There was much angst on Sunday as the sun set on Indianapolis 500 qualifications at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Gasp, Danica Patrick hadn’t qualified for the race.
“Can you imagine an Indianapolis 500 without Danica Patrick?” said one veteran motorsports announcer at the Speedway.
Well, yes I can. To my knowledge, there have been 88 Indianapolis 500s without Danica. And the event earned the moniker “The
Greatest Spectacle in Racing” long before the GoDaddy girl ever put her hands on a steering wheel.
Fear not, at the 11th hour and in between rain drops, Patrick qualified her Andretti-Autosport car for the show, landing
in the middle of row nine.
But my point remains. If the Indianapolis 500 is going to continue to be considered a great spectacle, the race and the series
of which it is a part has to get over the notion that one driver—or even a handful of drivers—could make it or
break it.
The Indianapolis 500 has to be bigger than any one driver, just like the Super Bowl and World Cup are bigger than any one
player or team.
The fact is, race car drivers come and go. Same with teams. My guess is, that within five years, Danica Patrick will evaporate
from the open-wheel race scene—if not for NASCAR, then for some other endeavor. Then what?
To be a great spectacle, an event has to endure. And the Indianapolis 500 has done that better than most American sports.
We’re reminded of that as it celebrates its centennial this year.
There’s no doubt Patrick has brought much attention to the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series in recent years.
It’s well understood that her merchandise outsells all other drivers’ merchandise combined.
Still, it’s not healthy for a sporting event or series to revolve around one athlete, or even one team.
It was A.J. Foyt who said during the early days of the Indy Racing League-CART split that it wasn’t Roger Penske (Foyt
threw in a couple other names) who made Indianapolis. It was Indianapolis that made Roger Penske. Who were these people before
they came to Indianapolis? asked Foyt, who won the race four times.
In this era of star athletes, it’s sometimes difficult to remember the stature of something like the Indianapolis 500.
Do star players help leagues and series prosper? No question. But the stars must remain more dependent on the league than
the league on the stars.
The IndyCar Series has become so bent on making its drivers into stars, some have forgotten the platform on which these stars
are allowed to shine.
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The sooner IndyCar leaves Ms. Patrick in the dust, the sooner she will become NASCAR's problem...and that certainly isn't a bad thing from this IndyCar fan.
Danica's outlived her welcome in IndyCar and should head to NASCAR to escape the obvious conclusion she's all show and no go.
It was either the dumbest question ever asked or the point at which Danica became greater than the 500 itself. It sickened me that Barnhart didn't say no. And, who other than Bob Jenkins would utter a phrase like "can you imagine the 500 without Danica"?
I can. AOW missed its chance to help heal itself. Cheap publicity of the Danica kind has taken the impetus off racing and placed it on celebrity and glamour. IRL/Indy/Indycar is a joke.
The '96 race was won by Buddy Lazier, but in all fairness, Buddy was clearly not a top-tier driver that could compare to the drivers who went to CART. So both U.S. Open Wheel and the Indy "500" eventually lost a whole generation of fans, the only ones they retained were the long time fans. Now, if we could have kept Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Juan Montoya, and several others who left open wheel to join NASCAR, lets face it, O-W would not need to have the resuscitation that Randy Bernard is administering.
As President Truman once said, "there is nothing new but the history we don't know", but somehow, and the writer must have somehow forgotten the ramifications and history of the IRL-CART split, which sent the name drivers in a different direction than the "500".
Like any enterprize, its key to recognize that the product needs to always be enhanced and while the "500" by itself is great branding, it cannot thrive, or perhaps one should say survive without the big name drivers. AJ, the Unsers, Mears, Johncock, Rutherford, Mario, were all great drivers, and no doubt, their legacy was enhanced by the "500", but to say that the "500" didn't need them for its popularity totally lacks any credibility. They were the best of their time, regardless of the type of racing which others reference.
Danica is just the latest. Every decade has its star. I remember people could not believe that the race was run in 95 without Fittipaldi or Unser. I heard the same thing in the 80's/90's when the sport was losing AJ, Mario, Lone Star JR, Johncock and the like. What would Indy be without them. But new stars came along. And when cart took a right turn, everyone said cart has the cars and the stars, what does the IRL have. Well it had Indy.
I think the same thing said about Danica could have been said about Marco....Today we would be hearing people say how long it has been since an Andretti could not qualify for the 500.
