427 replies to this topic

[Massa]

Complete list of things I'm hearing about Bump Day specials:

[HandyNZL]

That's a very long list.  Please excuse me whilst I take the time to read it thoroughly.

[Massa]

Don't anticipate being excited tomorrow.

Pippa Mann has a sponsor, a car, and an engine...but won't be running tomorrow.  Looks like the big boss stepped into protect little Lotus.  After the joke they've made of everything, and making INDYCAR management look dumb for letting them in and with all these engine lease controversies, I just feel as though it's sad we let them get concessions for releasing Dragon.  Besides, if Lotus knew what was best for the company, the Lotus people would want bumping to put them out of their misery.

Lame lame lame.

But not unexpected.

[Massa]

Not my capture: ESPN, the official broadcasting partner of the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500...augh.

[Massa]

Notes from the post-qualifying presser:

Tony Kanaan didn't feel had had the speed and still has feelings for Marco Andretti.

James Hinchcliffe talking about gusts of wind and shadows and things.  Or him just getting over-excited that he was on provisional pole and he couldn't keep the a**-end in it off of four, but sure, we'll go with weather.  Hinchcliffe says the team is cohesive.  Funny...Andretti Autosport was cohesive in 2005 and 2006 before Danica, and now again in 2012 without Danica...think she's hard to work with?  Hinchcliffe was giving a few saucy answers, nothing bad or anything.  Long day with the media for him.

Ryan Briscoe had nothing interesting to say.  He never does.  Good guy, though, he's truly a nice guy.  He's just not the most interesting person ever.  But neither am I.  And he drives cars at 232 mph into a corner.  I don't.  He wins.  But he loses, too.  His wife, she's not bad, but you know, she's one of the worst sports TV hosts I've ever seen, no offense to her, she's just tentative about using words, and usually sportscasters have to use words as part of the job.  To be fair to her, she's stuck with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty.  Let me give you a transcript.

Nicole Briscoe: Aaaand....this...is...NASCAR...on...E...S...P...N...Rusty...your...thoughts...on...Matt...Kenseth...?

Rusty Wallace: I tell ya what, Nicole, that cat Matt Kensis has a real hot rod out there tonight and he's flat flyin'.

Brad Daugherty: Sure thing, Rusty, that cat's haulin' the mail with this opportunity he has there.

Nicole Briscoe: Nooww....teeeelll...us...aboout...the...wreck...

Rusty Wallace: I tell ya what, it's the ol' aero loose, those fellas have been fightin' aero loose all night and that cat just got aero loose out there and backed it into the wall.

Brad Daugherty: Sure did, Rusty, it's like in basketball, you gotta make your layups every opportunity you get.

Nicole Briscoe: Aaand...whaaaat...abbboooouttt....strategy...g-g-g-going....forward...

Rusty Wallace: I tell ya what, if I'm the driver, I'm sayin' "fellas this hot rod needs four fresh ones."

Brad Daugherty: Sure thing, Rusty, these cats need the opportunity to win and the opportunity to take four tires is a good one.

EVERY WEEK.  Anyway, my real complaint with Nicole Briscoe is that she had painted nails today.  I HATE PAINTED NAILS.

Will Power started interviewing Hélio Castroneves who put together this beauty of an English sentence: "My day was actually I really pushed, man."  Mine too.  Castroneves says the team helped Briscoe by sharing info, because Castroneves needs to take credit and be the center of attention, maybe.  Power sauces it up and says he helped Briscoe by being slower.

Power says "gust of wind."  Second driver today.  Maybe Briscoe said it, too, but I have trouble listening to him.  You know I can't understand most people with British accents, but Aussies and Kiwis, they're fine.  Isn't that odd?

Dumbest question ever asked...they ask Power and Castroneves "knowing Ryan as you do, what do you think this means to him?"  Ryan's sitting there right next to them!

Castroneves thinks he can win from sixth.  I do too, unfortunately.

[Massa]

Closest pole margin ever in Indianapolis 500 history.  If you total the times of the four laps, Briscoe got it by .0023 seconds.  .0023 seconds over four laps.

