Spiderman to Climb IRL Fences for Years to Come

Chalk one up for the good guys. It has been quite a chore lately to keep open-wheel stars in IndyCar, but the IRL managed to keep its prized possession.

Helio Castroneves, the face of IndyCar, will be climbing fences throughout the Midwest for years to come.

Rumors of a potential move to NASCAR were squashed on Friday when word broke from the Penske stable that Helio would sign a multi-year extension to remain in the IRL. The details of the contract are unknown, but I would assume Helio will be locked up for the next three or four years.

Helio’s supposed desire to drive in NASCAR arose in May but had been placed on the back burner ever since. Perhaps the struggles of Sam Hornish, Jr., Dario Franchitti, and Juan Montoya convinced Helio that IndyCar is a pretty good gig after all.

Helio – the ‘01 & ‘02 Indy 500 champion – would have been a free agent following the 2008 season. IndyCar fans can now kick their feet up and enjoy Helio without the fear of him bolting anytime soon.

Penske’s re-signing of Helio is the biggest re-acquisition in IRL history. Hopefully the signing will slam shut the floodgates of IndyCar stars bolting for redneck country.

IndyCar improves their product and fan base on a weekly basis, but the loss of Helio to NASCAR would have been catastrophic. The thought of NASCAR having as many Indy 500 winners as the IRL is nauseating. Helio’s move would have given NASCAR Helio, Montoya and Hornish, Jr. The IRL would have been left with Rice, Wheldon, and Dixon.

Helio has a golden opportunity to become one of the greatest open-wheel stars in history. At age 33, he has tremendous odds of becoming the fourth four-time Indy 500 winner. Rick Mears accomplished the same feat at age 39.

Hopefully Helio can convince soon-to-be IndyCar free agents Dan Wheldon, Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan to stick around and help restore IndyCar pride and tradition.

IndyCar needs Helio. The loss of other open-wheel drivers to a rival series is disappointing, but Helio is too marketable to lose. Helio’s personality, charisma, and high-octane energy level are exactly what the IRL needs to generate a reputable legacy for man years to come.

Franchitti: Indy Champ to Unemployed Chump

It was no bombshell when Chip Ganassi announced on Tuesday the dismemberment of Dario Franchitti’s wretched NASCAR team. The shutdown was looming due to inconsistent sponsors, but Franchitti’s lack of on-track accomplishments did him no favors.

The shutdown was not a matter of if but when. Franchitti’s NASCAR career was doomed from the beginning. That is what he deserves for trading in his silver spoon for a spit bucket.

Franchitti had IndyCar eating out of the palm of his hand. Indy 500 champion. IRL series champion. He drove for a top-level team. Oh, not to mention is married to one of the hottest women on the planet.

Apparently they do not teach common sense over in Scotland.

What is next for Franchitti? I would wager that he ends up driving in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) before the year is over.

Does he have any other viable options?

His Sprint Cup career is finished. Not even an owner with a hamster on wheels for a brain would hire Franchitti, who finished an average of 34th in 10 races. NASCAR is out.

Bathgate’s favorite son can also rule out Formula-1 due to his age (35). What he carries in credentials he lacks in youth. F-1 preys on young drivers in their early 20’s; not drivers inching towards social security. Remember, Michael Schumacher retired at the ripe age of 37 after winning seven world driving championships. F-1 is out.

A return to the IRL would gratify the fans, but Franchitti has made it perfectly clear he has washed his hands clean of IndyCar. If he had any desire to drive an IndyCar, he would not have bolted in the first place.

There are only two ways Franchitti will run in an IndyCar ever again.

First, Franchitti could drive a fifth AGR machine on a part-time basis and only participate in marquee events, such as the Indy 500. Or, he could follow in Michael Andretti’s footsteps and own his own team and drive whenever he gets the itch. But, both of those are not likely, so IndyCar is out.

Franchitti has a passion for motorcycles so the MotoGP series is a viable option, but then again, it is awfully late for him to pursue a new career. MotoGP is out.

Where does that leave the Scotsman besides a venture towards ALMS? Franchitti drove sports cars on a limited basis for AGR in 2007 so if he wants to continue driving on a full-time basis, it would be in his best interest if he returns to ALMS.

Franchitti committed career suicide by choosing money (NASCAR) over success (IndyCar). His talent level and decision making have now been questioned, which in turn dooms any possibility of Franchitti revitalizing any success he achieved in the past.