While I like Danica, I would not have been real upset, it would have given some of the other women a chance to shine.
I think the story of DeSilvestro was much more compelling, the courage she showed reminded me of Swede Savage. The interesting thing is if Simone, or Pippa or one of the other female drivers wins the 500, Danica will take a backseat.
Race promoters push whatever driver is hot. I am sure that was the case in the 30's with Billy Arnold, Louis Meyer or Wilbur Shaw and it is the case now.
10 years from now, Danica will be a footnote, and other drivers will be the flavor of the moment.
Stop making comparisons as Miss Permapout is entirely an albatross of the Speedway all on their own. IF she had done anything to warrant any of the attention I'm sure we'd all shut up. But the fact is she's a fourth rate driver that gets more attention than actual winners do. That TRUELY puts modern day INDY in perspective. Maybe the Speedway should put out a swimsuit issue...
And don't feel to bad for Dan Wheldon, I couldn't tell you who won the race in 1967, 1968,...2003,2004, but I can tell he won the racein 2005 the year Danica led.
Thanks Danica for getting me interested in Indycar, you are a damn good driver!
There are a lot of smart people in the media, but most of them remain lowest common denominator lap dogs. IMS and Indy Car have rarely been adept at conceptualizing or implementing the type of all encompassing promotion that made her a star. Sure they are able to latch on to it and exploit it just as all media outlets have. It is just not something they were really capable of starting.
She is already one of the three biggest stars in NASCAR, and she only drives part time on their junior varsity team for now. That will change next season when money starts doing more of the talking. NASCAR, unlike IMS and IndyCar, IS milking it for all it is worth. That same machine has made Dale Jr. a big star even though his track record is marginal at best.
Most fans of Indy Car are ready for the next big star, and it appears the new leader of Indy Car is up to the task. In the end, Danica and all the rest should come to grips with the fact that Indy makes the stars. Not the other way around. It has always been that way. Danica going to NASCAR will not spell doom or gloom for Indy Car.
What happened? Why no stars after all this time?
Chief, I absolutely LOVE the fact that you hate Indycar but never seem to miss a broadcast! Keep up the good work!
BTW, seeing as Andretti bought Junquiera's seat at Foyt for Hunter-Reay, the league would have seen to it Danica had a ride too. Shows how pathetic Andretti Autosport really is. Didn't Tony Kanaan have to set all their cars up last year? Even more proof Danica is just a 4th rate driver who can't set up cars.....
Calling her a 4th rate driver instantly calls you out as nothing but an Indycar hater. I do not think there is anyone who would call her 4th rate. I may buy 2nd, but she has driving ability. You do not almost win the 500 as a 4th rate driver and you do not run top 10 consistently because of your looks.
And if you do not think race drivers have been marketed for more than just their driving skills, you must have missed the whole Kasey Kahne Allstate Commercial campaign. There is not a single sport out there that does not use female athletes sex appeal to sell. Womens Soccer, WNBA, Lacrosse, you name it. There are calendars, websites, bathing suit magazines etc....dedicated to cashing in on it.
Chief, your pure hatred has long ago covered up any objectivism you may have had. You post and everyone knows you are going to hate.
Unless you get your personal apology, nothing IMS does will ever be right by you. Sorry, I have never had that kind of hatred for something and I have never obsessed over something I did not like, so I guess I will never understand what drives you.
Anyone reading more into it than that, is missing out on the fun of it all. That's sad.
RHR buying his way in is a joke, but I will say, it is going to create a lot of fan investment come race day. I for one will be BOOOOing at the top of my lungs during driver intro's.
Look, I am an Indy traditionalist, I do not sanction the changes to the qualification rules nor to the praising of a false god that Danica is.
Soft porn runway modeling IS more important to the Indy mainstream fanbase than 2, 3 or even 4 time 500 winners. Indyman just said so.
Just more of same from the same from paid speedway propagandists like Indyman that won't acknowledge the horrific damage the Hulman George family has inflicted on the sport.
They have turned this race into a joke, led by Danica. I hate what it's become. Seriously Indyman, you love the fact all the changes are made to insure it's survival but have already killed it??
You crying about the Tony George IRL is like blaming the Great Depression on your current financial problems. Here are some other new topics for you to whine about... Vietnam, Reaganomics, and Watergate.