I love victory shots at Indy because they're so real.  So many others are fake, pre-planned, with all these poses and ruined by having two guys flanking on the podium (no podium at Indy, damn right, way it oughta be...you either win or you lose)...so here you go, Ryan Briscoe, pole winner:

[Massa]

Anyone else catch the awkward moment with Roger Penske and Townsend Bell?  Penske dedicated the pole to a friend who had passed, and Bell just responded "alright" and asked his next question.  Bell then tried to shake Roger's hand, and Roger didn't want to, but did.  Bell adds a lot to the broadcast (everything Derek Daly subtracts from the broadcast by being awful and having no concept of how to ask questions that lead to actual responses...he just leads every driver down a winding path of morose nonsense), but that moment was just...not good.  At all.  When someone dedicates something to someone, you end the interview then and there.

Not sure who the broadcast team for the Indy 500 will be yet.  They usually add a third commentator to join Marty Reid and Scott Goodyear.

The Kanaan/Viso thing is pretty controversial.  Even the INDYCAR officials weren't sure if it was actually legal to pass.  I expect next year's shootout, if they do it, will feature a rule that you must actually complete a full four lap qualifying effort.  I would prefer the series to take it as a "take your shootout and stuff it" and take their shootout and stuff it.

Day old Cavin, reporting that INDYCAR officials may let Lotus continue at 140 kPa while Chevrolet and Honda go back to the normal 130 kPa: http://www.indystar....eep-extra-boost

I am going to say NO NO NO NO NO NO NEVER to that idea.  Lotus screwed up, and INDYCAR protected them by dissolving at least two completed Bump Day special deals.  No more.  NO MORE.  Let Lotus start, and black flag them both on lap one.

John Andretti was around.  It's too bad.  I would have loved to have seen John on Bump Day.  Only Andretti that isn't anything like an Andretti.

Quote from an article linked under the quotes:

Rubens Barrichello said:

I’m proud, man; I’m proud. This has been a week of trying. The team prepared me very well for this, and I enjoy my time out here. I needed a little bit more time in the car for me to be able to actually go faster.  People at home, they might think, ‘It’s just four corners.’ I’ll tell you, those four corners are much more difficult than many of the other corners I’ve done in my whole life. It’s a lot of setup and a lot of things going on. I think it got a bit hotter than we predicted today. But I had a good run. That was the fastest I’ve ever gone.

I love you Rubens.  Benny Barrichello, big-time hero.

Also: Bryan Clauson, injured and qualifying tomorrow, is racing Silver Crown tonight.  I love you Bryan.  Bryan Clauson, big-time hero.

http://auto-racing.s...e-for-indy-500/

[Massa]

Talk is picking up in Speedway, IN.  Let's see what we have:

INDYCAR denying that they won't let anyone bump Lotus.  They don't like that the rumor is spreading.  I like to think they saw my thread and said "oh crap word's getting out."  I know that's not the case.

I don't really believe the rumor.  Two deals magically dissolved today.  One was Mann's, another I can't say anything about because I don't know anything about it.

Honda said "we were Lotus once" so they won't take them out.  Yeah, okay...basically they're castrated by all-caps INDYCAR officials BUT I SAY DROP THE HAMMER LET'S GO KNOCK 'EM OUT NO ONE TELLS A.J. FOYT WHAT HE CAN OR CANNOT DO ON BUMP DAY oh wait neither of his cars made it yet.

I hope if they give Lotus extra boost Honda will change their mind and say "screw this let's get these suckers out of here."  I know they won't.

Foyt, Coyne, Schmidt.  Those are your chances.  I hope one, just one, any one of them, can happen.  I have a feeling they won't.  I have a feeling Pippa Mann had a Honda with Coyne and INDYCAR said no.  Just a feeling.

[Massa]

Why did they waive off Katherine Legge yesterday?  Dragon didn't have their crew members in place.  Of course that's amateurish, but Foyt trying to change tires on Conway's car after failing tech isn't?  I'm not trying to defend Dragon, they make a mess out of everything they do, but I don't think Foyt should be immune just because he's Foyt.  He screwed Conway out of the top 24.  Luckily it doesn't matter because:

There will be no bumping today.  Jay Howard and Pippa Mann both had engines lined up for today, with teams, and sponsors, but somehow they didn't happen.  Randy Bernard says with the wrecks/engine failures over the last few days, there is too much strain on the suppliers.  I'm still not convinced it wasn't part of the Dragon deal.

So Fill Day it is, and live updates there will not be because I couldn't care less about qualifying where no one goes home.  Not cool.

[Massa]

Median Indianapolis 500 finishes for every driver in the field, since we now know that no one is going home...calculated and compiled by me because no one ever uses median finish data, just average, and I think median's more useful, I think everyone in the entire world has always though median was more useful, other than one person who made the decision to keep track of averages.  Anyway, because I calculated and compiled them, they are probably dead wrong.

