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RACING SCENE (Indy 500)
by Tim Kennedy

Los Angeles, CA. - "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing"--the Indianapolis 500 at the 2.5-mile "Brickyard--lived up to its billing this year. It gave racing fans another reason why many people say they  would watch the Indy 500 if they could only watch one race a year. I agree. The May 28, 2006 race was an instant classic as ESPN Sports Center reported after the race. The ESPN Classic Channel even showed a two-hour version of the 2006 Indy 500 with different announcers (Gary Lee and Larry Rice) Friday, June 2 from 6:00-8:00 p.m PDT. Daily newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, put the Indy 500 story and close 1-2 finish photo on sports page one.

    The thrilling final four green flag laps of the 200-lap race had more story lines than a TV soap opera. Hard-luck Michael Andretti led at the lap 197 green flag in his comeback after a two-year absence from the field. He was attempting to win his first Indy 500 as a driver in his 15th try. He had the most laps led (426) for a non-Indy winner; he added four more laps (194-197) to that total. He had a shot at a popular and long-overdue victory and his 19-year old son Marco, a 500 rookie driving a strong race, was second. Michael led lap
197 by ten yards over Marco. Michael watched Marco pass him on the outside entering the first turn on lap 198. It was reminiscent of Michael's pass of Rick Mears in the 1991500. Sam Hornish took second from Michael on the backstretch during lap 198. Sam attempted to go under Marco in turn three but Marco closed the door and Sam "shifted from fifth to third" and wisely regrouped instead of forcing the issue. Marco led laps 198-199 and had about a 30-yard advantage over Sam as they started the final lap. He appeared to have the 500 victory as a rookie, a feat Graham Hill accomplished in 1966.

    Sam closed quickly on Marco through turns three and four on lap 200. On Marco's tail leaving T4  Sam caught the draft, feigned right and shot to the left about 200 yards from the finish line for the second closest finish in Indy history. It was 0.0635 officially, second only to the 0.043 victory by Al Unser, Jr over Scott Goodyear in 1992. It also was reminiscent of the Rick Mears/Gordon Johncock 1982 close finish. Sam's thrilling pass was the first time in 90 Indianapolis 500s that the lead had changed hands on the final lap. The feel-good story of a Michael, or Marco Andretti Indy 500 victory was replaced in a
heartbeat by a first-time Indy winner in the person of Hornish, who had not finished higher than 14th in his six prior 500s. The two-time IRL series champion realized his long-held dream, an Indy 500 victory. That was another feel-good story. He became the 65th different Indy 500 winner. The finish had USA-born drivers in the first three finishing positions. Sam overcame a lap 150 refueling mishap that dropped him from second to seventh. It altered his race strategy to one of saving fuel and it resulted in victory.

    Sam had said he would gladly give up championships and his other victories for the prestige and status of an Indy 500 triumph. He now will have a likeness of his face engraved on the Borg-Warner trophy. The "baby Borg" that Sam will receive will be the most cherished trophy in his collection, long after his share of the million-plus purse is spent. He will wear his Indy 500 winner's ring with pride. Hornish, 26, is a deserving Indy winner and the tenth different winner for Roger Penske, who has 14 Indy 500 triumphs as a car owner. Winning the Indy 500 was the reason Sam gave for leaving Panther Racing for Penske in 2004. He felt Penske precision gave him his best chance for a 500 victory
and he was correct.

    Sam was five-mph faster (219 to 214 mph) than Marco on the final lap. "I had a tall gear and benefited from the draft," Sam said. Marco undoubtedly thought he had victory in his grasp and entered turn three conservatively. He was surprised he lost, but to his credit Marco said, "Second is nothing." That is the statement of a real racer who is happy only with first place. However, Marco will realize that second at Indy pays much better than victory at other IRL tracks. Marco also said he could've blocked Sam but they both would've crashed. With amazing Marco and 2005 sensation Danica Patrick leading the way as new, fan-popular IRL stars, the series should attract more spectators in 2006
than last year.

    The 2006 Indy 500 field contained six past Indy 500 winners and five rookies. The race had seven different leaders and 14 lead changes. There were 20 of the 33 starters still racing at the finish (61%) and thankfully the race ended under the green flag. Sam raced from fourth place to first during the final four laps. Ten drivers finished on the lead lap with all ten on the front straight after the L 190-196 yellow flag. That was reminiscent of the 1997 race with many front runners on the front straight at the checkers. Marco had the
best rookie month-long performance since his grandpa Mario in 1965 and Parnelli Jones in 1961. Marco deserved the 2006 Indy rookie of the year honor that he received. Marco was the third youngest driver to start an Indy 500. Only A. J. Foyt IV and Josele Garza were younger. Marco celebrated his 19th birthday on March 26. His mother Sandy and 15-year old sister Marissa were in his pit during the 500. Sandy has been divorced from Michael many years. One wonders what she was thinking as her son and ex-spouse raced one-two. Marco made a great save caught by his on-board TV camera when a car blocked him. He also shook his fist. That shows the confidence of a veteran, not a timid rookie. Mario, when asked before the race, said he wanted his son Michael to win and grandson Marco to finish second. He almost got his wish. A third and second is close.