11 of 33 drivers American. When was the last time cart had 1/3 of its drivers from the US? half of the tracks are ovals. Did cart have an oval in the last few years? Cart was going to put IMS in its place by giving it less than a week. Practice Thursday and Friday, Qual Sat, race Sunday. They did not like the power that IMS had in racing and wanted to marginalize it.
Granted we all wish Indy was two weekends of qualifying, this was probably the most exciting weekend of qualifying ever. There is nothing else in racing the matches the excitement and raw emotion of watching drivers stare at the clock, clouds and competitors at 5:55 on Sunday afternoon. Marco sitting in his car unsure if he would get out on the track in time to make a run. The Indy 5:59 Banzai run is famous throughout racing and there is nothing else like it.
Sorry Chief, anymore pretty much anything you say makes you sound like a liar or an idiot.
HINT...CART has nothing to do with it.
Marco slowly but surely moves his way through the field up into the Top 10 by mid-race. He runs there all day and is never a factor for the lead but finishes 7th.
RHR runs around in back in Foyt's junk and is never even close to the Top 20 and actually goes out with a handling issue about Lap 65. Finishes a who cares 28th. Tries to thank everyone in the interview but still whines like he does.
John Andretti runs strong all day and is never a factor for the win but does a workman-like solid job and scores an 11th.
TK wads the 82 in T2 by mid-way. Slightly shaken but ok.
Tomas tangles with EJ Viso and Vitor around Lap 110, while all are running in the Top 15. EJ flips in the grass but is ok.
Baguette is the most impressive of the nobodies, scoring a 3rd, behind winner Scott Dixon and second place Will Power.
Helio crashes on the frontstretch after a wheel-to-wheel with Simona, caused by Helio himself attempting a foolish pass. Helio storms off. Simona impresses with a nice crowd gesture and pleasant interview.
Kimball surprises with top Rookie, finishing 10th and running strong all day.
Hildebrand wads the Guard Car in, ironically, a multi-car crach in T1 started by Hinchcliffe.
One car gets airborne and upside down. No injuries. One car has a minor pit fire. Buddy Rice collects Hamilton exiting the pits.
Townsend Bell has a hard wall-banger in T3 when his right rear let's go but he is ok.
Servia is never a factor. Neither is Tags. Tags leads L1. Dixon takes L2 going into T1 and pulls away. Servia fades and fades and goes out with a mechanical on Lap 103.
Rahal, Sato, and Beatriz all run around at the back and are never a factor.
Crowd is actually stout and close to sell-out. Sun is shining. TV is a slight uptick to 3.9.
How quaint....and this is the guy who LOUDLY exclaims here for maturity.
Well, you can bet Danica won't be on any trophy as Yahoo is HYPING Danica today about her NASCAR move, not the 500. Nice PR, NOT!
If you would like to see the humorous interpretive photo that has so many folks evidently toting pitchforks and torches, I re-posted it on my blog today. Happy reading and have a great racing weekend like all of us actual fans.
Admittance of hypocrisy, lying and immaturity.
When you gonna admit the IRL stinks, your prognostications are based on Speedway Propaganda you are prompted to promote, and the Hulman George's have sunk a once great sport? Grow up and admit it friend.
2. It is no loger called 'IRL.' It is called 'The Indy Car Series.' It also has a title sponsor, IZOD.
3. My prognostications are based on actual reality. Your prognostications have a 100% failure rate.
4. Why would you say the entire sport is 'sunk?' The only thing that is sunk is cart. They killed themselves. Twice. No big loss. Indy Car is alive and well, and the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 is nearly sold out.
4. Meanwhile, back on topic...hopefully those in the media making a big to do about the possibility of Danica moving to NASCAR the week of the race will gain some common sense.
F1. Awesome OW cars, built by legendary teams, like: Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, Renault, Lotus...
Top drivers competing for a WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP... None of the phony Road Course/roundy round championships of AOWR...
Celebs galore watching... And... You know... Everything special that AOWR doesn't have anymore.
NASCAR. Where former F1 drivers go, now that AOWR has been fixed by the H/G clan.
"Kimi Raikkonen's first Nationwide Series appearance will be this Saturday, May 28th in the Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race will be broadcast live on ABC at 2:30 ET nationwide."
Wonder if the B series can beat the 500? I know it will in my house anyway...
What the over and under for car into the crowd at Indy this year? Looks from an ABC promo they're promoting such. Disciple, you support this IRL Russian Roulette?