In the event of a tie, the driver with more starts wins.  N/A drivers ordered by surname.

J.R. Hildebrand¹: 2
Hélio Castroneves: 4
Scott Dixon: 6
Marco Andretti: 6
Dario Franchitti: 7
Tony Kanaan: 9.5
Will Power: 10.5
Ed Carpenter: 11
Oriol Servià²: 11
Alex Tagliani: 11
Sébastien Bourdais¹: 12
Michel Jourdain, Jr.¹: 13
Charlie Kimball¹: 13
Townsend Bell: 16
Mike Conway²: 18.5
Ryan Briscoe: 19
Justin Wilson: 19.5
Ryan Hunter-Reay³: 20.5
Ana Beatriz: 21
Graham Rahal: 21.5
Simona de Silvestro: 22.5
Sebastián Saavedra^{1, 2}: 23
E.J. Viso: 25.5
Takuma Sato: 26.5
James Hinchcliffe¹: 29
Jean Alesi: N/A
Rubens Barrichello: N/A
Bryan Clauson: N/A
Wade Cunningham: N/A
James Jakes²: N/A
Katherine Legge: N/A
Josef Newgarden: N/A
Simon Pagenaud: N/A

¹ Only one race start.
² Has DNQs which don't impact median but obviously indicate poor performance at Indy.  In the case of Servià, he DNQ'd twice in 2002.  He DNQ'd one car, switched teams, DNQ'd that car.  Ouch.
³ Has a DNQ but raced that year anyway in a different car.

[Massa]

Statistically, given their starting positions, Marco Andretti and Hélio Castroneves would be the favorites to win.  You have two guys on the front row (Briscoe and Hunter-Reay) who aren't exactly Indy 500 masters, and the guy in the middle has only done one race here.

What does it really mean?

Absolutely nothing.

[Massa]

Charlie Kimball wrecked in practice.  It was big.  Looked like Carpenter's yesterday, which looked like Brayton's fatal one sixteen years ago.  Clauson's car was uncomfortable and fragile, so they slowed it down.  Simona de Silvestro has a new engine that allegedly has 30 horsepower more now (says Robin Miller, which I actually believe because it looks good for 4 mph) than the old one.  Jean Alesi will have the new engine for the race as well.  Per INDYCAR rules, engine upgrades can't even be made until June 1 so I'd like to know how Lotus got that one through.  I guess Honda's turbogate stuff set a precedent but...

We have a full field at Indy.

Row 1: 1. Ryan Briscoe / 2. James Hinchcliffe / 3. Ryan Hunter-Reay
Row 2: 4. Marco Andretti / 5. Will Power / 6. Hélio Castroneves
Row 3: 7. Josef Newgarden / 8. Tony Kanaan / 9. E.J. Viso
Row 4: 10. Rubens Barrichello / 11. Alex Tagliani / 12. Graham Rahal
Row 5: 13. Ana Beatriz / 14. Charlie Kimball / 15. Scott Dixon
Row 6: 16. Dario Franchitti / 17. James Jakes / 18. J.R. Hildebrand
Row 7: 19. Takuma Sato / 20. Townsend Bell / 21. Justin Wilson
Row 8: 22. Michel Jourdain, Jr. / 23. Simon Pagenaud / 24. Sebastián Saavedra
Row 9: 25. Sébastien Bourdais / 26. Wade Cunningham / 27. Oriol Servià
Row 10: 28. Ed Carpenter / 29. Mike Conway / 30. Katherine Legge
Row 11: 31. Bryan Clauson / 32. Simona de Silvestro / 33. Jean Alesi

[JHS18]

Hey! You put one James on red and one on black! I'm deeply offended. Have you suddenly got something against people named James for some reason?!



Should be a good race, thanks for the updates. I'm not even going to name my favourites before you lecture me on how they're a totally awful and disgraceful individual for something that happened in the Skip Barber Championship or something...but you can probably know most of them anyway.

