pushed my car to its maximum capacity, and ended up finishing with a fastest lap time of 132.98 MPH.

To call the experience “awe-inspiring” would be an understatement.

Three things stood out to me above all else:

First, as fast as 133 MPH sounds, I wish I could have gone a little bit faster. By lap six, I was completely comfortable, and even started driving the high line a little bit in order to gain a little more speed in and out of the corner.

Secondly, those cars are made to go that fast. As obvious as that sounds, it’s the truth. When we drive on the rough highway at 80 MPH in our Buick Century, we feel every single bump in the road. Our car might shake, and the ride is anything but smooth. Not in a NASCAR. Even when I was carrying 3 and 4 g’s in the corners, the car took it smoothly.

Third, I have no idea how racers do it.

As comfortable as I got just following one car, I can’t imagine racing side by side with 42 other drivers. On my eighth lap, another blogger just started his ride. He was coming out of pit lane, well below the yellow line, nowhere near me. As I zoomed past him, my heart started racing and I thought I was going to die. That was just with ONE car on the track besides myself.

As much respect as I had for NASCAR drivers before, I respect them so much more now.

Me and the wife after I finished.

So who won the race? Even though all the breaks went against me, I was confident that I did well. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite do well enough. I ended up losing to Mike Arone by 0.07 seconds.

It was great to lose to a worthy opponent. Mike raced well, and he and his website were able to donate the money to a worthy charity.

Of course, I hate to think of what might have been.

0.07 seconds…

Mike, if you are reading, I want a rematch.

A few months back, I was given the awesome opportunity to meet Matthew Hanson – national hero.

During that day, I also got to meet Matt Kenseth, Rodney Atkins, and watch the race at Richmond from unbelievable views.  Crown Royal took me behind the pits, underneath the track, into the grandstand, and into their personal suite throughout the night.

Well, this weekend, my adventure continues.

Crown Royal is flying me to Las Vegas for a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I will be racing against Matt Kenseth in a real NASCAR at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

I will get into Vegas Friday night, and race Matt on Saturday afternoon.  I will be doing a lot, and I’m sure I will come back with plenty of stories (of which I will share with all of you), but I do need your help.

First of all, if anyone out there has ever driven a NASCAR at 160 MPH and has some advice, I would appreciate any and all information you have.

Secondly, if anyone has ANY questions you would like to ask Matt Kenseth, let me know!  Either get me on twitter or comment in the comment section on this post and I will do my best to ask him what you want.

Finally, if anyone would like to give a personal word of thanks to Matthew Hanson and his family for their sacrifice for our country, shout it out.

Follow me on twitter this weekend and be looking for the hashtag #racematt.

Wish me luck!  Maybe I beat him!  And then, none of us would ever forget what happened in Vegas.

Last week, I was critical of the Disney Channel Original Movie Geek Charming. A few hours after the article posted, I got an e-mail notification that someone named Robin Palmer was following me on Twitter. It turns out that Robin Palmer wrote the novel, Geek Charming, on which the movie was based.

So now I feel bad. For what it’s worth, my wife, Ashlee, enjoyed Geek Charming and was upset that I panned it.

Anyway. Here’s what we learned this weekend.

1. We will remember November 2011 as one of the worst months in sports history.

Between the situation at Penn State and the death of Joe Frazier, November was already a bad month. But things got considerably worse this weekend.

Late last week, two former Syracuse ball boys accused long-time assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of sexually abusing them when they were minors. (More on that later.)

Friday morning news broke that Oklahoma State head women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna died in a plane crash while on a recruiting trip. The pilot and his wife also died. Budke took over the Cowgirls in 2005 and in his second season led them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996. He was only 50. Serna was 36.

Saturday an accident involving a U-Haul van killed a fan tailgating before the Harvard-Yale game. Two others were injured.

Yesterday friends of Arkansas redshirt-freshman tight end Garrett Uekman found the 19-year-old dead in his dorm room. The cause of death is unknown, but authorities say there are no “suspicious circumstances.”

A week ago I was devastated to learn that negotiations between NBA owners and players had broken down, that the National Basketball Players Association head dissolved, that players were filing anti-trust suits against the NBA, and that we could lose an entire season. Now all of that seems trivial.

2. Syracuse is not Penn State, but …

The situation at Syracuse and the situation at Penn State both involve allegations of child sexual abuse against high-profile assistant coaches. Both cases involve nationally prominent programs run by coaches who are Hall-of-Famers in their respective sports. But the similarities end there.

When we learned about the allegations against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, a district attorney’s investigation had identified 8 victims, and witnesses had testified before a grand jury. Right now, all we have against Syracuse assistant head basketball Bernie Fine is allegations. Two former Syracuse ball boys, who are also step-brothers, have claimed that Fine assaulted them between the late 1970s and early 1990s. A police investigation is underway.

According to Kevin Quinn, Syracuse senior vice president for public affairs, an adult male contacted the university in 2005 and alleged that Fine had touched him inappropriately many years earlier. Quinn told ESPN’s Outside the Lines.

On hearing of the allegations in 2005, the University immediately launched its own comprehensive investigation through its legal counsel. That nearly four-month long investigation included a number of interviews with people the complainant said would support his claims. All of those identified by the complainant denied any knowledge of wrongful conduct by the associate coach. The associate coach also vehemently denied the allegations.

That said, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim is wrong to dismiss the accusations and to say of the accusers, “I believe they saw what happened at Penn State and they are using ESPN to get money.” Victims of child abuse are often reluctant to come forward. If Fine’s accusers are telling the truth, it isn’t at all surprising that it took the mess at Penn State for them to have the courage to speak up.