God Speed, Dario. You will need it.

IndyCar Mid-Season Report Card

There are nine races down with eight to go. We are past the halfway point of the 2008 IndyCar series so it is time to find out who is inching towards graduation and who is flunking out.

Valedictorian
Chip Ganassi Racing is the head of the class in 2008. The dream team of Scott Dixon and Dan Weldon has 5 wins including Dixon’s Indy 500 triumph. If that is not impressive enough, try this one on for size; Dixon and Wheldon have combined to lead 784 of 1886 total laps this season, which equates to 42%. Dixon alone has led 34%, which itself is mind-boggling. Ganassi Racing already has straight A’s, but they will not be satisfied until they are crowned valedictorian at the year-end banquet. A+

Penske Racing
Penske Racing lacks wins, but Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe are still in the championship hunt. Briscoe captured his first career win at Milwaukee while Castroneves has become Mr. Consistent with eight top-5 finishes. Penske is not the head of the class, but they still qualify for the dean’s list. A

Rahal-Letterman Racing
Second-year driver Ryan Hunter-Reay is transforming into a star right before our eyes. HR has produced four top-10 finishes and was positioned for a runner-up finish at Texas before an overly-aggressive Marco Andretti took him out. B+

KV Racing Technology
Of the transition teams, KV has shown the most readiness and consistency since their IndyCar inception. Heading into the season, Will Power was top dog while Oriol Servia settled for sloppy seconds. Instead, Servia has seven top-12 finishes compared to just three top-10s for Power. Write this down: Servia will win this season. B

Vision Racing
To say that Tony George’s drivers Ed Carpenter and A.J. Foyt IV have underachieved would be an understatement. The duo’s eight top-10 finishes have both drivers sitting comfortably in the top-15 in points, but each has had a multitude of missed opportunities. The potential hiring of Paul Tracy for a handful of races this season should boost the team’s moral. B-

Andretti Green Racing
Which is worse? Leading lots of laps with no victories or being called a poor driver by a teammate and fellow co-workers? Marco Andretti falls into both categories. Need I say more? Danica Patrick, aka THE MENACE, has spiraled downward since her Japan victory. Uninspiring runs at Kansas and Indy combined with complaints from her colleagues has spelled doomsday for IndyCar’s media darling. Hideki Mutoh’s five top-5s have him the leading contender for rookie of the year and should be a threat for years to come. TK finally landed in victory lane in Richmond, but it will take more similar performances to hoist the series trophy for a second time. C+

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
D&R has reaped the benefits of attrition and inexperience in 2008. Lead driver Buddy Rice has produced three top-10 finishes and journeyman Townsend Bell has four top-11 finishes to his credit. They are not a top-tier team by any means, but considering the competition and their lack of sponsorship, D&R’s stock has skyrocketed. C

Newman-Hass-Lanigan Racing
NHL is the second transition team to earn a passing grade, albeit not as high as they are accustomed to. A victory and six top-10 finishes by rookies Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson have an optimistic buzz in the garage. C

HVM Racing
E.J. Viso is a star in the making. Despite criticism during the month of May, Viso has brought home four top-10 finishes and completed seven of nine races. Viso is polished for success and is not far away from his first win. C

Panther Racing
Vitor Meira is inching towards the dubious distinction of the best IndyCar driver never to win a race. Since dazzling the world with arguably the greatest pass in Indy 500 history, Meira has had little to celebrate. Three finishes of 15th or worse in three of four races have dropped Meira to 15th in points with no signs of improvement on the horizon. C-

Conquest Racing
In terms of ovals, rookie drivers Enrique Bernaldi and Jaime Camara are anything but seasoned. Both have struggled on ovals, but the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. Road courses dominate the remainder of the IndyCar season which should suit the two Brazilians nicely. D+

Marty Roth Racing
Marty Roth should be selling tires instead of driving at high speeds on banked ovals. Roth has two top-20 finishes and has finished 26th or worse five times. Roth hired John Andretti to temporarily replace rookie Jay Howard, and despite producing Roth Racing’s best ever finish of 11th at Iowa, Howard will return to the No. 24 machine this Sunday at Watkins Glen. D-

Dale Coyne Racing
Rookie Mario Moraes surprisingly leads veteran teammate Bruno Junqueira in points. Neither driver has produced a top-10 result, which is why they fail to make the grade. F

Top to bottom, IndyCar competition this season has been fierce. Just imagine how gung ho the series will be in a couple years as the transition teams familiarize themselves with the new tracks and machines. NASCAR, you are going down.