[Massa]

My super helpful color key aside , let's meet the thirty-three drivers in the 96^th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.  Here's row one:

Ryan Briscoe turned down a 2005 race seat at Jordan Grand Prix for a chance to be competitive in the IndyCar Series with Target Chip Ganassi Racing.  He was anything but, despite nearly winning at St. Petersburg until last-lap contact and claiming pole at Sonoma.  His season ended with severe injuries, including a concussion and two broken clavicles, in a massive collision at Chicagoland.  Briscoe easily could have gone back to Europe or Australia, defeated by ovals and fearful of his safety.  He didn't.  Briscoe recovered in eight weeks, and pieced together open-wheel rides for two seasons until sports car racing led him to Team Penske.  His job on the line year-after-year, Briscoe has delivered under pressure to retain his seat with IndyCar's top team, and once more, he's seeking redemption from the criticism he can never shake, despite his tenacity and dedication to Indy racing.

James Hinchcliffe could have easily been a journeyman driver.  Spending no fewer than five seasons in the Atlantic Championship and the Firestone Indy Lights Series, the Canadian's career seemed headed nowhere, entering each year as a title favorite and leaving it among the closest runner-ups.  Hinchcliffe's personality and skill with the fans, however, helped him make connections in the IndyCar garage and, more importantly, put away a past of negative remarks toward IndyCar from the other side of the fence.  Matured as a man and as a driver, Hinchcliffe's résumé still lacks execution.  From the front row, and with a Chevrolet behind him, Hinchcliffe might just prove that red gloves still, in fact, rule.

Next year.  Ryan Hunter-Reay gets it all the time.  In 2003, he was a winner amidst all the trickery Surfers' Paradise can throw.  The following year, he was untouched through the tight corners of Milwaukee.  By 2005, he still hadn't reached his full potential, and he was out of American open-wheel.  Bobby Rahal took a chance on the Texan-born Floridian, and in 2008, he was the sport's next superstar, winning at Watkins Glen for his ill mother, and representing series sponsors as his own.  But he wouldn't contend next year, like they expected.  A ride came together last-minute, and fell apart soon after.  Struggles with the Foyt team left doubt.  Would there be a next year?  There was, and his fourth win came at yet another storied venue: Long Beach.  But the next year, 2011, saw him fail to qualify for the 500, only to race in a car qualified by Bruno Junqueira.  Much maligned to the Indianapolis crowd, Hunter-Reay looks to 2012, after winning a controversial race at Loudon, to prove himself again at the Speedway.  With his best start yet for the Indy 500, and his best start yet to a season, it may just be this year.

[Massa]

And here's row two.  We'll do two rows per day:

Mario, Michael, John, Jeff, and Marco Andretti have all contested the Indy 500, but among the entire family, the patriarch's 1969 win remains the only time auto racing's most famous name has won its most famous race.  Marco's debut was entirely fitting given his surname, having the race lead out of the fourth corner before becoming the first driver to ever lose the Indianapolis 500 on the final lap.  Since then, Andretti has, a few retirements aside, been a steady factor at Indianapolis, though not a perennial contender like his father, or a victor like his grandfather.  Marco's ready to prove that the Andretti Curse is over, and ready to prove himself as the mature, patient, talented racing driver he was billed to become in 2006.  Still young, and still with so much unused potential, Andretti's strength this month makes him a favorite to claim the win that eluded him by mere feet six years ago.

Will Power comes to Indianapolis with a three-race winning streak in the series, and a four-race losing streak in the 500.  The dominant force of road and street circuits in the IZOD IndyCar Series has just one oval win, coming at a half-distance race in Texas, casting doubts over his ability to secure results on the speedways.  Power, however, has easily been the class of the field in multiple oval events, though never during the calendar's most important one.  Driving for a team with fifteen victories in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, Power finds himself under pressure to balance his pure skill with his aggressive nature and deliver a win in the race that matters most to car owner Roger Penske.

Hélio Castroneves once held a 100% winning record at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  As a rookie, Castroneves led teammate Gil de Ferran to a Penske 1-2 in 2001.  The following year, he fended off Paul Tracy just long enough to claim an improbable win from mid-field.  Though Castroneves did not go three-for-three, he eventually took a third triumph in 2009, after missing the start of the season due to legal issues.  Tearfully reunited with IMS victory lane, Castroneves positioned himself to become the fourth four-time champion, a class comprised of A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears.  The race is on for Castroneves to not only take four, but to do it faster than anyone else has.  Disappointments of 2011 behind him, friendly yet fiery Castroneves aims to beat thirty-two competitors and three legends from the sixth spot.

[Massa]

SparkNotes: No one has ever met the expectations they were supposed to meet and now they all need redemption.

[Massa]

JHS18, on 20 May 2012 - 07:50 PM, said:

Hey! You put one James on red and one on black! I'm deeply offended. Have you suddenly got something against people named James for some reason?!