    Dan Wheldon, the personable 2005 Indy 500 winner and IRL champion from England, led 148 laps, but he finished fourth. He had a lead of 13-14 seconds over Hornish at the quarter-way mark, but the yellow flag is the great equalizer that wipes out huge leads. His teammate, Scott Dixon, was the hard-luck driver of the race. IRL penalized him for blocking challenging Tony Kanaan and gave Dixon a drive-through penalty, which could have cost him a shot at victory. Danica had a solid day, starting tenth and finishing eighth. In fact, her second Indy 500 could be better than her rookie year in 2005 when she started and finished fourth and led the race late. Last year she stalled her car in the pits and spun sideways in a turn and took out two Panther Racing cars and her nose cone. This year she drove the less than ideal Panoz chassis and had no errors for an impressive race and lead lap finish.

    The sunny, near record hot day, 89-degrees at the start, climbed to 96 according to TV, with the track temp in the 125-130 degrees range. There were crashes, but no injuries. Jeff Bucknum spun into his Hemelgarn brash, friendly teammate P. J. Chesson on lap two, causing them to finish 32-33. Tomas Scheckter spun from turn four into the pit attenuator. Past winners Helio Castroneves, in ninth spot, got into lapped Buddy Rice in traffic at turn four and they both slammed into the wall. Past winner Al Unser, Jr collected the turn three
wall after running over debris in turn two. Jeff Simmons got into the turn 3-4 wall during a five-car wave-around. Felipe Giafffone's second turn wall contact resulted in the final caution. When Jaques Lazier struck debris from Scheckter's crash, TV caught the debris being tossed into the pit side grandstand where five spectators were hit with no serious injuries.

    Interestingly, eight drivers in the 2006 500 had been absent from Indy competition for years. They were (with starting position, age, last year in Indy 500 field and 2006 finish in parenthesis): Michael Andretti (13th, 43, 2003, P.3); Max Papis (18th, 36, 2002, P.14); Eddie Cheever (19th, 51, 2002, P.13); Jeff Simmons (16th, 29, 2004, P.23); Al Unser, Jr (27th, 44, 2004, P. 24); Airton Dare (29th, 28, 2003, P.18); Stephan Gregoire (30th, 37, 2001, P. 29); and P. J. Jones (32nd, 37, 2004, P. 19). They all performed admirably when you consider their being out of Indy Car racing so long and for how hot it was race
day. Five past Indy 500 winners had sons in the 2006 500: Mario Andretti (son Michael and grandson Marco), Parnelli Jones (P.J.), Al Unser, Sr (Al, Jr), Arie Luyendyk, Sr (Arie, Jr) and A. J. Foyt (son Larry). That had to be a record.

    The record Indianapolis purse was $10,518,565 and Hornish won a near record $1,744,855. He didn't lead as many laps as the all-time winning share driver. Marco won $698,505 for his "nothing" runner-up finish. His employer/father Michael collected $480,105 for third. Indy 500 crowd estimates ranged from 300,000 to 400,000. With the track having about 235,000 seats and with vacant seats visible in the third turn grandstand, it would appear a crowd of 225,000+ would be more accurate. Still that is impressive. Month-long attendance at Indy was way down from its heyday, but race-day crowds still know the greatness of the classic race. The great 2006 Indy 500 should help IMS fill every seat next year.

    The Nielson overnight TV rating was 5.2 with a 13 share, the second highest for the race since 2001. The Indy 500 telecast had the highest motor sports TV rating for the weekend. Take that NASCAR Charlotte 600. The Indy 500 head-on shots on the long front and back straights and shots in the turns are unique, as are the overhead views from the blimp. The ABC telecast had new IRL anchorman Marty Reid, who did a solid, low-key job, along with veteran analyst Scott Goodyear (who predicted a Wheldon victory) and newcomer Rusty Wallace (who predicted a Dixon victory). Surprisingly, ex-Penske NASCAR driver Wallace did not pick one of the two favorites-Penske's Hornish and Castroneves. Rusty got to see first hand why the Indianapolis 500 is the best race in the world. It's a shame the Charlotte 600 and F.1 Monaco GP fall on the same day, but the three races combine to make the Memorial day weekend the biggest racing weekend of the year. Kudos to USA TODAY for its special racing section on May 26 and to local newspapers for expanded print and photo coverage of the Memorial Day
weekend races. The Indy 500 radio broadcast (on 1540 AM in So. Calif.) had Mike
King, Davey Hamilton, Dave Argabright, Donald Davidson and Chris Economaki
imparting information. Both TV and radio had the usual group of reliable pit reporters.

    The annual Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade on Saturday. May 27 received same-day national television coverage from 3:00-4:30 p.m PDT with Bob Jenkins the lead broadcaster. The parade had the traditional all 33 Indy 500 drivers in convertibles in 11 rows of three. The street reporter interviewed one driver from each row. The one-hour pre-race Indy 500 telecast had solid versions of the National Anthem and taps for Memorial Day. It showed US troops in Baghdad gathered to watch the Indy 500 in one of Saddam Hussein's ex-palaces. Jim Nabors sang his usual outstanding version of "Back Home Again in Indiana". Introductions of all past Indy 500 winners present and introductions of the 33 starters in rows of three were well done. Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France bicycling champion, did a nice job as driver of the Chevrolet Corvette pace car after coaching by three-time Indy 500 champion Johnny Rutherford. So
with those comments I'll put the Indianapolis 500 to bed for another year. I can hardly wait for the next edition of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing".

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