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LOS ANGELES, CA. - ABC-TV executives
suggested that the Indianapolis 500
starting time should be moved later than the long-time start at
11:00 a.m Indiana time. ABC execs prefer a late afternoon or night
race under lights to attract higher TV ratings. A major drawback to
that option would be the impossibility of any driver doing the Indy
500 and Charlotte 600 double as John Andretti, Tony Stewart and
Robby Gordon have done during the last decade.
I agree that a later start would benefit TV
rating numbers, but a better idea would be for the 500 and 600 to be
run on separate days. The Memorial Day weekend is Saturday through
Monday. Why do the two major races both take place on Sunday? One
race could be held Saturday and the other Sunday. Even a
Sunday-Monday doubleheader makes sense. Sports car racing at Lime
Rock, CT on the Memorial Day Monday holiday is not a major
conflicting race date to concern NASCAR or IRL.
With the current NASCAR and IRL cooperation, the
two sanctioning bodies could alternate the Sunday date in odd or
even number years. NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt, Jr recently said he
would like to race in the Indy 500 and at the LeMans 24-hour race
before his driving career ends. Open-wheel roots drivers Casey
Mears, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne might
also race in America's most famous race-the Indy 500. NASCAR car
owners Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi own cars in IRL and others such
as Ray Evernham might provide IRL cars for their NASCAR drivers for
the Indy 500. Ford, Chevy and Dodge could help make it happen.
During the 1960s-70s NASCAR top drivers Bobby and
Donnie Allison, Cale
Yarborough, Paul Goldsmith, Bobby Johns, Lee Roy Yarbrough and
others competed
at the Indy 500. Just think how much the crossover of current NASCAR
Nextel Cup
drivers such as Earnhardt, Jr, Newman, Kahne, Mears, Stewart and the
two Gordons would increase spectator interest and the TV ratings for
both the Indy 500 and Charlotte 600.
One more thing, Indy 500 practice and qualifying
should not exceed two weeks. Qualifying should be done in a maximum
of one weekend (two days or even one day). Thinking outside the box,
perhaps qualifying races should set the lineup for the Indy 500
beyond the front row. That is the system NASCAR N/C uses only for
the premier N/C race-the Daytona 500. Qualifying for the top three
positions in the three abreast Indy grid could be Saturday. Finishes
of two qualifying races (20 or 25 laps each) on Sunday could set
rows two through 11. That would certainly draw more spectators and
higher TV ratings than Indy qualifying day three draws currently.
The Indy 500 could be run the following Sunday.
ESPN aired the Indy 500 practice and qualifying,
Carb Day and Pit Stop Competition (Thursday) and the Saturday, May
29 Indy 500 Festival 90-minute parade in downtown Indianapolis. This
year "Lights, Camera, Action" was the first Indy 500
parade theme. Rupert Boneham, 40 year old Indianapolis resident and
recent CBS-TV "Survivor All-Stars" fan-voted winner of a
million dollars, rode in the Indy parade. He also waved the
ceremonial green flag to start practice runs at Indy this year. He
formerly worked as an ABC-TV crew assistant grip on prior Indy 500
telecasts.
Congratulations to the Steve Lewis Midget Racing
Team. Team owner Steve was inducted into a motor sports hall of fame
recently. Proving he has a keen eye for driving talent, his Midget
team driver graduates now in NASCAR enjoyed success June 15 in the
Busch Series 1.33-mile concrete Nashville (TN) Superspeedway
300-mile race. Jason Leffler, a one-time NCTS winner in Jim Smith's
Ford truck, started second in the No. 00 Gene Haas CNC/Netzero Chevy
Monte Carlo and won his first career NBS feature. It was his 56th
start in the series and the first triumph for Haas as well.
Fellow drivers Mike Bliss, Kasey Kahne, Greg
Biffle and prior race leader Kyle Busch (who ran out of gas about
five laps from the finish) all came up and congratulated popular
Leffler. Midget ace Bliss, in the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevy,
started 11th and finished fourth. Kahne finished sixth in the Akins
Racing Great Clips Dodge. J. J. Yeley, the most recent Lewis Midget
Team champion, started 16th and finished a career-best eighth in the
Joe Gibbs-owned No. 18 Vigoro/Home Depot Chevy.
Interestingly, USAC Silver Crown and World of
Outlaws winged sprint car driver Tyler Walker was selected by Akins
Racing to qualify and practice Kahne's NBS No. 38 Dodge while Kasey
was busy driving Evernham's Nextel Cup Dodge at the Pocono, PA.
Walker, who deserves a NASCAR ride, qualified the unfamiliar NBS car
as 15th fastest in the 43-car field. Kahne had to start last when he
arrived and his sixth place in the race kept him in the NBS point
battle. Walker subbed for Kahne the following week in NBS qualifying
and practice and again performed well. Tyler got air-time on the
Speed Channel show "NBS 24/7". Akins is so happy with
Tyler that he has been selected to race the NBS No. 38 car at PPIR
in Fountain, CO during July when Kahne is not available.
Congrats also to USAC/CRA 410-sprint car
driver/nice guy Adam Mitchell for his first sprint-car feature
victory on June 12 at Perris over an impressive field. Adam started
racing in 1992 and his perseverance finally paid off with his first
victory. Also, former CRA sprint car driver Bobby Michnowicz won his
first USAC feature in the same Perris June 12 co-featured Ford Focus
main event. A tip of the hat to SCRA sprint car veteran Cal Smith
for finishing fifth in the Perris USAC Ford Focus main event. Cal
and the competitive spec Ford Focus Midget Series are a good fit. A
main event victory for Cal in his FF
Midget would be sweet and well-deserved for this dedicated and
under-funded ex-TQ
Midget and sprint car racer.
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