Should be a good race, thanks for the updates. I'm not even going to name my favourites before you lecture me on how they're a totally awful and disgraceful individual for something that happened in the Skip Barber Championship or something...but you can probably know most of them anyway.

I don't think Jimmy Jakes has any fans at all.  As neutral as you get there.

Well I've heard rumors you like James Hinchcliffe () and Justin Wilson...but I also heard rumors about T-cars on Bump Day...

[Massa]

Also: Bryan Clauson has a bandaid (a small adhesive bandage, I know you guys don't call them that overseas) on the sidepod.  Cute.

[JHS18]

Massa, on 20 May 2012 - 08:05 PM, said:

Well I've heard rumors you like

Oh don't you start as well! Look, it was just a joke...

Quote

James Hinchcliffe

Yeah. It was actually you through showing me some of his videos he posted years ago that actually made me like him. And now you don't like him and I feel bad for liking him because I don't know anything and I assume he's done something really awful like tax evasion like Helio and and and...

[Massa]

I edited the rest out.  I thought about it and changed my mind.

[Massa]

Anyway this is the Indy 500 thread and for all the fun I have with drivers I like and drivers I don't like and everything like that, I respect everyone who runs, has run, will run, tries to run, has tried to run, and will try to run the Indianapolis 500, none of whom in the past have had the surname Smith (I know no one named Smith has raced, maybe one has entered, not sure).  I'm honestly pleased with all winners of the Indy 500 because it's one of the races where I really, really, really feel as though it is absolutely earned and you can tell that by the emotion that goes into it and comes out of it.

I truly think that's what makes the 500, over all these weeks, with all that goes on in preparing and running this race, such an event.  I think that's what the Daytona 500 can never and will never have.  I mean no disrespect to that event but Indy's just...you feel something when Indy comes around.  Daytona's fun, Daytona's cool, obviously many more people watch it than Indy, but Indy's something I can't even put into words.  When a driver wins Daytona, it's just like any other race.  It feels like every other race, the interview is the same as any other winner's interview.  But it's not at Indy.  It's so raw and so pure at Indy.  Watch Wheldon's interview last year and compare it to any other winning interviews.  It's a whole other level.  Watch Buddy Lazier, stuck in his car with a broken back, give his winning interview.  Hélio Castroneves in 2009.  It's just not any other race and I will be very happy for any driver who wins, and I will be happy for all the crewmen and women who won't get to be on the Borg-Warner Trophy but earned it just as much.

So while I have my guys in the signature and some guys I playfully root against, I really watch this from a seat of impartiality because any story told at Indy is a good one.

[Massa]

Dammit, Indy made me soft.  I love everyone.  I'm making a new signature.  Screw having favorites.  These guys are great.

[Massa]

You guys realize it hasn't rained on a single session yet...it rains every May in Indianapolis, and always when cars are supposed to be on the track.  We're lucky to get so much running in with the DW12.

There should be thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow, which will wash the track clean.  The IndyCar Series won't be running again until Miller Lite Carburetion Day on Friday.  The Indy Lights will be doing practice and qualifying for their Freedom 100 on Thursday; race for them is Friday in the middle of Carb Day.

Weather right now?  Hot and sunny on Thursday.  Hot and sunny on Friday with a possible thunderstorm at some point.  Hot and sunny for the parade on Saturday with a possible thunderstorm at some point.  Hot and sunny for race day Sunday.

All that can change but right now, we're looking pretty lucky.

[Massa]

Hey guys, if you need to watch the Indianapolis 500 and/or the Freedom 100 online, send me a PM.  I know a place that will be airing both.  I'll probably be here for the Freedom 100, though I'll be at the TV for the 500 herself.  Maybe I'll bring a laptop...maybe...

[Massa]

I also hope to have something of the audio/visual variety for you guys.  I was going to record my own intro, but I think I'm going to just post that as text on race morning, and try something a little different...don't worry, it may still involve "Delta Force."

The idea hit me today, looking for a video.  Every video of the Indy 500 I watch, I get chills.  It's crazy.  I love this event so, so much.  So I'm going to make a little thing that will give me chills and bore everyone else.

[Massa]

Fastest car in qualifying today:



That car is stunning, eh?

Bourdais' time today would have qualifed him 15th, ahead of Dixon and Franchitti.  I'd expect the old Dragon to move up the field a little on race day.