For the time being, it’s best to let the investigation run its course and not to draw any conclusions about Bernie Fine, the alleged victims, or the situation at Syracuse. But I will add this: Children and youth should never share a hotel room (or tent) with an adult who isn’t one of their parents. (And “like a father” doesn’t count as a parent.) This rule protects kids from abuse; it also protects adults from false accusations.

3. Nine teams are still alive for the BCS Championship Game.

No matter how much I don’t think it shouldn’t happen, LSU and Alabama appear to be on track to meet in the BCS National Championship Game. But if one or both of those teams loses next weekend, all sorts of interesting things could happen.

If LSU beats #3 Arkansas and Alabama loses to Auburn, Oklahoma State, who is still ranked #2 by most of the computers, will regain its #2 ranking. But OSU plays Oklahoma the following week. If the Cowboys were to lose the Bedlam game, Virginia Tech—despite the Hokies’ lack of quality voids—could be next in line. I say “could” because Virginia Tech plays rival Virginia in Charlottesville this weekend with the ACC Coastal title on the line. If the Hokies survive that game, they face Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Clemson beat Virginia Tech 23-3 in October.

If Virginia Tech slips up, Stanford could get a shot. But the Cardinal, who barely escaped Cal, have a difficult game against Notre Dame this Saturday. Even if Stanford beats the Irish, the Cardinal have a couple strikes against them: 1) Unless Oregon State upsets Oregon in the Civil War game (and they won’t), Stanford won’t even win its division, let alone its conference. Voters don’t like to put teams that don’t win their conference into national title games. (See Michigan, 2006.) 2) The computers hate Stanford. Five of the 6 BCS computers rank the Cardinal 8th or lower.

Immediately below Stanford is Boise State, the only team in the top 8 unlikely to lose any of its remaining games (but don’t sleep on 7-3 Wyoming). The computers give Boise a slight edge over Stanford, but the Broncos also won’t be winning their conference. (And I can’t imagine Harris Poll voters sending the #2 team in the Mountain West to the BCS Title game.) So if Boise State is in position to ascend to #2, don’t be surprised if undefeated, #8 Houston jumps them.

Then again, Houston plays at Tulsa on Friday. All 3 of Tulsa’s losses have come to teams currently ranked in the Top 10 (#4 Oklahoma State, #7 Boise State, and #9 Oklahoma). If Houston loses to Tulsa, or in the C-USA Championship Game, 2-loss Oklahoma (whom the computers love) might get a chance. In this scenario, I’m assuming that Oklahoma will be ahead of 2-loss Alabama and 2-loss Arkansas in the computers and that voters will give the Sooners an edge to avoid a title-game rematch.

If Alabama beats Auburn and LSU loses to Arkansas things get really messy. The Tigers, Tide, and Hogs would be in a three-way tie in the SEC West that would be settled by the 8th tiebreaker:

The tied team with the highest ranking in the Bowl Championship Series Standings following the last weekend of regular-season games shall be the divisional representative in the SEC Championship Game, unless the second of the tied teams is ranked within five-or-fewer places of the highest ranked tied team. In this case, the head-to-head results of the top two ranked tied teams shall determine the representative in the SEC Championship Game.

In short, it would come down to the head-to-head result of the two teams with the highest BCS ranking. That would be determined by the voters. In that situation, either of the two one-loss SEC West teams that don’t qualify for the conference championship game could end up playing for a national championship.

4. The NFL’s definition of a catch is nonsensical.

With less than 6 minutes remaining in Sunday’s Cincinnati-Baltimore game Bengals QB Andy Dalton (who looks eerily like disgraced Penn State QB coach Mike McQueary) found tight end Jermaine Gresham for what appeared to be a 9-yard touchdown strike. After batting the ball around, Gresham established possession, got his right foot down (in bounds), got his left foot down (in bounds) and clearly crossed the plane of the end zone with the ball in his possession. Touchdown?

Jermaine Gresham, after establishing possession, gets his second foot down. (Cincinnait Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

No. Gresham was unable to maintain possession as he went to the ground. The impact caused the ball to come loose, and even though the “ground can’t cause a fumble,” the ground can cause a receiver not to have possession. It doesn’t matter that Gresham had already crossed the plane. It’s the old “Calvin Johnson rule.” The refs made the correct call. They were just enforcing a bad rule.

Bengals fans shouldn’t be too upset. Even if the catch had counted, Cincinnati still would have needed that last-minute touchdown that they were unable to score.

5. NASCAR found its equivalent to overtime in Game 7.

While this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup wasn’t the first to come down to the final race, it was easily the most dramatic. Going into Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, 3 points separated #1 Carl Edwards and #2 Tony Stewart.

Edwards took an early lead on Sunday and led 119 of the race’s 267 laps. Early on, Stewart’s crew discovered a hole in his grill. After repairs Stewart was stuck in 40th place. In a race that stopped twice for rain delays, Stewart passed a total of 118 cars before taking the lead on the final restart. Edwards worked his way up to second place, and the two contenders ran first and second for the last several dozen laps. Stewart held of Edwards to force a tie in the standings (2403 points each). The tie-breaker went to Stewart, who won 5 of the 10 Chase races.

I seldom watch NASCAR, but I couldn’t turn away from it Sunday night.

6. Major League Soccer has marketing problems.

I think the MLS Cup Final is tonight. But I haven’t heard a word about it all week. Maybe I got the date wrong. Maybe it’s next Sunday. I should check on that.
—Me, yesterday afternoon

Major League Soccer crowned its champion last night, in prime time on ESPN. The game involved the league’s most marketable franchise—the LA Galaxy—and, by extension, its two most marketable stars—Landon Donovan and David Beckham.

But I honestly didn’t hear a word about this game all week.

