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Los Angeles, CA - April 16, 2005- The
Champ Car World Series second year at the Long Beach Grand Prix had
an estimated 70 to 75,000 spectators on-site Sunday, April
10 and a new TV broadcast partner-NBC. The NBC network reached more
people than
ex-partner Spike TV and that was a positive. While the on-air talent
(Rick Benjamin and Derek Daly) was experienced and satisfactory, the
overall NBC broadcast quality was not. The telecast missed about
three of the lead changes. Additionally, the race was joined in
progress on lap four because the Arena Football League game ran
long.
The tragic cause of the overrun was the delay
caused by the on-field death of Los Angeles Avengers 6'1" 300
pound lineman Al Lucas, 26. The former NFL Carolina Panthers lineman
suffered a neck area spinal cord injury during a kickoff runback
with Lucas a wedge-blocker. The Avengers home game versus the N. Y.
Dragons took place in the Staples Center at Los Angeles. NBC did not
give the LBGP starting lineup or replay the race start, which is a
critical part of the telecast of races on tight street courses. With
11 lead changes among seven drivers, the CCWS race was better than
most LBGP street races over the years since CART succeeded Formula
One cars in 1984. The 2005 LBGP even had 17 finishers in the 19-car
field.
The Indy Racing League St. Petersburg, FL race
April 3 also was better than most street races. An impressive
turnout (an estimated 70,000 spectators) watched the first non-oval
race for IRL teams in year 10 of IRL racing. The St. Pete event was
a dream weekend for the Andretti clan. Andretti-Green Racing
promoted the event and had all four AGR IRL cars finish in the first
four positions. One of the AGR cars also won the pole as fastest
qualifier. Earlier, Marco Andretti, 18, Michael's son and Mario's
grandson, made his Infinity Pro Series debut. He started on the
pole, led early, lost the lead, regained it and
won his first IPS start in an AGR car.
The second round of the IRL season March 19 at
Phoenix International Raceway had 22 cars but less than 15,000
spectators. The race was excellent with passing galore and
wheel-to-wheel racing. Tony Kanaan's charge from the back to the
front in the opening laps was amazing. IRL also had a 22-car field
at its season opener March 6 at Homestead-Miami, FL. Rookie
IRL driver Danica Patrick, 22, performed well in the third
Rahal-Latterman car until she was involved in a crash not of her
making and received a concussion. She raced and finished 15th at
Phoenix, but she ran to the checker. She finished 12th on the
streets of St. Petersburg.
ESPN, with new chief announcer Todd Harris
replacing veteran announcer Paul Page, did an excellent job. Todd
performed admirably in his first telecast as the anchor. Analysts
Scott Goodyear and Gil de Ferran brought their insights as recent
IRL drivers to the broadcast as analysts in the booth. ESPN featured
split screen continued racing coverage during commercials. That is
the solution for viewers' complaints of too many commercial breaks.
Main sponsor Toyota received on-air credit as a presenter. ABC/ESPN,
trying to boost its IRL television ratings, may and should continue
split-screen live racing action
during commercials. NASCAR racing on Fox and NBC should follow suit,
at least
during all commercials under green flag racing conditions.
USAC/CRA Sprints at Perris: The Saturday, March 5
race in Perris attracted a solid 38 car field for round three.
Unlike the February 5 race, the March 5 event was run despite a
forecast of showers. The hearty crowd present saw another racy and
entertaining evening of dirt-track, non-wing sprint car competition.
Damion Gardner won the 30-lap feature for his second victory in
three races this season. Josh Wise raced the No. 7 Mark Priestley
Chevy, but it wasn't the same car that Tracy Hines flipped at
Perris during the February 5 trophy dash. Josh's No. 7 ride was a
new TCR chassis.
Josh said he would stay in Riverside, visit his
girl friend and race the Priestley No. 7 at Bakersfield Speedway on
March 12 and at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix March 18-19. Then he
planned to head back to his new residence in Indiana. Josh said his
dad and mom sold their house in Riverside and moved back to
Brownsburg, Indiana, where they bought a new house at considerably
less money than the received for their California house. They
relocated to the Midwest to be present and watch Josh's rising USAC
career as a Tony Stewart Racing Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown
driver. I told Josh he reminds me in appearance and racing talent of
Nextel Cup second-year star Kasey Kahne, who also came from USAC.
Josh said that is a real compliment. The driver comparison is an
accurate one. Look for Josh to follow Kasey into NASCAR racing and
also
succeed there. He is a quick study in any racing car as a driver and
he also will make a great sponsor representative.
The Dodge cmkxtreme.com Super Truck crash at
Irwindale Speedway on April 9 occurred after the No. 11 driven by
Dan Cerchio, an ex-motorcycle racer in his first truck race, spun
out. Trucks passed safely for several seconds with the yellow
light on and Race Control telling drivers via radio "to back it
down". Then the No. 18 truck, driven by Tim Doyle, arrived and
hit No. 11 a ton, damaging both trucks too much to continue.
Although shaken, both drivers walked away uninjured. Doyle
apologized later according to Mrs. Bailey, the truck's co-owner.
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