Yeah, I know, I feel somewhat bad ‘bout spending a very
bright, sunny, pleasant summer’s day here in Seattle inside, but what’s a Motorsports
Fiend supposed to do? Not to mention I’ve still got the ‘Peacock-light’s
Hungarian Grand Prix weekend GP2 race on ice; CRIKEYS!
Thus I decided to spend the day watching the “Boob-tube”
instead, albeit jumping back ‘N forth between the Mid-Ohio Indy Lights race and
the day’s preliminary heat’s for the afternoon’s Albert Lee, NOT “Fat Albert”
Cup finale, the cherry on top of Seattle’s traditional summer Seafair
spectale...
Thus it was a veritable treasure trove ‘O Petrol-itus for us
‘Rev-Heads, as I flipped over “Justin-time” to ABC to see Tanner “Double-D”
Faust win another Gold medal at this year’s X-Games, with our local CBS
affiliate broadcasting the Unlimited Hydroplanes for seven hours; while ESPN
had the ‘RASSCAR Bombers rompin’ round thee Tricky Triangle of Pocono - which
I’m very happy that some local boy named Kasey Kahne from ‘lil ‘Ol
“Eenum-scratch” (Enumclaw, WA) who just so happens to be ‘Awntie Harriet’s
favourite race car driver BEAT Jeffrey “Stick-a-Fork-in-IT!” Gordon, no less
than upon his 42nd birthday... As needless to say, I’m less than
impressed with Gordon’s disparaging comments towards Indy Cars...
While batting clean-up is the Northwest Nationals from
Pacific Raceways in Kent, WA on ESPN2, just prior to my finishing the overtly
lazy summer day by listening to duh Freaks! A.k.a. Speed Freaks, which I’m sure
will blather on ‘N on ‘bout ‘Dem Taxicabs, although may be, just may be they’ll
be able to interview some Top Fuel Piloto winner from Pacific Raceways, eh?
Thus I was busy thinking that an ‘Ol No Fenders ‘BLOB story
titled The Other Chaves was about Gabby, watching him being interviewed by Jake
“The Riddler” Quiery, but nah, instead it was about the long forgotten Pedro of
Formula 1 Fame...
As the Mid-Ohio Indy Lights race was fairly entertaining,
albeit primarily not the fight for the lead, as Pole sitter Gabby Chaves
basically pulled away from Peter Dempsey and went off ‘N hid, although Dempsey
did close down his lead while the two had sped away to a 21-second lead over
the hotly contested final podium step placing, to which I was rootin’ for Zach
Veach to take ahead of “Union Jack.” (Jack Hawksworth) Nope, instead it was watching
Carlos ‘Silk Munoz having to carve his way back thru the field from 11th
place after a rare mistake made when trying to overtake Hawksworth for third
position at the start of the race.
And what more can I say about the “Newbies,” as can a racing
driver have a cooler name than Axle Jefferies? Unless you’re Will Power Mates!
As I’ll be the first to admit that I really never expected this ride to pan out
after the farcical Chase Austin demotion - so good on Yuhs Bryan Herta and
Honda for making this happen, although I still think chase, who’s got a pretty
kOOL! Name too still deserves better treatment and a Full-time Indy Lights
drive next year...
As I was rootin’ for Chaves to hold off the fast approaching
Dempsey in order to score his maiden Indy Lights victory, which the Columbian did!
Which was kOOL even if the leader led for all 40-laps of the race, whilst fellow
countryman Munoz rebounded to finish fourth, where he’d started from, enabling
Chaves to shave Carlos points lead between the two Columbians in half, from 36
to 15 with Chaves vaulting into second place in the championship - so it’s a
good thingy Munoz turned down the revolving door Panther IndyCar ride in order
to concentrate upon winning the Lights crown this year.