I don’t know whether to blame MLS or ESPN. Probably both. ESPN actually had two major championships yesterday: the MLS Cup Final and the aforementioned Sprint Cup final. It should have been a huge deal. But, for whatever reason, it wasn’t.

For those of you who were watching Eagles-Giants, it was a great match. The Galaxy were clearly the better team, but the Houston Dynamo (supported by a few thousand orange-clad fans who made the trip to southern California) kept it interesting. Donovan scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute on an assist from Robbie Keane.

ESPN’s Scott French wrote that this year’s Galaxy side could be the best team that Major League Soccer has ever seen. It’s too bad more people didn’t get to see them play.

7. The Muppets currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Eleven reviews are in. All positive. Wednesday can’t come soon enough.

It was the fall race, known in NASCAR circles as the toughest ticket on the circuit to obtain, and at the time I was neither extremely knowledgeable nor enthusiastic about the sport.  A friend of mine had gotten tickets and recruited a group of us to go, ostensibly to party like maniacs and enjoy the camping and atmosphere more than the racing itself.

Busting the NASCAR Myths

To this point I knew a little about NASCAR, since the major sports outlets that I consume cover it, but I didn’t have a favorite driver or know anything about the technical aspects of what makes a team successful.  Each of my friends had a driver to root for, and we decided to place a wager amongst friends on the Saturday night Sprint Cup race.

This meant I had to choose a favorite, so after watching the Nationwide Series race on Friday night and seeing the utter hatred for Kyle Busch (and how easy racing at Bristol seemed for him), being the non-conformist I am, I chose #18 as my driver. The choice turned out to be a good one, as Busch won the Sprint Cup race, and then in 2010, when we returned to Bristol in the fall, Busch completed the first ever “sweep” in NASCAR history, winning the Craftsman Truck Series, Nationwide and Sprint Cup races.

I learned a great deal about NASCAR at Bristol, but I learned even more about why there is such a devoted following of racing.

NASCAR fans are typically stereotyped as rednecks and lowest common denominator Americans.  As something of an outsider, having not been a fan for long (and only being a fringe fan at present), I can tell you that the stereotype is wrong more often than it is right.  I met a doctor, a pharmaceutical engineer, a construction worker, a former major in the Marines, and a bartender – in the same campsite.

I’ve attended nearly every type of major American sporting event, and never have I been in the presence of a group of people who were so truly united.  There is an unmistakable camaraderie among the masses, to the extent that complete strangers will invite you to partake in their tailgating and camping experiences without so much as raising an eyebrow.  Food, drinks, and amenities are shared between fans as between family members at Christmas dinner.

Despite the enormous amount of alcohol being imbibed I have never witnessed any hostility between fans, which is something of a wonder given the reputation the sport has.  As an Ohio native, I can attest that a Bengals-Steelers game is infinitely more coarse and violent than any race I’ve been to.

Every fan adorns themselves with swag from their favorite driver (even I snatched up a #18 hat at that 2009 Bristol race), yet no one experiences any more than a little good-natured ribbing at the hands of fans of rival drivers.  Kyle Busch might be despised more thoroughly than anyone else, but those of us wearing Kyle Busch gear didn’t get the same treatment.

As far as the racing itself, I wasn’t originally very excited by it.  I (ignorantly) assumed that the car did all the work and that the drivers just had to turn left and get gas every now and again.  Bristol taught me that I couldn’t be more wrong, and while I still don’t know as much about the mechanical aspects of the cars and why they perform how they do (I’m more music-head and less motor-head), I couldn’t help but respect the combination of precision and aggression that the drivers employed.

There is also a certain primal feeling that comes from hearing the roar of the cars and seeing how incredibly fast those tightly packed machines are moving.  Knowing that something is so powerful, and that the slightest mishandling can result in a disaster, is enthralling.  Something about racing gives you an adrenaline jolt.  It made me believe, undeniably, that a special talent is indeed needed to make it to the highest level of racing.

When we learned Kentucky Speedway would be granted a Sprint Cup race we decided to get tickets and camp there.  The trip was easier (a drive of two hours rather than 8) and we figured it would be a neat experience to attend an inaugural event at a track.

A Good “Bad” Experience at Kentucky Speedway

If you care enough about NASCAR to click this article you probably already know about the massive logistical problems Kentucky had with hosting the race.  We weren’t affected, as we drove in Friday morning, but thousands were.

That aside, we were once again accepted into the fraternity of race fans indiscriminately.  We met people from all over the U.S. and shared stories and concessions with them for nearly three days.  The Saturday night Sprint Cup race was a little boring (particularly when compared to my previous experiences at the madhouse that is Bristol) but my driver, Kyle Busch, won again.

Even with the lack of action it was still exhilarating to watch, and when a battle for the lead passed right by us we still felt goosebumps.  For what was by all accounts a bad racing experience, it was still pretty good and a ton of fun.

I don’t expect many people to read this and decide to go to a race, but anyone who does will be pleasantly surprised and rewarded with a sporting experience like none they have ever had.  While I am still a bit of an outsider to the NASCAR phenomenon, I’ve never been made to feel like it by those who are fully indoctrinated.

If some people think NASCAR is for rednecks and hillbillies, they should consider another term for the attitude that has prevailed at each race I’ve been to – Southern hospitality.

———

Image Credit: www.kentucky.com

Of course, now that I live in the South, I miss a lot of the subtleties of the Midwest. But I will always remember the buzz of excitement that swept through Hoosier-Land during the month of May.

I would not consider myself a “die-hard” racing fan. While I definitely enjoy NASCAR, if it is competing head to head against basketball or football, I hardly ever watch it.

