Pumped Pato finally got a win. RHR and Sato have been my boys for 10 years, but now that they’re approaching the end I’m glad I have Newgarden, Rossi, Herta, and O’Ward to pull for. I’m also starting to like Scott McLaughlin
RHR didn't look so great, but maybe he can turn it around in the 500. I think Sato still has a few wins left in him. Remember we all counted him out after the big wreck at Pocono, and then he won the next weekend. And then he won the 500 again. Sato might be getting a bit old for this, but I'm betting if the car stays together he's going to be one of the guys you'll have to watch out for in the last 20 laps. That's how he did it when he almost won, and that's how he did it both times he won. The guy is a master of the speedway. He's figured out how to take care of the car and be in position to win towards the end. Last year was maybe the most brilliant 500 win I have ever seen.
Maybe slightly unnoticed is Rahal's team must have a good engineering staff because both cars were quick. Graham was right in there and it's been awhile since we've seen that, so he could be the dark horse at the speedway. He got third (I believe) last year so he might be the guy to watch. If anyone is due it's Graham, and his race yesterday was a good way to go into Indianapolis. Graham has the experience and Graham has the team, so he could be another one to watch.,
Still, it looks like Pato has finally arrived and this could be the opening of the floodgates. Great to see McLaren back at the top too.
The guy I'm not so sure about any more is Power. It looked like he was trying to go three wide, or at least go around the outside of two cars on a one groove track and it put him in the wall. I don't think he's lost it or anything, but it did look a bit desperate. Of the Penskes, only Newgarden and McLaughlin has good weekends, and at that it was only one race apiece. Still, they will be up front at Indy, or they had better be.
The track with the anti-traction goo was the worst possible scenario. If you touch the apron, you're in the wall, and if you touched the black, you're in the wall. The only useful part of the track was just a little more than two cars wide, at 225 mph, that is. Still, a few guys were able to pass on the high line, but it was sure crazy.
I don't think you could put them down in a worse possible place, but they made it work. Indy car really needs to consider not going back unless they fix the problem. Texas is dangerous enough with the top lane being little better than ice. There is simply zero margin for error, and we were lucky the accidents were not worse, or we didn't have more of them.
About the big crash, I think the aero screen proved itself again. We used to be terrified any time one of these cars got on it's lid, but now it's almost like watching a nascar wreck because we know the cars are so safe. It's still dangerous because it's 225mph, but I think we are all a lot less tense watching these ovals now.
Also unnoticed are the gearboxes. Remembering the old cart days, they were chewing up gearboxes and half shafts all the time, Now though, they are even shifting on ovals, and I can't remember the last gearbox failure. Now the Andretti wheel bearing failures? That's something that needs to be looked into before the 500.
I also can't remember the last engine blow up, so reliability all the way around is a different world from years past.
Paul Tracy has really emerged as a commentator. Now he is just himself and just doesn't give a damm. I almost lost it when he started singing "It's too late, baby, its too late ...... a
nd he's blown up too!
In all, a pretty decent weekend. They tore up a few cars, a few drivers cheesed each other off, Dixon is one away from matching Mario (imagine if he does it in the Indy 500!), and we've had two weekends in a row with first time winners.
Hell of a way to go into the month of may.