Kanaan Dominates Demolition Derby at Richmond

What a difference a week makes. IRL officials were radiant following last Sunday’s Iowa Corn Indy 250. The passing was crisp and the number of accidents was fewer than expected.

Last night’s SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond shattered any and all momentum the IRL had gained heading into the second-half of the season.

There were nine cautions (102 laps), which tied a Richmond record from 2001. Before the guys got their act together, 89 of the first 163 laps were run under yellow. There were three multi-car accidents that led to accusations, finger-pointing, and some “meet me in the parking lot afterwards” jabber.

After the smoke cleared it was Tony Kanaan’s race to lose. The pole sitter led 166 laps en route to a four-second victory over fellow Brazilian Helio Castroneves. The win ended a winless streak that spanned nine races and dated back to Belle Isle in 2007.

Kanaan led the most laps, but rival teammate Marco Andretti had the superior car. Marco led 90 laps but an ill-timed caution sent him to the tail-end of the lead lap, all but ending his chances of a win. The Andretti brat settled for ninth-place.

Besides Kanaan’s domination and the demolition derby, there was some other out of the ordinary storylines that developed.

A potential IndyCar star was born last night. Conquest Racing rookie Jaime Camara started 24th but sliced and diced his way through the field and into contention. He was running 12th by lap 50 and found himself leading his first IndyCar race on lap 72.

Camara held the lead for 44 laps (35 were under caution) and hung with the leaders until his day came to a heartbreaking end on lap 218 when an accident ended his night.

It would be a shame to call Camara’s run last night a fluke, but it was just that. Attrition and some poor driving and decision making allowed the 27-year-old Brazilian to storm to the front. Granted, he remained competitive once he was with the lead pack, but inexperience trumped himself and sent him into the wall.

For the second week in a row, point leader Scott Dixon was an absolute non-factor. What is up with the Kiwi lately? Dixon did secure his seventh top-3 finish, but he failed to run up front for the second consecutive race. The last time that feat occurred was in July of 2006 when he failed to lead at Milwaukee and Michigan.

It is hard to argue with a third-place finish, but not when two fellow contenders finished ahead of him.

Winning at Richmond could prove to be a great omen for Kanaan: four of the seven race winners at Richmond have gone on to win the series title. Kanaan will be looking to make that five out of eight.

Do not worry Uncle Helio, I have not forgotten about you. Castroneves (AKA The Bridesmaid) picked up his fourth runner-up finish this season which inched him nine points closer to Dixon in the championship hunt. He now trails Dixon by 43 points.

Helio had the best run of the night. He started 18th but wasted no time in heading to the front. He cracked the top-10 on lap 42 and was running second by lap 70, but he was never able to overcome Kanaan or Andretti. Helio will have to wait yet another week to end his winless streak, which now stands at 24 races.

The biggest disappointment of the night has to be Vision Racing. A.J. Foyt IV was coming off a fifth-place finish at Iowa, but his night ended on lap 29 after an accident. Debris from Foyt’s car collected Vision teammate Ed Carpenter, which ended any shot of the Indy native grabbing his first win.

The IRL takes its show to Watkins Glen next week, which starts a string of three road courses in four weeks, which should favor the Champ Car transition drivers. Hopefully the IndyCar fan base will be better showcased in New York than it was at Richmond.

Did anybody notice the multitude of empty grandstands last night? Last night’s IndyCar race proved the IRL is light years behind NASCAR in terms of marketing, promotion, and popularity.

Also, what happened to the pre- and post-race shows? Last week at Iowa, there were rock-solid pre-race and post-race shows that included interviews with all the contenders. Last night the drivers were already strapped in when the broadcast started. Afterwards, Vince Welch briefly interviewed winner Kanaan just seconds before the credits rolled.

I guess the IRL marketing directors took the night off, but I digress.

Richmond is in the past and it is time to move forward. Here is what to watch for in the upcoming weeks:

Can Helio regain his winning form and snap his winless streak?

Can Kanaan build on his momentum and start a real championship push?

Can Dixon shake off two “dismal” races and get to the front where he is most comfortable?

See you at the Glen.