Recently, I have discovered that it is the perfect sport for Sunday afternoons. I will turn on the race, watch the first 20 or so laps, fall asleep, and wake up for the finish. Really, it gives me the best of everything: exciting racing, entertaining accidents, and a nice, refreshing nap.

So when I was approached a few weeks ago with the opportunity of going to the Crown Royal “Your Name Here” 400, I was intrigued, but not necessarily ultra-psyched. That is, until I researched the event a little more.

You’re probably thinking, “That is the lamest name for a race ever.” I admit, I was confused at first as well. But since 2007, Crown Royal has sponsored one of the coolest ideas in all of sports. For the past four years, the company has held an annual essay contest during Daytona Speedweeks. The winner of the contest gets the race named after him.

But for the past two years, Crown Royal has chosen to focus the contest only on military service members in order to directly honor heroism. No matter how you feel about the current wars that our country is fighting, I’m sure you will agree that the men that are fighting for our freedom and against terrorism are a few of the only legitimate heroes that we have left in this country.

This year, the winners of the contest were extra special: United States Marines Matthew and Daniel Hansen.
In the past, the race has only been named after the contest winner, but this year’s race will not only recognize Matthew, but also his identical twin brother and fellow Marine, Daniel, who was killed in action on February 14, 2009.

Matthew and Daniel were both originally from San Marcos, California. In 2002, Matthew joined the USMC and later served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His brother Daniel entered the Corps at the same time and was selected to protect President Bush at Camp David in 2004. Later that same year, he protected Lieutenant General Richard C. Zilmer in Iraq. Tragically, Daniel was killed by a roadside bomb while he was supporting combat operations in the Farah province of Afghanistan.

Again, in a sports world that throws around terms like “hero,” “legend,” and “greatness” so easily, the sacrifices of both Matthew and Daniel Hansen seem to put everything into perspective.

In order to honor these men, Lt. General Zilmer and Major General Ray Fox, the USMC Commanding General of Training and Education Command in Quantico, VA., will be present at the race in Richmond on Saturday Night.

Matthew will be the Grand Marshal of the race. He will ride in the pace car and watch the race from Matt Kenseth’s (the driver for Crown Royal) pit box before delivering the trophy, named after him, to the race winner in Victory Lane.

Rodney Atkins will also be at the race, giving a live concert in conjunction with Crown Royal in order to honor all American soldiers. Ticket holders will be able to view the concert from the frontstretch before the race, and the concert will also be streamed live on NASCAR.com.

Unbelievably, I have been asked to come and cover the event for MSF. While there, I will be participating in a variety of events. On Saturday morning, I will take part in a scavenger hunt with several other bloggers for the chance to travel to Las Vegas and race against Matt Kenseth on a real NASCAR track. If I win, I will also be given a sizable gift that I can donate to the charity of my choice.

The race itself should be fantastic. Richmond International Raceway is known as America’s Premier Short Track. Not only is it one of the faster and more fan-friendly short tracks on the circuit, but it will also be raced under the lights in Prime Time.

Before and during the scavenger hunt, I will be able to talk to both Matt Kenseth and Rodney Atkins. However, as you can probably guess, I am most excited and honored to be able to meet Matthew Hansen.

Interestingly enough, I don’t drink alcohol, and I’m not a fan of country music, but I couldn’t possibly support any more wholeheartedly what Crown Royal and Rodney Adkins have come together to do this weekend.

Maybe you’re like me and you watch NASCAR, but you aren’t exactly a rabid fan. Or maybe you don’t even like racing at all. Regardless, the Crown Royal “Matthew and Daniel Hansen” 400 is must-see television this weekend.

I feel so honored to be able to take part in this event, and as such, I would appreciate your input on a few things: If anyone has any questions or comments for Matt Kenseth, Rodney Atkins, or especially Matthew Hansen, please don’t hesitate to send them to me on Twitter @The_Dr_Twitch.

Maybe you want to know what Kenseth’s favorite track is. Or maybe you just want to tell Matthew Hansen “thank you” for everything that him and his brother have done for our nation. I would be honored to pass along any and all information to him.

The year before, the sanctioning body signed a lucrative contract with new television partners FOX and NBC/TNT, and for the first time most events on the Cup schedule would be available on over-the-air television. This was a sign that NASCAR was truly moving from the backwater to the mainstream.

No one thought the date would instead mark the end of an era, with repercussions still felt in the sport now ten years later.

At age 49 and the oldest driver in the field, Dale Earnhardt was still the man in the minds and hearts of NASCAR nation – even if the seven-time champion was not as dominant then as he had been during the late 1980s and most of the 1990s before finally relinquishing some of the spotlight to Jeff Gordon.

The universal respect for The Intimidator reached a crescendo in 1998 when Dale finally won the Daytona 500 after years’ worth of bad beats on stock car racing’s biggest stage. He was greeted by every crew member of every team on the way to Victory Lane in a unified show of respect.

Preparing for his post-driving career, Earnhardt had also established his own race team, with son Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip among the drivers in that stable.

As the the tenth anniversary of Earnhardt’s death approaches, many have reset the well-documented final lap, which occurred after a much more massive multi-car wreck earlier in the race took out much of the field. DEI drivers Waltrip and Earnhardt were holding down the first two positions while Earnhardt, in the iconic #3 car, was trying to hold on to third in the frantic free-for-all that inevitably occurs on NASCAR’s two restrictor-plate tracks. The #3 was nudged from behind by Sterling Marlin’s car and shot straight up into the Turn 4 wall in the now surreal scene.

Seeing Waltrip take the checkered flag on television with the wreck behind him, my first thought was that at least Dale’s post-race interview ought to be interesting.