Next up was the ‘B-I-G BOYZ race, as more than double the
Lights field took the Green flag for the IndyCar race, which a la Lights, saw
two drivers making their debuts behind the keyboards of the Dallara DW12’s. With
James Davidson starting for the revolving door second Dale Coyne Racing entry -
as it was pretty funny hearing guest NBCSN Booth Announcer Ryan Briscoe saying
notice how good Davidson’s helmet looks! As the fellow ‘aussie was borrowing
Briscoe’s crash bucket with Ryan noting how Davidson didn’t have an IndyCar
approved carbon fibre helmet... As this was how exciting the beginning of the
race was with the leaders simply going into fuel saving “Conserve” mode in
order to only make two Pitstops. While the other IndyCar debutant was Italy’s Luca
Filippi who was substituting for the temporarily relieved ‘TAG (Alex Tagliani)
at Bryan Herta Autosports.
Yet the race really hotted up with a few drivers going on
alternate strategies, most notably thee Mayor ‘O ‘Hinchtown, (James
Hinchcliffe) Charlie “Murphy” (Kimball) and “Symone Pagenoe,” (Simon Pagenaud)
as the latter two’s outright pace forced the majority of front runners to
change their minds from two-stops to three-stops strategy whilst Kimball and
Pagenaud went hammer ‘N tongs over the eventual lead!
As it was funny how I found myself rootin’ against My Boy
‘Symone - wanting to see Kimball score his debutant IndyCar victory... Even if
it was for the dreaded ‘CHeepster. (Chip
Ganassi) Hmm? And I just sat there smirking whilst wunderin’ what ‘Grahamcracker,
nee Graham Rahal musta been thinking? Having left the satellite G2 squad as
Kimball’s teammate last year.
It was pretty kOOL hearing Pagenaud say twice with relish
that he’d given Charlie HELL! And was very congratulatory towards him, as if
it’d been somebody else leading then I’d have been yelling at thy ‘Telie for
Pagenaud to win! But alas, everybody Driver-wise seemed genuinely pleased for
the ‘Yank with Diabetes to notch his inaugural victory, as won’t it be funny if
this relatively unknown American, and say Joseph Newgarden go onto eclipse the
overhyped duo of Marky Marc (Marco) Andretti & Graham Rahal? Not to mention
conor Daly could become an IndyCar rookie next year? As it was a very
entertaining race for a track known for typically being a virtual NO passing snooze
fest...
Then I broke down and watched the final race of the day,
television-wise, albeit I might actually watch my first Drag Racing finals
ever? As I’m sure there’s far more strategy involved then it appears, and its
probably in the vain of safety’s sake, but I’m simply NOT a fan of the assigned
starting lanes procedure that the Hydros have been utilizing for some time now,
instead simply a fan of the 5-minute gun and unlimited slicing ‘N dicing
provided you stay upon a plane and letting the ‘Boyz fight it out for starting
positions.
That said, I was ‘Uber pleased to see my pick and I think
he’ll be my new favourite H1 Unlimiteds driver Jimmy Shane have the inside lane
(lane-1) for the finale, with expected winner Steve David forced outwards into
lane-4 in which ultimately became a two boat race with the slightly inferior
U-5 Graham Trucking piloted by the 27-year old Marylander Shane leading
wire-to-wire over David’s U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto, with Shane clipping David’s
metaphorical sponson’s en route to ending his consecutive Seafair winning
streak at three and hence thee Godfather of Hydroplanes Bill Muncy’s tally of
four consecutive Seafair wins remains intact alone at the top of the record
books...
As I enjoyed Steve David’s post-race comments saying he’d
been ganged up on by the 5 & 37 and seemed pretty ticked off with Jay
Michael Kelly by claiming he’d been pushed wide and next time he’d give the
Beacon Plumbing (boat) some pluming to Do!” OOCH! As it was an ecstatic Shane doing
a victory jig before reaching shore who’d be celebrating with his wife - who’s
reportedly got Seattle
roots Sunday night, so congrats Jimmy!
Meanwhile I spotted this upon the H1 Unlimiteds website when
trolling for news upon Saturday’s first heat races, as it’d be a kOOL picture
to have, which is reportedly being done at the bequest of the team’s
benefactor...