Wade Cunningham also had a time faster than a few of the drivers in the top 24.

[Massa]

Jean Alesi said:

I have learned more in one week here than I did in my entire Formula One career.

That's going right into my signature.  Jean gets it.  He's one of us.  Get everything you can out of that Lotus, buddy, and please, come back in 2013.



Hero.

[Massa]

The following teams were fined for pre-qualifying infractions.  One infraction unless specified.  Most $15,000 infractions were for retracting the brake pistons into the caliper.  Other infractions unspecified.

#2 Team Penske (Ryan Briscoe) - $15,000
#4 Panther Racing (J.R. Hildebrand) - $15,000
#5 KV Racing Technology (E.J. Viso) - $15,000
#8 KV Racing Technology (Rubens Barrichello) - $15,000
#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon) - $15,000
#12 Team Penske (Will Power) - $15,000
#14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises (Mike Conway) - $10,000
#18 Dale Coyne Racing (Justin Wilson) - $15,000
#25 Andretti Autosport (Ana Beatriz) - $15,000
#26 Andretti Autosport (Marco Andretti) - $25,000 (two infractions)
#27 Andretti Autosport (James Hinchcliffe) - $20,000 (two infractions)
#28 Andretti Autosport (Ryan Hunter-Reay) - $35,000 (three infractions)
#64 Lotus Fan Force United (Jean Alesi) - $65,000 (two infractions)

These were fines because they were caught in pre-qualifying tech inspection; the times set were all with legal vehicles.

[HandyNZL]

So basically everyones brakes were faulty?

And we call them Bandaids.  Made by Johnson and Johnson.  Not to be confused with Tintin's Thompson and Tompson

And here you were slagging Alesi at the start, huh?  It's been interesting reading comments by Rubens and Jean about Indy, especially Rubens.  It's a pity that the rest of the series around Indy 500 can't match Indy.  But the series must be earning some kudos when those two say how hard it is and that it's not just about turning left and that it is just as hard as any F1 race.  They now get it like Graham Hill and Jim Clark and Denny Hulme and all the guys in the 60's got it.

[Massa]

Well, Jean's downgraded to a small-time hero.  While Rubens Barrichello takes time with the fans on his walk back to the garage, like you're supposed to do, Jean Alesi has continually blown them off.  So he's still in F1 mode.  There aren't that many people there, give them a bit of your time.

Media week for the Indy 500 which means my post count declines substantially until Friday.

But...row three...

Former Freedom 100 winner Josef Newgarden's goal was to make the Indianapolis 500 in 2013.  He's here, one year early, and on the north end of the grid.  Articulate and American, Newgarden holds an important place in the future of IndyCar racing, and he's working his way up from the family-oriented Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.  Though a small team, moving to a new shop right by the track in Speedway, SFHR have surrounded themselves with quality people, and have stuck to their values to move from the little team that nearly ended after its first race to a race-winning organization.  Indianapolis catches rookies more often than it rewards them, but Newgarden's impressive pace all month gives him a chance to do what was last done by Hélio Castroneves and become a champion in his very first attempt.

Tony Kanaan has led just over 200 laps at Indianapolis (214 to be exact), but never the 200th.  This will be Kanaan's eleventh 500, and too many times has he been too close.  In 2002, Kanaan led as a rookie, only to crash out of the first position.  In 2006, Kanaan led late, but a caution came out before he had pitted, closing the pit lane and leaving him down in the running order for the final restart.  In 2007, Kanaan dominated the race, but untimely rain ruined his strategy and left him twelfth in the shortened race.  In 2008, he crashed out of the lead...again.  Each year, Kanaan is a contender, sometimes the strongest one, and like Michael Andretti or Eddie Sachs before him, the 500 is never his.  Kanaan's carried his KV Racing team this month, practicing the cars of Rubens Barrichello and E.J. Viso, sharing his experience and expertise with his teammates.  So much emotion goes into an Indianapolis 500, particularly for Kanaan, and if he were to finally win, so  much more would come out.

E.J. Viso has a reputation in IndyCar, and it isn't one he wants to hold onto.  Viso has never finished an Indianapolis 500 in three tries, but with his best-ever starting position of ninth, he could be a factor, as long as he keeps the car on the track.  His aggressive style stems from his complete lack of fear; Viso enjoys activities like skydiving and animals like snakes off the track.  But his focus will have to be entirely within the barriers Sunday, because with a strong car, Viso may just earn a new reputation in Indy-style racing.