Then came the grainy footage of Ken Schrader climbing out of his car and checking on the #3, with no sign of Dale emerging.

I added two plus two very quickly – ‘Earnhardt’s dead…’ I said.

The next 90 minutes or so were very strange. FOX was trying to focus on the joy of Michael Waltrip winning his first race in 463 attempts, along with older brother Darrell Waltrip who had just been hired by FOX Sports as a commentator.

Realizing that a possible tragedy was unfolding as rescuers cut Earnhardt away from the wreckage, both FOX and MRN Radio (which was being played in-house at the speedway) partially downplayed the situation. FOX signed off saying that any updates on Earnhardt’s condition would be given during Fox Sports Net’s ‘Victory Lane’ later in the evening. Meanwhile, FOX caught up with Ken Schrader, and when asked about Earnhardt’s condition said ‘I don’t know’…which in effect said everything.

I immediately headed for an Internet chat room looking for updates. Finally a brief wire story ran that had Earnhardt being in ‘guarded condition’, not unlike the November day in 1963 when Walter Cronkite announced an initial report that JFK had been ‘seriously wounded’. Not long after, I flipped on another network just in time to hear a reporter reflecting on Earnhardt in past tense. At that exact time, dozens of new messages in the chat room said the same thing.

‘He’s gone….’

NASCAR was suddenly on the front page alright, even the lead on the Nightly News. Eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken ankle, and finally a basal skull fracture did in the seemingly indestructible Dale Earnhardt. Millions of racing fans were sent into shock and mourning. I personally know a die-hard race fan who cried at work the entire following week.

Ten years later, this question has the right to be asked more than ever – especially after a subsequent investigation seemed to turn up even more questions than answers:

Did Dale Earnhardt have to die???

Veteran driver Bill Elliott put the cheese on the cracker in a 2006 auto-biography with the following passage, referring to three fatalities (Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper) in NASCAR’S three national touring series during the 2000 season…

“No one called for investigations or softer walls, or HANS (head-and neck restraint) devices when these drivers died. But when Dale Earnhardt died, NASCAR went full bore, head over heels on safety,. Shame on NASCAR for letting a handful of good men die before finally addressing the problem after Dale died.”

19-year old Adam Petty died after the throttle stuck on his car during a practice session at New Hampshire International Speedway, effectively ending the four-generation Petty dynasty. Two months later Irwin died at the exact same track in similar fashion. Also during that season Geoff Bodine barely survived one of the most frightening wrecks ever during a Truck Series race at Daytona.

Although risk and the possibility of injury and even death have long been accepted from the short tracks to the big leagues of NASCAR, Indy Car, and Formula One, it remains amazing that nothing was done by NASCAR until their #1 meal ticket got lost.

And the safety issues were not limited to the drivers. As recently as the 2001 season, most pit crews operated without head protection. It wasn’t until two crewman were seriously injured at a race at Homestead late in the ’01 season that NASCAR immediately mandated helmets for those on pit road.

NASCAR soldiered on in 2001, and indeed to unprecedented buzz. Richard Childress Racing brought up rookie Kevin Harvick from the Busch Series to replace Earnhardt in a re-branded white #29 Goodwrench Chevrolet (as opposed to Earnhardt’s black #3). In just his third race Harvick brought the team back to Victory Lane with a dramatic win in Atlanta. The Cup Series then returned to Daytona that July, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. scoring a hugely popular win with Michael Waltrip this time finishing second. Dale Jr. would then score another emotional victory at Dover in September in NASCAR’s first race following the aftermath of September 11.

Dale Junior quickly became NASCAR’s #1 attraction, and it only seemed a matter of time before he joined his dad in becoming a Cup Champion.

Recent years have not gone nearly as well for the sport. Among the causes are: declining TV ratings; tumbling attendance figures (which NASCAR likes to blame on the economy/gasoline prices); and a 5X Champion in Jimmie Johnson who for whatever reason is hugely unpopular. Tracks hosting events try feverishly to pump up the gate, offering pre-race concerts and other gimmicks, but to little avail.

NASCAR has also made numerous changes in the last ten years, some in the name of safety and some in the name of entertainment. Included among these changes are:

• Ending the decades-old practice of racing back to the start-finish line after the caution flag is waved. Often the lead driver would slow and let lapped drivers get a lap back, especially in the case of teammates. There were other occasions when the first place driver would not slow down, not wanting to get a marquee driver back on the lead lap and putting him back in contention for a win.

• In order to ensure interest down to the last race of the season, NASCAR introduced what they billed as ‘The Chase’, where the point standings were reset for the top 10-12 drivers for the final ten races of the season. Jimmie Johnson detractors cry that Johnson has won the last five championships because the final ten tracks on the schedule happen to be tracks Johnson does well on.

• NASCAR ended another practice that dated back to the early days of the sport, where lead drivers lined up single-file on restarts, with drivers one or more laps down being on the inside lane. Often drivers would not pit during a caution period so they could take the re-start ahead of the leader, and thus get back on the lead lap if another caution were to fly soon-after. To inject more excitement, lead laps cars now line up double file before re-starts.

• In another attempt to jump-start entertainment value and to eliminate the possibility of races ending when the end of their advertised distance comes under the caution flag, ‘green-white-checker’ finishes were introduced. At first only one attempt was made to finish a race in such a fashion, but was later amended to allow as many as three ‘green-white-checker’ attempts, which carries the potential of running a race insanely past it’s scheduled distance.

• Worried that they had policed themselves too much. NASCAR told their drivers to ‘have at it’ before the start of the 2010 season, basically asking the competitors to police themselves. That sort of frontier justice was put to the test early last season when in an act of revenge Carl Edwards sent Brad Keselowski airborne into the fence in retaliation for being wrecked earlier in an event.

• Just this off-season, NASCAR decided to overhaul a points system that had been in place since the early 1970′s in favor of a new system designed to make the math more simpler for fans following at home.

None of the above seems to have, or will, revive interest. NASCAR fans, or what’s left of them, do not seem satisfied with anything. And it all goes back to the loss of the Intimidator.

Outside of Dale Jr., collectibles featuring Dale Earnhardt by far outsell all other existing drivers. Go to a souvenir stand at an event and you might even find a framed picture of that moment from that final lap at Daytona with Michael Waltrip, Dale Jr., and Dale Sr. running 1-2-3.

Then there is the massive slump that hit Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career and forced him to move to Hendrick Motorsports after in-fighting with step-mother Teresa Earnhardt resulted in Junior leaving DEI, and not long after DEI being consolidated. One has to wonder if things would have shaken better for Junior if the old man was alive and running the show.

And then, of course, there is the economy, which bites racing much more than the ‘ball-and-stick’ sports, since sponsorship is the lifeblood of race teams. In recent years, even the marquee teams have struggled to get advertisers placed on their cars.

The one thing NASCAR can hang its hat on though is that there have been no fatalities in either the Cup, Nationwide (Busch), or Truck Series since February 18, 2001. That would be a span of nearly 1,000 races plus practices and qualifying.

On Sunday, 43 cars will line up on a freshly repaved Daytona Speedway, which is playing to early reviews of vastly increased speeds – perhaps alarmingly so. At some point this weekend NASCAR may have to make a decision to somehow compensate and reign in the RPMs. Or will they choose to go with the entertainment value and flirt with disaster yet again?

Just remember how they learn how to count down in North Carolina, 1, 2, Dale Earnhardt…

If you are a NASCAR fan – and I know that there are a lot of you out there – BAM Racing has put together a pretty sweet VIP Fan Experience that you just might be interested in taking advantage of.

BAM Racing is the owner of the #49 car and has teamed up with Warner Music Nashville to create a package that includes the following:

• Behind-the-scenes VIP access to the #49 NASCAR Sprint Cup Team and the Warner Music Nashville Stars.
• Your name and photo on the #49 car and on jumbo screen at NASCAR races across the country, as well as websites.
• The opportunity to be a VIP backstage guest at a concert, a music video shoot, a recording session, or at an all-access Spring Cup Race Weekend, culminating with you sitting in the VIP seat atop the team’s pit box to watch the race with BAM Racing’s owner.

In addition, you get a personal VIP website that gives you all of the following:

• Official VIP Certificate documenting your VIP Name and Picture on a Sprint Cup Car
• Special Messages to You from Artists and Race Team Members
• Exclusive Autographed Concert and Race Photos
• Exclusive Weekly Newsletters filled with Insider New;
• Exclusive Ring Tones Available Only to VIP’s
• Advance Album Sales
• Discounted Team & Artist Merchandise
• Professionally designed customizable Facebook applications and MySpace Pages with “smokin” modules and add-ons! (Valued at over $1,000 ea.)
• Special Give-aways, Prizes, and Rewards…and much, much more.

And the amazing part is that you get all of that for only $99.99.

For more information, and to hear a special message from the always funny Larry the Cable Guy, follow the link to the official VIP Fan Experience page from BAM 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.

The Winners:

Here, we continue our look into the starting field of the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500. In this edition we look at the four previous winners who will be fighting for another shot at immortality on the Borg Warner Trophy (pictured above) and a nice cool drink of milk in victory lane. The Indianapolis 500 is at 1pm this Sunday, May 24th. It’s on ABC and the pre-race starts at Noon Eastern, with the scheduled start of 1pm.

Pos. 5

Scott Dixon

Car # 9
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 223.867/2:40.8098

The 2008 Indy 500 winner and IndyCar series champion will find himself in a familiar place come race day. Rolling off from the 5th spot in the grid, this New Zealander will be a contender on race day and should definitely be one to watch. Scott Dixon has NEVER raced in a series where hasn’t wont the championship. When the pressure is on, this guy is the one you want behind the wheel. Starting from the middle of Row 2 he should have a clear view of Turn 1 on Lap 1. Barring any first turn disasters, keep your eye on the #9 Target entry piloted by Scott Dixon. He will more than likely be among the leaders all day.

——————–

Pos. 3

Dario Franchitti

Car # 10
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 224.010/2:40.7068

Dario Franchitti comes to his 6th Indy 500, back from his single season running in NASCAR. His previous 500 starts have been with the Andretti Green organization, but it didn’t take the former Champion long to get comfortable to his new seat. He rolls off the grid on Sunday from the front row on the outside in P3. When he won the race in 2007, it was called by rain and was less than the 500 miles. Would he have been there at the end of those 500 miles? We will never know. Will he be there at the end of this years 500 miles? I don’t think so. Look for a strong start from the former champion but a pit issue or contact to keep him from taking his second 500 crown. Why? Because, Ashley Judd annoys me to death and I don’t want to see her talking on the monitors anymore than we have to.

——————–

Pos. 1

Helio Castroneves

Car # 3
D/H/F
Speed/Time: 224.864/2:40.0967

The past six months have been absolute hell for the two-time Indy 500 winner. He spent months agonizing over a squabble with the IRS regarding a tax issue. It was resolved with a not guilty verdict, and he now finds himself back where he belongs. Helio won the 500 in 2001 and 2002 and has been in the top 5 for 5 of his 8 previous starts. He has been among the quickest all month long and was certainly the fastest on Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With the drama behind him of the courtroom, and no one in front of him as he starts this years 500, look for a strong showing from the two time winner. How strong? Look for a three time champion come Sunday afternoon. Helio Castroneves is my pick for the 2009 race. Helio, go get ‘em!

——————–

Stay tuned to MidwestSportsFans.com as we continue our in depth look into the starting field for the 93rd Indianapolis 500. Next we will take a look at the women in the 500. Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher, and Milka Duno will be carrying the banner for female motor sports fans everywhere come race day. Check back soon for what to watch for from the three women who are the female faces of the 500.

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!

The 2007 Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion is back where he belongs. After his one year hiatus to the world of slow cars and four fenders, or as it also known NASCAR, Dario Franchitti made his presence felt. Dario took the #10 Target Chip Ganassi entry to the front for his first win under the TCG banner. Dario ran a great race and used some solid pit strategy to work his way to the front, and held on for a relatively easy win Sunday. Using an off-sequence pit stop, and saving fuel all along the way, he was able to be where he needed to be in the final laps. When he was given the green light to run full rich he pulled out nearly a 4 second lead over Will Power and the rest of the IndyCar field.

After Dario and Will; Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon, Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Raphael Matos, Robert Doornbos and Alex Tagliani rounded out the top ten.

The IndyCar Series has now completed two races for the 2009 season and as of right now here is your top five in points:

Dario Franchitti – 84

Will Power – 69

Ryan Briscoe – 67

Tony Kanaan – 65

Ryan Hunter-Reay – 59

Helio Back in the Saddle:

Helio Castroneves, fresh out of his acquittal on 6 counts of tax evasion, was in the racecar this weekend in the #3 Team Penske machine. He finished 7th in Long Beach and looked very happy to be back on the track. Given the stressful situations he has faced the past 6 weeks or so, I would look for him to look like the Helio of old this weekend. I will not be surprised with a top three finish as the IndyCar series heads for Kansas this coming weekend. The Kansas race will be the first oval of the 2009 season, and the last race before the month long pause that is the Indianapolis 500 during the month of May.

Out of Power:

Will Power, who was a formidable fill-in for Helio while he was out facing his legal issues, will get an undeserved rest this week. Will Power currently sits 2nd in the championship, but his position is likely to slip this weekend. The #12 machine is being parked until Indy. Verizon, who sponsored the #12 at Long Beach, will be back with Team Penske and supporting Will Power during the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at the Brickyard come May. The reason for Power being parked is strictly financial. Will has proven his weight so far this year and I expect him to be a player at Indianapolis. He will be driving for sponsorship for the rest of the season.

The Indy 500 Entry List released:

40 entries of drivers and machines have been released for the Indianapolis 500 to be ran on May 24th, 2009. As of this post, there are 28 drivers named and many more to be named in the coming weeks as teams try to gain enough sponsorship to fill the field. Some notable entries this year are the return of Davey Hamilton, John Andretti, Sarah Fisher and Paul Tracy.

Paul Tracy hasn’t raced in the Indianapolis 500 since 2002 when he lost a controversial call regarding the timing of a yellow flag and rode behind Helio Castroneves to finish 2nd. Paul Tracy ran a one off race last year for Vision Racing and finished 4th at Edmonton. Look for Paul Tracy to make waves all month long. There is no doubt he wants to be back in a racecar, and for much longer than just the month of May.

There are 4 previous winners as well as 4 rookies on the books so far. We’ll keep an eye on those numbers as the TBA on the entry list turn into actual drivers. The car count looks great and there should be no rumors about the Indy 500 NOT having it’s traditional 33 cars. Remember boys and girls, the Indianapolis 500 is still the worlds largest one day sporting event.

Keep an eye herefor continuing updates on IndyCar news, and look back here at Midwest Sports Fans for our Kansas preview later this week.

Dateline: Indianapolis, IN.

“The King”, as most NASCAR fans know him by, Richard Petty, will make history at the 2009 Indianapolis 500. For the first time in his storied career, Petty will make his first step into the IndyCar series. Even though the team owner is a rookie to “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, his driver is not. John Andretti will pilot the # 43 machine with the familiar Petty number and colors in the May classic. John Andretti has raced in 9 Indy 500′s with his best finish (5th) coming in 1991.

John Andretti and Richard Petty know each other pretty well, John drove for The King from 1998 to 2003 in the NASCAR Cup circuit.

As an avid IndyCar fan I have to wonder if this truly a turning of the tide. Is the popularity of NASCAR decreasing so much that IndyCars are once again where it’s at? Regardless of the reason, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has to be pleased with an announcement that can only help ticket sales. One other though to ponder here… Petty’s the first NASCAR owner to declare an entry into this years “500″, but will he be the last? I hope not.

RACE RECAP:

The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg concluded with a familiar name and team on top. Ryan Briscoe drove the Team Penske #6 machine to victory circle. It’s back to back wins for Briscoe dating back to the season finale in 2008. The momentum carried through the off-season showed that Ryan is going to be a force to be reckoned with. For a driver who was on the hot seat last year, I think Penske has to be comfortable with where things are in 2009.

Ryan Hunter-Reay had a second place finish for Vision Racing. Vision racing is co-owned by Tony George (the ICS founder) and TV star Patrick Dempsey. Reay has been with the vision team for less than two weeks, so the team has to be very impressed with his ability to date. I wouldn’t have expected to ever say this…but, I can see Vision Racing with a Ryan Hunter-Reay victory coming this season. I predict at Mid-Ohio, but it may come sooner.

One other note about yesterdays race: Dario Franchitti showed he is back where he belongs. Racing with Target Chip Ganassi he drove home a 4th place finish. He had left the series for a one year debacle in NASCAR, but we’re glad to have him back in the fast cars. Clearly, he will do well in 2009.

Here are the top 5 in yesterdays Grand Prix:

Ryan Briscoe

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Justin Wilson

Dario Franchitti

Tony Kanaan

The next race in the IndyCar Series is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19th at 3:30PM Eastern. Available on VERSUS.

TWITTER: follow me for IndyCar updates and other stuff @ejwassonmsf

There are a couple things we do know. Martin Truex, Jr. and Mark Martin, former teammates last year at Dale Earnhardt, Inc, qualified 1-2 and will lead the field to the green flag Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla

After that, there are a lot of questions to be answered. Here are a couple things to keep an eye on leading up to the big race:

Can Tony Stewart win his first Daytona 500 as an owner/driver?

Richard Petty was the last driver to take a car he owned to Victory Lane in Daytona. He did it for Petty Enterprises in 1981. Successful owner/drivers are becoming rare each season, but Stewart is trying to make his mark with the new Stewart-Haas Racing venture. Stewart has won virtually every race there is to win at Daytona, other than the 500-miler in February. He was strong in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout and his team has all the pieces in place for a strong start — engines and chassis from powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, not to mention “Smoke” himself behind the wheel, eager to prove the doubters wrong. Don’t be surprised to see Stewart’s No. 14 in the lead pack down the stretch on Sunday.

What is up with the sluggish Dodges?

The fastest Dodge driver in last weekend’s qualifying was Reed Sorenson, driving for Richard Petty Motorsports (the new collaboration between George Gillett’s team and the Pettys). Sorenson’s 28^th place effort in time trials was the best Dodge had to muster on pole day. Penske drivers David Stremme, Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish, Jr. were 41^st, 42^nd and 44^th, respectively. But all we have to do is look at last year’s race to learn not to count out the Dodge gang. Ryan Newman won the Daytona 500, teammate Busch was pushing him and Sorenson was also near the front on the white flag lap as a train of Dodges shot past the powerful Toyotas. The draft is a great equalizer and although the Dodge camp has thinned a little bit, a new engine could help keep them competitive this week.

Can Martin finally win the big race that has eluded him?

Martin, age 50, is back racing full-time in the Sprint Cup Series for the first time since 2006 and he’s doing so in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He has his best starting spot ever for the Daytona 500 and claims he’s in the best equipment he’s ever had with HMS. With the exception of Carl Edwards, you would be hard-pressed to find a better conditioned driver than Martin. He’s hungry, having finished a couple feet short to Kevin Harvick in 2007. Martin’s stiffest competition may come from his three fellow HMS drivers — Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and three-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, but this could be his best shot at winning Daytona.

Can any of the new ‘independent’ teams keep up at Daytona?

Likely not. This offseason saw contractions, mergers, alliances and teams just closing their doors. Subsequently, that allowed some individuals to buy cars and equipment at liquidation prices and they have cobbled together enough funds to take a shot at making the Daytona 500. But the likes of Joe Nemechek and Jeremy Mayfield — a couple owner/drivers who put together last-minute deals — Scott Riggs (in a Tommy Baldwin-owned and wrenched car with no sponsorship decals on the car) and others face tall odds of competing with the big boys. Simply put, the chasm between the haves (Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs and Childress teams) and the have nots has gotten even bigger.

While Sherman, the former Civil War general, buckled the South with the “March to the Sea” in 1864 by leaving the Confederates in his wake, Johnson is laying waste to the competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as he draws a bead on a record-tying third straight series title this week in South Florida.

Sherman’s March to the Sea stopped in Savannah after tearing through Atlanta. And even though Johnson was a runner-up two weeks ago at Atlanta, he and his Hendrick Motorsports team aren’t stopping until the checkered flag falls at Homestead, Fla., located outside of Miami and South Beach.

Johnson holds a sizable 141-point advantage over Carl Edwards heading into Sunday’s season finale thanks to his seventh win of the campaign – third in the Chase for the Championship – at Phoenix last week. The 33-year-old Johnson needs only a 36th place finish to secure the championship.

Doing so would place Johnson in the record books alongside Cale Yarborough, who won three straight titles from 1976-78. Ironically, Johnson lists Yarborough as his idol while growing up. When Yarborough was driving a Hardees-sponsored car, Johnson couldn’t wait to visit the fast-food restaurant as a youth because he thought Yarborough and the car would be there.

Johnson was disappointed when he learned that the series great and his machine didn’t actually reside at the burger joint. Undaunted, Jimmie Johnson has gone on to fashion a career that might rival some of the best NASCAR has seen before all is said and done.

Johnson notched career win No. 40 in career start No. 254 at Phoenix, giving him a winning percentage of 15.8% that is best among active drivers. He is already ranked 13th in all-time victories and a third series title would make him the eighth driver ever to cop at least three, joining the likes of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Lee Petty and Yarborough.

The El Cajon, Calif. native is approaching legend status as we speak.

But only Johnson and Yarborough could lay claim to the honor of taking three straight. Johnson’s titles have come in a different format, one in which the points are virtually “reset” for the season’s final 10 races. You could say that Johnson’s feat is more remarkable in that regard, while some can see it as easy for a team to “sandbag” during the first 26 races.

One thing is for sure. Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the rest of the No. 48 have shown that they can rise to the challenge down the stretch. No one has put up better numbers during the Chase for the Cup, which came into play in 2004.

Jimmie Johnson has amassed 14 wins in 49 Chase starts, good for a ridiculous winning percentage of 28.6%. In addition to his two titles, Johnson also has finished second twice (2004 and ’05).

Barring a total collapse, the curtain will close on yet another season with Jimmie Johnson holding the hardware and collecting the big check and the rest of the drivers raising the white flag.

And thankfully for the competition, NASCAR doesn’t race in Key West.